Reuniting overnutrition and undernutrition, macronutrients, and micronutrients

Does Dietary Supplement Use Increase Micronutrient Intake Adequacy in Healthy Adults with Habitual Omnivorous, Vegetarian, Vegan, and Low-Carbohydrate High-Fat Diets?

Diets omitting whole food groups pose a risk for micronutrient insufficiencies, but there are no data as to whether those are suitably attenuated with dietary supplements (DS). Micronutrient intakes with food and DSs were analyzed in 130 healthy adults: 32 vegans, 37 vegetarians, 24 following low-carbohydrate high-fat diet (LCHF), and 37 omnivores. A total of 63% used DS (84% of vegans, 75% of LCHF, 54% of vegetarians, and 46% of omnivores); however, a DS did not always tackle dietary insufficiencies. Vitamin B12 was often supplemented in vegans in doses substantially higher than recommended, but it was supplemented less often in vegetarians, despite the low prevalence of sufficient intake. Only 43% of participants supplemented vitamin D in wintertime, 23% of them with an insufficient dose. Supplementation of potassium, calcium, and iodine was rare, despite low intake adequacy with food alone in all groups. Some micronutrients were supplemented unnecessarily, such as vitamin K, riboflavin, biotin, and iron. Multimicronutrient DSs were used often; they increased intake adequacy of group B vitamins but failed to sufficiently supplement vitamin D, potassium, calcium, and iodine. Although DS use increased micronutrient intake sufficiency when used properly, the knowledge on micronutrient inadequacy in all dietary patterns should be increased and the public should be educated on the proper use of DSs. Multimicronutrient DSs should be reformulated to tackle the insufficiencies.

There was a similar U-shaped nonlinear association between waist-to-height ratio and the risk of new-onset hypertension: findings from the CHNS

Background

The association between waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with hypertension has not been adequately explained, so in this study we sought to clarify the predictive role of WHtR on the incidence of hypertension as well as the potential nonlinear associations in the general population.

Methods

In this large prospective cohort study, a total of 4,458 individuals from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included in the analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analyses, subgroup analyses, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to examine the association of WHtR with the risk of new-onset hypertension.

Results

Hypertension occurred in 32.8% of participants during the maximum six-year follow-up period. Compared with the group with lower WHtR, the group with higher WHtR had a higher incidence of hypertension (p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the risk of hypertension was 1.45 times higher in the high WHtR group than in the low WHtR group, and that the risk of hypertension increased by 30.4% for every 0.1 unit increase in WHtR (p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses also validated the stratified associations between WHtR and the risk of new-onset hypertension in most subgroups (p < 0.05). ROC analyses also revealed that WHtR was superior to body mass index in predicting new-onset hypertension (AUC: 0.626 vs. 0.607, p = 0.009). Further RCS analysis detected a nonlinear association between WHtR and risk of new-onset hypertension (P for nonlinearity <0.001).

Conclusion

WHtR was nonlinearly associated with the risk of new-onset hypertension in the general population.

The Bahraini food based dietary guidelines: a holistic perspective to health and wellbeing

The impact of food consumption extends well beyond the physical aspect of health to affect the mind, the society, and the environment. The biopsycho-ecological (BSE) theory recognizes the interplay between these factors and emphasizes the need for a holistic perspective to dietary recommendations. This manuscript presents a situation analysis of food consumption and diet-related diseases in Bahrain and describes the themes of the Bahraini Food based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and their alignment with the BSE constructs. Available data revealed low fruit and vegetable intake and excessive consumption of processed meat and sugary drinks in the country. These dietary habits are accompanied by a high burden of non-communicable diseases and their risk factors, anemia, and vitamin D deficiency. The Bahraini FBDG consisted of 11 context-specific themes and key messages that addressed the four dimensions of health depicted by the BSE theory, as follows: diet, physical activity, and food safety (body), physical activity, mindful eating and mental health (mind); family relations and cultural heritage (society), and food waste and environmental footprints of dietary intake (environment). The Bahraini FBDG present a model of dietary guidelines that adopted a holistic perspective to address health as they promote the role of food and dietary habits in maintaining the health of the body and that of the mind, the society, and the environment.

The Effectiveness of Potential Probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus Vahe and Lactobacillus delbrueckii IAHAHI in Irradiated Rats Depends on the Nutritional Stage of the Host

Several species of eukaryotic organisms living in the high mountain areas of Armenia with naturally occurring levels of radiation have high adaptive responses to radiation. We speculate on the role of the gastrointestinal microbiota in this protection against radiation. Therefore, seventeen microorganisms with high antagonistic activities against several multi-drug-resistant pathogens were isolated from the human and animal gut microbiota, as well as from traditional Armenian fermented products. These strains were tested in vivo on Wistar rats to determine their ability to protect the eukaryotic host against radiation damages. The efficiency of the probiotics' application and the dependence on pre- and post-radiation nutrition of rats were described. The effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus Vahe, isolated from a healthy breastfed infant, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii IAHAHI, isolated from the fermented dairy product matsuni, on the survival of irradiated rats, and their blood leucocyte and glucose levels, were considered to be the most promising, based on this study's results.

