Medical Bulletin 24/July/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Top five foods rich in prebiotics named by scientists

In a new study, scientists estimated the prebiotic content of thousands of food types by using preexisting literature to find out which foods offer the highest prebiotic content.

According to the study, foods that pack the greatest prebiotic punch are dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leeks, and onions. In addition to supporting gut microbes, prebiotic-rich foods contain high amounts of fiber — something most Americans do not get enough of.

Reference: CASSANDRA BOYD et al, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION

Scale of disorder underpinning Motor Neurone Disease revealed

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have shown that hundreds of proteins and mRNA molecules are found in the wrong place in nerve cells affected by Motor Neuron Disease (MND), also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

New research published in Neuron shows that the problem is much broader. This ‘mislocalization’ affects many more proteins than first thought, especially those involved in RNA binding. The mislocalization extends to mRNAs too, molecules that deliver instructions to make proteins from the DNA in the nucleus.

Reference: Nucleocytoplasmic mRNA redistribution accompanies RNA binding protein mislocalization in ALS motor neurons and is restored by VCP ATPase inhibition. THE FRANCIS CRICK INSTITUTE

Gastric bypass surgery associated with non-alcohol substance use disorder

Researchers have discovered a link between gastric bypass surgery and an increased risk of non-alcohol substance use disorder, according to a new study in Obesity.

In the current research, Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study, enrolled 2,010 patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery – 265 patients for gastric bypass, 1,369 with vertical banded gastroplasty, and 376 patients with gastric banding. A total of 2,037 matched control individuals received usual obesity care. Participants were between the ages of 37 and 60 and had a body mass index (BMI) of at least 34 kg/m2 for males and 38 kg/m2 for females. The study included patients from September 1987 to January 2001 with a follow-up period of nearly 24 years.

Reference: “Non-Alcohol Substance Use Disorder After Bariatric Surgery in the Prospective, Controlled Swedish Obese Subjects Study,” Obesity in August 2023.