14 | Himalaya Livline | Vol 6 | No. 4 | May–Aug 2023 health news Energy and Fatigue Traits May Be Driven By the Gut Microbiome Profile A Three-Minute Exposure to Sunlight Can Restore Color Vision The functionality of the rods and cones of the retina progressively decline with age. According to a study published in Scientific Reports, a single exposure of the aging retina to sunlight of long wavelength (650–900 nm), for 3 minutes, can partially restore color vision for a week. The dominant eye of healthy participants (34–70 y; both sexes), with normal color vision, was exposed to light of 670 nm wavelength, for 3 minutes, either in the morning (between 8 and 9 AM) or noon (between 12 and 1 PM). The color contrast sensitivity was measured using the ChromaTest, either 3 hours after exposure or 1 week later, and the threshold was determined. The results suggest that a single, 3-minute morning exposure of the eyes to sunlight can improve cone cells’ photoreceptor function in aged individuals for up to a week. A population-level adoption of this technique can minimize the problems associated with reduced vision and significantly improve the quality of life in the elderly. Source: Shinhmar H, et al. Sci Rep. 2021;11:22872. Recent evidence suggests that energy and fatigue are 2 distinct characteristics with different neurohormonal and physiologic connections. An exploratory study published in the journal Nutrients investigated the connection between mental energy, mental fatigue, physical energy, and physical fatigue with the gut microbiome. The 4 mood traits were assessed in 20 healthy, nonobese, and physically active individuals (aged 31 ± 5 y) through an online survey. Their mental and physical energy and mental and physical fatigue traits were distinguished using the respective energy and fatigue scales. Fecal samples were collected from the participants for the microbial community analysis (16s rRNA analysis). Results showed that the mental energy trait positively correlated with members of the Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, the physical fatigue trait positively correlated with members of the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, and at least 1 member of the Firmicutes positively correlated with all the 4 mood traits. Thus, this study confirms that the 4 mood traits are associated with unique gut bacterial profiles, with some overlaps. Source: Boolani A, et al. Nutrients. 2022;14(3):466.
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