ALBERT

Description: We commend Adams et al [...]

Description: Inflammatory bowel diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders represented by two major phenotypic forms, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Cross talk between adipokines and myokines, as well as changes in intestinal microcirculation, was proposed in pathogenesis of these disorders. C57BL/6 male mice were fed ad libitum for 12 weeks a standard (SD) or high-fat diet (HFD). After the adaptation period, two groups of animals fed SD or HFD were subjected to 6 weeks of the forced treadmill exercise and the experimental colitis was induced in both groups of sedentary and exercising mice fed SD and HFD by intra-colonic administration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. The disease activity index (DAI), colonic blood flow (CBF), the weight of animals, caloric intake, the mesenteric fad pad, the colonic oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and intestinal expression and protein content of proinflammatory markers were evaluated. Macroscopic and microscopic colitis in sedentary SD mice was accompanied by a significant fall in CBF and exacerbated in those fed a HFD. The contents of MDA, GSH, and SOD activity were significantly increased in both SD and HFD fed mice with treadmill exercise as compared with sedentary mice. In sedentary HFD mice a significant increase in the intestinal oxidative stress parameters and mucosal expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-17, IFNγ, IL-6, and IL-10 protein were observed and these effects were aggravated in mice subjected to forced treadmill exercise. The mucosal expression of mRNA for TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS, COX-2, SOD-1, SOD-2, GPx mRNAs, and the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α protein expression were upregulated in colonic mucosa of treadmill exercising HFD mice with colitis compared with those without exercise. We conclude that forced treadmill running exacerbates the severity of colonic damage in obese mice due to a fall in colonic microcirculation, an increase in oxidative stress, and the rise in expression and activity of proinflammatory biomarkers.

Description: Circulating microvesicles (cMV) are small phospholipid-rich blebs shed from the membrane of activated vascular cells that contribute to vascular disease progression. We aimed to investigate whether the quality of the Nordic diet is associated with the degree of blood and vascular cell activation measured by MV shedding in elderly patients after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). One-hundred and seventy-four patients aged 70–82 years were included in this cross-sectional study. Fasting blood samples were taken within 2 to 8 weeks after an AMI. Annexin V (AV)+ cMV derived from blood and vascular cells were measured through flow cytometry. A patient’s usual diet was recorded with the SmartDiet® questionnaire. Patients with higher adherence to the Nordic diet (highest diet score) had lower levels of total AV+ and platelet-derived (CD61+/AV+ and CD31+/AV+) cMV. Dietary habits influence cellular activation. A high adherence to the Nordic diet (assessed by the SmartDiet® score) in elderly post-AMI patients was associated with lower levels of platelet activation, which was reflected by a lesser release of MV carrying platelet-derived epitopes, potentially contributing to an explanation of the cardioprotective effects of the Nordic diet.

Description: Most professional and international organizations recommend folic acid supplementation for women planning pregnancy. Various studies have shown high levels of non-compliance with this recommendation. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic characteristics related to this compliance. The analyses were based on 16,809 women from the French nationwide ELFE cohort (Etude Longitudinale Française depuis l’Enfance). Folic acid supplementation was assessed at delivery, and sociodemographic characteristics were collected at two months postpartum. The association between sociodemographic characteristics and compliance with recommendations on folic acid supplementation (no supplementation, periconceptional supplementation, and supplementation only after the periconceptional period) was examined using multivariate multinomial logistic regression. Only 26% of French women received folic acid supplementation during the periconceptional period, 10% of women received supplementation after the periconceptional period, and 64% received no supplementation. Young maternal age, low education level, low family income, multiparity, single parenthood, maternal unemployment, maternal overweight, and smoking during pregnancy were related to lower likelihood of folic acid supplementation during the periconceptional period compared to no supplementation. These associations were not explained by unplanned pregnancy. Immigrant and underweight women were more likely to receive folic acid supplementation after the periconceptional period. Our study confirms great social disparities in France regarding the compliance with the recommendations on folic acid supplementation.

Description: The eating habits of adolescents are a serious current public health problem. Scientists call attention to the availability of social resources for enhancing healthy eating behavior. Social capital defines those resources as trust, reciprocity, social participation, integrity, and coherence, and they are supposed to help people achieve their life goals, in general, and health goals, in particular. Our aim is to investigate the relationship between social capital within its different contexts and adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD) among Lithuanian adolescents. The nationally representative cross-sectional study included 1863 students (906 boys and 957 girls). The KIDMED index questionnaire (Mediterranean Diet Quality Index in children and adolescents) was used to evaluate the adherence to an MD. Family, neighborhood, and school contexts of social capital were assessed using six items indicating family support, neighborhood trust, social control, vertical trust, horizontal trust, and reciprocity at school. Covariates such as gender, physical activity, parental education, and body mass index were also included in the analysis. Descriptive results showed that only 14% of Lithuanian adolescents followed an MD. Linear regression analysis indicated that family support (β = 0.096) and trust in school teachers (β = 0.074) were related to better rates of adherence, especially regarding the consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, fish, and the use of olive oil as a main source of fat. More adolescents who perceived family support and trust in their teachers used these products regularly and were less likely to skip breakfast. These findings could be used as a base for further developing nutrition education programs aimed at enhancing support and trust among families and schoolteachers.

Description: There is a close relationship between lifestyle behaviors and excess adiposity. Although body mass index (BMI) is the most used approach to estimate excess weight, other anthropometric indices have been developed to measure total body and abdominal adiposity. However, little is known about the impact of physical activity and adherence to a Mediterranean diet on these indices. Here we report the results of a cross-sectional study with 6672 middle-aged subjects with low to moderate cardiovascular risk from the Ilerda Vascular (ILERVAS) project. The participants’ adherence to physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form) and MedDiet (Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener) was evaluated. Measures of total adiposity (BMI, Clínica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator (CUN-BAE), and Deurenberg’s formula), central adiposity (waist and neck circumferences, conicity index, waist to height ratio, Bonora’s equation, A body adiposity index, and body roundness index), and lean body mass (Hume formula) were assessed. Irrespective of sex, lower indices of physical activity were associated with higher values of total body fat and central adiposity. This result was constant regardless of the indices used to estimate adiposity. However, the association between MedDiet and obesity indices was much less marked and more dependent on sex than that observed for physical activity. Lean body mass was influenced by neither physical activity nor MedDiet adherence. No joint effect between physical activity and MedDiet to lower estimated total or central adiposity indices was shown. In conclusion, physical activity is related to lower obesity indices in a large cohort of middle-aged subjects. MedDiet showed a slight impact on estimated anthropometric indices, with no joint effect when considering both lifestyle variables. ClinTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03228459.

Description: Graviola leaves contain much vitamin U (vit U), but their sensory quality is not good enough for them to be developed as food ingredients. Addition of excipient natural ingredients formulated alongside vit U as active ingredients could enhance not only its sensory quality but also its bioavailability. The objectives of this study were to measure the bioaccessibility and intestinal cellular uptake of bioactive components, including rutin, kaempferol-rutinoside, and vit U, from steamed extract of graviola leaves (SGV) and SGV enriched with kale extract (SGK), and to examine how much they can detoxify nicotine in HepG2 cells. The bioaccessibility of vit U from SGV and SGK was 82.40% and 68.03%, respectively. The cellular uptake of vit U in SGK by Caco-2 cells was higher than that in SGV. Cotinine content converted from nicotine in HepG2 cells for 120 min was 0.22 and 0.25 μg/mg protein in 50 μg/mL of SGV and SGK, respectively, which were 2.86 and 3.57 times higher than the no-treatment control. SGK treatment of HepG2 cells upregulated CYP2A6 three times as much as did that of SGV. Our results suggest that graviola leaf extract enriched with excipient ingredients such as kale could improve vit U absorption and provide a natural therapy for detoxifying nicotine.

Description: Background: Institutionalized elderly are at higher risk for micronutrient deficiency. In particular, fat soluble micronutrients, which additionally have antioxidative function, are of interest. The purpose of this secondary investigation of the Vienna Active Ageing Study was to assess and evaluate the plasma status of retinol, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol, alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene, as well as vitamin D (25(OH)D) in a cohort of institutionalized elderly. We further determined the effect of six months strength training with or without supplementing (antioxidant) vitamins and protein on the plasma status of these ten micronutrients. Methods: Three groups (n = 117, age = 83.1 ± 6.1 years)—resistance training (RT), RT combined with protein and vitamin supplementation (RTS), or cognitive training (CT)—performed two guided training sessions per week for six months. Micronutrients were measured with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) at baseline and after 6 months of intervention. Physical fitness was assessed by the 6-min-walking, the 30-s chair rise, isokinetic dynamometry, and the handgrip strength tests. Results: At baseline, the plasma status of retinol was satisfactory, for alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and 25(OH)D, the percentage of individuals with an insufficient status was 33%, 73% and 61%/81% (when using 50 nmol/L or 75 nmol/L as threshold levels for 25(OH)D), respectively. Plasma analyses were supported by intake data. Six months of elastic band resistance training with or without protein-vitamin supplementation had no biological impact on the status of fat soluble micronutrients. Even for vitamin D, which was part of the nutritional supplement (additional 20 µg/d), the plasma status did not increase significantly, however it contributed to a lower percentage of elderly below the threshold levels of 50/75 nmol/L (49%/74%). Conclusions: The findings of the study lead to the strong recommendation for regular physical activity and increased consumption of plant-based foods in institutionalized elderly. When supported by blood analysis, supplementing micronutrients in a moderate range should also be considered.

Description: Osteoarthritis (OA), also called degenerative joint disease, is characterized by joint cartilage loss and is strongly linked to obesity. Medicine to alleviate pain is currently the only treatment. Shiikuwasha extract (SE) has been reported to possess valuable bioactive substances exhibiting anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, and anticancer effects. Research is limited to the use of SE in the treatment of OA and obesity. We performed both anterior cruciate ligament transections and medial meniscectomies to induce OA on Sprague–Dawley rats after 11 weeks of a high fat diet followed by 9 weeks of oral SE administration (300, 600, and 1500 mg/kg). This study showed that SE treatment could reduce weight gain and joint pain. Additionally, SE significantly decreased triglycerides and total cholesterol in plasma of the S1500 group but increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the plasma of the S600 group. Meanwhile, plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was significantly reduced in the S1500 groups. Histopathological findings confirmed administration of SE attenuated cartilage degeneration. Immunohistochemistry examination demonstrated that caspase 3 and phospho-Janus kinase 2 (p-JAK2) expression levels on chondrocytes were downregulated by SE treatment. Our findings demonstrate that SE can alleviate OA progression by improving obesity.

Description: Research indicates that life satisfaction declines with age, and cognitive abilities are gradually reduced—mainly attentional functioning and cognitive processing speed. Therefore, scientists seek to find protective factors and test possible intervention programs; moderately intensive physical activity stands out as particularly promising. In this context, we evaluated the influence of Nordic Walking training supported by vitamin D supplementation (as this nutrient is especially deficient in older people in Poland) on the cognitive and psychological functioning of elderly women. A total of 52 healthy elderly women took part in a Nordic Walking training program complemented by vitamin D supplementation. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the Trail Making Test and the D2 Test of Attention. Quality of life and severity of depressive symptoms were measured with the Short Form Health Survey and the Beck Depression Inventory 2. Significant improvements in all aspects of cognitive functioning was observed (p = 0.01–0.47). The study also showed a decrease in depressive symptoms (p = 0.026). Physical activity and adequate levels of vitamin D can be the key factors in maintaining self-reliance in old age. Involvement in Nordic Walking training, supported by vitamin D supplementation, can strengthen the cognitive functioning of older people—reflected in higher attentional capabilities, better executive functions, and improved cognitive processing speed.

Description: Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is an essential cofactor in the one-carbon metabolism. One-carbon metabolism is a set of complex biochemical reactions, through which methyl groups are utilised or generated, and thus plays a vital role to many cellular functions in humans. Low levels of cobalamin have been associated to metabolic/reproductive pathologies. However, cobalamin status has never been investigated in morbid obesity in relation with the reduced semen quality. We analysed the cross-sectional data of 47-morbidly-obese and 21 lean men at Careggi University Hospital and evaluated total cobalamin (CBL) and holotranscobalamin (the active form of B12; holoTC) levels in serum and semen. Both seminal and serum concentrations of holoTC and CBL were lower in morbidly obese compared to lean men, although the difference did not reach any statistical significance for serum holoTC. Seminal CBL and holoTC were significantly higher than serum levels in both groups. Significant positive correlations were observed between seminal holoTC and total sperm motility (r = 0.394, p = 0.012), sperm concentration (r = 0.401, p = 0.009), total sperm number (r = 0.343, p = 0.028), and negative correlation with semen pH (r = −0.535, p = 0.0001). ROC analysis supported seminal holoTC as the best predictor of sperm number (AUC = 0.769 ± 0.08, p = 0.006). Our findings suggest that seminal rather than serum levels of holoTC may represent a good marker of semen quality in morbidly obese subjects.

