Alcohol consumption may have positive and negative effects on cardiovascular disease risk
November 28, 2023
A new study found that alcohol consumption may have counteractive effects on CVD risk, depending on the biological presence of certain circulating metabolites -- molecules that are produced during or after a substance is metabolized and studied as biomarkers of many diseases. The researchers observed a total of 60 alcohol consumption-related metabolites, identifying seven circulating metabolites that link long-term moderate alcohol consumption with an increased risk of CVD, and three circulating metabolites that link this same drinking pattern with a lower risk of CVD.
Scientists may have discovered a new way in which fasting helps reduce inflammation -- a potentially damaging side-effect of the body's immune system that underlies a number of chronic diseases.
As the world's population increases, cultivated or lab-grown meat -- animal muscle and fat cells grown in laboratory conditions -- has emerged as a potential way to satisfy future protein needs. And edible, inexpensive plant proteins could be used to grow these cell cultures. Now, researchers report that the non-allergenic wheat protein glutenin successfully grew striated muscle layers and flat fat layers, which could be combined to produce meat-like textures.
Researchers found that when mice were fed a high-fat diet, mitochondria within their fat cells broke apart and were less able to burn fat, leading to weight gain. They also found they could reverse the effect by targeting a single gene, suggesting a new treatment strategy for obesity.
