International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research最新文献

During the last 100 years official dietary guidelines have recommended an increased consumption of fats derived from seeds while decreasing the consumption of traditional fats, especially saturated fats. These recommendations are being challenged by recent studies. Furthermore, the increased use of refining processes in fat production had deleterious health effects. Today, the number of high-quality studies on fatty acids is large enough to make useful recommendations on clinical application and everyday practice. Saturated fats have many beneficial functions and palmitic acid appears to be problematic only when it is synthesized due to excess fructose consumption. Trans fatty acids were shown to be harmful when they are manmade but beneficial when of natural origin. Conjugated linoleic acid has many benefits but the isomer mix that is available in supplement form differs from its natural origin and may better be avoided. The ω3 fatty acid linolenic acid has rather limited use as an anti-inflammatory agent - a fact that is frequently overlooked. On the other hand, the targeted use of long chain ω3 fatty acids based on blood analysis has great potential to supplement or even be an alternative to various pharmacological therapies. At the same time ω6 fatty acids like linoleic acid and arachidonic acid have important physiological functions and should not be avoided but their consumption needs to be balanced with long chain ω3 fatty acids. The quality and quantity of these fats together with appropriate antioxidative protection are critical for their positive health effects.

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of the sublingual route for the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency in infants. Background: Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in children. In breastfed infants, the main reason is maternal B12 deficiency. Parenteral administration is commonly prescribed. However, patient compliance is not satisfactory due to repeated painful parenteral applications. It is also known that the oral route is efficient in high doses. In recent years, the sublingual route has been tried. This route stands out due to its easy applicability and low cost. However, there are few efficacy studies in infants for the sublingual route. Materials and methods: The study included 49 infants aged 6-12 months. All infants with marginal or deficient B12 levels (<300 pg/mL) were incidentally detected and treated with sublingual methylcobalamin. Each dose was 1000 μg and administered once a day in the first week, every other day in the second week, twice a week in the third week, and once a week in the last week. Serum vitamin B12 levels were measured before and after the treatment. Paired Sample T-Test was used to compare variables. Results: All infants had normal physical development and had no hematological or neurological issues. It was learned from the parents that the infants tolerated treatment well, and no side effects related to the treatment, such as vomiting or rash, were observed. Before and after the treatment, the mean vitamin B12 levels were 199±57 pg/mL and 684±336 pg/ml, respectively. The difference between the means was statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: According to the study, it seems possible to treat vitamin B12 deficiency via a sublingual route in infants. In addition, methylcobalamin can be an alternative to the commonly used cyanocobalamin.

Background: Only few food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) have been specifically designed and validated for toddlers. There is no valid instrument to assess usual intakes of Iranian toddlers. The present study was designed to develop a FFQ, and to examine its validity and reliability among toddlers. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 in Iran. Mothers of 100 toddlers completed a semi-quantitative FFQ with 99 items as well as three non-consecutive dietary records. Data on maternal age, education, toddler gender, birth order, birth weight, current weight and height, and the age of beginning complementary foods were collected. By comparing the results obtained from dietary records and the FFQ, we assessed the relative validity. Reliability was evaluated by intra-class correlation coefficients between results of two FFQs administered with four weeks intervals to the same participants (n=20), as well as weighted kappa. The Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the level of agreement between two FFQs. Results: Mean and standard deviation (SD) of age was 32.71 (4.76) years and 22.42 (3.52) months, for mothers and toddlers, respectively. The FFQ showed acceptable validity and reliability. The correlation coefficients for the first FFQ were 0.82 (energy), 0.81 (fats), 0.60 (carbohydrate), 0.96 (calcium), 0.39 (iron) and 0.24 (vitamin C), all P-values were <0.001, except for vitamin C (P: 0.02). Reliability coefficients were between 0.77 (vitamin C) and 0.99 (calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin E and D). The Cronbach's Alpha was 0.91, showing high reliability. Conclusion: The present study provided a thorough assessment of both validity and reliability of T-FFQ, and indicated acceptable validity as compared with three-day dietary records and good reliability. Therefore, this FFQ could be a useful tool to evaluate usual dietary intake of toddlers.

Background and aims: Substantial evidence have linked low grade inflammation with the pathophysiology of chronic diseases and psychological impairment. An integral component underlying the link is pro-inflammatory diet. While sleeping is another significant contributor, few studies have addressed the relationship between the sleep quality and inflammatory cascade with the dietary quality as a moderator. The current study assesses the relation between inflammatory potential of the diet and sleep quality in Iranian obese and overweight women. Method: A total of 219 obese and overweight adult women were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A standard 147-item food-frequency-questionnaire was used to record the dietary intakes; then, the dietary inflammatosry index (DII) was derived from the result-consolidated questionnaires. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was utilized to withdraw the sleep quality and quantity. Results: The mean (±standard deviation) age, body mass index, and PSQI of individuals were 36.49 (8.38) years, 31.04 (4.31) kg/m², and 5.78(3.55), respectively. Patients in the highest DII quartile were the ones with the higher consumption of pro-inflammatory food, and, ~58% of participants who were in the higher quartile had a sleep disturbance status. Results revealed an inverse relationship between sleep quality and DII in the crude model (β=-0.17, p=0.01) as well as full-adjusted model (β=0.24, p<0.001), such that women with higher DII had the poorest sleep quality. Conclusion: Based on the present observational study, obese and overweight females with higher adherence of the anti-inflammatory diet may have better sleeping status.

Nutritional interventions can be valuable for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of kefir fortified with omega-3 and vitamin C on the bone and uterus parameters of ovariectomized rats. Seventy-seven female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized or sham-operated. The ovariectomized rats were assigned to six groups and received 1 ml/day of distilled water (OVX group), milk, kefir, kefir fortified with omega-3 fatty acids (kefir+ω3), kefir fortified with vitamin C (kefir+vit-C) or kefir fortified with omega-3 and vitamin C (kefir+ω3+vit-C) for 12 weeks. The sham group also received 1ml/day of distilled water. Subsequently, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of various bones were assessed. Femurs and uteri were harvested for bone ash analysis and histopathological examinations, respectively. Sera were analyzed for carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type 1 collagen, procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide, calcium, phosphorous, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and total antioxidant capacity levels. Ovariectomy resulted in significant reduction in bone density (P<0.05). Kefir+ω3+vit-C significantly improved BMC of lumbar spine (0.699±0.027 g compared with 0.580±0.018 in the OVX group), and kefir, kefir+vit-C and kefir+ω3+vit-C significantly increased BMD of tibia (0.118±0.003 g/cm², 0.119±0.001 and 0.120±0.004 compared with 0.102±0.005 in the OVX group). Moreover, ovariectomy markedly elevated TNF-α level, which was significantly reversed by kefir+ω3+vit-C. Significant atrophy of the uterus was observed following ovariectomy, although the uterus parameters did not change by any of the interventions. In conclusion, kefir fortified with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C may have protective effects against bone loss through suppressing inflammation.

The prevalence of obesity has increased substantially over the last several decades and several environmental factors have accelerated this trend. Poly-methoxy flavones (PMFs) exist abundantly in the peels of citrus, and their biological activities have been broadly examined in recent years. Several studies have examined the effects of PMFs on obesity and its-related diseases. This systematic review conducted to focus on the effect of PMFs on obesity and its related conditions management. The PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Science Direct databases were searched for relevant studies published before November 2020. Out of 1,615 records screened, 16 studies met the study criteria. The range of dosage of PMFs was varied from 10 to 200 mg/kg (5-26 weeks) and 1-100 μmol (2h-8 days) across selected animal and in vitro studies, respectively. The literature reviewed shows that PMFs modulate several biological processes associated with obesity such as lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammation, energy balance, and oxidative stress by different mechanisms. All of the animal studies showed significant positive effects of PMFs on obesity by reducing body weight (e.g. reduced weight gain by 21.04%), insulin resistance, energy expenditure, inhibiting lipogenesis and reduced blood lipids (e.g. reduced total cholesterol by 23.10%, TG by 44.35% and LDL by 34.41%). The results of the reviewed in vitro studies have revealed that treatment with PMFs significantly inhibits lipid accumulation in adipocytes (e.g. reduced lipid accumulation by 55-60%) and 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte differentiation as well by decreasing the expression of PPARγ and C/EBPα and also reduces the number and size of fat cells and reduced TG content in adipocytes by 45.67% and 23.10% and 16.08% for nobiletin, tangeretin and hesperetin, respectively. Although current evidence supports the use of PMFs as a complementary treatment in obesity, future research is needed to validate this promising treatment modality.

