Objective: It was aimed to evaluate the changes in the dietary habits of adult individuals during the Coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic. Methods: The research was conducted on 970 adults, aged 18-65 ...years. An online questionnaire form including questions about socio-demographic characteristics and healthy lifestyle behaviors (smoking and alcohol consumption, exercising at least 150 minutes a week) was performed. Results: The mean age of the individuals was 24.75+-7.82 years. It was determined that the rate of those who did not exercise for at least 150 minutes a week before the pandemic (56.4%) increased during the pandemic (70.4%) (p<0.001). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, there was an increase in the rate of individuals consuming two main meals a day and a decrease in those consuming three main meals a day during the pandemic. There was an increase in those who consumed three or more snacks a day. In the pandemic, individuals reported that they consumed more home-cooked meals (50.8%), healthier (40.6%) and regular (31.2%) meals. The main foods consumed by individuals in order to increase immunity during the pandemic were fruits (50.6%), meat-chicken-fish (39.2%) and honey (37.6%). The rate of those who thought that they had an adequate and balanced diet was higher among those who had ≥3 main meals and 2 snacks, those who did not skip main meals, those aged 50 years and older, and those who worked from home (p<0.05). Conclusion: The situation created by the pandemic and restrictions has changed the dietary habits and lifestyle of individuals.
In order to more efficiently utilize the abundant cellulose resources in nature, increase the utilization rate of cellulose in aquaculture, implement precise feeding and save aquaculture costs, we ...have conducted research on cellulase genes related to the spotted knifejaw (Oplegnathus punctatus). Cellulose, as the most abundant renewable resource, is a cornerstone in the intricate ecological balance of diverse ecosystems. While herbivorous fish are recognized for their utilization of proteins, sugars, and fats, the extent of cellulose utilization by carnivorous and omnivorous fish remains an enigma. Here, through field sampling and behavioural observations, O. punctatus' omnivorous diet has been demonstrated (stomach contents contain approximately several species of algae in the Bacillariophyta (1.12 %), Streptomyces (0.55 %), Chlorophyta (0.35 %), Rhodophyta (0.16 %), and Euglenophyta (0.19 %) phylum). Additionally, the high cellulase activity in the intestine of O. punctatus has been detected first discovery (enzyme activity up to 4800.15 U/g), indicating its ability to digest cellulose. By employing whole-genome scanning and high-throughput sequencing, a single cellulase gene (β-glucosidase) within the genome of O. punctatus, suggesting the absence of a complete cellulose digestive system. However, microbiological analysis revealed the three crucial role of microorganisms, including Actinobacteria (25.80 %), Bacteroidetes (18.93 %), and Firmicutes phylum (0.82 %), were found to play a crucial role in the decomposition of plant cell walls, thereby facilitating plant material digestion to help the host to complete the process of cellulose digestion. Expression patterns and proteomic analysis of the β-glucosidase were notably high in the gonads. In situ hybridization confirmed the expression of the β-glucosidase gene in the intestinal contents and gonads, highlighting its role in supplying energy of gonads. These discoveries shed light on the dietary habits of O. punctatus and its cellulose utilization, offering insights that can inform the development of customized feeding strategies to enhance aquaculture sustainability and minimize resource expenditure.
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•Anatomy of gastric contents, DNA barcoding, and behavioral studies confirmed the spotted knifejaw's omnivorous feeding habits.•Cellulase was found in its intestines, confirming its ability to digest plant-based prey.•Spotted knifejaw's digestion of cellulose involved collaboration between the host (β-glucosidase) and intestinal microorganisms.•New insights into the diverse functionality of the β-glucosidase gene in the energy supply mechanisms of the testes and ovaries.
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•Consumption of fatty meats may increase risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.•Production of red meats increases greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions contributing to the global ...warming.•Consumption of wild meats can pose some serious risks of transmission of viruses from animals to humans.
