BMC Nutrition最新文献

Background and aim: Probiotics play an important role in the control and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Kefir drink is a fermented beverage and has indicated some beneficial health effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of kefir drink on liver aminotransferases, anthropometric indices, glycemic index, lipid profile, blood pressure (BP), high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and malondialdehyde in patients with NAFLD.

Methods: In an 8-week randomized clinical trial, 80 patients with NAFLD were randomized into two groups of 40. After a 2-week run-in period, the groups received a dietary plan and dietary plan plus a cup of kefir drink twice a day (500 cc/d), respectively. Also, demographic, anthropometric, laboratory, BP, dietary intake, and physical activity assessments were analyzed before and after the intervention.

Results: At last, seventy-two participants completed the study. No significant difference in changes in BP, anthropometric indices, and laboratory data (P > 0.05) except HDL-C (P = 0.02) and fat-free mass (P < 0.001) was observed between the two study groups.

Conclusion: Based on the results, Drinking 500 cc/d kefir beverage had no significant effect on liver aminotransferases and metabolic indicators, except for HDL-C and fat-free mass in patients with NAFLD.

Trial registration: IRCT20170916036204N6 (2018/08/03).

Background: The pandemic of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has a profound influence on the health of the population. This study aimed to assess the weight changes and its relation to the dietary habits and physical activity among adult Egyptian population during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using anonymous online questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed across Egypt via community-based networks, social and institutional emailing lists, and professional organizations to collect data on sociodemographic, clinical history, dietary and lifestyle habits, physical activity, anthropometric measurements, and stressing factors.

Results: The study participants (n = 1000) had a median (interquartile range) age of 34.0 (23.0-40.0) years, with 18.7% males, 96.6% having university or postgraduate education. Among them, 69.1% reported weight gain, 21.3% no change, and 9.6% weight loss. Weight loss was predicted by following COVID-19 pandemic reports daily [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.50 (95% CI, 0.27-0.93), p = 0.03], monthly income change [AOR = 2.52 (95% CI, 1.51-4.22), p < 0.001], starting antidepressants [AOR = 3.57 (95% CI, 1.08-11.76), p = 0.03], and increase in social media use [AOR = 1.81 (95% CI, 1.05-3.13), p = 0.03]. Weight gain was predicted by starting a diet during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic [AOR = 1.57 (95% CI, 1.11-2.21), p = 0.01], physical activity during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic [AOR = 0.49 (95% CI, 0.35-0.69), p < 0.001], and unhealthy food intake [AOR = 0.40 (95% CI, 0.28-0.57), p < 0.001] CONCLUSIONS: More intervention programs aiming to improve dietary habits and increase physical activity should be rapidly implemented to reduce the consequences of the pandemic on the Egyptians to keep healthy weight.

Background: Perianal fistula is one of the complications of deepened anal fissure. The present case-control study aimed to assess the risk factors of fissure-associated fistulas due to the limited available evidence.

Methods: Patients with fissure-associated fistulas were considered as case, and patients with anal fissure who were undergoing medical treatment without any previous anorectal surgeries were considered as control group. Data were collected through medical records or by directly contacting patients. Risk factors of fissure-associated fistulas were assessed using a multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results: The current study included 119 patients, consisting of 54 cases and 65 controls. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of demographic characteristics. Our analyses revealed that chili pepper consumption (odds ratio [OR] = 2.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-8.31, P-value = 0.039) and the duration of fissure symptoms (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00-1.05, P-value = 0.035) were associated with perianal fistula in patients with fissure, after adjusting for age and sex as potential covariates.

Conclusions: An independent association was found between chili pepper consumption as well as the duration of fissure symptoms onset with an increased odds of perianal fistula in patients with fissures. Therefore, limiting chili consumption and early management of fissure symptoms are recommended.

Background: Inadequate consumption of vitamin A during lactation significantly increases the risk of vitamin A deficiency disorders. However, there is scarce evidence on the consumption status of vitamin A-rich foods among lactating mothers in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of inadequate consumption of vitamin A-rich foods and associated factors among lactating mothers visiting public health facilities for child immunization and postnatal care in Girawa District, Eastern Ethiopia.

Method: A facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 418 lactating mothers who visited public health facilities for child immunization and postnatal care in the Girawa district from January 20 to February 20, 2023. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect the data. The data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and exported to STATA version 17 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with inadequate consumption of vitamin A-rich foods.

Results: The magnitude of inadequate consumption of vitamin A-rich foods was 88.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 85-92). A family size ≥ 4 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.73, 95% CI = 1.18-6.33), low dietary diversity (AOR = 3.44, 95% CI = 1.36-8.70), household food insecurity (AOR = 3.66, 95% CI = 1.43-9.38) and having < 4 antenatal care (ANC) visits (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.10-7.06) were significantly associated with inadequate consumption of vitamin A-rich foods.

