Search Results (12)

Introduction: Members of consecrated life communities exhibit homogeneity with regard to factors that are relevant to health, including diet, daily activities, religiosity, and housing. This may be indicative of the manner in which the community influences the formation of the health-seeking attitudes of its members. Purpose of the study: The objective of this study was to validate a survey about health awareness and health-seeking attitudes among consecrated people and to identify potential issues to be improved. In addition, the study aspires to provide insights into the lifestyles of consecrated persons in Poland, based on the results of the survey and available data. Materials and Methods: The study group included 27 female participants, members of societies of apostolic life and non-habitual apostolic religious congregations of the Roman Catholic Church. The participants were invited to express their comments and suggestions on the survey, with the purpose of validating the survey before using it as a tool for a larger study. Results: All participants agreed that nutrition, rest, and physical activity had a significant impact on health. A total of 89% of participants considered their lifestyle as healthy and a similar proportion indicated that living in a consecrated community had a positive impact on their health, with the most positive influence of factors related to spiritual exercise, rhythm of the day, and sense of interpersonal connection within the community. Approximately 44% of participants indicated that their attitude was based on a healthy diet and adequate sleep quality. However, they identified an existing need to improve the balance between work and rest. Additionally, 4% of respondents admitted irregular eating habits, ignoring quality of alimentary products, non-satisfactory rest time, and insufficient sleep. Conclusions: Even though the purpose of this study was only to validate a survey predestined for a larger study, it already gives an insight into the level of awareness of health behavior and lifestyle of residents of religious communities. Full article

There is a significant risk for ongoing and treatment-resistant courses of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in patients after solid organ transplantation. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for the development of hepatitis E, including the dietary habits of patients. We conducted a retrospective single-center study with 59 adult kidney and combined kidney transplant recipients who were diagnosed with HEV infection between 2013 and 2020. The outcomes of HEV infections were analyzed during a median follow-up of 4.3 years. Patients were compared with a control cohort of 251 transplant patients with elevated liver enzymes but without evidence of an HEV infection. Patients’ alimentary exposures during the time before disease onset or diagnosis were assessed. Previous intense immunosuppression, especially treatment with high-dose steroids and rituximab, was a significant risk factor to acquire hepatitis E after solid organ transplantation. Only 11 out of 59 (18.6%) patients reached remission without further ribavirin (RBV) treatment. A total of 48 patients were treated with RBV, of which 19 patients (39.6%) had either viral rebounds after the end of treatment or did not reach viral clearance at all. Higher age (>60 years) and a BMI ≤ 20 kg/m² were risk factors for RBV treatment failure. Deterioration in kidney function with a drop in eGFR (p = 0.046) and a rise in proteinuria was more common in patients with persistent hepatitis E viremia. HEV infection was associated with the consumption of undercooked pork or pork products prior to infection. Patients also reported processing raw meat with bare hands at home more frequently than the controls. Overall, we showed that the intensity of immunosuppression, higher age, a low BMI and the consumption of undercooked pork meat correlated with the development of hepatitis E. Full article

The feeding habits of organisms are important elements in their ecological role and are affected by several factors. The present study provides for the first time information on the diet and feeding strategy of Dentex maroccanus (Valenciennes, 1830) and examines the effects of various factors on the species’ feeding activity. Various indices (vacuity index, numerical and weight proportion, frequency of occurrence, alimentary coefficient, index of relative importance, diet breadth and overlap, Shannon–Wiener index, and trophic level) were estimated. The diet of the species consisted of 18 different prey taxa. The most important prey taxon was Decapoda. The study of the feeding strategy showed the narrow width of the species. Body size was found to significantly affect the species’ feeding habits. Polychaeta and Stomatopoda were found only in individuals with size ≥165 mm, Bivalvia mainly in sizes ≤120 mm, and Decapoda in the intermediate sizes. The largest individuals showed the lowest overlap with all other size groups. The trophic level increased from 3.7 in young individuals to 4.0 in larger sizes, indicating the carnivorous character of the species. The results of the present work contribute to a better knowledge of the species’ feeding ecology. Full article

