Dietary supplements and the american journal of clinical nutrition(1)

Tendencies and attitudes towards dietary supplements use among undergraduate female students in Bangladesh

BACKGROUND

Dietary supplements (DS) are products that improve the overall health and well-being of individuals and reduce the risk of disease. Evidence indicates a rising prevalence of the use of these products worldwide especially among the age group 18-23 years.

AIM

The study investigates the tendencies and attitudes of Bangladeshi undergraduate female students towards dietary supplements (DS).

METHODS

A three-month (March 2018-May 2018) cross-sectional face-to-face survey was conducted in undergraduate female students in Chittagong, Bangladesh using a pre-validated dietary supplement questionnaire. The study was carried among the four private and three public university students of different disciplines in Chittagong to record their prevalent opinions and attitudes toward using DS. The results were documented and analyzed by SPSS version 22.0.

RESULTS

Ninety two percent (N = 925, 92.0%) of the respondents answered the survey questions. The prevalence of DS use was high in undergraduate female students. The respondents cited general health and well-being (n = 102, 11.0%) and physician recommendation (n = 101, 10.9%) as a reason for DS use. Majority of the students (n = 817, 88.3%) used DS cost monthly between USD 0.12 and USD 5.90. Most of the students (n = 749, 81.0%) agreed on the beneficial effect of DS and a significant portion (n = 493, 53.3%) recommended for a regular use of DS. Highly prevalent use of dietary supplements appeared in Chittagonian undergraduate female students. They were tremendously positive in using DS. The results demonstrate an increasing trend of using DS by the undergraduate females for both nutritional improvement and amelioration from diseases.

CONCLUSION

Dietary supplements prevalence was so much higher in students of private universities as compared to students of public universities. Likewise, maximal prevalence is indicated in pharmacy department compared to other departments. Students preferred brand products, had positive opinions and attitudes towards dietary supplements.

Effects of vitamin E supplementation on renal non-enzymatic antioxidants in young rats submitted to exhaustive exercise stress

BACKGROUND

Exercise stress was shown to increase oxidative stress in rats. It lacks reports of increased protection afforded by dietary antioxidant supplements against ROS production during exercise stress. We evaluated the effects of vitamin E supplementation on renal non-enzymatic antioxidants in young rats submitted to exhaustive exercise stress.

METHODS

Wistar rats were divided into three groups: 1) control group; 2) exercise stress group and; 3) exercise stress + Vitamin E group. Rats from the group 3 were treated with gavage administration of 1 mL of Vitamin E (5 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days. Animals from groups 2 and 3 were submitted to a bout of swimming exhaustive exercise stress. Kidney samples were analyzed for Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances to (TBARS) by malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and vitamin-E levels.

RESULTS

The group treated with vitamin E and submitted to exercise stress presented the lowest levels of renal MDA (1: 0.16+0.02 mmmol/mgprot vs. 2: 0.34+0.07 mmmol/mgprot vs. 3: 0.1+0.01 mmmol/mgprot; p < 0.0001), the highest levels of renal GSH (1: 23+4 μmol/gprot vs. 2: 23+2 μmol/gprot vs. 3: 58+9 μmol/gprot; p < 0.0001) and the highest levels of renal vitamin E (1: 24+6 μM/gtissue vs. 2: 28+2 μM/gtissue vs. 3: 43+4 μM/gtissue; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Vitamin E supplementation improved non-enzymatic antioxidant activity in young rats submitted to exhaustive exercise stress.

Essential fatty acids and mental illness

The treatment of psychiatric illness requires novel pharmacological strategies. There is a growing body of evidence examining the role of neuronal phospholipid abnormalities in the pathogenesis of psychiatric illness, particularly in schizophrenia. However, work in other conditions like mood disorders are also showing interesting outcomes with EPA supplementation. Diseases that are considered to have a genetic basis may be significantly influenced by environmental factors including dietary supplementation. The suggestion that EFA supplementation may prevent the onset of symptoms of a psychiatric disease or aberrant behaviour needs longitudinal randomized controlled research. In recent years the focus has shifted from omega-6 to omega-3. It is true that western diets have far more omega-6 than omega-3. In the 1980s, there were positive outcomes in research studies using GLA in schizophrenia (Vaddadi et al., 1989). Future research needs to incorporate studies using pure GLA. Research should not be restricted to parent fatty acid (omega-3) supplementation alone but be expanded to include bioactive down-the-chain metabolites. The recent identification of novel omega-3 derived mediators such as resolvins and neuroprotectins, which are a highly bioactive (1-10 nMol range), may well have some role to play in psychiatric disorders; however this remains highly speculative at this stage.

