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Dar W. Aspartame-induced cognitive dysfunction: Unveiling role of microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and molecular remediation. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 135:112295. [PMID: 38776852 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, is consumed by millions of people globally. There are multiple reports of aspartame and its metabolites affecting cognitive functions in animal models and humans, which include learning problems, headaches, seizures, migraines, irritable moods, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. These cognitive deficits and associated symptoms are partly attributed to dysregulated excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter balance due to aspartate released from aspartame, resulting in an excitotoxic effect in neurons, leading to neuronal damage. However, microglia, a central immunocompetent cell type in brain tissue and a significant player in inflammation can contribute to the impact. Microglia rapidly respond to changes in CNS homeostasis. Aspartame consumption might affect the microglia phenotype directly via methanol-induced toxic effects and indirectly via aspartic acid-mediated excitotoxicity, exacerbating symptoms of cognitive decline. Long-term oral consumption of aspartame thus might change microglia's phenotype from ramified to activated, resulting in chronic or sustained activation, releasing excess pro-inflammatory molecules. This pro-inflammatory surge might lead to the degeneration of healthy neurons and other glial cells, impairing cognition. This review will deliberate on possible links and research gaps that need to be explored concerning aspartame consumption, ecotoxicity and microglia-mediated inflammatory cognitive impairment. The study covers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of aspartame consumption on cognitive function, considering both direct and indirect effects, including the involvement of microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. We also propose a novel intervention strategy involving tryptophan supplementation to mitigate cognitive decline symptoms in individuals with prolonged aspartame consumption, providing a potential solution to address the adverse effects of aspartame on cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Dar
- Translational Neurobiology and Disease Modelling Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Greater Noida, 201314, India.
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2
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Dai S, Wellens J, Yang N, Li D, Wang J, Wang L, Yuan S, He Y, Song P, Munger R, Kent MP, MacFarlane AJ, Mullie P, Duthie S, Little J, Theodoratou E, Li X. Ultra-processed foods and human health: An umbrella review and updated meta-analyses of observational evidence. Clin Nutr 2024; 43:1386-1394. [PMID: 38688162 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Ultra-processed food (UPF) intake has increased sharply over the last few decades and has been consistently asserted to be implicated in the development of non-communicable diseases. We aimed to evaluate and update the existing observational evidence for associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and human health. METHODS We searched Medline and Embase from inception to March 2023 to identify and update meta-analyses of observational studies examining the associations between UPF consumption, as defined by the NOVA classification, and a wide spectrum of health outcomes. For each health outcome, we estimated the summary effect size, 95% confidence interval (CI), between-study heterogeneity, evidence of small-study effects, and evidence of excess-significance bias. These metrics were used to evaluate evidence credibility of the identified associations. RESULTS This umbrella review identified 39 meta-analyses on the associations between UPF consumption and health outcomes. We updated all meta-analyses by including 122 individual articles on 49 unique health outcomes. The majority of the included studies divided UPF consumption into quartiles, with the lowest quartile being the reference group. We identified 25 health outcomes associated with UPF consumption. For observational studies, 2 health outcomes, including renal function decline (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.33) and wheezing in children and adolescents (OR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.34, 1.49), showed convincing evidence (Class I); and five outcomes were reported with highly suggestive evidence (Class II), including diabetes mellitus, overweight, obesity, depression, and common mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS High UPF consumption is associated with an increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases and mental health disorders. At present, not a single study reported an association between UPF intake and a beneficial health outcome. These findings suggest that dietary patterns with low consumption of UPFs may render broad public health benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhui Dai
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Judith Wellens
- Translational Gastro-Intestinal Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK; KU Leuven Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nan Yang
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Doudou Li
- School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Shuai Yuan
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Unit of Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yazhou He
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Peige Song
- School of Public Health and Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ron Munger
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Monique Potvin Kent
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Patrick Mullie
- International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France; Belgian Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Susan Duthie
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Julian Little
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evropi Theodoratou
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Big Data in Health Science School of Public Health, Center of Clinical Big Data and Analytics of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; The Key Laboratory of Intelligent Preventive Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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3
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Song J. BDNF Signaling in Vascular Dementia and Its Effects on Cerebrovascular Dysfunction, Synaptic Plasticity, and Cholinergic System Abnormality. J Lipid Atheroscler 2024; 13:122-138. [PMID: 38826183 PMCID: PMC11140249 DOI: 10.12997/jla.2024.13.2.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common type of dementia and is characterized by memory impairment, blood-brain barrier disruption, neuronal cell loss, glia activation, impaired synaptic plasticity, and cholinergic system abnormalities. To effectively prevent and treat VaD a good understanding of the mechanisms underlying its neuropathology is needed. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important neurotrophic factor with multiple functions in the systemic circulation and the central nervous system and is known to regulate neuronal cell survival, synaptic formation, glia activation, and cognitive decline. Recent studies indicate that when compared with normal subjects, patients with VaD have low serum BDNF levels and that BDNF deficiency in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid is an important indicator of VaD. Here, we review current knowledge on the role of BDNF signaling in the pathology of VaD, such as cerebrovascular dysfunction, synaptic dysfunction, and cholinergic system impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhyun Song
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Korea
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Ma H, Deng J, Liu J, Jin X, Yang J. Daytime aspartame intake results in larger influences on body weight, serum corticosterone level, serum/cerebral cytokines levels and depressive-like behaviors in mice than nighttime intake. Neurotoxicology 2024; 102:37-47. [PMID: 38499183 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Aspartame (APM) is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners worldwide. Studies have revealed that consuming APM may negatively affect the body, causing oxidative stress damage to multiple organs and leading to various neurophysiological symptoms. However, it's still unclear if consuming APM and one's daily biological rhythm have an interactive effect on health. In this study, healthy adult C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: Control group (CON), oral gavage sham group (OGS), daytime APM intragastric group (DAI) and nighttime APM intragastric group (NAI). DAI and NAI groups were given 80 mg/kg body weight daily for 4 weeks. We found that DAI and NAI groups had significantly increased mean body weight, higher serum corticosterone levels, up-regulated pro-inflammatory responses in serum and brain, and exacerbated depressive-like behaviors than the CON and the two APM intake groups. Moreover, all these changes induced by APM intake were more significant in the DAI group than in the NAI group. The present study, for the first time, revealed that the intake of APM and daily biological rhythm have an interactive effect on health. This suggests that more attention should be paid to the timing of APM intake in human beings, and this study also provides an intriguing clue to the circadian rhythms of experimental animals that researchers should consider more when conducting animal experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyuan Ma
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiapeng Deng
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaobao Jin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Junhua Yang
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Xie Y, Wu Z, Qian Q, Yang H, Ma J, Luan W, Shang S, Li X. Apple polyphenol extract ameliorates sugary-diet-induced depression-like behaviors in male C57BL/6 mice by inhibiting the inflammation of the gut-brain axis. Food Funct 2024; 15:2939-2959. [PMID: 38406886 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo04606k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
To explore whether apple polyphenol extract (APE) ameliorates sugary-diet-induced depression-like behaviors, thirty male C57BL/6 mice (3-4 weeks old) were assigned to three groups randomly to receive different treatments for 8 consecutive weeks: (1) control group (CON), (2) S-HSD group (60% high sucrose diet feeding with 0.1 mg mL-1 sucralose solution as drinking water), and (3) S-APE group (S-HSD feeding with 500 mg per (kg bw day) APE solution gavage). The S-HSD group showed significant depression-like behaviors compared with the CON group, which was manifested by an increased number of buried marbles in the marble burying test, prolonged immobility time in both the tail suspension test and forced swimming test, and cognitive impairment based on the Morris water maze test. However, APE intervention significantly improved the depression-like behaviors by reducing serum levels of corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone, and increasing the serum level of IL-10. Moreover, APE intervention inhibited the activation of the NF-κB inflammatory pathway, elevated colonic MUC-2 protein expression, and elevated the colonic and hippocampal tight junction proteins of occludin and ZO-1. Furthermore, APE intervention increased the richness and diversity of gut microbiota by regulating the composition of microbiota, with increased relative abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidota, decreased relative abundance of Verrucomicrobiota at the phylum level, significantly lowered relative abundance of Akkermansia at the genus level, and rebalanced abnormal relative abundance of Muribaculaceae_unclassified, Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002, and Lachnoclostridium induced by S-HSD feeding. Thus, our study supports the potential application of APE as a dietary intervention for ameliorating depression-like behavioral disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisha Xie
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China.
| | - Zhengli Wu
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China.
| | - Qingfan Qian
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China.
| | - Hao Yang
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China.
| | - Jieyu Ma
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China.
| | - Wenxue Luan
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China.
| | - Siyuan Shang
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China.
| | - Xinli Li
- School of Public Health, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, PR China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
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Patel PK, Tanpowpong P, Sriaroon P, Lockey RF. Nonallergic Diseases Associated With Foods. THE JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY. IN PRACTICE 2024; 12:607-619. [PMID: 37783385 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaip.2023.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Clinicians are faced with evaluating real and alleged reactions to foods that may be allergic or nonallergic. Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of various non-IgE-mediated diseases are discussed in this review. These food-related conditions range from mild to severe. Referral for an allergy workup may be pursued despite the lack of IgE-mediated symptoms. Diagnostic testing is available for defined non-IgE-mediated food diseases that are either immunologic or nonimmunologic. These include celiac disease and related disorders, carbohydrate maldigestion, pancreatic insufficiency, and histamine intolerance. In contrast, there is a paucity of definitive studies to prove food intolerance diseases. There are no definitive diagnostic criteria or testing for nonceliac gluten sensitivity. Functional gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, are better stratified diagnostically but still lack reliable testing. Both nonceliac gluten sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome are linked to dietary triggers including fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Therefore, dietary alteration alone may be diagnostic and therapeutic when all other conditions are ruled out. These conditions are important considerations when evaluating a patient with history of a food reaction. There is little evidence that foods are causative in other ailments such as acne, migraines, and nasal congestion and hypersecretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya K Patel
- Department of Pediatric Medicine, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St Petersburg, Fla; Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Fla
| | - Pornthep Tanpowpong
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Panida Sriaroon
- Department of Pediatric Medicine, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St Petersburg, Fla; Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Fla
| | - Richard F Lockey
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Fla.
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Prescott SL, Logan AC, D’Adamo CR, Holton KF, Lowry CA, Marks J, Moodie R, Poland B. Nutritional Criminology: Why the Emerging Research on Ultra-Processed Food Matters to Health and Justice. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:120. [PMID: 38397611 PMCID: PMC10888116 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21020120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
There is mounting concern over the potential harms associated with ultra-processed foods, including poor mental health and antisocial behavior. Cutting-edge research provides an enhanced understanding of biophysiological mechanisms, including microbiome pathways, and invites a historical reexamination of earlier work that investigated the relationship between nutrition and criminal behavior. Here, in this perspective article, we explore how this emergent research casts new light and greater significance on previous key observations. Despite expanding interest in the field dubbed 'nutritional psychiatry', there has been relatively little attention paid to its relevancy within criminology and the criminal justice system. Since public health practitioners, allied mental health professionals, and policymakers play key roles throughout criminal justice systems, a holistic perspective on both historical and emergent research is critical. While there are many questions to be resolved, the available evidence suggests that nutrition might be an underappreciated factor in prevention and treatment along the criminal justice spectrum. The intersection of nutrition and biopsychosocial health requires transdisciplinary discussions of power structures, industry influence, and marketing issues associated with widespread food and social inequalities. Some of these discussions are already occurring under the banner of 'food crime'. Given the vast societal implications, it is our contention that the subject of nutrition in the multidisciplinary field of criminology-referred to here as nutritional criminology-deserves increased scrutiny. Through combining historical findings and cutting-edge research, we aim to increase awareness of this topic among the broad readership of the journal, with the hopes of generating new hypotheses and collaborations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan L. Prescott
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA;
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- The ORIGINS Project, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Alan C. Logan
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA;
| | - Christopher R. D’Adamo
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA;
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Kathleen F. Holton
- Departments of Health Studies and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA;
| | - Christopher A. Lowry
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience and Center for Microbial Exploration, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA;
| | - John Marks
- Department of Criminal Justice, Louisiana State University of Alexandria, Alexandria, LA 71302, USA;
| | - Rob Moodie
- School of Population and Global Health (MSPGH), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia;
| | - Blake Poland
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5R 0A3, Canada;
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Ghusn W, Naik R, Yibirin M. The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Human Health and Cancer Association: A Comprehensive Clinical Review. Cureus 2023; 15:e51299. [PMID: 38288206 PMCID: PMC10822749 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.51299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes that provide high sweetening power associated with low accompanied calories. In this study, we aim to review the data on the use, benefits, side effects, and cancer risks of artificial sweeteners. We reviewed data in the PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Embase, and Scopus databases to search for studies about artificial sweeteners from the inception of the database to July 20, 2023, published in the English language. We discuss systematic reviews and meta-analyses, randomized clinical trials, and observational cohort studies that address the use of artificial sweeteners and their effect on health. In our review, we show that artificial sweeteners have been shown to impact various functions of the gastrointestinal system. Other studies have demonstrated an association with neurologic symptoms such as headache and taste alteration. Moreover, recent studies have established an association between artificial sweeteners and cardiovascular risk and diabetes. Importantly, the majority of research data show no link between the use of artificial sweeteners and cancer risk. Although most studies show that there is no established link between these products and cancer risk, artificial sweeteners are associated with multiple diseases. Hence, more studies are needed to better characterize the effect of artificial sweeteners on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wissam Ghusn
- Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, USA
| | - Roopa Naik
- Medicine, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, USA
- Internal Medicine/Hospital Medicine, Geisinger Health System, Wilkes Barre, USA
| | - Marcel Yibirin
- Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
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Suswidiantoro V, Azmi NU, Lukmanto D, Saputri FC, Mun'im A, Jusuf AA. The neuroprotective potential of turmeric rhizome and bitter melon on aspartame-induced spatial memory impairment in rats. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21693. [PMID: 38027700 PMCID: PMC10665738 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspartame is widely used artificial sweetener. However, chronic exposure to aspartame led to spatial memory impairment and elevated oxidative stress in the brain. Extract of turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa) (TUR) and extract of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) (BM) is known to have antioxidant activity. The present study was aimed to examine the neuroprotective potential of TUR and BM extracts, either as single or as combination, against the effects of aspartame in the brain. Here, Sprague-Dawley rats fed with aspartame (40 mg/kg BW) for 28 days were compared with rats fed with extract and aspartame. To assess neuroprotective potential, rats were given extract 7 days before and during aspartame treatment. Spatial memory was assessed with Morris water maze test followed with H&E staining of hippocampal region. Brain lipid peroxidation and enzymatic activity of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were measured to probe status of oxidative stress in the brain. Aspartame-treated rats demonstrated spatial memory impairment and reduced number of hippocampal cells and elevated levels of MDA, downregulated activity of GPx and elevated activity of AChE. In contrast, animals received both aspartame and extract demonstrated better spatial memory function, higher number of hippocampal areas, increased GPX activity, reduced MDA levels, and decreased AChE activity were observed in the brain of extract-treated rats. Taken together, our results suggest that extract of TUR rhizome and BM fruit exhibit antioxidant activity which may contribute to the neuroprotective effects against aspartame-induced memory impairment in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicko Suswidiantoro
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Pharmacy Department, Universitas Aisyah Pringsewu, 35372, Lampung, Indonesia
| | - Nuriza Ulul Azmi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok, 16424, Indonesia
- Ph.D. Program in Humanics, School of Integrative and Global Majors, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Donny Lukmanto
- Laboratory of Advanced Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Fadlina Chany Saputri
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok, 16424, Indonesia
- National Metabolomics Collaborative Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok, West Java, 16424, Indonesia
| | - Abdul Mun'im
- Laboratory of Phytochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Depok, 16424, Indonesia
| | - Ahmad Aulia Jusuf
- Laboratory of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus UI Salemba, Jakarta, 10440, Indonesia
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10
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Holeček M. Aspartic Acid in Health and Disease. Nutrients 2023; 15:4023. [PMID: 37764806 PMCID: PMC10536334 DOI: 10.3390/nu15184023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspartic acid exists in L- and D-isoforms (L-Asp and D-Asp). Most L-Asp is synthesized by mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase from oxaloacetate and glutamate acquired by glutamine deamidation, particularly in the liver and tumor cells, and transamination of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), particularly in muscles. The main source of D-Asp is the racemization of L-Asp. L-Asp transported via aspartate-glutamate carrier to the cytosol is used in protein and nucleotide synthesis, gluconeogenesis, urea, and purine-nucleotide cycles, and neurotransmission and via the malate-aspartate shuttle maintains NADH delivery to mitochondria and redox balance. L-Asp released from neurons connects with the glutamate-glutamine cycle and ensures glycolysis and ammonia detoxification in astrocytes. D-Asp has a role in brain development and hypothalamus regulation. The hereditary disorders in L-Asp metabolism include citrullinemia, asparagine synthetase deficiency, Canavan disease, and dicarboxylic aminoaciduria. L-Asp plays a role in the pathogenesis of psychiatric and neurologic disorders and alterations in BCAA levels in diabetes and hyperammonemia. Further research is needed to examine the targeting of L-Asp metabolism as a strategy to fight cancer, the use of L-Asp as a dietary supplement, and the risks of increased L-Asp consumption. The role of D-Asp in the brain warrants studies on its therapeutic potential in psychiatric and neurologic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Holeček
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Šimkova 870, 500 03 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
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11
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Zhang J, Tang Z, Liu Z, Wang G, Yang X, Hou X. Metabolomic and proteomic analyses of primary Sjogren's syndrome. Immunobiology 2023; 228:152722. [PMID: 37567091 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2023.152722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) has not been fully elucidated. We explored differentially expressed proteins and metabolic pathways in pSS using proteomics and metabolomics. 456 named proteins in total were identified, among which 50 were significantly changed in the pSS. Altered proteins were significantly associated with signaling pathways such as antigen processing and presentation, human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection, and FC gamma R-mediated phagocytosis. Meanwhile, 12 proteins, such as SH3BGRL3, TPM4, and CA1, can be used as potential clinical molecular markers. Moreover, 128 metabolites were significantly expressed in the pSS group. A total of 96 pathways were significantly enriched including central carbon metabolism in cancer, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, and ABC transporters. Notably, both proteomics and metabolomics enriched glycolysis/gluconeogenesis metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, and glutathione metabolism pathways. In this study, the progression mechanism of pSS was analyzed and novel biomarkers were identified by proteomics and metabolomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junning Zhang
- Central Laboratory, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541199, China
| | - Zixing Tang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi 541001, China
| | - Zhenyu Liu
- Central Laboratory, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541199, China
| | - Guangyu Wang
- Central Laboratory, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541199, China
| | - Xueli Yang
- Central Laboratory, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541199, China
| | - Xianliang Hou
- Central Laboratory, Guangxi Health Commission Key Laboratory of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541199, China.
