The association between Diet Quality Index-International score and risk of diminished ovarian reserve: a case-control study

Introduction

Although limited evidence exists on the beneficial reproductive effects of diet quality indices, the association is still largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) and antral follicle count (AFC) and serum antimullerian hormone (AMH) as precise and sensitive markers of ovarian reserve and to assess the risk of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) in women seeking fertility treatments.

Methods

In a case-control study, 370 women (120 women with DOR and 250 women with normal ovarian reserve as controls), matched by age and body mass index (BMI), were recruited. Dietary intake was obtained using a validated 80-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The quality of diets was assessed using DQI-I, which included four major dietary components: variety (0-20 points), adequacy (0-40 points), moderation (0-30 points), and overall balance (0-10 points). DQI-I score was categorized by quartiles based on the distribution of controls. AFC, serum AMH and anthropometric indices were measured. Logistic regression models were used to estimate multivariable odds ratio (OR) of DOR across quartiles of DQI-I score.

Results

Increased adherence to DQI-I was associated with higher AFC in women with DOR. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds of DOR decreased with increasing DQI-I score (0.39; 95% CI: 0.18-0.86).

Conclusion

Greater adherence to DQI-I, as a food and nutrient-based quality index, may decrease the risk of DOR and improve the ovarian reserve in women already diagnosed with DOR. Our findings, though, need to be verified through prospective studies and clinical trials.

The Effects of Food Taxes and Subsidies on Promoting Healthier Diets in Iranian Households

Background and Aim

Price, as a key driver of food purchasing, has an important role in determining the consumer demand. This study is aimed to estimate the effect of food taxes and subsidies on purchasing patterns of Iranian households (HHs).

Methods

This study was performed in two phases. In phase one, a two-round Delphi study was conducted to determine and prioritize food-related fiscal policies; and in the second phase, using the Iranian Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), we estimated an almost ideal demand system (AIDS) and simulated changes in purchases, nutrient intake, and consumer welfare under six different policy scenarios: (1) 20% subsidy on vegetables, (2) 20% subsidy on fruits, (3) 30% subsidy on legumes, (4) 25% tax on sugar and sweets, (5) 30% tax on sweetened beverages, and (6) 30% tax on hydrogenated oil and animal fats.

Results

The highest calorie reduction was detected in sugar and sweets tax, which has resulted in 949.67, 971.68, and 1,148.03 kilocalories decrease in energy intake per Adult Male Equivalent (AME) in all HHs, low-income HHs, and high-income HHs, respectively. In terms of welfare changes, high-income HHs will experience a lower change in welfare (−0.81 to 0.11%) relative to their income when compared with low-income HHs (−0.88 to 0.28%) due to fiscal policies.

Conclusion

Fiscal policies in Iran can be a potential way to improve dietary choices. The findings provide essential information for decision makers for the implementation of food-related fiscal policies.

Dietary polyphenols and the odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A case-control study

OBJECTIVES

Few epidemiological data are available regarding the associations of dietary intakes of polyphenols with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We sought to examine the associations of dietary intake of polyphenols with the prevalence of NAFLD.

METHODS

We analyzed data from a case-control study of 225 patients with NAFLD cases and 450 controls. All participants completed a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire, the results of which were subsequently used to calculate dietary polyphenol.

RESULTS

Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for age and sex, it was shown that participants who were in the highest tertile of total flavonoids (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.44-0.98) and total phenolic acids (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.42-0.94) were associated with a lower odds of NAFLD compared with the lowest tertile. Although the association of total flavonoids and the odds of NAFLD disappeared after additional adjustment for BMI, physical activity, smoking, SES, dietary fat, and energy intake (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.38-1.19). The odds of NAFLD was 66% lower (OR = 0.44, CI = 0.24-0.78, p for trend = 0.006) among participants who were in the highest tertile of lignans intake compared with the lowest tertile.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that a high intake of lignans lowers the odds of NAFLD. We strongly recommend that the concepts proposed in this study must be tested in future longitudinal researches, to determine the association of total and subgroup of polyphenol intake with different stages of fatty liver diseases.

