Nutrition
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Loss of skeletal muscle in patients who have undergone gastric bypass is a consistent observation. Skeletal muscle constitutes the largest protein/amino acid pool in the body, and loss of skeletal muscle has important implications in health and disease. Sustaining a given level of muscle protein requires a balance between the rates of muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. ⋯ Ingesting essential amino acids (EAAs), which cannot be synthesized de novo and have the primary role in the regulation of muscle protein synthesis, can potentially ameliorate loss of muscle protein after gastric bypass. At the same time, ingestion of EAAs provides a more efficient nutritional approach (i.e., greater stimulation of protein synthesis relative to the amount of amino acids ingested) to enhance muscle protein synthesis compared with the ingestion of intact protein. Changing current dietary practices toward increasing ingestion of EAAs provides an approach that can potentially prevent loss of lean body tissue and ultimately achieve a more sustained level of health in patients who have undergone gastric bypass.
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The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) varies among migrants from different geographic regions. The aim of this study was to estimate the pooled prevalence of VDD among dark-skinned migrants. ⋯ Immigrants with dark skin, and in particular those from the extended Middle East region, have high prevalence of VDD. Migrants who are at high risk for VDD should be educated, screened, and monitored for VDD.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Chamomile tea improves glycemic indices and antioxidants status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Oxidative stress is a major factor in the pathogenesis of diabetes complications. The objectives were to investigate the effects of chamomile tea consumption on glycemic control and antioxidant status in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM). ⋯ Short term intake of chamomile tea has beneficial effects on glycemic control and antioxidant status in patients with T2 DM. A larger sample population and a longer intervention period may be required to show significant clinical improvements.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Lipid-soluble nutrient status of healthy Omani school children before and after intervention with oily fish meal or re-esterified triacylglycerol fish oil.
Over the past two decades, the Omani diet has changed considerably to resemble a high calorie and a low nutrient density Western diet. We investigated the fat soluble nutrient status of children before and after intervention with fish diet or fish oil. ⋯ Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in Omani school children, but it can be mitigated with omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in skeletal and extraskeletal systems. Hence, there is a need for a child-focused program of food fortification and outdoor activities to alleviate the problem.
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Extreme malnutrition with body mass index (BMI) as low as 10 kg/m(2) is not uncommon in anorexia nervosa, with survival enabled through complex metabolic adaptations. In contrast, outcomes from hunger strikes and famines are usually fatal after weight loss to about 40% below expected body weight, corresponding to BMI 12 to 13 kg/m(2) in adults. Thus, many years of adaptation in adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa, supported by supplements of vitamins and treatment of intercurrent diseases, may allow survival at a much lower BMI. ⋯ She had a BMI of 7.8 kg/m(2). To our knowledge, this level of extreme malnutrition has not previously been reported. The present case emphasizes the importance of adherence to guidelines to decrease refeeding complications.