Mouse Model of Anti-Obesity Effects of Blautia hansenii on Diet-Induced Obesity.

Reportedly, a relationship exists between intestinal microflora and obesity-related lifestyle diseases. Blautia spp. a major intestinal microbiota, accounts for 3-11% of human intestinal microflora. Epidemiological reports have described that people with more visceral fat have less Blautia hansenii in their intestinal tract irrespective of age or gender. However, the effect of oral administration of heat-sterilized Blautia hansenii on obesity has not been clarified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Blautia hansenii administration on obesity in high-fat-diet-induced obesity in a mouse model. Heat-sterilized cells of Blautia hansenii were used. C57BL/6J mice (normal mice, n = 7) were fed with each experimental diet for nine weeks. Diets for experimentation were: normal-fat (NF) diets, high-fat (HF) diets, and high-fat + Blautia hansenii (HF + Blautia) diets. The HF + Blautia group was administered about 1 × 109 (CFU/mouse/day) of Blautia hansenii. During the periods of experimentation, body weight, food intake, water consumption, and fecal weight were recorded, and glucose tolerance tests were performed. Subsequently, the white adipose tissue (WAT) weight and serum components were measured. Short-chain fatty acid contents in the feces and cecum were analyzed. Furthermore, changes in the intestinal microflora were analyzed using meta-genomics analysis. Results showed that the total weight of WAT in the HF + Blautia group was significantly lower (13.2%) than that of the HF group. Moreover, the HF + Blautia group exhibited better glucose tolerance than the HF group. Productivity of short-chain fatty acids in the intestinal tract was at a significantly (p < 0.05) low level in the HF group; on the other hand, it recovered in the HF + Blautia group. Furthermore, there was a higher ratio of Blautia (p < 0.05) in the intestinal tracts of the HF + Blautia group than in the HF group. These results suggest that Blautia hansenii administration suppresses obesity induced by a high-fat diet.

Association of the COVID-19 pandemic with changes in objectively measured sedentary behaviour and adiposity.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has increased sedentary behaviour and obesity; however, these analyses used self-reported data, and the association between sedentary behaviour and visceral fat and adipocytokines during the COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association of the COVID-19 pandemic with objectively measured sedentary behaviour and these obesity-related factors. METHODS: Longitudinal analysis was conducted on 257 Japanese participants who underwent health check-ups in 2018 before and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. For both time points, sedentary behaviour was measured using an accelerometer for at least 7 days, visceral fat area (VFA) was measured using abdominal bioelectrical impedance analysis, and blood adiponectin level was measured using latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine the association between sedentary behaviour and these outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with data in 2018, sedentary behaviour and VFA were significantly increased (P < 0.001, P = 0.006) whereas adiponectin level was significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in 2020. Increased sedentary behaviour was significantly associated with an increase in VFA (ß = 3.85, 95% CI 1.22-6.49, P = 0.004) and a decrease in adiponectin level (ß = -0.04, 95% CI -0.06 to -0.01, P = 0.005). However, the association of sedentary behaviour with adiponectin level was not significant after considering the effects of VFA. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with objectively measured sedentary behaviour and obesity-related factors in Japanese adults. Additionally, an increase in sedentary behaviour was associated with an increase in VFA, whereas the association of sedentary behaviour with adiponectin was partly mediated by VFA. These results suggest that avoiding increasing sedentary time is important to prevent visceral adiposity thereby ameliorating adiponectin, especially during behavioural limitations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Association between visceral fat and influenza infection in Japanese adults: A population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported that obesity is associated with influenza infection; however, the role of visceral fat remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between visceral fat and influenza infection in community-dwelling Japanese adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using data from an annual community-based health check-up conducted from May to June in 2019. In total, 1,040 Japanese adults aged 20-89 years were enrolled in this study. Influenza infection status was determined by participants' responses to a self-administered questionnaire. The visceral fat area (VFA) was measured using a bioimpedance-type visceral fat meter. Participants were classified into four groups using the following cut-off points: VFA < 100 cm2 was set as the reference category according to the Japanese criteria, 100 ≤ VFA < 150 cm2, 150 ≤ VFA < 200 cm2, and 200 cm2 ≤ VFA. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between VFA and influenza infection. RESULTS: In total, 119 participants had influenza infections in the past year. In the multivariate adjusted model, a higher VFA was significantly associated with increased influenza infection; the adjusted odds ratio for 200 cm2 ≤ VFA was 5.03 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-23.6], that for 150 ≤ VFA < 200 cm2 was 1.97 (95% CI: 0.71-5.45), and that for 100 ≤ VFA < 150 cm2 was 1.62 (95% CI: 0.84-3.12), compared with that for VFA < 100 cm2 (p for trend = 0.049). These findings were confirmed in the same cohort the following year. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that visceral fat accumulation is associated with influenza infection. Large-scale prospective studies using diagnostic information for influenza infection are required to confirm this association.

