Background: Loss of muscle mass with aging is a major public health concern. Omega-3 (n–3) fatty acids stimulate protein anabolism in animals and might therefore be useful for the treatment of ...sarcopenia. However, the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on human protein metabolism is unknown.
Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on the rate of muscle protein synthesis in older adults.
Design: Sixteen healthy, older adults were randomly assigned to receive either omega-3 fatty acids or corn oil for 8 wk. The rate of muscle protein synthesis and the phosphorylation of key elements of the anabolic signaling pathway were evaluated before and after supplementation during basal, postabsorptive conditions and during a hyperaminoacidemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp.
Results: Corn oil supplementation had no effect on the muscle protein synthesis rate and the extent of anabolic signaling element phosphorylation in muscle. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation had no effect on the basal rate of muscle protein synthesis (mean ± SEM: 0.051 ± 0.005%/h compared with 0.053 ± 0.008%/h before and after supplementation, respectively; P = 0.80) but augmented the hyperaminoacidemia-hyperinsulinemia–induced increase in the rate of muscle protein synthesis (from 0.009 ± 0.005%/h above basal values to 0.031 ± 0.003%/h above basal values; P < 0.01), which was accompanied by greater increases in muscle mTORSer2448 (P = 0.08) and p70s6kThr389 (P < 0.01) phosphorylation.
Conclusion: Omega-3 fatty acids stimulate muscle protein synthesis in older adults and may be useful for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. This trial was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT00794079.
The aging process leads to a potential decline in immune function and adversely affects the gut microbiota. To date, many
and
studies focused on the application of synbiotics (prebiotics combined ...with probiotics) as a promising dietary approach to affect gut microbiota composition and improved functioning of the immune system. However, studies using synbiotic preparations often have the limitation that it remains unclear whether any effect observed is a result of the prebiotic or probiotic or a synergistic effect of the combined supplement.
We investigated the effects of a probiotic
GG and pilus-deficient
GG-PB12 combined with Promitor™ Soluble Corn Fiber (SCF, a candidate prebiotic) on fecal microbiota, metabolism, immunity, and blood lipids in healthy elderly persons. A prospective, double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized, single-centered, crossover study in 40 healthy elderly subjects (aged 60-80 years) was carried out. Volunteers were randomized to consume either probiotic and prebiotic as synbiotic, prebiotic or placebo (maltodextrin) during 3 weeks. Three-week washout periods separated all the treatments. We assessed effects upon blood lipids, glucose, cytokines, natural killer (NK) cell activity, phenotype, and intestinal microbiota composition. SCF decreased IL-6, which was not observed with the synbiotics.
Consumption of
GG combined with SCF increased NK cell activity compared to baseline in females and the older group. In the fecal microbiota analyses, the strongest community shifts were due to
GG combined with SCF and SCF treatments.
GG combined with SCF and
GG-PB12 combined with SCF significantly increased the genus
.
GG combined with SCF and SCF increased concentrations of
.
and
slightly decreased in the
GG combined with SCF group, whereas
decreased also in the
GG-PB12 combined with SCF group.
GG combined with SCF reduced total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in volunteers with initially elevated concentrations. C-reactive protein significantly decreased during
GG-PB12 combined with SCF intervention compared to baseline.
In conclusion, the synbiotic combination of
GG with SCF showed a tendency to promote innate immunity by increasing NK cell activity in elderly women and in 70 to 80-year-old volunteers and decreased TC and LDL-c in hypercholesterolemic patients. In addition,
GG-PB12 combined with SCF demonstrated an increase in NK cell activity compared to SCF alone in older volunteers. We also found significant positive effects on the immune response, evidenced by a decrease of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6. Therefore, dietary intervention with
GG combined with SCF could be of importance in elderly as an attractive option for enhancement of both the microbial and immune systems.
Nutrition outcomes among young children in Nigeria are among the worse globally. Mother's limited knowledge about food choices, feeding, and health care seeking practices contributes significantly to ...negative nutrition outcomes for children in most developing countries. Much less is known about the relationship between mother's nutrition-related knowledge and child nutritional outcomes in rural Nigeria. This paper investigates therefore: (i) the association of mother's nutrition-related knowledge with nutrition outcomes of young children living in rural Nigeria, where access to education is limited, and (ii) whether mother's education has a complementary effect on such knowledge in producing positive child nutrition outcomes in such settings.
