Regularly eating pro-inflammatory foods increases the likelihood of frailty in older adults, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.*

Based on the food frequency questionnaires of around 1,700 healthy adults from the Framingham Heart Study, researchers found that a pro-inflammatory diet was linked with an increased odds of frailty over a 12-year period. A one-point higher DII score (a score that assesses the impact of diet on inflammation status) was associated with 16% greater odds of developing frailty over that time period.

The 25% of participants who had the greatest consumption of pro-inflammatory foods were more than twice as likely to develop frailty, compared to the 25% who had the greatest consumption of anti-inflammatory foods.

Editor’s Note: "…dietary strategies to reduce pro-inflammatory foods (simple carbohydrates and high-fat foods) and increase anti-inflammatory foods (dietary fiber and dietary antioxidants) may have a significant role in prevention of frailty," the authors concluded.

* Am J Clin Nutr. 2021 Sep 24;nqab317.

White Button Mushrooms Slow Prostate Tumor Growth

According to a report published in Clinical and Translational Medicine, research findings suggest a benefit of white button mushrooms in both animal and human models of prostate cancer.*

Researchers studied the effects of white button mushrooms in mouse models of prostate cancer and in men under active surveillance for the disease who participated in a clinical trial.

In mice, the consumption of white button mushroom powder suppressed tumor growth and decreased the number and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which are associated with cancer development and spread. This reduction led to an increase in T cell and natural killer cell antitumor immune responses.

Among men, blood samples collected from eight participants at the beginning of the trial and at three months after white button mushroom supplementation revealed similar findings.

Editor’s Note: White button mushroom powder enhanced the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in mouse models of prostate cancer, thereby suggesting its potential adjuvant role in immunotherapy regimens for prostate cancer.

* Clin Transl Med. 2024 Oct;14(10):e70048.

Probiotic Reduces Gastrointestinal Injury Risk in Cardiac Bypass Patients

Supplementing with probiotics prior to heart valve replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass can help reduce the risk of acute gastrointestinal injury, according to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in BMC Medicine.*  

For the study, 52 people were assigned to receive either a multi-strain probiotic or a placebo daily for seven days prior to surgery. 

During a 30-day follow-up period, 42% of the placebo group developed acute gastrointestinal injury, compared to 15% in the probiotic group, an absolute risk reduction of 27%. 

Editor’s note: The probiotic group also had a lower incidence of developing an infection in the hospital (12% vs. 35%), and a one-day shorter average hospital stay (five vs. six days). 

* BMC Med. 2025 Apr 23;23(1):238.

Vitamin K2 Reduces Blood Vessel Stiffness in Postmenopausal Women

A study that included women with low vitamin K status found less blood vessel stiffness among those who were postmenopausal and who received menaquinone-7 (MK-7), a form of vitamin K2.*

The study analyzed 165 premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women with low vitamin K status who had participated in a previous trial, and about half received 180 mcg MK-7 or a placebo for one year.

Women who received MK-7 showed improved vitamin K status at the end of one year. Among postmenopausal women, who had worse vascular factors at the beginning of the study than premenopausal and perimenopausal women, vascular stiffness was significantly reduced in the group that received MK-7 compared with the placebo.

Editor’s Note: The women were subsequently evaluated according to whether they had high or low vascular stiffness at the beginning of the study. Postmenopausal women with a high stiffness index who received MK-7 had improved blood vessel markers, including lower arterial systolic blood pressure and improved indicators of blood vessel elasticity at the end of the trial.

* Nutrients. 2025 Feb 27;17(5):815.