Search Results (20)

Background/Objectives: Lifestyle-related behaviors and chronic stress are key determinants of metabolic health, psychological well-being, and biological aging. Structured behavioral interventions that enhance self-awareness and self-regulation may promote sustained improvements across multiple health domains. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a six-week Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI) on dietary habits, anthropometric and psychological outcomes, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and telomere length in adults. Methods: This quasi-experimental pre–post intervention study included 30 apparently healthy adults. Participants underwent baseline assessments followed by a six-week Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI) and were reassessed post-intervention. Outcomes included Mediterranean diet adherence (MedDiet Score), anthropometric and body composition measures, validated psychological questionnaires (PSS-14, DASS-21, RSES, HLPCQ, HLC, STAXI, SSGS, PSQI), cognitive performance (SDMT, CVLT-II, BVMT-R), serum oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity, and leukocyte telomere length (T/S ratio). Statistical analyses were performed using paired-samples Student t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Significant improvements were observed in Mediterranean diet adherence (p = 0.001), along with reductions in body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference, and intermuscular adipose tissue (all p < 0.05). Psychological outcomes improved significantly, including reduced perceived stress (PSS-14, p = 0.004) and depressive symptoms (DASS-21, p = 0.005), and improved self-esteem (RSES, p = 0.003) and sleep quality (PSQI, p < 0.001). Cognitive performance improved across all domains, including information processing speed, verbal learning, and visuospatial memory (all p < 0.05). Regarding biological markers, oxidative stress decreased (p = 0.023), and antioxidant capacity (p = 0.009), and leukocyte telomere length increased (p < 0.001), indicating improved redox balance and cellular aging profiles. Conclusions: The six-week Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI) was associated with significant improvements in dietary habits, anthropometric and psychological outcomes, cognitive performance, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and telomere length. These findings suggest that participation in a structured self-awareness-based intervention was associated with multidomain improvements in this cohort. However, given the quasi-experimental design without a control group, these findings should be considered preliminary and require confirmation in adequately powered randomized controlled trials. Full article

Patients with lung cancer are at increased risk of developing cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), and oxidative stress may contribute to its development. We conducted an assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether a 12-week antioxidant-focused dietary intervention improved cognitive function, oxidative stress biomarkers, and quality of life (QoL) in lung cancer patients with CRCI. One hundred participants were randomized to standard dietary counseling or an antioxidant-focused dietary intervention. Continuous outcomes were assessed at baseline and week 12 and analyzed using linear mixed-effects models under the intention-to-treat principle. The mean age was 66.10 ± 5.39 years, and 78.0% of participants were male. Ninety-one participants completed the week-12 assessment. Participants receiving the intervention demonstrated greater increases in Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores (β = 2.626; 95% CI: 0.825, 4.427; p = 0.005), dietary oxidative balance score (β = 2.292; 95% CI: 0.656, 3.928; p = 0.006), and physical and mental QoL component scores than those in the control group (p < 0.05). In the complete-case analysis (n = 91), the proportion meeting CRCI criteria was lower in the intervention group (60.0% vs. 93.5%; p < 0.001). Biomarker analyses showed increases in glutathione and superoxide dismutase and a reduction in malondialdehyde in the intervention group (p < 0.05). The intervention demonstrated a large effect on cognitive function (Cohen’s d = 0.84), supporting antioxidant-focused dietary intervention as a promising supportive-care strategy for managing CRCI in lung cancer patients. Full article

Background: Depressive symptoms (DepS) are prevalent among breast cancer patients and are associated with poor treatment outcomes and prognosis. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, and dietary antioxidants may be associated with oxidative balance. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and DepS, and to explore the statistical relationships between CDAI, oxidative stress biomarkers, and DepS. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 302 breast cancer patients were enrolled, of whom 113 provided blood samples for the assessment of plasma oxidative stress biomarkers. Dietary intake was assessed using 3-day 24 h dietary recalls. The CDAI was calculated based on the intake of six dietary antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, zinc, selenium, and manganese. DepS were defined as a score of ≥8 on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale—Depression subscale (HADS–D). Results: A total of 102 patients (33.77%) exhibited DepS, and these patients had significantly lower CDAI scores and reduced plasma levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), compared with those without DepS (all p < 0.05). CDAI and dietary zinc intake were non-linearly associated with DepS (p for non-linearity <0.05). Vitamin C intake was inversely associated with DepS (OR = 0.989; 95% CI: 0.984, 0.993; p < 0.001). CDAI scores were positively associated with SOD and GSH levels (both p < 0.001), while SOD and GSH were inversely associated with DepS (SOD: β = −0.610; GSH: β = −0.900; both p < 0.001). In exploratory mediation analysis, GSH and SOD statistically accounted for part of the association between CDAI and DepS (ACME = −0.192 and −0.228, respectively; all p < 0.01). Conclusions: Higher dietary antioxidant intake, as reflected by CDAI, is associated with lower DepS in breast cancer patients, and oxidative stress biomarkers may be statistically involved in this association. Full article

Heat stress (HS) has emerged as a major environmental stressor, inducing oxidative stress and hepatic steatosis and impairing production performance and health in laying hens, with limited evidence-based nutritional interventions available. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of dietary silibinin (SIL) against chronic HS. In a 10-week trial, 252 43-week-old Hy-Line Brown hens were exposed to daily HS (32 ± 1 °C, temperature–humidity index [THI] > 73) and fed either a basal diet or one supplemented with 100 mg/kg SIL. SIL significantly increased laying rate (p < 0.05) and improved albumen height, Haugh units, and shell strength by week 8 (p < 0.05). Histological analysis showed a 48% reduction in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score, with significantly decreased hepatic triglyceride content (p < 0.05); Oil Red O staining confirmed reduced lipid droplet accumulation. SIL restored redox balance by increasing plasma, hepatic total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (p < 0.05), increasing hepatic catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels while decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05). Untargeted plasma metabolomics identified 11 key metabolites related to 2-oxoglutarate and purine metabolism, while hepatic transcriptomics revealed 835 differentially expressed genes primarily in the PPAR signaling and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways. SIL suppressed de novo lipogenesis via downregulation of ACACA and FASN, and enhanced β-oxidation through upregulation of CPT1A and ACSL1 (p < 0.05). Molecular docking indicated favorable binding affinities between SIL and these targets, which was further supported by corresponding changes in protein expression via Western blotting. Correlation analysis revealed a consistent alignment between the upregulation of ACSL1/CPT1A and improvement in performance and antioxidant status, suggesting a coordinated metabolic shift. These findings emphasize the potential of SIL as a sustainable animal nutrition antioxidant additive, which can alleviate HS-induced lipid disorders in the liver of laying hens. Importantly, these hepatoprotective effects were demonstrated exclusively under chronic heat stress conditions; further studies incorporating a normothermic baseline are required to distinguish stress-specific mitigation from general metabolic stimulation. Full article

The effects of broad-spectrum mycotoxin detoxifiers (BSMDs) on growth performance, liver histopathology, jejunal morphology, and oxidative stress were evaluated in broilers fed diets contaminated with multiple mycotoxins. A total of 800 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to four treatments, with eight replicates of 25 birds each, and reared for 42 days. The treatments included a basal control diet (CON); a multi-mycotoxin-contaminated diet (MMT) containing aflatoxins (25 µg/kg), zearalenone (135 µg/kg), T2 toxin (85 µg/kg), fumonisin (1.90 mg/kg), and deoxynivalenol (0.70 mg/kg); and the MMT diet supplemented with either 1.0 kg/ton BSMD-1 or 1.5 kg/ton BSMD-2. MMT contamination did not affect growth performance, serum malondialdehyde, interleukin-6 levels, liver enzyme activities, or liver lesion scores. Nevertheless, interleukin-10 levels were lower in birds fed the MMT diet (p = 0.03). In birds fed MMT, there was a substantial decrease (p < 0.05) in the height of the jejunal villi, their surface area, and the ratio of their height to the depth of the crypt. While BSMD-supplemented groups displayed values similar to both CON and MMT, MMT birds had higher fatty liver scores than the control group. Overall, multi-mycotoxin contamination impaired gut morphology and immune balance. BSMD supplementation improved intestinal structure, enhanced immune response, and partially mitigated liver alterations. These findings indicate its potential as a dietary intervention to mitigate the detrimental effects of multi-mycotoxin contamination in broilers. Full article