The evolving obesity challenge: targeting the vagus nerve and the inflammatory reflex in the response

Obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS), which have reached pandemic proportions significantly increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other serious conditions. Recent data with COVID-19 patients indicate that obesity also is a significant risk factor for this novel viral disease and poor outcome of associated critical illness. These findings considerably change the view of obesity as a driver of serious, but slowly-progressing chronic diseases, and emphasize the urgency to explore new therapeutic approaches. Inflammation is a recognized driver of metabolic derangements in obesity and MetS, and a core feature of COVID-19 pathobiology. Recent advances in our understanding of inflammatory regulation have highlighted the role of the nervous system and the vagus nerve-based inflammatory reflex. Current bioelectronic and pharmacological therapeutic explorations centered on the inflammatory reflex offer new approaches for conditions characterized by immune and metabolic dysregulation and for ameliorating the escalating burden of obesity, MetS, and COVID-19.

Sweet Cherries as Anti-Cancer Agents: From Bioactive Compounds to Function

Sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) are among the most appreciated fruits worldwide because of their organoleptic properties and nutritional value. The accurate phytochemical composition and nutritional value of sweet cherries depends on the climatic region, cultivar, and bioaccessibility and bioavailability of specific compounds. Nevertheless, sweet cherry extracts are highly enriched in several phenolic compounds with relevant bioactivity. Over the years, technological advances in chemical analysis and fields as varied as proteomics, genomics and bioinformatics, have allowed the detailed characterization of the sweet cherry bioactive phytonutrients and their biological function. In this context, the effect of sweet cherries on suppressing important events in the carcinogenic process, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, was widely documented. Interestingly, results from our research group and others have widened the action of sweet cherries to many hallmarks of cancer, namely metabolic reprogramming. The present review discusses the anticarcinogenic potential of sweet cherries by addressing their phytochemical composition, the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of specific bioactive compounds, and the existing knowledge concerning the effects against oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, deregulated cell proliferation and apoptosis, invasion and metastization, and metabolic alterations. Globally, this review highlights the prospective use of sweet cherries as a dietary supplement or in cancer treatment.

Possible prospects for using modern magnesium preparations for increasing stress resistance during COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The relevance of the issue of increasing stress resistance is due to a significant deterioration in the mental health of the population caused by the special conditions of the disease control and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the decisive role in the severity of clinico-physiological manifestations of maladjustment to stress is assigned to magnesium ions.

The aim of the work was to study the magnesium importance in the body coping mechanisms under stress for the pathogenetic substantiation of the magnesium correction in an unfavorable situation of disease control and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods: The theoretical basis of this scientific and analytical review was an analysis of modern Russian and foreign literature data posted on the electronic portals MEDLINE, PubMed-NCBI, Scientific Electronic Library eLIBRARY.RU, Google Academy, and CyberLeninka.

Results and discussion: It was shown that the total magnesium level in the body plays the indicator role of the body functional reserves. Acute and chronic stresses significantly increase the magnesium consumption and cause a decrease in its body content. Magnesium deficiency is one of the main pathogenetic mechanisms of reducing stress resistance and adaptive body reserves. Arising during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased nervous and emotional tension, the lack of emotional comfort and balance can lead to the onset or deterioration of magnesium deficiency, which manifests itself in mental burnout and depletion of adaptive capacities. The inability to synthesize magnesium in the body necessitates including foodstuffs high in magnesium in the population diet during this period. The appointment of magnesium preparations is pathogenetically justified with moderate and severe magnesium deficiency. This therapy should take into account the major concomitant diseases, severity of magnesium deficiency, and a patient’s age.

Conclusion: magnesium correction, carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic, will contribute to increasing stress resistance, preventing mental diseases and improving the population’s life quality.

Effect of Dietary Magnesium Content on Intestinal Microbiota of Rats

Background: Magnesium is a mineral that modulates several physiological processes. However, its relationship with intestinal microbiota has been scarcely studied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the role of dietary magnesium content to modulate the intestinal microbiota of Wistar male rats. Methods: Rats were randomly assigned one of three diets: a control diet (C-Mg; 1000 mg/kg), a low magnesium content diet (L-Mg; 60 mg/kg), and a high magnesium content diet (H-Mg; 6000 mg/kg), for two weeks. After treatment, fecal samples were collected. Microbiota composition was assessed by sequencing the V3–V4 hypervariable region. Results: The C-Mg and L-Mg groups had more diversity than H-Mg group. CF231, SMB53, Dorea, Lactobacillus and Turibacter were enriched in the L-Mg group. In contrast, the phyla Proteobacteria, Parabacteroides, Butyricimonas, and Victivallis were overrepresented in the H-Mg group. PICRUSt analysis indicated that fecal microbiota of the L-Mg group were encoded with an increased abundance of metabolic pathways involving carbohydrate metabolism and butanoate metabolism. Conclusion: Dietary magnesium supplementation can result in intestinal dysbiosis development in a situation where there is no magnesium deficiency. Conversely, low dietary magnesium consumption is associated with microbiota with a higher capacity to harvest energy from the diet.

