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Topic Review
Oral Vitamin D Therapy
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient in humans; it is produced by the body through exposure to the sun (the primary source of vitamin D), or more precisely, to mild ultraviolet B (UVB) light.
  • 942
  • 09 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Childhood Supplementation
The pivotal role of childhood nutrition has always roused a growing interest from the scientific community. Plant extracts play a significant role in the maintenance of human health and wellness, with the potential to modulate risk factors and manage symptoms for a large number of common childhood disorders such as memory impairment, respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic derangements, and pathologies related to the oral cavity.
  • 942
  • 23 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease predominately found in premature infants that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite decades of research, medical management with broad spectrum antibiotics and bowel rest has remained relatively unchanged, with no significant improvement in patient outcomes. The etiology of NEC is multi-factorial; however, gastrointestinal dysbiosis plays a prominent role in a neonate’s vulnerability to and development of NEC. Probiotics have recently emerged as a new avenue for NEC therapy. However, current delivery methods are associated with potential limitations, including the need for at least daily administration in order to obtain any improvement in outcomes. We present a novel formulation of enterally delivered probiotics that addresses the current limitations. A single enteral dose of Lactobacillus reuteri delivered in a biofilm formulation increases probiotic survival in acidic gastric conditions, increases probiotic adherence to gastrointestinal epithelial cells, and reduces the incidence, severity, and neurocognitive sequelae of NEC in experimental models.
  • 941
  • 25 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Modern Diets and the Health of Our Planet
Popular modern diets are often seen as a panacea for improving health and promoting weight reduction. While there is a large body of literature reporting the health benefits of popular diets, few studies have described their planetary benefits. Using carbon footprint databases and representative meal plans, the environmental and health-related impacts of the Standard American, Mediterranean, vegan, paleo, keto, and climatarian diets are compared using the available literature. Diets that exhibit lower carbon footprints also have positive effects on human health. The diets found to have the lowest environmental impacts were the vegan, climatarian, and Mediterranean diets. These low-carbon-footprint diets can likely be attributed to a reduced reliance on ruminant meat (cattle and sheep) and processed food consumption, while diets with high carbon footprints are more dependent on ruminant meat and saturated fat. Moderate consumption of meats such as chicken, pork, and fish in conjunction with an emphasis on locally grown fruits and vegetables can be maintained without adversely affecting the planetary carbon footprint and with the added benefit of promoting good health. Thus, making simple substitutions within each individual’s diet can be advertised as an effective approach to collectively lower the environmental impact in tandem with improving health and longevity.
  • 936
  • 24 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Cardiovascular Diseases of Developmental Origins
Gut microbiota derived metabolites can act as a mediator of microbial influence through circulation on various target organs, including the cardiovascular systems. Thus far, scientists have proposed several mechanisms by which dysbiotic gut microbiota contributes to CVD, such as alterations of microbiota-derived metabolite short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), increases of trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), inhibition of nitric oxide (NO), and aberrant activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). A meta-analysis study summarized 19 studies with 19,256 participants and found that individuals with high concentrations of TMAO and its precursors were associated with increased risks of major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.
  • 934
  • 07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Sterol-Rich Sunflower Press Oil
Plant sterols or phytosterols (PS) are compounds with proven health benefits. Their richest natural sources are vegetable oils, followed by nuts and legumes. Extracted from plants, free PS are widely used in fortified foods and dietary supplements. In most cases, free PS are extracted using organic solvents that are harmful to human health as well as to the environment. The food industry is currently facing the challenge of obtaining foods enriched with bioactive compounds while applying minimal processing. In this context, the production of PS-enriched seeds may be a good option to increase PS in our diet simply through the intake of vegetable oils.
  • 934
  • 19 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a severe clinical condition characterized mostly but not exclusively by an area of exposed bone in the mandible and/or maxilla that typically does not heal over a period of 6-8 weeks. The diagnosis is first of all clinical, but an imaging feedback such as Magnetic Resonance is essential to confirm the clinical suspect. In the last decade, the medical-related Osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) has been widely discussed. Almost all papers concerning this topic conclude that bisphosphonates (BPs) can induce this severe clinical condition, particularly in cancer patients. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism by which amino-BPs would be responsible for ONJ is still debatable. Recent findings suggest a possible alternative explanation for BPs role in this pattern. In the present work we discuss how a condition of osteomalacia and low vitamin D levels might be determinant factors.
