This Morning: Dr Sara debunks Mediterranean diet claims
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A new study is underway examining the examining how diet can emulate the impact of medications on treating common chronic conditions. Senior author Professor Stephen Simpson said that we can reduce our dependency on medication by better controlling our diets. He said: “Diet is a powerful medicine. However, presently drugs are administered without consideration of whether and how they might interact with our diet composition – even when these drugs are designed to act in the same way.” The study found that dietary composition had a stronger effect on these pathways than drugs.
The study was conducted in mice that have a similar nutrient signalling pathway to humans.
The medications studies were metformin, resveratrol and rapamycin.
Metformin is used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and has the effect of increasing insulin sensitivity.
Resveratrol is sometimes used as a preventative for heart disease.
The study found that these drugs could interfere with the positive impact of diet.
Both rapamycin and metformin reduced the cellular response to protein, while resveratrol dulled the effect of carbohydrates and fat.
Future research will be needed to see how much of this research will carry over to humans, although many of the pathways are unaltered.
The study focused largely on the interaction of the different nutrients at the cellular level, rather than constructing a diet that can be translated into human portions.
Lead author Professor David Le Couteur believes the research can further out understand of what causes aging at the cellular level.
He said: “We all know what we eat influences our health, but this study showed how food can dramatically influence many of the processes operating in our cells.
“This gives us insights into how diet impacts health and ageing.”
The research was published in Cell Metabolism, laying out findings about how diet and the different drugs influenced the liver.
There are roles that diet can take in controlling chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
A well-planned diabetes diet can reduce your dependency on medications to regulate your blood sugar.
Controlling the amount and type of cholesterol in your diet can improve symptoms of hypertension.
The NHS warns against stopping any medications without the consultation of your doctor.
Other lifestyle changes that can combat the effects of aging include mental and physical exercise.
Some behaviours can worsen the effects of aging.
These include drinking, lack of sleep, smoking and stress.
One study conducted by Yale also found that people with a positive perception of aging lived seven years longer.
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