Current Nutrition Reports最新文献

Purpose of review: The review aims to present an overview of inmate health, focusing on lifestyle-related diseases, physical activity levels, and nutritional status. It also presents the B.A.C.I. (Benessere All'interno delle Carceri Italiane, well-being inside the Italian prisons) project, which aims to offers an innovative path of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) related to unhealthy lifestyles in prisons in the Campania region, Italy.

Recent findings: The global prison population has risen by 24% since the year 2000, with over 10.77 million people detained worldwide in 2021. In Italy alone, there are currently over 57,000 inmates. Inmates face a higher risk of NCDs such as cardiovascular disease due to unhealthy lifestyles characterized by poor diets and lack of physical activity. Additionally, sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, are prevalent among inmates, further contributing to health disparities. While physical activity has shown positive effects on inmate well-being, there is limited research on nutritional status and interventions in prison populations. Providing quality healthcare to inmates is an international policy norm, but the standards vary globally and are often inadequate. The economic burden of NCDs is rising, and this is exacerbated in prisons, making it challenging for individuals to reintegrate into society after release.

Purpose of review: Docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid are the two essential long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) promoting human health which are obtained from diet or supplementation. The eicosanoids derived from ω-6 and ω-3 PUFAs have opposite characteristics of pro- and anti-inflammatory activities. The proinflammatory effects of ω-6 PUFAs are behind the pathology of the adverse health conditions of PUFA metabolism like cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and inflammatory diseases. A balanced ω-6 to ω-3 ratio of 1-4:1 is critical to prevent the associated disorders. But due to modern agricultural practices, there is a disastrous shift in this ratio to 10-20:1. This review primarily aims to discuss the myriad health potentials of ω-3 PUFAs uncovered through recent research. It further manifests the importance of maintaining a balanced ω-6 to ω-3 PUFA ratio.

Recent findings: ω-3 PUFAs exhibit protective effects against diabetes mellitus-associated complications including diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and proteinuria. COVID-19 is also not an exception to the health benefits of ω-3 PUFAs. Supplementation of ω-3 PUFAs improved the respiratory and clinical symptoms in COVID-19 patients. ω-3 PUFAs exhibit a variety of health benefits including anti-inflammatory property and antimicrobial property and are effective in protecting against various health conditions like atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, COVID-19, and neurological disorders. In the present review, various health potentials of ω-3 PUFAs are extensively reviewed and summarized. Further, the importance of a balanced ω-6 to ω-3 PUFA ratio has been emphasized besides stating the diverse sources of ω-3 PUFA.

Purpose of review: Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of death among women aged 44-55 years globally. Pro-inflammatory food can cause tissue-level inflammation, thereby creating a carcinogenic microenvironment and promoting breast cancer. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the association between inflammation and nutrition and clinical outcomes in breast cancer survivors.

Recent findings: Pro-inflammatory diets are associated with a higher mortality risk after diagnosis and worse prognosis after treatment. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory diets may improve tissue-level inflammation and improve the overall prognosis and quality of life of survivors. There is strong evidence that the Mediterranean diet in particular is associated with reduced recurrence risk of breast cancer and improved quality of life of survivors. This narrative review provides evidence that there is a strong association between inflammation, dietary habits, and adverse clinical outcomes in breast cancer survivors. It further discusses the current evidence for the role of dietary management in improving clinical outcomes in breast cancer survivors.

Purpose of review: Human milk is the best source of nutrients for all infants. When a mother's own milk is unavailable, the World Health Organization suggests using donor human milk for premature neonates with or without medical complications. Exploring the barriers and facilitators for breast milk donation and its acceptability is essential for developing this intervention. A scoping review was conducted based on a methodological framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley (Int J Soc Res Methodol 8:19-32, 2005). A search was conducted in PubMed (NCBI), CINAHL (EBSCO), and Web of Science (Elsevier). A two-stage sequential screening process was adopted. Data extraction was done using a piloted data extraction form.

Recent findings: We included 20 articles for narrative synthesis. Barriers and facilitators for donating and accepting breast milk were categorized under six themes: individual, family, community, workplace, health system, and policy-related. The common individual barriers were time requirements for BMD, personal dislike of the process, lack of knowledge, insufficient milk, negative opinions, and lack of information. Family stigma, negative rumors, less educated family members, and illness of a family member were identified as family-related barriers. Community-related barriers include cultural or religious unacceptable practices, societal taboos, and distance to milk banks. The major barriers identified in relation to the health system were lack of practical and psychological support, lack of information, storing and transportation issues, lack of knowledge among HCWs, and logistical challenges of creating a milk lab. The common work-related barriers were the lack of adequate time, philosophical objections, and incomprehension at returning to work. Policy-related barriers identified include the need for hygiene requirements, donation costs, and lack of standardized guidelines. Making the donation process faster, providing pick-up services for donors, and community education and male partner engagement regarding breast milk donation could help to boost the acceptability of breast milk donation.

Purpose of review: The main purpose of this review, mainly based on preclinical studies, is to summarize the pharmacological and biochemical evidence regarding natural polyphenols against colorectal cancer and highlight areas that require future research.

Recent findings: Typically, colorectal cancer is a potentially preventable and curable cancer arising from benign precancerous polyps found in the colon's inner lining. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, with a lifetime risk of approximately 4 to 5%. Genetic background and environmental factors play major roles in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Theoretically, a multistep process of colorectal carcinogenesis provides enough time for anti-tumor pharmacotherapy of colorectal cancer. Chronic colonic inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota imbalance have been found to increase the risk for colorectal cancer development by creating genotoxic stress within the intestinal environment to generate genetic mutations and epigenetic modifications. Currently, numerous natural polyphenols have shown anti-tumor properties against colorectal cancer in preclinical research, especially in colorectal cancer cell lines. In this review, the current literature regarding the etiology and epidemiology of colorectal cancer is briefly outlined. We highlight the findings of natural polyphenols in colorectal cancer from in vitro and in vivo studies. The scarcity of human trials data undermines the clinical use of natural polyphenols as anti-colorectal cancer agents, which should be undertaken in the future.