  • 931
  • 03 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Diet Advice for Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic, progressive, and destructive granulomatous inflammatory bowel disorder that can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. This is a review on diet and Crohn's disease; It is important for practitioners and patients with IBD.
  • 929
  • 28 May 2021
Topic Review
25Years Research in Human Lactation
Human milk promotes optimum growth, development, and health of the infant; however the mechanisms that govern both the variation of composition and the pathways by which it delivers benefits to the infant are not well understood. Increasingly maternal and environmental factors are being associated with milk composition. A recent systematic review indicated maternal adiposity was related to HM lactose and fat concentrations.
  • 926
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Docosahexaenoic Acid and Neurodevelopment
There is a lot of interest in and buzz around improving brain potential (neurodevelopment) of our children. Various types of nutrition supplements are therefore advised/consumed to boost neurodevelopment, often without proper scientific evidence. India is one of the highest ranking countries in the world for the number of children suffering from malnutrition. The first 1000 days (conception to 2 years) are very critical for the growth and development of a child. Maternal nutrition during this time impacts the development of brain structure and function. Thus poor maternal diets (lacking in important nutrients) can result in delayed brain development and diseases in the offspring. Higher intake of a specific fat type known as long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA) has been linked to better motor and mental development. The main dietary source of DHA is fatty fish and marine oils. Indian diets are largely DHA-deficient and the population levels of plasma DHA among Indians are reported to be very low. There are no harmful effects of consuming DHA during pregnancy or lactation. Thus we carried out a high quality rigorous randomized controlled trial (#DHANI trial*) supplementing 957 pregnant Indian women with either DHA or placebo capsules to examine how DHA impacts the brain development of the offspring. These capsules were given from <20 weeks of gestation to 6 months postpartum. The infants born to these supplemented mothers were tested using a standardized non-invasive tool called the Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian infants (DASII). This provides a developmental quotient (DQ) score taking the mental and motor development into consideration. Our published study* provides evidence that the maternal supplementation through pregnancy and lactation with DHA did not benefit their infant’s neurodevelopment at one year of age. Deeper insights into maternal dietary patterns, young child feeding practices, home environment, and the interactions amongst these factors are warranted to understand what shapes early neurodevelopment. Ongoing follow-up is needed, particularly given the ubiquity of DHA-supplemented health drinks, formulas and foods for children for touted cognitive enhancements in Indian markets.
  • 925
  • 20 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Complications of Home Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
Although home parenteral and enteral nutrition (HPEN) can be life-saving therapies, they are also associated with complications that can be life threatening. An awareness of these complications and close monitoring is essential for prevention and identification of these problems.
  • 925
  • 07 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Health Effects of Berry Anthocyanins
Supplementation with anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoids mainly found in various berries, is hypothesized to be a promising approach to lower the risk of developing cognitive decline. The aim of this systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of dietary intervention trials describing effects of berry anthocyanins on cognitive performance in humans, while also addressing potential underlying mechanisms. 
  • 923
  • 25 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Low Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets
In the 1940s, the diet-heart hypothesis proposed that high dietary saturated fat and cholesterol intake promoted coronary heart disease in “at-risk“ individuals. This hypothesis prompted federal recommendations for a low-fat diet for “high risk” patients and as a preventive health measure for everyone except infants. The low carbohydrate diet, first used to treat type 1 diabetes, became a popular obesity therapy with the Atkins diet in the 1970s. Its predicted effectiveness was based largely on the hypothesis that insulin is the causa prima of weight gain and regain via hyperphagia and hypometabolism during and after weight reduction, and therefore reduced carbohydrate intake would promote and sustain weight loss. Based on literature reviews, there are insufficient randomized controlled inpatient studies examining the physiological significance of the mechanisms proposed to support one over the other. Outpatient studies can be confounded by poor diet compliance such that the quality and quantity of the energy intake cannot be ascertained. Many studies also fail to separate macronutrient quantity from quality. Overall, there is no conclusive evidence that the degree of weight loss or the duration of reduced weight maintenance are significantly affected by dietary macronutrient quantity beyond effects attributable to caloric intake. 