Conclusion: Nearly nine in ten mothers had inadequate intake of vitamin A-rich foods. High family size, low dietary diversity, household food insecurity and fewer ANC follow-up visits were the factors significantly associated with inadequate consumption of vitamin A-rich foods. Therefore, public health measures should focus on family planning, ANC, food security and nutritional counseling/education to improve the consumption of vitamin A-rich foods by lactating mothers.

Background: Recent studies have focused on the connection between nutrition, inflammation, and infectious diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the Mediterranean diet adherence score (MDS) and the healthy eating index (HEI) with some clinical findings of patients with COVID-19.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted in 29 Bahman hospital of Tabriz, Iran, from June to December 2022. Totally, 300 individuals (150 patients with COVID-19 as cases and 150 subjects who had not affected by COVID-19 as controls) was selected using convenience random sampling method to participate in the study. The 138-items food frequency questionnaire-derived dietary data were applied to compute HEI and MDS. Serum levels of BUN, creatinine and inflammatory markers including the Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured.

Results: Both the HEI and MDS of case group was significantly lower than control group (p < 0.001). The MDS was negatively associated with hospitalization duration (R=-0.209, P < 0.001) and serum ESR level (R=-0.420, P < 0.001). A negative relationship was also seen between ESR level and HEI (R=-0.13, P = 0.017).

Conclusion: It is concluded that higher MDS and HEI contribute to lower inflammatory markers and then diminished risk of covid-19 infection.

Background and objectives: Associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental health have been observed, but studies comparing different types of plant foods are sparse. This study among Finnish municipal employees examined associations of the consumption of a range of different plant foods with emotional well-being (EWB).

Data and methods: We used survey data from the Helsinki Health Study conducted in 2017 among 19-39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (N = 5898, response rate 51.5%, 80% women). Consumption of plant foods, including fruit, berries, fresh and cooked vegetables and wholegrain bread, was measured by a food frequency questionnaire and dichotomised into daily/non-daily consumption. The EWB scale of the RAND-36 questionnaire was dichotomised, with the lowest quartile indicating 'poor EWB' and the three higher quartiles indicating 'good EWB'. We used logistic regression for analysing the associations between plant food consumption and EWB. Analyses were sex-stratified and age, socioeconomic circumstances and psychosocial working conditions were adjusted for.

Results: Prevalence of daily consumption of plant foods varied from 25% for berries and cooked vegetables to 70% for fresh vegetables. Daily consumption was associated with good EWB among both women and men. The strongest age-adjusted association was found for fresh vegetables, with women (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.27-1.74) and men (OR 1.86, CI 1.37-2.52) with daily consumption having clearly higher odds of good EWB compared to non-daily consumers. Associations slightly attenuated but mostly remained after adjusting for socioeconomic circumstances and working conditions.

Conclusions: More frequent plant food consumption was associated with good EWB. Thus, the results support the need for interventions that investigate whether the promotion of plant food consumption could show potential mental health benefits among employees.

Background: Experimental and clinical studies have suggested that symbiotics might effectively manage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by modulating the intestinal microbiota. However, these studies' limited sources, small sample sizes, and varied study designs have led to inconsistent outcomes regarding glycaemic control. This study aimed to investigate the effects of symbiotics on the anthropometric measures, glycaemic control, and lipid profiles of patients with T2DM.

Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel clinical trial was conducted at two diabetes outpatient clinics. The main researcher and participants were blinded to the capsule content throughout the study. Sixty-six patients with T2DM aged 30-75 years were randomly allocated, using even and odd numbers, into two equal groups. These groups received either symbiotic capsules containing 200 million colony-forming units plus fructo-oligosaccharide or a placebo for 12 weeks. The primary objective was a decrement in glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c]. The patients' anthropometric measures, fasting blood sugar, high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], total serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels were also assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention. Non-parametric tests were used for statistical analyses.

Results: Within-group analysis revealed significant decreases in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (P = 0.005 and 0.023, respectively) and a significant increase in HDL levels in the symbiotic group (P = 0.04). HbA1c levels significantly increased in the placebo group (P = 0.016) but were not significantly reduced in the symbiotic group. The between-group analysis revealed significantly lower fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels in the symbiotic group, and higher in the placebo group (P = 0.02). No significant changes existed in total serum cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride levels in either the symbiotic or placebo group.

Conclusions: Symbiotics improve BMI, waist circumference, HDL, and FBS levels and prevent the worsening of HbA1c levels in patients with T2DM. Our preliminary results indicate the potential benefits of symbiotics in patients with T2DM, which may lead to better diabetes control. However, this evidence requires further assessment in larger trials.

Trial registration: The trial was registered retrospectively at the International Standard Registered Clinical/Social Study Number Registry (ISRCTN34652973) on 05/01/2024.