This study aimed to observe if quinoa could produce a benefit on postprandial glycemia that would result in less progression to type 2 diabetes (T2D). A cross-over design pilot clinical study with a nutritional intervention for 8 weeks was performed: 4 weeks on a regular diet (RD) and 4 weeks on a quinoa diet (QD). Nine subjects aged ≥65 years with prediabetes were monitored during the first 4 weeks of RD with daily dietary records and FreeStyle Libre^®. Subsequently, participants started the QD, where quinoa and 100% quinoa-based products replaced foods rich in complex carbohydrates that they had consumed in the first 4 weeks of RD. The glycemic measurements recorded by the sensors were considered as functions of time, and the effects of nutrients consumed at the intended time period were analyzed by means of a function-on-scalar regression (fosr) model. With QD participants, decreased body weight (−1.6 kg, p = 0.008), BMI (−0.6 kg/m²p = 0.004) and waist circumference (−1.5 cm, p = 0.015) were observed. Nutrients intake changed during QD, namely, decreased carbohydrates (p = 0.004) and increased lipids (p = 0.004) and some amino acids (p < 0.05). The fosr model showed a reduction in postprandial glycemia in QD despite intrapersonal differences thanks to the joint action of different nutrients and the suppression of others consumed on a regular diet. We conclude that in an old age and high T2D-risk population, a diet rich in quinoa reduces postprandial glycemia and could be a promising T2D-preventive strategy. Full article

(1) Introduction: Changes in eating behavior and eating disorders are especially common in young people, especially teenage and college women. The first year of college is a critical period, as students acquire freedoms that can lead to poor eating habits. During this first year, students usually gain weight. The aims of this project are to analyze the risk of developing eating disorders, the composition and dietary intake and the changes in the body composition of two groups of college students (independent from the family nucleus or still living within the family) in the first year of college. (2) Material and Methods: Multicentric prospective observational study protocol in which first-year students at the Universidad Europea del Atlántico and Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya voluntarily took part in the study. The students will be divided into two groups, independent and those residing in the family home, and the evolution of both groups will be compared at the beginning and at the end of the school year by performing anthropometric measurements, tests on lifestyle and eating habits (Test of Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, MEDAS-14; Emotional Eater Questionnaire, EEQ), validated questionnaires on eating disorders (Eating Attitude Test, EAT26; Teen Figure Drawing Scales; SCOFF, Eating Behavior Test; Bulimia Investigatory Test Edinburgh, BITE) and their intake will be evaluated through 72 h dietary records. (3) Discussion: Determining the risk of suffering eating disorders of alimentary behavior, knowing eating consumption, perception of the corporal image and body composition through the first year of college will be decisive in establishing alimentary education strategies to prevent possible eating disorders in young students. Full article

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of bisphenol (BP) exposure on pregnancy and neonatal life. We have (a) determined BP (BPA and BPS) concentration levels in a group of newborns and their mothers; (b) identified factors, habits, and devices possibly responsible for BP uptake; and (c) determined the effect of BP exposure. No significant correlations were detected between maternal and neonatal BP concentration levels. In newborns, positive correlations between pacifier use and BPS total (p = 0.04) and free BPS (p = 0.03) concentrations were detected. A significant correlation was also found between oral glucose administration and concentration levels of free BPA (p < 0.05). Our study points to a central role of lifestyle, hospital procedures, and neonatal devices in inducing BP exposure, especially during the perinatal period. This is the first report of BP contamination in newborns due to widely non-alimentary products designed for newborn care, such as glucose-solution containers for BPA and pacifiers for BPS. Further studies are advocated in order to clarify both the impact of other BP forms on human health and development, as well as potential BPA exposure sources during neonatal and childhood life. Full article

Information concerning the mechanisms underlying oxidative stress and low-grade inflammation in young healthy women predisposing eventually to future diseases is scarce. We investigated the relationship of oxidative stress and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in fertile-age women by oral combined contraceptive (OC) use. Caucasian Italian healthy non-obese women (n = 290; 100 OC-users; 190 non-OC-users; mean age 23.2 ± 4.7 years) were analyzed. Blood hydroperoxides, as oxidative stress biomarkers, were assessed by Free Oxygen Radical Test (FORT). Serum hsCRP was determined by an ultra-sensitive method (hsCRP). Markedly elevated oxidative stress (≥400 FORT Units) was found in 77.0% of OC-users and 1.6% of non-OC-users, odds ratio (OR) = 209, 95% CI = 60.9–715.4, p < 0.001. Elevated hsCRP levels ≥ 2.0 mg/L, considered risky for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), were found in 41.0% of OC-users and 9.5% of non-OC-users, OR = 6.6, 95%CI 3.5–12.4, p < 0.001. Hydroperoxides were strongly positively correlated to hsCRP in all women (r_s = 0.622, p < 0.001), in OC-users (r_s = 0.442, p < 0.001), and in non-OC-users (r_s = 0.426, p < 0.001). Women with hydroperoxides ≥ 400 FORT Units were eight times as likely to have hsCRP ≥ 2 mg/L. In non-OC-users only, hydroperoxides values were positively correlated with weight and body mass index, but negatively correlated with red meat, fish and chocolate consumption. Our research is the first finding a strong positive correlation of serum hydroperoxides with hsCRP, a marker of low-grade chronic inflammation, in young healthy women. Further research is needed to elucidate the potential role of these two biomarkers in OC-use associated side-effects, like thromboembolism and other CVDs. Full article

