Understanding behavioral factors associated with obesity is of importance in addressing this issue. This study examined the association between cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating and body mass index (BMI) and amount of food plated, consumed, leftovers, and leftover food thrown into the trash (food wasted) in early adolescent girls nine to 13 years in O’ahu, Hawai’i (n = 93). Food plated, consumed, leftovers, and food wasted were estimated using a three-day mobile food record (mFR). Weight and height were measured to compute BMI (kg/m2). The three-factor eating questionnaire provided a score from 0 to 100 for cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. Higher scores are indicative of greater cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. Pearson’s correlation and general linear models were computed to examine the relationship between three factor eating scores, BMI, and food plated, consumed, leftovers, and food wasted. There was no clinically significant association between cognitive restraint and amount of food wasted. Cognitive restraint was positively correlated with BMI (r=0.36, p<0.001) and with BMI z score (r=0.40, p<0.001). Uncontrolled eating and emotional eating were positively correlated with amount of leftover food at dinner (r=0.30, p=0.006; r=0.33, p=0.003, respectively). Emotional eating was positively associated with percentage of leftover food at dinner (r=0.24, p=0.30). Additional research should examine the specific roles of cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating and food waste in the development of obesity in adolescents.

Data show that preschoolers consume few vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and nuts. We investigated whether a properly planned kindergarten menu can contribute to optimized daily intake of healthy foods. In this cross-sectional experimental study, we designed a 5-day prototype kindergarten menu with consistently followed dietary guidelines and randomly divided six invited kindergartens into a prototype group that received the prototype menu (PG, n=4) and a control group that used their regular menu (CG, n=2). From the participating kindergartens, we invited healthy 5-6-year-old children to participate. Outside of kindergarten, participants ate as usual. All completed a 7-day dietary record of foods consumed inside and outside of kindergarten. We used the Dietary Assessment Tool OPEN to analyze the average daily intake of seven food groups and compare it to the dietary guidelines. Fifty-seven participants completed the study, 40 from PG and 17 from CG. The average daily intake of vegetables (54% vs. 28%), whole grains (100% vs. 47%), and nuts (104% vs. 4%) was significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) in participants from PG compared with guideline recommendations than in participants from CG. Average daily intake of fruits, meats, dairy products, and refined grains did not differ significantly between study groups. Only kindergarten diet made a significant contribution, as intake outside of kindergarten did not show significant differences. The study demonstrates the importance of a well-planned menu in kindergartens and can serve as a basis for future interventions aimed at improving the nutritional environment in childcare facilities.

To date, most people prefer softer and stickier rice with high glycaemic index, which has led to the study of the association between the dietary fibre profile and the textural properties to balance between the eating quality, and health benefits. A slight variation was observed in the dietary fibre composition among rice varieties with different amylose content. The percentage of insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) in whole grain rice varied from 1.65–4.32 while the percentage of soluble dietary fibre (SDF) ranged from 0.26–1.37. We demonstrated that the SDF/IDF ratio was higher in soft texture rice with low amylose and it shared a negative correlation with hardness and chewiness of cooked whole grain rice determined by a texture analyser, which suggested that the distribution of SDF throughout the rice endosperm influences the reduction of the hardness of cooked rice. According to the importance of dietary fibre, we proposed a simple linear regression method to estimate the amount of IDF and total dietary fibre with r = 0.97 and 0.92, respectively, of whole grain rice based on its bran layer, determined by the alternative alkaline method. Furthermore, low amylose rice has higher content of -glucan and pectin, which are classified as soluble dietary fibre, than high amylose rice. The percentage of -glucan and pectin in whole grain rice ranged from 0.03 and 0.07 respectively, for high amylose rice to 0.14 and 0.27 respectively for low amylose rice,

Evidence shows that weightloss improves insulin sensitivity but few studies have examined the effect of macronutrient composition independently of weight loss on direct measures of insulin sensitivity. We randomised 89 overweight or obese women to either a standard diet (StdD) that was intended to be low in fat and relatively high in carbohydrate (n=42) or to a relatively high protein (up to 30% of energy), relatively high fibre (>30g/day) diet (HPHFib) (n=47) for 10 weeks. Advice regarding strict adherence to energy intake goals was not given. Insulin sensitivity and secretion was assessed by a novel method - the Dynamic Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion Test (DISST). Although there were significant improvements in body composition and most cardiometabolic risk factors on HPHFib, insulin sensitivity was reduced by 19.3% (95% CI: 31.8, 4.5%; p=0.013) in comparison with StdD. We conclude that the reduction in insulin sensitivity after a diet relatively high in both protein and fibre, despite cardiometabolic improvements, suggests insulin sensitivity may reflect metabolic adaptations to dietary composition for maintenance of glucose homeostasis, rather than impaired metabolism.

Anaemia is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in the World and is associated with long-lasting developmental effects in children. Anaemia weakens the immune system and im-pairs cognitive development of children. Anaemia is multifactorial; therefore, anaemia’s pre-ventive/control measures should be evidence-based. This paper aimed to investigate the preva-lence and correlates of anaemia in preschool aged children at individual, maternal/household and community level in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Retrospective, nationally representative cross-sectional data, the 2013-2014 DRC Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) was used. Three -levels random intercept logistics regression models were fitted to the data using the outcome anaemia in children, defined as a haemoglobin concentration below 11dl with potential risk factors grouped at individual, maternal/household and community levels. Anaemia in children is a severe public health issue in the DRC, 63% of school-aged children are anaemic. Anaemia is highly prevalent amongst males, children with infections (fever/malaria and intestinal parasites), whose mothers are anaemic, from the poorest household, and whose drinking source of water is unclean, and who reside in provinces with recent/previous armed forces attacks. Results from this paper highlight the need for a clean and safe environment for children’s growth.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the acute effect of caffeine supplementation on performance in official soccer matches. In double-blind, randomized crossover design, 13 professional soccer players performed two complete matches, with Caffeine (CAF) (6 mg/kg) and placebo (PLA) supplementation. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA showed that there was no effect of supplementation on the total distance covered (p = 0.536; ŋp² =0.033) or the total distance covered at different speeds (p = 0.453; ŋp² = 0.048), acceleration or deceleration (p = 0.387; ŋp² = 0.063) number of sprints (p = 0.521; µ² = 0.035) Heart Rate mean (p = 0.484; ŋp² = 0.042) Heart Rate maximum (p = 0.110; ŋp² = 0.199), Rate Perceived Effort (p = 0.151) or efficiency index (p = 0.480). Therefore, acute caffeine supplementation not effective to increase the performance of soccer players in official matches.

Excessive intake of fat and fatty acids is associated with major health hazards such as obesity or chronic diseases. The aim of this study is to provide the first data on total fat, SFA and TFA intakes and their major food sources in Tunisian children. A total of 1200 children, aged 3 to 9 years old, were randomly selected from primary schools and kindergarten under a cross-sectional design. The 24hour recall method and food frequency questionnaire were used to assess dietary intake. The energy percentages of total fat, SFA and TFA in Tunisian children were respectively 29.6, 11.4 and 0.15. No sex differences were found. The WHO recommendations for total fat, SFA and TFA were adopted by 58 %, 39 % and 89 % of the study population, respectively. The leading food groups of fat and fatty acids were ultra-processed foods, bread and cereals and dairy products. The meat, fish, eggs and fish alternatives were the fifth main contributors to the total fat and SFA intakes in Tunisian children. The implementation of a relevant strategy for fat reduction, especially from ultra-processed foods, considered as low nutrient energy-dense products, is needed to promote health among children and prevent diet-related chronic diseases.

Microalgae production is expensive and demands high volumes of water and energy to meet all market demands and yet the production of secondary metabolites using alternative media needs deeper studies. Among alternative media, the use of sugar cane vinasse has gained attention for microalgae cultivation. In this work, we’ve compared the biomass yield and secondary metabolites of Chlorella sorokiniana grown in a commercial medium (Sueoka) and in alternative medium prepared with cane vinasse (0.1%) supplemented with N, P2O5 and K2O (commercial formula 20-5-20 g.L-1). The production of microalgae biomass grown in an alternative medium was 2.2% lower, but reached its maximum growth point 14 days faster than the commercial medium. The average level of Phenolic compounds on the commercial medium were 6.02 ± 0.13 mg GAE .g-1 and increased to 15.28 ± 0.32 mg GAE.g-1when C. sorokinianawere grown in the vinasse medium. Same how, Flavonoids contents varied from 13.12 ± 1.33 to 72.30 ± 5.28 mg QE. g-1 to commercial and vinasse medium, respectively. The maximum AOA of C. sorokiniana grown in vinasse medium was 88.05% at a concentration of 1500 µg.mL-1 of extract, with IC50 at 357.7 ± 27.35 µg.mL-1. Different factors seem to induce variances on secondary metabolites synthesis, mostly stress due to QOD and ions added to the medium by vinasse. The authors recognize there are more investigations to be done, but increasing a natural and low cost pathway for flavonoids yield open up an interesting field for the bioprospection of microalgae.

The increase in the average lifespan and the consequent proportional growth of the elderly segment of society has furthered the interest in studying ageing processes. Ageing may be considered a multifactorial process derived from the interaction between genetic and environmental factors including lifestyle. There is ample evidence in many species that the maximum age attainable (maximum lifespan potential, MLSP) is genetically determined and several mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms are associated with longevity. Many studies have shown that most of the phenotypic characteristics observed in the aging process are the result of the occurrence, with age, of a low grade chronic pro-inflammatory status called "inflammaging", partially under genetic control. The term indicate that aging is accompanied by a low degree of chronic inflammatory, an up-regulation of inflammatory response and that inflammatory changes are common to many age-related diseases. Therefore, the theory of oxidation-inflammation was proposed as the main cause of aging. Accordingly, the chronic oxidative stress, that appears with age, affects all cells and especially those of the regulatory systems, such as the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems and the communication between them. This prevents an adequate homeostasis and, therefore, the preservation of health. It was also proposed that the immune system plays a key role in the aging process, specifically in the rate of aging, since there is a relationship between the redox state and functional capacity of immune cells and longevity of individuals. Moreover, the role of the immune system in senescence could be of universal application. A confirmation of the central role of the immune system in oxi-inflamm-aging is that the administrationintake? of adequate amounts of antioxidants in the diet improves immune function, decreases their oxidative stress, and consequently increases longevity. The promotion of healthy lifestyles is one of the major goals of governments and international agencies all over the world. Human molecular processes are influenced by both physiological pathways and exogenous factors which include, for instance, those originating from diet. Dietary intake has substantive effects on molecular processes of metabolic health. Nutrients can directly regulate physiological changes in human body. In fact, in addition to have an energetic and structural value, nutritional intake provides bioactive molecules which are selectively able to modulate specific metabolic pathways, noticeably affecting cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases development or progress. Numerous bioactive nutrients are being progressively identified and their chemopreventive effects are being described at clinical and molecular mechanism levels. Systematic analyses comprise all “omics” technologies (such as transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) and the goal is to investigate bioactive molecules effects derived from the diet. Nutrigenomic knowledge on physiologic status and disease risk will provide both developments of better diagnostic procedures and of new therapeutic strategies specifically targeted on nutritionally relevant processes. The present review was aimed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying beneficial effects of bioactive nutrients and nutrigenomics on age-related diseases.

Assessing dietary inadequacies can contribute to understanding the nutritional vulnerabilities of a country. This study aimed to investigate nutrient intakes and micronutrient inadequacies in the Brazilian adult population, with an interest in different age subgroups. Cross-sectional study with 1812 individuals aged 19 to 65 years from a population-based study with a representative sample of Brazilian adults. Dietary intake was assessed by two 24-hour food recalls, and the probabilities of inadequate intake were estimated using the Dietary Reference Intake targets. Adequate macronutrient intake was over 99% for proteins, 84.7% for carbohydrates, and 80.7% for total fats. There was a high probability of inadequacy (above 90%) for vitamins D and E, but vitamin D inadequacy was very similar between sexes. In contrast, vitamin E was more likely to be inadequately consumed among women. A high probability of inadequacy (above 85%) of calcium and magnesium was found in the population, regardless of age group. Except for iron, the probability of inadequacy of other minerals increased with age. The results showed a relevant proportion of nutrient inadequacies, with those most at risk being women and older individuals, helping with better targeting and monitoring of public health policies that address nutritional problems in the population.