Description: Chili peppers are one of the most widely consumed spices worldwide. However, research on the health benefits of chili peppers and some of its constituents has raised controversy as to whether chili pepper compounds possess cancer-promoting or cancer-preventive effects. While ample studies have been carried out to examine the effect of capsaicin in carcinogenesis, the chemopreventive effect of other major components in chili pepper, including dihydrocapsaicin, capsiate, and capsanthin, is relatively unclear. Herein, we investigated the inhibitory effect of chili pepper components on malignant cell transformation. Among the tested chili pepper compounds, dihydrocapsaicin displayed the strongest inhibitory activity against epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced neoplastic transformation. Dihydrocapsaicin specifically suppressed EGF-induced phosphorylations of the p70S6K1-S6 pathway and the expression of c-Fos. A reduction in c-Fos levels by dihydrocapsaicin led to a concomitant downregulation of AP-1 activation. Further analysis of the molecular mechanism responsible for the dihydrocapsaicin-mediated decrease in phospho-p70S6K1, revealed that dihydrocapsaicin can block amino acid-dependent mechanistic targets of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-p70S6K1-S6 signal activation. Additionally, dihydrocapsaicin was able to selectively augment amino acid deprivation-induced cell death in mTORC1-hyperactive cells. Collectively, dihydrocapsaicin exerted chemopreventive effects through inhibiting amino acid signaling and c-Fos pathways and, thus, might be a promising cancer preventive natural agent.

Description: This study aimed to analyze associations between weight variation patterns and changes in cognitive function and hippocampal volume among non-demented, community-dwelling elderly. Sample was formed of 1394 adults 〉70 years (63.9% female), all volunteers from the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT). Weight loss was defined as ≥5% of body weight decrease in the first year of follow-up; weight gain as ≥5% of weight increase; and stability if

Description: We aimed to determine the effects of long-term collagen peptide (CP) supplementation and resistance exercise training (RET) on body composition, strength, and muscle fiber cross-sectional area (fCSA) in recreationally active men. Fifty-seven young men were randomly and double-blinded divided into a group receiving either collagen peptides (COL, 15 g/day) or a placebo (PLA). Strength testing, bioimpedance analysis, and muscle biopsies were used prior to and after an RET intervention. Food record protocols were performed during the RET intervention. The groups trained three times a week for 12 weeks. Baseline parameters showed no differences between groups, and the external training load and dietary food intake were also similar. COL showed a significant increase in fat-free mass (FFM) compared with the placebo group (p 〈 0.05). Body fat mass (BFM) was unchanged in COL, whereas a significant increase in BFM was observed in PLA. Both groups showed significant increases in all strength tests, with a trend for a slightly more pronounced effect in COL. The fCSA of type II muscle fibers increased significantly in both groups without differences between the two groups. We firstly demonstrated improved body composition in healthy, recreationally active men subsequent to prolonged CP supplementation in combination with RET. As the observed increase in FFM was not reflected in differences in fCSA hypertrophy between groups, we assume enhanced passive connective tissue adaptations in COL due to CP intake.

Description: The objectives of this study were to: (i) Identify initiatives supporting healthy food availability, access and utilisation in the South West region of Western Australia (WA); and (ii) understand how they were functioning as a system to enhance community-level food security (FS). This study used a novel approach; a Systemic Innovation Lab, to interview initiative leaders/stakeholders about their FS initiative. Initiative characteristics measured included those which were associated with creating the effective conditions for FS systems change. Information was uploaded to an innovative online tool, creating a ‘transition card’ (matrix) of initiatives and partnering organisations. Fifty-one participants reported on 52 initiatives. Initiatives were most likely to possess characteristics relating to reinforcing changes towards an enhanced way of working to address FS and creating disruption to the old way of working. The initiative characteristic that initiatives were least likely to possess related to identifying the different causal factors of FS, and working with other stakeholders on specific components of FS. The South West Food Community pilot project used a comprehensive yet defined approach to demonstrate the value of a place-based, co-design project. Participants and stakeholders could strengthen specific initiative characteristics to facilitate enhanced community-level FS.

Description: The nutritional composition of foods marketed to children is important, as it can significantly influence children’s preferences. The objective of this research was to evaluate the presence of child-oriented food products in the food supply and to investigate their nutritional composition. The sample included 8191 prepacked foods in the Slovenian food supply available in the market in 2015. The nutrient profile (World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe nutrient profile model) of the products with child-targeted promotions was compared to the nutrient profile of those without child-targeted promotions. Food categories with the highest proportion of products with child-focused promotions were “Breakfast Cereals” (17%), “Chocolate and Sugar Confectionery” (15%) and “Edible Ices” (13%). Altogether, 93% of all products with child-focused promotions and 73% of products without such promotions were classified as “not permitted”. The proportion of “not permitted” foods was significantly higher in products with child-targeted promotions, compared with products without child-targeted promotions (p 〈 0.0001), and this trend was observed in a majority of food categories. To protect children from exposure to the marketing of foods with less favourable nutritional compositions, public health strategies should be focused also towards limiting promotions of unhealthy foods to children on product packaging, not only in media.

Description: Biofortification of staple crops has a potential for addressing micronutrient deficiencies, such as vitamin A deficiency (VAD), which are prevalent in South Africa. The poor acceptability of provitamin A (PVA)-biofortified foods could be improved by combining them with other food items to produce modified traditional dishes. The nutritional composition of the dishes could also be improved by the modification. The study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing white maize and cream-fleshed sweet potato (CFSP)] with PVA-biofortified maize and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) on the nutritional composition of South African traditional dishes. The protein, fibre, total mineral (ash), lysine, and iron concentrations of the PVA maize phutu (traditional porridge) composite dishes (control), were not significantly different (P 〉 0.05) from those of white maize phutu composite dishes. However, the PVA concentration of PVA maize phutu composite dishes was higher than that of the white phutu composite dishes (P 〉 0.05). The OFSP had a significantly lower protein concentration, but a significantly higher (P 〉 0.05) fibre, ash, lysine, isoleucine, leucine, and PVA concentration, relative to the CFSP. The findings indicate that composite dishes in which white maize is replaced with PVA-biofortified maize, and switching over from CFSP to OFSP, would contribute to combating VAD in South Africa, and in other developing counties.

Description: About 40% of the world’s population is overweight or obese and exist at risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Obesity is a leading pathogenic factor for developing insulin resistance (IR). It is well established that IR and a progressive decline in functional β-cell mass are hallmarks of developing T2D. In order to mitigate the global prevalence of T2D, we must carefully select the appropriate animal models to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms of T2D, and to optimize novel therapeutics for their safe use in humans. Flavonoids, a group of polyphenols, have drawn great interest for their various health benefits, and have been identified in naturally occurring anti-diabetic compounds. Results from many clinical and animal studies demonstrate that dietary intake of flavonoids might prove helpful in preventing T2D. In this review, we discuss the currently available rodent animal models of T2D and analyze the advantages, the limitations of each T2D model, and highlight the potential anti-diabetic effects of flavonoids as well as the mechanisms of their actions.

Description: Obesity is intimately related to a chronic inflammatory state, with augmentation of macrophage infiltration and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion in white adipose tissue (WAT) and mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle. The specific aim of this study is to evaluate effects of tartary buckwheat extract (TB) on obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation and muscle peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α/sirtulin 1 (SIRT1) pathway in rats fed a high-fat diet. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups and fed either a normal diet (NOR), 45% high-fat diet (HF), HF + low dose of TB (TB-L; 5 g/kg diet), or HF + high dose of TB (TB-H; 10 g/kg diet) for 13 weeks. TB significantly reduced adipose tissue mass with decreased adipogenic gene expression of PPAR-γ and aP2. Serum nitric oxide levels and adipose tissue macrophage M1 polarization gene markers, such as iNOS, CD11c, and Arg1, and pro-inflammatory gene expression, including TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1, were remarkably downregulated in the TB-L and TB-H groups. Moreover, TB supplementation increased gene expression of PGC-1α and SIRT1, involved in muscle biogenesis and function. These results suggested that TB might attenuate obesity-induced inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction by modulating adipose tissue inflammation and the muscle PGC-1α/SIRT1 pathway.

Description: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of experimental hyperglycemia on oxidative damage (OX), advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and the receptor for AGEs (RAGE) through an in vivo approach. Obese subjects (n = 10; 31.2 ± 1.2 kg·m−2; 56 ± 3 years) underwent 24 h of hyperglycemic clamp (+5.4 mM above basal), where plasma at basal and after 2 h and 24 h of hyperglycemic challenge were assayed for OX (methionine sulfoxide, MetSO, and aminoadipic acid, AAA) and AGE-free adducts (Ne-carboxymethyllysine, CML; Ne-carboxyethyllysine, CEL; glyoxal hydroimidazolone-1, GH-1; methylglyoxal hydroimidazolone-1, MG-H1; and 3-deoxyglucosone hydroimidazolone, 3DG-H) via liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Urine was also analyzed at basal and after 24 h for OX and AGE-free adducts and plasma soluble RAGE (sRAGE) isoforms (endogenous secretory RAGE, esRAGE, and cleaved RAGE, cRAGE), and inflammatory markers were determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Skeletal muscle tissue collected via biopsy was probed at basal, 2 h, and 24 h for RAGE and OST48 protein expression. Plasma MetSO, AAA, CEL, MG-H1, and G-H1 decreased (−18% to −47%; p 〈 0.05), while CML increased (72% at 24 h; p 〈 0.05) and 3DG-H remained unchanged (p 〉 0.05) with the hyperglycemic challenge. Renal clearance of MetSO, AAA, and G-H1 increased (599% to 1077%; p 〈 0.05), CML decreased (−30%; p 〈 0.05), and 3DG-H, CEL, and MG-H1 remained unchanged (p 〉 0.05). Fractional excretion of MetSO, AAA, CEL, G-H1, and MG-H1 increased (5.8% to 532%; p 〈 0.05) and CML and 3DG-H remained unchanged (p 〉 0.05). Muscle RAGE and OST48 expression, plasma sRAGE, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, and TNFα remained unchanged (p 〉 0.05), while IL-6 increased (159% vs. basal; p 〉 0.05). These findings suggest that individuals who are obese but otherwise healthy have the capacity to prevent accumulation of OX and AGEs during metabolic stress by increasing fractional excretion and renal clearance.

Description: Early childhood development relies on various micronutrients. We recently reported that home fortification of complementary foods using spirulina reduced the time to attain motor milestones in Zambian infants. The objective of this study is to estimate the long-term associations between spirulina supplementation during the first 1000 days and child gross motor development, fine motor development, language, and personal–social skills at preschool age. We used longitudinal data from a randomized trial conducted in Zambia. In 2015, 501 infants (age, 6–18 months) were provided daily supplements of maize-soy-based porridge with spirulina (SP) and without spirulina (CON). Supplementation period lasted for 16 months. In January 2018, children who participated in the initial trial were resurveyed (CON: 182 children; SP: 188 children; now aged 36–48 months). We assessed the infants’ gross motor development, fine motor development, language, and personal–social skills using a modified version of Malawi Development Assessment Tool. The initial clinical trial registration number was NCT03523182. Children in the SP group had higher scores in gross and fine motor development, language, and social skills than those in the CON group. Home fortification of complementary foods using spirulina during the first 1000 days improved development among Zambian children at preschool age.

Description: Military researchers utilize a five-item healthy eating score (HES-5) in the Global Assessment Tool (GAT) questionnaire to quickly assess the overall diet quality of military personnel. This study aimed to modify the HES-5 to improve its validity relative to the 2015 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) in active duty military personnel (n = 333). A food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate HEI-2015 scores and to assess sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in 8-oz (SSB-8) and 12-oz servings. GAT nutrition questions were used to calculate HES-5 scores and capture breakfast and post-exercise recovery fueling snack (RFsnack) frequencies. Two scoring options were considered for the highest RFsnack category: “4” vs. “5” (RFsnack-5). Potential candidates were added alone and in combination to the HES-5 and compared to the HEI-2015 with a Pearson correlation coefficient. Scores with the highest correlations were compared via a z-score equation to identify the simplest modification to the HES-5. Correlations between HES-5 and HEI-2015 scores in total participants, males, and females were 0.41, 0.45 and 0.32, respectively. Correlations were most significantly improved in total participants by adding RFsnack-5, SSB-8, RFsnack-5 + SSB-8, and RFsnack-5 + SSB-8 + breakfast, though the addition of SSB-8 + RFsnack-5 performed best (r = 0.53). Future work should consider scoring mechanisms, serving sizes, and question wording.

Description: The aim was to investigate the possible association of dietary calcium intake with adiposity, insulin resistance, and adipocytokine values in adolescent boys. In this cross-sectional study, participants were 123 adolescent boys aged 13–15 years, who were divided into tertiles according to their dietary calcium intake. Dietary calcium intake was assessed using three 24 h dietary recalls. In addition, energy intake, body composition, physical activity (PA), and blood biochemical values were also measured. Mean body fat%, fat mass (FM), trunk FM, trunk fat%, and leptin differed between high and low tertiles of calcium intake after adjustment for age, pubertal stage, and PA. For the entire cohort, mean calcium intake was 786 ± 380 mg/day and was related to body mass index (BMI), FM, and trunk fat% but not to insulin resistance or adipocytokine values after adjusting for possible confounders. In addition, only 15.4% of the participants obtained or exceeded their mean dietary calcium intake requirements. These subjects who met their dietary calcium intake had significantly lower body fat% in comparison with subjects not meeting their dietary calcium intake. Odds ratio of being in the highest tertile of FM, trunk FM, and trunk fat% was 3.2–4.4 (95% confidence interval 1.19–12.47; p 〈 0.05) times higher for boys in low calcium intake tertile, compared to those boys in high calcium intake tertile. In conclusion, dietary calcium intake is inversely associated with total body and abdominal adiposity values in a specific group of healthy male adolescents with different body mass values.

