Background and aims: Observational data indicate that diets rich in fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on inflammatory status, improve metabolic resilience and may protect against the development of non-communicable diseases. Nevertheless, experimental evidence demonstrating a causal relationship between nutrient intake (especially whole foods) and changes in metabolic health is scarce. This study investigated the pleiotropic effects of sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts, compared to pea sprouts, on biomarkers of endothelial function, inflammation and metabolic stress in healthy participants subjected to a standardized caloric challenge.Methods: In this double-blind, crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled trial 12 healthy participants were administered 16 g broccoli sprouts, or pea sprouts (placebo) followed by the standardized high-caloric drink PhenFlex given to disturb healthy homeostasis. Levels of inflammatory biomarkers and metabolic parameters were measured in plasma before and 2 h after the caloric overload.Results: Administration of broccoli sprouts promoted an increase in levels of CCL-2 induced by caloric load (p = 0.017). Other biomarkers (sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, hs-CRP, and IL-10) individually showed insignificant tendencies toward increase with administration of sulforaphane. Combining all studied biomarkers into the systemic low-grade inflammation score further confirmed upregulation of the inflammatory activity (p = 0.087) after sulforaphane. No significant effects on biomarkers of metabolic stress were detected.Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that sulforaphane facilitated development of a mild pro-inflammatory state during the caloric challenge, which could be suggestive of the onset of the hormetic response induced by this phytonutrient. The use of integrative outcomes measures such as the systemic low-grade inflammation score can be viewed as a more robust approach to study the subtle and pleiotropic effects of phytonutrients.Clinical trial registration:www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT05146804.Keywords: biomarkers; diet; glucoraphanin; hormesis; inflammation; nutrients; phenotypic flexibility; sulforaphane.
MULTIFILE
Comparisons of visual perception, response-selection, and response-execution performance were made between Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and a matched nondiabetic control group. 10 well-controlled male patients with Type 2 diabetes without diabetic complications (M age 58 yr.) and an age and IQ-matched non-diabetic control group consisting of 13 male healthy volunteers (M age 57 yr.) were included. Significant differences were found only between the two groups on response-selection performance, which concerns the selection and preparation of an appropriate motor action.
Insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility decrease in response to bed rest, but the temporal and causal adaptations in human skeletal muscle metabolism are not fully defined. Here, we use an integrative approach to assess human skeletal muscle metabolism during bed rest and provide a multi-system analysis of how skeletal muscle and the circulatory system adapt to short- and long-term bed rest (German Clinical Trials: DRKS00015677). We uncover that intracellular glycogen accumulation after short-term bed rest accompanies a rapid reduction in systemic insulin sensitivity and less GLUT4 localization at the muscle cell membrane, preventing further intracellular glycogen deposition after long-term bed rest. We provide evidence of a temporal link between the accumulation of intracellular triglycerides, lipotoxic ceramides, and sphingomyelins and an altered skeletal muscle mitochondrial structure and function after long-term bed rest. An intracellular nutrient overload therefore represents a crucial determinant for rapid skeletal muscle insulin insensitivity and mitochondrial alterations after prolonged bed rest.
While the creation of an energy deficit (ED) is required for weight loss, it is well documented that actual weight loss is generally lower than what expected based on the initially imposed ED, a result of adaptive mechanisms that are oppose to initial ED to result in energy balance at a lower set-point. In addition to leading to plateauing weight loss, these adaptive responses have also been implicated in weight regain and weight cycling (add consequences). Adaptions occur both on the intake side, leading to a hyperphagic state in which food intake is favored (elevated levels of hunger, appetite, cravings etc.), as well as on the expenditure side, as adaptive thermogenesis reduces energy expenditure through compensatory reductions in resting metabolic rate (RMR), non-exercise activity expenditure (NEAT) and the thermic effect of food (TEF). Two strategies that have been utilized to improve weight loss outcomes include increasing dietary protein content and increasing energy flux during weight loss. Preliminary data from our group and others demonstrate that both approaches - especially when combined - have the capacity to reduce the hyperphagic response and attenuate reductions in energy expenditure, thereby minimizing the adaptive mechanisms implicated in plateauing weight loss, weight regain and weight cycling. Past research has largely focused on one specific component of energy balance (e.g. hunger or RMR) rather than assessing the impact of these strategies on all components of energy balance. Given that all components of energy balance are strongly connected with each other and therefore can potentially negate beneficial impacts on one specific component, the primary objective of this application is to use a comprehensive approach that integrates all components of energy balance to quantify the changes in response to a high protein and high energy flux, alone and in combination, during weight loss (Fig 1). Our central hypothesis is that a combination of high protein intake and high energy flux will be most effective at minimizing both metabolic and behavioral adaptations in several components of energy balance such that the hyperphagic state and adaptive thermogenesis are attenuated to lead to superior weight loss results and long-term weight maintenance.