Association between Objectively Measured Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep Quality in Japanese Adults: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

The association between sedentary behaviour and sleep quality (SQ) remains unclear, partly due to the limited methodology for assessing sedentary time and the influence of obesity. This study aimed to examine the association between objectively measured sedentary time and poor SQ, as well as the association of visceral fat accumulation. This cross-sectional study used health check-up data obtained from 721 Japanese adults. Sedentary time and physical activity were measured using an accelerometer for ≥7 days, with ≥10 measurement hours per day. Poor SQ was determined by a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score of ≥ 6. Visceral fat was measured using the abdominal bioimpedance method. A logistic regression model was used to analyse the association between sedentary time and SQ. We found that higher sedentary time was associated with poorer SQ. This association remained significant after adjustment for several covariates, including visceral fat. Compared with the lowest tertile of sedentary time, the second and highest tertile had a significantly higher OR of poor SQ (Tertile 2: OR = 2.06 [95% CI 1.14,3,73]; Tertile 3: OR = 2.76 [95% CI 1.49, 5.11]). These results suggest that managing sedentary time itself might contribute to improving SQ.

Two Blautia Species Associated with Visceral Fat Accumulation: A One-Year Longitudinal Study.

Intestinal microflora has been associated with obesity. While visceral fat is more strongly associated with cardiovascular disorder, a complication linked to obesity, than the body mass index (BMI), the association between intestinal microflora and obesity (as defined in terms of BMI) has been studied widely. However, the link between visceral fat area (VFA) and intestinal microflora has been little studied. In this study, we investigate the association between intestinal microflora and VFA and BMI using a longitudinal study on Japanese subjects with different VFA statuses (N = 767). Principal component analysis of the changes in intestinal microflora composition over the one-year study period revealed the different associations between intestinal microflora and VFA and BMI. As determined by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, changes in the abundance ratio of two microbial genera-Blautia and Flavonifractor-were significantly associated with VFA changes and changes in the abundance ratio of four different microbial genera were significantly associated with BMI changes, suggesting that the associated intestinal microbes are different. Furthermore, as determined by metagenomic shotgun sequences, changes in the abundance ratios of two Blautia species-Blautia hansenii and Blautia producta-were significantly and negatively associated with VFA changes. Our findings might be used to develop a new treatment for visceral fat.

Association of sedentary behaviour and physical activity with cardiometabolic health in Japanese adults.

Although the Asian population exhibits excessive sedentary behaviour and has a high susceptibility to metabolic syndrome (MetS), the nature of these associations remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of sedentary time with cardiometabolic health and examine the association of reallocating sedentary time to light physical activity (LPA) or moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on cardiometabolic health in Japanese adults. A cross-sectional study was performed using data obtained from 758 Japanese adults. We assessed sedentary time, LPA, and MVPA using an accelerometer. Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyse the association between sedentary time and cardiometabolic risk factors. An isotemporal substitution model was used to estimate the theoretical influence of reallocating sedentary time to LPA or MVPA. A longer sedentary time was associated with worse cardiometabolic health, including MetS. Reallocating 30 min of sedentary time to LPA was significantly associated with lower body mass index, visceral fat, insulin resistance, triglyceride, and MetS levels and increased muscle mass and HDL-C (all P < 0.05). Reallocating 30 min of sedentary time to MVPA was strongly associated with the aforementioned factors. These results demonstrate the potential beneficial effects of reallocating sedentary time to LPA and MVPA on cardiometabolic health of Asians.

The effect of age on the association between daily gait speed and abdominal obesity in Japanese adults.

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of age on the association between daily gait speed (DGS) and abdominal obesity defined by visceral fat area (VFA). A cross-sectional study was performed using data from an annual community-based health check-up. A total of 699 participants aged 20-88 years were enrolled in this analysis. DGS was assessed using tri-axial accelerometers worn for ≥ 7 days with at least 10 measuring hours each day. VFA was measured using a visceral fat meter. Since DGS differed significantly with age, the participants were divided into two groups: younger adults (YA), aged 20-49 years, and older adults (OA), aged 50-88 years. The association between DGS and VFA differed significantly with age (r = 0.099 for YA and r = - 0.080 for OA; test for difference between correlation coefficients, P = 0.023). In OA, the adjusted odds ratio of abdominal obesity (VFA ≥ 100 cm2) was 0.40 (95% confidence interval 0.18, 0.88, P = 0.022) for the highest DGS quartile (DGS ≥ 1.37 m/s) compared to that for the lowest quartile (DGS < 1.11 m/s), whereas no significant association was found in YA. These data could aid in raising awareness of the self-management of obesity via DGS monitoring, especially in OA.

Association between Visceral Fat and Brain Structural Changes or Cognitive Function.

Visceral fat accumulation is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Visceral fat is a causal risk factor for hypertension and type 2 diabetes, which was reported as one of the risk factors for dementia. Visceral fat areas (VFA) might be clinically important to prevent dementia; however, the association between VFA and cognitive function in the elderly remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the association between brain structural abnormalities using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and VFA, and the association between cognitive function and VFA, in the elderly. A total of 2364 healthy individuals were enrolled, and we excluded those diagnosed with dementia. Participants were divided into a high-VFA and a low-VFA group based on median VFA. The high-VFA group had significantly lower cognitive function than the low-VFA group (p = 0.025), after adjustment for related factors using a linear regression model. Regarding brain structure in MRI, VFA remained significantly associated with white matter lesions (odds ratio (OR), 1.90; 95% confidence interval (1.33-2.70); adjusted p < 0.001) and perivascular space (OR, 1.28; 95% confidence interval (1.02-1.61); adjusted p = 0.033). Further follow-up studies are needed, but reducing visceral fat might be important, not only to prevent cardiovascular disease but also to prevent dementia.

Association between Serum Concentration of Carotenoid and Visceral Fat.

Consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids has been widely reported to prevent cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and visceral fat area (VFA), which is considered a better predictor of cardiovascular diseases than the body-mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the relationship in healthy individuals in their 20s or older, stratified by sex and age, to compare the relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and VFA and BMI. The study was conducted on 805 people, the residents in Hirosaki city, Aomori prefecture, who underwent a health checkup. An inverse relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and VFA and BMI was observed only in women. In addition, the results were independent of the intake of dietary fiber, which is mainly supplied from vegetables as well as carotenoids. This suggests that consumption of a diet rich in carotenoids (especially lutein and beta-carotene) is associated with lower VFA, which is a good predictor of cardiovascular disease, especially in women. This study is the first to comprehensively evaluate the association between serum carotenoid levels and VFA in healthy individuals.

Relationships between body composition and pulmonary function in a community-dwelling population in Japan.

Pulmonary diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are major chronic diseases that result in decreased pulmonary function. Relationships between body composition and pulmonary function have been reported. However, few epidemiological studies have used the visceral fat area (VFA) to measure body composition. This study aimed to examine the relationship between body composition and pulmonary function. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2015 and 2016, using data obtained from 1,287 residents aged between 19 and 91 years living in the Iwaki area of Hirosaki City, a rural region in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Pulmonary function was evaluated using the forced vital capacity (FVC) as a percentage of the predicted value (predicted FVC%) and the ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) to FVC. The measurements for evaluating body composition included the body fat percentage (BFP) of the whole body and trunk, skeletal muscle index (SMI), body mass index (BMI), VFA, waist circumference (WC) at the navel level, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). To adjust for potential confounders, Spearman's partial correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between the measurements of body composition and pulmonary function. There were significant correlations between the predicted FVC% and the following parameters: BFP (whole body and trunk) in younger males; SMI in older males; WC, VFA, BMI, and SMI in younger females; and BFP (whole body and trunk) and VFA in older females. Contrastingly, WC and VFA in younger males and WC in younger females were correlated with the FEV1/FVC ratio. VFA was correlated with the FEV1/FVC ratio in younger males and predicted FVC% in older females. These findings suggest that visceral fat accumulation may increase the development of obstructive pulmonary disease in young males and accelerate the decline of pulmonary function (predicted FVC%) in older females.