Description: Growing up in a farm environment is protective against allergy development. Various explanations have been put forward to explain this association. Fatty acids are regulators of immune function and the composition of fatty acids in the circulation system may affect immune development. Here, we investigate whether the fatty acid composition of cord serum differs for infants born to Farm (n = 26) or non-Farm mothers (n =29) in the FARMFLORA birth-cohort. For comparison, the levels of fatty acids in the maternal diet, serum and breast milk around 1 month post-partum were recorded. The fatty acids in the cord sera from infants born to Farm mothers had higher proportions of arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6) and adrenic acid (22:4 n-6) than those from infants born to non-Farm mothers. No differences were found for either arachidonic acid or adrenic acid in the diet, samples of the serum, or breast milk from Farm and non-Farm mothers obtained around 1 month post-partum. The arachidonic and adrenic acid levels in the cord blood were unrelated to allergy outcome for the infants. The results suggest that a farm environment may be associated with the fatty acid composition to which the fetus is exposed during pregnancy.

Description: Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) is a rare disease characterised by a failure in intestinal zinc absorption, which results in a host of symptoms that can ultimately lead to death if left untreated. Current clinical treatment involves life-long high-dose zinc supplements, which can introduce complications for overall nutrient balance in the body. Previous studies have therefore explored the pharmacological treatment of AE utilising metal ionophore/transport compounds in an animal model of the disease (conditional knockout (KO) of the zinc transporter, Zip4), with the perspective of finding an alternative to zinc supplementation. In this study we have assessed the utility of a different class of zinc ionophore compound (zinc diethyl bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone), Zn-DTSM; Collaborative Medicinal Development, Sausalito, CA, USA) to the one we have previously described (clioquinol), to determine whether it is effective at preventing the stereotypical weight loss present in the animal model of disease. We first utilised an in vitro assay to assess the ionophore capacity of the compound, and then assessed the effect of the compound in three in vivo animal studies (in 1.5-month-old mice at 30 mg/kg/day, and in 5-month old mice at 3 mg/kg/day and 30 mg/kg/day). Our data demonstrate that Zn-DTSM has a pronounced effect on preventing weight loss when administered daily at 30 mg/kg/day; this was apparent in the absence of any added exogenous zinc. This compound had little overall effect on zinc content in various tissues that were assessed, although further characterisation is required to more fully explore the cellular changes underlying the physiological benefit of this compound. These data suggest that Zn-DTSM, or similar compounds, should be further explored as potential therapeutic options for the long-term treatment of AE.

Description: Mobile technology introduces opportunity for new methods of dietary assessment. The purpose of this study was to compare the reporting accuracy of a mobile food log application and 24 h recall method to a controlled meal among a convenience sample of adults (18 years of age or older). Participants were recruited from a community/university convenience sample. Participants consumed a pre-portioned control meal, completed mobile food log entry (mfood log), and participated in a dietary recall administered by a registered dietitian (24R). Height, weight, and application use survey data were collected. Sign test, Pearson’s correlation, and descriptive analyses were conducted to examine differences in total and macronutrient energy intake and describe survey responses. Bland Altman plots were examined for agreement between energy intake from control and 24R and mfood log. The 14 included in the analyses were 78.6% female, 85.7% overweight/obese, and 64.3% African American. Mean total energy, protein, and fat intakes reported via the mfood log were significantly (p 〈 0.05) lower compared to the control, by 268.31kcals, 20.37 g, and 19.51 g, respectively. Only 24R mean fat intake was significantly (p 〈 0.01) lower than the control, by 6.43 g. Significant associations (r = 0.57–0.60, p 〈 0.05) were observed between control and mfood log mean energy, carbohydrate, and protein intakes, as well as between control and 24R mean energy (r = 0.64, p = 0.01) and carbohydrate (r = 0.81, p 〈 0.001) intakes. Bland Altman plots showed wide limits of agreement, which were not statistically significant but may have practical limitations for individual dietary assessment. Responses indicated the ease of and likelihood of daily mfood log use. This study demonstrates that the Bridge2U mfood log is valid for the assessment of group level data, but data may vary too widely for individual assessment. Further investigation is warranted for nutrition intervention research.

Description: Background: Ampicillin (AMP) is frequently administered parenterally in critically ill patients with meningitis or endocarditis. Many of them require parallel infusion of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) admixtures. The aim of the study was to determine the physicochemical stability of AMP in TPN admixtures. Methods: AMP was added to two formulations of TPN admixtures differing in the lipid emulsion (Lipofundin® MCT/LCT 20% or LIPIDem®). Samples were stored at 4 ± 1 °C with light protection, and at 25 ± 1 °C with and without light protection to assess the impact of temperature and light on formulation stability. Every 24 h the pH, zeta potential, mean droplet diameter (MDD) of a lipid emulsion, and AMP concentration using HPLC method were determined. The assessment of stability and compatibility of TPN admixtures with vitamins and trace elements was carried out immediately after preparation and after 24 h of storage. Results: The addition of AMP as well as vitamins and trace elements to the TPN admixtures did not affect their physical stability. An increase in the pH value of approx. 0.6 and reduction of zeta potential were observed. The MDD of the lipid emulsions was below the limit of 500 nm (dynamic light scattering (DLS) method) and no fat droplets greater than 525 nm were observed (light diffraction (LD) method). The content of AMP after the first 24 h was within the acceptable limit of 90% for TPN admixtures stored at 4 ± 1 °C and 25 ± 1 °C with light protection. Conclusions: The results showed that co-administration of AMP in the same bag with TPN admixture at the tested dose is possible when used ex tempore and with light protection.

Description: Selenoprotein genetic variations and suboptimal selenium (Se) levels may contribute to the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) development. We examined the association between CRC risk and genotype for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in selenoprotein and Se metabolic pathway genes. Illumina Goldengate assays were designed and resulted in the genotyping of 1040 variants in 154 genes from 1420 cases and 1421 controls within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Multivariable logistic regression revealed an association of 144 individual SNPs from 63 Se pathway genes with CRC risk. However, regarding the selenoprotein genes, only TXNRD1 rs11111979 retained borderline statistical significance after adjustment for correlated tests (PACT = 0.10; PACT significance threshold was P 〈 0.1). SNPs in Wingless/Integrated (Wnt) and Transforming growth factor (TGF) beta-signaling genes (FRZB, SMAD3, SMAD7) from pathways affected by Se intake were also associated with CRC risk after multiple testing adjustments. Interactions with Se status (using existing serum Se and Selenoprotein P data) were tested at the SNP, gene, and pathway levels. Pathway analyses using the modified Adaptive Rank Truncated Product method suggested that genes and gene x Se status interactions in antioxidant, apoptosis, and TGF-beta signaling pathways may be associated with CRC risk. This study suggests that SNPs in the Se pathway alone or in combination with suboptimal Se status may contribute to CRC development.

Description: Vascular risk factors for age-related cognitive decline are significant, and their management may ultimately prove the most successful strategy for reducing risk and sustaining cognitive health. This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial with parallel group allocation to either marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) or soybean oil placebo assesses the effects on the total volume of accumulation in cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH), a potentially modifiable neurovascular component of age-related cognitive decline. Total WMH accumulation over 3 years is the primary endpoint. The safety and efficacy of n-3 PUFA is evaluated in older adults with significant WMH and suboptimum plasma n-3 PUFA as inclusion criteria. One hundred and two non-demented older adults were enrolled with a mean age of 81.1 (±4.4) years, WMH of 19.4 (±16.1) cm3, and a plasma n-3 PUFA of 86.64 (±29.21) µg/mL. 61% were female, 28% were apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 carriers, and the mean mini-mental state exam (MMSE) was 27.9 (±1.7). This trial provides an initial evaluation of n-3 PUFA effects on WMH, a reproducible and valid risk biomarker for cognitive decline, as well as on inflammatory biomarkers thought to play a role in WMH accumulation. We present the baseline results and operational experience of enriching a study population on advanced age, blood n-3 PUFA, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) derived WMH with biomarker outcomes (WMH, inflammation markers) in a dementia prevention paradigm.

Description: Patients frequently wonder whether their dietary pattern influences the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Many patients even avoid certain foods that aggravate their symptoms. Although interest in nutritional interventions is rising among physicians, the current application of nutritional interventions in the IBD population is limited due to the lack of scientific evidence from clinical trials. Several studies, however, have identified associations between diet, gut microbiota, intestinal epithelial integrity, and mucosal immune responses. In patients consuming predominantly a Western diet high in n-6 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), sugars, and meat, and low in fruits and vegetables, an impaired gut epithelial barrier and disturbances in the intestinal microbiota have been observed, resulting in a chronic mucosal inflammation. An anti-inflammatory diet may restore this disbalance. In this review, we discuss the effects of diet on the composition of the microbiota, the gut epithelial barrier function, and the mucosal immune system.

Description: The number of patients with mental illnesses is rapidly increasing, and daily lifestyle is closely associated with the development of symptoms. It is suggested that inflammatory molecules derived from microglia play crucial roles for the pathophysiology of depression. In the present study, we discovered that leucine–histidine (LH) dipeptide suppressed activation of primary microglia. The effects of LH dipeptide orally administered were measured using tail suspension test (TST) in mice injected with lipopolysaccharide and social interaction test in mice received social defeat stress. LH dipeptide reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines upon stimulation in microglia. Orally administered LH dipeptide was delivered to the brain and suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the brain and concomitant depression-like behavior in the TST. Moreover, oral administration of LH dipeptide suppressed the induction of depression- and anxiety-like behaviors induced by repeated social defeat stress. These results indicate that LH dipeptide suppressed the activation of microglia and ameliorated depression-associated emotional disturbances. Further, we found that LH dipeptide was abundant in various fermented products. Together with previous epidemiological reports that daily intake of these fermented foods is negatively associated with the incidence of psychiatric diseases, our findings suggest that food rich in LH dipeptide may improve mental health.

Description: Current evidence proposes diet quality as a modifiable risk factor for mental or emotional impairments. However, additional studies are required to investigate the effect of dietary patterns and weight loss on improving psychological symptoms. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of energy-restriction, prescribed to overweight and obese participants, on anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as the potential predictive value of some baseline psychological features on weight loss. Overweight and obese participants (n = 305) were randomly assigned for 16 weeks to two hypocaloric diets with different macronutrient distribution: a moderately high-protein (MHP) diet and a low-fat (LF) diet. Anthropometrical, clinical, psychological, and lifestyle characteristics were assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. The nutritional intervention evidenced that weight loss has a beneficial effect on trait anxiety score in women (β = 0.24, p = 0.03), depression score in all population (β = 0.15, p = 0.02), particularly in women (β = 0.22, p = 0.03) and in subjects who followed the LF diet (β = 0.22, p = 0.04). Moreover, weight loss could be predicted by anxiety status at baseline, mainly in women and in those who were prescribed a LF diet. This trial suggests that weight loss triggers an improvement in psychological traits, and that anxiety symptoms could predict those volunteers that benefit most from a balanced calorie-restricted intervention, which will contribute to individualized precision nutrition.

Description: Improving the nutritional quality of Fe in maize (Zea mays) represents a biofortification strategy to alleviate iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, the present study measured iron content and bioavailability via an established bioassay to characterize Fe quality in parts of the maize kernel. Comparisons of six different varieties of maize demonstrated that the germ fraction is a strong inhibitory component of Fe bioavailability. The germ fraction can contain 27–54% of the total kernel Fe, which is poorly available. In the absence of the germ, Fe in the non-germ components can be highly bioavailable. More specifically, increasing Fe concentration in the non-germ fraction resulted in more bioavailable Fe. Comparison of wet-milled fractions of a commercial maize variety and degerminated corn meal products also demonstrated the inhibitory effect of the germ fraction on Fe bioavailability. When compared to beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) containing approximately five times the concentration of Fe, degerminated maize provided more absorbable Fe, indicating substantially higher fractional bioavailability. Overall, the results indicate that degerminated maize may be a better source of Fe than whole maize and some other crops. Increased non-germ Fe density with a weaker inhibitory effect of the germ fraction are desirable qualities to identify and breed for in maize.

Description: The human gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem and has an essential role in maintaining intestinal and systemic health. Microbiota dysbiosis is associated with a number of intestinal and systemic conditions and its modulation for human health is of great interest. Gut microbiota is a source of novel health-promoting bacteria, often termed as next-generation probiotics in order to distinguish them from traditional probiotics. The previous lessons learned with traditional probiotics can help the development of next-generation probiotics that target specific health issues and needs.

Description: Metabolic acidosis can lead to inflammation, tissue damage, and cancer metastasis. Dietary acid load contributes to metabolic acidosis if endogenous acid–base balance is not properly regulated. Breast cancer survivors have reduced capacities to adjust their acid–base balance; yet, the associations between dietary acid load and inflammation and hyperglycemia have not been examined among them. We analyzed data collected from 3042 breast cancer survivors enrolled in the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study who had provided detailed dietary intakes and measurements of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Using a cross-sectional design, we found positive associations between dietary acid load and plasma CRP and HbA1c. In the multivariable-adjusted models, compared to women with the lowest quartile, the intakes of dietary acid load among women with the highest quartile showed 30–33% increases of CRP and 6–9% increases of HbA1c. Our study is the first to demonstrate positive associations between dietary acid load and CRP and HbA1c in breast cancer survivors. Our study identifies a novel dietary factor that may lead to inflammation and hyperglycemia, both of which are strong risk factors for breast cancer recurrence and comorbidities.