The objective was to conduct a scoping review and produce a publicly available database characterizing the design and reporting elements of the literature on dietary added sugars and select health outcomes. Relevant studies published from 1990 – 2021 were identified to create a database containing information on study and population characteristics, reported added sugars source and concentrations, diet energy balance, total energy intake, and outcome measures related to body composition, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus. There were 245 publications identified, 22% of which describe interventions and 78% describe observational studies. Publications pertaining to added sugars have risen dramatically since 2010, led by studies primarily assessing body composition (36%) or cardiovascular health (32%), including adults (65%), measuring liquid-only sources of added sugars (56%). Over 65% of studies reported total energy intake, 61% controlled for total energy intake in the design and analysis, and fewer than 5% of studies reported the energy balance of subjects. There has been a significant increase in research on added sugars since 2010, with substantial heterogeneity across all facets of methodology – study designs, exposures and outcomes of interest, terminology, and reporting of dietary intake data – thus limiting the ability to synthesize evidence in this scope of literature. This evidence map highlights gaps and important areas for improvement to strengthen the state of research to better inform future policies and dietary recommendations on added sugars.

Twelve overnight fasted, healthy, male volunteers received on separate days a test breakfast consisting of (A) 100 g fresh white bread (providing 50 g starch) and 250 mL drinking water, (B) the same bread with a supplement of 10 g alpha-cyclodextrin dissolved in the drinking water (250 mL), and (C) 250 mL drinking water containing 25 g alpha-cyclodextrin. Capillary and venous blood samples were collected before breakfast and at regular intervals for a period of 3 hours thereafter. Plasma glucose was determined in capillary blood and plasma insulin in venous blood samples. Breakfast (A) let to the expected rise in blood glucose and insulin concentrations. Breakfast (C) did not produce a significant glycemic and insulinemic response, demonstrating that alpha-cyclodextrin is not hydrolyzed to glucose in the human digestive tract. Mild intestinal symptoms after the ingestion of alpha-cyclodextrin were reported by 4 subjects. The postprandial rises of plasma glucose and insulin were significantly smaller after breakfast (B) than (A). Under the conditions of this study, alpha-cyclodextrin reduced the glycemic and insulinemic index of white bread by 57 and 55 %, respectively. The postprandial time profile of plasma glucose and insulin suggests that, in an initial phase, the digestion of starch is inhibited by alpha-cyclodextrin almost completely. Yet, despite the delayed and reduced digestion of starch, the intake of breakfast (B) was not associated with flatulence or any other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The aim of this study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is to assess the safety of daily consumption of walnuts on the physiological levels of phosphorous, potassium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and to assess the short-term benefits of this intervention on risk factors associated with cardiovascular events. This led us to perform a prospective, randomized, cross-over, pilot clinical trial examined 13 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Subjects were randomly assigned to a diet of 30 g of walnuts per day or the control diet. After 30 days, each group was given a 30-day washout period, and then switched to the alternate diet for 30 days. Urinary and serum levels of phosphorous and potassium, multiple vascular risk factors, and urinary inositol phosphates (InsPs) were measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention period. Our results showed that the walnut dietary supplement led to reduced blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and serum albumin, but had no effect on the physiological levels of phosphorous, potassium, PTH, and FGF23. This is the first report to show that daily consumption of walnuts by patients with CKD does not alter their physiological levels of phosphorous, potassium, PTH, and FGF23. Consequently, this dietary supplement may prevent cardiovascular events in patients with CKD.

Vitamin C is an essential enzyme cofactor and antioxidant with pleiotropic roles in human physiology. Circulating vitamin C concentrations are lower in people with diabetes mellitus suggesting a higher dietary requirement for the vitamin. We interrogated the NHANES 2017/2018 and EPIC-Norfolk datasets to compare vitamin C requirements between those with and without diabetes mellitus using dose-concentration relationships fitted with sigmoidal (four parameter logistic) curves. The NHANES cohort (n=2828 non-supplementing adults) comprised 488 (17%) participants with diabetes (self-reported or HbA1c ≥6.5%). The participants with diabetes had a lower vitamin C status (median [IQR]) than those without (38 [17, 52] µmol/L vs 44 [25, 61] µmol/L, p&lt;0.0001), despite comparable dietary intakes between the two groups (51 [26, 93] mg/d vs 53 [24, 104] mg/d, p=0.5). Dose-concentration relationships indicated that the group without diabetes reached adequate vitamin C concentrations (50 µmol/L) with an intake of 81 (72, 93) mg/d, whilst the those with diabetes required an intake of 166 (126, NA) mg/d. In the EPIC-Norfolk cohort, comprising 20692 non-supplementing adults, 475 (2.3%) had self-reported diabetes at baseline. The EPIC cohort had lower a BMI than the NHANES cohort (26 [24, 28] kg/m2 vs 29 [25, 34] kg/m2, respectively). Correspondingly, the EPIC participants without diabetes required a lower vitamin C intake of 64 (63, 65) mg/d while those with diabetes required 129 (104, NA) mg/d to reach adequate circulating vitamin C status. C-reactive protein concentrations were strongly correlated with body weight and BMI and provided a surrogate biomarker for vitamin C requirements. In conclusion, people with diabetes have 1.4- to 1.6-fold higher requirements for vitamin C than those without diabetes. This corresponds to additional daily vitamin C intake requirements of ~30-40 mg for people with diabetes.

High fructose and sugar-sweetened soft drink (SSSD) intakes are associated with elevated blood uric acid concentrations and increased risk of gout and cardiovascular disease. Fruits are naturally high in fructose but their effect on cardiometabolic risk is unknown. We examined the effect on serum uric acid and cardiometabolic risk factors of consuming fructose from either fruit or SSSD in overweight adults. 48 healthy, overweight (BMI≥ 28 kg/m²) men (n=21) and women (n=20) were randomised to either a fruit (n = 19) or SSSSD (n = 22) intervention for 4 weeks. The fruit group received 6 items of fresh and dried fruit per day and the SSSD group received 955ml of SSSD per day with treatments matched for energy and fructose content. Serum uric acid concentrations were significantly reduced in men in the fruit group compared to the SSSD group (difference 57.2 μmol/L [95% CI: 16.4, 98.0], p= 0.008) but there was no difference amongst women (1.3 μmol/L [95%CI: -9.5, 6.9], p= 0.295). There differences in weight change or other cardiometabolic risk factors. These findings suggest no need to restrict fruit intake in individuals with elevated serum uric acid concentrations, such as those with gout.

Prenatal maternal feeding plays an important role in fetal development and has potential to cause long-lasting epigenetic modifications. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding, single-stranded RNAs that serve as one epigenetic mechanism. Though miRNAs have crucial roles in fetal programming, growth, and development, there are limited data regarding maternal diet and sheep miRNA expression. Therefore, weanalyzed high and low maternal dietary protein for miRNA expression in sheep fetal longissimus dorsi. Pregnant ewes were fed an isoenergetic high-protein (HP, 160–270 g/day), low-protein (LP, 73–112 g/day), or standard protein diet (SP, 119–198 g/day) during pregnancy. miRNA expression profiles were evaluated using the Affymetrix GeneChip miRNA 4.0 Array. Twelve up-regulated, differentially expressed miRNAs (DE miRNAs) were identified targeting 65 genes. The oar-3957-5p miRNA was highly up-regulated in LP and SP compared to HP. Previous transcriptome analysis identified integrin and non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase genes targeted by miRNAs detected in the current experiment. A total of 28 GO terms and 10 pathway-based gene sets were significantly (padj &lt; 0.05) enriched in target genes. Most genes targeted by identified miRNAs are involved in immune and muscle disease pathways. Our study shows dietary protein intake during pregnancy affects fetal skeletal muscle epigenetics via miRNA expression.

Adenomyosis (ADM) is a multifaceted uterine pathology characterized by the ectopic infiltration of endometrial tissue into the myometrium, afflicting approximately 20% of women in the reproductive age group seeking gynecological care. This condition manifests as a range of debilitating symptoms, including dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, impaired fertility, and heightened susceptibility to miscarriage and obstetric complications. Substantial research has been dedicated to exploring its underlying molecular mechanisms and developing non-invasive precision medical therapies. ADM is primarily characterized by a dysregulation in sex-steroid hormone homeostasis, particularly estrogen and progesterone. However, emerging evidence suggests that additional endocrine mediators and disruptors may exert contributory roles in the etiology of ADM. Furthermore, genetic and epigenetic alterations of endocrine signaling pathways have been implicated as prevailing mechanisms underlying the development and progression of the disease. The present review aims to provide an updated and comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the pathophysiology of ADM, with a particular emphasis on the dysregulated hormonal milieu and the potential involvement of endocrine disruptors. By elucidating these intricate molecular mechanisms, this review seeks to pave the way for novel research directions in the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for ADM management.

Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs), also known as hidden hunger, affects more than a quarter of the global population. Agronomic biofortification helps to increase concentration of a target mineral in food crops and improve human mineral dietary intake. It is a means of providing nutrient dense foods to a larger population especially among rural resource poor settings, providing that they have access to mineral fertilizers. However, the feasibility of agronomic biofortification in combating hidden hunger depends on several factors besides fertilizer access, including crop type, genotype, climate, soils, and soil mineral interactions. Consideration of its effectiveness to increasing human mineral intakes to daily requirements and improvement to human health and the cost effectiveness the program is also important. In this paper we reviewed available literature regarding the potential effectiveness and challenges of agronomic biofortification to improve crop micronutrient concentrations and reduce hidden hunger.

Research on climacteric syndrome among middle-aged men remains scant than the research among women. Research is also scant on climacteric syndrome among older adults living alone, particularly men, who are more vulnerable than such females. This cross-sectional study investigated whether the prevalence of climacteric syndrome is associated with the type of household middle-aged men live in and identified the determinants of climacteric syndrome based on the household type. Six hundred middle-aged men living in multi-person households and 600 living alone were surveyed about general characteristics, diet-related factors, and climacteric syndrome. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression. The risk of climacteric syndrome in single-person households was found to be 1.6 times higher than that among in multi-person households (p = 0.006). In multi-person households, income and breakfast frequency predicted climacteric syndrome (p < 0.05), while age, breakfast frequency, dinner frequency, and weekly eating out frequency predicted climacteric syndrome in single-person households (p < 0.05). Thus, dietary factors are more closely linked to the prevalence of climacteric syndrome in single-person households than in multi-person households. This highlights the need for climacteric syndrome interventions for middle-aged men whose health concerns may persist into older adulthood.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in various plants. It acts as a stimulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and even an aid in pain management, and is found in several over-the-counter medications. This naturally derived bioactive compound is the best-known ingredient in coffee and other beverages, such as tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks, and is the most widely consumed substance worldwide. Therefore, it is extremely important to research the effects of this substance on the human body. With this in mind, caffeine and its derivatives have been extensively studied to evaluate its ability to prevent diseases and exert anti-aging and neuroprotective effects. This review is intended to provide an overview of the effects of caffeine on cancer, cardiovascular, immunological, inflammatory, and neurological diseases, among others. The heavily researched area of caffeine in sports will also be discussed. Finally, recent advances in the development of novel formulations, in the form of dietary supplements of caffeine and nanocarriers, to enhance the bioavailability of caffeine and its beneficial effects will be discussed. On the other hand, caffeine may contribute to elevated blood pressure, anemia, and migraine.