Meat consumption has been increasing since the 1960s, but especially from the 1980s decade to today. Although meat means an important source of nutrients, it is also evident that a great consumption of this source of proteins has also a negative environmental impact. Livestock production does not only have a negative influence on GHG emissions, but also on the water footprint, water pollution, and water scarcity. With respect to human health, in 2015 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) stated that red meat was a probable carcinogen to humans (Group 2A), while consumption of processed meat was carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Most environmental contaminants (PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PBDEs, PCNs, etc.) that are frequently found in meats are highly soluble in fats. Therefore, avoiding ingesting fats from red meats and meat products, doubtless would help in the prevention, not only of the well-known cardiovascular diseases derived of fats consumption, but also of certain kinds of cancers, mainly colorectal cancer. On the other hand, consumption of meat – especially wild meat – is related to virus infections, as many viruses have been found in wild meat trade markets. Based on the scientific literature here reviewed, we have noted that the results of the investigations conducted after the statement of the IARC, have corroborated the recommendation of reducing significantly the consumption of red meats and meat products. In turn, the reduction of meat consumption should contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions and their considerable impact on global warming and climate change. It seems evident that human dietary habits regarding meat consumption in general, and red meats and wild meats in particular, should be significantly modified downward, as much and as soon as possible.
Obesity and overweight are still very common diseases affecting most regions of the world. According to studies, the increasing obesity prevalence in both adults and children of all ages, regardless ...of geography, race, or socioeconomic status. The Abdominal obesity is featured by fat accumulation in abdomen or atrophy of the large muscle group or both. So, the waist circumference (WC) is greater than the hip circumference (higher WHR) because of the accumulation of fat inside the abdomen. This study aims to find an association between abdominal obesity and dietary habits. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey; of 384 participants randomly selected from the formations of the Southern Technical University in Basra Governorate southern Iraq from (The College of Health and Medical Technologies, Technical College Administrative. Technical College of Engineering and Technical Institute in Basra) the data was gathered by conducting in-person interviews with the participants and utilizing thorough self-reporting survey questionnaires. Results: The present study reveals that more than half (51.0%) of students rest in the normal range. While 49.0% of them have abdominal obesity. Conclusion: With the exception of rice and soft drinks, the results of the current study showed no significant correlation between dietary habits and WC. To address the high incidence of abdominal obesity, among university students who need health education programs.
The gut microbiota is composed of a huge number of different bacteria, that produce a large amount of compounds playing a key role in microbe selection and in the construction of a metabolic ...signaling network. The microbial activities are affected by environmental stimuli leading to the generation of a wide number of compounds, that influence the host metabolome and human health. Indeed, metabolite profiles related to the gut microbiota can offer deep insights on the impact of lifestyle and dietary factors on chronic and acute diseases. Metagenomics, metaproteomics and metabolomics are some of the meta-omics approaches to study the modulation of the gut microbiota. Metabolomic research applied to biofluids allows to: define the metabolic profile; identify and quantify classes and compounds of interest; characterize small molecules produced by intestinal microbes; and define the biochemical pathways of metabolites. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are the principal technologies applied to metabolomics in terms of coverage, sensitivity and quantification. Moreover, the use of biostatistics and mathematical approaches coupled with metabolomics play a key role in the extraction of biologically meaningful information from wide datasets. Metabolomic studies in gut microbiota-related research have increased, focusing on the generation of novel biomarkers, which could lead to the development of mechanistic hypotheses potentially applicable to the development of nutritional and personalized therapies.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women aged 20–50 years, with some geographical difference. The yearly incidence of the disease is increasing while the related mortality is steadily ...decreasing. Breast cancer is associated not only with specific hormones or factors related with reproduction, but mostly to more general environmental factors, linked to socioeconomic conditions and lifestyles (smoking, stress, physical exercise and particularly dietary habits). The latter, indeed, are risk factors or conditions common to hormone-dependent tumors and other chronic degenerative disorders, such as ischemic cardio cerebro-vascular and neuro-degenerative disease. Breast cancer can indeed be considered as a paradigm of the so-called “common soil” concept, according to which the above mentioned conditions, although having different clinical manifestations, share some pathogenetic mechanisms and risk factors and intermediate predisposing phenotypes (see Type2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome or obesity).