Description: Nowadays, obesity and its complications are heavy burdens to western civilization. Surgical procedures remain one of the available therapies for obesity and obesity-associated diseases treatment. Among them, sleeve gastrectomy is the most common bariatric procedure. Despite the well-established fact that sleeve gastrectomy results in significant weight loss, some of its other divergent effects still need to be established. To fulfill this knowledge gap, we examined whether sleeve gastrectomy affects lipid metabolism in the plasma and liver of obese rats. We demonstrated that chronic high-fat diet feeding led to an increment in the level of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin (PCSK)—a regulator of plasma cholesterol concentration—in the liver, which was decreased after the gastrectomy. Moreover, we noticed significant increases in both plasma and liver contents of free fatty acids, diacylgycerides and triacylglycerides in the obese animals, with their reduction after the bariatric surgery. In conclusion, we revealed, presumably for the first time, that sleeve gastrectomy affects lipid metabolism in the liver of obese rats.

Description: Athletes often have significant gaps in their nutrition knowledge. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether young Finnish endurance athletes’ nutrition knowledge and dietary intake can be improved through an education intervention with or without a mobile food application. Seventy-nine endurance athletes, 18.0 years (SD: 1.4), participated in this randomized, controlled intervention. We compared the effects of participatory nutrition education sessions alone (group EDU) to those including the use of a mobile food application (group EDU + APP) for four days after each session. Both groups attended three 90-min education sessions fortnightly. The participants completed a validated nutrition knowledge questionnaire in Weeks 0, 5, and 17, and a three-day food diary in Weeks 0 and 17. The education plan was based on the Self-Determination Theory and the concept of meaningful learning process. The EDU group’s nutrition knowledge scores were: 78 (week 0), 85 (week 5), and 84 (week 17) and the EDU + APP group’s 78, 86, and 85, respectively. Nutrition knowledge increased significantly (main effect of time (p 〈 0.001)), but we observed no significant group × time interaction (p = 0.309). The changes in dietary intakes were minor (p 〉 0.05). The amount of carbohydrates was below endurance athletes’ recommendations throughout the intervention. The reported energy intakes were also below the estimated energy expenditures. In conclusion, nutrition knowledge improved significantly after only three education sessions and food diary feedback, but the mobile app did not improve learning further. However, the nutrition education intervention alone was not enough to change dietary intake.

Description: : Undernutrition is a major public health problem leading to 1 in 5 of all deaths in children under 5 years. Undernutrition leads to growth stunting and/or wasting and is often associated with environmental enteric dysfunction (EED). EED mechanisms leading to growth failure include intestinal hyperpermeability, villus blunting, malabsorption and gut inflammation. As non-invasive methods for investigating gut function in undernourished children are limited, pre-clinical models are relevant to elucidating the pathophysiological processes involved in undernutrition and EED, and to identifying novel therapeutic strategies. In many published models, undernutrition was induced using protein or micronutrient deficient diets, but these experimental models were not associated with EED. Enteropathy models mainly used gastrointestinal injury triggers. These models are presented in this review. We found only a few studies investigating the combination of undernutrition and enteropathy. This highlights the need for further developments to establish an experimental model reproducing the impact of undernutrition and enteropathy on growth, intestinal hyperpermeability and inflammation, that could be suitable for preclinical evaluation of innovative therapeutic intervention.

Description: Patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are regarded to have reduced serum magnesium (Mg) concentrations. We aimed to assess the changes in serum Mg concentrations at 12-month follow-up in patients, with and without T2DM, who underwent one anastomosis gastric bypass surgery. Overall, 50 patients (80% female, age 42.2 (12.5) years) with morbid obesity (mean baseline BMI 43.8 (4.3) kg/m2) were included in the analysis. Half of the included patients had T2DM diagnosed at baseline, and these patients showed lower serum Mg concentration (0.78 (0.07)) vs. 0.83 (0.05) mmol/L; p = 0.006), higher blood glucose levels (129.9 (41.3) vs. 87.6 (8.1) mg/dL; p 〈 0.001) as well as HbA1c concentrations (6.7 (1.4) vs. 5.3 (0.5)%; p 〈 0.001). During follow-up, BMI and glucose levels showed a decrease; however, serum Mg levels remained stable. At baseline 42% of patients were found to be Mg deficient, which was reduced to 33% at six months and to 30% at 12 months follow-up. Moreover, patients with T2DM had an odds ratio of 9.5 (95% CI = 3.0–29.7; p 〈 0.001) for magnesium deficiency when compared to patients without T2DM. Further research into the role of Mg and its role in T2DM and other obesity-related comorbidities are needed.

Description: : Dietary nitrate (NO3−) has been reported to improve endothelial function (EF) and blood pressure (BP). However, most studies only assess large-vessel EF with little research on the microvasculature. Thus, the aim of the present pilot study is to examine NO3− supplementation on microvascular and large-vessel EF and BP. Twenty older adults (63 ± 6 years) were randomized to a beetroot juice (BRJ) or placebo (PLA) group for 28 (±7) days and attended three laboratory visitations. Across visitations, blood pressure, microvascular function and large-vessel EF were assessed by laser Doppler imaging (LDI) with iontophoresis of vasoactive substances and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), respectively. Plasma NO3−concentrations, BP and the presence of NO3− reducing bacteria were also assessed. Plasma NO3− increased following two weeks of BRJ supplementation (p = 0.04) along with a concomitant decrease in systolic and diastolic BP of approximately −6 mmHg and −4 mmHg, respectively (p = 0.04; p = 0.01, respectively). BP remained unchanged in the PLA group. There were no significant differences in endothelium-dependent or endothelium-independent microvascular responses between groups. FMD increased by 1.5% following two weeks of BRJ (p = 0.04), with only a minimal (0.1%) change for the PLA group. In conclusion, this pilot study demonstrated that medium-term BRJ ingestion potentially improves SBP, DBP and large-vessel EF in healthy older adults. The improvements observed in the present study are likely to be greater in populations presenting with endothelial dysfunction. Thus, further prospective studies are warranted in individuals at greater risk for cardiovascular disease.

Description: Medical and surgical treatments for Crohn’s disease are associated with toxic effects. Medical therapy aims for mucosal healing and is achievable with biologics, immunosuppressive therapy, and specialised enteral nutrition, but not with corticosteroids. Sustained remission remains a therapeutic challenge. Enteral nutrition, containing macro- and micro-nutrients, is nutritionally complete, and is provided in powder or liquid form. Enteral nutrition is a low-risk and minimally invasive therapy. It is well-established and recommended as first line induction therapy in paediatric Crohn’s disease with remission rates of up to 80%. Other than in Japan, enteral nutrition is not routinely used in the adult population among Western countries, mainly due to unpalatable formulations which lead to poor compliance. This study aims to offer a comprehensive review of available enteral nutrition formulations and the literature supporting the use and mechanisms of action of enteral nutrition in adult Crohn’s disease patients, in order to support clinicians in real world decision-making when offering/accepting treatment. The mechanisms of actions of enteral feed, including their impact on the gut microbiome, were explored. Barriers to the use of enteral nutrition, such as compliance and the route of administration, were considered. All available enteral preparations have been comprehensively described as a practical guide for clinical use. Likewise, guidelines are reported and discussed.

Description: Human-milk-targeted metabolomics analysis offers novel insights into milk composition and relationships with maternal and infant phenotypes and nutritional status. The Biocrates AbsoluteIDQ® p180 kit, targeting 40 acylcarnitines, 42 amino acids/biogenic amines, 91 phospholipids, 15 sphingolipids, and sum of hexoses, was evaluated for human milk using the AB Sciex 5500 QTRAP mass-spectrometer in liquid chromatography-tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and flow-injection analysis (FIA) mode. Milk ( 18.5; n = 12) and (B) Bangladeshi mothers of stunted infants (height-for-age Z (HAZ)-score 18.5 was lower in 6 amino acids/biogenic amines but higher in isovalerylcarnitine, two phospholipids, and one sphingomyelin (p 〈 0.05 for all). Associations between milk metabolites differed between groups. The AbsoluteIDQ® p180 kit is a rapid analysis tool suitable for human milk analysis and reduces analytical bias by allowing the same technique for different specimens. More research is needed to examine milk metabolite relationships with maternal and infant phenotypes.

Description: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition in Western countries. However, their metabolic characteristics are poorly known even though they could be important. Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure resting metabolic parameters in overweight/obese adults with hepatic steatosis compared to controls, matched for age, sex, and obesity level. Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed with liver ultrasound. Energy metabolism was measured with indirect calorimetry: energy expenditure (REE), predicted REE, the ratio between REE and the predicted REE, and the respiratory quotient (RQ) were reported. We measured some anthropometric, body composition, and bio-humoral parameters; 301 participants with NAFLD were matched for age, sex, and obesity level with 301 participants without NAFLD. People with NAFLD showed significantly higher REE (1523 ± 238 vs. 1464 ± 212 kcal, p = 0.005), REE/REE predicted ratio (98.2 ± 9.4 vs. 95.7 ± 8.1, p = 0.002), and RQ (0.88 ± 0.08 vs. 0.85 ± 0.07, p = 0.03). Moreover, the NAFLD group had significantly higher inflammatory and insulin-resistance parameters compared to controls. In conclusion, NAFLD is associated with a significantly higher metabolic expenditure, as measured with indirect calorimetry, compared to a similar cohort of individuals without this condition. Higher inflammatory levels in patients with NAFLD can probably explain our findings, even if other research is needed on this issue.

Description: : Dietary iron deficiency (ID) is the first nutritional deficiency in the world, in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALY). This nutritional deficiency may lead to anemia, especially among children, adolescents, and adult women. The aim of this study was to build an original probabilistic model to quantitatively assess the ID, the iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and the subsequent health burden in France expressed in DALY, per age class and gender. The model considered the distribution of absorbed iron intake, the iron requirement distribution established by the European Food Safety Authority and the iron status in France. Uncertainty due to lack of data and variability due to biological diversity were taken into account and separated using a second-order Monte Carlo procedure. A total of 1290 (95% CI = 1230–1350) IDA cases corresponding to 16 (95% CI = 11–20) DALY were estimated per 100,000 individuals per year. The major contributors to IDA burden were menstruating females aged from 25 to 44 years old. Then, a consumption scenario was built with ground beef as intake, an increase in red meat consumption to 100 g/d would not eliminate entirely the IDA burden. The quantitative methodology applied here for France could be reused for other populations.

Description: Although the adverse effects of trans fat consumption are well documented, industrially-produced trans fats are still used in a variety of food products. Our objective was to investigate the presence of trans fat information on the nutrition facts panel, in the list of ingredients, and the use of trans fat claims in packaged food and beverages marketed in Brazil. This was a cross-sectional study that used data from packaged food and beverages available in the five supermarket chains with the largest market share in Brazil. Of the 11,434 products that were analyzed, 81.3% did not present a source of trans fats in the list of ingredients. The percentages of products with specific (hydrogenated fats or oils) and unspecific trans fat terms (margarine, vegetable fat, and vegetable cream) in the list of ingredients were 4.1% and 14.6%, respectively. Bakery products, cookies and crackers, candies and desserts, snacks, and convenience foods had the highest percentages of trans fat claims. We also found claims in products with ingredients that are sources of trans fats. In conclusion, trans fat ingredients were found in almost one-fifth of the Brazilian packaged foods. The current Brazilian legislation is not sufficient to inform consumers about the content of trans fats in packaged foods. Along with measures to restrict the use of industrially-produced trans fats, improvements in nutritional labeling are also needed.

Description: Emerging evidence suggests that gestational or developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction, lack of verbal and non-verbal communications, stereotyped repetitive behaviors and hyper-activities. There are several other clinical features that are commonly comorbid with ASD, including olfactory impairments, anxiety and delays in motor development. Here we investigate these features in an animal model related to ASD—the DVD-deficient rat. Compared to controls, both DVD-deficient male and female pups show altered ultrasonic vocalizations and stereotyped repetitive behavior. Further, the DVD-deficient animals had delayed motor development and impaired motor control. Adolescent DVD-deficient animals had impaired reciprocal social interaction, while as adults, these animals were hyperactive. The DVD-deficient model is associated with a range of behavioral features of interest to ASD.

Description: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States and the fourth globally with a rising incidence. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immunologically mediated disease that imposes a significant associated health burden, including the increased risk for colonic dysplasia and CRC. Carcinogenesis has been attributed to chronic inflammation and associated with oxidative stress, genomic instability, and immune effectors as well as the cytokine dysregulation and activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling pathway. Current anti-inflammation therapies used for IBD treatment have shown limited effects on CRC chemoprevention, and their long-term toxicity has limited their clinical application. However, natural food-based prevention approaches may offer significant cancer prevention effects with very low toxicity profiles. In particular, in preclinical and clinical pilot studies, strawberry and black raspberry have been widely selected as food-based interventions because of their potent preventive activities. In this review, we summarize the roles of strawberry, black raspberry, and their polyphenol components on CRC chemoprevention in IBD.