Herbal supplements

Herbal dietary supplements are taken by many individuals, often without the knowledge of their clinicians. Herbals have many pharmacologic and medicinal properties but are unregulated with respect to manufacturing purity, safety, and efficacy. Although clinicians often dismiss the utility of herbal therapy, many randomized controlled trials of herbal use in gastrointestinal and liver diseases have been conducted. There is no evidence for benefit from herbal supplements in the treatment of liver disease, but sufficient evidence exists for their use in functional gastrointestinal symptoms to warrant further investigation.

Chitosan supplementation does not affect fat absorption in healthy males fed a high-fat diet, a pilot study

BACKGROUND

The use of dietary supplements, especially those for weight control, is increasing. Advertising claims for some of these supplements may give consumers unrealistic expectations. For example, it is claimed that the supplement chitosan can block the absorption of up to 120 g of dietary fat per day.

OBJECTIVE

To test the effect of a chitosan supplement used as directed, on the absorption of dietary fat.

DESIGN

Seven healthy male volunteers with average age 28, range 23-30, average body mass index (BMI) 26, range 23-31, maintained a high fat intake (>120 g/day) for 12 days. On days 6-9, chitosan was taken as directed by the manufacturer prior to meals and snacks and totaled 15 capsules or 5.25 g of chitosan daily. A charcoal marker was consumed on days 2, 6 and 10 to mark the baseline and supplement periods. All feces were collected on days 2-12, and were divided based on the appearance of charcoal in the feces. Fecal fat content corresponding to the four baseline and four chitosan-supplemented days was measured.

RESULTS

Average dietary fat intake did not differ between baseline (135+/-5 g), and chitosan (135+/-3 g) periods. Fecal fat excretion did not differ between the two periods (6.9+/-1.0 g/day baseline; 6.8+/-0.4 g/day chitosan). The fecal fat content as a percentage of fat consumed did not differ (5.1+/-0.7% baseline, 5.0+/-0.3% chitosan). Fecal mass did not differ (176+/-26 g/day baseline, 182+/-14 g/day chitosan).

CONCLUSION

Consumption of this chitosan supplement did not increase fecal fat content and therefore did not block fat absorption.

Suggested guidelines for articles about botanical dietary supplements

Recently, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) began reviewing articles about dietary supplements. The purpose of this commentary is to provide guidelines to authors and reviewers for articles on one category of supplement ingredients, botanicals. The botanicals in the studies published by the AJCN tend to fall into 1 of 2 groups: 1) plants as foods containing nonessential bioactive constituents that may provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition, and 2) plants as herbs, specifically those used as phytomedicines. Research in these areas is relevant to clinical nutrition, but both topics represent relatively new territory to many AJCN reviewers, readers, and contributors. Although studies of botanicals are unique in many respects, the research should be evaluated with the same basic criteria applied to other types of investigations. For example, a study cannot be evaluated or replicated unless the test materials are properly identified and characterized. Investigators must provide an accurate and complete description of the botanical test material regardless of whether it is a finished product, commercial ingredient, extract, or single chemical constituent. For herbal preparations, investigators are advised to follow the criteria used by researchers in the field of pharmacognosy. Finally, the quality of research related to botanical dietary supplements would be improved and cross-study comparisons facilitated if standard reference materials and certified methods of analysis were more broadly available.

Nutrition in gastroenterology and hepatology

Nutritional issues, sometimes obvious and sometimes not so obvious, confront the primary care practitioner on a daily basis. Understanding the multi-disciplinary nature of nutrition science and clinical nutrition and having a basic understanding of gastrointestinal tract digestive and absorptive physiology can only help sort out the many issues involved. The general practitioner needs a core understanding of the principles of nutrition assessment.

Position of the American Dietetic Association: food fortification and dietary supplements

Wise food choices provide the necessary foundation for optimal nutrition. Science has not fully identified the specific chemical components that account for the benefits of healthy eating patterns. Selection of a variety of foods, using tools such as the USDA/HHS Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, is the best way to provide a desirable balance, without excessive intakes of macronutrients, micronutrients and other beneficial components of foods. Nevertheless, for certain nutrients and some individuals, fortification, supplementation, or both may also be desirable. Nutrient intakes from all these sources should be considered in dietary assessments, planning and recommendations. The recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences' Food and Nutrition Board provide a sound scientific basis for vitamin and mineral intakes. Intakes exceeding those recommendations have no demonstrated benefit for the normal, healthy population. Dietetics professionals should base recommendations for use of fortified foods or supplements on individualized assessment and sound scientific evidence of efficacy and safety. It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that the best nutritional strategy for promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is to wisely choose a wide variety of foods. Additional vitamins and minerals from fortified foods and/or supplements can help some people meet their nutritional needs as specified by science-based nutrition standards such as the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI).