Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Gut-Brain Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex behavioral syndrome that is characterized by speech and language disorders, intellectual impairment, learning and motor dysfunctions. Several genetic and environmental factors are suspected to affect the ASD phenotype including air pollution, exposure to pesticides, maternal infections, inflammatory conditions, dietary factors or consumption of antibiotics during pregnancy.  Many children with ASD shows abnormalities in gastrointestinal (GI) physiology, including increased intestinal permeability, overall microbiota alterations, and gut infection. Moreover, they are “picky eaters” and the existence of specific sensory patterns in ASD patients could represent one of the main aspects in hampering feeding. GI disorders are associated with an altered composition of the gut microbiota. Gut microbiome is able to communicate with brain activities through microbiota-derived signaling molecules, immune mediators, gut hormones as well as vagal and spinal afferent neurons. Since the diet induces changes in the intestinal microbiota and in the production of molecules, such as the SCFA, we wanted to investigate the role that nutritional intervention can have on GI microbiota composition and thus on its influence on behavior, GI symptoms and microbiota composition and report which are the beneficial effect on ASD condition.
  • 1.4K
  • 23 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Foods for Plant-Based Diets
Plant-based diets include foods predominantly from plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts, oil, whole grains, and legumes) but can also contain small quantities of food derived from animals. The vegetarian diet may include eggs, dairy and honey, while the vegan diet does not include any food or derivatives of animal origin.
  • 1.4K
  • 08 Mar 2021
Topic Review
EPIC Cohort Study
In the Greek segment of the EPIC cohort study (EPIC-Greece), the changes in dietary habits of 23,505 participants regarding several food items/groups (vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, dairy, cereal, meat, fish/seafood, olive oil) were recorded repeatedly over time and compared to the baseline assessment (1994–1997), using a short, qualitative, follow-up questionnaire.
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Antioxidants in Hops
Hop plant (Humulus lupulus L.) has been used by humans for ages, presumably first as a herbal remedy, then in the manufacturing of different products, from which beer is the most largely consumed. Female hops cones have different useful chemical compounds, an important class being antioxidants, mainly polyphenols.
  • 1.4K
  • 10 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Anthocyanin
Anthocyanin is a natural soluble pigment in the flavonoid group. Approximately 635 or more structures have been found in nature and more than 30 types of anthocyanins and anthocyanidins have been identified based on the number and position of the hydroxyl group. The common aglycones are pelargonidin (Pg), cyanidin (Cy), peonidin (Pn), delphinidin (Dp), petunidin (Pt), and malvidin (Mv), but Cy-3-glucoside was widely distributed. Anthocyanins are mostly absorbed through the gastric wall with absorption rates of 10–22%, depending on chemical structure, and the bioavailability is approximately 0.26–1.8%. Anthocyanins produce antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects and play a role in the prevention and treatment of numerous chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), eye diseases, and in suppressing cancer cell growth.
  • 1.4K
  • 05 Jul 2021
Topic Review
The Reconstruction of Diet in the Past
The retrospective reconstruction of our ancestors’ diet is far more difficult than it is for recent populations, offers numerous options and usually depends on a successful transdisciplinary cooperation at the interface between prehistory (archaeology), anthropology (bioarchaeology), chemistry, biochemistry, geology, and evolutionary medicine.
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Bile Acids in Metabolic Disease
Bile acids are cholesterol-derived metabolites with a well-established role in the digestion and absorption of dietary fat. More recently, the discovery of bile acids as natural ligands for the nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and membrane Takeda G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5), and the recognition of the effects of FXR and TGR5 signaling have led to a paradigm shift in knowledge regarding bile acid physiology and metabolic health. Bile acids are now recognized as signaling molecules that orchestrate blood glucose, lipid and energy metabolism. Changes in FXR and/or TGR5 signaling modulates the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY), hepatic gluconeogenesis, glycogen synthesis, energy expenditure, and the composition of the gut microbiome.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Citrus-Derived Polymethoxylated Flavones
Several reports have shown that polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) derived from citrus fruit, such as nobiletin, tangeretin, and 3,3′,4′,5,6,7,8-heptamethoxyflavone, are promising molecules for the prevention of neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. In various animal models, PMFs have been shown to have a neuroprotective effect and improve cognitive dysfunction with regard to neurological disorders by exerting favorable effects against their pathological features, including oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and synaptic dysfunction as well as its related mechanisms.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Nutrition in Chronic Pain Management
A poor nutritional status such as malnutrition, unhealthy dietary behaviors, and a suboptimal dietary intake can play a significant role in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of chronic pain. The relationship between nutrition and chronic pain is complex and may involve many underlying mechanisms such as oxidative stress, inflammation, and glucose metabolism. As such, pain management requires a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach that includes nutrition. Nutrition is the top modifiable lifestyle factor for chronic non-communicable diseases including chronic pain.
