Current Nutrition Reports最新文献

Purpose of review: This review aims to systematically evaluate clinical and observational studies that assessed the influence of maternal vitamin B₁₂ supplementation and status on child neurodevelopment and cognition. Vitamin B₁₂ plays an essential role in fetal neurodevelopment. However, to date, no study has focused on gathering conclusions about the effect of supplementation and maternal levels of vitamin B₁₂ on neurodevelopment, focusing on child cognition. Therefore, the databases consulted included PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. The PRISMA guideline was used to conduct and report the review, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (version 2) (RoB 2) for randomized controlled trials and Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies - of interventions (ROBINS-I). The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42023476614.

Recent findings: Eleven studies were reviewed, including four randomized controlled trials and seven observational studies. The results demonstrated that maternal vitamin B₁₂ supplementation has an impact on the cognitive and language domains in children up to 42 months of age. Observational studies have also reported an association between maternal vitamin B₁₂ levels and overall neurodevelopment in children under two years of age. This systematic review highlights the importance of assessing maternal vitamin B₁₂ levels during pregnancy, considering potential adverse effects on child neurodevelopment. Given the limited number of included studies, particularly clinical trials, further research is required to clarify the findings of this review.

Purpose of review: Global, national, household and individual food security assessment varies as the challenges differ at every level. Household level assessment has gained the most attention recently. However, there are no standard measures or dimensions for measuring household food security (HHFS) but there are multidimensional tools that are evolving. This study aims to identify composite indices that have been developed to measure household food security and document the dimensions included within each, as well as the indicators and methodologies used within each index.

Recent findings: A systematic literature review was conducted according to PRISMA Statement 2020 reporting guidelines of the 34 studies included in the review, most are from low-income countries, particularly those in Africa and South Asia. Most studies selected a set of indicators under specified dimensions followed by aggregation to construct a composite index. Few studies resorted to aggregation of measures like Food Consumption Score, Coping Strategies Index, etc. Scoring techniques varied across literature with principal component analysis, latent class model and others being used for computation. Lack of a clear theoretical framework in the assessment of HHFS raises concerns about consistency between studies. Similar indicators were chosen under separate dimensions in different studies, such as "livestock" being classified under availability, access, and utilization dimensions in different studies. Studying the performance of composite food security index at different time periods can help in understanding the pattern of food security. There is a need for a clear theoretical framework for multidimensional food security indices used at the household level. Consistent methodologies would help in targeting vulnerable populations and allow a more focused approach to address challenging dimensions.

Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is an emerging condition marked by an obsessive focus on healthy eating, often resulting in impairments in well-being, daily functioning, and quality of life. Despite growing awareness, ON is not currently recognized in major psychiatric diagnostic systems, complicating its identification and clinical management.

Objective: This umbrella review aims to synthesize evidence from existing meta-analyses on the prevalence and associated factors of ON, while critically assessing the quality of the current literature.

Methods: A comprehensive review of five meta-analyses was conducted, focusing on ON prevalence rates, its psychological correlates, and the quality of the included studies. The review also evaluated heterogeneity in findings and the reliability of assessment tools used across studies.

Results: Prevalence estimates of ON showed wide variability due to differences in populations and assessment instruments. ON was significantly associated with compulsive exercise, eating disorder symptoms, obsessive-compulsive traits, and perfectionism. Newer diagnostic tools reveal a stronger connection between ON and obsessive-compulsive tendencies, while distinguishing it from traditional eating disorders, due to its focus on food purity rather than weight control. Methodological limitations, such as inconsistent assessment tools and variable study designs, limit the conclusiveness of current evidence, rendering most findings suggestive rather than definitive.

Discussion: The review highlights the need for standardized diagnostic criteria, validated screening instruments, and longitudinal studies to establish the clinical relevance of ON. Enhancing understanding of its psychological and behavioral foundations is crucial for improving diagnostic accuracy and developing effective interventions.

Purpose of review: While exercise and dietary interventions in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy have been demonstrated to be safe and feasible and improve patient-reported outcomes, the effects on treatment efficacy have not been widely examined and remain unclear. This review aimed to examine the effects of exercise, dietary, and combined interventions on tumour response and time-to-event outcomes in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Recent findings: A systematic review of intervention studies was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines Databases searched were PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the RoB2 and ROBINS-I tools. A total of 21 studies, involving 1,384 cancer patients, were included. Exercise interventions were studied in 13 studies, nine of which were controlled. Two studies reported improvements in tumour response, although none demonstrated a significant impact on survival outcomes. Dietary interventions were investigated in seven studies, all of which used either ketogenic diets or fasting-mimicking diets; three of these studies were controlled and recruited patients with breast cancer. Among all studies, three showed significant increases in tumour response and survival outcomes. Finally, only one study evaluated the combined effects of exercise and diet, reporting a significant increase in pathological complete response rates in the intervention group. Exercise and dietary interventions, particularly ketogenic and fasting-mimicking diets, may enhance tumour response and survival during chemotherapy in some cases. However, the current evidence is limited and inconsistent. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to better establish the efficacy of these interventions as adjuncts to chemotherapy.

