Brain Posts on diet and exercise lead the list of topics with the most page views in 2014.

Here are the top five most viewed blog posts. Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a productive and peaceful 2015.

Clicking on the title will link you to the full Brain Post blog on the topic.

5. Aging, Exercise and Brain Plasticity

This post examined a review of the effects of aging and exercise on the brain. Exercise appears to reduce the rate of atrophy of the brain hippocampus with age. Enhanced brain blood flow with exercise may provide a boost in brain plasticity needed to deal with vascular degeneration.

4. Lo Carb-Mediterranean Diet Combo Sheds Fat in Trial

A research team from Greece published results of a trial of a very low carbohydrate diet alternating with low carbohydrate Mediterranean style diet. Over one year subjects in this study lost an average of 35 pounds. Metabolic changes including lower cholesterol levels were favorable in the study subjects.

3. Alternate Day Fasting for Weight Loss and Cardioprotection

A small study compared a 12 week program of alternate day fasting with control who continued their typical diet. The alternate day fasting group was allowed to eat an evening meal of about 500 calories. The alternate day fasting group lost an average of a pound per week and showed evidence of reduced inflammation including lower CRP levels.

2. Varenicline for Smoking Cessation

In this post, I reviewed four manuscripts relevant to varenicline (Chantix in U.S.) treatment in smoking cessation. Varenicline appears an effective options for treatment of smoking cessation and may be combined with other drug agents such as bupropion. It also appears promising for smokers suffering from a psychiatric disorder when used under the supervision of a physician.

1. How the Body Blocks Effect of Exercise After Weight Loss

The number one post for 2014 examined a study of how the body compensate to weight loss. Weight loss results in a dialing back of resting energy expenditure promoting weight regain. This effect contributes to poor long-term maintenance of weight loss and underscores the needed for continued exercise following weight loss.

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Photo of Christmas Lights at Rhema Church in Tulsa from the author's files. 

Here are links to a series of abstracts that I am reviewing for this month.

I will do a full post on some of the most interesting and important research on this topic over the next month. 

Clicking on the title will link you to the PubMed abstract. Most articles highlighted in this post have free full-text access.

Mediterranean Diet and Chromosome Telomere Length

This recent study from the Harvard Nurse cohort examined telomere length in reference to a score of adherence to a Mediterranean type diet. Nurses with higher Mediterranean type diets had longer telomere lengths suggesting better chromosome aging.

Genotype, Cognition and the Mediterranean Diet

This prospective study of diet intervention examined the role of genes on response to diet for changes in cognition measured by the Mini-mental Status Examination and the Clock Drawing Test. The study found positive effects of a Mediterranean diet intervention on cognition although effects were not as robust in those with the Alzheimer's linked APOE gent.

Obesity, Inflammation and Brain Disorders

This review article summarizes some of the current knowledge on the link between obesity, inflammation and potential brain effects. The authors note these effects may be due to changes in neurocircuitry, brain hormones, neurotransmitters or neurogenesis.

Brain Inflammatory Markers and Cognitive Decline

This prospective study examine levels of two blood markers of inflammation, IL-6 and CRP from the Whitehall prospective cohort. Elevated IL-6 but CRP predicted greater cognitive decline over a 6 year period. 

Water for Soda Switch Lowers Metabolic Syndrome Risk

In a prospective study of switching water for soda, the research team found reduced rates of metabolic syndrome in obese subjects but not overweight subjects. 

Effects of CPAP With or Without Weight Loss in Sleep Apnea

The authors in this New England Journal of Medicine study found superiority of adding weight loss to CPAP in the outcome of a series of subjects with sleep apnea.

Low Carb versus Low Fat Diets in Type 2 Diabetes

This study compared outcome in Type 2 diabetes between those following a low carbohydrate versus a low fat diet. The team found both groups lost similar amounts of weight but the low carbohydrate groups had superior improvement in levels of markers for inflammation.

Bariatric versus Medical Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

This study compared two types of bariatic surgery to medical weight loss intervention in one year outcome for type 2 diabetics. Surgical interventions showed superiority in weight loss and diabetes control.

Photo of outdoor dining in Dingle, Ireland is from the author's files.

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