Using the Demographic and Health Survey data for Nigeria, we employ both descriptive and regression analyses approaches in analyzing the study's objectives. In particular, we apply ordinary least square (OLS) to investigate the association of mother's nutrition-related knowledge with child HAZ and WHZ while controlling for maternal, child, household and regional characteristics. An index was constructed for mother's nutrition-related knowledge using information on dietary practices, disease treatment and prevention, child immunization, and family planning.
We found that mother's knowledge is independently and positively associated with HAZ and WHZ scores in young children. Higher levels of mother's education, typically above primary, have a significant, positive association with child HAZ and WHZ scores. We argue that mother's knowledge of health and nutrition may substitute for education in reducing undernutrition in young children among populations with limited access to formal education. However, the present level of mother's education in rural Nigeria appears insufficient to reinforce knowledge in producing better nutrition outcomes for children.
This study suggests promotion of out-of-school (informal) education, such as adult literacy and numeracy classes where women without formal education can gain health and nutrition knowledge, and practices that could enhance child nutrition outcomes in Nigeria.
(Turcz.) Baill. (SCE) is a plant with high potential for beneficial health effects, confirmed by molecular studies. Its constituents exert anti-cancer effects through the induction of cell cycle ...arrest and apoptosis, as well as inhibition of invasion and metastasis in cancer cell lines and experimental animals. SCE displays antimicrobial effects against several pathogenic strains. It has anti-diabetic potential, supported by hypoglycemic activity. A diet rich in SCE improves pancreatic functions, stimulates insulin secretion, and reduces complications in diabetic animals. SCE prevents lipid accumulation and differentiation of preadipocytes, indicating its anti-obesity potential. SCE exerts a protective effect against skin photoaging, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, senescence, and mitochondrial dysfunction, and improves physical endurance and cognitive/behavioural functions, which can be linked with its general anti-aging potency. In food technology, SCE is applied as a preservative, and as an additive to increase the flavour, taste, and nutritional value of food. In summary, SCE displays a variety of beneficial health effects, with no side effects. Further research is needed to determine the molecular mechanisms of SCE action. First, the constituents responsible for its beneficial effects should be isolated and identified, and recommended as preventative nutritional additives, or considered as therapeutics.
Everyday operations in the red meat industry generate large quantities of offal and meat co-products. These traditionally are not valued as highly as prime cuts of meat, and can represent a threat to ...the environment and human health, if not disposed of or processed properly. In this way, they can represent a cost rather than a potential income stream. A requirement to sustainably feed a growing global population, and to find renewable bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived food, feed, materials and energy, provide new valorisation opportunities for such biomass.
To identify such opportunities, a systematic literature review was undertaken, considering edible and inedible offal and co-products as raw materials. The initial search of academic databases identified 11,058 papers of potential relevance. Following removal of duplicates, out of topic articles, articles for which a full-text was not available and other quality related factors, 23 review papers and 94 full research papers remained for analysis.
The results highlight the large variety of potential products that can be produced from meat co-products and offal, including applications in food and human nutrition, pharmaceuticals, biomedical, oleo-chemical, animal feed, pet-food and fertilizer. Capitalising on these opportunities is likely to require demonstration and industrial-scale development, and changes to operational as well as current business practices within the industry. However, the creation of a circular bio-economy model with positive economic, environmental, and social impacts will increasingly be required to enable the industry to address challenges relating to sustainability.
•Meat co-products can be a valuable source of biomass.•They can be used to produce food, feed, fibre, fuel and fertilizer.•They also have many high value applications, e.g. bio-medical and oleo-chemical.•Valorisation will require changes to industry operational and business practices.•The industry can address sustainability challenges through bioeconomy principles.
Crops that grow on soils with higher fertility often have higher yields and higher tissue nutrient concentrations. Whether this is the case for all crops, and which soil and management factors, or ...combinations mostly affect yields and food nutrient concentrations however, is poorly understood. Here, the main aim was to evaluate effects of soil and management factors on crop yields and food nutrient concentrations in (i) grain, fruit and tuber crops, and (ii) between high and low soil fertility areas.
