Do you need more manganese?
New Genetic Lifehacks article:
Manganese: Genetics Interactions, Diet, and Supplements
Manganese is an essential trace mineral that is needed in just the right amount. The body carefully balances the manganese you get from food by limiting absorption and excreting the excess. However, there are genetic variations that can affect the manganese balancing process. Excess manganese has been linked to behavioral problems in children and neurodegenerative diseases. Insufficient manganese can lead to oxidative stress in cells and problems with intestinal barrier function.
This article reviews the research on how and why manganese is important - and why too much manganese can be harmful.
What I've been reading:
1) Noncanonical inheritance of phenotypic information by protein amyloids
I'm still wrapping my mind around this one -- it adds another layer of complexity.
Genetic variants can change how well cells work (this is what Genetic Lifehacks is mainly about); epigenetics can turn genes on or off either due to inheritance or from environmental factors. This new study shows a third type of inheritance - amyloid-like protein structures that are inherited and influence traits.
Here's the abstract: "Here we identify amyloid-like protein structures that are stably inherited in wild-type animals and influence traits. Their perturbation by genetic, environmental or pharmacological treatments leads to developmental phenotypes that can be epigenetically passed onto progeny. Injection of amyloids isolated from different phenotypic backgrounds into naive animals recapitulates the associated phenotype in offspring. Genetic and proteomic analyses reveal that the 26S proteasome and its conserved regulators maintain heritable amyloids across generations, which enables proper germ cell sex differentiation. We propose that inheritance of a proteinaceous epigenetic memory coordinates developmental timing and patterning with the environment to confer adaptive fitness."
This is a write-up about 10 cases of IBD that were responsive to a ketogenic or carnivore diet. The case information was recruited by a social media survey. "Clinical improvements were universal, with clinical improvement scores ranging between 72 and 165 points on the IBDQ. Patients’ diets comprised mostly meat, eggs, and animal fats. Patients report their diets are pleasurable, sustainable, and unequivocally enhance their quality of life."
Related article: IBD genes
3.) Reducing vertigo with vitamin D
A new randomized placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D for vertigo in older adults showed that 1000 to 2,000 IU per day reduced vertigo rates by 87%.
Graphical overviews for the new article (for all the visual learners):
