Category: Insight

HPA axis stress and chronic inflammation Vague and non-specific symptoms (Medically Unexplained Symptoms, MUS) In most of the examinations carried out at General Medicine outpatient clinics, physicians focus their attention on overt clinical data, characterized by clearly recognizable symptoms. Other symptoms, which could be defined as vague, such as chronic fatigue, sleep or appetite disorders,…

Changes in body composition respond, more or less rapidly, to what we eat and the exercise we do but not only to this. Loss of skeletal muscle (S-Score, Skeletal Muscle – BIA-ACC), increase in ectopic adipose tissue (IMAT – BIA-ACC), increase in Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) and repeated clinical signs that in most cases result…

The immune system is a complex and powerful defense mechanism.Its main function is to defend the body against pathogens, i.e. organisms (such as viruses and bacteria) that cause disease.A complex and intricate network of tissues, cells and proteins work together to perform this function.In the scientific literature there are extensive studies that show how diseases,…

A variety of factors determine skeletal muscle fatigue and impact exercise performance. These factors imply a complex interaction between central and peripheral components. Still, peripheral fatigue often correlates to overaccumulation of metabolites such as hydrogen (H+) ions, potassium (K+) ions and phosphate (Pi+) ions as well as, obviously, energy source availability. Many studies suggest that exercise-induced acidosis…

Insights on oxidative stress Free radicals are molecules that are formed inside the body’s cells when oxygen is used in metabolic processes to produce energy (oxidation process).These molecules are particularly unstable because they have only one electron instead of two; this leads them to seek a balance by taking the electron from other molecules with…

The broader picture Every day nutritionists face the need to balance the food energy intake with the metabolic needs of the patient.In the still predominant practice of low-calorie diets, for example, the aim is to reduce more or less significantly the daily energy intake provided by food (typically measured in Kcal) compared to the estimated…

Physio-pathological interactions and alterations As a rule, hot and humid seasons record increasing cases of malaise and disorders linked to altered hydro-electrolytic balance. All population groups are at risk – more so in recent years due to worsening climate change.As a result, a significantly higher amount of fluids is transferred to the outside environment (with…

A challenging picture According to a study carried out in 2001 [1], 9.4% of women over forty (i.e., since a very young age) and 11.8% of men over sixty are affected by osteoporosis. The numbers increase considerably if referred to osteopenia (for the same population groups the figure is 47.2% for women and 46.1% for…

Vitamins and minerals are key micronutrients for the good functioning of our immune system, and they need to be introduced into the body through proper nutrition. During the winter, however, when colds and flu are easy to catch, it is necessary to increase our body’s defense by supporting physical barriers, cellular immunity and antibody production.For…

Persistent activation of the HPA axis and presence of MUS Circadian rhythm of the HPA axis and stress factors In principle, the physiological circadian rhythm of the HPA axis is regulated at the level of the hypothalamus [7], specifically by the region of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), located immediately above the optic chiasm and connected…