[Nutritional status, food consumption and food supply of studies in Saudi Aribia. I. Anthropometric data]

Change in Growth Status and Obesity Rates among Saudi Children and Adolescents Is Partially Attributed to Discrepancies in Definitions Used: A Review of Anthropometric Measurements

Anthropometric measurements are the first step in determining the health status in children and adolescents. Clinicians require standardized protocols for proper assessment and interpretation. Therefore, this study aims to review the literature of international and Saudi national guidelines and studies previously conducted in Saudi children and adolescents to provide recommendations to establish Saudi guidelines in line with the Saudi 2030 Vision. Systematic search was conducted in several databases: Medline, PubMed, Saudi Digital Library and Google Scholar from January 1990 to January 2021. Further, 167 studies measured anthropometrics in Saudi children/adolescents; 33 of these studies contributed to the establishment/adjustment of Saudi growth charts or specific cutoffs or studied the trend of growth in representative samples or adjusted the international curves to be used in Saudis. This review warrants updating growth charts and establishing the standard cutoffs of Saudi adolescent anthropometrics to avoid over/underreporting. This review provides insights and recommendations regarding the resources that can be used to establish national guidelines in anthropometric measurements for Saudi children/adolescents. This review will help policymakers and the Ministry of Health to establish standardized protocols to be used in Saudi Arabia for anthropometric measurements that may assist in detecting malnutrition.

Serum enzyme changes due to trace amounts of some transition metal ions on the induction of experimental diabetes

The intravenous injection of zinc chloride immediately before and 15 minutes after alloxan or dithizone prevented the usual hyperglycaemia observed 24 hours after induction of diabetes. The intravenous injection of manganese chloride prevented any marked rise of blood glucose, while chromium and cobalt chlorides lowered the blood glucose level to a certain extent. In alloxan diabetic rats, serum GOT and GPT levels were significantly higher than normal. The serum GOT levels were higher in animals injected with chromium than cobalt, zinc and manganese; while serum GPT levels were higher in cobalt than in chromium, zinc and manganese. In dithizone diabetes, serum GOT and GPT were increased in animals injected with cobalt than chromium, zinc and manganese. Alloxan diabetic rats showed lower serum alkaline phosphatase levels and higher in animals injected with cobalt than chromium, zinc and manganese. For dithizone, there are statistically significant differences in all cases. In alloxan diabetes, coeruloplasmin was higher than normal, while intravenous injection of dithizone was without effect on serum coeruloplasmin.

Serum enzyme changes in experimental diabetes before and after treatment with some hypoglycaemic drugs

In alloxan diabetes, serum GOT, GPT, and ceruloplasmin were significantly increased compared to normal rats, while the level of serum alkaline phosphatale was decreased. Treatment with insulin led to lowering of serum GOT, GPT, and ceruloplasmin while serum alkaline phosphatase remained low. Then lycanol or daonil were used for treatment, serum GOT, GPT, and ceruloplasmin were changes towards normalization, while ceruloplasmin returned to normal values. Serum-alkaline phosphatase increased after 7 and 14 days from treatment with oral hypolygylcaemic drugs. In dithizonized diabetic animals, the levels of serum GOT, GPT, and alkaline phosphatase were found to be higher than normal, while ceruloplasmin levels were unchanged. After treatment with insulin all serum enzyme activities were normalized.

[Nutritional condition, food consumption and nutritional intake in students in Saudi Arabia. II. Food consumption and nutritional intake]

In field surveys in 13 schools in different regions of Saudi-Arabia, energy expenditure, food consumption, and nutrient intake were studied. Cereal products, especially bread, have the greatest significance in nutrition. Many students do not eat other foodstuffs regularly. A certain dependency of food consumption from the region was found in regard to the schools. The frequency of foodstuffs was generally low, but lowest in remote villages. In some age groups, the sufficient energy intake leaves much to be desired, 70 % do not reach recommended dietary allowances of animal protein and 100 % in fat. Intake of carbohydrates was too high, while intake of linoleic acid, minerals and vitamins is too low of nearly all test persons. To secure regularly a sufficient intake of essential nutrients, a school lunch program for the Saudi-Arabian boys is to be recommended.