Monthly Archives: April 2012

More on Leucine and Muscle Tissue

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Leucine is a branched chain amino acid that shows anti-catabolic properties in humans. Leucine, along with the other branched chain amino aids isoleucine and valine, account for roughly 15% of the amino acids found in muscle tissue. Leucine is though … Continue reading →

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Neural Tube Defects and Sucrose

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Neural tube defects are a common birth defect that are characterised by an opening in the spinal cord or brain which results from a failure of the neural tube to properly seal following the third week of pregnancy. A number … Continue reading →

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Lifestyle Factors and Cardiovascular Disease

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Robert Barrington

The causes of cardiovascular disease are not fully understood, but it is believed that both diet and lifestyle factors play an important role in the aetiology. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include hypertension, changes to blood lipid profiles, obesity, as … Continue reading →

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Associations with Leptin Levels

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Leptin is a peptide hormone that is involved in a negative feedback circuit to decrease appetite and increase energy expenditure in response to fat accumulation. Leptin is synthesised in adipocytes but binds to receptors in the hypothalamus where it stimulates … Continue reading →

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Fish Oil and Insulin Resistance (in Rats)

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Insulin resistance is a metabolic abnormality that is thought to lead to obesity, abdominal weight gain, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The cause of insulin resistance is unknown, but evidence suggests that fatty acids play a role in its … Continue reading →

Posted in de Novo Lipogenesis, Diabetes, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids, Fish Oils, Insulin, Insulin Resistance, Linoleic Acid, Obesity, Weight Loss | Comments Off on Fish Oil and Insulin Resistance (in Rats)

More on Weight Loss

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Robert Barrington

The development of insulin resistance is a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome. Elevated levels of plasma fatty acids are associated with the development of insulin resistance, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. Fatty acids are taken up by … Continue reading →

Posted in Fatty Acids, Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, Triglycerides / Triacylglycerols, Weight Loss | Comments Off on More on Weight Loss

Weight Regain

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Robert Barrington

The cause of obesity is not fully understood, although in recent decades the aetiology has become clearer as metabolic abnormalities have been researched in more detail. Irrespective of the causes, a large proportion of those individuals that attempt to lose … Continue reading →

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Variability in Resting Metabolic Rate

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Resting metabolic rate is used as a tool in clinical practice to determine the effects of nutrients on energy expenditure. However, these measurements can only be useful if there is a firm understanding of the changes that occur to resting … Continue reading →

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A Note of Caution on Antioxidant Research

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Robert Barrington

The research investigating the efficacy of vitamin E and β-carotene has shown some beneficial health properties, however many of the studies have shown no benefit or even negative health  outcomes. For example, researcha investigating the effects of β-carotene and vitamin … Continue reading →

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More on Leptin

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Robert Barrington

Leptin is a 167 amino acid protein involved in an endocrine circuit that regulates energy homeostasis. The importance of leptin in energy regulation was not appreciated until 1994, when studies involving ob/ob and db/db genetic mouse strains were performed. These … Continue reading →

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