Background: We previously reported that dietary intake of shiitake mushroom (SM; Lentinus edodes) decreased serum concentrations of polar lipids in male rats.
Objective: This study evaluated the dietary effects of SM on serum cholesterol-related and serum antioxidant indexes in rats of both sexes.
Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats [38 dams and their offspring (20 males and 20 females/diet)] were fed diets containing 0 (control), 1%, 4%, or 10% (wt:wt) SM powder from gestation day 4 through to postnatal day (PND) 126. Biochemical indexes were monitored during the midgrowth phase (PNDs 50-66).
Results: The food consumption by offspring fed the control diet and diets supplemented with SM was not different when measured on PND 65. However, the 4% and 10% SM diets resulted in male rats with 7% lower body weights than those of the other 2 groups on PND 66. SM consumption dose-dependently decreased the concentrations of lipidemia-related factors in sera, irrespective of sex. At PND 50, serum concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and non-HDL cholesterol in SM-fed male and female rats were generally lower (3-27%) than those in the corresponding control groups. Consumption of the 10% SM diet resulted in significantly decreased (55%) serum triglyceride concentrations relative to the control groups for both sexes. The 10% SM diet elicited a 62% reduction of serum leptin concentrations in females but not in males, and this same diet increased serum insulin (137%) and decreased serum glucose (15%) in males compared with controls. Serum lipophilic antioxidant capacity in males and females fed SM diets was generally lower (31-86%) than that in the control groups.
Conclusion: SM decreased the concentrations of lipidemia-related factors in rat sera irrespective of sex. The SM-elicited reduction of lipophilic antioxidant capacity irrespective of sex may reflect a lower pro-oxidative state and, hence, improved metabolic profile.
Background: Poor nutritional intake can exacerbate the chronic disease burden in childhood cancer survivors, whereas a healthful diet serves a protective function. Few studies have provided detailed evaluations of the diet of childhood cancer survivors.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate diet quality and dietary intakes of key food groups and nutrients in a large cohort of childhood cancer survivors and whether cancer and treatment characteristics have an impact on survivors' long-term intake.
Methods: Diet was assessed in 2570 adult survivors of childhood cancer enrolled in the St. Jude Lifetime cohort (mean age = 32.3 y) by using the Block food-frequency questionnaire. The Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) was calculated to quantify diet quality. Cancer diagnosis and treatment exposure were abstracted from medical records. Differences in HEI-2010 by patient characteristics and treatment exposure were examined by using ANCOVA.
Results: The mean ± SD HEI-2010 in childhood cancer survivors was 57.9 ± 12.4 of a maximum score of 100. Referenced to Dietary Reference Intakes, survivors consumed inadequate amounts of vitamin D, vitamin E, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and calcium (27%, 54%, 58%, 59%, 84%, and 90% of the recommended intakes) but excessive amounts of sodium and saturated fat (155% and 115% of the recommended intakes) from foods. Survivors diagnosed when <5 y of age had a lower diet quality than did those diagnosed when ≥5 y of age (mean HEI-2010 score: 56.9 compared with 58.2; P = 0.046). Survivors who received higher radiation doses to the abdomen had a lower diet quality than those who received lower doses (mean HEI-2010 scores = 58.9, 57.2, 56.7, and 56.1 for doses of 0, 1-19.9, 20-29.9, and ≥30 Gy, respectively; P = 0.02).
Conclusions: Long-term childhood cancer survivors have poor adherence to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Findings reinforce the need to incorporate nutrition into cancer care to improve diet quality and to reduce morbidities.