Our objective was to study the effect of differing dietary crude protein and vitamin A on retinoid metabolism in a periparturient rat model. Sixty female rats, approximately 21 d before parturition, were fed rations containing either low protein (13%; LP) or high protein (22%; HP) crude protein and either low vitamin A (3 IU/g; LA) or high vitamin A (5 IU/g; HA), yielding treatments HPHA, HPLA, LPHA, and LPLA. Samples were collected at d -14, d +3, and +10 relative to parturition and analyzed for all-trans retinoid acid (RA), 13-Cis RA, and retinol. At d -14, serum all-trans RA concentrations decreased compared to baseline. At both d +3 and d +10, serum retinol increased and liver 13-Cis RA decreased. In the small intestine, 13-cis RA was higher in HPHA than HPLA pre-partum (0.93±0.12 vs. 0.40±0.12 ng/ml, P=0.04). Post-partum, 13-cis RA was lower in high vitamin HPHA and LPHA groups (0.35±0.06 and 0.38±0.06 ng/ml) than in low vitamin A HPLA and LPLA treatments (0.50±0.06 and 1.32±0.06 ng/ml, P<0.01). In rats fed LA diets, TNF-alpha expression tended to be lower in HPLA than LPLA groups on day +3 (0.69±0.34 vs 1.00±0.52, P=0.08), but not day +10 (0.56±0.25 vs. 1.00±0.49 fold change, P>0.10). Retinoids accumulated during pregnancy and were mobilized during lactation. The sequestration of retinoids was increased when dietary protein content was low. Further studies are needed to investigate how retinoid metabolism could be manipulated to improve vitamin A delivery to milk.

Objective: Given the unrelenting surge in the prevalence of obesity and the intensified efforts aimed at elucidating underlying mechanisms and proffering effective treatments, this study investigated the effects of lycopene on various anthropometrical indices of obesity. Methods: Thirty female Wistar rats were equally divided into two groups and fed either control diet or Western diet. After eight weeks, obese rats (fed Western diet) were divided into three groups (n=5); obese control received the vehicle, while the other two received lycopene (0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg body weight, respectively). Normal rats were grouped into three (n=5) and treated similarly. This treatment lasted for another two weeks, in addition to their respective diets. Afterwards, anthropometrical indices were taken. Results: The weight gain, adiposity index, abdominal and thoracic circumference, body mass index, and Lee index were significantly increased (p<0.05) in the obese rats compared to the normal control, by 108.3%, 102.1%, 81.5%, 97.6%, 47.4%, and 13.9%, respectively. The obese rats had significantly (p<0.05) higher adipose tissue lipid contents, daily feed (37.4%) and energy intake (66.0%), daily weight gain (108.3%), and feed efficiency (25.5%) compared to control. However, the treatment of obese rats with lycopene occasioned a dose-dependent reduction in the elevated anthropometrical and nutritional parameters. In addition, lycopene elicited significant reductions (p<0.05), ranging from 16-54%, in the adipose lipid contents. Conclusion: The data presented here illustrate the positive effects of lycopene on indices of obesity and other anthropometric parameters in obese female rats.

Data about the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation on inflammatory markers are inconsistent. This systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was performed to summarize the effects of ALA supplementation on inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in adults. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the electronic databases of PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, Embase, and SCOPUS from inception to February 2020. Among all of the eligible studies, 20 articles were selected. The weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to evaluate the pooled effect size. Between-study heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran's Q test and I². Subgroup analysis was done to evaluate the potential sources of heterogeneity. The dose-response relationship was evaluated using fractional polynomial modeling. Twenty eligible studies with a total sample size of 947 participants were included in the current meta-analysis. The findings of the meta-analysis showed that ALA supplementation significantly reduced CRP (WMD: -0.69 mg/L, 95% CI: -1.13, -0.26, P=0.002), IL-6 (WMD: -1.83 pg/ml, 95% CI: -2.90, -0.76, P=0.001), and TNF-α concentrations (WMD: -0.45 pg/ml, 95% CI: -0.85, -0.04, P=0.032). No evidence of departure from linearity was observed between dose and duration of the ALA supplementation on serum CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α concentration. In subgroup analysis, ALA dosage, baseline concentrations of the parameter, sample size, and gender were considered as possible sources of heterogeneity. In summary, ALA supplementation improves inflammatory markers without any evidence of non-linear association to dose or duration of the trial.