Effect of tea catechins with caffeine on energy expenditure in middle-aged men and women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

PURPOSE: It has been reported that tea catechins increase energy metabolism, but their effect on resting metabolic rate (RMR) remains under debate. This study aimed to examine the effect of repeated intake of tea catechins on energy metabolism in the resting state in middle-aged men and women. METHODS: A total of 30 middle-aged men and women [13 women; age (mean ± SD) 52 ± 4 years; BMI 21.9 ± 2.2 kg/m2] were recruited. A randomized, double-blind, crossover study was conducted using a tea catechin-enriched beverage (611 mg catechins, 88 mg caffeine) and a placebo beverage (0 mg catechins, 81 mg caffeine) as test beverages. After 2 weeks of continuous test beverage intake, fasting RMR and energy expenditure (EE) after the ingestion of test beverage were measured. Measurements of forehead temperature (proxy for core temperature) and skin temperature were also obtained simultaneously. RESULTS: Among participants who underwent measurements, 26 (10 women; mean age 52 ± 4 years; mean BMI 22.1 ± 2.1 kg/m2) were analyzed. The EE increased significantly after ingestion of the tea catechin beverage compared with the placebo beverage (placebo treatment: 5502 ± 757 kJ/day; catechin treatment: 5598 ± 800 kJ/day; P = 0.041). No between-treatment differences in fasting RMR or the respiratory quotient were detected. In addition, the forehead and skin temperature did not differ significantly between the placebo and catechin treatments. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that continuous intake of tea catechins with caffeine for 2 weeks significantly increased EE after ingestion of the tea catechin but not fasting RMR in middle-aged men and women. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER AND WEBSITE: This trial was registered at www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ as UMIN000025810 and UMIN000025811.

Association between breath methane concentration and visceral fat area: a population-based cross-sectional study.

High visceral fat area (VFA) is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality, compared with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Recent reports demonstrate that obesity is related to breath gas, which is produced by the intestinal microflora. However, these studies define obesity using BMI, not VFA. In this population-based cross-sectional study, we investigated the relationship between breath gases (methane and hydrogen) and both VFA and BMI. A total of 1033 participants (62% women; age [mean ± standard deviation] 54.4 ± 14.9 years) in the 2015 Iwaki Health Promotion Project in Japan were enrolled in the study. Breath samples were collected using a breath bag and analyzed by gas chromatography. VFA was measured using a visceral fat meter. The proportion of methanogenic bacteria to total intestinal microbiota was measured by polymerase chain reaction and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Our analysis revealed a significant association between high VFA and low breath methane, even after adjusting for confounding factors (B = -0.024 and P = 0.004). To identify the association between breath methane and VFA in participants with methane-producing bacteria in their intestinal microflora, participants were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of methanogenic bacteria in their stool. The Methanogen + group was further divided into two subgroups with breath methane higher (Methane-UP) or lower (Methane-LO) than the median breath methane concentration. VFA was significantly lower in the Methane-UP group than in the Methane-LO group. In participants with methanogenic bacteria, breath methane concentration might be an independent biomarker of visceral fat accumulation.

Association between Nutrients and Visceral Fat in Healthy Japanese Adults: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study Brief Title: Micronutrients Associated with Visceral Fat Accumulation.

: High visceral fat area (VFA) is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality than body mass index or waist circumference. VFA may be decreased by proper dietary habits. Although previous epidemiologic studies demonstrated an association between nutritional components or foodstuffs and VFA, only the associations of a few nutrients, such as dietary fiber and calcium, are reported. We performed a comprehensive 2-year longitudinal study in more than 624 healthy people and analyzed 33 micronutrients to investigate nutrients that contribute to changes in visceral fat. Our analyses revealed that "macronutrients" and "micronutrients" were "mutual confounders". Therefore, when evaluating the association between VFA and micronutrients, associations were adjusted by macronutrients. The ingestion of 7 nutrients: soluble dietary fiber, manganese, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, folic acid, and pantothenic acid, which are abundant components in vegetable diets, was significantly inversely correlated with a change in VFA. Additionally, a change in the ingestion of one nutrient, monounsaturated fat, was significantly positively correlated with a change in VFA. These associations were independent of body mass index and waist circumference. Thus, a predominantly vegetable diet may decrease VFA. In addition, adjusting the intake of macronutrients might help to clarify the association of micronutrients with VFA.

Blautia genus associated with visceral fat accumulation in adults 20-76 years of age.

