Antioxidant-Rich Dietary Intervention Improves Cardiometabolic Profiles and Arterial Stiffness in Elderly Koreans with Metabolic Syndrome

Predictive association between the γ-glutamyltransferase-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and all-cause mortality in the Korean genome and epidemiology study: health examinees cohort

OBJECTIVE

The ratio of γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is a novel noninsulin-based marker for assessing the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, it is unclear whether the GGT/HDL-C ratio is related to all-cause mortality. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the longitudinal association of GGT/HDL-C on all-cause mortality in a large cohort of Korean adults.

METHODS

Data were assessed for 87,668 participants (25,767 men and 61,901 women) from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study-Health Examinees cohort. These data were combined with the death certificate database from the National Statistical Office. The participants were divided into four groups according to GGT/HDL-C quartiles. We prospectively assessed hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality in the 11.7 years following the baseline survey using multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models including age, BMI, smoking status, and drinking habits, which are known to be major confounders.

RESULTS

During the follow-up period, 3,214 individuals (3.6%; 1,728 men and 1,486 women) died. The respective HRs (95% CIs) of mortality for GGT/HDL-C quartiles 2-4 were 1.15 (0.99-1.33), 1.48 (1.28-1.71), and 1.97 (1.70-2.29) in men and 1.22 (1.02-1.45), 1.36 (1.15-1.61), and 1.69 (1.42-2.00) in women after adjusting for confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

GGT/HDL-C may be a useful predictive marker for all-cause mortality in men and women. We believe that GGT/HDL-C ratio will provide a complementary tool to help clinicians make decisions about prevention and disease management to improve survival.

Novel Development and Sensory Evaluation of Extruded Snacks from Unripe Banana (Musa ABB cv. Kluai 'Namwa') and Rice Flour Enriched with Antioxidant-Rich Curcuma longa Microcapsules

With the growing consumer demand for natural functional ingredients that promote health and well-being while preventing age-related diseases, this study aimed to develop extruded snacks enriched with Curcuma longa (turmeric) microcapsules, recognized for their significant antioxidant properties. Unripe banana flour (Musa ABB cv. Kluai 'Namwa') and rice (Oryza sativa) flour were employed as a gluten-free base to create this novel extruded snack. Curcuma longa extract microcapsules were prepared using a spray-drying technique with varying core-to-wall ratios. Antioxidant capacities were assessed through DPPH, ABTS, superoxide radical scavenging, metal chelating, and ferric-reducing assays. The CM6 microcapsules, prepared at 140 °C with a 1:10 core-to-wall ratio, exhibited potent antioxidant activity, with 58.93 ± 3.31% inhibition for DPPH radicals, 87.58 ± 1.33% for ABTS, and 78.41 ± 1.40% for superoxide radicals. Snacks enriched with 0.25% CM6 microcapsules received high consumer acceptance, with an average liking score of 7.5 out of 9. These findings suggest that snacks made with these gluten-free flours and Curcuma longa microcapsules could be novel, convenient, and appealing functional food products that offer an attractive way to deliver antioxidant benefits with high consumer acceptance. Further research on evaluating the active constituents in the snack, its long-term health benefits, and shelf-life stability is recommended for commercialization.

Association between dietary antioxidant indices and hypertension among Chinese adults

The effect of dietary antioxidants on blood pressure (BP) regulation and hypertension risk remains largely unknown. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the impacts of dietary antioxidants on systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP), and hypertension risk among Chinese adults. The cross-sectional study assessed data from 12,046 Chinese adults, evaluating dietary antioxidant quality scores (DAQS) and total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) via a validated food frequency questionnaire. MAP was derived using the formula DBP + (0.412 ×PP), with PP calculated as SBP - DBP. The relationship between DAQS, DTAC, and hypertension prevalence was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Among participants not taking antihypertensive medications, those in the highest groups of DTAC and DAQS had significantly lower SBP, DBP, MAP, and PP compared to those in the lowest groups (all p-trends <0.001). Relative to the lowest quintile (Q1) of DTAC (adjusted odds ratios (OR) for hypertension decreased in Q2 (OR 0.90, 95%CI 0.79-1.03), Q3 (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.56-0.76), Q4 (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.43-0.60), and Q5 (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.31-0.46) (p trend <0.001). For DQAS, hypertension OR of category 5 was 0.38 (95% CI 0.32-0.46) compared to that of category 1. Increased vitamin A, Zinc, and selenium intake correlated with reduced hypertension risk. A significant non-linear DTAC and linear DAQS relationships were observed and hypertension risk. Antioxidant-rich diets markedly lowered SBP, DBP, MAP, PP, and hypertension risk.