Oxidative stress is a hallmark of carcinogenesis, yet the epigenetic mechanisms linking the lifestyle-based Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) to cancer risk remain poorly understood. This study investigated the epigenetic bridge between OBS and pan-cancer susceptibility using a multi-cohort approach integrating population-based and cancer genomic data. We calculated OBS based on 16 dietary and lifestyle factors (including dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, and BMI) for 2749 participants from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) and identified OBS-associated CpG sites via epigenome-wide association analysis. These markers were validated against The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pan-cancer dataset using a novel Hybrid Pi-score (HyPi) to quantify the directional consistency between OBS-driven methylation in healthy individuals and cancer-specific epigenetic alterations across three clinical comparisons: normal vs. tumor, survival outcomes, and tumor stage. We observed profound sex-specific epigenetic signatures, with zero overlap in the top 200 OBS-associated CpG sites between males and females, underscoring fundamental sexual dimorphism in oxidative stress-epigenome interactions. Notably, the top 20 OBS-associated CpGs demonstrated strong directional consistency with multiple cancer types in TCGA, particularly in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma, exhibiting methylation patterns inversely correlated with tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, these findings support the role of one-carbon metabolism and vitamin C-dependent DNA demethylation pathways in mediating OBS effects. Our study provides the first evidence of an epigenetic link between lifestyle-based oxidative balance and pan-cancer risk, highlighting the utility of the HyPi score as a novel sex-specific predictive biomarker for cancer prevention. These results suggest that optimizing oxidative balance through precision nutrition may epigenetically modulate cancer susceptibility, opening new avenues for personalized prevention strategies. Full article

Background/Aim: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease influenced by dietary habits, lifestyle factors, and host biochemical processes. Oxidative stress and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been implicated in oral and systemic pathophysiology, but their combined association with caries experience remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between caries indices, diet, smoking, oxidative stress markers, and AGEs in adults. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on adults enrolled in the SALIVAGES project (2018–2020). Dental status was assessed using the DMFT index. Dietary habits and smoking status were recorded using a validated questionnaire. Oxidative stress parameters (TAC, TOS, OSI, NO, MDA, total thiols) and AGEs (FruLys, MG-H1, CML, CEL, Pyr, Arg, Lys) were quantified in saliva and plasma. Associations were analyzed using correlation tests and multivariable regression models (α = 0.05). Results: The mean DMFT was 21.89 ± 7.13, with missing teeth predominating. Caries experience was significantly associated with oxidative stress, AGEs, diet, and lifestyle. Higher decay scores were associated with increased NO and total thiols and reduced antioxidant capacity. Several salivary AGE-related biomarkers (FruLys, MG-H1, CML, and CEL) were negatively associated with the decay index. Sugary beverages, refined carbohydrates, pastries, and donuts were strongly positively associated with the decay index, whereas wholemeal bread showed an inverse association with caries indices. Smoking was independently associated with higher decay and DMFT values, corresponding to an approximately three-unit higher DMFT score. Conclusions: Caries experience in adults is associated with dietary, lifestyle, and biochemical factors. Sugar intake and smoking showed the strongest associations with caries indices, while oxidative stress parameters and selected salivary AGE-related biomarkers showed weaker but significant inverse associations with decay. These findings support preventive strategies targeting diet quality, smoking cessation, and redox balance to reduce oral disease burden. Full article

Background: The oxidative balance score (OBS) is an indicator for assessing total oxidant status. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationships between OBS and factors associated with well-being among middle-aged and elderly women. Methods: Dietary habits, lifestyle factors, and factors associated with well-being, including physical, mental, and social health, were assessed based on the first-visit medical records in 385 Japanese women. The OBS was calculated using pro-oxidant factors (fat, saturated fatty acids, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, iron, alcohol, smoking, body mass index, and waist circumference) and antioxidant factors (zinc, vitamins C, E, A, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, genistein, and exercise). Results: After adjusting for age, menopausal status, and background factors, social engagement and weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM/Wt) were found to be significantly associated with OBS (social involvement, odds ratio = 0.882, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.817–0.949, p = 0.001; ASM/Wt, odds ratio = 0.983, 95% CI = 0.974–0.990, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Higher oxidative stress was associated with a low level of social involvement and ASM/Wt. These findings indicate that oxidative balance is linked to social and physical aspects of well-being among middle-aged and older women. However, because of the cross-sectional design, causal relationships cannot be inferred, and the possibility of reverse causation should be considered. Full article

