Human Nutrition and Metabolism最新文献

Background

The association between the inflammatory markers and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has been widely reported. The epidemiology of T2DM shows a rapid increase in the disease in developing countries. African foods have the potential to reduce the inflammatory markers associated with T2DM. All the food groups in the African diet possess anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypercholesterolemia properties, which are essential in controlling T2DM.

Objectives

This study sought to assess the role of indigenous African food groups in preventing and managing T2DM. It examined the anti-inflammatory properties of African food groups in relation to T2DM.

Material and methods

A narrative review assessed different African food groups' anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperglycemic activities. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using various scientific databases, which include PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline and books. In vivo and in vitro studies were selected to analyse the effects of the African diet on inflammatory markers associated with T2DM. The review was conducted between February and October 2023.

Results

The African vegetables, cereals, tubers, insects and fermented foods reduced the production of inflammatory cytokines such as Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-a), Interleukin 1, (IL-1), Interleukin 6, (IL- 6), Interleukin 8 (IL-8) and inflammatory mediators such as Nitric Oxide (NO). The in vivo and in vitro studies revealed a significant content of α-amylase and α-glycosidase inhibitors in African foods. Inflammation reduction and increased antioxidants were also exhibited in different food groups. However, future studies are needed to compare the anti-inflammatory activities of African foods before and after processing.

Conclusion

The anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypercholesterolemia properties predominantly exist in all African food groups. A substantial content of compounds identified demonstrated several effects, which include anti-inflammatory, antiglycation, anti-α-amylase, anti- α-glucosidase, anti-lipase, and anti-acetyl cholinesterase. These properties are essential in controlling the inflammatory markers linked to T2DM.

Objective

University students are susceptible to hyperpalatable food consumption, which may contribute to the development of food addiction. However, there is limited research on food addiction among Malaysian university students. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of food addiction, as well as the factors that predicted food addiction symptoms among students in a selected local public university in Malaysia.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study whereby a total of 295 Malaysian university students were recruited from a selected local university. Participants were assessed through self-administered questionnaires and measured for their body compositions.

Results

Findings revealed that 15.9% of the university students were at risk of having food addiction, with an average of 3.21 ± 1.62 food addiction symptoms. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that binge eating (B = 0.086, p < 0.001) and anxiety (B = 0.071, p < 0.001), as well as high daily carbohydrate intake (B = 0.002, p = 0.004) significantly predicted food addiction symptoms (R² = 0.346, F(3, 285) = 50.195, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Approximately one in five university students was at risk of food addiction. Moreover, higher levels of binge eating and anxiety, along with increased consumption of carbohydrates contributed to elevated food addiction symptoms. Effective intervention should be formulated based on the psychological and dietary aspects to tackle the food addiction problems among university students.

Background

Oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role in cataracts' causal network. In this study, we used the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and Dietary Antioxidant Index (DAI) to comprehensively examine the nutritional status related to inflammation and oxidative stress and investigate their association with the odds of cataracts. We hypothesize that higher DII scores (a pro-inflammatory diet) and lower DAI (a pro-oxidant diet) are associated with related serum biomarkers and increase the odds of cataracts.

Methods

The study included 263 patients with cataracts and 326 healthy controls. A valid 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) evaluated the participants' dietary intake over the past year. DII and DAI were calculated based on FFQ, and blood/serum indicators, e.g., hs-CRP, TNF-a, etc., were extracted from patients' records.

Results

Based on the multivariable linear regression models, there was a significant association between DII and hs-CRP (Beta = 0.095, CI95 %: 0.001–0.189) and between DAI and TNF-a (Beta = 0.494, CI95 %: 0.121–0.866) and LDL-C (Beta = 1.037, CI95 %: 0.159–1.915). In addition, in logistic regression models, after adjusting for multiple confounders, there was a significant association between DII (continuous variable) (OR = 1.27, CI95 %: 1.08–1.50) and DAI (continuous variable) (OR = 0.93, CI95 %: 0.87–0.99) and odds of cataracts.

Conclusion

This study confirms the association between pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant diets, as indicated by higher DII scores and lower DAI, with serum biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Our study supports the notion that dietary interventions targeting inflammation and oxidative stress may have a potential role in preventing or delaying the onset of cataracts.

Background

Cardiovascular risk is modifiable by changes in lifestyle and pharmacological management, with hypertension being a common pathology worldwide. Its treatment must address multiple metabolic targets. Based on the hypothesis that certain antihypertensive medications, such as the commonly used enalapril and losartan, and dietary habits improve hypertension-related changes in carotid structure and cardiometabolic variables, this work aimed to associate these drugs, as well as the Mediterranean diet adherence and non-modifiable biological factors, with changes in carotid intima-media thickness [cIMT] and blood lipids.

