Current Nutrition Reports最新文献

Purpose of review: The microbiota-gut-brain-axis (MGBA) plays a role in the aetiology of mental disorders. Depression, a leading cause of disability worldwide, may be improved by probiotics. The aim of this narrative review is to investigate and synthesize the current evidence linking probiotic food supplementation with depressive symptomology.

Recent findings: The gut and the brain communicate and interact via the MGBA through inflammation and the immune system, short chain fatty acid production, neuronal innervation and activation as well as endocrine and neurotransmitter modulation. Dysregulation of gut-brain pathways are caused by gut dysbiosis and implicated in the onset, persistence and exacerbation of depression related symptoms. Modulation of the gut microbiota via administration of probiotics has shown to reduce depressive symptom severity with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains being the most reported. Probiotics may produce greater benefits in mild depression rather than in chronic, treatment resistant depression. Probiotic supplementation is a promising and safe approach for the prevention of severe depressive disorders in high-risk individuals such as people with subthreshold depression. However, the mechanistic pathways of the MGBA require further investigation and additional human clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the role of probiotics on depression.

Purpose of review: This review aims to explore the potential health effects of increasing the proportion of whole plant-based foods within a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), summarize the available evidence, and provide recommendations for future research on this topic.

Recent findings: Replacing animal-based foods by whole plant-based foods may enhance the health benefits of diets. Beyond evidence on individual food substitutions, an emerging body of literature points out that adopting a plant-forward Mediterranean diet may further amplify the positive health effects of the overall dietary pattern. Additionally, although the MedDiet is recognized as an environmentally sustainable pattern, a fully plant-based version could further reduce its environmental impact and resource use compared to an omnivorous diet. The MedDiet is widely recognized for its health benefits, particularly in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic conditions. These benefits are largely attributed to its emphasis on whole, plant-based foods. Although evidence is limited, current findings suggest that reducing the animal-based content of the traditional MedDiet, along with the increase in whole plant-based food, could lead to enhanced health benefits. Furthermore, the reduction in environmental pollution and resources overused could contribute to broader public health and sustainability. Long-term randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the comparative health effects of these dietary patterns.

Purpose of review: Eating disorders can profoundly impact reproductive health in females, spanning from the onset of puberty through menopause. The impact is due to a variety of factors, including nutritional status, body fat percentage, and hormone regulation. Notably, fertility and pregnancy are particularly vulnerable to undernutrition and disordered eating. This narrative review provides a comprehensive summary and discussion of available literature from the past 5 years exploring the impact of eating disorders on fertility, obstetric outcomes, and fetal outcomes.

Recent findings: Current literature demonstrates that EDs can have a negative impact on fertility, obstetric outcomes, and fetal outcomes. Primary research and systematic reviews support associations including increased use of assisted reproductive treatment for infertility, anemia and hyperemesis during pregnancy, and preterm delivery. Associated fetal outcomes include infant low birth weight, small for gestational age, and microcephaly. EDs, when unrecognized and left untreated, can negatively impact fertility, obstetric outcomes, and fetal outcomes. It is important for providers to be aware of these associations and implement screening to identify at-risk patients, as appropriate treatment can improve reproductive outcomes.

Purpose of review: This narrative review aims to determine the impact of postdiagnosis isoflavone intake, via supplements and foods, on breast cancer outcomes. Foods derived from soybeans are uniquely rich sources of isoflavones, naturally occurring compounds that can bind to estrogen receptors although the extent to which they exert estrogen-like effects in humans is unclear. Isoflavones have been rigorously investigated for a wide range of health benefits including breast cancer prevention. However, their classification as phytoestrogens has led to concern that isoflavones and hence, soy food consumption, could worsen the prognosis of women with breast cancer and interfere with the efficacy of endocrine therapy for this disease.

