Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
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Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr · Mar 2017
ReviewThe nutritional role of free sialic acid, a human milk monosaccharide, and its application as a functional food ingredient.
N-Acetyl-d-neuraminic acid (NANA), more commonly known by its trivial name sialic acid, is an endogenous human and ubiquitous nutritional monosaccharide. As a bound sugar at the terminal positions of glycans NANA is known to play important roles in many biological events. The data that exist on the occurrence of the free monosaccharide in breast milk and nutrition, however, are less commonly discussed. ⋯ Therefore, we present summaries on the biochemistry, metabolism, bioavailability, and the data on NANA and NGNA levels that occur in diverse foods. Finally, we discuss the emerging data demonstrating that free NANA is linked to positive nutritional effects including pronounced antioxidative properties. These data and the extremely high safety profile of NANA justify dietary enrichment at levels that correspond to the dietary intake of NANA in infants through breast milk.
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Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr · Mar 2017
Review Meta AnalysisEffects of Quercetin Supplementation on Lipid Profile: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
In spite of promising experimental findings, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have yielded mixed results on the impact of quercetin supplementation on plasma lipid levels. ⋯ Available evidence from RCTs does not suggest any clinically relevant effect of quercetin supplementation on plasma lipids, apart from a significant reduction of triglycerides at doses above 50 mg/day.