Nutrients最新文献

Meat lipids are determinants of the nutritional, sensory and physiological qualities of meat, encompassing triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol and bioactive compounds. These lipids provide essential fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, critical for metabolic regulation, inflammation control and cognitive health. However, the dual role of meat lipids as essential nutrients and potential contributors to health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and oxidative stress, necessitates a nuanced understanding. This review evaluates meat lipids' biochemical diversity, nutritional contributions and health implications, balancing their benefits and risks. It examines factors influencing lipid composition, including species, diet and processing methods, emphasising strategies such as omega-3 enrichment and antioxidant supplementation to enhance lipid quality. Advances in functional meat products, such as hybrid formulations combining plant and animal lipids, are highlighted for their potential to improve health outcomes. Emerging technologies in lipidomics provide deeper insights into lipid oxidation pathways and nutritional profiling, aiding in the development of safer, higher-quality meat products. By synthesising recent evidence, this review offers insights into dietary guidelines, optimises consumer choices and informs sustainable meat production practices aligned with public health and environmental goals.

Background: Calcitriol, beyond its well-established role in calcium and phosphate homeostasis, contributes to immunological processes. No known vitamin D dosage regimen effectively corrects the deficiency while accounting for immunoregulatory effects. Therefore, the purpose of this assessment was to determine whether regular administration of low doses of vitamin D might correct deficiency and have immunoregulatory effects.

Methods: A total of 35 healthy volunteers were asked to supplement with vitamin D daily at a dosage of 500 or 1000 IU, depending on the degree of deficiency, for 12 months. At the beginning of the study and after the end of the supplementation period, concentrations of 25(OH)D; PTH; total calcium; inorganic phosphorus; and the inflammatory cytokines IL-17, IL-10, TGF-β, and IFN-γ were determined in all participants.

Results: Correction of vitamin D deficiency was achieved with accompanying decreases in PTH and pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations, while the concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokines remained stable.

Conclusions: Therefore, regular vitamin D supplementation, even in small doses, effectively corrected the deficiency and had immunomodulatory effects.

Background/objectives: recent studies have suggested that components typical of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) are associated with depression and anxiety prevention. In this sense, the main objective of this study was to analyse the associations between adherence to the MedDiet and depression and anxiety symptoms and to examine whether this relationship is mediated by lean mass and the muscle strength index (MSI).

Methods: a cross-sectional study (based on data obtained from the Nuts4Brain-Z study) was conducted from 2023-2024, involving 428 university students, aged 18-30 years, from a Spanish public university. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and anxiety was assessed via the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) tool. Adherence to the MedDiet was assessed using the MEDAS questionnaire. Lean mass was assessed via bioimpedance, and MSI was measured via a dynamometer. ANCOVA models were used to test the mean differences in depression and anxiety scores using MEDAS categories (low adherence < 9 points vs high adherence ≥ 9 points). Serial multiple mediation models, adjusted for the main confounders, were used to explore the role of lean mass and MSI in the relationships between adherence to the MedDiet and depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results: university students with high adherence to the MedDiet exhibited lower scores for depression and anxiety symptoms (p < 0.05) than did students with low adherence to the MedDiet. The mediation analysis preliminarily revealed that both lean mass and MSI acted as mediators of the relationships between adherence to the MedDiet and depression and anxiety.

Conclusion: adherence to the MedDiet in university students per se does not appear to have a direct effect on depression and anxiety symptoms because these associations are partially (for depression) or entirely (for anxiety) explained by lean mass and MSI.

Background/objectives: Food-insecure individuals are at risk for poor health outcomes, including substandard sleep health. A possible association of food insecurity with sleep regularity has not been explored, and factors contributing to the relationship between food insecurity and sleep are not well understood. This cross-sectional study explored the relationship between food insecurity and sleep regularity and identified specific nutrients that mediated the association.

Methods: This study used dietary intake, interview, physical examination, actigraphy, and laboratory data from NHANES 2011-2014 to assess the possible correlation between food insecurity and sleep in a sample of U.S. adults (n = 6730). Mediation analysis was conducted to determine specific serum biomarkers and intake of nutrients that indirectly contributed to the relationship.

Results: Food insecurity was negatively correlated with sleep regularity. Dietary intake of fiber; vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, and K; β-carotene; zinc; copper; and potassium and serum concentrations of palmitoleic acid had significant indirect effects on this association. The low/marginal food security group under-consumed vitamin K, and the very low food security group under-consumed vitamin K and zinc. Among food-insecure, income-eligible adults, those who received benefits from food assistance programs consumed significantly less fiber and β-carotene and exhibited significantly higher serum concentrations of palmitoleic acid than non-participants.