The gut microbiota is reported to be related to obesity, and visceral fat is reported to be strongly associated with cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. However, the association between the gut microbiota and obesity has mainly been studied using body mass index (BMI) as a proxy for obesity. We investigated the relationship of both visceral fat and BMI with the gut microbiota stratified by sex in a population-based cross-sectional study of Japanese men and women 20-76 years of age (n = 1001). Women with a higher visceral fat area (VFA) harboured a higher relative abundance of the Firmicutes phylum (P for trend <0.001) and a lower relative abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum (P for trend 0.030), whereas men with higher VFA harboured a lower relative abundance of the Firmicutes phylum (P for trend 0.076) and a higher relative abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum (P for trend 0.013). Similar results were obtained using BMI as an index, but the differences were not significant in men. At the genus level, Blautia was the only gut microbe significantly and inversely associated with VFA regardless of sex. In conclusion, at the genus level we found that Blautia was the only gut microbe significantly and inversely associated with VFA, regardless of sex.

Diurnal repeated exercise promotes slow-wave activity and fast-sigma power during sleep with increase in body temperature: a human crossover trial.

The effects of exercise on sleep have been explored from various perspectives, but little is known about how the effects of acute exercise on sleep are produced through physiological functions. We used a protocol of multiple daytime sessions of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and examined the subsequent effects on sleep structure, core body temperature (CBT), distal-proximal skin temperature gradient (DPG), and subjective parameters. Fourteen healthy men who did not exercise regularly were evaluated under the baseline (no exercise) and exercise conditions on a within-subject crossover basis. Under the exercise condition, each participant performed a 40-min aerobic workout at 40% of maximal oxygen intake, four times between morning and early evening. We observed a 33% increase in slow-wave sleep (SWS; P = 0.005), as well as increases in slow-wave activity (SWA; P = 0.026), the fast-sigma power/SWA ratio (P = 0.005), and subjective sleep depth and restorativeness the following morning. Moreover, both CBT and the DPG increased during sleep after exercise (P = 0.021 and P = 0.047, respectively). Regression analysis identified an increased nocturnal DPG during sleep after exercise as a factor in the increase in SWA. The fast-sigma/SWA ratio correlated with CBT. The performance of acute exercise promotes SWS with nocturnal elevation in the DPG. Both CBT and fast-sigma power may play a role in the specific physiological status of the body after exercise. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used multiple daytime sessions of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise to examine the effects on the sleep structure, core body temperature (CBT), distal-proximal skin temperature gradient (DPG), and subjective parameters. Significant increases in slow-wave activity (SWA), CBT, DPG, fast-sigma power, and subjective parameters were observed during the night and the following morning. Nocturnal DPG is a factor in the increased SWA.

Development of a Dietary Factor Assessment Tool for Evaluating Associations between Visceral Fat Accumulation and Major Nutrients in Japanese Adults.

Background and Objectives: The increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome necessitates the establishment of tools for evaluating dietary factors associated with visceral fat accumulation and preventing visceral fat obesity. Here, we aimed to develop a dietary factor assessment tool for evaluating visceral fat accumulation. Methods: We conducted a dietary habit questionnaire survey and visceral fat measurement by bioelectrical impedance analysis in 11,438 adults (Survey 1) and a dietary habit questionnaire survey and dietary assessment based on 3-day meal records in 579 adults (Survey 2). Dietary habit factors were identified by factor analysis with varimax rotation, and their relationship with visceral fat accumulation and major nutrients were analyzed. Results: Factor analysis of the dietary habit questionnaire revealed the following five main dietary factors: "Appetite (15 questions)," "Healthy food choice (5 questions)," "Sedentary behavior (6 questions)," "Calorie restriction (5 questions)," and "Irregular mealtime (4 questions)." "Appetite" correlated positively with visceral fat accumulation and energy intake mainly from carbohydrate. "Healthy food choice" correlated negatively with visceral fat accumulation and positively with the protein/fat ratio, dietary fiber/carbohydrate ratio, and N-3 fatty acid/fat ratio. Dietary guidance to modify excess energy intake and increase nutritional balance might be effective toward preventing visceral fat accumulation. Conclusions: The dietary factor assessment tool developed in this study can be used to diagnose problems related to dietary habits and provide guidance for dietary modifications aimed at preventing visceral fat accumulation.

Coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and low content of hydroxyhydroquinone improves postprandial endothelial dysfunction in patients with borderline and stage 1 hypertension.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate acute effects of coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and different hydroxyhydroquinone contents on postprandial endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: This was a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover-within-subject clinical trial. A total of 37 patients with borderline or stage 1 hypertension were randomized to two study groups. The participants consumed a test meal with a single intake of the test coffee. Subjects in the Study 1 group were randomized to single intake of coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and low content of hydroxyhydroquinone or coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and a high content of hydroxyhydroquinone with crossover. Subjects in the Study 2 group were randomized to single intake of coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and low content of hydroxyhydroquinone or placebo coffee with crossover. Endothelial function assessed by flow-mediated vasodilation and plasma concentration of 8-isoprostanes were measured at baseline and at 1 and 2 h after coffee intake. RESULTS: Compared with baseline values, single intake of coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and low content of hydroxyhydroquinone, but not coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and high content of hydroxyhydroquinone or placebo coffee, significantly improved postprandial flow-mediated vasodilation and decreased circulating 8-isoprostane levels. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that a single intake of coffee with a high content of chlorogenic acids and low content of hydroxyhydroquinone is effective for improving postprandial endothelial dysfunction. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL for Clinical Trial: https://upload.umin.ac.jp ; Registration Number for Clinical Trial: UMIN000013283.

Effects of catechin-enriched ion beverage intake on thermoregulatory function in a hot environment.

We examined the effect of intake of a catechin-enriched ion beverage (Cat-I) on the thermoregulatory response in a hot environment. Eight healthy men were exposed to a hot environment for 90 min at an ambient temperature of 35 °C (relative humidity: 75%) combined with lower leg water immersion at 40 °C. At that time, either Cat-I, an ion beverage (Ion), or mineral water (Placebo) was consumed at three points: (1) at the start of lower leg immersion, (2) at 30 min after immersion, and (3) at 60 min after immersion. In all conditions, tympanic temperature (Tty) increased gradually during lower leg water immersion. However, the rate of increase of Tty tended to be suppressed after 30 min. The effect of drinking Cat-I had a limited detection period of approximately 60-70 min, and the rate of sweating was clearly increased with Cat-I compared with Ion and Placebo. Cat-I also tended to decrease the body temperature threshold at which sweating was induced compared with Ion or Placebo. These findings suggest that Cat-I efficiently suppressed the increase of body temperature in a hot environment.

A Novel Method to Visualize the Dietary Macronutrient Composition of Smaller Visceral Fat Accumulation.

The accumulation of visceral fat is considered a potential cause of a clustering of metabolic disorders including hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. These disorders are some of the upstream determinants of serious diseases such as coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and dementia. In particular, the accumulation of visceral fat is considered to have a causal relationship with dietary habits. To clarify this relationship, we characterize dietary habits with dietary macronutrient composition and visceral fat accumulation with a measure of visceral fat area (VFA). We then employ a novel multiple regression model with VFA as the objective variable and macronutrient composition, gender, and age group as explanatory variables. The macronutrient composition is converted by the isometric log-ratio transformation since it is compositional data. The squared term of the transformed macronutrient composition is also included as an explanatory variable. To fit the data to the model, variable selection is performed based on Akaike's information criterion to exclude unnecessary interaction terms. The validity of the model is confirmed by a numerical simulation study. We then cross-sectionally analyze real-world data collected through community-wide health examinations of adults living in the Iwaki district in northern Japan. The macronutrient composition data is taken by the dietary history questionnaire and VFA is measured using a bioimpedance-type visceral fat meter. The main factors of macronutirent composition and their interactions with gender and age group are identified through analysis of variance and are significantly associated with VFA (p < 0.05). Moreover, the predicted VFA corresponding to the macronutrient composition stratified by gender and age group are obtained, and visualized seamlessly on a ternary plot. The results show that a diet with a high ratio of %protein to %fat generally corresponds to a lower VFA level. However, in middle-aged female subjects, higher VFA is found in lower %fat and higher %carbohydrate diets. In summary, the association between VFA and dietary macronutrient composition is significantly modulated depending on gender and age group in Iwaki district's adult population. The novel statistical analysis method in this study is useful in exploring favorable dietary macronutrient composition for lower level of visceral fat accumulation.

Effect of Chlorogenic Acids on Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

(1) Background: Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) have been attracting interest of late, owing to their health benefits. Here, we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to investigate whether CGAs improved cognitive function in humans. (2) Methods: Thirty-eight healthy participants were assigned to either the CGA group, which was given CGA-added beverage daily for 16 weeks, or the placebo group. Cognitive functions were assessed using the Japanese version of the CNS Vital Signs (Cognitrax). (3) Results: The CGA group showed significant increase in the Cognitrax domain scores for motor speed, psychomotor speed, and executive function compared with the placebo group, as well as an improvement in the shifting attention test scores. In blood analysis, the CGA group showed increased levels of apolipoprotein A1 and transthyretin, both of which are putative biomarkers for early-stage cognitive decline. (4) Conclusions: These results suggest that CGAs may improve some cognitive functions, which would help in the efficient performance of complex tasks.