International Journal of Nutrition Sciences
Volume:2 Issue: 4, Dec2017

Flavonoids are a group of plant antioxidants that are widely distributed in plants from the root and stem to the leaves, flowers, and fruits. They are generally present as glycosides, conjugated to sugars, although their aglycone forms may also exist. Flavonoid glycosides are hydrolysed from sugar moieties in the intestine. After release from sugars, the flavonoid aglycones undergo conjugation with other molecules to facilitate the excretion and shorten the half-life of flavonoids. Conjugation also reduces the antioxidant and potential pro-oxidant effects of flavonoids. Flavonoids have low intestinal bioavailability and rapid urinary and biliary excretion. However, the bioavailability of flavonoids varies between different kinds of flavonoids. The best rate of absorption among flavonoids is seen in gallic acid and isoflavones, followed by catechins, flavanones, quercetin, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanins. Quercetin metabolites are excreted very slowly, whereas anthocyanins and catechins are excreted very rapidly. Information on bioavailability and metabolism of flavonoids can help designing the best intervention strategies. In conclusion, flavonoids have low intestinal bioavailability and rapid urinary and biliary excretion. The bioavailability of them varies between different kinds of flavonoids. The most rapid excretion rates belong to anthocyanins and flavanols while the slowest rates are for flavonols.

Among population, the higher the body mass index (BMI), it would increase the risk of chronic illness and as a result, the risk of mortality. But this does not happen in the population of hemodialysis patients, so the risk of mortality decreases with increasing BMI.This paradox is attributed to a variety of factors including blood pressure, inflammation, and muscular mass; that is, in moderate hemodialysis patients, the blood pressure would be higher and therefore, its control would be less. In addition, the higher the BMI, the greater would be the muscular mass in these patients which is likely to increase the survival of them. Patients with a higher BMI would also experience more nutritional reserves and therefore their tolerance for inflammation would be higher. Although an increase in BMI reduces the risk of mortality in these patients, an increase in muscular mass would be better than an increase in body fat mass.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) denotes to two principal groups of chronic relapsing inflammatory intestinal disorders including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Medications are considered as the first-line of treatment in IBD management. Surgery as the second line of therapy is considered for patients who are intolerant to medications, but response rates continue to remain suboptimal and it is necessary to assess environmental factors such as diet that may not only help improve response to conventional therapy. Many patients with IBD reported that diet can affect the disease symptoms, employing avoidance diets while in remission. This review assessed food avoidance in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is considered to be a cluster of metabolic risk factors. The purpose of the current study was to determine the prevalence of MetS using 4 different definitions, including the modified Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) for Asians, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and Harmonized criteria, its 5 interrelated components, and their association with socio-demographic and anthropometric factors among Khalili Hospital’s personnel, Shiraz, Iran.

Eighty six females and 73 males from Khalili Hospital staff with the mean age of 37.5±8.5 years and 39.2±8.2 years, respectively were recruited and completed the course of the study. Socio-demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters were collected. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.

The prevalence of MetS in the study population was 27.7%,7.5%, 24.5%, and 27.7% based on modified ATP III for Asians, AACE, IDF, and Harmonized definitions, respectively. The mean value of body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (W/H) was 25.3±4.0 kg/m2 and 0.9±0.1, respectively. The prevalence of MetS was only significantly higher in males than in females according to IDF criteria (30.1% vs. 19.8%; p=0.027). Neither educational status nor familial history of chronic diseases had a significant association with the prevalence of MetS (p>0.05).

Applying definitions with ethnicity-specific abdominal obesity cut-points seems to be better for diagnosis of the syndrome.

Observational studies showed that intake of whole-grain is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia. However, only a few dietary intervention trials have investigated the effect of whole-grain consumption on health outcomes. So we aimed to examine the effect of whole wheat vs. white bread on serum lipid profiles, malondialdehyde (MDA); and C-reactive protein (CRP) in overweight and obese patients with coronary stent.

In a randomized, single-blind, parallel trial, 80 participants who had stent and body mass index (BMI)≥25 were divided into two groups. Intervention group consumed 150 g of whole-wheat bread daily accompanied with a low-calorie diet and the control group consumed 150 g of white-wheat bread as well as a low-calorie diet. The intervention was continued for 12 weeks. Outcomes such as BMI, lipid profile, MDA, high-sensitivity (hs)-CRP, blood pressure, waist and hip circumferences were evaluated at baseline and end of the study.

whole- bread diet in comparison with white diet could significantly reduce weight, waist and hip circumferences, BMI, cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), systolic blood pressure and hs-CRP. No significant differences were visible regarding lipid profile. No significant differences were noted between the two diets for triglyceride and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) levels.

