Nutrition
-
Immigration from Third World countries to the developed world is characterized by modification of lifestyle and acculturation to local customs. This study investigated changes in nutritional status and eating behaviors in female Ethiopian immigrants in Israel. ⋯ This immigrant community is at high risk for developing nutrition-related chronic diseases. Culturally sensitive nutrition education programs are urgently needed.
-
Flavonoids are naturally occurring compounds widely distributed in plants, which have hypoglycemic potential and have been described as glucosidase inhibitors. This study evaluated the effect of flavonoids on intestinal glucosidase activity after in vivo and in vitro treatment. ⋯ Based on these results, we can conclude that disaccharidases are targets of flavonoids in the regulation of glucose absorption and consequently glucose homeostasis.
-
Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of the effect of β-glucan intake on blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
A meta-analysis was performed on epidemiologic studies to assess the relation between β-glucan consumption from oats and from barley on blood cholesterol level, triglyceride/triacylglycerol (TGL/TAG) level, and blood glucose level (BGL) in humans. In addition, the effect of β-glucan on total cholesterol (TC) and BGL was translated into an empirical dose-response model. ⋯ Consumption of 3 g/d of oat or barley β-glucan is sufficient to decrease blood cholesterol, whereas the effect on BGL is still inconclusive, with high heterogeneity, and requires further clinical research studies with longer intervention periods.
-
The objective was to define the term evidence based nutrition on the basis of expert discussions and scientific evidence. ⋯ The 26th Hohenheim Consensus Conference addresses some general aspects and describes the current scientific status from the point of view of six case studies to illustrate specific areas of scientific interest: carotenoids and vitamin A in relation to age-related macular degeneration, the quality of carbohydrates (as expressed by the glycemic index) in relation to health and well-being, probiotics in relation to intestinal and immune functions, micronutrient intake and maintenance of normal body functions, and food components with antioxidative properties and health benefits.
-
We investigated the influence of iron supplementation on brain oxidative stress and antioxidase activity in psychologically stressed rats. ⋯ These results demonstrated that iron overload augments brain oxidative stress status and aggravates the decrease of apparent iron absorption in a rat model of psychological stress.