Cholinergic Control of Inflammation, Metabolic Dysfunction, and Cognitive Impairment in Obesity-Associated Disorders: Mechanisms and Novel Therapeutic Opportunities

Obesity and obesity-associated disorders have become world-wide epidemics, substantially increasing the risk of debilitating morbidity and mortality. A characteristic feature of these disorders, which include the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and type 2 diabetes, is chronic low-grade inflammation stemming from metabolic and immune dysregulation. Inflammation in the CNS (neuroinflammation) and cognitive impairment have also been associated with obesity-driven disorders. The nervous system has a documented role in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis and immune function, and recent studies have indicated the important role of vagus nerve and brain cholinergic signaling in this context. In this review, we outline relevant aspects of this regulation with a specific focus on obesity-associated conditions. We outline accumulating preclinical evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of cholinergic stimulation in alleviating obesity-associated inflammation, neuroinflammation, and metabolic derangements. Recently demonstrated beneficial effects of galantamine, a centrally acting cholinergic drug and cognitive enhancer, in patients with MetS are also summarized. These studies provide a rationale for further therapeutic developments using pharmacological and bioelectronic cholinergic modulation for clinical benefit in obesity-associated disorders.

Nonenzymatic Serum Antioxidant Capacity in IBD and Its Association with the Severity of Bowel Inflammation and Corticosteroids Treatment

Background and objectives: Oxidative stress signalling plays a monumental role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Reduction of oxidative stress might control inflammation, block tissue damage, and reverse natural history of IBD. We assessed the serum concentrations of free thiols (FT) and uric acid (SUA), together constituting a large part of nonenzymatic serum antioxidant capacity, as well as total antioxidant status (TAS) with reference to IBD phenotype, activity, co-occurrence of anemia, and treatment with azathioprine (AZA) and corticosteroids (CS). Additionally, we appraised the potential of uric acid, thiol stress, and TAS as mucosal healing (MH) markers in ulcerative colitis. Materials and methods: SUA, FT, and TAS were measured colorimetrically using, respectively, uricase, Ellman's and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) methods. Results: The study group consisted of 175 individuals: 57 controls, 71 ulcerative colitis (UC), and 47 Crohn's disease (CD) patients. When compared to controls, SUA levels were significantly lower in patients with CD, and FT and TAS levels were significantly lower in patients with CD and UC. In UC patients, SUA, FT, and TAS inversely correlated with the severity of bowel inflammation. As MH markers, SUA displayed better overall accuracy and higher specificity than FT. In active CD, FT, and SUA were significantly lower in patients with anemia. FT was significantly lower in patients treated with corticosteroids. Conclusions: IBD patients, regardless the disease phenotype, have systemic thiol stress, depleted total antioxidant capacity, and reduced concentrations of uric acid, reflecting, to various degrees, clinical and local disease activity as well as presence of anaemia, the most common extraintestinal manifestation of IBD. Evaluation of systemic total antioxidant status may be useful in noninvasive assessment of mucosal healing. Our findings on thiol stress provide an additional aspect on adverse effects of corticosteroids therapy.

Nonenzymatic Serum Antioxidant Capacity in IBD and Its Association with the Severity of Bowel Inflammation and Corticosteroids Treatment

Background and objectives: Oxidative stress signalling plays a monumental role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Reduction of oxidative stress might control inflammation, block tissue damage, and reverse natural history of IBD. We assessed the serum concentrations of free thiols (FT) and uric acid (SUA), together constituting a large part of nonenzymatic serum antioxidant capacity, as well as total antioxidant status (TAS) with reference to IBD phenotype, activity, co-occurrence of anemia, and treatment with azathioprine (AZA) and corticosteroids (CS). Additionally, we appraised the potential of uric acid, thiol stress, and TAS as mucosal healing (MH) markers in ulcerative colitis. Materials and methods: SUA, FT, and TAS were measured colorimetrically using, respectively, uricase, Ellman’s and 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) methods. Results: The study group consisted of 175 individuals: 57 controls, 71 ulcerative colitis (UC), and 47 Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. When compared to controls, SUA levels were significantly lower in patients with CD, and FT and TAS levels were significantly lower in patients with CD and UC. In UC patients, SUA, FT, and TAS inversely correlated with the severity of bowel inflammation. As MH markers, SUA displayed better overall accuracy and higher specificity than FT. In active CD, FT, and SUA were significantly lower in patients with anemia. FT was significantly lower in patients treated with corticosteroids. Conclusions: IBD patients, regardless the disease phenotype, have systemic thiol stress, depleted total antioxidant capacity, and reduced concentrations of uric acid, reflecting, to various degrees, clinical and local disease activity as well as presence of anaemia, the most common extraintestinal manifestation of IBD. Evaluation of systemic total antioxidant status may be useful in noninvasive assessment of mucosal healing. Our findings on thiol stress provide an additional aspect on adverse effects of corticosteroids therapy.