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12
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Fowler SP, Gimeno Ruiz de Porras D, Swartz MD, Stigler Granados P, Heilbrun LP, Palmer RF. Daily Early-Life Exposures to Diet Soda and Aspartame Are Associated with Autism in Males: A Case-Control Study. Nutrients 2023; 15:3772. [PMID: 37686804 PMCID: PMC10490529 DOI: 10.3390/nu15173772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its introduction, aspartame-the leading sweetener in U.S. diet sodas (DS)-has been reported to cause neurological problems in some users. In prospective studies, the offspring of mothers who consumed diet sodas/beverages (DSB) daily during pregnancy experienced increased health problems. We hypothesized that gestational/early-life exposure to ≥1 DS/day (DSearly) or equivalent aspartame (ASPearly: ≥177 mg/day) increases autism risk. The case-control Autism Tooth Fairy Study obtained retrospective dietary recalls for DSB and aspartame consumption during pregnancy/breastfeeding from the mothers of 235 offspring with autism spectrum disorder (ASD: cases) and 121 neurotypically developing offspring (controls). The exposure odds ratios (ORs) for DSearly and ASPearly were computed for autism, ASD, and the non-regressive conditions of each. Among males, the DSearly odds were tripled for autism (OR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.02, 9.7) and non-regressive autism (OR = 3.5; 95% CI: 1.1, 11.1); the ASPearly odds were even higher: OR = 3.4 (95% CI: 1.1, 10.4) and 3.7 (95% CI: 1.2, 11.8), respectively (p < 0.05 for each). The ORs for non-regressive ASD in males were almost tripled but were not statistically significant: DSearly OR = 2.7 (95% CI: 0.9, 8.4); ASPearly OR = 2.9 (95% CI: 0.9, 8.8). No statistically significant associations were found in females. Our findings contribute to the growing literature raising concerns about potential offspring harm from maternal DSB/aspartame intake in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Parten Fowler
- Department of Medicine, Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras
- Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health in San Antonio, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
- Center for Research in Occupational Health, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael D. Swartz
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Paula Stigler Granados
- Divisions of Environmental Health and Global Health, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, USA;
| | - Lynne Parsons Heilbrun
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health in San Antonio, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7411 John Smith Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
| | - Raymond F. Palmer
- Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine, Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
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13
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Shaher SAA, Mihailescu DF, Amuzescu B. Aspartame Safety as a Food Sweetener and Related Health Hazards. Nutrients 2023; 15:3627. [PMID: 37630817 PMCID: PMC10459792 DOI: 10.3390/nu15163627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspartame is the methyl-ester of the aspartate-phenylalanine dipeptide. Over time, it has become a very popular artificial sweetener. However, since its approval by the main food safety agencies, several concerns have been raised related to neuropsychiatric effects and neurotoxicity due to its ability to activate glutamate receptors, as well as carcinogenic risks due to the increased production of reactive oxygen species. Within this review, we critically evaluate reports concerning the safety of aspartame. Some studies evidenced subtle mood and behavioral changes upon daily high-dose intake below the admitted limit. Epidemiology studies also evidenced associations between daily aspartame intake and a higher predisposition for malignant diseases, like non-Hodgkin lymphomas and multiple myelomas, particularly in males, but an association by chance still could not be excluded. While the debate over the carcinogenic risk of aspartame is ongoing, it is clear that its use may pose some dangers in peculiar cases, such as patients with seizures or other neurological diseases; it should be totally forbidden for patients with phenylketonuria, and reduced doses or complete avoidance are advisable during pregnancy. It would be also highly desirable for every product containing aspartame to clearly indicate on the label the exact amount of the substance and some risk warnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shurooq Asaad Abdulameer Shaher
- Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 005095 Bucharest, Romania; (S.A.A.S.); (D.F.M.)
- Department of Medical Laboratories, Babylon Technical Institute, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Najaf 54001, Iraq
| | - Dan Florin Mihailescu
- Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 005095 Bucharest, Romania; (S.A.A.S.); (D.F.M.)
| | - Bogdan Amuzescu
- Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 005095 Bucharest, Romania; (S.A.A.S.); (D.F.M.)
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14
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He X, Zhong Q, Yan K, Li G, Yang J. Oral exposure to an acceptable daily intake dose of aspartame induced a delayed proinflammatory cytokine response in the cerebrospinal fluid of rats. Food Chem Toxicol 2023; 178:113931. [PMID: 37437708 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.113931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of exposure to aspartame (ASP) at safe levels on proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of rats. Sprague Dawley rats were sacrificed after 1, 2, 4 or 8 week(s) of continuous exposure to ASP (40 mg/kg body weight). Serum, CSF and brain tissue samples were prepared, and the levels of the IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were analyzed by ELISA. In serum, the levels of all three cytokines showed a two-phase alteration, a decrease followed by an increase in the ASP group. In the brain, their levels increased from the second or fourth week compared with the control group. In CSF, the levels of these cytokines showed a similar change to that in brain tissue, but the increase appeared at a later time point. For each cytokine, there was a significant positive correlation between its levels in serum, brain tissue and CSF. This is the first discovery that ASP exposure increased the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in CSF in rats, which emerged later than in blood and brain tissue. This study suggests the necessity of conducting related clinical studies to evaluate potential neuroinflammatory effects induced by chronic ASP exposure through CSF analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi He
- Department of Anatomy, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Qianyi Zhong
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Kai Yan
- Department of Anatomy, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Guoying Li
- Guangdong Medical Association, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510180, China.
| | - Junhua Yang
- Department of Anatomy, School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Bioactive Substances, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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15
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Chien YH, Lin CY, Hsu SY, Chen YH, Wu HT, Huang SW, Chen YC. Effects of Nonnutritive Sweeteners on Body Composition Changes during Pubertal Growth. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15102319. [PMID: 37242202 DOI: 10.3390/nu15102319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of consuming specific types of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) on adiposity changes in children have remained inconsistent. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of the intake of different kinds of NNSs on long-term adiposity changes during pubertal growth. Furthermore, we examined the above relationships among different sexes, pubertal stages, and levels of obesity. A total of 1893 6-15-year-old adults were recruited and followed-up every 3 months. The NNS-FFQ (Food Frequency Questionnaire) was conducted and urine samples were collected to investigate the effects of the selected sweeteners, which included acesulfame potassium, aspartame, sucralose, glycyrrhizin, steviol glycosides, and sorbitol. Multivariate linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the relationship between NNS intake and body composition. The consumption of aspartame, sucralose, glycyrrhizin, stevioside, and sorbitol was associated with decreased fat mass and increased fat-free mass. In the highest tertile group, the effects of NNS consumption on fat mass corresponded to values of -1.21 (95% CI: -2.04 to -0.38) for aspartame, -0.62 (95% CI: -1.42 to 0.19) for sucralose, -1.26 (95% CI: -2.05 to -0.47) for glycyrrhizin, -0.90 (95% CI: -2.28 to 0.48) for stevioside, and -0.87 (95% CI: -1.67 to -0.08) for sorbitol, while the effects on fat-free mass corresponded to values of 1.20 (95% CI: 0.36 to -0.38) for aspartame, 0.62 (95% CI: -0.19 to 1.43) for sucralose, 1.27 (95% CI: 0.48 to 2.06) for glycyrrhizin, 0.85 (95% CI: -0.53 to 2.23) for stevioside, and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.08 to 1.67) for sorbitol. Particularly, aspartame and sorbitol revealed a dose-responsiveness effect. The above finding was more prominent among girls than boys. Moreover, fat mass was significantly reduced in normal-weight children who consumed a moderate amount of aspartame and a large amount of glycyrrhizin and sorbitol compared with obese children. In conclusion, the NNS-specific and sex-specific effects of long-term NNS consumption revealed associations of decreasing fat mass and increasing fat-free mass for children undergoing pubertal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsin Chien
- Department of Education, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yuan Lin
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung City 202301, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Yuan Hsu
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Yue-Hwa Chen
- School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Tsung Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Shiu-Wen Huang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Research Center of Thoracic Medicine and Asthma, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Yang-Ching Chen
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Metabolism and Obesity Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
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16
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Lane MM, Lotfalian M, Hodge A, O'Neil A, Travica N, Jacka FN, Rocks T, Machado P, Forbes M, Ashtree DN, Marx W. High ultra-processed food consumption is associated with elevated psychological distress as an indicator of depression in adults from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. J Affect Disord 2023; 335:57-66. [PMID: 37149054 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have tested longitudinal associations between ultra-processed food consumption and depressive outcomes. As such, further investigation and replication are necessary. The aim of this study is to examine associations of ultra-processed food intake with elevated psychological distress as a marker for depression after 15 years. METHOD Data from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS) were analysed (n = 23,299). We applied the NOVA food classification system to a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to determine ultra-processed food intake at baseline. We categorised energy-adjusted ultra-processed food consumption into quartiles by using the distribution of the dataset. Psychological distress was measured by the ten-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). We fitted unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models to assess the association of ultra-processed food consumption (exposure) with significant psychological distress (outcome and defined as K10 ≥ 20). We fitted additional logistic regression models to determine whether these associations were modified by sex, age and body mass index. RESULTS After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle and health-related behaviours, participants with the highest relative intake of ultra-processed food were at increased odds of significant psychological distress compared to participants with the lowest intake (aOR: 1.23; 95%CI: 1.10, 1.38, p for trend = 0.001). We found no evidence for an interaction of sex, age and body mass index with ultra-processed food intake. CONCLUSION Higher ultra-processed food intake at baseline was associated with subsequent elevated psychological distress as an indicator of depression at follow-up. Further prospective and intervention studies are necessary to identify possible underlying pathways, specify the precise attributes of ultra-processed food that confer harm, and optimise nutrition-related and public health strategies for common mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M Lane
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Mojtaba Lotfalian
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Allison Hodge
- Cancer Epidemiology Division, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Adrienne O'Neil
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Nikolaj Travica
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Felice N Jacka
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, VIC, Australia; Black Dog Institute, NSW, Australia; James Cook University, QLD, Australia
| | - Tetyana Rocks
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Priscila Machado
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia; Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715, Sao Paulo 01246-904, Brazil
| | - Malcolm Forbes
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia; Mental Health, Drugs & Alcohol Service, University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health, VIC 3220, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3050, Australia
| | - Deborah N Ashtree
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Wolfgang Marx
- Deakin University, IMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
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17
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Song Z, Song R, Liu Y, Wu Z, Zhang X. Effects of ultra-processed foods on the microbiota-gut-brain axis: The bread-and-butter issue. Food Res Int 2023; 167:112730. [PMID: 37087282 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
The topic of gut microbiota and the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis has become the forefront of research and reports in the past few years. The gut microbiota is a dynamic interface between the environment, food, and the host, reflecting the health status as well as maintaining normal physiological metabolism. Modern ultra-processed foods (UPF) contain large quantities of saturated and trans fat, added sugar, salt, and food additives that seriously affect the gut and physical health. In addition, these unhealthy components directly cause changes in gut microbiota functions and microbial metabolism, subsequently having the potential to impact the neural network. This paper reviews an overview of the link between UPF ingredients and the MGB axis. Considerable studies have examined that high intake of trans fat, added sugar and salt have deleterious effects on gut and brain functions, but relatively less focus has been placed on the impact of food additives on the MGB axis. Data from several studies suggest that food additives might be linked to metabolic diseases and inflammation. They may also alter the gut microbiota composition and microbial metabolites, which potentially affect cognition and behavior. Therefore, we emphasize that food additives including emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, colorants, and preservatives interact with the gut microbiota and their possible effects on altering the brain and behavior based on the latest research. Future studies should further investigate whether gut dysbiosis mediates the effect of UPF on brain diseases and behavior. This thesis here sheds new light on future research pointing to the potentially detrimental effects of processed food consumption on brain health.