Total elemental concentrations of Mg, P, S, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu were measured using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (pXRF) in maize grain (Zea mays; Teso South, Kenya: n = 31; Kapchorwa, Uganda n = 30), cassava tuber (Manihot esculenta; Teso South: n = 27), and matooke fruit (Musa acuminata; Kapchorwa, n = 54). Soil properties measured were eCEC, total N and C, pH, texture, and total elemental content. Farm management variables (fertilisation, distance to household, and crop diversity) were collected. Canonical Correspondence Analyses (CCA) with permutation rank tests identified driving factors of alterations in nutrient concentrations.
Maize grain had higher correlations with soil factors (CCA > 80%), than cassava tuber (76%) or matooke fruit (39%). In contrast, corresponding correlations to management factors were much lower (8–39%). The main soil properties affecting food nutrients were organic matter and texture. Surprisingly, pH did not play an important role. A positive association of crop diversity with nutrient concentration and yield in lower fertility areas was observed. Considering, food nutrient composition, apart from yield, as response variables in agronomic trials (e.g. fertilisation or soil improvement strategies), would contribute towards discounting the notion that crops growing on fertile soils always produce healthy and high quality foods.
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•How are soil properties, food nutrient concentrations and yields connected?•Grain, tubers and fruits were collected on two different soil types.•Canonical Correspondence Analysis was used to find the most influential variables.•Annual crops (grains) have a stronger connection to soil than perennial crops.•Soil organic matter and fertilizer use affected all collected crops on the different soils.
The understanding of gut microbiota has emerged as a significant frontier in development of strategies to maintain normal human body's homeostasis and preventing the disease development over the last ...decade. The composition of the gut microbiota influences the clinical benefit of immune checkpoints in patients with advanced cancer, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear. Cancer is among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. So far, there is no universal treatment for cancer and despite significant advances, a lot of improvement on cancer therapy is required. Owing to its role in preserving the host's health and maintaining cellular integrity, the human gut microbiome has recently drawn a lot of interest as a target for cancer treatment. Dietary fiber is fermented by the gut microbiota to generate short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate, which are physiologically active metabolites. SCFAs can modulate the pathophysiology of the tumor environment through various critical signaling pathways. In addition, SCFAs can bind to carcinogens and other toxic chemicals, thus facilitating their biotransformation and elimination through different excretory mechanisms. This review discusses the mechanisms of action of short-chain fatty acids in modulating hematopoiesis of various immune system cells and the resultant beneficial anti-cancer effects. It also provides future perspectives on cancer therapy.
This review describes dietary fibres originating from a range of foods, particularly in relation to their plant cell walls. It explores the categorization of dietary fibres into "soluble" or ..."insoluble". It also emphasizes dietary fibre fermentability, in terms of describing how the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) microbiota respond to a selection of fibres from these categories. Food is categorized into cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Mention is also made of example whole foods and why differences in physico-chemical characteristics between "purified" and "non-purified" food components are important in terms of health. Lastly, recommendations are made as to how dietary fibre could be classified differently, in relation to its functionality in terms of fermentability, rather than only its solubility.
Algae have been consumed for millennia in several parts of the world as food, food supplements, and additives, due to their unique organoleptic properties and nutritional and health benefits. Algae ...are sustainable sources of proteins, minerals, and fiber, with well-balanced essential amino acids, pigments, and fatty acids, among other relevant metabolites for human nutrition. This review covers the historical consumption of algae in Europe, developments in the current European market, challenges when introducing new species to the market, bottlenecks in production technology, consumer acceptance, and legislation. The current algae species that are consumed and commercialized in Europe were investigated, according to their status under the European Union (EU) Novel Food legislation, along with the market perspectives in terms of the current research and development initiatives, while evaluating the interest and potential in the European market. The regular consumption of more than 150 algae species was identified, of which only 20% are approved under the EU Novel Food legislation, which demonstrates that the current legislation is not broad enough and requires an urgent update. Finally, the potential of the European algae market growth was indicated by the analysis of the trends in research, technological advances, and market initiatives to promote algae commercialization and consumption.
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