Conclusions: Food insecurity predicted sleep regularity, and this relationship was mediated by dietary intake and serum concentrations of specific nutrients, underscoring the role of nutrition security when evaluating potential health impacts for adults experiencing food insecurity.

Background: The long-term follow-up studies investigating the risk of anemia and iron deficiency following bariatric procedures are scarce. This study aimed to determine the influence of body weight reduction and type of bariatric surgery on iron metabolism parameters.

Methods: We included 138 consecutive patients who underwent bariatric surgery (120 underwent sleeve gastrectomy and 18 underwent other types of bariatric surgery) between 2010 and 2016. At baseline and at follow-up (median observation: 10 years), examination weight and height were measured, and blood samples for iron metabolism parameters were taken.

Results: Red blood cells (4.75 [4.59-4.96] 10⁶/μL vs. 4.51 [4.25-4.83] 10⁶/μL, p < 0.0001), hemoglobin (14.0 [13.3-14.7] g/dL vs. 13.0 [12.1-14.3] g/dL, p < 0.0001), and folic acid (7.4 [5.9-10.4] ng/ml vs. 6.0 [4.5-9.1] ng/mL, p = 0.01) were significantly lower, while anemia prevalence (6.52% vs. 28.99%, p < 0.0001) was significantly higher at the follow-up examination compared to the baseline values. In contrast, iron concentration (86.5 [68.0-109.0] µg/dL vs. 86.5 [55.0-110.0] µg/dL, p = 0.42) and TIBC values (351 [326-391] µg/dL vs. 345 [5311-387] µg/dL, p = 0.08) did not change significantly. The multivariable regression analyses showed that the only factors independently related to the hemoglobin concentration change were initial hemoglobin concentration, age, and bariatric procedures other than sleeve gastrectomy. Similarly, in the multivariable logistic analysis, the only variables independently related to the risk of anemia were age (adjusted odds ratio 0.93 [95% confidence intervals 0.89-0.97]), initial hemoglobin concentration (0.69 [0.49-0.97]), and procedures other than sleeve gastrectomy bariatric procedures (6.12 [1.86-20.15]).

Conclusions: Age, initial hemoglobin concentration, and type of bariatric procedure but not sex, baseline iron serum level, or weight change are related to the risk of anemia in the long-term follow-up following bariatric surgery.

Background: Vegetarianism and veganism have long been tied to disordered eating and are frequently considered to be methods of limiting available food choices. Health professionals specializing in eating disorder treatment may modify their treatment practices to support their vegetarian or vegan clients. However, there are no formally recognized clinical guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders in these groups. Moreover, no studies have yet explored the experiences of seeking and receiving eating disorder treatment while adhering to vegetarianism or veganism, which are needed to inform the development of guidelines. The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of vegetarians and vegans on eating disorder treatment through semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis.

Methods: Seventeen participants (aged 19-48, 76% female, 41% vegan) with a history of receiving eating disorder treatment were recruited.

Results: We identified five themes that participants described as important experiences for the treatment of their eating disorder when sought as a vegetarian or vegan: (1) Health professional perspectives, (2) The interaction of dietary status with treatment quality, (3) The give and take of treatment, (4) Lack of flexibility in treatment services, and (5) Current treatment approaches not well equipped to support dietary variations.

Conclusions: This paper identifies the complex relationship between eating disorders, veganism, and vegetarianism and the perceptions of treatment from the perspectives of those who have received treatment. Our findings suggest that acknowledgement and the flexibility to work with an individual's vegan and vegetarian values within treatment may contribute to enhanced outcomes and treatment experiences. Limitations include potential participation and response biases and a predominantly female-identifying sample. This study will contribute to the development of clinical guidelines when working with vegan and vegetarian clients.

Background: Maternal obesity may contribute to childhood obesity in a myriad of ways, including through alterations of the infant gut microbiome. For example, maternal obesity may contribute both directly by introducing a dysbiotic microbiome to the infant and indirectly through the altered composition of human milk that fuels the infant gut microbiome. In particular, indigestible human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are known to shape the composition of the infant gut microbiome. The goal of this study was to characterize the HMO profiles of normal-weight and overweight mothers and to quantitatively link HMO concentrations to the taxonomic composition and functional potential of the infant gut microbiome.

Methods: Normal-weight (BMI = 18.5-24.9; n = 9) and overweight/obese (OW/OB; BMI > 25; n = 11) breastfeeding mothers and their infants were enrolled in this single-center, cross-sectional pilot study. Human milk from the mothers and rectal stool swabs from the infants were collected 7-9 weeks postpartum. The HMO composition, microbiome composition, and microbial functions were assessed using HPLC, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and metagenomic sequencing, respectively.