Description: The purpose of this work was to describe changes in metabolic activity in the bones of young male competitive cyclists (CYC) as compared with age-matched controls (CON) over a one-year period of study. Eight adolescent male cyclists aged between fourteen and twenty, and eight age-matched controls participated in this longitudinal study. Serum osteocalcin (OC), amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), beta-isomerized C-telopeptides (β-CTx) and plasma 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], were investigated by an electrogenerated chemiluminescence immunoassay. Analysis of variance revealed no significant differences in formation and resorption markers between cyclists and controls. Within the groups, both CYC and CON showed decreased OC at −30% and −24%, respectively, and PINP where the figures were −28% and −30% respectively (all p 〈 0.05). However, only the CYC group showed a decrease in [25(OH)D], lower by 11% (p 〈 0.05). The similarity in the concentrations of markers in cyclists and controls seems to indicate that cycling does not modify the process of bone remodeling. The decrease in vitamin D in cyclists might be detrimental to their future bone health.

Description: Under normoxic conditions, adipocytes in primary culture convert huge amounts of glucose to lactate and glycerol. This “wasting” of glucose may help to diminish hyperglycemia. Given the importance of insulin in the metabolism, we have studied how it affects adipocyte response to varying glucose levels, and whether the high basal conversion of glucose to 3-carbon fragments is affected by insulin. Rat fat cells were incubated for 24 h in the presence or absence of 175 nM insulin and 3.5, 7, or 14 mM glucose; half of the wells contained 14C-glucose. We analyzed glucose label fate, medium metabolites, and the expression of key genes controlling glucose and lipid metabolism. Insulin increased both glucose uptake and the flow of carbon through glycolysis and lipogenesis. Lactate excretion was related to medium glucose levels, which agrees with the purported role of disposing excess (circulating) glucose. When medium glucose was low, most basal glycerol came from lipolysis, but when glucose was high, release of glycerol via breakup of glycerol-3P was predominant. Although insulin promotes lipogenesis, it also limited the synthesis of glycerol-3P from glucose and its incorporation into acyl-glycerols. We assume that this is a mechanism of adipose tissue defense to avoid crippling fat accumulation which has not yet been described.

Description: The aim of the study was to assess the anthropometric outcomes after gastrostomy tube (GT) placement in children with chronic diseases and the influence of primary diagnosis, age, and nutritional support. A longitudinal, multicenter, and prospective study was performed evaluating 65 children with GT feeding and chronic diseases (61.5% with neurological disease). Each child was evaluated three times (at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after GT placement) and the following data was collected: primary diagnosis, age at GT placement, anthropometry, and feeding regime. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to analyze the main effects (intra and intergroup) and the interactions effects on weight gain and linear growth at 6 and 12 months after GT placement. All patients significantly improved their body mass index (BMI)-for-age z-score (p 〈 0.001) and height-for-age z-score (p 〈 0.05) after 6 and 12-month of follow-up. BMI gain increased significantly the first 6 months, followed by a plateau, while height followed a linear trend. Children with GT placement before 18 months old experienced an accelerated growth rate during the first 6 months post-GT. This technique showed the effectiveness of GT placement improving nutritional status and growth catch up regardless of their primary diagnosis and the type of nutritional support.

Description: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is recognized as one of the healthiest dietary patterns and has benefits such as improving glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Our aim is to assess the effectiveness of a multifactorial intervention to improve adherence to the MD, diet quality and biomedical parameters. The EMID study is a randomized and controlled clinical trial with two parallel groups and a 12-month follow-up period. The study included 204 subjects between 25–70 years with T2DM. The participants were randomized into intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). Both groups received brief advice about healthy eating and physical activity. The IG participants additionally took part in a food workshop, five walks and received a smartphone application for three months. The population studied had a mean age of 60.6 years. At the 3-month follow-up visit, there were improvements in adherence to the MD and diet quality of 2.2 and 2.5 points, compared to the baseline visit, respectively, in favour of the IG. This tendency of the improvement was maintained, in favour of the IG, at the 12-month follow-up visit. In conclusion, the multifactorial intervention performed could improve adherence to the MD and diet quality among patients with T2DM.

Description: Many phenylketonuria (PKU) patients cannot adhere to the severe dietary restrictions as advised by the European PKU guidelines, which can be accompanied by aggravated neuropsychological impairments that, at least in part, have been attributed to brain monoaminergic neurotransmitter deficiencies. Supplementation of large neutral amino acids (LNAA) to an unrestricted diet has previously been shown to effectively improve brain monoamines in PKU mice of various ages. To determine the additive value of LNAA supplementation to a liberalized phenylalanine-restricted diet, brain and plasma monoamine and amino acid concentrations in 10 to 16-month-old adult C57Bl/6 PKU mice on a less severe phenylalanine-restricted diet with LNAA supplementation were compared to those on a non-supplemented severe or less severe phenylalanine-restricted diet. LNAA supplementation to a less severe phenylalanine-restricted diet was found to improve both brain monoamine and phenylalanine concentrations. Compared to a severe phenylalanine-restricted diet, it was equally effective to restore brain norepinephrine and serotonin even though being less effective to reduce brain phenylalanine concentrations. These results in adult PKU mice support the idea that LNAA supplementation may enhance the effect of a less severe phenylalanine-restricted diet and suggest that cerebral outcome of PKU patients treated with a less severe phenylalanine-restricted diet may be helped by additional LNAA treatment.

Description: In the United States (U.S.), food fortification and/or enrichment and dietary supplement (DS) use impacts nutrient intakes. Our aim was to examine race/ethnicity and income (Poverty Income Ratio, PIR) differences in meeting the Dietary Reference Intakes based on estimated dietary intakes among the U.S. population age ≥2 years (n = 16,975). Two 24-hour recalls from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles 2009–2012 were used to estimate the intake of 15 nutrients as naturally occurring, enriched/fortified, and plus DSs. Across racial/ethnic groups and within PIR categories, significant differences were observed in the %〈 Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin A following enrichment/fortification (E/F) and for vitamin B12 and riboflavin following both E/F and DS use when comparing non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, and the other race/ethnicity group to non-Hispanic whites. The %

Description: The aim was to investigate the effects of resistance exercise combined with supplementation of specific collagen peptides (SCP) on body composition and muscle strength in premenopausal women. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial 77 premenopausal women completed a 12-week resistance training (3 day/week) and ingested 15 g of SCP or placebo on a daily basis. Changes in body composition were determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and muscular strength by isometric strength testing. The treatment group (TG) significantly increased (p 〈 0.001) their percentage of fat-free mass. Although the control group (CG) also showed a significant (p 〈 0.01) gain in fat-free mass from pre- to post-training, the increase in the TG was significantly higher in an RMANOVA analysis (p 〈 0.05). Regarding the change in percentage body fat, a significant decline was observed in both TG (p 〈 0.001) and CG (p 〈 0.01), with a significantly higher reduction in the TG (p 〈 0.05). Subjects receiving 15 g of collagen peptides daily also showed a significantly higher gain in hand-grip strength compared to those performing resistance training only (p 〈 0.05). In both groups, the gain in leg strength (TG = p 〈 0.001; CG = p 〈 0.01) was significant after 12 weeks with a more pronounced effect in the treatment group. In conclusion, resistance training in combination with supplementation of SCP induced a significantly higher increase in fat-free mass and hand-grip strength than resistance training and placebo supplementation. In addition, there was a significantly higher loss in fat mass and a more pronounced increase in leg strength in the treatment group compared to the control group.

Description: Exercise has beneficial effects on our health by stimulating metabolic activation of skeletal muscle contraction. Caffeine is a powerful metabolic stimulant in the skeletal muscle that has ergogenic effects, including enhanced muscle power output and endurance capacity. In the present study, we aim to characterize the metabolic signatures of contracting muscles with or without caffeine stimulation using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry. Isolated rat epitrochlearis muscle was incubated in the presence or absence or of 3 mM caffeine for 30 min. Electrical stimulation (ES) was used to induce tetanic contractions during the final 10 min of incubation. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis detected 184 distinct metabolites across three experimental groups—basal, ES, and ES with caffeine (ES + C). Significance Analysis of Microarray identified a total of 50 metabolites with significant changes in expression, and 23 metabolites significantly changed between the ES and ES + C groups. Changes were observed in metabolite levels of various metabolic pathways, including the pentose phosphate, nucleotide synthesis, β-oxidation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and amino acid metabolism. In particular, D-ribose 5-phosphate, IMP, O-acetylcarnitine, butyrylcarnitine, L-leucine, L-valine, and L-aspartate levels were higher in the ES + C group than in the ES group. These metabolic alterations induced by caffeine suggest that caffeine accelerates contraction-induced metabolic activations, thereby contributing to muscle endurance performance and exercise benefits to our health.

Description: Background/Objectives: The acute impact of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces (HSC) extract on postprandial vascular function and other cardiometabolic risk factors have not been studied previously. This study investigated the acute impact of HSC extract consumption on blood pressure (BP), vascular function and other cardiometabolic risk markers. Subjects/Methods: Twenty-five men with 1% to 10% cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk (determined by QRISK®2) were randomised to consume either 250 mL of the aqueous extract of HSC or water with breakfast in a randomised, controlled, single‐blinded, 2-meal cross-over study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NTC02165553) with a two weeks washout period between study days. BP was measured at baseline and hourly for 4 h. Flow mediated dilatation (FMD) of the branchial artery was measured at baseline, 2 and 4 h post intervention drink consumption. Results: Acute consumption of aqueous extract of HSC caused a significant increase in % FMD (p 〈 0.001), a non-significant decrease in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP); non-significant increase in urinary and plasma nitric oxide (NOx) and reduced response of serum glucose, plasma insulin, serum triacylglycerol and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels; significant (p = 0.026) improvement in the area under systemic antioxidant response curve (0 to 2 h); no significant changes in arterial stiffness following the acute consumption of the extract of HSC. Gallic acid, 4-O-methylgallic acid, 3-O-methylgallic acid and hippuric acid reached a maximum plasma concentration at 1 to 2 h post consumption of the extract of HSC. Conclusion: The extract of HSC improved postprandial vascular function and may be a useful dietary strategy to reduce endothelial dysfunction and CVD risk, although this requires confirmation.

Description: Cognitive impairment is strongly associated with functional outcomes in psychiatric patients. Involvement of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LC-PUFA), in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in brain functions is largely documented. DHA is incorporated into membrane phospholipids as structural component, especially in the central nervous system where it also has important functional effects. The aim of this review is to investigate the relationship between DHA and cognitive function in relation to mental disorders. Results from few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of DHA (alone or in combination) in psychotic, mood and neurodevelopmental disorders, respectively, suggest that no conclusive remarks can be drawn.

Description: Theobromine (TB) is a primary methylxanthine found in cacao beans. cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) is a transcription factor, which is involved in different brain processes that bring about cellular changes in response to discrete sets of instructions, including the induction of brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) has been strongly implicated in the memory formation of different species as a key regulator of gene expression. Here we investigated whether TB acts on the CaMKII/CREB/BDNF pathway in a way that might improve the cognitive and learning function in rats. Male Wistar rats (5 weeks old) were divided into two groups. For 73 days, the control rats (CN rats) were fed a normal diet, while the TB-fed rats (TB rats) received the same food, but with a 0.05% TB supplement. To assess the effects of TB on cognitive and learning ability in rats: The radial arm maze task, novel object recognition test, and Y-maze test were used. Then, the brain was removed and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was isolated for Western Blot, real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Phosphorylated CaMKII (p-CaMKII), phosphorylated CREB (p-CREB), and BDNF level in the mPFC were measured. In all the behavior tests, working memory seemed to be improved by TB ingestion. In addition, p-CaMKII and p-CREB levels were significantly elevated in the mPFC of TB rats in comparison to those of CN rats. We also found that cortical BDNF protein and mRNA levels in TB rats were significantly greater than those in CN rats. These results suggest that orally supplemented TB upregulates the CaMKII/CREB/BDNF pathway in the mPFC, which may then improve working memory in rats.

Description: Nutrition labelling can influence consumers’ assessments of food healthiness and their food choices. However, there is a lack of consensus about the optimal type and amount of nutrition information to provide on food packages. This study analysed consumers’ preferences for front-of-pack information relating to energy and various nutrients (sugar, saturated fat, sodium, fibre, carbohydrate, and protein). The aim was to identify discrete preference segments within the Australian market where the current Health Star Rating front-of-pack labelling system can be displayed with different levels of nutrition information. Adults (n = 1558) completed a survey assessing socio-demographics, self-reported nutrition knowledge, diet healthiness, special dietary requirements, and perceived importance of the provision of energy and nutrient information on the front of food packs. Latent profile analysis identified five consumer segments within the sample that ranged from groups exhibiting high levels of interest in various forms of nutrition information to one with very low interest and one with divergent scores according to whether nutrients were perceived as positive or negative for health. The results indicate that different forms of front-of-pack labelling featuring varying degrees of information about energy and specific nutrients are likely to be of interest and use to different market segments.