Methods

Sociodemographic, clinical, biochemical and lifestyle data were collected in a cross-sectional study of 313 subjects under survey due to cardiovascular risk factors, aged 34–83 years (Cordoba, Argentina). Generalised structural equation models were used for analysis.

Results

A higher cIMT with age and male sex was confirmed. Women had lower triacylglycerols and saturated fatty acids in serum but higher circulating levels of LDL-C, HDL-C and total cholesterol than men. Also, a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with lower triacylglycerols, but higher levels of HDL-C cholesterol and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) in serum. A greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet did not affect cIMT. Enalapril was associated with increased serum ω-3 PUFAs levels, but it did not affect other lipid fractions. Moreover, enalapril may control cIMT, whereas losartan may not.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that the Mediterranean diet and enalapril are associated with a cardioprotective circulating lipid profile in hypertension. Concerning this, enalapril potentially promotes serum ω-3 PUFAs levels beyond its classical antihypertensive effect, which encourages future clinical studies to confirm it.

Among the most primal of senses (approximately 25), the sense of taste in humans is able to distill down to the basic 5 taste qualities of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami, or savory. The sensation commonly known as taste is in fact a fusion of both smell and taste. The technical term for this amalgamation of sensory experiences while consuming food and beverages is referred to as taste. The term “taste” is intended to be limited to the perceived result of stimulating taste receptor cells on the surface of the tongue. This sense of taste is similar to the sense of smell in that the stimuli chemically interact with the receptors during the encoding process. Spices must dissolve in saliva to interact with taste receptors. Saliva then holds the dissolved chemicals near clusters of receptor cells called taste buds. Without saliva, the performance of the taste buds declines rapidly. The chemical taste receptors are hidden in “bumps” (called papillae) that cover the surface of the tongue. Vitamins are known to generate bitterness, which may contribute to an off-taste or aftertaste for some nutritional supplements. In humans, bitter taste detection is mediated by 25 G-protein-coupled receptors belonging to the TAS2R family.In the following review, analysis will be made of the relationship, including possible regulatory activity, of certain nutrients (namely, vitamin E, A, D, C, B3, B6, B9, B12, Zn, and alpha-lepoic acid) to the already discussed pathways involved in the sense of taste.

The consequence of appropriate food consumption and the corresponding amount of dietary nutrients on brain function is widely recognized. More and more studies are pointing to the importance of diet for alleviating neurological symptoms associated with a wide range of clinical disorders. The recently discovered implications of nutritional variables on modifications in mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic modification, and neurological inflammation represent important factors that play a crucial role in determining the effect of nutrition on Neuronal (health). This overview investigates the present state of evidence regarding the efficacy of various dietary interventions, such as dietary supplements and dietary restrictions, for in the context of managing disorders related to the brain. Particularly, it clearly state the consequences of these interventions on conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ischemic stroke, seizures, injury to the brain, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALL), Huntington's syndrome, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Along with this, it is important to note that a variety of possible processes, such as metabolic regulation, epigenetic alteration, and the inflammation of neurons assume a pivotal function. in determining the impact of nutrition availability on the risk of neurologic conditions and treatment outcomes. Along with this, authors clearly state the innovative concept that dietary supplement intervention can modify interconnected processes of metabolism, epigenetics, and immunology, thereby addressing brain dysfunction. Concentrating on metabolic processes the study of the epigenetic-immunity network has the potential to provide a novel framework for addressing vulnerabilities in the field of neurology.

Glucose is an osmotically active molecule and, therefore, rapid changes in plasma glucose might redistribute water volume between the body fluid compartments in a yet unknown way. To study this issue, population volume kinetic analysis was applied to repeated measurements of plasma glucose, blood hemoglobin, and urine output during and after 84 intravenous infusions of 2.5 % glucose with 70 mmol of sodium and in 9 control experiments using Ringer's solution. Forty-nine infusions were given to healthy volunteers, 11 to patients undergoing surgery, and 24 to patients with type 2 diabetes. The results showed that a rise in plasma glucose without marked glucosuria accelerated the distribution of fluid while the return of extravascular fluid to the plasma was strongly retarded. High plasma glucose also decreased the urine output, which was probably due to sodium retention. The summary effect was that fluid-induced plasma volume expansion subsided within 30 min after an infusion ended while extracellular fluid volume remained increased for several hours. Accumulation of fluid was most pronounced in the patients with type 2 diabetes and in the surgical patients. Plasma glucose, HOMA-IR, and Ouicki values did not correlate with any of the kinetic parameters. In conclusion, a rise in plasma glucose conserved infused fluid in the body and promoted peripheral accumulation. A specific effect of type 2 diabetes further decreased the urine flow.

