Nutrition
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Case Reports
Anaphylaxis after consumption of pumpkin seeds in a 2-y-old child tolerant to its pulp: A case study.
Pumpkin and its seeds are increasingly consumed by children for their potential health benefits. Each day, approximately 30% of teenagers consume nuts and seeds, including pumpkin seeds. However, there is some evidence that pumpkin seeds may exert allergenic effects and induce severe life-threatening anaphylaxis. Allergy to melon, cucumber, and zucchini, which belong to the same Cucurbitaceae family as pumpkin, are well known, opposite to pumpkin allergy. Few descriptions of allergic reactions associated with pumpkin have been published, especially in children. To date, three cases of pumpkin pulp and two seed cases have been reported among children. Our case report describes a case of pumpkin seed anaphylaxis in a child with good tolerance of pulp. ⋯ Pumpkin seed anaphylaxis can develop in a child with a tolerance to pumpkin pulp. Pumpkin seed allergens have not been well characterized. Homology between amino-acid sequences in storage proteins may indicate cross reactivity between different edible seeds and nuts.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Vitamin D supplementation reduces serum lipids of children with hypertriacylglycerolemia: A randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled crossover trial.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cholecalciferol supplementation on the body composition and metabolic profile of children with hypertriacylglycerolemia. ⋯ Cholecalciferol supplementation improved the lipid profile of children with hypertriacylglycerolemia without altering body composition.
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Sarcopenia is a muscle disease which previously was associated only with aging, but in recent days it has been gaining more attention for its predictive value in a vast range of conditions and its potential link with overall health. Up to this point, evaluating sarcopenia with imaging methods has been time-consuming and dependent on the skills of the physician. ⋯ We searched the PubMed database to find articles concerning the use of artificial intelligence in diagnostic imaging and especially in body-composition analysis in the context of sarcopenia. We found that artificial-intelligence systems could potentially help with evaluating sarcopenia and better predicting outcomes in a vast range of clinical situations, which could get us closer to the true era of precision medicine.
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Dietary fiber is a group of heterogeneous substances that are neither digested nor absorbed in the small intestine. Some fibers can be classified as prebiotics if they are metabolized by beneficial bacteria present in the hindgut microbiota. ⋯ Other fibers are considered candidates to prebiotics or have prebiotic potential, and apparently some have no prebiotic effect on humans. This dietary fiber classification by the prebiotic categories contributes to a better understanding of these concepts in the literature, to the stimulation of the processing and consumption of foods rich in fiber and other products with prebiotic properties, and to the development of protocols and guidelines on food sources of prebiotics.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Responsiveness of one-carbon metabolites to a high-protein diet in older men: Results from a 10-wk randomized controlled trial.
Dietary strategies to promote successful aging are divergent. Higher-protein diets are recommended to preserve skeletal muscle mass and physical function. Conversely, increased B-vitamin intake, supporting one-carbon (1C) metabolism, reduces the risk of cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease. On the hypothesis that higher protein intake through animal-based sources will benefit 1C regulation by the supply of B vitamins (folate, riboflavin, and vitamins B6 and B12) and methyl donors (choline) despite higher methionine intake, this study explored the effect of a higher-protein diet on 1C metabolite status in older men compared to current protein recommendations. ⋯ Adding to the known benefits of higher protein intake in older people, this study supports a reduction of homocysteine with increased consumption of animal-based protein, although the health effects of differential response of choline metabolites to a higher-protein diet remain uncertain.