In an epidemiological perspective, evidence has been accumulated on the common response of breast cancer and cardiovascular disorders to healthy lifestyles and in particular to the beneficial effects of a close adhesion to the Mediterranean dietary model. The latter would mainly be effective thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, thus controlling the subclinical condition of low-grade inflammation, a common risk factor of all the “common soil” disorders. Results from the prospective cohort of the Moli-sani Study (nearly 25,000 adults from the general population of the Southern Italy region of Molise) are highly suggestive in this context.
In a public health perspective, the “common soil” hypothesis may thus promote the application of preventive strategies, particularly targeting lifestyles, for a broad spectrum of widely prevalent disorders, ranging from breast cancer to myocardial infarction or cognitive impairment conditions.
Considering the widespread presence of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment and their adverse health effects, human exposure to PPCPs has caused worldwide concern. ...However, there remains insufficient information on the exposure assessment of the Chinese population. Based on this, the exposure levels of 13 PPCPs in the urine samples of 986 Chinese adults were measured, aiming to provide information on the prevalence of PPCP occurrence and investigate potential correlations between PPCP exposure and obesity. Results showed that the detection rates of these compounds in urine ranged from 28.12 % to 98.58 %, with median concentrations ranging below the limit of detection to 10.58 ng mL−1. Methyl-paraben (MeP) was the most dominant paraben and had the highest urinary concentration (median = 10.12 ng mL−1), while 4-hydroxy-benzophenone (4-OH-BP) was the dominant benzophenone derivative (median = 0.22 ng mL−1). In antibacterials, the urinary concentration of triclosan (mean = 42.00 ng mL−1) was much higher than that of triclocarban (mean = 0.63 ng mL−1). PPCP concentrations were significantly associated with sex, age, body mass index, education level, and annual household income (p < 0.050). Regression analysis of dietary habits showed that seafood and tea consumption may be significant exposure sources of PPCP exposure (p < 0.050). Furthermore, individual exposure to MeP (odds ratio (OR) < 1, p = 0.002) and 4-OH-BP (OR < 1, p = 0.009) exhibited a significantly negative association with obesity in females. Also, analysis results from quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression models demonstrated that an inverse correlation between PPCP mixture exposure and obesity was significant in females. This study reports the extensive prevalence of PPCP exposure among adults from China, and may provide crucial insights into PPCP exposure dynamics. More epidemiological studies are need in the future, with a thorough knowledge of PPCP exposure.
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•13 PPCPs were detected in Chinese adults with median level < LOQ to 10.58 ng mL−1.•Sex, age, BMI, and education level significantly influence PPCP exposure.•Seafood and tea may be important dietary sources for PPCP exposure.•MeP and 4-OH-BP showed significant negative associations with obesity in females.
This study aimed to investigate the dietary habits from early childhood to adolescence among participants from all regions of the country and living areas (rural/urban) and assess potential ...associations between dietary habits and obesity in both sexes.
Population data were derived from a cross-sectional health survey on a representative sample of 177,091 children aged 6–18 years. Dietary habits were considered via a self-completed questionnaire (Mediterranean diet quality index for children and adolescents KIDMED). Trained investigators assessed the anthropometric data.
KIDMED scores were 6.7 ± 2.4 and 6.8 ± 2.3 for boys and girls, respectively, whereas a percentage of almost 10% of the total study population had insufficient dietary habits. Dietary habits peaked around age 11 years and then gradually worsened until the end of adolescence in both sexes, with an annual trend equal to −0.28 ± 0.02 (p < 0.001) for boys and −0.31 ± 0.03 (p < 0.001) for girls. Schoolchildren who are overweight/obese presented higher percentages in all unhealthy dietary habits (e.g., skipping breakfast, going often to a fast food restaurant, and consuming a lot of sweets) than children with a normal weight (all p-values < 0.001). Dietary habits did not noteworthy differ by area of living, that is, urban versus rural, of participants in both sexes. In addition, no noticeable differences in the values of the KIDMED index were found among all regions of Greece, with the highest values in Attica and Crete in both sexes.