The gut microbiota performs several essential protective, structural, and metabolic functions for host health. The maintenance of a beneficial microbiota requires a homeostatic equilibrium within microbial communities, and between the microorganisms and the host. The gut microbiota composition may be affected by external factors, among them diet habits may be considered most important. In some pathological conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease (CD), or neurological disorders (ND), specific dietary regimens as low-fermentable, oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAPs), ketogenic (KD), and gluten-free (GFD) diets are considered therapeutic. These kinds of diets are characterized by a reduction or exclusion of a specific nutrient from the entire dietary pattern. Despite these alimentary regimens showing beneficial effects on disease symptoms, they can affect microbiota composition, especially if they are protracted for a long time. To date, only a few studies have reported the effects of these diets on gut microbiota. In this review, we discuss the effects of low-FODMAPs, KD, and GFD on gut microbiota modulation in pathological conditions, advancing the possibility of depicting a balanced diet and developing personalized dietary intervention protocols. Full article

This is an overview of the houses in southern Portugal, at the final stages of the Islamic period, using Mértola as the case study. Recent archaeological works, performed in different places, give us information on the houses’ organization, as well on the daily life of the population. Alimentary habits have been disclosed through a series of analyses. Full article

The green alga Caulerpa cylindracea is a non-autochthonous and invasive species that is severely affecting the native communities in the Mediterranean Sea. Recent researches show that the native edible fish Diplodus sargus actively feeds on this alga and cellular and physiological alterations have been related to the novel alimentary habits. The complex effects of such a trophic exposure to the invasive pest are still poorly understood. Here we report on the metabolic profiles of plasma from D. sargus individuals exposed to C. cylindracea along the southern Italian coast, using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis, PCA, Orthogonal Partial Least Square, PLS, and Orthogonal Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis, OPLS-DA). Fish were sampled in two seasonal periods from three different locations, each characterized by a different degree of algal abundance. The levels of the algal bisindole alkaloid caulerpin, which is accumulated in the fish tissues, was used as an indicator of the trophic exposure to the seaweed and related to the plasma metabolic profiles. The profiles appeared clearly influenced by the sampling period beside the content of caulerpin, while the analyses also supported a moderate alteration of lipid and choline metabolism related to the Caulerpa-based diet. Full article

In this paper I argue that the practice of veganism is, or can be, a Foucauldian ethical practice of freedom. I begin by sketching out the problematization of alimentary practices within a normalizing patriarchal framework, which some feminists argue is dominant within contemporary North American society. Within this problematization, eating—for many women—is a way to manage the body’s appearance and bring it into conformity with feminine norms, and also an ongoing opportunity to exercise the will over unruly bodily desires. I then consider the narratives of women who claim that veganism helped them to relinquish disordered eating habits, temper the emotional and psychological turmoil that surrounded their alimentary practices, and mitigate antagonism toward their own bodies. In short, the practice of veganism appears to have reproblematized eating for these women. Thus, I suggest, veganism can be an ethical practice of freedom: it can loosen the tight grip of patriarchal normalization as constituted in and through disordered eating habits, and constitute subjects that are “a little less governed” by this form of power. I conclude by considering objections to this thesis, and in particular, the concern that veganism is linked to healthism, another worrying form of normalization. Full article

Annonaceous acetogenins are proposed as environmental neurotoxicants consumed through medicinal and alimentary habits and responsible for atypical parkinsonian syndromes observed in tropical areas. Potential sources of exposure still have to be determined, as, to date, only a few batches of products for human consumption were searched for these compounds. To assess the presence of acetogenins, we propose a fast, sensitive and accurate method of screening, using MALDI-TOF MS, with minimal sample preparation. Development of the technique is discussed. Its application to leaves of herbal tea, pulp and bottled nectar of Annona muricata is presented. Full article