Food Security and Its Association with Social Support in the Rural Households: A Cross-Sectional Study

Food insecurity is a major and multidimensional global problem, particularly in rural and vulnerable areas. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to identify the relationship between social support and food insecurity in 404 Iranian rural households. We selected the sample by cluster random sampling and collected data using three questionnaires [demographic, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS), and United States Department of Agriculture food security questionnaires] and analyzed data using chi-square tests and logistic regression (using SPSS version 19.0). Of the 404 Iranian households, 168 (41.6%) were classified as food secure. The logistic regression analysis revealed that education and job status of the household heads and household income were significantly associated with food security status. Additionally, perceived social support was protective against food insecurity after adjusting for confounding factors [compared with the first quartile, second quartile odds ratio (OR)=1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.94∼3.3 and fourth quartile OR=2.21, 95% CI: 1.13∼4.33]. This study indicated that social support contributes to a reduced chance of food insecurity in rural households. These results suggest that policy makers should focus on strengthening social support in vulnerable communities to help protect against hunger and poverty.

The effect of barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) on glycemic indices: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of barberry (Berberis vulgaris L.) supplementation on glycemic indices in adults.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science from inception up to January 2020, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of barberry supplementation on glycemic markers including fasting blood sugar (FBS) concentrations, insulin levels, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) percentage. The results of this meta-analysis were reported, based on the random effects model.

RESULTS

In total, 7 studies, comprising 452 participants, were included in the systematic review. The meta-analysis revealed that barberry significantly reduces insulin levels (Hedges's: -0.67; 95% CI: -1.31 to -0.03, P = 0.04, I² = 73.3%). However, no considerable changes was observed for FBS levels (WMD: -8.06 mg/dL; 95% CI: -20.46 to 4.33, P = 0.23, I² = 96.1%), HbA1c percentage (WMD: -0.83 %; 95% CI: -2.33 to 0.67, P = 0.27, I² = 88.3%), and HOMA-IR index (WMD: -0.55; 95% CI: -1.60 to 0.50, P = 0.30, I² = 99.4%).

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that although barberry supplementation significantly improves insulin levels; however, other glycemic indices might not be affected. However, more high-quality RCTs with longer duration are needed to further clarify the effects of barberry on blood glucose control, especially among patients with diabetes.

Collagen supplementation for skin health: A mechanistic systematic review

BACKGROUND

Over the last decade, many researchers tried to evaluate the effects of collagen supplements on skin aging and surprisingly revealed that the interventions improved skin aging parameters without any inconsistency.

AIM

This systematic review assesses the literature regarding the effects of collagen supplements on skin health parameters in healthy and patient subjects, focusing on mechanisms of action.

METHODS

At the first step of search in the databases, 9057 items were obtained. After removal of duplicate items, 6531 publications remained. Further screening by title and/or abstract resulted in removal of 6500 items. Finally, full texts of the 31 remained items were assessed for eligibility and 10 publications were included in this review.

RESULTS

The evidences obtained from these systematic reviews indicated that oral administration of intact or hydrolyzed collagen improves clinical manifestation of skin health. Almost all of the included studies reported the beneficial effects of collagen supplementation, and no inconsistencies have been seen in this regard between studies.

CONCLUSIONS

In this systematic review, three different mechanisms of action were clarified for the intervention. Direct effects of collagen peptides on fibroblasts, M2-like macrophages, and oral tolerance-related mechanisms are the possible mechanisms for the beneficial effects of collagen supplementation.

