Nutrition
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Short-term preoperative supplementation of an immunoenriched diet does not improve clinical outcome in well-nourished patients undergoing abdominal cancer surgery.
A recent study suggested that the anti-inflammatory effect of immunonutrition starts after only two d. We therefore investigated the effect of an immunoenriched oral diet administered for three d preoperatively. ⋯ Preoperative oral supplementation with an immunoenriched diet for 3 d preoperatively did not improve postoperative outcome compared with the placebo in well-nourished patients with elective gastrointestinal cancer surgery.
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Selenium is a metalloid element with the atomic number 34. It is one of the elements that determine the normal functioning of an organism; it has antioxidant properties and protects the organism against the actions of free radicals and carcinogenic factors. Selenium is an element that fulfills an important physiologic function, but there is a fine line between the concentration that still has beneficial effects on an organism and that at which selenium begins exerting toxic effects. ⋯ Studies clearly indicate that selenium-containing yeast can be an effective, safe, and natural source of dietary selenium. In general, the selenium content of various diets can differ significantly depending on the food items and, more importantly their geographical origin and the respective soil selenium content. Thus, it seems advisable to pay attention to the use of this element in the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods, including finished protein-mineral preparations that enrich those diets that are deficient in selenium.
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To calibrate the food list and relative portion sizes of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for application to a free-living, healthy, elderly population. ⋯ Adjustments to the FFQ in particular, new portion sizes and a reduction of the food list were found to be appropriate for application to healthy, urban, free-living elderly people in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
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The association between serum iron status, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality remains controversial in the elderly. In the present study, we aim to determine the relevance of serum iron level on the incidences of CVD and all-cause mortality in an elderly population. ⋯ These results suggest that iron deficiency is independently associated with CVD and all-cause mortality in elderly Taiwanese living in long-term care facilities.
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Folate supplementation may be associated with an increased risk of developing several types of cancer and a derangement of immune function. Among the latter, Natural killer (NK) cells are involved in non-MHC-restricted natural immunity against malignant target cells. Abnormalities in NK cell number or function have been associated with a higher cancer risk. The aim of this study was to study in vitro the possible effect of different concentrations of 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-MTHF) or folic acid on NK cell cytotoxic function, and expression of the stimulatory and inhibitory receptors KIRDL4, KIRDL3, and NKG2D. ⋯ Our data indicate that a high dose of 5-MTHF or folic acid does not influence NK cell function in vitro.