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18
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Miller B, Branscum P. Evaluating the Association Between Artificial Sweetener Intake and Indicators of Stress and Anxiety. COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH & POLICY 2023; 43:339-342. [PMID: 34080916 DOI: 10.1177/0272684x211022150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) consumption and stress and anxiety, among a sample of college students. Two-hundred and twenty-seven students from a large mid-western university participated in this cross-sectional study. Students completed an online survey that evaluated NNS using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Stress and anxiety were evaluated using previously validated instruments. Most students reported very low/low/average concern for stress (63.9%), and had low/moderate anxiety (82.3%). Participants experiencing high and very high levels of stress had significantly higher NNS consumption compared to those with a very low and low risk, and concern for stress (p < .046; d = 0.28). There was no difference however for NNS intake and anxiety. Reduction of artificial sweetener intake may be associated with stress levels among college students. However, more research is needed to examine any causal relationship between artificial sweetener intake and stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Miller
- Department of Kinesiology and Health, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, United States
| | - Paul Branscum
- Department of Kinesiology and Health, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, United States
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19
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Griebsch LV, Theiss EL, Janitschke D, Erhardt VKJ, Erhardt T, Haas EC, Kuppler KN, Radermacher J, Walzer O, Lauer AA, Matschke V, Hartmann T, Grimm MOW, Grimm HS. Aspartame and Its Metabolites Cause Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial and Lipid Alterations in SH-SY5Y Cells. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15061467. [PMID: 36986196 PMCID: PMC10053704 DOI: 10.3390/nu15061467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to a worldwide increase in obesity and metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, synthetic sweeteners such as aspartame are frequently used to substitute sugar in the diet. Possible uncertainties regarding aspartame's ability to induce oxidative stress, amongst others, has led to the recommendation of a daily maximum dose of 40 to 50 mg per kg. To date, little is known about the effects of this non-nutritive sweetener on cellular lipid homeostasis, which, besides elevated oxidative stress, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, treatment of the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y with aspartame (271.7 µM) or its three metabolites (aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol (271.7 µM)), generated after digestion of aspartame in the human intestinal tract, resulted in significantly elevated oxidative stress associated with mitochondrial damage, which was illustrated with reduced cardiolipin levels, increased gene expression of SOD1/2, PINK1, and FIS1, and an increase in APF fluorescence. In addition, treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with aspartame or aspartame metabolites led to a significant increase in triacylglycerides and phospholipids, especially phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines, accompanied by an accumulation of lipid droplets inside neuronal cells. Due to these lipid-mediating properties, the use of aspartame as a sugar substitute should be reconsidered and the effects of aspartame on the brain metabolism should be addressed in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Tobias Erhardt
- Physical Therapy, Campus Karlsruhe, SRH University of Applied Health Sciences, 76185 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Oliver Walzer
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66424 Homburg, Germany
| | - Anna Andrea Lauer
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66424 Homburg, Germany
- Nutrition Therapy and Counseling, Campus Rheinland, SRH University of Applied Health Sciences, 51377 Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Veronika Matschke
- Department of Cytology, Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Tobias Hartmann
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66424 Homburg, Germany
- Deutsches Institut für DemenzPrävention, Saarland University, 66424 Homburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Otto Walter Grimm
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66424 Homburg, Germany
- Nutrition Therapy and Counseling, Campus Rheinland, SRH University of Applied Health Sciences, 51377 Leverkusen, Germany
- Deutsches Institut für DemenzPrävention, Saarland University, 66424 Homburg, Germany
| | - Heike Sabine Grimm
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66424 Homburg, Germany
- Nutrition Therapy and Counseling, Campus Rheinland, SRH University of Applied Health Sciences, 51377 Leverkusen, Germany
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20
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Souto NS, Dassi M, Braga ACM, Rosa ÉVF, Fighera MR, Royes LFF, Oliveira MS, Sari MHM, Furian AF. Repeated co-exposure to aflatoxin B 1 and aspartame disrupts the central nervous system homeostasis: Behavioral, biochemical, and molecular insights. J Food Sci 2023; 88:1731-1742. [PMID: 36789859 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.16476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Several studies demonstrated the toxicity of aspartame (ASP) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 ) in preclinical models. Although the majority of these reports assessed the toxic effects of each substance separately, their concomitant exposure and hazardous consequences are scarce. Importantly, the deleterious effects at the central nervous system caused by ASP and AFB1 co-exposure are rarely addressed. We evaluated if concomitant exposure to AFB1 and ASP would cause behavioral impairment and alteration in oxidative status of the brain in male rats. Animals received once a day for 14 days AFB1 (250 µg/kg, intragastric gavage [i.g.]), ASP (75 mg/kg, i.g.), or both substances (association). On day 14, they were subjected to behavioral evaluation, and biochemical and molecular parameters of oxidative status were measured in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. In the open field test, AFB1 and combination treatments modified the motor, exploratory, and grooming behavior. In the splash test, all treatments caused a reduction in grooming time compared to the control group. An increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances content induced by AFB1 and combination treatments was observed. The antioxidant defenses (vitamin C, nonprotein sulfhydryl, and ferric reducing antioxidant power) were impaired in all groups compared to control. Regarding molecular evaluation, mitochondrial superoxide dismutase-2 immunoreactivity decreased after AFB1 or ASP exposition in the hippocampus. Thus, co-exposure to ASP and AFB1 was potentially more toxic because it aggravated behavioral impairments and oxidative status disbalance in comparison to the groups that received only ASP or AFB1 . Therefore, our data suggest that those substances caused a disruption in brain homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naieli Schiefelbein Souto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia dos Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Micheli Dassi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia dos Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | | | | | - Michele Rechia Fighera
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | | | - Mauro Schneider Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Flávia Furian
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia dos Alimentos, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
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21
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Orellana-Paucar AM. Steviol Glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana: An Updated Overview of Their Sweetening Activity, Pharmacological Properties, and Safety Aspects. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031258. [PMID: 36770924 PMCID: PMC9920402 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
This literature-based review synthesizes the available scientific information about steviol glycosides as natural sweeteners and molecules with therapeutic potential. In addition, it discusses the safety concerns regarding human consumption. Steviol glycosides exhibit a superior sweetener proficiency to that of sucrose and are noncaloric, noncariogenic, and nonfermentative. Scientific evidence encourages stevioside and rebaudioside A as sweetener alternatives to sucrose and supports their use based on their absences of harmful effects on human health. Moreover, these active compounds isolated from Stevia rebaudiana possess interesting medicinal activities, including antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antidiarrheal activity. The described bioactivities of steviol glycosides deserve special attention based on their dose dependence and specific pathological situations. Further clinical research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms of action, therapeutic indexes, and pharmacological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Monserrath Orellana-Paucar
- Nutrition and Dietetics School, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Cuenca, Cuenca 010204, Ecuador;
- Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Group, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Cuenca, Cuenca 010204, Ecuador
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22
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Soyseven M, Sezgin B, Acar E, Arli G. Green, Rapid, Robust Determination of Aspartame in Beverages by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Evaporative Light Scattering Detection (HPLC-ELSD): Method Development and Validation. ANAL LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2022.2146129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Murat Soyseven
- Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Yunus Emre Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Burcu Sezgin
- Department of Environmental Protection Technologies, Eskişehir Vocational School, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Ebrar Acar
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Göksel Arli
- Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Yunus Emre Vocational School of Health Services, Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
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23
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Morales-Ríos EI, García-Machorro J, Briones-Aranda A, Gómez-Pliego R, Espinosa-Raya J. Effect of Long-term Intake of Nutritive and Non-nutritive Sweeteners on Metabolic Health and Cognition in Adult Male Rats. J Med Food 2022; 25:1059-1065. [PMID: 35951019 DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2022.0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of long-term intake of nutritive sweeteners (NSs) and non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) on body weight, food and energy intake, blood pressure, metabolic parameters, and memory retention in rats. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 10 per group): control (water),10% sucrose (SUC), aspartame (ASP), sucralose (SCA), stevia (STV), and 5% xylitol (XYL). Pure NSs (SUC and XYL) and NNSs were added to the drinking water for 18 weeks. ASP, SCA, and STV dosage was based on the estimated daily intake limit: 4.1, 2.0, and 3.4 mg/kg/day, respectively. Chronic access to NNSs did not result in any difference in total weight gain of the rats, while it was significantly elevated in the SUC group compared with the control and NNSs groups. Food intake was significantly lower in all NNSs groups compared with SUC and control groups. Sweetened beverage intake volumes were significantly diminished in all NNSs groups compared with intake in SUC and control groups. Total calories consumed were lower for the STV and XYL groups compared with all other groups. Blood pressure and glucose metabolism did not differ significantly between the groups. All sweeteners increased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels. Short-term memory was significantly impaired in the ASP group in the novel object recognition task, while long-term memory was impaired in SUC and STV groups. These metabolic and behavioral results suggest that the long-term intake of NSs or NNSs can be associated with peripheral and central effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Iván Morales-Ríos