Heart failure (HF) has become a public health problem, but exact pathophysiology is still unknown. Western diet characterised with high sugar, high fat, red meat and processed meat, eggs, fried foods and sweetened beverages, may cause oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to oxidative dysfunction and adverse effects on cardiac-ultra-structure. However, only little is known about oxidative function of the of the myocardium and how oxidative dysfunction predispose Ca-overloading resulting in to physio-pathological remodelling leading to HF. Antioxidants such as flavonoids and polyphenolics, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals as well as essential and nonessential amino acids that are rich in Indo-Mediterranean type of diets, may have protective roles in maintaining oxidative functions of the heart. The cardiac cells use fatty acids and glucose for the metabolic functions depending upon physiological and metabolic requirements. Apart from glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity is also damaging to cardiac cells which worsen in presence of deficiency of endogenous antioxidants and lower exogenous antioxidants in the diet. There is increased production of ceramide, advanced glycation end products (AGE) and triamino-methyl-N-oxide (TMAO) due to high sugar and high fat diets, leading to oxidative dysfunction and Ca-overloading. The biological changes may begin with physiological remodelling to pathological remodelling due to oxidative damages. High fat diet in combination with inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOSi) via N-arginine methyl ester has been found to preserve ejection fraction in a mouse model of HF. It is possible that increased supplementation of High Exogenous Antioxidant Restorative Treatment (HEART) diet; polyphenolics and flavonoids, vitamins, minerals, arginine, with omega-3 fatty acids, and cessation of red meat and egg may further improve the oxidative function of cardiac cells, resulting in the prevention and improvement in the earliest of the Six Stages of HF. Cohort studies and randomised, controlled trials would be necessary for demonstration of the role of HEART diet in the management of HF.

Objective: To explore sex differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) related risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and nutritional differences among 40-60 years old Pakistani CVD patients.Design: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study.Setting: The present study was conducted at the Mayo/King Edward Medical University (K.E.M.U) Hospital Cardiology Department (CCU-I & CCU-II), Lahore, from February 2020 to June 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection.Participants: A random sample of 300 cardiac patients was included in the study. Patient records, food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recall was used to solicit information about demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical measurements; dietary intake parameters; and CVD risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking. Results: Men CVD patients had higher BMI (33.43 kg/m² vs. 28.69 kg/m²) and higher prevalence of hypertension (81.1% vs. 59%), hypercholesterolemia (82.4% vs. 54.5%) and smoked more cigarettes (72.6% vs. 9%) as compared to women while there was higher prevalence of diabetes among women as compared to men (59% vs. 29.4%). There were 85% women vs. 80% men consuming white bread, while half of the men reported using meat daily, as compared to only 16.6% women. There were 51.5% women and 17% men who reported consuming fruits and vegetables daily. There were 40% men and 16% women who reported consuming soft drinks. Conclusion: The study showed significant sex differences in the nutritional status and risk factors of patients with CVD.

Cereals and their derivatives are the basis of human nutrition. However, cereals also contribute to the dietary exposure to toxic metals that may pose a risk. Strengthening food security and nutrition information is a high priority challenge for the Cape Verde Government. The toxic metals content (Cr, Ni, Sr, Al, Cd, Pb) has been determined in 126 samples of cereals and derivatives (rice, corn gofio, corn flour, wheat flour, corn, wheat) consumed in Cape Verde. Wheat flour samples stand out for registering the highest Sr (1.60 mg/kg), Ni (0.25 mg/kg) and Cr (0.13 mg/kg). The results show relevant Al levels (1.17 – 13.4 mg/kg) with its highest levels in corn gofio. The mean Pb average content in the cereals is 0.03 – 0.08 mg/kg with the highest level observed in corn gofio. The Al and Pb levels are lower in cereals without husks. A consumption of 100 g/day of corn gofio provide an intake of 1.34 mg Al/day (13.7% of the tolerable weekly intake established at 1 mg/kg bw/week) and 8 µg Pb/day (20% of the BMDL set at 0.63 µg/kg bw/day for nephrotoxic effects). The minimization of the dietary exposure of the Cape Verdean population to toxic metals is through the importation of higher quality cereals.

The addition of flaxseed and amaranth on the physicochemical, functional and microstructural changes of instant-extruded cereals was evaluated. Six different mixtures were made with additions of amaranth (30%–50%) and flaxseed (10% and 15%) using maize grits and minor additives as supplementary ingredients and then extruded in a twin-screw extruder. The extrudates evaluated, had insoluble and soluble fiber contents increased with the proportion of amaranth and flaxseed. The mixture 4 (higher flaxseed content) presented highest soluble fiber percentage (1.9%). Extruded cereals had the lowest viscosity (<99.5 cp) and highest hardness values (5.2 N) whereas the dietary fiber content was highest. Fiber content increase, resulted in a higher water solubility index (WSI) (0.5) and decrease the water absorption index (WAI) (2.5). Amaranth and flaxseed incorporation increased crystallinity, resulting in a larger, and more compact laminar structure. Amaranth and flaxseed addition resulted in extruded cereals with acceptable physicochemical and functional properties.

There is a growing need to utilize community interventions to address modifiable behaviors that lead to poor health outcomes like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Poor health outcomes can be tied to community-level factors such as food deserts (identified areas with low access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods) and individual behaviors like sedentary lifestyles, consuming large portion sizes, and eating high-calorie fast food and processed foods. Through a social ecological approach with family, organization and community, the Faithful Families Cooking and Eating Smart (FFCES) intervention was created to address these concerns in a rural South Carolina community. FFCES used gatekeepers to identify 18 churches and 4 apartment complexes in low-income areas. 176 participants completed both pre- and post- survey measures. Student’s t-test measures found statistically significant change in participant perception of food security (0.39, p-value=0.005), self-efficacy with physical activity and healthy eating (0.26, p-value=000), and cooking confidence (0.17, p-value=.01). There was not significant change in cooking behaviors as assessed through the Cooking Behaviors Scale. FFCES shows that a social ecological approach can be effective at increasing and improving individual healthy behaviors and addressing community-level factors in low-income rural communities.

Microbiota plays a key role in various body’s functions, physiological, metabolic and immunological processes, through different mechanisms such as the regulation of the development and/or functions of different types of immune cells in the intestines. Several evidences indicate that alteration in the gut microbiota can influence infectious and non-infectious diseases. Bacteria that resides on the mucosal surface or within the mucus layer participate in interactions with the host immune system, and a healthy gut microbiota is essential for the development of mucosal immunity. The immunomodulatory activity of probiotics has been proposed in several bowel disorders or in aging-related dysfunctions. In HIV infected patients, the intestinal immune system is affected and inflammation persists during ART therapy too. Several studies are in progress to investigate the ability of probiotics to modulate epithelial barrier functions, microbiota composition and microbial translocation in HIV infection. This mini-review aims to suggest how the use of probiotics is beneficial not only in maintaining a healthy status but also to improve conditions in HIV subjects.

This study represents the first to examine the nutritional status of Moroccan football players. The aim of this research is to assess the energy and macronutrient intake of professional players from a club competing in the Moroccan professional league "Botola-Pro." Moreover, the study tries to find the potential correlation between nutritional intake and physical performance. A total of 27 professional players participated in a seven consecutive-day study, during a microcycle of the preseason period. The dietary intake was evaluated using the self-reported, complemented by a 24-hour recall. The InBody 120 bioelectrical impedance was employed for assessing body composition measurements, while the Yo-Yo test was utilized to evaluate physical performance; which estimates the maximal oxygen consumption level (VO2max). Among these players, their protein intake levels aligned with recommendations (1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of Body Mass). On the other hand, fat intake slightly surpassed the recommended values. However, carbohydrate intake was relatively subdued compared to recommendations of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in the pre-season training phase. A positive correlation was observed (P-value of &lt; 0.001 and R=0.831) between carbohydrate intake and the measure of VO2max. This suggests that an increase in carbohydrate consumption is associated with enhanced performance, especially within the range of 6 to 8 g/kg BM per day. Conversely, a negative correlation was identified (P-value of &lt; 0.01 and R= − 0.847) between the percentage of dietary fat and the VO2max. The findings of this study highlight areas of nutrition that could be enhanced among professional football players to optimize their performance. In effect, nutritional education is necessary for this category of athletes. Thus, an individual care approach is strongly recommended.

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is the most effective long-term treatment for Class III obesity. Reduced dietary intake is considered a behavioral driver of post-surgical weight loss, but limited data have examined this association. Therefore, this study examined prospective, longitudinal relationships between dietary intake and weight loss over 24 months following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy. Relationships between weight loss and dietary intake were examined using a validated 24-hour dietary recall method. Associations between total energy/macronutrient intake and weight loss outcomes were assessed at 12-, 18-, and 24-months following MBS, defining patients as “responders” and “suboptimal responders” according to the Reinhold criteria of 50% excess weight loss. Consistent with previous literature, 12-month responders and suboptimal responders showed significant associations between weight loss and dietary intake. Unlike previous work, this study revealed that many of these associations are no longer significant 24 months post-MBS, despite consistent weight loss trends. This study suggests a short-term signal between these dietary factors and weight loss outcomes 12 months post-MBS, consistent with previous observations. However, this signal does not persist beyond 12 months. These results are essential for interpreting and designing clinical studies measuring long-term post-surgical weight loss outcomes.

(1) Background: Loss of weight is one of the practices which have been identified as key in reducing the risk of various forms of cancer. Therefore, this study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies related to the topic of loss of weight and risk of cancer and addresses the question, ‘does losing weight reduce the risk of cancer?’ Its purpose is to identify current high-quality evidence on such a question and synthesize such evidence before summarizing it given specific data attributes to improve decision-making processes on cancer management. (2) Methods: Research studies were identified from four main databases: PubMed, Science Direct, Google scholar, and Medline. A systematic review and meta-analysis of such studies were then conducted to reveal the most current evidence on the research topic. (3) Results: The studies showed that losing weight reduces cancer risk. Nonetheless, such intervention is not necessarily effective, especially in cases where patients may be at risk of developing cancer due to other risk factors. (4) Conclusions: The current study concludes that there is a need to implement effective interventions such as physical exercise, dietary restrictions, or both that can be effective in reducing weight to reduce the risk of cancer.

The wheat aleurone layer is, according to millers, the main bran fraction. It is a source of nutritionally valuable compounds, such as dietary fibres, proteins, minerals and vitamins, that may exhibit health benefits. Despite these advantages, the aleurone layer is scarce on the market, probably due to issues related to its extraction. Many processes exist with some patents, but a choice must be made between the quality and quantity of the resulting product. Nonetheless, its potential has been studied mainly in bread and pasta. While the nutritional benefits of aleurone-rich flour addition to bread agree, opposite results have been obtained concerning its effects on end-product characteristics (namely loaf volume and sensory characteristics), thus ensuing different acceptability responses from consumers. However, the observed negative effects of aleurone-rich flour on bread dough could be reduced by subjecting it to pre- or post-extracting treatments meant to either reduce the particle size of the aleurone’s fibres or to change the conformation of its components.

Keywords: Addis Ababa; dietary factors; nutritional status; school-age children

Cholesterol-derived bile acids (BAs) affect numerous physiological functions such as glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism and absorption, intestinal inflammation and immunity, as well as intestinal microbiota diversity. Diet influences the composition of the BA pool. The present study analyzes the impact of a dietary supplementation with a freeze-dried blueberry powder (BBP) on the fecal BA pool composition. The diet of 11 men and 13 women at risk for metabolic syndrome was supplemented with 50g/day of BBP for 8 weeks, and feces were harvested before (pre) and after (post) BBP consumption. BAs were profiled using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. No significant changes in total BAs were detected when comparing pre- vs post-BBP consumption samples. However, post-BBP consumption samples exhibited significant accumulations of glycine-conjugated BAs (p=0.04), glycochenodeoxycholic (p=0.01) and glycoursodeoxycholic (p=0.01) acids, as well as a significant reduction (p=0.03) of the secondary BA levels, when compared to pre-BBP feces (p=0.03). In conclusion, the fecal bileacidome is significantly altered after the consumption of BBP for 8 weeks. While additional studies are needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and physiological implications of these changes, our data suggest that the consumption of blueberries can modulate toxic BAs elimination.

