Nutrition
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The multitude of diseases promoted by vitamin D deficiency makes providing the human organism with a constant and sufficiently high supply of this compound a high priority. The aim of this study was to verify the extent to which fish present in the Polish diet can satisfy the body's requirement for this compound. The obtained data would help to evaluate whether a diet rich in fish may be a solution for vitamin D deficiency. ⋯ Analysis of vitamin D content in various fish species indicated that the disproportion between requirement and supply seems too vast to enable eradication of vitamin D deficiency by fish food-based solutions. Still, increasing fish consumption or changing consumption patterns could be beneficial and result in noticeable improvements in vitamin D status.
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The aim of this study was to determine the association between iron parameters and inflammation in obese individuals with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). ⋯ Elevated hsCRP and hepcidin levels, and increased gene expression of TNF-α, IL-6, NF-κB, and TLR-2/4 in patients with diabetes, obesity, or both exacerbate and perpetuate the insulin resistance and inflammatory state.
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Although dementia and nutritional status have been shown to be strongly associated, differences in body composition (BC) among older people with dementia have not yet been firmly established. The aim of this study was to assess BC through conventional and vector bioimpedance analysis (BIA and BIVA, respectively) in a sample of institutionalized older men with and without dementia, in order to detect dementia-related BC changes. ⋯ Conventional BIA showed no significant differences in BC between DG and CG, although reactance and ratio of reactance to height were about 21% lower in DG. Nevertheless, a body cell mass depletion and an increase in the ratio of extracellular to intracellular water were identified in DG using BIVA. BIVA reflects dementia-related changes in BC better than BIA.
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Dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system can lead to the development of obesity and metabolic disorders. Endogenous endocannabinoids act on two cannabinoid receptor subtypes, type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2), to exert their biological actions. The aim of this study was to determine whether CB1 and CB2 receptors modulate feeding behavior. ⋯ We demonstrated that the endogenous CB2 receptor plays a role in inhibiting food intake in the satiated state, whereas the CB1 receptor promotes food intake in the fasted condition. The induction of feeding by central acyl ghrelin is a CB1 receptor-dependent mechanism. Differentially nibbling CB1 and CB2 receptor subtypes may provide a new avenue to treating eating and metabolic disorders.
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Transgenic (Tg) mice, which possess an amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene mutation, develop extracellular amyloid β (Aβ) deposition in the brain, and severe memory and behavioral deficits with age. These mice serve as an important animal model for testing the efficacy of novel drug candidates for the treatment and management of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several reports have suggested that oxidative stress is the underlying cause of Aβ neurotoxicity in AD. Pomegranates contain very high levels of antioxidants and several medicinal properties that may be useful for improving quality of life in individuals with AD. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of Omani pomegranate extract on memory, anxiety, and learning skills in an AD mouse model possessing the double Swedish APP mutation (APPsw/Tg2576). ⋯ Our results suggest that dietary supplementation with pomegranates may slow the progression of cognitive and behavioral impairments in AD.