Background: Skin cancer is known to be associated with aging, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The present study aimed to explore the association between PhenoAge, dietary inflammatory index (DII), and dietary oxidative balance index (DOBS) with skin cancer risk. Methods: A total of 474 individuals aged over 20 years who had information on DII, DOBS, PhenoAge, socioeconomic and demographic factors, and self-reported skin cancer, and 16,154 without skin cancer were included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database (2005–2018). The combination of DII/DOBS was categorized into 3 categories: inflammation- and oxidation-promoting diet, inflammation- and oxidation-reducing diet, and composite diet. We applied logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for the association of DII/DOBS and PhenoAge with skin cancer risk, after adjusting for covariates and survey year. Results: PhenoAge was associated with an increased likelihood of skin cancer (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.08, p < 0.001). DII and DOBS were associated with PhenoAge advancement of OR 1.28 (95% CI 1.20 to 1.36), OR 0.95 (95% CI 0.94 to 0.96), respectively (p < 0.001). After adjusting for all covariates, the comparison between the inflammation–oxidation-promoting diet and the inflammation–oxidation-reducing diet had a positive relationship with skin cancer (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.29 to 3.72, p = 0.004). PhenoAge mediated 28.06% of the associations between DII/DOBS and skin cancer risk (p < 0.05). The association remained in the subgroup analysis. Conclusion: Our results suggest that an inflammation- and oxidation-promoting diet is related to increased skin cancer risk and may be partly mediated by PhenoAge. Full article

This study integrates the health impacts of environmental burdens and dietary intake using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) to inform a healthier, more sustainable Japanese diet. Climate change, air pollution, ozone depletion, photochemical oxidants, and water consumption were quantified with Life cycle Impact assessment Method based on Endpoint modeling (LIME), while eleven dietary risks were converted to DALYs using dietary risk factors. Recipes collected online on a per-serving basis were classified into staple, main, side, and soup dishes and stratified into quartiles based on a nutrient profiling system (NPS) tailored to Japanese well-consumed dishes—the Ajinomoto Group NPS (ANPS) for dishes. ANPS—a culturally adapted NPS emphasizing protein, vegetables, sodium, and saturated fatty acids—was regressed against total DALYs to test whether higher ANPS scores correspond to lower combined health impacts of environment and diet. The analysis identified dish groups and high-scoring quartiles that minimized environmental and nutrition-related DALYs, revealing practical dish combinations that balance reduced sodium and red meat with increased vegetables, seafood, and nuts. These findings demonstrate the utility of coupling nutrient profiling with life cycle assessment (LCA) and provide a scientific basis for dietary guidelines that jointly advance human and planetary health within the emerging nutritional LCA framework. Full article

Background: Sarcopenia is characterized by a loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. At present, there are no effective methods available for prevention or treatment. Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) has been shown to be significantly correlated with a decreased risk of sarcopenia. Nevertheless, gender-specific studies still exhibit certain limitations. Methods: Individuals who completed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and the diet and lifestyle questionnaires from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were enrolled. OBSs were calculated according to dietary or lifestyle variables and physical activity. Sarcopenia with low muscle mass (SLM) was identified based on the ratio of appendicular skeletal muscle mass to body mass index. A logistic regression analysis investigated the association between OBS and the risk of SLM in different gender groups. Kaplan–Meier survival and subgroup analyses and Cox regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between OBS and mortality in individuals with SLM in each gender subgroup. Results: The level of OBS in the SLM group was lower (20.40 vs. 17.07, p < 0.05). A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the OR between individual dietary nutrients and lifestyle and the risk of SLM exhibition was gender-specific. Stratified analyses revealed that total OBS, as well as diet and lifestyle OBS were negatively associated with the risk of SLM within each gender subgroup (all p < 0.05, all trends p < 0.05). Furthermore, a restriction cubic spline regression analysis showed that diet and lifestyle OBSs were negatively correlated with the risk of SLM in females (nonlinear p = 0.0469, nonlinear p = 0.0254). The KM curve showed that OBS was not significantly associated with all-cause mortality in the male and female subgroups (female, p = 0.064, male, p = 0.53). Conclusions: This study establishes a significant negative correlation between OBS and the risk of SLM, particularly among females. Consequently, adopting an antioxidant diet and lifestyle may prove to be more advantageous for females. Full article