The Mediterranean diet represents one of the most studied dietary patterns, however, there is no single tool for measuring the grade of adherence and no single criteria to adapting these indices to pregnant women. We characterized the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MDA) of pregnant women participating in the NELA cohort and identified the sociodemographic determinants and lifestyle habits associated with a higher risk of a low MDA. Maternal diet during gestation was assessed by a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) (n=665). We estimated Relative Mediterranean Diet score (rMED), Alternative Mediterranean Diet score (aMED) and Alternate Healthy Index-2010 (AHEI-2010). Multivariate regression models were performed to identify the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated to each index. Mothers with lower age and more previous deliveries had a greater probability of low MDA (P &lt;0.05). Only, for aMED index, mothers with university education and / or who practiced 2 or more hours per week sport activities had a lower probability of a low MDA (P &lt;0.01). These results may be useful in order to design intervention strategies and dietary recommendation for pregnant women.

The purpose of this study was to select target nutrients to be included in the nutritional standards of school lunches in Korea. The dietary intake data of children and adolescents aged 6-17 years old from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Ⅵ were analyzed for eight groups based on gender and age (6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17 years old). First, the usual intake of the 3,091 subjects was estimated and assessed to identify nutrients with insufficient or excessive intake prevalence. Along with the nutrients identified by the assessment, the energy and nutrients prioritized in the meal planning procedure of the 2015 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans were the initial candidates: energy, the percentages of energy from carbohydrates, protein, and fat, vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and iron. Phosphorus was excluded due to little evidence of clinical symptoms caused by insufficient intake. Sodium was excluded because reliable data on added salt were not available among the school lunch recipes in Korea. Therefore, energy, the percentages of energy from carbohydrates, protein, and fat, vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, and iron were selected to be included in the nutritional standards of school lunches in Korea.

This study investigates the impact of the economic downturn induced by the COVID-19 pandemic on nutritional health disparities among women. The research aimed to understand how economic challenges have influenced dietary choices, access to nutritious food, and overall nutritional well-being in different socioeconomic groups of women.Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study combined quantitative data from national health and economic databases with qualitative insights from interviews conducted with a diverse group of women. The quantitative analysis focused on trends in nutritional health indicators and economic variables pre- and post-pandemic. Simultaneously, the qualitative component explored personal experiences and perceptions related to nutrition and economic hardships during the pandemic.The findings revealed a significant correlation between the economic downturn and worsening nutritional health among women, especially in low-income and marginalized communities. Women in these groups reported reduced access to healthy food options, increased reliance on less nutritious food due to budget constraints, and a general decline in dietary quality. This decline was less pronounced in higher-income groups, highlighting a clear disparity.Moreover, the study observed that the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing nutritional inequalities, with vulnerable groups experiencing a more pronounced impact. The research also noted that community support systems and public health interventions played a crucial role in mitigating some of these effects.In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has not only posed a direct health challenge but has also indirectly affected women's nutritional health through economic strain. The study underscores the need for targeted nutritional support and economic policies that prioritize the health of women, particularly those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

With rising rates of human obesity, the study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal diet-induced obesity and offspring morphometrics and behaviour in mice. Pregnant and lactating female mice fed a diet high in fat and sugar (HFHS) commonly consumed by human populations showed decreased food, calorie, and protein intake but increased adiposity at the expense of lean mass. The pre-weaning body weight of HFHS offspring was reduced for the first postnatal week but not thereafter with HFHS female offspring having higher body weights by weaning, due to continuing higher fractional growth rates. Post-weaning, there were minor differences in offspring food and protein intake. Maternal diet, however, affected fractional growth rate and total body fat content of male but not female HFHS offspring. Maternal diet did not affect offspring locomotor activity or social behaviour in either sex. Both male and female HFHS offspring displayed reduced anxiety-related behaviours with sex differences in particular aspects of the elevated plus maze task. In the novel object recognition task, performance was impaired in male but not female HFHS offspring. Collectively, the findings demonstrate that maternal obesity alters the growth, adiposity, and behaviour of male and female offspring, with sex-specific differences.

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current understanding of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), focusing on key factors influencing its pathogenesis and emerging therapeutic strategies. The background highlights the growing prevalence of NAFLD and NASH, emphasizing their multifactorial nature. The methods section outlines the various contributors to NAFLD development, including genetic, dietary, and environmental factors. The results highlight the intricate interplay between these factors and their impact on hepatic lipid metabolism, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Genetic predisposition, dietary fat intake, and excessive fructose consumption are discussed as significant contributors to NAFLD progression. The conclusions emphasize the lack of a single therapeutic approach and underscore the need for combination strategies. Lifestyle interventions, particularly weight loss through diet and exercise, remain crucial, while pharmacological options like GLP-1 receptor agonists, obeticholic acid, lanifibranor, and resmetirom show promise but require further validation. Bariatric surgery and emerging endoscopic procedures offer potential in eligible patients. In sum, this review underscores the complexity of NAFLD and NASH, advocating for a multifaceted approach to address this increasingly prevalent and clinically relevant condition.

Hypertension and arterial stiffness are the main factors contributing to cardiovascular disease. L-citrulline, a nitric oxide precursor, has been proposed as a blood pressure-lowering intervention. This study aimed to investigate the impact of L-citrulline on central and peripheral blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and muscle oxygenation at rest and during an isometric knee extension exercise protocol. Twelve older males received 6 g of L-citrulline or a placebo for six days using a double-blind crossover design. Blood hemodynamics parameters (i.e., arterial and brachial systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure, heart rate), arterial stiffness (i.e., augmented pressure, augmentation index, forward, backward wave pressure and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity) and muscle oxygenation [i.e., oxyhemoglobin (Δ[O2Hb]) and deoxyhemoglobin (Δ[HHb]), total hemoglobin concentration (Δ[tHb]) and tissue saturation index (TSI%)], were measured at baseline, post-supplementation and during isometric exercise. No significant effects of L-citrulline supplementation were observed at rest or during exercise on blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and muscle blood flow. Both central and peripheral blood pressure were increased during the exercise, which is consistent with isometric contractions. The results of the present study question the efficacy of short-term L-citrulline in decreasing blood pressure at rest or attenuating blood pressure increases during isometric exercise.

Understanding potential uptake and biodistribution of engineered nanoparticles in soil-grown plants is imperative for toxicity and risk assessment considering the oral exposure of edibles by humans. Herein, we assessed potential influence of particle size (25, 50, and 250 nm) and concentration (0, 50, 100, 200, and 500 mg/kg-soil) of Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) on: (1) the root system architecture, and the physicochemical attributes of soil at the soil-root interface, (2) leading to Cu transport and accumulation in root, stem, leaf and seed in soybean (Glycine max cv Kowsar) grown for entire lifecycle of 120 days, and compared with soluble Cu²⁺ ions and water-only controls, and (3) performed a comparative assessment of total seed Cu levels in soybean with other valuable food sources for Cu intake and discussed its human health implications. Our findings showed particle size- and concentration-dependent influence of CuONPs on Cu uptake and tissue distribution in root, stem, leaf and seed in soybean. Alterations in root architecture (root dry weight, root length, root volume, and root area) were dependent on the Cu compound type, Cu concentrations, and their interactions (p<0.05), except for root density. Concentration-response relationships for all three sized CuONPs, and Cu²⁺ ions, were linear. CuONPs and Cu²⁺ ions had inhibitory effects on root growth and development. Overall, soybean responses to smallest size CuONPs-25 nm were higher for all parameters investigated compared to two larger sized CuONPs (50 nm, 250 nm) or Cu²⁺ ions. Cu uptake/bioaccumulation differed among soybean tissues in the order: root > leaf > stem > seed. Despite reduced root architecture and seed yield, our smallest size CuONPs-25 nm led to increased total seed Cu uptake compared to the larger sized CuONPs and Cu²⁺ ions tested. Our findings also suggest that soil amendment by CuONPs, more so by the smallest size CuONPs-25 nm, could significantly improve nutritional Cu value in soybean seed as reflected by % Daily Values (DV), and are rated “Good” to “Very Good” according to the “World’s Healthiest Foods” rating. However, until the potential toxicity and risk from consumption of soybean seed is characterized in humans, caution should be exercised when the Cu fortified seeds are used for daily human consumption when addressing Cu deficiency and associated illnesses, globally.

Food exchange lists have been widely used in dietary practice in health and disease situations, but there are still no exchange lists for sports foods. The aim of this study was to develop a sports foods exchange list based on previously published statistical criteria. A cross-sectional study of the nutritional composition of sports foods, regarding macronutrients and energy, was carried out. A total of 323 sports foods from 18 companies were selected and divided into seven groups: sports drinks; sports gels; sports bars; sports confectionery; protein powders; protein bars; and liquid meals. A sports foods composition database based on portion size was created. Food exchange groups, with the definition of the amounts - in grams - of each sports foods within each group, were designed using the same methodology and statistical criteria as previously published. The nutritional composition of the portions usually consumed by athletes and/or recommended in commercial packaging was used to calculate the mean energy and macronutrient values for each group. Within each sports foods group, different subgroups were defined due to differences in the main and/or secondary macronutrient. The mean nutrient values of each exchange group and the subgroups were determined according to previously established rounding criteria. This sports foods exchange list, made up of commercial sports products, is a novel tool for dietetic practice. Its management will allow dietitians to adapt dietary plans more precisely to the training and/or competition of the athlete.

Socioeconomically disadvantaged people are disproportionally more likely to develop obesity and obesity-related diseases. However, it remains unclear to what extent diet quality contributes to socioeconomic inequalities in obesity. We aimed to assess the role of diet quality in the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity. Data originated from the national nutrition survey, a cross-sectional sample of the adult Swiss population (N=1860). We used education and income as proxies for SES; calculated the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) as measure of diet quality; and used body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as obesity markers. We applied counterfactual mediation modelling to generate odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and the proportion mediated by diet quality. Individuals with less than a tertiary education were two to three times more likely to be obese, regardless of the marker (OR; 95% CI: 3.36 (2.01, 5.66) using BMI; 2.44 (1.58, 3.75) using WC; 2.48 (1.63, 3.78) using WHR; and 2.04 (1.43, 2.96) using WHtR). The proportion of the association between educational level and obesity that was mediated by diet quality was 22.1% using BMI, 26.6% using WC, 31.4% using WHtR, and 35.8% using WHR. Similar findings were observed for income. Our findings suggest that diet quality substantially contributes to socioeconomic inequalities in obesity while it does not fully explain them. Focusing efforts on improving the diet quality of disadvantaged groups could help reduce social inequalities in obesity.

Osteoporosis is considered a serious public health problem, particularly affecting the postmenopausal period. In 2018, in the Republic of Kazakhstan the total and primary incidence was 10 and 3.7 cases per 100,000 adults, respectively. The objective is to study osteoporosis prevalence and indicate main factors affecting low bone mineral density by screening adult population of Abay region, Kazakhstan. The target group were 641 respondents aged between 18 and 65 years old, Kazakh population living in Abay region since birth. All participants filled out questionnaire and had a bone mineral density measurement by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) between July 15, 2023 and February 29, 2024. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between low bone mineral density and key demographic characteristics, aforementioned lifestyle factors and nutrition habits. We identified the prevalence of low bone density and osteoporosis at the level of 34.1% with the highest prevalence in the older population group (50+ years) - 48.3%. Regression analysis revealed a number of indicators associated with the likelihood of bone sparing. However, only 4 of these showed significance in the final multivariate model (R2=22.4%). These included age (AOR 1.05), body mass index (AOR 0.92), fracture history (AOR 1.64), consumption of nuts and dried fruits were associated with lower prevalence of osteoporosis (AOR 0.48). Our study was the first in Kazakhstan that investigates the association of key demographic, behavior and anamnestic factors with low mineral density.