Associations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and heavy metals with blood lipid profiles in a representative sample of Korean adolescents

BACKGROUND

Previous studies on the associations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and heavy metals with lipid profiles among adolescents have been scarce. We sought to investigate the associations of PFASs and heavy metals with blood lipid levels in a representative sample of Korean adolescents.

METHODS

Data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2018-2020) were used. Concentrations of PFASs [perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA)], lead, and mercury were measured in serum, whole blood, and urine samples, respectively. Linear regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), and k-means clustering analyses were employed to evaluate the associations between pollutants and lipid levels.

RESULTS

In the linear regression analyses, PFOA levels were associated with higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels; PFOS with higher total cholesterol (TC) levels; PFNA with higher TC, LDL-C, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels; PFDeA with higher TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels; and mercury with higher TC and non-HDL-C levels. The BKMR analysis revealed that the PFAS and heavy metal mixture was associated with higher LDL-C levels (1.8% increase in LDL-C at the 75th percentile of all PFAS and heavy metal concentrations compared to their median values, 95% credible interval: 0.5, 3.1), primarily driven by the effect of PFDeA. Compared to individuals in the low pollutant exposure cluster (geometric mean levels of PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFDeA, lead, and mercury were 2.7 μg/L, 6.2 μg/L, 1.6 μg/L, 0.7 μg/L, 0.4 μg/L, 0.8 μg/dL, and 0.3 μg/L, respectively), those in the high pollutant exposure cluster (5.1 μg/L, 10.7 μg/L, 3.7 μg/L, 1.3 μg/L, 0.6 μg/L, 0.9 μg/dL, and 0.4 μg/L, respectively) demonstrated higher TC levels (2.5% increase in TC, 95% confidence interval: 0.1, 5.0) in the k-means clustering analysis.

CONCLUSION

Due to the limitations of this study, such as its cross-sectional design, these results should be interpreted cautiously and confirmed in future studies before drawing implications for public health strategies aimed at promoting health during adolescence and later in life.

Presence of melatonin in foods of daily consumption: The benefit of this hormone for health

Melatonin (MLT) is a hormone that exists in all living organisms, including bacteria, yeast, fungi, animals, and plants, many of which are ingested daily in the diet. However, the exact concentrations of melatonin in each of the foods and the effect on health of the intake of foods rich in MLT are not known. Therefore, the aim of this review was to gather the available information on the melatonin content of different foods and to evaluate the effect that this hormone has on different pathologies. The amount of MLT may vary depending on the variety, origin, heat treatment, processing, and analysis technique, among other factors. Dietary interventions with foods rich in MLT report health benefits, but there is no evidence that hormone is partially responsible for the clinical improvement. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the MLT content in more foods, as well as the effect that cooking/processing has on the amount of MLT, to estimate its total intake in a typical diet and better explore its potential impact on the health.

Dietary Antioxidants and Natural Compounds in Preventing Thrombosis and Cardiovascular Disease

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to endothelial dysfunction, platelet activation, and coagulation abnormalities, promoting thrombus formation. Given the growing interest in non-pharmacological approaches to modulate oxidative stress, we examine the potential of various dietary interventions and antioxidant supplementation in reducing oxidative damage and preventing thrombotic events. Key dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and ketogenic diets, as well as antioxidant-rich supplements like curcumin, selenium, and polyphenols, demonstrate promising effects in improving oxidative stress markers, lipid profiles, and inflammatory responses. This review highlights recent advances in the field, drawing from in vitro, ex vivo, and clinical studies, and underscores the importance of integrating dietary strategies into preventive and therapeutic approaches for managing thrombosis and cardiovascular health. Further research is needed to better understand long-term effects and personalize these interventions for optimizing patient outcomes.

Multifunctional dietary interventions, low-grade inflammation and cardiometabolic profile: a scoping review

Background

Growing evidence highlights the significant impact of diet to modify low-grade inflammation closely linked to cardiometabolic profile. Multifunctionnal diets, combining several compounds have been shown to beneficially impact metabolic parameters.

Objective

This study synthesizes the knowledge on the impact of RCTs combining dietary multifunctional compounds on low-grade inflammation in humans. We investigate whether the effects of dietary multifunctional interventions on inflammatory markers were parallel to alterations of cardiometabolic parameters.