  • 1.4K
  • 26 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic risk factors, characterized by abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, low levels of HDL-c, hypertension, and insulin resistance. Lifestyle modifications, especially dietary habits, are the main therapeutic strategy for the treatment and management of metabolic syndrome, but the most effective dietary pattern for its management has not been established. Specific dietary modifications, such as improving the quality of the foods or changing macronutrient distribution, showed beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome conditions and individual parameters. On comparing low-fat and restricted diets, the scientific evidence supports the use of the Mediterranean DASH diet intervention as the new paradigm for metabolic syndrome prevention and treatment. The nutritional distribution and quality of these healthy diets allows health professionals to provide easy-to-follow dietary advice without the need for restricted diets. Nonetheless, energy-restricted dietary patterns and improvements in physical activity are crucial to improve the metabolic disturbances observed in metabolic syndrome patients.
  • 1.4K
  • 21 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Creatine Supplementation for Older Adults
Sarcopenia, defined as age-related reduction in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance, is associated with other age-related health conditions such as osteoporosis, osteosarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, physical frailty, and cachexia. From a healthy aging perspective, lifestyle interventions that may help overcome characteristics and associated comorbidities of sarcopenia are clinically important. One possible intervention is creatine supplementation (CR). Accumulating research over the past few decades shows that CR, primarily when combined with resistance training (RT), has favourable effects on aging muscle, bone and fat mass, muscle and bone strength, and tasks of physical performance in healthy older adults. However, research is very limited regarding the efficacy of CR in older adults with sarcopenia or osteoporosis and no research exists in older adults with osteosarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, physical frailty, or cachexia.
  • 1.4K
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Physiological Roles of CoQ10 in Humans
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a compound with a crucial role in mitochondrial bioenergetics and membrane antioxidant protection. Despite the ubiquitous endogenous biosynthesis, specific medical conditions are associated with low circulating CoQ10 levels. However, previous studies of oral CoQ10 supplementation yielded inconsistent outcomes. In this text, previous CoQ10 trials are reviewed, either single or in combination with other nutrients, and stratified the study participants according to their metabolic statuses and medical conditions. The CoQ10 supplementation trials in elders reported many favorable outcomes. However, the single intervention was less promising when the host metabolic statuses were worsening with the likelihood of multiple nutrient insufficiencies, as in patients with an established diagnosis of metabolic or immune-related disorders. On the contrary, the mixed CoQ10 supplementation with other interacting nutrients created more promising impacts in hosts with compromised nutrient reserves. Furthermore, the results of either single or combined intervention will be less promising in far-advanced conditions with established damage, such as neurodegenerative disorders or cancers. With the limited high-level evidence studies on each host metabolic category, it could only be concluded that the considerations of whether to take supplementation varied by the individuals’ metabolic status and their nutrient reserves. Further studies are warranted.
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Nov 2022
Topic Review
ω-3 PUFA on colon cancer
Substantial human and animal studies support the beneficial effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on colonic inflammation and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, there are inconsistent results, which have shown that ω-3 PUFAs have no effect or even detrimental effects, making it difficult to effectively implement ω-3 PUFAs for disease prevention. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms for the anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects of ω-3 PUFAs will help to clarify their potential health-promoting effects, provide a scientific base for cautions for their use, and establish dietary recommendations.
  • 1.4K
  • 17 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Energy Intake in CKD-MBD
This study is aimed to review current knowledge about the influence of energy intake on mineral metabolism focussing on four aspects of major interest for the chronic kidney disease-metabolic bone disease (CKD-MBD) patient: (a) phosphate (P) handling, (b) fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and calcitriol synthesis and secretion, (c) metabolic bone disease, and (d) vascular calcification (VC). High caloric intake promotes P retention, while caloric restriction decreases plasma P concentrations. A direct correlation between energy intake and FGF23 has been shown in animals and humans while plasma calcitriol concentrations are inversely proportional to caloric intake. The effect of energy intake on bone is controversial. High caloric intake has been reported to increase bone mass, but the associated changes in adipokines and cytokines may as well be deleterious for bone. Low caloric intake tends to reduce bone mass but also may provide indirect beneficial effects on bone. Finally, while VC has been shown to be exacerbated by diets with high energy content, the opposite has not been demonstrated with low calorie intake. In conclusion, although prospective studies in humans are needed, when planning caloric intake for a CKD-MBD patient, it is important to take into consideration the associated changes in mineral metabolism.