The purpose of this study was to 1) examine the impact of various types of heat processing used by consumers (water bath cooking WBC, oven convection roasting OCR, grilling G, pan frying PF) on the selenium content and its retention in goose breast meat (with and without skin); 2) Estimation of coverage of this element's daily requirement in adults after consuming 100 g of goose breast meat. The material used in the study comprised 36 breast muscles cut from carcasses of 17-week-old White Koluda geese. The moisture, ash, and selenium were determined in both raw and thermally processed muscles. It has been concluded that various methods of heat processing significantly impact cooking loss, moisture, ash and selenium content of meat. The heat processing increased the selenium content of the muscle regardless of the presence of skin, which affects the possibility of covering adults' Nutrient Reference Values-Requirements (NRV-R) for this element in the range of 33.3-44.8%. Goose breast meat can be a valuable component of a diversified diet. It provides many nutrients. It is also a safe source of selenium. It is unlikely that adult consumers, even those who eat goose regularly, will exceed this element's upper tolerable intake level.

.Celiac disease (CeD) is a chronic, autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten, affecting around 1% of the global population. It is a multifactorial disease involving both genetics and environ-mental factors. Nowadays, the only available treatment for CeD is a life-long gluten-free diet (GFD), which can cause a significant burden for patients, since symptoms and mucosal injury can persist de-spite apparent compliance with a GFD. That could also lead to psychological consequences and affect the quality of life of these patients. Thankfully, recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of CeD and the availability of various targets have made it feasible to explore pharmaceutical treatments specific to CeD. Recently, the FDA has highlighted the unmet needs of adult patients on GFD who expe-rience ongoing symptoms attributed to CeD and also show persistent duodenal villous atrophy. This re-view will outline the limitations of a GFD, describe the targets of potential novel treatment of CeD and provide an overview of the primary clinical trials involving oral and injectable agents for a non-dietary treatment of CeD.

Sesamum indicum is considered an underutilized oil-bearing seed in the semi-arid regions of Ghana. Nonetheless, it is a promising source of food with both nutritional and therapeutic benefits. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties S. indicum seeds using different extraction solvents. The seeds were obtained from the local farmers and prepared for analysis. The bioactive compounds present in the seeds were extracted using hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol and water and their yields quantified. Total phenolic content (TPC), Condensed tannin content (TTC) and Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) , and DPPH radical scaveging assay were analyzed using standard methods. Antinutrients such as saponins, alkaloids, phytates and oxalates were also analyzed from the powdered seeds. Two chemometric methods; hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and Pearson correlation were employed to evaluate the interdependence of the various parameters to result in their antioxidant properties. The re-sults revealed that the solvents utilized had a significant impact on the extraction yield, phyto-chemical component concentration, and antioxidant activities. Hexane extracts of S. indicum seeds significantly exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (p &lt; 0.05). It was marked with the highest TAC value of 232.6 ± 6.267 mg/g AAE and a strong DPPH scavenging activity with an IC50 of 52.81 ± 2.30 µg/mL. Correlations (p &lt; 0.05) was established between TPC,CTC, TAC and DPPH radical scavenging activity) of the extracts. Antinutrients such as; phytate, oxalate, saponins and alkaloids were found to be 7.691 ± 0.8576, 1.501 ± 0.1375, 21.33 ± 4.619 and 317.33 ± 30.29 mg/g respectively. Data obtained suggest that S. indicum possess rich bioactive compounds that can be used in neutraceuticals and food products.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent and critical complication in the clinical setting. In rodents AKI can be prevented effectively through caloric restriction (CR), which has also been shown to increase lifespan in many species. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) longevity studies revealed that a marked CR-induced reduction of endocannabinoids may be a key mechanism. Thus, we hypothesized that regulation of endocannabinoids, in particular arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA), might also play a role in CR-mediated protection from renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in mammals including humans. In male C57Bl6J mice, CR significantly reduced renal IRI and led to a significant decrease of AEA. Supplementation of AEA to near-normal serum concentrations by repetitive intraperitoneal administration in CR mice, however, did not abrogate the protective effect of CR. We also analyzed serum samples taken before and after CR from patients of three different pilot trials of dietary interventions. In contrast to mice and C. elegans, we detected an increase of AEA. We conclude that endocannabinoid levels in mice are modulated by CR, but CR-mediated renal protection does not depend on this effect. Moreover, our results indicate that modulation of endocannabinoids by CR in humans may differ fundamentally from the effects in animal models.

The gastrointestinal tract contains multiple types of immune cells that maintain the balance between tolerance and activation at the first line of host defense facing non-self antigens, including dietary antigens, commensal bacteria, and sometimes unexpected pathogens. Maintaining homeostasis at the gastrointestinal tract requires stringent regulation of the immune responses against various environmental conditions. Diet can be converted into gut metabolites which have unique functional activities through host as well as microbial enzymatic activities. Accumulating evidences demonstrate that gastrointestinal metabolites have significant impacts on the regulation of intestinal immunity and further integrate immune response of distal mucosal tissue. Metabolites, especially derived from microbiota, regulate immune cell functions by various ways including recognition and activation of cell surface receptors, controlling of gene expression by epigenetic regulation and integration of cellular metabolism. These mucosal immune regulations are key to understand underlying mechanism for the development of gastrointestinal disorders. Here, we review the recent advancement of our understanding on the role of gut metabolites in the regulation of gastrointestinal immunity with highlighting the cellular and molecular regulatory mechanisms by macronutrients-derived metabolites.

Social, cultural, environmental and economic factors closely regulate the selection, allocation and consumption of maternal diets. We developed a nutrition behaviour change intervention to promote a balanced diet in pregnancy through practical demonstration in rural Bangladesh and tested the impact with a cluster randomised controlled trial. This paper presents the findings of the process evaluation and describes the strategies that worked for intervention compliance. We conducted in-depth interviews with pregnant women, women who birthed recently, and their husbands; focus groups with mothers and mothers-in-law; key-informant interviews with community health workers, and observation of home visits. We identified six key areas within the intervention strategy that played a crucial role in achieving the desired adherence. These included practical demonstration of portion sizes; addressing local food perceptions; demystifying animal-source foods; engaging husbands and mothers-in-law; leveraging women’s social networks; and harnessing community health workers’ social role. Practical demonstration, opportunity to participate and convenience of making of the plate with the food available in their kitchen or neighbours’ kitchen were the most commonly mentioned reasons for acceptance of the intervention by the women and their families. The balanced plate intervention helped women through practical demonstration to learn about a balanced meal by highlighting appropriate portion sizes and food diversity. The women needed active involvement of community health workers in mobilising social support to create an enabling environment essential to bring changes in dietary behaviours. Programs to promote a nutritious maternal diet should focus on encouraging the use of healthy foods through practical demonstration of portion sizes and engagement of the women and family instead of replicating the traditional information-based counselling.

Plants and plant-derived food products have been used for medicinal purposes since the ancient. Medicinal Plant-based functional foods or plant-based dietary compounds are a re-emerged interest for their therapeutic benefits and nutritive supports which has implicated in healthcare systems across the world. Neurological disorders are one of the greatest threats to public health and according to the World Health Organization, about 100 million people are affected globally by several neurological and mental ailments. In a traditional medication system, medicinal plants have been applied as both neuro-therapeutic purposes and micro-macro nutrients provider for the wellbeing of psychological states e.g. anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, anti-convulsions, anti-dementia, anti-psychotic, etc. Herein, it is a topic of great interest to present a conceptual aspect by reviewing relevant scientific literature about the plant-based functional foods or bioactive phytochemicals for the prevention and treatment of mental and neurological disorders. From the literature assessment, we have found that nutritional neuroscience is becoming an advanced research discipline and there has been a growing pile of evidence concerning the therapeutic use of plant-based functional foods and/or plant-derived food compounds for the management of neurologic health, evolving with promising impact over the time.

To get more data concerning the influence of fertilizers (organic and mineral) on different forage plants existing in North-eastern Romanian grassland, the mass fractions of 14 essential, enzymatic, or considerd toxic elements was determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis together with the amount of crude proteins, ash, fibres as well as ether fact extract. Final results showed a significant variance of the content of analysed elements on organic as well as on mineral fertilized experimental plots, i.e. the content increased in 24% of plots, decreased in 23%, and remained unchanged in 45% while in 8% of plots their content was below the detection limits, as the case of Se. At the same time, an increase content of crude protein and ether extract was evidenced in fertilized grasses for all applied fertilizers while other global indicators such as neutral and acid fibre of sufuric lignin content decreased, suggesting significant higher nutritional values of fertilized forage plant.

In an era where dietary habits significantly impact health, technological interventions can offer personalized and accessible food choices. This paper introduces Chef Dalle, a recipe recommen-dation system that leverages multimodal human-computer interaction (HCI) techniques to pro-vide personalized cooking guidance. The application integrates voice-to-text conversion via Whisper, ingredient image recognition through GPT-Vision, and employs TF-IDF vectorization alongside cosine similarity for personalized recipe recommendations. These methods enable users to interact with the system using voice, text, or images, accommodating various dietary re-strictions and preferences. Furthermore, the utilization of DALL-E 3 for generating recipe images enhances user engagement. User feedback mechanisms allow for the refinement of future rec-ommendations, demonstrating the system's adaptability. Chef Dalle showcases potential appli-cations ranging from home kitchens to grocery stores and restaurant menu customization, ad-dresses accessibility, promoting healthier eating habits. This paper underscores the significance of multimodal HCI in enhancing culinary experiences, setting a precedent for future developments in the field.

The potentiality of cv. Malbec grape pomace (GP) as a functional ingredient in the formulation of bakery foods (muffins, biscuits and cereal bars) was studied. The effect of GP addition on the phenolic compounds (PCs) composition, nutritional and sensory properties were evaluated. The addition of GP increased the content of dietary fiber, proteins, ash, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), anthocyanins and non-anthocyanins PCs while decreasing the carbohydrates content. The main PCs given by the GP to supplemented foods were (-)-gallocatechin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, rutin, caffeic acid, syringic acid and (+)-catechin. For anthocyanins, the acylated derivatives were more stable to heat treatment (baking) in food processing which was evidenced by a higher proportion of these PCs compounds when compared to the same derivatives quantified in GP. In general, when the TPC or individual concentrations of PCs were analyzed in a nutritional or functional context, one portion of the supplemented foods showed levels high enough to satisfy the recommended dose per day of these bioactive compounds. Additionally, the foods were well received by consumers during the sensory evaluation and supplemented biscuits got the highest acceptability. This study demonstrated that GP could be a viable functional ingredient in bakery foods to give nutritionally enhanced properties like TPC, PCs, AA and dietary fiber in consumer’s diets.

Aronia berries contain antioxidants that may have health promoting properties e.g., demonstrated positive effects on hypertension and dyslipidemia. There is a close link between cardiovascular diseases and hypertension and dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular events are the leading cause of death among subjects with T2D. Thus, we investigated the effect of 8 weeks supplementation with fermented aronia extract (FAE), non-fermented aronia extract (AE) and placebo on cardiovascular risk factors. The extracts were incorporated into snack bars containing 34 g (37%) aronia extract, or 17 g (21%) wheat bran for placebo, as well as raisins and coconut oil. The study was randomized and blinded with a triple-cross-over design. We examined the effects of aronia extracts on blood pressure, adiponectin and high-sensitive C-reactive protein and found no effects. After supplementation with placebo, there were significantly higher total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol, with the placebo group showing significantly higher increases in total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol than the FAE group. Furthermore, we observed an increase in HDL-cholesterol in the AE group and an increase in triglyceride in the FAE group. Thus, we assume that raisins may have increased the participants’ cholesterol levels, however, with both AE and FAE having the potential to prevent this increase.