Because Greek schoolchildren do not fully adopt the traditional cardio-protective Mediterranean diet, it could be helpful to provide certain recommendations, especially for adolescents, to decrease the risk for future adverse health consequences.
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People with severe mental disorders die 10–25years earlier than people in the Western background population, mainly due to lifestyle related diseases, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) being the most ...frequent cause of death. Major contributors to this excess morbidity and mortality are unhealthy lifestyle factors including tobacco smoking, unhealthy eating habits and lower levels of physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary habits and levels of physical activity in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and overweight and to compare the results with the current recommendations and with results from the general Danish population.
We interviewed a sample of 428 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and increased waist circumference enrolled in the CHANGE trial using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and a 24h recall interview, a Physical Activity Scale (PAS), scale for assessment of positive and negative symptoms (SAPS and SANS, respectively), Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). We compared with information on dietary intake and physical activity in the general Danish population from the Danish National Survey of Dietary Habits and Physical Activity in 2011–2013 (DANSDA).
The CHANGE participants reported a very low energy intake and their distribution of nutrients (i.e. fat, protein and carbohydrates) harmonized with the recommendations from the Danish Health Authorities, and were similar to the latest report on the dietary habits in the Danish general population. However, the intake of saturated fat, sugar and alcohol exceed the recommended amounts and the corresponding intake in the general population. The intake of fiber, vegetables and fruit and fish were insufficient and also less than in the general population. The overall estimated quality of the dietary habits was poor, only 10.7% of the participants had healthy dietary patterns, and the quality was poorer than in the general population. Even with a very liberal definition of the term “homecooked”, only 62% of the participants had taken any part in the preparation of their food. The level of physical activity was low and only one fifth of the participants complied with the recommendations of min. 30min daily moderate-to-vigorous activity. Half of the CHANGE participants were smokers, compared to 17% in the general population. Negative symptoms were significantly associated with poorer dietary quality and less physical activity, whereas no such significant associations were found for cognition, positive symptoms or antipsychotic medication.
Even when accounting for some error from recall - and social desirability bias, the findings point in the direction that the average energy intake in obese people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders is not exceeding that of the general population, and that overweight may to some degree be a result of physical inactivity and metabolic adverse effects of antipsychotic medication. The physical activity level is low and the rate of tobacco smoking is high, and our results suggest that negative symptoms play a significant role. Future research should focus on bringing about lifestyle changes in this fragile population in order to reduce the excess risk of CVD and mortality.
BackgroundPeriodontitis, a complex inflammatory condition, has been associated with dietary habits and antioxidants. While the association between certain dietary patterns and periodontitis has been ...documented, the bidirectional relationship remains unclear. This study utilizes Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the bidirectional associations between dietary factors comprising dietary antioxidants, and periodontitis.MethodsEmploying a two-sample MR approach, this study analyzed genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on diets and periodontitis from large databases and published literature. Instrumental variables (IVs) were selected and filtered based on genetic variants associated with dietary factors and periodontitis, respectively. Various MR methods, including Inverse Variance Weighted, MR-Egger, Weighted Median, Weighted Mode, and Simple Mode were applied to assess the bidirectional associations. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the robustness of the findings.ResultsOur analysis revealed significant associations between certain dietary factors and the risk of periodontitis. Specifically, higher intake of filtered coffee, low-calorie drinks, and other cereals, as well as increased metabolic circulating levels of gamma-tocopherol, were associated with an elevated risk of periodontitis. Conversely, consumption of cheese, white rice, chocolate bars, unsalted peanuts, and higher absolute circulating levels of vitamin C were linked to a reduced risk. Additionally, the study suggests that periodontitis may influence dietary habits, indicating a bidirectional relationship.ConclusionThis study provides additional evidence of a bidirectional association between dietary factors and periodontitis. It highlights the importance of dietary interventions in the prevention and management of periodontitis. The findings underscore the need for incorporating dietary counseling into periodontal disease management protocols and suggest the potential of personalized dietary strategies for periodontitis patients. Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying these associations and to confirm these findings in diverse populations.
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