  • 923
  • 07 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Algae Food Products as a Healthcare Solution
Diseases such as obesity; cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, myocardial infarction and stroke; digestive diseases such as celiac disease; certain types of cancer and osteoporosis are related to food. On the other hand, as the world’s population increases, the ability of the current food production system to produce food consistently is at risk. As a result, intensive agriculture has contributed to climate change and a major environmental impact. Research is, therefore, needed to find new sustainable food sources. One of the most promising sources of sustainable food raw materials is macroalgae. Algae are crucial to solving this nutritional deficiency because they are abundant in bioactive substances that have been shown to combat diseases such as hyperglycemia, diabetes, obesity, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular diseases. 
  • 922
  • 10 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Synbiotics in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic relapsing gastrointestinal disorders that are characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The involvement of three distinct recurrent inflammatory features that sustains the chronic inflammation in IBD have been clearly identified that includes, disturbances in the gut microbiota, dysregulated immune response and altered colonic epithelial integrity. Dietary components such as prebiotic dietary fibres (DF) and probiotics due to their potential in modulating immune functions and influencing microbiota are promising strategies in the context of IBD. In this entry, we review the recent evidence from in-vivo studies to support the application of synergistic synbiotic carrying whole-plant complex prebiotic fibre and probiotic in resolving in the inflammatory cycle in IBD.
  • 921
  • 16 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Hypersensitivity Reactions to Food Additives
Food additives (FAs) are commonly used in prosscessed foods, but hypersensitivity reactions to food additives (HFA) appears to be a rare phenomenon. Identification of the FA responsible for hypersensitivity and its treatment is difficult. Diagnosis is a challenge for the clinician and for the patient. A food diary is a helpful diagnostic tool. It allows diet therapy to be monitored based on the partial or complete elimination of products containing a harmful additive. An elimination diet must not be deficient, and symptomatic pharmacotherapy may be necessary if its application is ineffective.
  • 920
  • 21 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Milk in Attenuating Postprandial Hyperglycemia
Postprandial plasma glucose and triglyceride concentrations are predictive of relative cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and the pathogenesis of both insulin resistance and atherosclerosis has been attributed to acute states of hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia. Postprandial lipemia and hyperglycemia suppress vascular reactivity and induce endothelial dysfunction. Epidemiological studies suggest that chronically-high consumption of milk and milk products is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and CVD. The addition of dairy products to meals high in carbohydrates and fat may lessen these risks through reductions in postprandial glucose and triglyceride responses. Purported mechanisms include dairy proteins and bioactive compounds, which may explain the inverse relationship between dairy consumption and cardiometabolic diseases.
  • 918
  • 16 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Protein substitutes and BH4 Treatment
The traditional treatment for phenylketonuria (PKU) is a phenylalanine (Phe)-restricted diet, supplemented with a Phe-free/low-Phe protein substitute. Pharmaceutical treatment with synthetic tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), an enzyme cofactor, allows a patient subgroup to relax their diet. However, dietary protocols guiding the adjustments of protein equivalent intake from protein substitute with BH4 treatment are lacking. 
  • 917
  • 07 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Ketogenic Diet and Epilepsy
In epileptic patients, pharmacological treatment with available anticonvulsants leads to seizure control in <70% of cases. Surgical intervention can lead to control in a selected subset of patients, but still leaves a significant number of patients with uncontrolled seizures. In drug-resistant epilepsy, the ketogenic diet proves to be useful. 
  • 916
  • 06 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Gut Influences Development and Disease
The microbiome lies at the forefront of scientific research, as researchers work to uncover its mys-terious influence on human development and disease.
  • 915
  • 15 Jan 2021
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