A Comparative Study of the Effect of Flaxseed Oil and Sunflower Oil on the Coagulation Score, Selected Oxidative and Inflammatory Parameters in Metabolic Syndrome Patients

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a chronic disease with inflammatory and hypercoagulable states. The current study aimed to compare the effects of flaxseed oil and sunflower oil consumption on the coagulation score and selected oxidative and inflammatory parameters in patients with MetS. In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 60 patients with MetS were allocated into 2 groups. One group received 25 mL/day flaxseed oil and the other group received 25 mL/day sunflower oil for 7 weeks. Maintenance diet including 15% protein, 55% carbohydrate, and 30% fat from daily total energy intake was designed for each participant. Serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), as well as coagulation score were measured before and after the intervention. Three 24-hour food records were taken during the study. Fifty-two of participants (27 in sunflower oil and 25 in flaxseed oil groups) completed the study. The baseline characteristics and dietary intakes were similar between patients. After 7 weeks, no significant difference was observed between the 2 groups regarding the serum TAC level and coagulation score (p > 0.05). However, serum IL-6 levels significantly decreased in the flaxseed oil group compared to the sunflower oil group (p = 0.017). No side effect was observed during the study due to the use of sunflower and flaxseed oils. We observed that consumption of flaxseed oil improved serum IL-6 levels but had no effect on oxidative stress and coagulation score in patients with MetS. Further studies are needed to confirm the veracity of our results.

Low FEV1 Is Associated With Increased Risk Of Cachexia In COPD Patients

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been introduced as a major public health problem. It has been suggested that disruption in function or some adipokines and serum proteins' signaling could play crucial roles in lung diseases. This study's purpose was to investigate the association between serum levels of S100A1, ZAG, and adiponectin with FEV1 in COPD patients.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 90 clinically stable outpatient males with age ranging from 40 to 70 years with COPD diagnosis - FEV1/FVC < 70% - were divided into two groups: mild-moderate COPD patients; FEV1 ≥ 50 (n=52) VS severe and very severe COPD patients; FEV1 < 50 (n=38). The serum levels of ZAG, S100A1, and adiponectin were measured by the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

In the present study, lower FEV1 was significantly associated with increased risk of cachexia (OR = 5.76, 95% CI: 2.28-14.54). The serum level of ZAG was significantly higher in the mild-moderate COPD patients in comparison with the severe-very severe COPD patients (p<0.035). However, the resting metabolic rate (RMR) level was significantly higher in FEV1<50 group compared to FEV1≥50 group (p<0.024). Also, strong positive associations between serum S100A1-ZAG, serum adiponectin-ZAG, and serum adiponectin-S100A1 (β>0.800, p<0.001) were shown.

Conclusion

In the present study, we found that low FEV1 was associated with increased risk of cachexia in COPD patients. Additionally, lower serum level of ZAG and higher RMR were observed in patients with severe-very severe COPD as compared to mild-moderate COPD. Therefore, it could be claimed that there is a mechanistic chain of causality between FEV1, serum ZAG, RMR, and cachexia.

Increased serum levels of S100A1, ZAG, and adiponectin in cachectic patients with COPD

Background

COPD is a common irreversible obstructive airway disease. S100A1, ZAG, and adiponectin are important regulators of energy metabolism and body weight. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess resting metabolic rate (RMR) and its association with serum levels of S100A1, ZAG, and adiponectin in cachectic and noncachectic COPD patients.

Patients and methods

Ninety men with COPD, aged 40–70 years, were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into the following two groups based on the unintentional weight loss of .7.5% in previous 6 months: noncachectic (n=45) and cachectic (n=45). The groups were matched based on age and body mass index (BMI). RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry method. Anthropometric indices and body composition were also measured. Serum levels of S100A1, ZAG, and adiponectin were measured by ELISA.

Results

Cachectic patients had significantly higher RMR than controls (P<0.001). Serum levels of ZAG, S100A1, and adiponectin were significantly higher in the cachexia group (P<0.0001). RMR was not significantly associated with S100A1, ZAG, and adiponectin levels. However, weight loss of patients was significantly associated with serum levels of ZAG and adiponectin (both, β=0.22, P=0.03). Strong and positive association were found between the serum levels of S100A1 and ZAG (β=0.88, P<0.0001), S100A1 and adiponectin (β=0.86, P<0.0001), and also ZAG and adiponectin (β=0.83, P<0.0001).

Conclusion

The potential role of these factors in the wasting process is considerable. Also, the association between serum levels of S100A1, ZAG, and adiponectin represents that these three proteins are probably related to specific functions.