Objectives: To explore the association between the oxidative balance score (OBS) and cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in patients with lung cancer, as well as the oxidative stress biomarkers involved. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 315 lung cancer patients were recruited, from whom 142 blood samples were collected to determine oxidative stress biomarkers. Dietary intake was assessed using 3-day, 24 h dietary recalls. The OBS was calculated by summing up pro- and antioxidant factors from a diet and lifestyles assessment. CRCI was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. Results: A total of 103 patients (32.7%) developed CRCI, with significantly lower OBS and dietary OBS and lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities than non-CRCI patients (p < 0.05). For every 1-point increase in OBS, the risk of CRCI was reduced by 10.6% (OR = 0.894; 95% CI 0.819, 0.977; p = 0.013). Both vitamin E (OR = 0.922; 95% CI 0.868, 0.980; p = 0.009) and dietary fiber (OR = 0.909; 95% CI 0.832, 0.992; p = 0.032) were significantly inversely related to CRCI. The association between the total OBS and CRCI was mediated by SOD (ACME = −0.0061; 95% CI −0.0170, −0.0004; p = 0.015) and GPx (ACME = −0.0069; 95% CI −0.0203, −0.0002; p = 0.032), respectively. Conclusions: Lung cancer patients with a greater balance of antioxidant to pro-oxidant diet, especially rich in dietary fiber and vitamin E, may decrease their CRCI in part by affecting SOD and GPx activities. Full article

The relationship between maternal oxidative balance score (OBS) in pregnancy, representing overall oxidative balance status by integrating dietary and lifestyle factors, and congenital heart defects (CHD) remains unclear; therefore, this study attempted to explore their associations among the Chinese population. We conducted a case-control study including 474 cases and 948 controls in Northwest China. Pregnant women were interviewed to report diets and lifestyles in pregnancy by structured questionnaires. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted ORs (95%CIs). Maternal OBS ranged from 6 to 34 among cases, and 5 to 37 among controls. Comparing the highest with the lowest tertile group, the adjusted OR for CHD was 0.31 (0.19–0.50). The CHD risk was reduced by 7% (OR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.90–0.95) in association with per 1 higher score of OBS during pregnancy. The inverse relationship between maternal OBS and CHD risk appeared to be more pronounced among participants in urban areas (OR = 0.89, 95%CI = 0.86–0.93). Maternal OBS during pregnancy showed good predictive values for fetal CHD, with the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.78 (0.76–0.81). These findings highlighted the importance of reducing oxidative stress through antioxidant-rich diets and healthy lifestyles among pregnant women to prevent fetal CHD. Full article

The oxidative balance score (OBS), wherein higher OBSs indicate lower oxidative stress, was designed to assess a composite measure of multiple pro-oxidant and antioxidant effects on an individual’s oxidative stress status. This study aimed to evaluate whether OBSs were inversely associated with urinary levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)–an oxidative stress marker–among Japanese adults. This cross-sectional study was based on data obtained during 2010–2012. Overall, 7552 participants from the J-MICC Study Saga who answered a self-administered food frequency questionnaire were recruited for the final analysis. OBSs were calculated from 11 pro-oxidant and antioxidant lifestyle factors, including dietary intake, physical activity, and alcohol and smoking status. Urinary 8-OHdG values were corrected by creatinine level (ng/mg creatinine). Our findings revealed a higher total OBS was significantly associated with lower urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine levels after adjustment for covariates in men and women (p for trend < 0.01 in both sexes). We performed a multiple regression analysis of the association between OBSs and urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine levels stratified by age, body mass index (BMI), and menopausal status and found consistent negative associations in most groups for both sexes. No significant differences in the 60–64 age group for women (standardized β = −0.09, p = 0.13) or BMI < 18.5 kg/m² for men (standardized β = −0.18, p = 0.17) were observed. A higher OBS had a strong inverse association with urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine levels in men and women among Japanese adults. The OBS might be a useful tool for evaluating the roles of oxidative stress-related lifestyle factors, including diet. Full article

To clarify the effects of dietary inflammatory and pro-oxidative potential, we investigated the impact of the Dietary Inflammation Index (DII) and the Dietary Oxidative Balance Score (DOBS) on all-cause and disease-specific mortality. For DII and DOBS, 17,550 and 24,527 participants were included. Twenty-six and seventeen dietary factors were selected for scoring. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used. DII and DOBS were significantly associated with all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality in this nationally representative sample of American adults. Compared with the lowest DII, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) of all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality for the highest were 1.49 (1.23–1.80), 1.58 (1.08–2.33), and 1.56 (1.07–2.25). The highest quartile of DOBS was associated with the risk of all-cause death (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59–0.86). Pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidative diets were associated with increased risk for all-cause (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.28–1.97), and CVD (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.33–3.94) death compared to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant diets. Similar results were observed among the stratification analyses. Inflammation-reducing and oxidative-balancing diets are linked to lower all-cause and CVD mortality. Diets impact health by regulating inflammation and oxidative stress. Full article