Background

Vitamin D (vitD) plays a role in iron metabolism by the suppression of hepcidin, while iron deficiency also impairs vitD metabolism. In undernourished children, iron and vitamin D deficiency are common. There is little knowledge of the inter-relationship between these two nutrients in undernourished and non-undernourished children.

Aim

To assess the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and iron status, and the effect of 3 doses of 50,000 IU of vitD on iron status in undernourished and non-undernourished children.

Methods

We measured serum 25(OH)D, haemoglobin (Hb), ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor in 121 undernourished and 51 non-undernourished children in clinics in the North-West Province of South Africa. Three doses of 50,000 IU/week of vitD was supplemented to children with suboptimal vitD levels.

Results

The overall prevalence of suboptimal vitD concentration (25(OH)D < 30 ng/mL) was 20.3 %. Anaemia and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) prevalence were 62 % and 49.2 % in the undernourished and 56.9 % and 42.9 % in the non-undernourished group. In the overall group, 25(OH)D < 30 ng/mL was associated with significantly higher IDA prevalence compared to those with 25(OH)D ≥ 30 ng/mL (64.7 % vs 43.0 %, p = 0.023), and was associated with an increased risk of IDA in the crude analysis (OR: 2.434 1.114, 5.318, p = 0.026). Serum 25(OH)D < 30 ng/mL was associated with 4 times (OR: 4.046, 95%CI: 1.022, 16.009, p = 0.046) and greater than 5 times (OR: 5.386, 95%CI: 1.528, 18.985, p = 0.009) increased odds of anaemia and IDA in the undernourished children, respectively. VitD supplementation resulted in a significant reduction of 55.9 % in TNF-α concentration (p = 0.008) in the overall group.

Conclusion

Suboptimal vitD concentration is associated with increased odds of anaemia and IDA. VitD status should be considered in anaemia prevention strategies, especially in populations where both vitD and iron deficiencies co-exist.

This randomized controlled trial evaluated different cooking methods of potatoes as part of the DASH diet on blood pressure (BP) and anthropometrics in people with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Participants were randomized into DASH-FP (fried potatoes), DASH-NFP (non-fried potatoes) or DASH-NP (no potatoes) groups. BP, weight, waist circumference and body composition were measured.

Change outcomes from baseline to 6 weeks showed no significant difference in the study outcomes, including diastolic BP (p = 0.12), systolic BP (p = 0.26), body weight (p = 0.11), waist circumference (p = 0.86) and body composition (p = 0.57) within study groups. A significant group T2D status interaction was found for waist circumference (p = 0.036). Results from pairwise comparisons between the groups for all outcomes were not significant; however, a positive trend was seen in DASH-NFP and DASH-FP diet groups in BP and anthropometrics.

Individuals with and without T2D that consumed potatoes and the DASH diet did not significantly change BP and anthropometrics by six weeks. Slight improvements in BP and anthropometrics were seen in non-fried and fried potato groups. This helps future investigations of popular foods for people with chronic conditions that can be incorporated in a healthy eating pattern.

Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT05589467; 9/16/2022.

Watermelon is a well-liked fruit containing bioactive compounds and nutrients. Watermelon research on metabolic diseases often involves flesh, yet rind is less explored. This study examined effects of watermelon with rind on satiety, postprandial glucose, and bowel movement with a sensory evaluation in healthy adults. The study included 21 participants (age 23.6 ± 5.7y, BMI 22.6 ± 2.8 kg/m²) in a randomized double-blind crossover design. Participants consumed one cup of blenderized watermelon with and without rind separated by a one-week washout period. Sensory analysis included 23 semi-trained panelists to complete a triangle and a 7-point hedonic scale test. Results revealed significant increase in satiety for both trials over time, with more fullness for watermelon with rind (P < 0.05). Rind stabilized glucose response compared to flesh (P < 0.001). No bowel movement differences were found for either trial. Most sensory panelists (91 %) identified the sample of watermelon with rind in the triangle test (P < 0.001). Higher ratings in color, consistency, smell, flavor, and sweetness for watermelon compared to watermelon with rind (P < 0.01). Overall acceptance was significantly higher for watermelon compared to watermelon with rind (P < 0.001). Findings suggest health-promoting effects of watermelon rind on satiety and glucose, but higher acceptance for watermelon flesh vs watermelon flesh with rind. Future studies should investigate potential benefits of rind in disease prevention and attenuation. Advancement in food technologies is also needed to increase palatability to promote rind consumption.