Results: Neither the HMO profiles nor the infant microbiome composition varied according to maternal BMI status. Taxonomically, the gut microbiota of infants were dominated by typical gut lineages including Bifidobacterium. Significant correlations between individual HMOs and bacterial genera were identified, including for Prevotella, a genus of the Bacteroidota phylum that was positively correlated with the concentrations of lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) and lacto-N-hexaose (LNH). Using metagenomic assembled genomes, we were also able to identify the broad HMO-degradative capacity across the Bifidobacterium and Prevotella genera.

Conclusions: These results suggest that the maternal BMI status does not impact the HMO profiles of human milk. However, select HMOs were correlated with specific bacterial taxa, suggesting that the milk composition influences both the taxonomic composition and the functional capacity of the infant gut microbiome.

Background/objectives: Diet composition is important for health, especially during critical periods such as pre-gestation (P), gestation (G), or lactation (S), due to its potential impact not only on the mother but on the offspring. The Mediterranean diet includes many healthy foods rich in fiber and/or polyphenols, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. The present preclinical study assesses the impact of a diet rich in fiber and polyphenols (HFP diet) during one of those three periods (P, G, or S, three weeks each) on the rat gene expression of the small intestine obtained at the end of the lactation period.

Methods: This analysis was performed by the mRNA two step PCR amplification by random primers and poly-T, followed by library generation and HiSeq X-Ten Illumina sequencing (Seqplexing), and further confirmed by Real time PCR and ELISA.

Results: The results showed a broad number of genes significantly modulated after the HFP diet compared to the reference diet, with a higher number of genes modulated when the supplementing period was closer to the analysis day (S > G > P). Notably, genes involved in immune signaling, intestinal absorption, and cell growth were among those more significantly affected by the HFP dietary intervention. The HFP diet influenced the expression of key genes such as ferritin, fatty acid synthase, apelin, and complement proteins, among others. There was a unique gene modified in all the intervention periods (Family with Sequence Similarity 117 Member A, Fam117A, which codifies a protein with unknown function), indicating that this molecule may participate critically in the effects induced by fiber and polyphenols during these periods.

Conclusions: Overall, in rats, the influence of diet for a three-week period around birth is able to modulate the intestinal gene expression, and consequently, maternal health, which can eventually have an indirect impact on the offspring.

While a balanced diet can fulfill most nutritional needs, optimizing the composition of specific foods like broccoli can amplify their health benefits.

Background/objectives: Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. Italica group) is a widely consumed cruciferous vegetable valued for its gastrointestinal and immune health benefits. However, the individual contributions and interactions of broccoli glucosinolates, as they hydrolyze into bioactive isothiocyanates, remain poorly understood.

Methods: This study investigated mixtures of four major aliphatic glucosinolates-glucoraphanin, gluconapin, progoitrin, and sinigrin-in individual and combinational models to assess their effects on human colorectal cell proliferation.

Results: Combination index analysis revealed moderate to strong antagonistic interactions among these glucosinolates, with the most significant antagonism observed during enzymatic hydrolysis by myrosinase. Mixture analysis identified an optimal glucosinolate ratio including glucoraphanin (81-84%), gluconapin (9-19%), and others (0-7%) to maximize their antiproliferative effects (adjusted R² > 0.80). This optimal profile was achievable within the target broccoli mapping population. Testing the near-optimal VB067 isogenic broccoli line showed a 44% increase in antiproliferative activity compared to the initial breeding parent or an average sister line.

Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of leveraging nutrient-nutrient interactions to guide molecular breeding and produce functional varieties of cruciferous vegetables with optimized health benefits.

Background: Migraine, a prevalent neurovascular disorder, affects millions globally and is associated with significant morbidity. Emerging evidence suggests a crucial role of the gut microbiota and adipose tissue in the modulation of migraine pathophysiology, particularly through mechanisms involving neuroinflammation and metabolic regulation.

Material and methods: A narrative review of the literature from 2000 to 2024 was conducted using the PubMed database. Studies addressing the relationships between microbiota, adipose tissue, and migraine-including dietary interventions and their impact-were analyzed.

Results: The findings highlight a bidirectional gut-brain axis, with gut microbiota influencing neuroinflammation via metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Obesity exacerbates migraine severity through chronic inflammation and the dysregulation of adipocytokines like leptin and adiponectin. Dietary patterns, such as low glycemic index diets and Mediterranean diets, and the use of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics show potential in migraine management.

Conclusions: This review underscores the need for integrative approaches targeting the microbiota-gut-brain axis and adipose tissue in migraine therapy. Future studies should explore longitudinal effects and personalized interventions to optimize outcomes.