Recent findings: Research in athymic ovariectomized mice shows isoflavones stimulate the growth of existing estrogen-sensitive mammary tumors. However, extensive clinical research indicates that neither soy foods nor isolated isoflavones affect markers of breast cancer risk including mammographic density and breast cell proliferation. No effects are observed even when isoflavone exposure greatly exceeds typical intake in Asian countries. Furthermore, the results from epidemiologic studies indicate postdiagnosis isoflavone intake from soy foods reduces recurrence and possibly mortality from breast cancer. Additionally, the limited observational data do not show that isoflavones interfere with the efficacy of tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. Regardless of their treatment status, evidence indicates that women with breast cancer can safely consume soy foods. Limiting intake to no more than two servings of traditional Asian soy foods daily, an amount that provides approximately 50 mg isoflavones, is recommended, not because data indicate exceeding this amount is harmful, but because few population-based studies involved participants consuming more than this intake recommendation.

Purpose of review: Protecting the planet is protecting the future. Food production systems are among the most important human activities threatening planetary health. Diet, food systems, the environment, and health are interconnected. Accordingly, this review aims to assess the effects of nutrition on the planet and the relationship between some types of diets defined as sustainable and the planet and human health.

Recent findings: Many diets have been proposed to protect the planet and human health, but there is no consensus on which diet is best. It should not be forgotten that planetary health diets, plant-based diets, and vegetarian/vegan diets can reduce environmental pressure. Still, they cannot have the same effect in every country, and these diets may have different effects depending on the differences in the countries' income level, nutritional culture, and food systems. Moreover, it should not be overlooked that these diets may cause difficulties in terms of adaptation, cause deficiencies in some nutrients, and may not be suitable for all segments of society. Sustainable diets such as the Mediterranean and New Nordic, as well as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, are more flexible and acceptable. Instead of a globally recommended reference diet to protect the planet and human health, each country can analyze its food systems and choose the most appropriate food production methods and sustainable diet style to reduce environmental burden, improve health, and create policies accordingly, which can help achieve sustainable goals faster.

Purpose of the review: The aim of this review is to discuss and evaluate diabetic sarcopenia (DS) and its relationship with nutrition by discussing the mechanisms of diabetic sarcopenia in detail and comprehensively reviewing the literature.

Recent findings: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) affects approximately 25% of people aged 50 years and over and indicates a significant the cost of health for the elderly. Nutrition is an important part of these treatment approaches, and in this review, the literature was comprehensively reviewed, focusing on understanding the mechanisms of DS and discussing its relationship with nutrition. A comprehensive search was conducted on Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed from inception up to July 2024. The aim of nutritional treatment for DS is to improve muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance while improving diabetes-related metabolic risk and glucose levels. In this context, it is important to determine energy intake in individuals with DS according to calorie intake exceeding 30 kcal/kg. For these individuals, a protein intake of at least 1-1.2 g/kg/day is recommended, with an emphasis on the number and timing of meals and a nutritional pattern rich in branched chain amino acids (BCAA). In addition, it is important to adopt a diet rich in antioxidants and to choose diet patterns that contain sufficient levels of macro and micronutrients. The Mediterranean diet model can be a good diet option for individuals with DS. Comprehensive studies in this field are needed so that clinicians can make specific dietary recommendations for DS.

Purpose of review: To conduct an overview of the potentialities of artificial intelligence in precision nutrition.

Recent findings: A keyword co-occurrence analysis of 654 studies on artificial intelligence (AI) and precision nutrition (PN) highlighted the potential of AI techniques like Random Forest and Gradient Boosting in improving personalized dietary recommendations. These methods address gastrointestinal symptoms, weight management, and cardiometabolic markers, especially when incorporating data on gut microbiota. Despite its promise, challenges like data privacy, bias, and ethical concerns remain. AI must complement healthcare professionals, necessitating clear guidelines, robust governance, and ongoing research to ensure safe and effective applications. The integration of AI into PN enables highly personalized dietary recommendations by accounting for metabolic variability, genetics, and microbiome data. AI-driven strategies show potential in managing conditions like obesity and diabetes through accurate predictions of individual dietary responses. However, ethical, regulatory, and practical challenges must be addressed to ensure safe, equitable, and effective application of AI in nutrition.