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Jazmín García-Machorro
- Laboratorio de Medicina de Conservación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alfredo Briones-Aranda
- Laboratorio de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez Chiapas, México
| | - Raquel Gómez-Pliego
- Sección de Ciencias de la Salud Humana, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Estado de México, México
| | - Judith Espinosa-Raya
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
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24
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Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14132568. [PMID: 35807749 PMCID: PMC9268228 DOI: 10.3390/nu14132568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Since previous meta-analyses, which were limited only to depression and by a small number of studies available for inclusion at the time of publication, several additional studies have been published assessing the link between ultra-processed food consumption and depression as well as other mental disorders. We aimed to build on previously conducted reviews to synthesise and meta-analyse the contemporary evidence base and clarify the associations between the consumption of ultra-processed food and mental disorders. A total of 17 observational studies were included (n = 385,541); 15 cross-sectional and 2 prospective. Greater ultra-processed food consumption was cross-sectionally associated with increased odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms, both when these outcomes were assessed together (common mental disorder symptoms odds ratio: 1.53, 95%CI 1.43 to 1.63) as well as separately (depressive symptoms odds ratio: 1.44, 95%CI 1.14 to 1.82; and, anxiety symptoms odds ratio: 1.48, 95%CI 1.37 to 1.59). Furthermore, a meta-analysis of prospective studies demonstrated that greater ultra-processed food intake was associated with increased risk of subsequent depression (hazard ratio: 1.22, 95%CI 1.16 to 1.28). While we found evidence for associations between ultra-processed food consumption and adverse mental health, further rigorously designed prospective and experimental studies are needed to better understand causal pathways.
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25
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Li Z, Mu Y, Guo C, You X, Liu X, Li Q, Sun W. Analysis of the saliva metabolic signature in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269275. [PMID: 35653354 PMCID: PMC9162338 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The saliva metabolome has been applied to explore disease biomarkers. In this study we characterized the metabolic profile of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) patients and explored metabolomic biomarkers.
Methods
This work presents a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomic study of the saliva of 32 patients with pSS and 38 age- and sex-matched healthy adults. Potential pSS saliva metabolite biomarkers were explored using test group saliva samples (20 patients with pSS vs. 25 healthy adults) and were then verified by a cross-validation group (12 patients with pSS vs. 13 healthy adults).
Results
Metabolic pathways, including tryptophan metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, carbon fixation, and aspartate and asparagine metabolism, were found to be significantly regulated and related to inflammatory injury, neurological cognitive impairment and the immune response. Phenylalanyl-alanine was discovered to have good predictive ability for pSS, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.87 in the testing group (validation group: AUC = 0.75).
Conclusion
Our study shows that salivary metabolomics is a useful strategy for differential analysis and biomarker discovery in pSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Li
- Department of Stomatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Mu
- Department of Stomatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlan Guo
- Department of Stomatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin You
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Core Facility of Instrument, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Stomatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (QL); (WS)
| | - Wei Sun
- Core Facility of Instrument, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (QL); (WS)
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26
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Li X, Dong G, Han G, Du L, Li M. Zebrafish Behavioral Phenomics Links Artificial Sweetener Aspartame to Behavioral Toxicity and Neurotransmitter Homeostasis. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:15393-15402. [PMID: 34874711 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Artificial sweeteners (ASs) are extensively used as food additives in drinks and beverages to lower calorie intake and prevent lifestyle diseases such as obesity. Although clinical and epidemiological data revealed the link between the chronic overconsumption of ASs and adverse health effects, there still exist controversies over the potential adverse neural toxic effect of ASs such as aspartame (APM), with acceptable daily intake (ADI) for a long time, on human health. In addition, whether APM and its metabolites are neurotoxic remains debatable due to a lack of data from an animal experiment or clinical investigation. Herein, to fully describe the potential neurological effect of APM, adult zebrafish served as the animal model to assess neurophysiological alteration induced by APM exposure within the range of the ADI (1, 10, and 100 mg/L) for 2 months. A cohort of standardized neurobehavioral phenotyping assays was conducted, including light/dark preference tests (LDP), novel tank diving tests, novel object recognition tests, social interaction tests, and color preference tests. For instance, in the LDP test, saccharin remarkably decreased the swimming time of zebrafish in the DARK part from 111 ± 10.8 (control group) to 72.2 ± 11.4 (100 mg/L groups). Besides, brain chemistry involved in the alteration of total neurotransmitters was determined by LC-MS/MS to confirm the behavioral results. Overall, current research studies revealed that APM within the range of the ADI altered the total behavioral profiles of zebrafish and disturbed the homeostasis of neurotransmitters in the brain. The present study has established a set of experimental paradigms, revealing the standardized procedure of using adult zebrafish to determine the neural activity or toxicity of AS molecules phenotypically. Zebrafish behavioral phenotyping methods, which were characterized by a cohort of behavioral fingerprints, can link the phenotypical alteration to changes in neurotransmitters in the brain, so as to provide a predictive reference for the further exploration of the molecular mechanism of phenotypic changes induced by ASs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Gaopan Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453002, China
| | - Guangxi Han
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Lupei Du
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
| | - Minyong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China
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27
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Couillard F, Ayroulet C, Roussin C, Vanhecke C, Goossens J, Combres H, Ly K, François C. Une hypokaliémie symptomatique induite par une consommation excessive de Coca-Cola zéro®. NUTR CLIN METAB 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nupar.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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28
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Nandi S, Layek S, Nandi PK, Bera N, Hazra R, Sarkar N. Self-assembly of artificial sweetener aspartame adversely affects phospholipid membranes: plausible reason for its deleterious effects. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:10532-10535. [PMID: 34553202 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc04482f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The prolonged intake of the artificial sweetener aspartame is known to have deleterious effects. Our biophysical experimentations indicate that aspartame forms self-assembled cytotoxic fibrillar etiologies that affect the intrinsic integrity of the phospholipid membrane bilayer through electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic insertion, thereby making the membrane less rigid and more heterogeneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Nandi
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
| | - Souvik Layek
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
| | - Pratyush Kiran Nandi
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
| | - Nanigopal Bera
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
| | - Ritwik Hazra
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
| | - Nilmoni Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India.
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29
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Papetti L, Moavero R, Ferilli MAN, Sforza G, Tarantino S, Ursitti F, Ruscitto C, Vigevano F, Valeriani M. Truths and Myths in Pediatric Migraine and Nutrition. Nutrients 2021; 13:2714. [PMID: 34444875 PMCID: PMC8399652 DOI: 10.3390/nu13082714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The link between migraine and nutrition can be explored from several points of view. Lifestyle and, in particular, aspects of nutrition can have a significant impact on the course of pediatric migraine. In addition, some dietary treatments, such as the ketogenic diet, and some active ingredients present in foods (nutraceuticals) may have a therapeutic effect on migraine. A diet that can control weight gain and obesity has beneficial effects on migraine severity. On the other hand, when we talk about the link between nutrition and headaches, it is also necessary to point out that some public information is actually fake news that has no scientific basis. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the salient points linking pediatric migraine to nutritional principles, focusing on the relationship between weight and headaches, the therapeutic effect of food for medical purposes, the ketogenic diet as a migraine treatment, and the relationship between migraine and dietary habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Papetti
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (M.A.N.F.); (G.S.); (S.T.); (F.U.); (F.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Romina Moavero
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (M.A.N.F.); (G.S.); (S.T.); (F.U.); (F.V.); (M.V.)
- Child Neurology Unit, Systems Medicine Department, Tor Vergata University Hospital of Rome, 00165 Rome, Italy;
| | - Michela A. N. Ferilli
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (M.A.N.F.); (G.S.); (S.T.); (F.U.); (F.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Giorgia Sforza
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (M.A.N.F.); (G.S.); (S.T.); (F.U.); (F.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Samuela Tarantino
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (M.A.N.F.); (G.S.); (S.T.); (F.U.); (F.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Fabiana Ursitti
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (M.A.N.F.); (G.S.); (S.T.); (F.U.); (F.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Claudia Ruscitto
- Child Neurology Unit, Systems Medicine Department, Tor Vergata University Hospital of Rome, 00165 Rome, Italy;
| | - Federico Vigevano
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (M.A.N.F.); (G.S.); (S.T.); (F.U.); (F.V.); (M.V.)
| | - Massimiliano Valeriani
- Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy; (R.M.); (M.A.N.F.); (G.S.); (S.T.); (F.U.); (F.V.); (M.V.)
- Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction, Denmark Neurology Unit, Aalborg University, 9100 Aalborg, Denmark
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30
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Novozhilova M, Mishchenko T, Kondakova E, Lavrova T, Gavrish M, Aferova S, Franceschi C, Vedunova M. Features of age-related response to sleep deprivation: in vivo experimental studies. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:19108-19126. [PMID: 34320466 PMCID: PMC8386558 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Insomnia is currently considered one of the potential triggers of accelerated aging. The frequency of registered sleep-wake cycle complaints increases with age and correlates with the quality of life of elderly people. Nevertheless, whether insomnia is actually an age-associated process or whether it acts as an independent stress-factor that activates pathological processes, remains controversial. In this study, we analyzed the effects of long-term sleep deprivation modeling on the locomotor and orienting-exploratory activity, spatial learning abilities and working memory of C57BL/6 female mice of different ages. We also evaluated the modeled stress influence on morphological changes in brain tissue, the functional activity of the mitochondrial apparatus of nerve cells, and the level of DNA methylation and mRNA expression levels of the transcription factor HIF-1α (Hif1) and age-associated molecular marker PLIN2. Our findings point to the age-related adaptive capacity of female mice to the long-term sleep deprivation influence. For young (1.5 months) mice, the modeled sleep deprivation acts as a stress factor leading to weight loss against the background of increased food intake, the activation of animals' locomotor and exploratory activity, their mnestic functions, and molecular and cellular adaptive processes ensuring animal resistance both to stress and risk of accelerated aging development. Sleep deprivation in adult (7-9 months) mice is accompanied by an increase in body weight against the background of active food intake, increased locomotor and exploratory activity, gross disturbances in mnestic functions, and decreased adaptive capacity of brain cells, that potentially increasing the risk of pathological reactions and neurodegenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Novozhilova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
| | - Tatiana Mishchenko
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
| | - Elena Kondakova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
| | - Tatiana Lavrova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
| | - Maria Gavrish
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
| | - Svetlana Aferova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Institute of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Mechanics (ITMM), National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
| | - Maria Vedunova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia
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31
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Naidoo U. Eat to Beat Stress. Am J Lifestyle Med 2021; 15:39-42. [PMID: 33456419 DOI: 10.1177/1559827620973936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a tendency to accept anxiety as an inevitable part of living in a stressful modern world. However, simple dietary changes can help attenuate the stress response. While there are several approaches to treating anxiety, research by Peter Roy-Byrne in 2015 has shown that only 50% to 60% of people respond to medication and psychotherapy, and only a quarter of patients have complete resolution of their symptoms. According to statistics from the National Institute of Mental health, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety disorders were the most common mental health disorder in the United States, about 3 times more common than depression (18.1% vs 6.7%). A recent Express Scripts survey showed the percent increase in the number of new prescriptions for antianxiety medications by the middle March 2020 for antianxiety medications was 37.7%, underscoring the likely rise in anxiety associated with the pandemic. While traditional medications and therapies are well needed, to beat stress during times of a pandemic, it is important to think more broadly about how we can best affect our mental well-being. One of those ways is through our nutrition and dietary habits, and research by Opie et al in 2015 demonstrates that our dietary choices are more crucial than ever. This column reviews foods and substances that are important to consider in managing anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uma Naidoo
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Abstract
Despite the overwhelming prevalence of anxiety disorders in modern society, medications and psychotherapy often fail to achieve complete symptom resolution. A complementary approach to medicating symptoms is to address the underlying metabolic pathologies associated with mental illnesses and anxiety. This may be achieved through nutritional interventions. In this perspectives piece, we highlight the roles of the microbiome and inflammation as influencers of anxiety. We further discuss the evidence base for six specific nutritional interventions: avoiding artificial sweeteners and gluten, including omega-3 fatty acids and turmeric in the diet, supplementation with vitamin D, and ketogenic diets. We attempt to integrate insights from the nutrition science-literature in order to highlight some practices that practitioners may consider when treating individual patients. Notably, this piece is not meant to serve as a comprehensive review of the literature, but rather argue our perspective that nutritional interventions should be more widely considered among clinical psychiatrists. Nutritional psychiatry is in its infancy and more research is needed in this burgeoning low-risk and potentially high-yield field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G Norwitz
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Uma Naidoo
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Nutrition and Lifestyle Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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33
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O'Connor D, Pang M, Castelnuovo G, Finlayson G, Blaak E, Gibbons C, Navas-Carretero S, Almiron-Roig E, Harrold J, Raben A, Martinez JA. A rational review on the effects of sweeteners and sweetness enhancers on appetite, food reward and metabolic/adiposity outcomes in adults. Food Funct 2020; 12:442-465. [PMID: 33325948 DOI: 10.1039/d0fo02424d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Numerous strategies have been investigated to overcome the excessive weight gain that accompanies a chronic positive energy balance. Most approaches focus on a reduction of energy intake and the improvement of lifestyle habits. The use of high intensity artificial sweeteners, also known as non-caloric sweeteners (NCS), as sugar substitutes in foods and beverages, is rapidly developing. NCS are commonly defined as molecules with a sweetness profile of 30 times higher or more that of sucrose, scarcely contributing to the individual's net energy intake as they are hardly metabolized. The purpose of this review is first, to assess the impact of NCS on eating behaviour, including subjective appetite, food intake, food reward and sensory stimulation; and secondly, to assess the metabolic impact of NCS on body weight regulation, glucose homeostasis and gut health. The evidence reviewed suggests that while some sweeteners have the potential to increase subjective appetite, these effects do not translate in changes in food intake. This is supported by a large body of empirical evidence advocating that the use of NCS facilitates weight management when used alongside other weight management strategies. On the other hand, although NCS are very unlikely to impair insulin metabolism and glycaemic control, some studies suggest that NCS could have putatively undesirable effects, through various indirect mechanisms, on body weight, glycemia, adipogenesis and the gut microbiota; however there is insufficient evidence to determine the degree of such effects. Overall, the available data suggests that NCS can be used to facilitate a reduction in dietary energy content without significant negative effects on food intake behaviour or body metabolism, which would support their potential role in the prevention of obesity as a complementary strategy to other weight management approaches. More research is needed to determine the impact of NCS on metabolic health, in particular gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic O'Connor
- Biopsychology Group, Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Hypothermia induced by central injection of sucralose potentially occurs via monoaminergic pathways in the hypothalamus of chicks. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 248:110752. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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35
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Lee KS, Choi YJ, Lim YH, Lee JY, Shin MK, Kim BN, Shin CH, Lee YA, Kim JI, Hong YC. Dietary patterns are associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms among preschoolers in South Korea: a prospective cohort study. Nutr Neurosci 2020; 25:603-611. [DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2020.1786789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Shin Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Environmental Health Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yoon-Jung Choi
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Environmental Health Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Youn-Hee Lim
- Environmental Health Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji Young Lee
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Moon-Kyung Shin
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Bung-Nyun Kim
- Division of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Choong Ho Shin
- Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young Ah Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Johanna Inhyang Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Chul Hong
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Environmental Health Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea
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Choudhary AK, Lee YY. Mechanistic Insights into Aspartame-induced Immune Dysregulation. CURRENT NUTRITION & FOOD SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.2174/1573401314666181016124250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background & Objective:
Aspartame, (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) is a
widely used artificial sweetener but studies raise safety concerns regarding the use of aspartame
metabolites especially methanol. In this review, we aimed to provide mechanistic insights that may
explain aspartame-induced immune dysregulation.
Findings:
While evidence is limited, from the available literature, possible mechanisms for immune
dysfunction associated with aspartame include (1) alterations in bidirectional communication between
neuro-immune-endocrine responses (2) disruption of the brain-gut-microbiota-immune axis (3)
induction of oxidative stress in immune cells and organs and lastly (4) the immune-activation effect
of methanol.
