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• Glaucoma is a type of eye disease that can injure the optic nerve and lead to blindness.
• Past studies show there are several ways a person can help lower their risk for glaucoma, including eating a healthy diet rich in certain nutrients.
• A new study has found that supplementation with B vitamins and choline may help slow the progression of glaucoma, via a mouse model.

About 80 million people globally live with glaucoma — an umbrella term for a group of eye diseases that can injure the optic nerve, leading to blindness.

There is currently no cure for glaucoma. Medications, surgery, and laser treatments are currently used to help treat and slow the progression of the condition.

Past studies show there are several ways a person can help lower their risk for glaucoma, including not smoking, exercising regularly, wearing sunglasses, limiting caffeine intake, lowering their blood pressure, and eating a healthy diet.

Researchers have also previously identified certain nutrients that might help protect a person’s eyes from glaucoma, including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B3, vitamin A, vitamin C, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

Now, a new study recently published in the journal Cell Reports MedicineTrusted Source adds to this body of knowledge by reporting that supplementation with B vitamins and the essential nutrient choline may help slow the progression of glaucoma, via a mouse model.

For this study, researchers focused on an amino acid that naturally occurs in the body called homocysteine. Homocysteine plays a crucial role in protein synthesis.

However, past studies show that too much homocysteine in the body — known as hyperhomocysteinemiaTrusted Source — can lead to health issues such as cardiovascular problems, cognitive decline, and elevated risk for stroke. High homocysteine levels can also be an indicator of a vitamin B deficiency, as B vitamins are what help break down homocysteine in the body.

Past studies have linked high homocysteine levels to the development and progression of glaucoma.

However, in this current study, researchers found when mice with glaucoma were given higher levels of homocysteine, it did not make their glaucoma worse. They also discovered that increased amounts of homocysteine in the blood were not linked to how fast the disease progressed.

“Our conclusion is that homocysteine is a bystander in the disease process, not a player,” James Tribble, researcher and assistant professor at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and co-lead author of this study said in a press release.

• The medication lecanemab was approved by the U.S. FDA to treat Alzheimer’s disease in 2023.
• Like all medications, lecanemab comes with the potential for side effects, including amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), such as the presence of swelling or bleeding in the brain.
• The Clarity AD phase 3 clinical trial, published in 2022, reported very low percentages of participants experiencing ARIA.
• A new study reconfirms the Clarity AD findings by reporting that significant adverse events, such as ARIA, were rare and manageable in real-world use of lecanemab for people within the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

While there is currently no cure for a type of dementia called Alzheimer’s disease, over the last few years, new medications have been introduced to help manage disease symptoms and slow its progression.

One such medication is lecanemab, distributed under the brand name Leqembi, which was approvedTrusted Source by the U.S. FDA in 2023.

Like all medications, lecanemab has the potential for side effects, including headaches, dizziness, muscle aches, and blurred vision, as well as a very serious side effect known as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), such as the presence of swelling or bleeding in the brain.

In November 2022, scientists published the results of the Clarity AD phase 3 clinical trial aimed at determining the safety and efficacy of lecanemab in people with early Alzheimer’s disease. In that study, researchers found 0.8% of participants experienced ARIA-E (edema/effusion) and 0.7% showed signs of ARIA-H (hemorrhage/hemosiderin deposition).

Now, a new study recently published in JAMA NeurologyTrusted Source reconfirms the Clarity AD findings by reporting that significant adverse events — such as ARIA — were rare and manageable in “real-world” use of lecanemab for people with very mild or mild Alzheimer’s disease.

What is lecanemab? 

For this study, researchers recruited 234 people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, with an average age of about 74, who received lecanemab at the outpatient specialty memory clinic, Washington University Memory Diagnostic Center.

“Lecanemab is an antibody, a kind of protein normally made in your body by your immune system,” Barbara Joy Snider, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology at WashU Medicine and affiliated with the Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and co-senior author of this study, explained to Medical News Today. “Antibodies like lecanemab are designed to have specific targets and are manufactured, then administered to patients. Antibodies are used for many different conditions.”

• A study conducted by Spanish researchers analyzed how effective collagen is as a weight loss aid.
• The study followed two groups for 12 weeks; one group received collagen-based protein bars, and the other did not.
• The group that received the collagen supplement lost twice as much weight as the control group.

More than 70% of adultsTrusted Source in the U.S. are either overweight or have obesity. As this number continues to climb, scientists are interested in finding ways to help people lose weight.

There are many popular weight loss options, such as GLP-1 drugs, but these can be cost-prohibitive for many people.

With that in mind, researchers in the new study took a closer look at the supplement collagen. Since collagen is relatively inexpensive, the researchers wondered how people who used a collagen supplement for a 12-week period would do compared to a control group.

The results showed promise for the future of using collagen supplements as a weight-loss aid, the collagen group saw a greater improvement across multiple health metrics.

Eating 20 grams of collagen daily 

Collagen is a protein found in the connective tissue of both humans and animals. Collagen supplements are often derived from cows or pigs and are widely available in pill and powder form.

Collagen has many benefits and can be helpful for improving joint health and building muscle mass. It is also beneficial for improving skin elasticity.

The supplement is gaining attention as a potential weight loss tool, and researchers in the present study wanted to see how adding a collagen supplement to one’s diet could affect weight loss.

The researchers recruited 64 adults for their study, whose BMI levels ranged from being overweight to class 1 obesity.

The participants followed a healthy diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and fish and poultry.

The test group (32 people) received a protein bar to eat in addition to their meals twice per day. The 90-calorie protein bars had 10 grams of bovine-based collagen.

The control group did not receive a placebo bar and only focused on following the dietary recommendations.

The control group consumed around 2000 calories per day while the control group consumed slightly more because of the protein bars.

The participants went to several screening appointments to provide their weight, blood pressure, blood samples, and urine and fecal samples. They also completed questionnaires about their food intake and appetite

When it comes to weight loss, many people track their macros — i.e., their proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. However, as a humble nutrient, fiber is often overlooked. But what if this is the missing ingredient to weight loss success? Can fiber supplements replace whole foods? In this podcast, a nutritionist answers readers’ questions about fiber and more.

Nowadays, the internet is awash with articles, charts, and recipes centered around eating more protein — anything from a 30-gram-protein breakfast to high-protein drinks and more — to naturally lose weight. And although the key to achieving good weight loss results is indeed a higher protein intake, there is a nutrient that is often overlooked: fiber.

Fiber is crucial not only for digestive functioning but overall health. Studies have shown it can lower LDL cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and protect against heart disease. Newer research also shows that fiber may promote weight loss and enhance sensitivity to insulin.

However, statistics show that less than 5% of Americans realistically meet their recommended daily fiber intake, which is on average up to 34 grams (g)Trusted Source for adult men and about 28 g for adult women. So, how can we eat more fiber?

In this episode of In Conversation, we’ll be tackling burning questions such as: What is fiber, and why is it important for our bodies? How can we tell whether we are eating enough fiber? Is it right to call fiber nature’s Ozempic?

We’ll differentiate between soluble and insoluble fiber while discussing the ideal daily intake for different people. We’ll also touch on how fiber supplements like psyllium husk compare with whole foods, weighing their benefits for our well-being. We will also look at how fiber plays a crucial role in fighting insulin resistance and its potential role in supporting weight management goals.

To discuss this and more, we’re joined by registered dietitian Lisa Valente, MS, RD. Lisa holds a Master of Science in nutrition communications from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and she completed her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital.

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