Purpose of review: Our aims were to review literature describing the role and benefits of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) in cancer care, highlight barriers to the integration of MNT into standard clinical practice, and investigate strategies to improve access to MNT in the United States (US).

Recent findings: Patients with cancer benefit from receiving MNT, including individualized nutrition counseling, oral nutrition supplements, enteral nutrition, and parenteral nutrition. Recent evidence highlighted the efficacy of MNT in reducing treatment-related toxicity, risk of sarcopenia, gastrointestinal complications, and improving quality of life and overall prognosis. While MNT has been found to be efficacious, its implementation in cancer care is suboptimal due to lack of Medicare coverage for MNT, inadequate nutrition staff, lack of malnutrition screening practices, and low awareness and prioritization of nutrition support among medical professionals. Access to MNT remains limited due to challenges at the patient, healthcare provider, cancer center, community, and policy levels even though MNT is associated with improved outcomes among patients with cancer. Addressing these challenges will require a multi-layered strategy, including educating oncologists and other healthcare providers about nutrition, increasing the number of oncology dietitians, and advocating for legislative changes that pass the MNT Act into action.

Purpose of review: Millets are known as Nutri-cereals because they are excellent sources of proteins (7-12%), dietary fiber (15-20%) and have a good amount of essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, with the potential to provide several health benefits. However, their global utilization is limited due to lack of awareness, limited consumer knowledge, and the presence of anti-nutrients. Processing techniques can significantly improve their nutritional value, digestibility, and sensory properties.

Recent findings: Primary milling operations (cleaning, dehulling, milling), traditional processes (soaking, germination, fermentation, cooking), conventional industrial methods (extrusion, roasting, high-temperature short-time treatment), and novel non-thermal technologies (high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field, cold plasma, ultrasound, irradiation) have demonstrated substantial effects on millet quality. Traditional methods such as germination and fermentation reduce anti-nutrients (tannins and phytic acid are eliminated) while mineral bioavailability and antioxidant levels are increased. Industrial thermal methods, such as extrusion, improve protein digestibility, starch availability, and texture, whereas novel non-thermal technologies contribute to the extension of shelf life and to the enhancement of food safety. Processed millets can be incorporated into diverse food formulations, and combinations of different processing methods may further enhance their role for the fight against food insecurity, malnutrition, and global hunger while supporting sustainable development goals. Continued research and technological advancements are required to maximize the nutritional and economic potential of millet processing.

Purpose: A dozen medical articles describe poor vision from copper deficiency. They are collected here along with some ideas about copper nutrition, epidemiology, patient evaluation and treatment.

Recent findings: Clinical descriptions have been brief. Severe vision loss of a middle-aged woman improved from 20/400 to 20/25 with copper replacement for 10 months. The optimal chemical form, dose, duration or route of copper repletion are defined poorly. Copper gluconate is the preferred supplement; several mg of elemental copper usually should be given daily for months. Superoxide dismutase in erythrocytes is one of the more sensitive tests of deficiency.

Purpose of review: Despite current breastfeeding recommendations often stating postpartum weight loss is a positive outcome of breastfeeding, the research evidence is inconsistent, which may be due to the simplicity of body weight measurement not accounting for body composition. This systematic scoping review aimed to describe the existing literature on breastfeeding history and maternal body composition indicators.

Recent findings: Through a literature search using the PubMed database, 1,581 abstracts were obtained, and 33 studies with 80,118 participants were included in this review. History of breastfeeding was often self-reported and evaluated not only as any or no history, but also as type (e.g., exclusive or mixed breastfeeding) and/or duration. Maternal body composition indicator measures include fat/adiposity, muscle, skinfold thickness and circumference which are indicators of body fat, as overall or at specific regions of the body. Approximately three quarters of studies evaluated body composition within three years postpartum, and the remaining evaluated up to 20 years post parturition. Among 29 studies that evaluated for statistical significance, the majority found null associations between breastfeeding and body composition. Most studies that did find statistically significant associations found inverse associations with fat/adiposity, skinfold thickness, and circumference measures assessed at least six months postpartum. Future studies should be conducted to evaluate body composition measured after six months postpartum and include measures of muscle composition.