Conclusion:
Further studies are needed to confirm above proposed mechanisms that may explain aspartame-
induce immune dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arbind K. Choudhary
- Department of Physiology, Government Medical College, Shivpuri, (M.P.), India
| | - Yeong Y. Lee
- School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
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Anand BG, Prajapati KP, Dubey K, Ahamad N, Shekhawat DS, Rath PC, Joseph GK, Kar K. Self-Assembly of Artificial Sweetener Aspartame Yields Amyloid-like Cytotoxic Nanostructures. ACS NANO 2019; 13:6033-6049. [PMID: 31021591 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b02284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Recent reports have revealed the intrinsic propensity of single aromatic metabolites to undergo self-assembly and form nanostructures of amyloid nature. Hence, identifying whether aspartame, a universally consumed artificial sweetener, is inherently aggregation prone becomes an important area of investigation. Although the reports on aspartame-linked side effects describe a multitude of metabolic disorders, the mechanistic understanding of such destructive effects is largely mysterious. Since aromaticity, an aggregation-promoting factor, is intrinsic to aspartame's chemistry, it is important to know whether aspartame can undergo self-association and if such a property can predispose any cytotoxicity to biological systems. Our study finds that aspartame molecules, under mimicked physiological conditions, undergo a spontaneous self-assembly process yielding regular β-sheet-like cytotoxic nanofibrils of amyloid nature. The resultant aspartame fibrils were found to trigger amyloid cross-seeding and become a toxic aggregation trap for globular proteins, Aβ peptides, and aromatic metabolites that convert native structures to β-sheet-like fibrils. Aspartame fibrils were also found to induce hemolysis, causing DNA damage resulting in both apoptosis and necrosis-mediated cell death. Specific spatial arrangement between aspartame molecules is predicted to form a regular amyloid-like architecture with a sticky exterior that is capable of promoting viable H-bonds, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic contacts with biomolecules, leading to the onset of protein aggregation and cell death. Results reveal that the aspartame molecule is inherently amyloidogenic, and the self-assembly of aspartame becomes a toxic trap for proteins and cells, exposing the bitter side of such a ubiquitously used artificial sweetener.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibin Gnanadhason Anand
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering , Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur , Jodhpur 342037 , India
| | | | - Kriti Dubey
- School of Life Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi 110067 , India
| | - Naseem Ahamad
- School of Life Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi 110067 , India
| | - Dolat Singh Shekhawat
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering , Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur , Jodhpur 342037 , India
| | - Pramod Chandra Rath
- School of Life Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi 110067 , India
| | - George Kodimattam Joseph
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering , Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur , Jodhpur 342037 , India
| | - Karunakar Kar
- School of Life Sciences , Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi 110067 , India
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Adjibade M, Julia C, Allès B, Touvier M, Lemogne C, Srour B, Hercberg S, Galan P, Assmann KE, Kesse-Guyot E. Prospective association between ultra-processed food consumption and incident depressive symptoms in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. BMC Med 2019; 17:78. [PMID: 30982472 PMCID: PMC6463641 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-019-1312-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has increased over the last decades in Westernized countries. Our objective was to investigate for the first time the association between the proportion of UPF (%UPF) in the diet and incident depressive symptoms in the NutriNet-Santé cohort. METHODS The sample included 20,380 women and 6350 men (aged 18-86 years) without depressive symptoms at the first Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) measurement, using validated cut-offs (CES-D score ≥ 17 for men and ≥ 23 for women). The proportion of UPF in the diet was computed for each subject using the NOVA classification applied to dietary intakes collected by repeated 24-h records (mean = 8; SD = 2.3). The association between UPF and depressive symptoms was evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Over a mean follow-up of 5.4 years, 2221 incident cases of depressive symptoms were identified. After accounting for a wide range of potential confounders, an increased risk of depressive symptoms was observed with an increased %UPF in the diet. In the main model adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, and lifestyle factors, the estimated hazard ratio for a 10% increase in UPF was 1.21 (95% confidence interval = 1.15-1.27). Considering %UPF in food groups, the association was significant only for beverages and sauces or added fats. CONCLUSION Overall, UPF consumption was positively associated with the risk of incident depressive symptoms, suggesting that accounting for this non-nutritional aspect of the diet could be important for mental health promotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moufidath Adjibade
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France.
| | - Chantal Julia
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France.,Département de Santé Publique, Hôpital Avicenne, F-93017, Bobigny, France
| | - Benjamin Allès
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France
| | - Mathilde Touvier
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France
| | - Cédric Lemogne
- Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Service de Psychiatrie et Addictologie de l'adulte et du sujet âgé, AP-HP, Hôpital européen Georges-Pompidou, Paris, France.,Institut Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Inserm (U1266), UMR-S 1266, Paris, France
| | - Bernard Srour
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France
| | - Serge Hercberg
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France.,Département de Santé Publique, Hôpital Avicenne, F-93017, Bobigny, France
| | - Pilar Galan
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France
| | - Karen E Assmann
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France
| | - Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot
- Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Université Paris 13, Centre d'Epidémiologie et Statistiques Sorbonne Paris Cité, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017, Bobigny, France
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Choudhary AK, Lee YY. The debate over neurotransmitter interaction in aspartame usage. J Clin Neurosci 2018; 56:7-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2018.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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40
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Serra-Majem L, Raposo A, Aranceta-Bartrina J, Varela-Moreiras G, Logue C, Laviada H, Socolovsky S, Pérez-Rodrigo C, Aldrete-Velasco JA, Meneses Sierra E, López-García R, Ortiz-Andrellucchi A, Gómez-Candela C, Abreu R, Alexanderson E, Álvarez-Álvarez RJ, Álvarez Falcón AL, Anadón A, Bellisle F, Beristain-Navarrete IA, Blasco Redondo R, Bochicchio T, Camolas J, Cardini FG, Carocho M, Costa MDC, Drewnowski A, Durán S, Faundes V, Fernández-Condori R, García-Luna PP, Garnica JC, González-Gross M, La Vecchia C, Leis R, López-Sobaler AM, Madero MA, Marcos A, Mariscal Ramírez LA, Martyn DM, Mistura L, Moreno Rojas R, Moreno Villares JM, Niño-Cruz JA, Oliveira MBPP, Palacios Gil-Antuñano N, Pérez-Castells L, Ribas-Barba L, Rincón Pedrero R, Riobó P, Rivera Medina J, Tinoco de Faria C, Valdés-Ramos R, Vasco E, Wac SN, Wakida G, Wanden-Berghe C, Xóchihua Díaz L, Zúñiga-Guajardo S, Pyrogianni V, Cunha Velho de Sousa S. Ibero⁻American Consensus on Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners: Safety, Nutritional Aspects and Benefits in Food and Beverages. Nutrients 2018; 10:E818. [PMID: 29941818 PMCID: PMC6073242 DOI: 10.3390/nu10070818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
International scientific experts in food, nutrition, dietetics, endocrinology, physical activity, paediatrics, nursing, toxicology and public health met in Lisbon on 2⁻4 July 2017 to develop a Consensus on the use of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) as substitutes for sugars and other caloric sweeteners. LNCS are food additives that are broadly used as sugar substitutes to sweeten foods and beverages with the addition of fewer or no calories. They are also used in medicines, health-care products, such as toothpaste, and food supplements. The goal of this Consensus was to provide a useful, evidence-based, point of reference to assist in efforts to reduce free sugars consumption in line with current international public health recommendations. Participating experts in the Lisbon Consensus analysed and evaluated the evidence in relation to the role of LNCS in food safety, their regulation and the nutritional and dietary aspects of their use in foods and beverages. The conclusions of this Consensus were: (1) LNCS are some of the most extensively evaluated dietary constituents, and their safety has been reviewed and confirmed by regulatory bodies globally including the World Health Organisation, the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority; (2) Consumer education, which is based on the most robust scientific evidence and regulatory processes, on the use of products containing LNCS should be strengthened in a comprehensive and objective way; (3) The use of LNCS in weight reduction programmes that involve replacing caloric sweeteners with LNCS in the context of structured diet plans may favour sustainable weight reduction. Furthermore, their use in diabetes management programmes may contribute to a better glycaemic control in patients, albeit with modest results. LNCS also provide dental health benefits when used in place of free sugars; (4) It is proposed that foods and beverages with LNCS could be included in dietary guidelines as alternative options to products sweetened with free sugars; (5) Continued education of health professionals is required, since they are a key source of information on issues related to food and health for both the general population and patients. With this in mind, the publication of position statements and consensus documents in the academic literature are extremely desirable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lluis Serra-Majem
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 35016, Spain.
- Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Food Sciences (AEN), Barcelona 08029, Spain.
- Nutrition Research Foundation (FIN), University of Barcelona Science Park, Barcelona 08028, Spain.
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBER OBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain.
| | - António Raposo
- Research Center for Biosciences and Health Technologies-CBIOS, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisboa 1749-024, Portugal.
| | - Javier Aranceta-Bartrina
- Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Food Sciences (AEN), Barcelona 08029, Spain.
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBER OBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain.
- Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC), Barcelona 08029, Spain.
- Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia) 48940, Spain.
| | - Gregorio Varela-Moreiras
- Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Food Sciences (AEN), Barcelona 08029, Spain.
- Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN), Madrid 28010, Spain.
- Department of Pharmaceutical & Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, CEU San Pablo University, Boadilla del Monte (Madrid) 28668, Spain.
| | - Caomhan Logue
- Nutritional Innovation Centre for Food & Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraines BT52 1SA, UK.
| | - Hugo Laviada
- Research Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Medical School, Marist University of Merida, Mérida Yucatan 97300, Mexico.
| | - Susana Socolovsky
- Argentine Association of Food Technologists, Buenos Aires 1088, Argentina.
| | - Carmen Pérez-Rodrigo
- Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Food Sciences (AEN), Barcelona 08029, Spain.
- Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC), Barcelona 08029, Spain.
- Department of Physiology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia) 48940, Spain.
| | | | - Eduardo Meneses Sierra
- Mexican College of Internal Medicine, Mexico City 03910, Mexico.
- Hospital General de Especialidades del ISSSTE, Saltillo, Coahuila 25020, Mexico.
| | | | - Adriana Ortiz-Andrellucchi
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 35016, Spain.
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBER OBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain.
| | - Carmen Gómez-Candela
- Clinical Nutrition Department, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid 28046, Spain.
- Hospital La Paz Health Research Institute - IdiPAZ, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid 28046, Spain.
| | | | - Erick Alexanderson
- Nuclear Cardiology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología "Ignacio Chávez, Tlalpan, Ciudad de Mexico 14080, Mexico.
- Phisiology Department, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico.
- Mexican Society of Cardiology, México City 14080, Mexico.
| | | | - Ana Luisa Álvarez Falcón
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 35016, Spain.
- Dr. Negrin University Hospital of Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 35010, Spain.
| | - Arturo Anadón
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain.
| | - France Bellisle
- Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, University of Paris 13, Bobigny 93017, France.
| | | | - Raquel Blasco Redondo
- Regional Center for Sports Medicine of the Junta de Castilla y León, Valladolid 47011, Spain.
| | - Tommaso Bochicchio
- Facultad Mexicana de Medicina, La Salle University, Mexico 14000, D. F., Mexico.
