Welcome to the July 2024 issue of Research Extracts. “The Extracts” is designed to keep busy practitioners and savvy consumers up to date on the latest research on diet, nutrients, botanicals, the microbiome, the environment, and lifestyle approaches to good health and wellness. Our medical team, including NDs, MDs, PhDs, RDs, an MS in clinical nutrition, an MS in biology, and an LAc, summarizes the essence of several interesting recent studies.

In this issue: (1) Mental Health Moment: Job flexibility/security and mental health, (2) plant-based diets and telomere length, (3) olive oil decreases dementia-related death, and (4) low magnesium increases the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Mental Health Moment: Job Flexibility, Security, and Mental Health

Mental illness affects more than one in five U.S. adults each year, with even higher incidence in adults ages 18-24. Although there are many factors that contribute to poor mental health, employment characteristics like job insecurity and minimal schedule flexibility increase the risk of mental health decline.

This study assessed associations between job characteristics and mental health status, use of mental health care, and job absenteeism to determine if more flexible and secure work impact mental health outcomes. Data from the 2021 National Health Institute Survey (NHIS) was used, with mental health questionnaires and job data (absenteeism, flexibility, and security) collected from more than 18,000 U.S. adults.

The data showed that participants reporting serious mental health concerns had both significantly less job flexibility and job security compared to individuals with lower distress levels. More job flexibility and security were associated with a 26- and 25-percent decrease in serious mental health distress risk, respectively. Significant anxiety risk reduction was also seen with more job security and flexibility.

Absenteeism data showed that individuals with more job flexibility and security had significantly fewer days of working while feeling ill and took more sick days off. On the flipside, those with no sick-day absences also reported more job security. 

Note: The interactions between work and health should not be ignored. Thorne’s Stress Test and Biological Age Health Panel are helpful tools to look at your personal experience of stress and how stress adversely impacts your mental and physical well-being. 

Contributed by Carly Duffy, MPH, RD

Reference

Consumption of Healthy Plant-Based Foods Correlates with Increased Telomere Length

Plant-based diets are not all created equal, particularly when it comes to healthy aging and telomere length. Telomeres are stretches of DNA that line the ends of chromosomes, and, because they shorten with every cell division, they are a hallmark biomarker of aging.1

A previous study utilizing an established plant-based dietary index2 and data collected from the NHANES − a large, U.S. representative cross-sectional survey − found a relationship between healthy plant-based diets and increased telomere length, whereas unhealthy plant-based diets correlated with shortened telomere length.3

The current study included data from 6,981 participants (52.8% women, 47.2% men; average age 50). NHANES data from the 1999-2002 cycle was used because telomere length was only measured during this time period, and dietary intake data was collected using a single-day, 24-hour dietary recall compiled from this same cycle. Foods were assigned positive or negative scores with unhealthy plant-based foods (uPDI), which were considered to be processed foods, fruit juices, sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes, and sweets/desserts, while healthy plant-based foods (hPDI) included whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils, and tea/coffee. Telomere length was measured using quantitative PCR, with a total of six data points collected per sample and compared to standard reference DNA.

The consumption of a plant-based diet overall did not have a relationship to telomere length, but when uPDI was separated from hPDI, a clear correlation to telomere length emerged.

Individuals with the highest hPDI scores had an average of 2.34-percent longer telomeres than individuals with the lowest hPDI scores. In addition, individuals with the highest uPDI scores had an average of 3.17-percent shorter telomere length than individuals with the lowest uPDI scores. Although more research is needed in this area, this study suggests a relationship between healthy telomere length and the intake of nutrient-dense, plant-based foods.

Contributed by Carina Toledo, MS, MHI, CNS

Note: Thorne offers multiple formulas to support a healthy plant-based diet, including Daily Greens Plus, which features 28 powerhouse ingredients that support cellular energy production and cognition.*

Thorne’s ResveraCel® features three complementary ingredients that activate the sirtuin proteins, a class of enzymes that up-regulate positive functions associated with aging, including healthy telomere length.*

References

Higher Olive Oil Intake is Associated with Lower Dementia-Related Death Regardless of Diet Quality

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet, particularly olive oil consumption, has well-known benefits for cognitive, cardiovascular, and overall health. However, much of the existing evidence is from studies conducted in Mediterranean countries. Does olive oil consumption have the same benefits when consumed by U.S. adults?

Data from two large cohort studies – the Nurses’ Health Study I and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study – were analyzed to quantify olive oil intake, diet quality, and associated cognitive health and dementia-related death among 92,383 U.S. adults. Diet quality was measured using the 130-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), which was administered every four years during 28 years of participant follow-up. A subset of participants (n = 27,296) completed genetic testing to determine presence of a gene variant known as apolipoprotein E Ɛ4 (APOE Ɛ4), which is associated with an increased risk of dementia.

Higher olive oil consumption was associated with lower risk for dementia-related death. This association remained consistent regardless of APOE Ɛ4 status, presence of other risk factors (cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes), and adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Simple dietary changes, such as replacing five grams per day of mayonnaise or margarine with the same amount of olive oil also resulted in a significantly lower risk for dementia-related death. The authors concluded that choosing olive oil over other fat sources is beneficial for U.S. populations and is confirmed as a strategy for preserving cognitive health.

Note: Need help getting started with a Mediterranean diet? Then check out these Take 5 Daily articles for more information: What is a Modified Mediterranean Diet? and 9 Must-Try Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner Recipes for a Mediterranean Diet.

Contributed by Jennifer L. Greer, ND, MEd

Reference

Low Magnesium Increases Risk for Metabolic Syndrome

Low magnesium levels are associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). It is estimated that more than half of U.S. adults fail to meet the daily recommended dietary intake of magnesium. Beyond that, however, magnesium can be lost in the urine because of failure to reabsorb it in the kidneys. To evaluate this cause of low magnesium, a magnesium depletion score (MDS) was established that weighted certain risk factors:

  • 1 point: current use of a diuretic
  • 1 point: current use of a proton pump inhibitor
  • 1 point: alcoholic beverage consumption (>1 drink/day for women; >2 drinks/day for men)
  • 1 point: estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 60-90 mL/min/1.73 m2
  • 2 points: eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2

The current study analyzed data from 15,565 U.S. adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2018. A higher MDS (representing greater magnesium depletion) is significantly associated with an increased risk of MetS. Each point increase in MDS resulted in a 30-percent increase in MetS risk, which remained consistent across various subgroup populations.

Note: Read this article to see if you are at risk for a magnesium deficiency. You can also explore Thorne’s magnesium products, which form of magnesium is best for you, and Thorne’s Metabolic Syndrome Wellness Guide.

Contributed by Kathi Head, ND

Reference