Nutrition & Food Technology Research
Volume:10 Issue: 2, Apr-Jun 2023

Cancer (CA) occurs when cells divide out of control. CA cells usually tend to spread from the initial locus to the near and far tissues, the so-called metastasis. The cause of most cancers is unknown to date yet some factors including viruses, ionizing radiations and certain nutritional factors may promote genetic changes leading to malignant tumor growth. There are several treatment options for cancers including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Although most cancers are life threatening, CA treatments carry many side effects for the affected patient including fatigue, anorexia, hair loss, anemia, neuropathy, gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea or constipation, and weight loss mostly due to loss of lean body mass. As many patients under CA treatment are not able to have an adequate dietary intake, using nutritional supplements (NS) may seem a reasonable approach. Nevertheless, there is some evidence suggesting that some NS may promote CA cell growth and poor prognosis. Here, the most recent findings in this field along with our personal experience are discussed and some recommendations are made based on current evidence.

Supplementary feeding has been verified as highly cost-effective in improving nutritional and health statuses, especially in vulnerable children such as those affected by a crisis. The objective of this study was to assess effects of supplementary feeding with an enriched corn-soy mixture on the nutritional status of internally displaced schoolchildren in the West Region of Cameroon.

In this study, pretest-posttest randomized experimental design was used. Sixty internally displaced schoolchildren were recruited from four primary schools in the West Region of Cameroon. They were subdivided into two groups of 30 children each (intervention and control groups). Children in the intervention group were fed with an enriched corn-soy mixture three times a week for 13 w, while those in the control group did not receive the formulated food. Anthropometric, biochemical and morbidity statuses and clinical signs of the malnutrition in the children were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the supplementation using standard anthropometric and biochemical equipment and pretested questionnaires.

Children who received the enriched corn-soy mixture gained averagely a further 0.41 kg of weight and an average of further 0.46 cm of height, compared to the control group. There were statistically significant improvements in the mean weight-for-age (p = 0.032), BMI-for-age (p = 0.000) and MUAC-for-age Z-scores (p = 0.001), clinical signs of malnutrition [xerosis (p = 0.048), Bitot’s spot (p = 0.047) and pallor (p = 0.025)] and hematological indicators such as serum albumin (p = 0.026) and hemoglobin (p = 0.043) levels.

This study highlights that supplementary feeding with enriched corn-soy mixture is one of the effective ways of decreasing prevalence of malnutrition in vulnerable children.

Maternal anemia is associated to premature birth and fetal disorders. The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence of maternal anemia and identify its underlying causes in pregnant women.

In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional survey, 301 Iranian pregnant women aged 15–42 y of 5–40 gestational weeks referred to comprehensive health centers in Abadan, Iran, were selected. First, anthropometric indices were measured. Then, obstetric, sociodemographic characteristics and disease history were collected using self-designed questionnaires. Laboratory data documented in the electronic health records were used to assess maternal anemia. Dietary intake was assessed using 168-item qualitative food frequency questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, independent T-test, Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to analyse data using IBM SPSS statistics software.

Rate of the maternal anemia was 20.3%; of which, 75, 23.4 and 1.6% were mild, moderate and severe anemia, respectively. History of anemia before pregnancy enhanced the risk of maternal anemia (OR=6.048, 95% CI: 2.00–18.27, p=0.001). Moreover, 6–10 times weekly iron supplementation during pregnancy protected women from anemia, compared to 1–5 times weekly iron supplementation (OR=2.799, 95% CI: 1.438–5.450, p=0.002). Anemic women had less frequent intakes of bell peppers, dates and pomegranates than non-anemic women.

This study highlights the importance of obstetric and nutritional factors as well as positive roles of healthy dietary patterns and appropriate uses of iron supplements in controlling anemia.

Age-related cataract (ARC) is a multifactorial progressive disease that causes blindness globally. Dietary antioxidants such as vitamins and carotenoids have been reported to attenuate oxidative stress as the major cause of ARC. However, associations between adherence to healthy dietary patterns and ARC must be understood. Up to date, adherence to the Nordic diet style assessed by two indices, including the healthy Nordic food index and Baltic Sea dietary score, have been associated with chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate associations between the healthy Nordic food index and Baltic Sea dietary score and the odds of ARC in a case-control study, in Iran.

This hospital-based case-control study was carried out on 98 patients with ARC and 198 healthy controls were selected based on the inclusion criteria. A valid 168-item food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary intake over the last year. To investigate associations between the healthy Nordic food index and Baltic Sea dietary score and the risk of ARC, logistic regression tests were used.

Adherence to the Baltic Sea dietary score was associated with lower risks of ARC in crude and adjusted models. After adjustment for potential confounders, participants in the highest quartile of Baltic Sea dietary score (compared to the lowest) had 75% lower age-related cataract risks (OR = 0.25; 95% CI = 0.11–0.56). The current results support previous results on the protective effects of dietary patterns rich in antioxidants on ARC.

Adherence to the Nordic eating style, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, fish, and healthy fats, assessed by the Baltic Sea dietary score may decrease risks of age-related ARC.