Mold, Mycotoxins, and Detoxification Pathways
Updated and New on Genetic Lifehacks:
Mycotoxins, Mold, and Detoxification:
From lung inflammation to immune suppression, mycotoxin exposure can have a wide range of health effects. We are all unique in how our bodies respond to and detoxify mold. This greatly expanded article explains the specific mycotoxins produced by molds and their associated detoxification pathways. The negative health effects of mycotoxins are underestimated by most people (and probably overhyped by people selling a certain brand of coffee).
By the numbers:
The most searched term on Genetic Lifehacks so far this week is "COMT".
Many people with slow COMT enzyme function notice that they are irritable, anxious, or angry after taking methyl donor supplements (e.g. methylfolate, methylB12, SAMe). You can check your COMT enzyme function here.
Did you know that one of the most studied genes is TP53? It is a tumor suppressor gene that was first identified in 1979. There are well over 31,000 research papers on it. In addition to its essential role in preventing cancer, a new research study has identified TP53 (plus a couple of other genes) as part of the interaction between glyphosate and major depressive disorder.
Looking for a book on Histamine Intolerance?
Check out Histamine Lifehacks, which now has a 5-star rating on Amazon -- because y'all are awesome!
(I'm mentioning this because "histamine" was the #4 most searched term on Genetic Lifehacks so far this week. )
Interesting new studies:
1) Light at night increases diabetes risk significantly
A new study in The Lancet links increased risk of diabetes exposure to light at night. People exposed to more light at night were at a ~40-60% increased risk of diabetes. That's huge!
While not the first study to make this connection, the researchers also looked at how the effect of light at night compared to genetic risk factors. They found that the impact from higher exposure to light at night (above the 70th percentile) was similar to having a moderate genetic risk score but was independent of genetics.
Check your genes and sleep in the dark: Interestingly, one impactful genetic variant that increases the risk of diabetes is a melatonin receptor gene - tying in directly to light at night. Diabetes genetic risk - including melatonin receptor
2) Brain mitochondrial function and psychosocial experiences:
Another interesting new study looked at mitochondrial function in post-mortem brain samples from people who had recorded their psychosocial factors for a number of years. Positive psychosocial factors include well-being, life satisfaction, social activity, and purpose in life, while negative factors include social isolation, depression or negative mood, and perceived stress.
The results showed that people who experienced life positively had much better mitochondrial function in their brains. Specifically, complex I of oxidative phosphorylation in the brain mitochondria differed significantly for positive vs. negative psychosocial scores. The largest differences were seen in glial cells.
I think this study is worth reading. For one thing, it gave me a better perspective on what drives someone to be a "grumpy old man" compared to another with a positive outlook even at the end of life. The difference is both physiological and measurable in the amount of energy (ATP) their brain cells can produce.
3) Sitting, coffee, and cardiovascular disease
This new paper looks at "independent and joint associations of daily sitting time and coffee intakes with mortality from all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among US adults."
They found that sitting for more than 8 hours a day increased all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality compared to sitting less than 4 hours a day. Not too surprising. However... They also found that coffee consumption significantly reduced both all-cause and CVD mortality. Combining the data showed that non-coffee drinkers who sat more than six hours a day had an increased risk of all-cause mortality, while coffee drinkers had no increase in mortality. They conclude: "the association of sedentary with increased mortality was only observed among adults with no coffee consumption but not among those who had coffee intake."
My takeaway - I'd better go get another cup of coffee this morning before I hit send on this email!
4) Premium Coffee Tested for Mycotoxins
Bringing us full circle, this new article answers the question of whether higher quality, organic coffees contain mycotoxins. The authors tested 15 brands looking for 500+ pesticides and mycotoxins. None had mycotoxins and only one had a single pesticide residue found.
Graphical overviews for updated articles (for all my visual learners):