Methodology

We considered both the integrated dietary interventions (ID, i.e. global diets such as Mediterranean, Nordic…) and the dietary interventions based on selected bioactive mix (BM) compounds, in healthy individuals and those at cardiometabolic risk. Out of 221 screened publications, we selected 27 studies: 11 for BM (polyphenols and/or omega-3 fatty acids and/or antioxidants and/or dietary fiber) and 16 for ID (Mediterranean, paleo, Nordic, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet…).

Results

ID studies reflected significant improvements in inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1b), concomitantly with beneficial changes in metabolic parameters. In BM studies, pronounced effects on low-grade inflammatory markers were observed, while improvements in metabolic parameters were not consistent. Both types of studies suggested a favorable impact on oxidative stress, a factor closely linked to the inflammatory profile.

Conclusion

Our findings showed that multifunctional RCT diets have differential role in managing low-grade inflammation and cardiometabolic health, with a large heterogeneity in explored inflammatory markers. Further research is imperative to elucidate the link between low-grade inflammation and other cardiometabolic risk factors, such as intestinal inflammation or postprandial inflammatory dynamics, aiming to attain a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms involved in these processes. These future investigations not only have the potential to deepen our insights into the connections among these elements but also pave the way for significant advancements in the prevention and management of conditions related to the cardiovascular and metabolic systems.

Associations of Particulate Matter Exposures With Brain Gray Matter Thickness and White Matter Hyperintensities: Effect Modification by Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have shown the effect of particulate matter exposure on brain imaging markers. However, little evidence exists about whether the effect differs by the level of low-grade chronic systemic inflammation. We investigated whether the level of c-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of systemic inflammation) modifies the associations of particulate matter exposures with brain cortical gray matter thickness and white matter hyperintensities (WMH).

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study of baseline data from a prospective cohort study including adults with no dementia or stroke. Long-term concentrations of particulate matter ≤ 10 µm in diameter (PM10) and ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) at each participant's home address were estimated. Global cortical thickness (n = 874) and WMH volumes (n = 397) were estimated from brain magnetic resonance images. We built linear and logistic regression models for cortical thickness and WMH volumes (higher versus lower than median), respectively. Significance of difference in the association between the CRP group (higher versus lower than median) was expressed as P for interaction.

RESULTS

Particulate matter exposures were significantly associated with a reduced global cortical thickness only in the higher CRP group among men (P for interaction = 0.015 for PM10 and 0.006 for PM2.5). A 10 μg/m³ increase in PM10 was associated with the higher volumes of total WMH (odds ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-2.97) and periventricular WMH (2.00; 1.20-3.33). A 1 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 was associated with the higher volume of periventricular WMH (odds ratio, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.56). These associations did not significantly differ by the level of high sensitivity CRP.

CONCLUSION

Particulate matter exposures were associated with a reduced global cortical thickness in men with a high level of chronic inflammation. Men with a high level of chronic inflammation may be susceptible to cortical atrophy attributable to particulate matter exposures.

Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Frailty and Metabolic Syndromes-Two Sides of the Same Coin

In developed countries, aging is often seen as typical, but it is made complicated by many disorders and co-morbidities. Insulin resistance seems to be an underlying pathomechanism in frailty and metabolic syndromes. The decline in insulin sensitivity leads to changes in the oxidant-antioxidant balance and an accelerated inflammatory response, especially by adipocytes and macrophages in adipose tissue, as well as muscle mass density. Thus, in the pathophysiology of syndemic disorders-the metabolic syndrome and frailty syndrome-an extremely important role may be played by increased oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory state. Papers included in this review explored available full texts and the reference lists of relevant studies from the last 20 years, before the end of 2022; we also investigated the PubMed and Google Scholar electronic databases. The online resources describing an elderly population (≥65 years old) published as full texts were searched for the following terms: "oxidative stress and/or inflammation", "frailty and/or metabolic syndrome". Then, all resources were analyzed and narratively described in the context of oxidative stress and/or inflammation markers which underlie pathomechanisms of frailty and/or metabolic syndromes in elderly patients. So far, different metabolic pathways discussed in this review show that a similar pathogenesis underlies the development of the metabolic as well as frailty syndromes in the context of increased oxidative stress and acceleration of inflammation. Thus, we argue that the syndemia of the syndromes represents two sides of the same coin.