Description: Chocolate, which is produced from cocoa, exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that ameliorate neurodegenerative diseases. We hypothesized that chocolate consumption would protect against hearing loss and tinnitus. We evaluated the hearing and tinnitus data, as well as the chocolate consumption, of middle-aged participants (40–64 years of age) of the 2012–2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. All of the subjects underwent a medical interview, physical examination, audiological evaluation, tinnitus questionnaire, and nutrition examination. A total of 3575 subjects 40–64 years of age were enrolled. The rate of any hearing loss (unilateral or bilateral) in the subjects who consumed chocolate (26.78% (338/1262)) was significantly lower than that in those who did not (35.97% (832/2313)) (p 〈 0.001). Chocolate consumption was independently associated with low odds of any hearing loss (adjusted odds ratio = 0.83, 95% confidence interval = 0.70 to 0.98, p = 0.03). Moreover, the severity of hearing loss was inversely correlated with the frequency of chocolate consumption. In contrast to chocolate, there was no association between hearing loss and the consumption of sweet products without cocoa. Chocolate consumption was also not associated with tinnitus or tinnitus-related annoyance. Our results suggest that a chocolate-based diet may protect middle-aged people from hearing loss.

Description: Little data is available regarding the energy and nutritional status of female collegiate team sport athletes. Twenty female NCAA Division II lacrosse athletes (mean ± SD: 20.4 ± 1.8 years; 68.8 ± 8.9 kg; 168.4 ± 6.6 cm; 27.9 ± 3% body fat) recorded dietary intake and wore a physical activity monitor over four consecutive days at five different time points (20 days total) during one academic year. Body composition, bone health, and resting metabolic rate were assessed in conjunction with wearing the monitor during off-season, pre-season, and season-play. Body fat percentage decreased slightly during the course of this study (p = 0.037). Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) (p 〈 0.001) and activity energy expenditure (AEE) (p = 0.001) energy were found to change significantly over the course of the year, with pre-season training resulting in the highest energy expenditures (TDEE: 2789 ± 391 kcal/day; AEE: 1001 ± 267 kcal/day). Caloric (2124 ± 448 kcal/day), carbohydrate (3.6 ± 1.1 g/kg), and protein (1.2 ± 0.3 g/kg) intake did not change over the course of the year (p 〉 0.05). Athletes self-reported a moderate negative energy balance (366–719 kcal/day) and low energy availability (22.9–30.4 kcal/kg FFM) at each measurement period throughout the study. Reported caloric and macronutrient intake was low given the recorded energy expenditure and macronutrient intake recommendations for athletes. Athletic support staff should provide athletes with appropriate fueling strategies, particularly during pre-season training, to adequately meet energy demands.

Description: Flavan-3-ols are the main contributors to polyphenol intake. Many varying beneficial health effects in humans have been attributed to them, including the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which these flavonoids could exert beneficial functions are not entirely known. Several in vitro studies and in vivo animal models have tried to elucidate the role of the specific colonic metabolites on the health properties that are attributed to the parent compounds since a larger number of ingested flavan-3-ols reach the colon and undergo there microbial metabolism. Many new studies about this topic have been performed over the last few years and, to the best of our knowledge, no scientific literature review regarding the bioactivity of all identified microbial metabolites of flavan-3-ols has been recently published. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present the current status of knowledge on the potential health benefits of flavan-3-ol microbial metabolites in humans while using the latest evidence on their biological activity.

Description: Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a tropical fruit which is considered to be a source of dietary fiber (DF) and phenolic compounds (PCs). In this study, high DF mango-based fruit bars were developed from whole mango (peel and pulp). The bars were evaluated for their nutritional composition, the bioaccesibility of PCs during gastrointestinal digestion, and the PCs metabolites profile after in vitro colonic fermentation. The amount of DF in a 30 g portion of mango bars was 9.5 g, i.e., 35% of the recommended daily intake. Phenolic acids such as gallic acid; cinnamic acids, such as ferulic, coumaric, and caffeic acids; flavonoids such as quercertin; and xanthones such as mangiferin and mangiferin gallate, were identified as the main PCs in the bars. The antioxidant capacity associated with the PCs profile, together with the high DF content are indicative of the potential functional features of these natural fruit bars. The bioaccesibility of PCs in the mango bar was 53.78%. During fermentation, the PCs were bioconverted mainly to hydroxyphenolic acids and the main short-chain fatty acid produced was acetic acid. The xanthone norathyriol was identified after 12 h of fermentation. This study on the digestion and colonic fermentation of mango-based bars using in vitro models provides hints of the potential physiological behavior of PCs associated with DF, which constitutes relevant information for further development of natural and health-promoting fruit-based bars.

Description: Observational studies have reported a cardioprotective effect of vitamin E whereas intervention trials failed to confirm its beneficial effects, and even some reported adverse effects of vitamin E supplements on coronary artery disease (CAD). To clarify, we conducted a two-sample mendelian randomization study to investigate causal association of vitamin E with the risk of CAD. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in a genome-wide analysis study including 7781 individuals of European descent, rs964184, rs2108622, and rs11057830 were used as the genetic instruments for vitamin E. Data for CAD/myocardial infarction (MI) were available from Coronary ARtery DIsease Genome wide Replication and Meta-analysis (CARDIoGRAM) plus The Coronary Artery Disease (C4D) Genetics consortium. The effect of each SNP on CAD/myocardial infarction (MI) was weighted by its effect on serum vitamin E (mg/L), and results were pooled to give a summary estimates for the effect of increased vitamin E on risk of CAD/MI. Based on 3 SNPs each 1 mg/L increase in vitamin E was significantly associated with CAD (odds ratio (OR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.06), MI (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03–1.05), elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.021 standard deviations (SD), 95% CI 0.016, 0.027), triglycerides (0.026 SD, 95% CI 0.021, 0.031), and total cholesterol (0.043 SD, 95% CI 0.038, 0.048) and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−0.019 SD 95% CI −0.024, −0.014). Our findings indicate that higher vitamin E may increase the risk of CAD/MI and the safety and efficacy of vitamin E supplementation use should be reevaluated.

Description: As nutrition is one of the modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline, we studied the relationship between dietary quality and clinical characteristics in cognitively normal individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). We included 165 SCD subjects (age: 64 ± 8 years; 45% female) from the SCIENCe project, a prospective memory clinic based cohort study on SCD. The Dutch Healthy Diet Food Frequency Questionnaire (DHD-FFQ) was used to assess adherence to Dutch guidelines on vegetable, fruit, fibers, fish, saturated fat, trans fatty acids, salt and alcohol intake (item score 0–10, higher score indicating better adherence). We measured global cognition (Mini Mental State Examination), cognitive complaints (Cognitive Change Index self-report; CCI) and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; CES-D). Using principal component analysis, we identified dietary components and investigated their relation to clinical characteristics using linear regression models adjusted for age, sex and education. We identified three dietary patterns: (i) “low-Fat-low-Salt”, (ii) “high-Veggy”, and (iii) “low-Alcohol-low-Fish”. Individuals with lower adherence on “low-Fat-low-Salt” had more depressive symptoms (β −0.18 (−2.27–−0.16)). Higher adherence to “high-Veggy” was associated with higher MMSE scores (β 0.30 (0.21–0.64)). No associations were found with the low-Alcohol-low-Fish component. We showed that in SCD subjects, dietary quality was related to clinically relevant outcomes. These findings could be useful to identify individuals that might benefit most from nutritional prevention strategies to optimize brain health.

Description: Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) recommend exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months, partial breastfeeding until 1 year or longer and irrespective of breastfeeding, avoiding solid foods before 4 months. Strong evidence was found for benefits of breastfeeding regarding growth and infections but limited/inconclusive evidence regarding atopic disease and asthma. Vitamin D is of special interest in the Nordic diet. The aim of this prospective study was to compare infant feeding and vitamin D between immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitized (n = 14) and non-sensitized (n = 130) children at 6 years. Information on diet and vitamin D supplement use were collected with dietary recall (

Description: The prevalence and associated factors of daily life restrictions due to a gluten-free diet in adult celiac disease patients diagnosed in childhood are poorly known. We investigated these issues by collecting the medical data of 955 pediatric patients and sending questionnaires evaluating various health outcomes to the 559 patients who had reached adulthood. Of the 231 respondents, 46% reported everyday life restrictions caused by dietary treatment. Compared with those without restrictions, they more often had anemia at diagnosis (37% vs. 22%, p = 0.014), but the groups were comparable in other diagnostic features. In adulthood, patients with restrictions reported more overall symptoms (32% vs. 17%, p = 0.006), although the symptoms measured with the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale questionnaire were comparable. Despite strict dietary adherence in both groups, the experience of restrictions was associated with dietary challenges (34% vs. 9%, p 〈 0.001), health concerns (22% vs. 13%, p = 0.050), and lower vitality scores in the Psychological General Well-Being questionnaire. The groups did not differ in their current age, socioeconomic status, family history of celiac disease, general health or health-related lifestyle, the presence of co-morbidities, or regular follow up. Our results encourage healthcare professionals to discuss the possible health concerns and dietary challenges with patients to avoid unnecessary daily life restrictions, especially when young patients start to take responsibility for their treatment.

Description: Selenium, an essential trace element known mainly for its antioxidant properties, is critical for proper brain function and regulation of energy metabolism. Whole-body knockout of the selenium recycling enzyme, selenocysteine lyase (Scly), increases susceptibility to metabolic syndrome and diet-induced obesity in mice. Scly knockout mice also have decreased selenoprotein expression levels in the hypothalamus, a key regulator of energy homeostasis. This study investigated the role of selenium in whole-body metabolism regulation using a mouse model with hypothalamic knockout of Scly. Agouti-related peptide (Agrp) promoter-driven Scly knockout resulted in reduced weight gain and adiposity while on a high-fat diet (HFD). Scly-Agrp knockout mice had reduced Agrp expression in the hypothalamus, as measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). IHC also revealed that while control mice developed HFD-induced leptin resistance in the arcuate nucleus, Scly-Agrp knockout mice maintained leptin sensitivity. Brown adipose tissue from Scly-Agrp knockout mice had reduced lipid deposition and increased expression of the thermogenic marker uncoupled protein-1. This study sheds light on the important role of selenium utilization in energy homeostasis, provides new information on the interplay between the central nervous system and whole-body metabolism, and may help identify key targets of interest for therapeutic treatment of metabolic disorders.

Description: Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (S. chinensis) is a well-known botanical medicine and nutritional supplement that has been shown to have potential effects on neurodegeneration. To investigate the potential neuroprotective effect of S. chinensis fruit extract, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) was used to induce behavioral disorders and dopaminergic neuronal damage in mice, and biochemical indicators were examined. Male C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the MPTP-induced parkinsonian syndrome model. Open field and rotarod tests were performed to evaluate the overall manifestation of motor deficits and rodent motor coordination. The mice were divided into 8 groups as follows: normal control; MPTP alone (25 mg/kg, i.p.); S. chinensis extract pretreatment (0.5, 1.5, 5 g/kg, p.o.); and S. chinensis extract treatment (0.5, 1.5, 5 g/kg, p.o.). Liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection was used to monitor neurochemicals in the striatum. Tyrosine hydroxylase content was measured by immunohistochemistry, and biochemical antioxidative indicators were used to evaluate the potential neuroprotective effects of S. chinensis fruit extract. The results demonstrated that treatment with S. chinensis fruit extract ameliorated MPTP-induced deficits in behavior, exercise balance, dopamine level, dopaminergic neurons, and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells in the striatum of mice. Among the pretreated and treatment groups, a high dose of S. chinensis fruit extract was the most effective treatment. In conclusion, S. chinensis fruit extract is a potential herbal drug candidate for the amelioration and prevention of Parkinson’s disease.

Description: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare the effect of High-Glycemic Index (GI) versus Low-GI breakfasts on cognitive functions, including memory and attention, of children and adolescents. We systematically searched the MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science databases, from their inception until June 2019. Articles comparing the effect of Low-GI versus High-GI breakfasts on the cognitive function (i.e., immediate memory, delayed memory, and attention) of children and adolescents were included. The DerSimonian and Laird method was used to compute the pooled effect sizes (ESs) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The pooled ESs were 0.13 (95% CI: −0.11, 0.37) for immediate memory and 0.07 (95% CI: −0.15, 0.28) for delayed memory. For attention, the pooled ES was −0.01 (95% CI: −0.27, 0.26). In summary, GI breakfasts do not affect cognitive domains in children and adolescents.

Description: Background: Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI), the most common sensory deficit in the elderly, is associated with enormous social and public health burdens. Emerging evidence has suggested that obesity and comorbidities might increase the risk of ARHI. However, no reviews have been published that address the role of nutritional interventions for obesity and comorbidities in the prevention of ARHI. Methods: A PubMed database search was conducted to identify the relationship between obesity and ARHI. “Obesity”, “metabolic syndrome”, “adipose-derived hormone”, “fatty acid”, and “age-related hearing impairment” were included as keywords. Results: A total of 89 articles was analyzed with 39 articles of relevance to ARHI. A high-fat diet may induce oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and apoptosis in the inner ear. Statins have been shown to delay the progression of ARHI by improving the lipid profile, reducing oxidative stress, and inhibiting endothelial inflammation. Aldosterone could exert protective effects against ARHI by upregulating the Na-K-2Cl co-transporter 1 in the cochlea. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could preserve the cochlear microcirculation by reducing dyslipidemia and inhibiting inflammation. Alpha-lipoic acid and lecithin might delay the progression of ARHI by protecting cochlear mitochondrial DNA from damage due to oxidative stress. Tea and ginseng might protect against ARHI through their anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. Conclusions: Nutritional interventions for obesity and comorbidities, including a low-fat diet, supplementation with statins, aldosterone, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, alpha-lipoic acids, lecithin, tea, and ginseng, may protect against the development of ARHI.