Purpose of review: Cancer is a disease influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, with dietary lipids being a significant contributing factor. This review summarizes the role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the mechanism of tumor occurrence and development, and elucidate the role of PUFAs in tumor treatment.

Recent findings: PUFAs exert their impact on cancer through altering lipid composition in cell membranes, interacting with cell membrane lipid receptors, directly modulating gene expression in the cell nucleus, and participating in the metabolism of lipid mediators. Most omega-3 PUFAs are believed to inhibit cell proliferation, promote cancer cell death, suppress cancer metastasis, alter energy metabolism, inhibit tumor microenvironment inflammation, and regulate immune responses involving macrophages, T cells, NK cells, and others. However, certain omega-6 PUFAs exhibit weaker anti-tumor effects and may even promote tumor development, such as by fostering inflammatory tumor microenvironment and enhancing tumor cell proliferation. PUFAs play important roles in hallmarks of cancer including tumor cell proliferation, cell death, migration and invasion, energy metabolism remodeling, epigenetics, and immunity. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms of cancer development and offers options for dietary management of cancer.

Purpose of review: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common medical complication of pregnancy globally. Hyperglycaemia and associated production of reactive oxygen species can lead to oxidative stress in pregnancy. However, the potential effectiveness of increased antioxidant intake in the management of GDM has not been widely examined. Its usefulness alongside medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for assisting glycaemic control in women with GDM is poorly understood. This review aimed to establish the effect of antioxidant supplementation on the risk and management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Recent findings: A systematic review of intervention studies was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched were MEDLINE, CINAHL, Global Health, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane until September 2024. Random effects meta-analyses using Cochrane Review Manager software to establish the effect of antioxidant supplementation on glucose outcomes in women with GDM were conducted. A total of 13 studies (1380 participants) were included in the review with four different antioxidants used (selenium (n = 3); alpha-lipoic (n = 4); zinc (n = 5); e-3-gallate (n = 1)). Significant pre-post differences between antioxidant supplementation and control groups were found for fasting insulin (SMD, 95%CI) (-0.97 [-1.69 -0.24]; p = 0.009, HOMA-IR (-0.90 [-1.25, -0.54]; p < 0.0000, HOMA-B (-0.86 [-1.05, -0.67]; p < 0.00001 and QUICKI (1.09 [0.32,1.87]; p = 0.005 Heterogeneity was substantial (I² > 50%, p < 0.05) for all models except for HOMA-B (I² = 0%, p > 0.05). Antioxidant supplementation has possible benefit as an adjunct therapy to current dietary management for women with GDM. Further clinical trials are needed to establish the preferred type and dosage of antioxidants likely to be effective.

Purpose of review: Veganism, characterized by the exclusion of all animal-derived products, has grown in popularity due to ethical, environmental, and health considerations. However, vegan athletes often face unique nutritional challenges related to dietary deficiencies of critical nutrients such as proteins, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids, among others. This narrative review aims to explore the efficacy and benefits of vegan-friendly supplements specifically tailored to athletic performance, focusing on essential micronutrients, ergogenic aids, and nutrient bioavailability.

Recent findings: Nineteen key supplements are discussed, including protein powders, creatine, beta-alanine, caffeine, vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, calcium, iron, iodine, vitamin K2, selenium, probiotics, nitrates, electrolytes (including sodium and potassium), taurine, vitamin A, and magnesium. Evidence suggests that the integration of these supplements into personalized nutrition plans can bridge dietary gaps while addressing specific performance needs, potentially leveling the competitive field for vegan athletes. Recent studies also highlight research gaps in sex-specific needs, synergistic effects, and strategies to enhance the bioavailability of nutrients from whole foods. Vegan diets, while conferring various benefits, require careful consideration of nutrient intake for athletes seeking optimal performance. Personalized biochemical assessments should be considered when possible for tailoring specific nutritional guidelines for each case. This narrative review provides practical guidelines for clinicians, nutritionists, trainers, sports scientists, and athletes to design personalized supplementation strategies that address common nutritional shortfalls, enhance performance, and serve as a foundation for future research in vegan sports nutrition.