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies are common at the time of cancer diagnosis and are associated with worse prognosis. Little is known about them in cancer rehabilitation. Methods: Data from routine health related quality of life (HRQOL) were analyzed at an inpatient cancer rehabilitation center. Rehabilitation patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire before and after multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment, and three month after discharge. Selenium and zinc status was measured in whole blood at these three time points. In case of selenium deficiency up to 600 µg selenium per day as sodium selenite was supplemented. Results: A total of 271 patients (breast, colon, and pancreatic cancer) were included in the analysis. There was clinically meaningful improvement in many domains of the EORTC QLQ-C30 during rehabilitation. However, effect often waned in the three months after. Prevalence for selenium deficiency varied between 34 to 90 percent depending on cancer type (breast &lt; colon &lt; pancreas). In contrast, zinc deficiency was rare. Daily selenium supplementation of 600 µg was more efficient to correct selenium deficiency compared to 300 µg selenium per day. Rehabilitation and increasing selenium status after rehabilitation were associated with improved global quality of life, physical and emotional functioning, and fatigue. In cancer patients with decreasing selenium status, values of global quality of life, physical and emotional functioning, and fatigue were back to the values at the beginning of rehabilitation. Conclusions: Selenium deficiency is common in cancer patients admitted to a cancer rehabilitation clinic. Selenium supplementation during rehabilitation effectively corrected selenium deficiency in most cases. The positive effects of rehabilitation persisted longer, when selenium status did not decrease after rehabilitation.

Diabetes mellitus and dental caries (tooth decay) are not only common Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) contributing to high burden of diseases but costly diseases to manage. Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of mortality and reduced life expectancy across the globe. Early child hood dental caries (ECC) denotes a common chronic childhood disease and cariogenic dietary patterns dominated by refined sugar is one of the main causative factors. Thus, high burden of ECC could be a proxy indicator of excessive refined sugar consumption of a child. If such unhealthy dietary patterns are continued through to adolescent to adulthood, there is a high probability of an individual becoming a diabetic. Therefore, it is rational to argue high ECC burden in a country could be an indicator of future burden of diabetes. Moreover, ECC provides a critical period and a window of opportunity across life-course perspective, to intervene with cariogenic dietary patterns underpinned by common risk factor approach. This could be achieved by tailored dietary counseling for parental care givers of children with ECC. A healthy dietary pattern fostered in the childhood, most probably would continue to adulthood which may become beneficial in reducing the incidence of diabetes. Against this backdrop, we provide a perspective from Sri Lanka: a lower-middle-income country (LMIC) which records the highest prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in south Asia. Our perspective will provide novel insights and innovative ideas into prevention and control of diabetes burden in LMICs, harnessing the potential of preventive dentistry.

Nutraceuticals have taken the spotlight during the past two decades as evidenced by the exponential publications on them. Long a part of routine in Traditional Medicine Systems, the rise of their mainstream use globally raises both safety concerns and need for better understanding of efficacious dosing. We attempt to answer these questions in this preliminary scoping review by an analysis of current literature on nutraceutical use as a personalized or prescription medicine. Using Covidence, Rayyan, and manual searches of PubMed, 598 unique publications were selected. 32 are systematic reviews, of which we overview the scope. We also overview 30 papers that address adverse drug reactions. To obtain an unbiased landscape of the 598 papers, we analyzed keywords using multiple methods. Expectedly, the most frequent keywords were probiotics and vitamins. Unexpectedly and remarkably, among the highest keyword yield was ‘COVID’. Further exploring this aspect, we review 15 pertinent papers, that not only provide robust evidence for nutraceutical benefits as part of SARS-CoV-2 treatment, but also amplify the notion that nutraceuticals are protective. Overall, the strident note is that further robust targeted research is needed in order to reap the full benefits of nutraceuticals in a safe and efficacious manner.

Insulin resistance is the most important underlying cause of obesity and type 2 Diabetes (T2DM), and insulin sensitizing treatments have proved effective in preventing diabetes and inducing weight loss. Obesity and T2DM are also associated with increased inflammation. Mangosteen is a tropical tree, whose fruits, widely known for their antioxidant properties, have been recently suggested having a possible further role in the treatment of obesity and T2DM. The objective of this pilot study has been to evaluate safety, compliance and efficacy of mangosteen on insulin resistance, weight management, and inflammatory status in obese female patients with insulin resistance. 22 patients were randomized 1:1 to behavioral therapy alone or behavioral therapy and mangosteen and 20 completed the 26-week study. The mangosteen group reported a significant improvement in insulin sensitivity (HOmeostatic Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance, HOMA-IR -53.22% vs -15.23%, p=.0037), and a trend decrease in inflammation markers serum levels, together with trend greater weight loss and trend increased HDL levels. No side effect attributable to treatment was reported. Given the positive preliminary results we report and the excellent safety profile, we suggest a possible role of mangosteen in the treatment of obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation.

This review aims to explore the intricate relationship between epigenetic mechanisms, stress, and affective disorders, focusing on how early life experiences and coping mechanisms contribute to susceptibility to mood disorders. Epigenetic factors play a crucial role in regulating gene expression without altering the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequence, and recent research has revealed associations between epigenetic changes and maladaptive responses to stress or psychiatric disorders. A scoping review of 33 studies employing the PRISMA-S (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses – Statement) guidelines investigates the role of stress-induced epigenetic mechanisms and coping strategies in affective disorders' occurrence, development, and progression. The analysis encompasses various stress factors, including childhood trauma, work-related stress, and dietary deficiencies, alongside epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation and altered gene expression. Findings indicate that specific stress-related genes frequently exhibit epigenetic changes associated with affective disorders. Moreover, the review examines coping mechanisms in patients with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, revealing mixed associations between coping strategies and symptom severity. While active coping is correlated with better outcomes, emotion-focused coping may exacerbate depressive or manic episodes. Overall, this review underscores the complex interplay between genetic predisposition, environmental stressors, coping mechanisms, and affective disorders. Understanding these interactions is essential for developing targeted interventions and personalized treatment strategies for individuals with mood disorders. However, further research is needed to elucidate specific genomic loci involved in affective disorders and the clinical implications of coping strategies in therapeutic settings.

Few young Japanese adults regularly consume a well-balanced diet composed of staples, course dishes, and sides. We hypothesised that adopting the recommended planetary health diet with regular breakfast consumption would promote well-balanced diets among young Japanese male undergraduates. This study aimed to examine the structural association between a planetary health diet with regular breakfast consumption and well-balanced diet intake. Participants were 142 male undergraduates who completed a 2022 online questionnaire via Google Forms in a cross-sectional study at a public university in Hyogo Prefecture. A planetary health diet comprises the consumption of the recommended eight items. A covariance structure analysis was performed in a hypothetical model with factors (regular breakfast consumption and eight items) potentially associated with the intake of a well-balanced diet at least twice daily. Acceptable goodness-of-fit was obtained by excluding chicken dishes and nuts from the eight recommended items of the planetary health diet. Frequent consumption of the remaining six recommended items (fish, eggs, soybeans/soybean products, dairy foods, vegetables, and fruits) was significantly positively correlated with regular breakfast consumption and a significant positive path to a well-balanced diet. Among male university students, regular breakfast consumption and a planetary health diet may lead to a well-balanced diet.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects >10% of the adult population. Each year approximately 120,000 Americans develop end-stage kideny disease and initiate dialysis, which is costly and associated with functional impairments, worse health-related quality of life, and high early-mortality rates exceeding 20% in the first year. Recent declarations by the World Kidney Day and the U.S. Government Executive Order seek to implement strategies that reduce the burden of kidney failure by slowing CKD progression and controlling uremia without dialysis. Pragmatic dietary interventions may have a role in improving CKD outcomes and preventing or delaying dialysis initiation. Evidence suggests that a patient-centered plant-dominant low-protein diet (PLADO) of 0.6-0.8 g/kg/day comprised of >50% plant-based sources, administered by dietitians trained in non-dialysis CKD care, can be promising. The scientific premise of the PLADO is based on the observations that high protein diets with high meat intake are not only associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk but also higher CKD incidence and faster CKD progression due to increased intraglomerular pressure and glomerular hyperfiltration. Meat intake increases production of nitrogenous end-products, worsens uremia, and may increase the risk of hyperkalemia, given constipation from the typical low fiber intake. Plant-dominant, fiber-rich, low-protein diet may lead to favorable alterations in the gut microbiome, which can modulate uremic toxin generation and slow CKD progression, along with reducing cardiovascular risk in CKD patients. PLADO is a heart-healthy, safe, flexible, and feasible diet that could be the centerpiece of a conservative and preservative CKD-management strategy that challenges the prevailing dialysis-centered paradigm.

Flavonoids, compounds present in many dietary supplements, affect growth of different bacterial species when tested as purified or synthetic substances. Here, we asked if soy isoflavone extracts, commonly used in many products sold as anti-menopausal dietary supplements, influence bacterial growth similarly to synthetic isoflavone, genistein. Four commercially available products were tested in amounts corresponding to genistein concentrations causing inhibition of growth of Vibrio harveyi (a model bacterium sensitive to this isoflavone) and Escherichia coli (a model bacterium resistant to genistein). Differential effects of various extracts on V. harveyi and E. coli growth, from stimulation, through no changes, to inhibition, were observed. Moreover, contrary to genistein, tested extracts caused a decrease (to different extends) in viability of human dermal fibroblasts. These results indicate that effects of various soy isoflavone extracts on bacterial growth and viability of human cells are different, despite similar declared composition of the commercially available products.

In this study, a carbon fiber microelectrode (CF) was applied for the investigation of electrochemical behavior and determination of natural antioxidant, apocynin (APO). Given the limited solubility of APO in water, a mixture of anhydrous acetic acid (AcH) with 20%, v/v acetonitrile (AN) and 0.1 mol L-1 sodium acetate (AcNa) was used. The electrochemical properties of APO were examined through linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The anodic oxidation of APO, which is the basis of the method used, proved to be diffusion-controlled and proceeded with a two-electron and one proton exchange. Both radicals and radical cations, arising from the first and second step of electrode reactions, respectively, underwent subsequent chemical transformations to yield more stable final products (EqCiEiCi mechanism). Using optimized DPV conditions, the anodic peak current of APO at potential of 0.925 V vs Ag/AgCl showed a good linear response within the concentration range of 2.7×10-6 – 2.6×10-4 mol L-1. The detection and quantification limits were determined as 8.9×10-7 and 2.7×10-6 mol L-1, respectively. The developed DPV method enabled the successful determination of APO in herbal extracts and in dietary supplements. It should be noted that this is the first method of voltammetric determination of APO.

We estimated the daily intakes of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin via ingestion of indoor dust and outdoor soils using the Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation Model on a probabilistic approach for Taiwan’s homes. Variable information for the daily intake estimation, such as concentration, ingestion rate, body weight, was adopted from previous studies. Monte Carlo simulation was performed with 1,000,000 iterations to simulate a single daily intake, which was shown in terms of percentage of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of either insecticide. The daily intakes were minimal with a 99% probability; at 99.9th percentile, however, the total intakes leaped to 13.1% and 20.0% of the respective ADIs of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin. The sensitivity analysis indicated that concentration was the most determinant variable. Compared to the data of daily intakes via dietary ingestion of vegetables derived from a previous study, the estimated intakes by this study were considerable at the highest percentile, which referred to insecticide residues few days after insecticide application. Consequently, the non-dietary ingestion exposure to either insecticide was negligible in most cases; nevertheless, for those with indoor insecticide applications, the daily intakes for young children could be of concern. Frequently home cleaning is recommended to reduce the exposure.

The gastrointestinal tract is colonized by trillions of different microorganisms, named the gut microbiota, which is key to degrade undigested food such as dietary fibers. The fermentation of these food components leads to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) acetate, propionate, and butyrate, which exploit several beneficial roles for the host’s health. Their production and absorption happen in different ways in the human intestine and depend on the type of dietary fiber reaching the gut and the microorganisms involved in the fermentation. The supplementation of SCFAs, mostly butyrate, in treating gastrointestinal, metabolic, cardiovascular, and gut-brain-related diseases has been reported in the medical literature. This review aims to give an overview of the production and absorption dynamics of acetate, propionate, and butyrate in the human gut, with a final focus on the role played by these SCFAs on gastrointestinal and metabolic health and the present therapeutic implications.

