Search Results (4)

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global health challenge requiring effective dietary management strategies. While the Mediterranean diet shows promise for cardiovascular and metabolic health, the last comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining its effects on glycemic control and body mass index (BMI) in T2DM was published in 2015. Multiple RCTs, including culturally adapted interventions with extended follow-up, have since been completed, but remain unsynthesized. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD420251147035), searching PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from inception through 17 August 2025. Unlike previous syntheses that combined observational cohorts or mixed dietary approaches, our analysis focused strictly on RCTs in adults with established T2DM and incorporated trials published after 2015. We included RCTs comparing Mediterranean diet interventions against non-Mediterranean control diets in adults with T2DM. Primary outcomes included glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and body mass index (BMI). Secondary outcomes comprised low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Pooled effects were estimated using random-effects models. Results: Eleven RCTs (10 publications) involving diverse populations met inclusion criteria. Compared with control diets, Mediterranean diet interventions showed reductions in HbA1c (mean difference [MD] −0.307%, 95% CI: −0.451 to −0.163), FPG (MD −0.845 mmol/L, 95% CI: −1.307 to −0.384), and BMI (MD −0.828 kg/m², 95% CI: −1.4 to −0.256). Secondary analyses revealed reductions in LDL-C (MD −8.060 mg/dL, 95% CI: −14.213 to −1.907), SBP (MD −5.130 mmHg, 95% CI: −10.877 to 0.617), and DBP (MD −2.008 mmHg, 95% CI: −3.027 to −0.989). Sensitivity analyses supported stability of findings, with no substantial publication bias detected. Subgroup analyses revealed geographic variation in blood pressure responses, with greater benefits observed in non-Mediterranean populations. Conclusions: Mediterranean dietary patterns were associated with modest improvements in glycemic control, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk factors among adults with T2DM. The cultural adaptability of this approach may support implementation in clinical practice, though larger multicenter trials with standardized protocols and extended follow-up remain necessary. Full article

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by complex metabolic changes involving a cluster of co-occurring conditions, such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high fasting plasma glucose, high serum triglycerides, and high LDL cholesterol levels or low HDL cholesterol levels. The incidence and risk factors of MetS occurrence increase every year. It is estimated that MetS affects approximately 30% of the population of some countries. Therefore, novel strategies are being studied to reduce the negative impact of having an unbalanced diet and a lack of physical activity. One of these strategies is the administration of probiotic microorganisms, such as the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, which has been associated with several beneficial health effects (including modulation of the intestinal microbiota and improvement of the inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory profiles). Thus, the objective of this study was to review the risk factors of MetS occurrence and the beneficial effects of S. boulardii ingestion in the treatment of MetS. Here, we critically evaluate the treatment necessary to promote these benefits. Using the pre-established inclusion criteria, eight studies were reviewed, including five animal and three human studies. The results reported the regulation of the lipid profile, modulation of the intestinal microbiota and gene expression, and a decrease in mass gain as positive results when S. boulardii was administered. Although more experiments are needed to validate these results, especially using human models, there is a trend toward improvement in MetS and a reduction in its risk factors with the administration of S. boulardii. Full article

The influence of plasma-reduction treatment on iron and copper compounds at different oxidation states was investigated in this study. For this purpose, reduction experiments were carried out with artificially generated patina on metal sheets and with metal salt crystals of iron(II) sulfate (FeSO₄), iron(III) chloride (FeCl₃), and copper(II) chloride (CuCl₂), as well as with the metal salt thin films of these compounds. All the experiments were carried out under cold low-pressure microwave plasma conditions; the main focus was on plasma reduction at a low pressure in order to evaluate an implementable process in a parylene-coating device. Usually, plasma is used within the parylene-coating process as a supporting tool for adhesion improvement and micro-cleaning efforts. This article offers another useful application for implementing plasma treatment as a reactive medium in order to apply different functionalities by an alteration in the oxidation state. The effect of microwave plasmas on metal surfaces and metal composite materials has been widely studied. In contrast, this work deals with metal salt surfaces generated from a solution and the influence of microwave plasma on metal chlorides and sulfates. While the plasma reduction of metal compounds commonly succeeds with hydrogen-containing plasmas at high temperatures, this study shows a new reduction process that reduces iron salts at temperatures between 30 and 50 °C. A novelty of this study is the alteration in the redox state of the base and noble metal materials within a parylene-coating device with the help of an implemented microwave generator. Another novelty of this study is treating metal salt thin layers for reduction purposes in order to provide the opportunity to include subsequent coating experiments to create parylene metal multilayers. Another new aspect of this study is the adapted reduction process of thin metal salt layers consisting of either noble or base metals, with an air plasma pre-treatment prior to the hydrogen-containing plasma-reduction procedure. Full article

Reformulation of bread in terms of salt content remains an important measure to help achieve a reduction in salt intake in the population and for the prevention of hypertension and elevated blood pressure (BP). Our fundamental studies on the reduction of salt on dough and bread characteristics showed that wheat breads produced with 0.3 g salt/100 g (“low-salt”) were found to be comparable quality to that produced with the typical level of salt (1.2%). This food-based intervention trial examined, using a 5 week cross-over design, the potential for inclusion of “low-salt” bread as part of a pragmatic reduced-salt diet on BP, markers of bone metabolism, and plasma lipids in 97 adults with slightly to moderately elevated BP. Assuming all sodium from dietary intake was excreted through the urine, the intake of salt decreased by 1.7 g/day, on average, during the reduced-salt dietary period. Systolic BP was significantly lower (by 3.3 mmHg on average; p < 0.0001) during the reduced-salt dietary period compared to the usual-salt dietary period, but there was no significant difference (p = 0.81) in diastolic BP. There were no significant differences (p > 0.12, in all cases) in any of the urinary- or serum-based biochemical indices of calcium or bone metabolism or in plasma lipids between the two periods. In conclusion, a modest reduction in dietary salt intake, in which the use of “low-salt” (i.e., 0.3 g/100g) bread played a key role along with dietary advice, and led to a significant, and clinically meaningful, decrease in systolic, but not diastolic, BP in adults with mildly to moderately elevated BP. Full article