Background: Globally, iron deficiency anaemia is a widespread public health problem affecting vulnerable populations including adolescents. However, over the years, the Uganda Demographic Health Surveys mostly report the status of anaemia for women of reproductive age (15-49 years) and children up to 5 years, leaving out the focus on adolescents. Moreover, high prevalence of anaemia among children below five years could suggest that anaemia still persists at adolescence. Therefore, the study aimed at determining dietary quality, prevalence of anaemia and their associated factors among school-going adolescents.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 341 adolescent boys and girls aged 10-19 years was carried out in two rural schools in Gulu district. Prevalence of anaemia was determined by obtaining blood specimens from a finger prick into a microcuvette and analysed for haemoglobin (Hb) level using Haemoglobin analyser, whereas dietary quality was assessed using the Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS). Socio-economic and demographic data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results: The overall prevalence of anaemia was 16.0% (Girls:18.1%; Boys:13.0%), while the mean Hb level was 13.2 ± 1.4 g/dl (Girls 13.0 ± 1.3 g/dl; Boys 13.5 ± 1.6 g/dl). The mean number of food groups consumed among the adolescents was 3.5 ± 2.1 for girls and 3.0 ± 1.8 for boys (p˃0.05). Animal source foods, fruits and vitamin A-rich vegetables, other fruits and vegetables were consumed by adolescent girls more than the boys. Similarly, a higher proportion of adolescent girls than boys consumed iron-rich foods: fish and meat, organ meat and dark green leafy vegetables. Further, all the socio-demographic factors in the study did not predict dietary diversity (p ˃ 0.05). On the other hand, education attainment by parent/guardian and nature of menstruation predicted the prevalence of anaemia amongst adolescents (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The prevalence of anaemia was high among adolescents. Coupled with this, there, was low dietary diversity among the adolescents. The level of education of the parent/guardian and nature of the menstrual discharge were significant predictors of anaemia amongst girls. From this study, we recommend interventions by both health and agricultural-related practitioners to strengthen activities in rural schools such as health and nutrition education to create awareness about dietary diversity and promotion of agricultural practices such as school vegetable gardens, orchards poultry production and rearing of small ruminants to support consumption of diverse foods in schools with the view of reducing the burden from iron deficiency anaemia.

Introduction: Promotion of child health during the first thousand days from conception to the child's second birthday is vital for survival, growth and development. Growth monitoring and promotion services are key to the early detection of growth faltering and preventing malnutrition and promoting child health. This study aimed to assess the utilization of Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) services and its associated factors among young children in Gorkha district of Nepal.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Gorkha district, involving 290 mother-child pairs, from April 2024 to June 2024. Multistage random sampling was used to select mothers. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics involving multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with GMP service utilization.

Results: Only 5.5% of children had completed the recommended 24 GMP visits according to protocol, while 23.8% utilized GMP services more than 15 times, which represents the 75th percentile of service utilization. Mothers who had good knowledge had significantly higher (adjusted OR = 4.23, 95% CI: 2.070-8.650, p < 0.001) GMP service utilization among their children than those counterpart mothers with poor knowledge about the GMP services. The main reasons for not regular utilizing GMP services included the time constraints and their household responsibilities (85%).

Conclusion: This study reported the low utilization of GMP services among children in Gorkha district. Maternal knowledge on GMP service emerged as the primary predictor of GMP service utilization and maternal engagement in the household activities explores as a leading barrier to GMP service utilization. Enhancing maternal knowledge through community engagement strategies and improving the monitoring mechanism within the health systems could increase GMP utilization.

Background: The composition of maternal gut phylum in each trimester of pregnancy has been associated with fetal development, separately. Diet is a main effective factor on the gut composition of phylum. However, associations between dietary glycemic index (GI), load (GL) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) not studied with the gut population of phylum in mothers at the first trimester of pregnancy.

Materials and methods: Ninety healthy pregnant women aged 18-40 yrs, in the first trimester, were participated. Stool samples were gathered in a fasting state. Population of dominant phylum was determined after DNA extraction based on the 16SrRNA expression, as a housekeeping gene. Dietary intake was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire and dietary indices were computed.

Results: The Proteobacteria population was significantly higher in the gut of pregnant mothers than the other phylum (p < 0.001). Participants in the highest level of dietary GI had lower Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001) and Actinobacteria (p = 0.04) in their gut compared to the lowest level. Participants in the lowest level of dietary GL had higher Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001) and lower proteobacteria (p = 0.04) in their gut than the highest level. Dietary selenium showed a significant negative effect on the Firmicutes (p = 0.04) and Proteobacteria (p = 0.04), however positively affected the Actinobacteria (p = 0.01) population. Dietary zinc and manganese showed a negative effect on the Firmicutes population (p = 0.01 and p = 0.003). Zinc and vitamin E showed a negative effect on the Proteobacteria population (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03).

Conclusions: A maternal diet with high GI and GL have been associated with the gut dysbiosis, however dietary intake of selenium, zinc, manganese and vitamin E act in favor of the intestinal eubiosis in the first trimester of pregnancy.