Description: Background: To describe the availability and nutrient composition of U.S. commercially available squeeze pouch infant and toddler foods in 2015. Materials and Methods: Data were from information presented on nutrition labels for 703 ready-to-serve, pureed food products from 24 major U.S. infant and toddler food brands. We described nutritional components (e.g., calories, fat) and compared them between packaging types (squeeze pouch versus other packaging types) within food categories. Results: 397 (56%) of the analyzed food products were packaged as squeeze pouches. Differences in 13 nutritional components between squeeze pouch versus other packaging types were generally small and varied by food category. Squeeze pouches in the fruits and vegetables, fruit-based, and vegetable-based categories were more likely to contain added sugars than other package types. Conclusion: In 2015, squeeze pouches were prevalent in the U.S. commercial infant and toddler food market. Nutrient composition differed between squeeze pouches and other packaging types for some macro- and micronutrients. Although it is recommended that infants and toddlers under two years old not consume any added sugars, a specific area of concern may be the inclusion of sources of added sugar in squeeze pouches. Linking this information with children’s dietary intake would facilitate understanding how these differences affect overall diet quality.

Description: Background: This study evaluates whether the initial amount of dietary protein intake could influence the combined effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and citrulline (CIT), or HIIT alone, on body composition, muscle strength, and functional capacities in obese older adults. Methods: Seventy-three sedentary obese older men and women who completed a 12-week elliptical HIIT program with double-blinded randomized supplementation of CIT or placebo (PLA) were divided into four groups according to their initial protein intake (CIT–PROT+: n = 21; CIT–PROT−: n = 19; PLA–PROT+: n = 19; PLA–PROT−: n = 14). Body composition (fat and fat-free masses), handgrip (HSr) strength, knee extensor (KESr) strength, muscle power, and functional capacities were measured pre-intervention and post-intervention. Results: Following the intervention, the four groups improved significantly regarding all the parameters measured. For the same initial amount of protein intake, the CIT–PROT− group decreased more gynoid fat mass (p = 0.04) than the PLA–PROT− group. The CIT–PROT+ group increased more KESr (p = 0.04) than the PLA–PROT+ group. In addition, the CIT–PROT− group decreased more gynoid FM (p = 0.02) and improved more leg FFM (p = 0.02) and HSr (p = 0.02) than the CIT–PROT+ group. Conclusion: HIIT combined with CIT induced greater positive changes than in the PLA groups. The combination seems more beneficial in participants consuming less than 1 g/kg/d of protein, since greater improvements on body composition and muscle strength were observed.

Description: Background: Although there is a growing number of early childhood obesity prevention programs, only a few of them are effective in the long run. Even fewer reports exist on lifetime cost-effectiveness of early prevention strategies. This paper aimed to assess the lifetime cost-effectiveness of infant feeding modification aiming at reducing risk of later obesity. Methods: The simulation model consists of two parts: (a) Model I used data from the European Childhood Obesity Project (CHOP) trial (up to 6 years) and the German Interview and Examination Survey for Children (KiGGS) (6–17 years) to evaluate BMI trajectories of infants receiving either lower protein (LP) or higher protein (HP) content formula; and (b) Model II estimated lifetime cost-effectiveness based on Model I BMI trajectories. Compared to HP formula, LP formula feeding would incur lower costs that are attributable to childhood obesity across all decades of life. Results: Our analysis showed that LP formula would be cost-effective in terms of a positive net monetary benefit (discounted 3%) as an obesity prevention strategy. For the 19% of infants fed with formula in Germany, the LP strategy would result in cost savings of € 2.5 billion. Conclusions: Our study is one of the first efforts to provide much-needed cost-effectiveness evidence of infant feeding modification, thereby potentially motivating interventionists to reassess their resource allocation.

Description: Background. Although Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) can benefit the immune status, the effects of LcS in the immune/inflammatory responses of marathon runners has never been evaluated. Therefore, here we evaluated the effect of daily ingestion of fermented milk containing or not LcS in the systemic and upper airway immune/inflammatory responses before and after a marathon. Methods. Forty-two male marathon runners ingested a fermented milk containing 40 billion of LcS/day (LcS group, n = 20) or placebo (unfermented milk, n = 22) during 30 days pre-marathon. Immune/inflammatory parameters in nasal mucosa and serum, as well as concentrations of secretory IgA (SIgA) and antimicrobial peptides in saliva, were evaluated before and after fermented milk ingestion, immediately, 72 h, and 14 d post-marathon. Results. Higher proinflammatory cytokine levels in serum and nasal mucosa, and also lower salivary levels of SIgA and antimicrobial peptides, were found immediately post-marathon in the placebo group compared to other time points and to LcS group. In opposite, higher anti-inflammatory levels and reduced neutrophil infiltration on nasal mucosa were found in the LcS group compared to other time points and to the placebo group. Conclusion. For the first time, it is shown that LcS is able to modulate the systemic and airways immune responses post-marathon.

Description: This study examined the feasibility of including myfood24, an online 24-hour dietary recall tool, in a cohort studies of older adults. Participants (n = 319) were recruited during follow-up visits for the CHARIOT-Pro Sub-study, a prospective study of cognitively healthy adults aged 60–85 years at baseline. Email invitations were sent over three consecutive months, with weekly reminders. Multivariable regression models were applied to examine the number of recalls completed in relation to technology readiness (TR) scores and demographic characteristics. Ninety-four percent of people agreed to participate. Among participants, 67% completed at least one recall, and 48% completed two or more. Participants who completed multiple recalls reported higher self-confidence with technology and received a higher TR score than those who did not complete any recalls. A one-point higher TR score was associated with higher odds of completing three recalls compared to zero recalls (OR 1.70, 95% CI 0.96–3.01); this association was further attenuated after adjustment for demographic and other TR-related covariates (OR 1.35, 95% CI 0.63–2.88). This study demonstrates reasonable participation rates for a single myfood24 recall among older adults participating in a cohort study but suggests that further support may be required to obtain multiple recalls in this population.

Description: The purpose of this study was to determine if the associations between eating competence (EC) and eating behaviors that were found in a USA sample of predominantly Hispanic parents of 4th grade youth could be replicated in a USA sample of predominantly non-Hispanic white parents of 4th graders. Baseline responses from parents (n = 424; 94% white) of youth participating in a year-long educational intervention were collected using an online survey. Validated measures included the Satter Eating Competence Inventory (ecSI 2.0TM), in-home fruit/vegetable (FV) availability, healthful eating behavior modeling, and FV self-efficacy/outcome expectancies (SE/OE). Data were analyzed with general linear modeling and cluster analyses. The findings replicated those from the primarily Hispanic sample. Of the 408 completing all ecSI 2.0TM items, 86% were female, 65% had a 4-year degree or higher, and 53% were EC (ecSI 2.0TM score ≥ 32). Compared with non-EC parents, EC modeled more healthful eating, higher FV SE/OE, and more in-home FV availability. Behaviors clustered into those striving toward more healthful practices (strivers; n = 151) and those achieving them (thrivers; n = 255). Striver ecSI 2.0TM scores were lower than those of thrivers (29.6 ± 7.8 vs. 33.7 ± 7.6; p 〈 0.001). More EC parents demonstrated eating behaviors associated with childhood obesity prevention than non-EC parents, encouraging education that fosters parent EC, especially in tandem with youth nutrition education.

Description: Sodium intake in Argentina has been estimated to be at least double the dose of 2000 mg/day recommended by WHO, mostly coming from processed foods. Argentina is one of the few countries in the world that have regulated sodium content in certain food products. This study presents an assessment of sodium content in a selection of food groups and categories as reported in the nutrient information panels. We surveyed 3674 food products, and the sodium content of 864 and 1375 of them was compared to the maximum levels according to the Argentinean law and the regional targets, respectively. All food categories presented high variability of sodium content. Over 90% of the products included in the national sodium reduction law were found to be compliant. Food groups with high median sodium, such as condiments, sauces and spreads, and fish and fish products, are not included in the national law. In turn, comparisons with the lower regional targets indicated that almost 50% of the products analyzed had sodium contents above the recommended values. This evidence suggests that enhancing sodium reduction in processed foods may be a necessity for public health objectives and it is also technically feasible in Argentina.

Description: Removal of sugar moieties from ginsenosides has been proposed to increase their biological effects in various disease models. In order to identify strains that can increase aglycone contents, we performed a screening using bacteria isolated from the feces of infants focusing on acid tolerance and β-glucosidase activity. We isolated 565 bacteria and selected Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis LT 19-2 (LT 19-2), which exhibited the highest β-glucosidase activity with strong acid tolerance. As red ginseng (RG) has been known to exert immunomodulatory functions, we fermented RG using LT 19-2 (FRG) and investigated whether this could alter the aglycone profile of ginsenosides and improve its immunomodulatory effect. FRG increased macrophage activity more potently compared to RG, demonstrated by higher TNF-α and IL-6 production. More importantly, the FRG treatment stimulated the proliferation of mouse splenocytes and increased TNF-α levels in bone marrow-derived macrophages, confirming that the enhanced immunomodulatory function can be recapitulated in primary immune cells. Examination of the molecular mechanism revealed that F-RG could induce phosphorylations of ERK, p38, JNK, and NF-κB. Analysis of the ginsenoside composition showed a decrease in Rb1, Re, Rc, and Rb3, accompanied by an increase in Rd, Rh1, F2, and Rg3, the corresponding aglycone metabolites, in FRG compared to RG. Collectively, LT 19-2 maybe used as a probiotic strain to improve the bioactivity of functional foods through modifying the aglycone/glycoside profile.

Description: The aim of this study was to examine whether using gender specific-portion size (GS-PS) improves the accuracy of nutrient intake assessment by a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ). For GS-PS quantification, a gram amount was assigned to each PS category for each food item for men and women separately using data from three 24 h dietary recalls (24HDRs) in a calibration study of the Multiethnic Cohort (men = 1141, women = 1150). Nutrient intakes were calculated from the QFFQ using the original-PS and the GS-PS, and were compared with 24HDRs. When intakes of energy and 15 nutrients were compared, absolute intakes calculated using the GS-PS were closer to intake levels of 24HDRs in both men and women. Using GS-PS did not affect intakes expressed as nutrient density or correlations between 24HDRs and the QFFQ. The current findings indicate that considering gender in PS determination can increase the accuracy of intake assessment by QFFQ for absolute nutrient intakes, but not for nutrient densities.

Description: The objective of this study was to identify key elements from the 2007 Canada’s Food Guide that should be included in a diet quality score aiming to reflect the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Dietary intakes of 998 adults (mean age: 43.2 years, 50% women) were used to obtain the Canadian Healthy Eating Index 2007 (C-HEI 2007) and Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI) scores, as well as a dietary pattern (DP) generated by the reduced rank regression (RRR) method. Based on these three scores, a modified version of the C-HEI 2007 (Modified C-HEI) was then proposed. The prevalence ratio (PR) of MetS was examined across diet quality scores using multivariate binomial regression analysis. A higher AHEI, Modified C-HEI, and a lower score for DP were all associated with a significantly lower prevalence of MetS (PR = 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.28, 0.64; PR = 0.39; 95% CI 0.23, 0.63; and PR = 0.48; 95% CI 0.31, 0.74, respectively), whereas C-HEI 2007 was not (PR = 0.68; 95% CI 0.47, 1.00). Results suggest that a Modified C-HEI that considers key elements from the C-HEI 2007 and the AHEI, as well the DP, shows that participants with a higher score are less likely to have MetS.

Description: The aim was to evaluate the effect of caffeine (CAF) and extra virgin coconut oil (CO), isolated or combined, on running performance in runners. Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled, and crossover study was conducted with thirteen recreational runners aged 18–40. All volunteers performed a 1600 m time trial at a 400 m track, each ingesting four different substances: (1) placebo (water), (2) decaffeinated coffee plus isolated CAF (DECAF + CAF), (3) decaffeinated coffee plus isolated CAF plus soy oil (DECAF + CAF + SO), and (4) decaffeinated coffee plus isolated CAF plus extra virgin coconut oil (DECAF + CAF + CO). The substances were ingested 60 min before the trials, the order of the situations was randomized, and there were one-week intervals between them. At the end of the trials, the Borg scale was applied to evaluate the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and the time was measured. Results: Our data did not show differences in running time among the trials (placebo: 7.64 ± 0.80, DECAF + CAF: 7.61 ± 1.02, DECAF + CAF + SO: 7.66 ± 0.89, and DECAF + CAF + CO: 7.58 ± 0.74 min; p = 0.93), nor RPE (placebo: 6.15 ± 2.03, DECAF + CAF: 6.00 ± 2.27, DECAF + CAF + SO: 6.54 ± 2.73, and DECAF + CAF + CO: 6.00 ± 2.45 score; p = 0.99). Lactate concentrations (placebo: 6.23 ± 2.72, DECAF + CAF: 4.43 ± 3.77, DECAF + CAF + SO: 5.29 ± 3.77, and DECAF + CAF + CO: 6.17 ± 4.18 mmol/L; p = 0.55) also was not modified. Conclusion: Our study shows that ingestion of decaffeinated coffee with the addition of isolated CAF and extra virgin CO, either isolated or combined, does not improve 1600 m running times, nor influence RPE and lactate concentrations in recreational runners. Thus, combination of coffee with CO as a pre-workout supplement seems to be unsubstantiated for a short-distance race.

