Nutrition
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Green tea minimally affects biomarkers of inflammation in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome.
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) has shown to exert cardioprotective benefits in observational studies. The objective of this clinical trial was to assess the effects of green tea on features of metabolic syndrome and inflammation in obese subjects. ⋯ This study suggests that the daily consumption of green tea beverage or extracts for 8 wk was well tolerated but did not affect the features of metabolic syndrome. However, green tea significantly reduced plasma serum amyloid alpha, an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor, in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome.
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Nutritional support is imperative to the recovery of head-injury patients. Hypermetabolism and hypercatabolism place this patient population at increased risk for weight loss, muscle wasting, and malnutrition. ⋯ Providing early enteral nutrition within 72 hours of injury may decrease infection rates and overall complications. Establishing standards of practice and nutrition protocols will assure patients receive optimal nutrition assessment and intervention in a timely manner.
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In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), malnutrition and limited physical activity are very common and contribute to disease prognosis, whereas a balance between caloric intake and exercise allows body weight stability and muscle mass preservation. The goal of this review is to analyze the implications of chronic hypoxia on three key elements involved in energy homeostasis and its role in COPD cachexia. The first one is energy intake. ⋯ Third, hormonal control of energy balance seems to be affected in patients with COPD. Insulin resistance has been described in this group of patients as well as a sort of "growth hormone resistance." Hypoxia, by hypoxia inducible factor-1, accelerates the degradation of tri-iodothyronine and thyroxine, decreasing cellular oxygen consumption, suggesting an adaptive mechanism rather than a primary cause of COPD cachexia. COPD rehabilitation aimed at maintaining function and quality of life needs to address body weight stabilization and, in particular, muscle mass preservation.
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The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D varies in different countries. Therefore, the current study was designed to assess vitamin D status and bone health in elderly women in Thailand, which is situated near the equator. ⋯ The optimum level of serum 25(OH) value in Thai elderly women should be higher than 70 nmol/L. Vitamin D insufficiency is observed in one-third of elderly women in Bangkok.
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Oxidation of plasma cysteine/cystine (Cys/CySS) redox potential (E(h)CySS) has been associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease in humans. Cys and CySS are derived from dietary sulfur amino acids (SAA), but the specific effects of SAA depletion and repletion on Cys/CySS redox indices are unknown. The present study examined the effect of dietary SAA intake level on free Cys, free CySS, and E(h)CySS in human plasma under fasting conditions. ⋯ These results show that free Cys and Cys/CySS redox potential (E(h)CySS) in fasting plasma are affected by dietary SAA intake level in humans. Significant changes occur slowly over 4 d with insufficient SAA intake, but rapidly (after 1 d) with repletion.