Purpose of review: Obesity constitutes a major public health concern and has been recognized as an epidemic. To date, bariatric surgery remains the most effective way for substantial long-lasting weight loss in severe obesity. The purpose of this review is to summarize how the pharmacokinetics of drugs are affected by the most common types of bariatric surgery, i.e., Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

Recent findings: Limited data are available regarding the changes in pharmacokinetics of drugs after bariatric surgery. The lack of existing guidelines may lead patients to experience drug toxicity or therapeutic undertreatment. Pharmacokinetic parameters that need to be taken into consideration postoperatively include gastric motility, gastric volume, pH, surface area, bile secretions, carrier proteins, and first-pass metabolism. For drugs with a narrow therapeutic index, other factors need to be monitored closely, including plasma drug levels, patients' clinical outcomes, and laboratory markers. Patients should be followed up frequently and treated in accordance with their response to the drug therapy. Bariatric surgery may affect the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, due to the resultant anatomical changes and the substantial weight loss. Therefore, there is a need to identify those potential changes and adjust patients' medication doses in order to achieve higher efficacy and avoid toxicity.

Purpose of review: Fucoxanthin is an orange-red xanthophyll carotenoid found in brown seaweeds and known for its many bioactive properties. In recent years, the bioactive properties of fucoxanthin have been widely explored, making it a compound of immense interest for various health applications like anti-cancer, anti-tumour, anti-diabetic and anti-obesity properties. However, the poor bioavailability and instability of fucoxanthin in the gastrointestinal tract have major limitations. Encapsulation is a promising approach to overcome these challenges by enclosing fucoxanthin in a protective layer, such as liposomes or nano-particles. Encapsulation can improve the stability of fucoxanthin by protecting it from exposure to heat, pH, illumination, gastric acids and enzymes that can accelerate its degradation.

Recent findings: Studies have shown that lipid-based encapsulation systems such as liposomes or nano-structured lipid carriers may solubilise fucoxanthin and enhance its bioavailability (from 25 to 61.2%). In addition, encapsulation can also improve the solubility of hydrophobic fucoxanthin, which is important for its absorption and bioavailability. This review highlights the challenges involved in the absorption of fucoxanthin in the living system, role of micro- and nano-encapsulation of fucoxanthin and their potential to enhance intestinal absorption.

Purpose of review: Dietary patterns that include polyphenols may help manage cardiometabolic risk factors. Pigmented rice contains phenolic acids and flavonoids that contribute to its antioxidant properties. This review examined the effect of polyphenol-containing pigmented rice on antioxidant status, lipid profile, glucose/insulin, blood pressure, and weight among adults. Four electronic databases including PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for relevant articles published in English since 2000, using PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registration: CRD42022358132). Two-staged screening resulted in the inclusion of seventeen (seven acute, ten chronic) randomized controlled trials. A random effects model was conducted on cardiometabolic outcomes reported in at least three studies.

Recent findings: Acute intake increased plasma antioxidant activity and lowered postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Chronic consumption was associated with reductions in fasting glucose (WMD: -1.60 mg/dL; 95% CI:-3.05,-0.14, p = 0.03, k = 5, n = 349), weight (WMD: -0.23 kg, 95% CI: -0.44, -0.02, p = 0.03, k = 3, n = 182), and diastolic blood pressure (WMD: -1.39 mmHg, 95% CI: -2.21, -0.56, p = 0.001, k = 3, n = 185). No effect on total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure was found. The consumption of pigmented rice may improve cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the small number of studies and differences in study design, including participants' health status, form of rice utilized, and duration of intervention, support the need for more high-quality trials to further investigate these findings.

Purpose of review: As sport climbing has become an Olympic sport and keeps gaining in popularity, there is growing interest in the role of diet and the effect of dietary supplements on climbing performance. The aim of this review is to provide an insight into the dietary intake of climbers and discuss ergogenic aids that could improve their performance.

Recent findings: Limited information is available regarding the dietary intake and eating habits of climbers, and the studies conducted are few and far between. The diet of climbers is apparently suboptimal, with inadequate energy intakes often owning to insufficient carbohydrate consumption. Likewise, supplement use and ergogenic aids for climbing performance are largely unexplored. Several ergogenic aids have been suggested to improve climbing performance; however, only two have been examined directly on climbing-specific outcomes. The dietary intake, eating behaviors, and supplement use in sport climbers are not well studied, and available information is most likely outdated. Considerably, more work is needed to determine which ergogenic aids can be beneficial for climbing performance.

Purpose of review: There is a lack of synthesized evidence on social media-delivered lifestyle interventions for managing and preventing diabetes. This scoping review aims to evaluate recently reported lifestyle interventions delivered on social media for individuals with diabetes and prediabetes.

Recent findings: Twelve studies were included in this review. A team of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals coordinated most interventions, half of which lasted for 6 months, and used a combination of videos, texts, images or audio to deliver the educational materials. The glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level improved in most of the studies, followed by diabetes self-care and fasting plasma glucose. The dietary intakes were only assessed in two interventions among the individuals with prediabetes and showed promising improvements. This scoping review provides a holistic overview of the recent designs of lifestyle interventions for diabetes management and prevention on social media. This is essential for various healthcare professionals and stakeholders to formulate and implement population-based, cost-effective interventions in combating diabetes using social media.