  • 1.4K
  • 11 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Metabolic-(Dysfunction) Associated Fatty Liver Disease
Metabolic- (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) represents the predominant hepatopathy and one of the most important systemic, metabolic-related disorders all over the world associated with severe medical and socio-economic repercussions due to its growing prevalence, clinical course (steatohepatitis and/or hepatocellular-carcinoma), and related extra-hepatic comorbidities. 
  • 1.4K
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Healthy School Canteen Intervention
Implementing a school-based intervention to promote healthier dietary habits in the school environment among Malaysian adolescents using qualitative methods. This qualitative study was conducted in four secondary schools in Perak and Selangor (two urban and two rural schools) that received the intervention (either training or training and food subsidy). A total of eight focus groups (68 students aged 15 years old) and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with canteen operators, school convenience shop operators, school teachers and school principals in each school. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data to identify suitable themes. Finding several initiatives and changes by the schools’ stakeholders to change to a healthy school canteen programme. The stakeholders also noticed the students’ food preferences that influence healthy food intake in canteens and convenience shops. The food vendors and school administrators also found that subsidising healthy meals might encourage healthy eating. Among barriers to implementing healthy school initiatives were the student’s perception of healthy food and their eating habits, which also affect the food vendors’ profit if they want to implement a healthy canteen. The school-based intervention has the potential to promotes healthier eating among school adolescents. Continuous training and monitoring of canteen operators and convenience shops are needed, including building partnerships and educating the students on healthy eating to cultivate healthy eating habits.
  • 1.4K
  • 19 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Interventions with polyphenols in osteoarthritis
Polyphenols are plant-derived molecules with established anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that have been extensively evaluated in clinical settings and preclinical models in OA. As more knowledge is gained in the research field, an interesting approach in the management of OA is the additive and/or synergistic effects that polyphenols may have in an optimized supplement. 
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Nutrition Care of IBD Patients
Malnutrition is highly prevalent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and disproportionately affects those admitted to hospital. Malnutrition is a risk factor for many complications in IBD, including prolonged hospitalization, infection, greater need for surgery, development of venous thromboembolism, post-operative complications, and mortality. Early screening for malnutrition and prompt nutrition intervention if indicated has been shown to prevent or mitigate many of these outlined risk factors. There are many causes of malnutrition in IBD including reduced oral food intake, medications, active inflammation, and prior surgical resections. Hospitalization can further compound pre-existing malnutrition through inappropriate diet restrictions, nil per os (NPO) for endoscopy and imaging, or partial bowel obstruction, resulting in “post-hospital syndrome” after discharge and readmission. 
  • 1.4K
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Dietary Assessment Tools for Preschool-Aged Children
Preschool-aged children in the U.S. have suboptimal diets. Interventions to improve child nutrition focus on parents and their role in shaping social and physical home environments, which influence children’s eating behaviors. Dietary assessment tools selected to measure intervention objectives, and how results are interpreted in key findings, are essential when examining children’s diets. Dietary assessment tools can be used to capture habitual or acute dietary intake as well as a variety of dietary outputs—foods and food groups consumed (e.g., fruits and vegetables), energy (calories), macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and protein), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and dietary scores or quality indices (e.g., diet diversity, Healthy Eating Index).
  • 1.4K
  • 16 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin D on Skin Aging
The normal vitamin D3 status is important for a general prevention of premature aging maintaining a healthful skin aging. Vitamin D3metabolites including its classical (1,25(OH)2D3) and novel (CYP11A1-intitated) D3hydroxyderivatives exert many beneficial protective effects on the skin, which could influence the process of premature aging via many different mechanisms, leading to a delay or attenuation of both chronological skin aging and photoaging. Skin-resident cells (keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and sebocytes) are capable of locally activating vitamin D3and exhibiting a diverse biological effect such as photoprotection and immunosuppression, similar to the UVR-induced one.
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Sep 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 40
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Academic Video Service
Feedback

Quick Survey

Encyclopedia MDPI is conducting a targeted survey to identify the specific barriers hindering efficient research. We invite you to spend 3 minutes defining the priorities for our next generation of structured knowledge tools.
Take Survey