- Mexican Transplant Institute, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62448, Mexico.
| | - José Camolas
- Serviço de Endocrinologia, Hospital de Santa Maria⁻CHLN, Lisboa 1649-035, Portugal.
| | - Fernando G Cardini
- Argentine Quality Institute-Instituto Argentino para la Calidad (IAPC), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires 1406, Argentina.
| | - Márcio Carocho
- Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, Bragança 5300-253, Portugal.
| | - Maria do Céu Costa
- ASAE-Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica, CBIOS/ECTS-The Biosciences Research Center and NICiTeS/ERISA⁻Núcleo de Investigação em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde, Grupo Lusófona, Lisboa 1749-024, Portugal.
| | - Adam Drewnowski
- Center for Public Health Nutrition, University of Washington-Center for Obesity Research, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Samuel Durán
- Chilean College of Nutritionists, Universidad San Sebastian, Santiago 7500000, Chile.
| | - Víctor Faundes
- Nutrition and Food Technology Institute, University of Chile, Santiago 7830490, Chile.
| | | | - Pedro P García-Luna
- Andalusian Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Virgen del Rocio Hospital, Sevilla 41013, Spain.
| | | | - Marcela González-Gross
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBER OBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain.
- ImFINE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Science-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain.
| | - Carlo La Vecchia
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano 20133, Italy.
| | - Rosaura Leis
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBER OBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain.
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain.
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Paediatric Nutrition Unit of the Santiago Clinical University Hospital, Santiago de Compostela 15706, Spain.
| | - Ana María López-Sobaler
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, School of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Madrid 28040, Spain.
| | | | - Ascensión Marcos
- Spanish Federation of Nutrition, Food and Dietetics Societies, Madrid 28918, Spain.
- Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN); Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid 28040, Spain.
| | | | - Danika M Martyn
- Intertek, HERS, Cody Technology Park, Farnborough GU14 0LX, UK.
| | - Lorenza Mistura
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Rome 00178, Italy.
| | - Rafael Moreno Rojas
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba 14071, Spain.
| | | | - José Antonio Niño-Cruz
- Mexican Nephrological Research Institute, Mexico City 14080, Mexico.
- Departamento de Nefrología y Metabolismo Mineral, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Tlalpan-Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico.
| | | | - Nieves Palacios Gil-Antuñano
- Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Sport Medicine Center, AEPSAD, High Sports Council, Madrid 28040, Spain.
| | | | - Lourdes Ribas-Barba
- Nutrition Research Foundation (FIN), University of Barcelona Science Park, Barcelona 08028, Spain.
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBER OBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain.
| | - Rodolfo Rincón Pedrero
- Departamento de Educación Médica, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Tlalpan-Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico.
| | - Pilar Riobó
- Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Fundación Jiménez Díaz Hospital, IDC Salud, Madrid 28040, Spain.
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - Juan Rivera Medina
- Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hepatología y Nutrición del Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño, Lima 15083, Peru.
- Departamento de Pediatría, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima 15083, Peru.
| | - Catarina Tinoco de Faria
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 35016, Spain.
| | - Roxana Valdés-Ramos
- Faculty of Medicine, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca 50180, Mexico.
| | - Elsa Vasco
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa 1649-016, Portugal.
| | - Sandra N Wac
- Nutrition and Public Health Working Group, Argentine Nutrition Society, La Plata, Buenos Aires 1900, Argentina.
| | | | - Carmina Wanden-Berghe
- Scientific and Educational Committee, Spanish Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SENPE), Barcelona 08017, Spain.
| | - Luis Xóchihua Díaz
- Instituto Nacional de Pediatria, Sociedad Mexicana de Pediatria, Insurgentes Cuicuilco, Ciudad de México 04530, Mexico.
| | - Sergio Zúñiga-Guajardo
- Mexican Diabetes Federation, Mexico. Facultad de Medicina y Hospital Universitario de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey 64630, Mexico.
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Winther R, Aasbrenn M, Farup PG. Intake of non-nutritive sweeteners is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle: a cross-sectional study in subjects with morbid obesity. BMC OBESITY 2017; 4:41. [PMID: 29299330 PMCID: PMC5745623 DOI: 10.1186/s40608-017-0177-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Background Subjects with morbid obesity commonly use Non-Nutritive Sweeteners (NNS), but the health-related effects of NNS have been questioned. The objectives of this study were to explore the associations between theuse of NNS and the health and lifestyle in subjects with morbid obesity. Methods This cross-sectional study included subjects with morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 or ≥35 kg/m2 with obesity-related comorbidity). Information about demographics, physical and mental health, and dietary habits was collected, and a blood screen was taken. One unit of NNS was defined as 100 ml beverages with NNS or 2 tablets/units of NNS for coffee or tea. The associations between the intake of NNS and the health-related variables were analyzed with ordinal regression analyses adjusted for age, gender and BMI. Results One hundred subjects (women/men 83/17; mean age 44.3 years (SD 8.5)) were included. Median intake of NNS was 3.3 units (range 0 - 43). Intake of NNS was not associated with BMI (p = 0.64). The intake of NNS was associated with reduced heavy physical activity (p = 0.011), fatigue (p < 0.001), diarrhea (p = 0.009) and reduced well-being (p = 0.046); with increased intake of total energy (p = 0.003), fat (p = 0.013), carbohydrates (p = 0.002), sugar (p = 0.003) and salt (p = 0.001); and with reduced intake of the vitamins A (p = 0.001), C (p = 0.002) and D (p = 0.016). Conclusions The use of NNS-containing beverages was associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, reduced physical and mental health and unfavourable dietary habits with increased energy intake including sugar, and reduced intake of some vitamins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Winther
- Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, PB 104, N-2381 Brumunddal, Norway.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Aalborg, DK-9100 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Martin Aasbrenn
- Department of Surgery, Innlandet Hospital Trust, N-2819 Gjøvik, Norway.,Unit for Applied Clinical Research, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per G Farup
- Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, PB 104, N-2381 Brumunddal, Norway.,Unit for Applied Clinical Research, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
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Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to summarize the available literatures, specifically in the following areas: metabolic and other side effects of aspartame; microbiota changes/dysbiosis and its effect on the gut-brain axis; changes on gut microbiota as a result of aspartame usage; metabolic effects (weight gain and glucose intolerance) of aspartame due to gut dysbiosis; and postulated effects of dysregulated microbiota-gut-brain axis on other aspartame side-effects (neurophysiological symptoms and immune dysfunction).
Design/methodology/approach
Aspartame is rapidly becoming a public health concern because of its purported side-effects especially neurophysiological symptom and immune dysregulation. It is also paradoxical that metabolic consequences including weight gain and impaired blood glucose levels have been observed in consumers. Exact mechanisms of above side-effects are unclear, and data are scarce but aspartame, and its metabolites may have caused disturbance in the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Findings
Additional studies investigating the impact of aspartame on gut microbiota and metabolic health are needed.
Originality/value
Exact mechanism by which aspartame-induced gut dysbiosis and metabolic dysfunction requires further investigation.
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Lohner S, Toews I, Meerpohl JJ. Health outcomes of non-nutritive sweeteners: analysis of the research landscape. Nutr J 2017; 16:55. [PMID: 28886707 PMCID: PMC5591507 DOI: 10.1186/s12937-017-0278-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Food products containing non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) instead of sugar have become increasingly popular in the last decades. Their appeal is obviously related to their calorie-free sweet taste. However, with the dramatic increase in their consumption, it is reasonable and timely to evaluate their potential health benefits and, more importantly, potential adverse effects. The main aim of this scoping review was to map the evidence about health outcomes possibly associated with regular NNS consumption by examining the extent, range, and nature of research activity in this area. METHODS We systematically searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane CENTRAL databases for studies on NNSs (artificial sweeteners or natural, non-caloric sweeteners, either used individually or in combination) using text terms with appropriate truncation and relevant indexing terms. All human studies investigating any health outcomes of a NNS intervention or exposure were eligible for inclusion. No studies were excluded based on language, study design or methodological quality. Data for each health outcome were summarized in tabular form and were discussed narratively. RESULTS Finally, we included 372 studies in our scoping review, comprising 15 systematic reviews, 155 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 23 non-randomized controlled trials, 57 cohort studies, 52 case-control studies, 28 cross sectional studies and 42 case series/case reports. In healthy subjects, appetite and short term food intake, risk of cancer, risk of diabetes, risk of dental caries, weight gain and risk of obesity are the most investigated health outcomes. Overall there is no conclusive evidence for beneficial and harmful effects on those outcomes. Numerous health outcomes including headaches, depression, behavioral and cognitive effects, neurological effects, risk of preterm delivery, cardiovascular effects or risk of chronic kidney disease were investigated in fewer studies and further research is needed. In subjects with diabetes and hypertension, the evidence regarding health outcomes of NNS use is also inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS This scoping review identifies the needs for future research to address the numerous evidence gaps related to health effects of NNSs use.It also specifies the research questions and areas where a systematic review with meta-analyses is required for the proper evaluation of health outcomes associated to regular NNSs consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ingrid Toews
- Cochrane Germany, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 153, Freiburg, 79110 Germany
| | - Joerg J. Meerpohl
- Cochrane Germany, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 153, Freiburg, 79110 Germany
- Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique Sorbonne Paris Cité – U1153, Inserm / Université Paris Descartes, Cochrane France, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, 1 place du Parvis Notre Dame, 75181 Paris, Cedex 04 France
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