Description: Alterations in pubertal timing have been associated with long-term health outcomes. While a few reports have shown that dietary intake of selenium is associated with fertility and testosterone levels in men, no human studies have considered the association between selenium and pubertal development in children. We examined the cross-sectional association of childhood dietary intake of selenium with pubertal development among 274 girls and 245 boys aged 10–18 years in Mexico City. Multiple logistic and ordinal regression models were used to capture the association between energy-adjusted selenium intake (below Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) vs. above RDA) and stages of sexual maturity in children, adjusted for covariates. We found that boys with consumption of selenium below the RDA had lower odds of a higher stage for pubic hair growth (odds ratio (OR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.27–0.97) and genital development (OR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.28–0.99) as well as a lower probability of having matured testicular volume (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15–0.88) compared with boys who had adequate daily dietary intake of selenium (above RDA). No associations were found in girls. According to our results, it is possible that inadequate consumption of selenium may be associated with later pubertal development in boys, suggesting a sex-specific pattern. Future work with a larger sample size and measures of selenium biomarkers is needed to confirm our findings and improve understanding of the role of this mineral in children’s sexual development.

Description: The current study aimed to investigate growth, safety and tolerance of partially hydrolysed infant formulae in healthy full-term infants. Fully formula-fed infants were randomised ≤14 days of age to receive a partially hydrolysed whey formula with 2.27 g protein/100 kcal (pHF2.27) or the same formula with 1.8 g or 2.0 g protein/100 kcal (pHF1.8 and pHF2.0) until 4 months of age. The primary outcome was equivalence in daily weight gain within margins of ± 3 g/day; comparison with WHO Child Growth Standards; gastrointestinal tolerance parameters and number of (serious) adverse events were secondary outcomes. A total of 207 infants were randomised, and 61 (pHF1.8), 46 (pHF2.0) and 48 (pHF2.27) infants completed the study per protocol. Equivalence in daily weight gain was demonstrated for the comparison of pHF1.8 and pHF2.27, i.e., the estimated difference was −1.12 g/day (90% CI: [−2.72; 0.47]) but was inconclusive for the comparisons of pHF2.0 and pHF2.27 with a difference of −2.52 g/day (90% CI: [−4.23; −0.81]). All groups showed adequate infant growth in comparison with the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards. To conclude, the evaluated partially hydrolysed formulae varying in protein content support adequate growth and are safe and well tolerated in healthy infants.

Description: Background: Since haemodialysis is a lifesaving therapy, adequate control measures are necessary to evaluate its adequacy and to constantly adjust the dose to reduce hospitalisation and prolong patient survival. Malnutrition is common in haemodialysis patients and closely related to morbidity and mortality. Patients undergoing haemodialysis have a high prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition and inflammation, along with abnormal iron status. The haemodialysis dose delivered is an important predictor of patient outcome. Aim: To evaluate through haemodialysis adequacy, which parameter(s), if any, better predict Kt/V, among those used to assess nutritional status, inflammation response, and iron status. Methods: We retrospectively studied 78 patients undergoing haemodialysis due to end-stage renal disease. As parameters of nutritional status, geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), transferrin levels, lymphocyte count, and albumin concentration were analysed. As signs of inflammation, C reactive protein (CRP) levels and ferritin concentrations were studied as well. Iron status was evaluated by both transferrin and ferritin levels, as well as by haemoglobin (Hb) concentration. Results: The core finding of our retrospective study is that transferrin levels predict the adequacy of haemodialysis expressed as Kt/V; the latter is the only predictor (P = 0.001) when adjusting for CRP concentrations, a solid marker of inflammation, and for ferritin levels considered an iron-storage protein, but also a parameter of inflammatory response. Discussion and Conclusion: In keeping with the results of this study, we underline that the use of transferrin levels to assess haemodialysis quality combine into a single test the evaluation of the three most important factors of protein-energy wasting.

Description: Wild ginseng is known to contain additional physiologically and pharmacologically active substances than common ginseng. The utilization of this herb can be maximized by altering its composition via tissue culture generating adventitious roots. We enriched the content of specific ginsenosides and investigated their role in ameliorating memory impairment. Cultured wild ginseng root was subjected to extraction, steaming, and fermentation using Pediococcus pentosaceus HLJG0702 to enhance the levels of ginsenosides Rg5 /Rk1. The analysis of product, HLJG0701, confirmed target ginsenosides. We analyzed the inhibitory effect of ginsenoside Rg5/Rk1, HLJG0701 and the raw material on acetylcholinesterase. Further, we performed Morris water maze, Y-maze, and passive avoidance tasks with mice exhibiting memory deficit induced by scopolamine, and we analyzed the concentrations of acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine in their brains. Studies showed that the levels of ginsenosides Rg5 /Rk1, not found in the raw material, were enhanced in HLJG0701. Ginsenosides and HLJG0701 significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase unlike the raw material. In all behavioral tasks, HLJG0701 showed memory improvement. It reduced acetylcholinesterase, whereas, it preserved acetylcholine in brain. In conclusion, cultured wild ginseng root extract fermented by P. pentosaceus HLJG0702 contains the distinctive ginsenosides Rg5/Rk1, which may ameliorate memory impairment via inhibition of acetylcholinesterase resulting in increased acetylcholine levels in the brain.

Description: Single nutrients or food groups have been associated with physical performance. However, little is known about the association of overall diet quality with hand grip strength (HGS), a predictive parameter in the prognosis of chronic disease morbidity and mortality, or quality of life. This study examined the association between HGS and three indices—the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI), the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED), and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)—using data obtained on Korean elderly persons aged ≥65 years (n = 3675) from a nationally representative database. The cross-sectional data was collected as part of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2014–2016). Dietary intake data from the 24-h recall method were used to calculate diet quality scores. The cutoff value for low HGS was defined as the value corresponding to the lowest 20th percentile of HGS of the study population (men, 28.6 kg; women, 16.5 kg). Higher index scores for diet quality were associated with 32%–53% lower odds of low HGS. Better overall diet quality may be associated with higher HGS in the elderly Korean population.

Description: Consumption of dietary bioactives is an avenue to enhancing the effective healthiness of diets by attenuating the glycaemic response. The intestinal brush border enzyme sucrase-isomaltase (SI) is the sole enzyme hydrolysing consumed sucrose, and we previously showed the acute effects of olive leaf extract (OLE) on sucrase activity when given together with sugars both in vitro and in vivo. Here we tested whether OLE could affect sucrase expression when pre-incubated chronically, a “priming” effect not dependent on competitive interaction with SI, in both a cell model and a human intervention. Using differentiated Caco-2/TC7 cells, long-term pre-treatment with oleuropein-rich olive leaf extract (OLE) lowered SI mRNA, surface protein and activity, and attenuated subsequent sucrose hydrolysis. Based on these results, a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot study was conducted. OLE (50 mg oleuropein) was consumed in capsule form 3 times a day for 1 week by 11 healthy young women followed by an oral sucrose tolerance test in the absence of OLE. However this treatment, compared to placebo, did not induce a change in post-prandial blood glucose maximum concentration (Glcmax), time to reach Glcmax and incremental area under the curve. These results indicate that changes in SI mRNA, protein and activity in an intestinal cell model by OLE are not sufficient under these conditions to induce a functional effect in vivo in healthy volunteers.

Description: The Asian food pattern primarily embraces rice and rice-based products, which mainly comprise 90% starch. Among these various food products, Idli is mostly prepared through fermentation. It has high palatability, and the rapid and highly digestible nature of the food product results in a higher post-glucose level in diabetic patients. A heat-treated Idli rice sample was prepared by roasting parboiled rice at the temperature range of 155 to 165 °C for 65 to 75 s. Idli/rice-based Dokala made from heat-treated rice is better when compared to untreated rice in terms of its microbiological profile and physiochemical properties. The proximate composition of heat-treated parboiled rice Idli/Rice Dokala showed slightly higher values than the untreated parboiled rice Idli/Rice Dokala, which reveals that it has marginally higher nutritive value. Determination of the Rapidly Available Glucose (RAG) and Slowly Available Glucose (SAG) values, SEM analysis, resistant starch analysis, microbial assay, and in vivo studies were performed to determine the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load in normal and diabetic persons. Sensory analysis also proved that heat-treated Idli/Rice Dokala is superior to untreated based on the color, flavor, appearance, taste, and texture.

Description: To facilitate a clinical observational study to identify healthy volunteers with low (defined as ≤4%) and high (defined as ≥5.5%) omega-3 indices, a dietary questionnaire to rapidly assess habitual dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was developed. This study aimed to determine the validity of this newly developed dietary questionnaire. One hundred and eight volunteers were included and were assessed for habitual dietary intake of EPA and DHA using the questionnaire. The United States Department of Agriculture food products database and nutrition fact label was referenced for calculation. Blood samples were collected for the analysis of fatty acids in whole blood specimens and to derive omega-3 indices. A linear correlation was observed between reported dietary consumption of EPA, DHA, EPA+DHA and the whole blood levels of EPA, DHA, and the omega-3 indices (r = 0.67, 0.62, 0.67, respectively, p 〈 0.001 for all). The findings also suggested that the questionnaire was substantially better at identifying volunteers with high omega-3 indices (sensitivity 89%, specificity 84%, and agreement 86%) compared to volunteers with low omega-3 indices (sensitivity 100%, specificity 66%, and agreement 42%). In conclusion, this newly developed questionnaire is an efficient tool for the assessment of omega-3 indices in study populations and is particularly effective in identifying individuals with high omega-3 indices.

Description: Dietary supplements (DSs) and nutritional supplements (NSs) can enhance performance, recovery or training adaptations, however, some substances, dosages, and usage protocols are unsafe. Knowledge of the type and extent of use within populations enables strategies to be formulated to promote safe and effective use (where needed) and to avoid adverse side effects. The purpose of this study was to understand DS and NS use by active-duty Australian soldiers. Surveys were distributed by e-mail and hard copy to eligible participants (n = 23,195). Respondents (males n = 1833; females n = 296) comprised 9.3% of the total population. Use of ≥1 DSs/week was reported by 76.4% of males and 86.8% of females, and use of ≥1 NSs/week was reported by 21.7% of males and 20.9% of females. The most commonly used supplements were protein or amino acids (55.6%), multivitamins and minerals (38.2%), other DSs (37.8%), individual vitamins and minerals (33.0%), and combination products (32.8%). Logistic regression revealed the number of DSs respondents used simultaneously was significantly different between males and females, age groups, BMI ranges, and body weight actions. Engagement in special operations was a significant predictor of the use of any DS, individual vitamin and minerals and multivitamin and minerals. Approximately 16% of regular DS users reported experiencing one or more side effects, with the most common being palpitations (10.6%), tingling or numbness in the face, fingers, arms, or legs (5.5%), tremors or shaking (2.9%), flushing (2.3%), headache (2.0%), abdominal pain (1.6%), anxiety (1.4%), and dizziness or confusion (0.9%). The results revealed more prevalent use of several categories of DSs and NSs among some subgroups. Ongoing surveillance of DS and NS use is important for tracking trends in use over time and gauging the effectiveness of any strategies employed to enhance the quality of supplement use.

Description: Understanding older patients’ dietary intake patterns may improve the timing of strategies to address hospital malnutrition. The aims of this study were to explore longitudinally the change in daily energy (kJ/day) and protein (g/day) intake, and associated factors. Data were derived using a 5-point scale to visually estimate plate waste, and known nutrient composition data. Analyses determined the change in intake between admission and day 14, and admission, day 14 and day 28, respectively. Data were available for 39 participants between admission and day 14 (median (interquartile range) age 82 (78–87) years; 54% male) and 12 participants between admission, day 14 and day 28 (median (IQR) age 79 (69–84) years; 58% male). From admission to day 14 there was a significant increase in the mean (SD) daily intake of energy (6177 (1879) kJ/day vs. 7213 (1903), p 〈 0.001) and protein (63.7 (23) g/day vs. 76.4 (23.0) g/day, p = 0.003) but no change from admission to day 14 to day 28. There was a significant inverse relationship between amount consumed at admission and change in intake. Variability in elderly patients’ intake over time has implications for the timing of nutritional care and data collection in research studies.

Description: Personalized hydration strategies play a key role in optimizing the performance and safety of athletes during sporting activities. Clinicians should be aware of the many physiological, behavioral, logistical and psychological issues that determine both the athlete’s fluid needs during sport and his/her opportunity to address them; these are often specific to the environment, the event and the individual athlete. In this paper we address the major considerations for assessing hydration status in athletes and practical solutions to overcome obstacles of a given sport. Based on these solutions, practitioners can better advise athletes to develop practices that optimize hydration for their sports.

Description: Muscle thickness, measured by ultrasonography, has been investigated for nutritional assessment in older adults, however the associations between muscle ultrasound parameters in the lower limb and nutritional status have not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between muscle thickness echo intensity (EI), and nutritional status in home care residents. A cross sectional study was conducted involving 19 older adults from a home care in Malaga (Spain). We evaluated lower leg muscles by ultrasound, anthropometric data, physical function (measured by gait speed and the Short Physical Performance Battery), strength (handgrip and knee extensors strength) and nutritional status across the Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF). We found that muscle thickness assessed by ultrasonography independently predicts nutritional status by MNA-SF and after adjusting for handgrip strength or age and sex. As secondary findings, we found relations between strength, functional capacity and the MNA-SF test. These results suggest that lower leg muscle ultrasound parameters could be used as a low-cost objective method for muscle evaluation in nutritional assessment in older adults.