Since coffee has been shown to influence positively the metabolism of subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS), we aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of a coffee-based supplement on different features of diet-induced MetS. 24 Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control or nutraceuticals groups to receive a high-fat/high fructose diet with or without a mixture of caffeic acid (30 mg/day), trigonelline (20 mg/day), and cafestol (1 mg/day) for 12 weeks. An additional 11 rats were assigned to an acute crossover study. In the chronic experiment, nutraceuticals did not alter body weight or glycemic control but improved fed hyperinsulinemia and HOMA-IR, and plasma adiponectin levels. The impact of nutraceuticals on post-prandial glycemia tended to be more pronounced after acute administration than at the end of the chronic study. Circulating and intrahepatocellular alanine transaminase activity, assessed by hyperpolarized-¹³C NMR spectroscopy, were reduced by coffee nutraceuticals at endpoint. There was also a tendency towards lower liver triglyceride content and histological steatosis score in the intervention group. In conclusion, a mixture of coffee nutraceuticals improved insulin sensitivity and exhibited hepatoprotective effects in a rat model of MetS. Higher dosages with or without caffeine deserve to be studied in the future.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been shown to lower the risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Improvements in depression, participation in daily activities in older individuals, weight loss and reduction in adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The number of studies that have evaluated barriers to the adherence of the Mediterranean diet in the US and in particular, in racial and ethnic minority populations within the US are few. Among Native American and Alaskan Native populations, studies evaluating traditional or alternative Mediterranean diet adherence for chronic non-infectious diseases is unavailable. Mediterranean diet scoring instruments used in studies in European and Mediterranean countries and among white participants in the US fail to capture the dietary patterns of racial and ethnic minority populations. In this narrative review the food components of the traditional Mediterranean diet are discussed, adherence to the Mediterranean diet is examined in Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries and barriers preventing adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the US and among racial and ethnic minority populations is reviewed. Recommendations for improving nutrition education and intervention, and increasing adherence and cultural adaptions to the Mediterranean diet are provided.

We aimed to evaluate the association between daily dietary calcium intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in postmenopausal women using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). This cross-sectional study included 12,348 women aged 45–70 years who had reached natural menopause. They were classified into three groups according to daily dietary calcium intake: &lt; 400 mg, 400–800 mg, and &gt;800 mg. The risks of CVD, stroke, angina, and myocardial infarction were assessed in each group. Further, we performed subgroup analysis according to the post-menopause duration (≤10 vs. &gt;10 postmenopausal years). We performed logistic regression analysis with adjustment for age, menopausal age, income, urban area, education, insulin use, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, high alcohol intake, smoking, exercise, oral contraceptive use, and hormonal therapy use. Calcium intake level was not significantly associated with the risk of CVD in the total population and the ≤10 postmenopausal years subgroup. However, in the &gt;10 postmenopausal years subgroup, daily calcium intake &gt;800 mg was associated with significantly decreased risks of all CVD (odds ratio [OR], 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11–0.64), stroke (OR, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01–0.42), and myocardial infarction (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.11–0.64). Our findings suggest that a dietary calcium intake of &gt;800 mg/day decreases the risk of CVD events in women who have been menopausal for &gt;10 years.

Background: Depression, a multifaceted mental health condition, necessitates a multidimensional approach to treatment. This study aimed to elucidate the potential efficacy of various mitochondrial interventions, ranging from pharmacological treatments to lifestyle modifications, in alleviating depressive symptoms and enhancing overall mental well-being and assess the diverse range of mitochondrial assessments for managing depression by synthesizing findings from selected studies. Methods: A systematic compilation of studies, employing observational, interventional, and animal-based designs, was undertaken to elucidate the intricate relationship between mitochondrial function and depression as well as depressive signs and symptoms. The PRISMA guidelines were employed for conducting this review and a specific set of selection criterion were formulated by a team of reviewers for selection of relevant papers. Results: The synthesized results from the 21 selected papers highlighted the potential of these interventions to target diverse aspects of depression. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and psychotherapy demonstrated significant reductions in depression and anxiety scores, with hyperbaric oxygen therapy particularly effective in improving nerve function and daily living activities. Whole-body cryotherapy displayed substantial improvements in depressive symptoms and quality of life. Frequent sauna bathing exhibited a lower risk of depressive symptoms in males. Dietary patterns, including Paleolithic and Mediterranean diets, showcased potential protective effects against depression, anxiety, and stress. The ketogenic diet revealed promise in ameliorating depression and psychosis symptoms alongside positive metabolic changes. Fasting interventions, though challenging, were associated with lower anxiety and depression levels without increased fatigue. Bright white light therapy enhanced remission rates and reduced depression scores in bipolar depression. Probiotic supplementation exhibited potential in reducing depression scores and improving metabolic markers, although further investigation is warranted. Conclusion: The diverse array of interventions explored in this study underlines the multifaceted nature of depression treatment. While these findings offer hope for more personalized and effective approaches, it is imperative to consider the variability in study designs, sample sizes, and methodologies among the selected papers. The mechanisms underlying the observed effects remain partially understood, emphasizing the need for continued mechanistic research. This study sets the stage for future investigations and clinical practices, showcasing the potential of various interventions in mitigating the challenges posed by depression and paving the way for more effective treatment strategies.

This article explores the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, providing a comprehensive overview of its risk factors and prevalence. Metabolic syndrome, characterized by a cluster of interconnected risk factors, significantly increases the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. The study, conducted over a one-year period, involved 117 patients with ages between 30 to 79 years old. Various elements such as gender, age, education level, background, smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary aspects, physical activity, and their contribution in developing the metabolic syndrome, were analysed.Central adiposity and high blood pressure emerged as prominent elements of the condition. The findings underscore the importance of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention and management of metabolic syndrome. Encouraging regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, and avoiding harmful behaviours, such as smoking or alcohol consumption, are essential in reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome and its associated cardiovascular complications. The study highlights the need for public health initiatives, as well as individualized preventive strategies to combat the rising prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Through promoting awareness of its risk factors and implementing effective interventions, healthcare professionals can contribute to better cardiovascular health worldwide. Further research in this area will continue to enhance our understanding of the metabolic syndrome and refine preventive and therapeutic approaches for its management.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-furans (PCDD/Fs) are environmental pollutants with a great persistence, capacity of bioaccumulation, and well known important toxic effects in humans and animals. Incinerators of hazardous, municipal and medical waste, chlorine bleaching of paper pulp, cement plants, and the traffic of motor vehicles are the most frequent emission sources of these compounds. The diet, followed at a great distance by inhalation, is generally the main way of human exposure to PCDD/Fs. Human biomonitoring is of a great importance to prevent potential adverse effects derived from exposure to chemicals such as PCDD/Fs. In relation to this, blood is among the most used biological monitors. In the current review, we have summarized the recent information (2000-2009) published in the scientific literature (databases: Scopus and PubMed) on the concentrations of PCDD/Fs in blood samples of non-occupationally exposed populations, as well as in some groups of occupationally exposed individuals. We have revised a number of studies conducted in various African American, Asian and European countries, and Australia. Unfortunately, the information is quite limited. No data are available for most countries over the world. Based on the results here reviewed –where available- the current health risks for the general populations do not seem to be of concern. Moreover, taking into account the important reductions observed in the levels of PCDD/Fs in foodstuffs, new decreases in the concentrations of PCDD/Fs in blood -and other biological tissues- are very probable in the immediate years.

Mercury contamination in the Amazon is a significant public health concern arising from both natural sources and intensive mining activities in the region. This metal is used to separate Au from sediments, forming an amalgam that facilitates the extraction of precious metals. Accordingly, this study aimed to address the following question: What is the impact of mining on mercury contamination in the animal and human populations of the Amazon? The overall objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the existing literature to identify gaps in geographic coverage and assess the impact of Hg contamination on human and animal populations in the Amazon region. Our hypothesis was that higher mercury concentrations in tissue samples would be found closer to the mining areas. We employed the PECO and PRISMA-ScR protocols to collect articles published between 2017 and 2023, selected based on criteria representing projected points on a map within the biogeographic boundaries of the Amazon. Mercury concentrations increase with trophic levels, reaching high values of 3.7 µg/g in the muscles of predatory fish and 34.9 µg/g in human hair. The average level of mercury in humans exceeds 6 µg/g, surpassing tolerance levels. Although mining regions show high concentrations of Hg, the highest incidence was observed among populations with fish-based diets. Research on fish is crucial for assessing the risk to human health, given that fish are the main source of protein in the region.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic; hence it is crucial to understand how it can be effectively prevented/treated. Thus, obesity should be tackled considering that it is a multifactorial condition. This work examines a wide range of factors and attempts to understand which contribute most to variability in overweight/obesity. Eighty-four subjects with overweight/obesity were recruited. Dietary baseline information was obtained by analyzing three 24-hour recalls. Resting metabolic rate was measured using indirect calorimetry, physical activity through accelerometry, cardiometabolic parameters were determined in blood samples and body composition by anthropometry and bioimpedance. Factor analysis of principal components (PCA) was carried out (SPSS v22.0). Large interindividual variability was observed in dietetic, biochemical, and physical activity measurements (coefficient of variation ≥30%), but body composition was homogeneous. Volunteers had an unbalanced diet and low physical activity. PCA reduced the 26 analyzed variables into 7 factors, accounting for 81,5% of total data variability. The main factor was the ‘‘caloric and lipid factor’’ related to diet, responsible for 25.9% of total variability, followed by ‘‘adiposity factor’’ (16,9%) and ‘‘cardiometabolic risk factor’’ (13,2%). Diet seems to be the factor that contributes the most to data variability in people with overweight/obesity, especially the intake of lipids, energy and proteins.

The main objective of this this cross-sectional study was to analyze the influence of lifestyle fac-tors (diet, physical activity, sleep), which can affect the concentrations of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and SCFAs potential role in modulating cardiometabolic disease risk by interact-ing with biochemical and body composition parameters. The study comprised 77 healthy, non-obese individuals, aged 30-45 years who were assessed in the light of SCFAs concentration in stool, diet, physical activity level and sleep duration. Moreover, body composition measurement and patients’ biochemical parameters were included in the analysis. We have indicated a signifi-cant negative correlation between several SCFAs [especially acetic acid (AA), isobutyric acid (IBA), butyric acid (BA), isovaleric acid (IVA) and valeric acid (VA)] with BMI, VAT/SAT ratio (visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio) and percentage of fat mass in a group of females enrolled in the study as well as with waist circumference (WC) in case of both sexes included in the study. Moreover, the results of our study acknowledged the importance of a diet in shaping SCFAs pro-file - we noticed the significant negative associations between energy and fat intake and some SCFAs in males [IBA, IVA, VA, isocaproic acid (ICA)]. In terms of fiber intake, we noticed elevat-ed concentrations of vast majority of SCFAs and amount of SCFAs in total in case of both sexes included in the study. These strong correlations reflect the fact that diet shapes the composition of the gut microbiota and SCFAs (main microbial metabolites) are synthesized from dietary fiber. Furthermore, we noticed that in a group of women, the concentration of AA, propionic acid (PA) and ICA as well as the total concentration of SCFAs showed a significant positive association with their sleep duration. We concluded that SCFAs can have a potential role in modulating car-diometabolic disease risk by interacting with adiposity parameters and diet. In addition, this potential direct link between diet and SCFAs may at least partly contribute to sleep improvement.

ABSTRACTBackground: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder with limited treatment options. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in CD pathogenesis, and mitochondrial-based interventions have emerged as a potential therapeutic avenue. This systematic review aimed to assess the efficacy of mitochondrial-based interventions in the management of CD.Methods: A systematic search of multiple databases was conducted to identify relevant studies in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies investigating mitochondrial-targeted interventions in CD patients. Methodological quality and risk of bias assessments were performed. Data synthesis involved both quantitative meta-analysis and qualitative narrative synthesis.Results: A total of 23 studies were included in this review, comprising randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and case reports. Mitochondrial-based interventions encompassed nutraceuticals, probiotics, exercise, and dietary modifications. However, the overall quality of evidence was moderate, primarily due to methodological limitations in some studies.Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that mitochondrial-based interventions hold promise as adjunctive therapies for CD management. They appear to contribute to clinical remission and amelioration of disease activity. Nevertheless, the moderate quality of evidence underscores the need for further well-designed clinical trials to substantiate these findings and delineate optimal intervention strategies.

Background: Pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity of women of childbearing ages, has alarmingly a growing trend in developed countries. This study aimed to evaluate potential associations between maternal pre-pregnancy excess body weight and childhood demographic and anthropometric characteristics, as well as perinatal and postnatal outcomes. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 5198 pre-school children aged 2-5 years old and their matched mothers that were enrolled from nine different Greek regions. Maternal and childhood anthropometric and demographic data, perinatal and postnatal outcomes were collected from medical history records or validated questionnaires. Results: A prevalence of 24.4% and 30.6% of overweight/obesity was recorded for the enrolled children and their mothers 2-5 years postpartum. In multivariate analysis, childhood overweight and obesity was significantly more frequently observed when maternal pre-pregnancy BMI status was overweight or obese [OR: 2.11 (1.80-2.42) p=0.0001]. A high prevalence of caesarean section delivery and childhood diabetes type I was also significantly associated with maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity [OR:1.71 (1.33-2.19) p=0.0175) and OR: 1.27 (1.04-1.53) p=0.0014, respectively]. Conclusions: Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity rates were related with increased childhood weight status at birth and 2-5 years postpartum, highlighting the necessity of encouraging healthy lifestyle promotion, including healthier nutritional habits, and focusing on obesity population policies and nutritional interventions among women of reproducible age.

Higher body weight is known to negatively impact plasma vitamin C status. However, despite this well-documented inverse association, recommendations on daily vitamin C intakes by health authorities worldwide do not include particular reference values for people of higher body weight. This suggests that people of higher body weight and people with obesity may be insufficient in vitamin C in spite of ingesting the amounts recommended by their health authorities. The current preliminary investigation sought to estimate how much additional vitamin C people with higher body weights need to consume in order to attain a comparable vitamin C status to that of a lower weight person consuming an average Western vitamin C intake. Data from two published vitamin C dose-concentration studies were used to generate the relationship: a detailed pharmacokinetic study with seven healthy non-smoking men and a multiple depletion-repletion study with 68 healthy non-smoking men of varying body weights. Our estimates suggest that an additional intake of 10 mg vitamin C/day is required for every 10 kg increase in body weight to attain a comparable plasma concentration to a 60 kg individual with a vitamin C intake of ~110 mg/day, which is the daily intake recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Thus, individuals weighing e.g. 80 and 90 kg will need to consume ~130 and 140 mg vitamin C/day, respectively. People with obesity will likely need even higher vitamin C intakes. As poor vitamin C status is associated with increased risk of several chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, these findings may have important public health implications. As such, dose-finding studies are required to determine optimal vitamin C intakes for overweight and obese people.

A consistent factor in the epidemic of chronic disease is a pro-inflammatory metabolic state. The ability of clinicians to use nutrients to balance inflammation by supporting oxidant homeostasis rests on the quality of research within the field of antioxidants. Understanding the intersection of two prominent theories regarding the role of antioxidants in quelling inflammation, nutritional hormesis and oxidant scavenging, will enable the therapeutic use of antioxidants in clinical practice. This review investigates the less well-established theory, nutritional hormesis, which has not been comprehensively reviewed recently to our knowledge. To understand the state of research on the hormetic response, we conducted a comprehensive literature review describing the relationship between dietary antioxidants, hormesis, and chronic disease. We used an adaptive search strategy in PubMed and Scopus, retrieving a total of 343 articles, of which 218 were unique. Title and abstract screenings were conducted by two reviewers independently with a third as a tiebreaker, resulting in 152 articles included in this review. Most studies reviewed the hormetic response in plant and cell models (73.6%) while only 2.2% were conducted in humans. Limitations exist in translating plant/cell/animal models into the complexities of human biochemistry and physiology that warrant consideration before extrapolating such results into clinical practice. A critical hurdle in our literature review process is the lack of standardized nomenclature describing the hormetic effect in the research community that challenges the ability to comprehensively review the subject matter. Further, aA knowledge gap exists between the cell culture and animal model research that shows a biphasic, hormetic quality to the role of antioxidants and the observational human studies, which have yet to corroborate these findings. Therefore, we cannot accurately translate this research into clinical care at this time.

Dietary recommendations to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) have focused on reducing intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) for more than 50 years. While the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise substituting both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids for SFA, evidence supports other nutrient substitutions that will also reduce CVD risk. For example, replacing SFA with whole grains, but not refined carbohydrates, reduces CVD risk. Replacing SFA with protein, especially plant protein may also reduce CVD risk. While dairy fat (milk, cheese) is associated with a slightly lower CVD risk compared to meat, dairy fat results in a significantly greater CVD risk relative to unsaturated fatty acids. As research continues, we will refine our understanding of dietary patterns associated with lower CVD risk.

Background: This study aimed to compile and analyze an assortment of research findings concerning potential therapeutic strategies for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The understanding of the multifaceted nature of ME/CFS and the need for varied and personalized therapeutic approaches were central to this investigation.Methods: A comprehensive review and analysis of various studies conducted on ME/CFS was undertaken. These studies covered a wide array of interventions, including pharmacological treatments, nutritional supplements, dietary changes, physical therapies, and lifestyle modifications. The analysis pertained to the effectiveness of these interventions, potential physiological and biochemical markers, and the response of ME/CFS patients to different treatment strategies.Results: The 22 selected papers investigated demonstrated varied responses to the multitude of interventions. While some interventions showed significant improvement in fatigue and biochemical parameters, others found no significant differences between the treated and control groups. Potential physiological and biochemical markers for ME/CFS, such as impaired T cell metabolism, reduced flow-mediated dilation, and decreased work rate at the ventilatory threshold, were highlighted.Conclusion: The findings underscored the complexity of ME/CFS and the need for personalized treatment strategies. Despite mixed results and several limitations, these studies collectively contributed to understanding ME/CFS's complex pathophysiology and treatment, laying the groundwork for future research towards more effective therapeutic strategies for this debilitating disease.

A recent review of global vitamin C status indicated a high prevalence of deficiency, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, as well as in specific subgroups within high-income countries. Here we provide a narrative of potential factors influencing vitamin C status. The in vivo status of vitamin C is primarily affected by dietary intake and supplement use. Dietary intake can be influenced by cultural aspects such as staple foods and traditional cooking practices. Environmental factors can also affect vitamin C intake and status; these include geographic region, season and climate, as well as pollution. Demographic factors such as sex, age, and race are known to affect vitamin C status, as do socioeconomic factors such as deprivation, education and social class, and institutionalization. Various health aspects affect vitamin C status; these include body weight, pregnancy and lactation, genetic variants, smoking, and disease states, including severe infections as well as various non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Some of these factors have changed over time, therefore we also explore if vitamin C status has shown temporal changes. Overall, there are numerous factors that can affect vitamin C status to different extents in various regions of the world. Many of these factors are not taken into consideration during the setting of global recommended dietary intakes for vitamin C.

Microalgae are abundant components of biosphere rich in low molecular weight carbohy-drate-containing natural products (glycoconjugates). Glycoconjugates take a part in processes of photosynthesis, provide producers with important biological properties, influence other organ-isms and known by biological activities. Some of them, for example glycosylated toxins and ar-senicals, are detrimental and can be transferring via food chains into higher organisms including humans. So far, the studies on a series of particular groups of microalgal glycoconjugates were not comprehensively discussed in special reviews. In this review, a special focus was made on the isolation, structure determination, properties and approaches to the search for new bioactive metabolites. Analysis of literature data concerning structures, functions and biological activities of ribosylated arsenicals, galactosylated and sulfoquinovosylated lipids, phosphoglycolipids, gly-coside derivatives of toxins, and other groups of glycoconjugates was carried out and discussed. The discovery of a great variety of new carbohydrate-containing metabolites, important biological roles some of them, participation in regulation of microalgal blooms via viral infections as well as the detection of potent immunomodulatory activity, shown by these type metabolites could be attributed to the most interesting recent achievements. Structures, properties and biological roles of glycoconjugates from microalgae attract a great attention growing year to year.

Preliminary clinical data suggest pain reduction through fasting in different diagnoses. This uncontrolled observational clinical study examined the effects of prolonged modified fasting on pain and functional parameters in hip and knee osteoarthritis. Patients admitted to the inpatient department of Internal Medicine and Nature-based Therapies of the Immanuel Hospital Berlin between February 2018 and March 2020, answered questionnaires at the beginning and end of inpatient treatment, as well as 3, 6 and 12 months after discharge. Additionally, selected blood and anthropometric parameters were routinely assessed during the inpatient stay. Fasting was performed as part of a multimodal integrative treatment program, with daily caloric intake of <600 kcal for 7.7 ± 1.7 days. N=125 consecutive patients were included. Results revealed an amelioration of overall symptomatology (WOMAC Index score: -14.8±13.31; p<0.001; d=0.78), and pain alleviation (NRS Pain: -2.7±1.98, p<0.001, d=1.48). Pain medication was reduced, stopped, or replaced by herbal remedies in 36% of patients. Improvements were also observed in secondary outcome parameters, including increased quality of life (WHO-5: +4.5±4.94, p<0.001, d=0.94), reduced anxiety (HADS-A: -2.1±2.91, p<0001, d=0.55) and depression (HADS-D: -2.3±3.01, p<0.001, d=0.65), decreases in body weight (-3.6 kg ± 1.65, p< 0.001, d=0.21), and blood pressure (systolic: -6.2±15.93, p<0.001, d= 0.43; diastolic: -3.7±10.55, p<0.001, d=0.43). Results suggest that patients with osteoarthritis of the lower extremities may profit from a prolonged fast embedded in a multimodal integrative treatment regarding quality of life, pain, and disease-specific functional parameters. Confirmatory RCTs are warranted to further investigate these hypotheses.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex multifactorial disease and the primary cause of legal and irreversible blindness among individuals aged >=65 years in developed countries. Globally, it affects 30-50 million individuals, with an estimated increase of approximately 200 million by 2020 and approximately 300 million by 2040. Currently, the neovascular form may be able to be treated with the use of anti-VEGF drugs, while no effective treatments are available for the dry form. Many observational studies, such as AREDS-1 and AREDS 2, have shown a potential role of micronutrient supplementation in lowering the risk of progression of the early stages of AMD. Recently, low-grade inflammation, sustained by dysbiosis and a leaky gut, has been shown to contribute to the development of AMD. Given the ascertained influence of the gut microbiota in systemic low-grade inflammation and its potential modulation by macro- and micro-nutrients, a potential role of diet in AMD has been proposed. This review discusses the role of the gut microbiota in the development of AMD. Using PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, we searched for recent scientific evidence discussing the impact of dietary habits (high fat and high glucose or fructose diets), micronutrients (vitamins C, E, and D, zinc, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin) and omega-3 fatty acids on the modulation of the gut microbiota and their relationship with AMD risk and progression.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that must be obtained through the diet in adequate amounts to prevent hypovitaminosis C and the potentially fatal deficiency disease scurvy. Global vitamin C status and prevalence of deficiency has not previously been reported, despite vitamin C’s pleiotropic roles in both non-communicable and communicable disease. This review highlights the global literature on vitamin C status and the prevalence of hypovitaminosis C and deficiency. Related dietary intake is reported if assessed in the studies. We also explore if global vitamin C status has changed over time. Overall, the review illustrates the shortage of high quality epidemiological studies of vitamin C status in many countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries. The available evidence indicates that vitamin C deficiency is common in low- and middle-income countries and not uncommon in high income settings. Further high quality studies are required to confirm these findings, including in the countries not yet represented, and to fully understand associations with a range of disease processes. Our findings suggest a need for interventions to prevent deficiency in a range of at risk groups and regions of the world.