The present results suggest that whole bread can significantly reduce oxidative and inflammatory marker level and several cardiovascular risk factors among overweight or obese patients with coronary stent.

Obesity is a multifactorial chronic disease that develops from multiple interactions between genetic, physiologic, metabolic, socio-economic, and lifestyle factors. This study investigated the associations between dietary patterns defined a posteriori or a priori and obesity indices in a sample of Iranian women.

Two hundred and sixty-seven women aged 30-50 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Obesity indices including body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were measured according to standard procedures. Dietary intakes were evaluated with a valid and reproducible 168-item food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were defined a posteriori or a priori by performing factor analysis and by assessing participant's adherence to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet, respectively.

After controlling for potential confounders in the analysis of covariance models, multivariable adjusted means of the BMI and WC of subjects in the highest quintile of the DASH pattern score defined a priori were significantly lower than those in the lowest quintile (for BMI: mean difference -2.9 kg/m2, p=0.003; and for WC: mean difference -5.4 cm, p=0.009). Similar results were observed in case of the healthy pattern score defined a posteriori (for BMI: mean difference -3.7 kg/m2, p<0.001; and for WC: mean difference -6.5 cm, p=0.002). By contrast, multivariable adjusted means of the BMI and WC of subjects in the highest quintile of the unhealthy pattern score defined a posteriori, were significantly higher than those in the lowest quintile (for BMI: mean difference 3.9 kg/m2, p=0.001; and for WC: mean difference 8.2 cm, p=0.001).

These findings indicated significant associations between dietary patterns defined a posteriori or a priori and obesity indices in Iranian women.

A dietary supplement which also called "sports supplement" refers to substances that are used by athletes to eliminate their nutritional deficiencies. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dietary supplements use among male athlete students residing in Shahid Dastgheib Dormitory of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.
Ninety-seven athletes from different sport fields participated in the study. A questionnaire with 17 questions was used to investigate the field of sports, history of exercise, and the reasons for consuming supplements and the source of information about supplements and the providing centers.
At the time of the implementation of the study, 15.3% of the athletes were taking supplements and 29.6% had a history of consuming supplements. The most commonly used supplements were keratin, ginseng and protein supplements. Wellness and health promotion were the main reasons for the use of supplements and 31.9% of the participants considered club coaches as the best source of information on supplements. Most of these athletes introduced coaches and clubs as the center of providing the supplements and 23% of the athletes were aware of the side effects of the supplements, mainly via the internet.
Our findings showed that the prevalence of consuming dietary supplements among male athletes was not high.

The quality and quantity of nutrition during pregnancy is very important. This study aimed at determining the nutritional patterns in pregnant women referred to Yasuj Health Care Centers. In this cross-sectional study, 360 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy referred to Yasuj Health Care Centers were enrolled. FFQ questionnaire was used to determine the nutritional patterns. The mean age was 26.4±4.9 years. Totally, 67.2% of pregnant women used frying as the method of cooking. Solid oils were used for cooking in 21.7% of participants. Monthly consumption of carbonated beverages was higher than milk and 67.5% of women received more and 24.2% received less calories than needed and only 8.3% received calories equivalent to their need. Totally, 81.1%, 63.3%, 55% 48.9%, and 83.9% iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and folate were less than recommendation by the RDA, respectively. The result of the present study revealed that the intakes of fruits, vegetables and some micronutrients such as iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and folate were less than recommendations in pregnant women in Yasuj. But fat intake and the intakes of food items in miscellaneous group were more than the recommendations. Nutritional educational programs seems necessary in order to create a healthy and desirable food pattern in this group.

Mahyaveh is a fermented sauce made from fish. This study was conducted to investigate microbial and chemical properties of Mahyaveh in Zarrin Dasht city of Fars province, southern Iran.

Twenty-three samples were randomly collected in sterile containers and transferred to the laboratory. Acidophilic mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, coagulase positive Staphylococci, molds and yeasts were enumerated using plate count agar, de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar, Baird-parker agar and Dichloran-rose bengal chloramphenicol (DRBC) agar, respectively. The Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) method was used to measure the pH and acidity of the samples.

The total number of mesophilic acidophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, coagulase positive Staphylococci and mold and yeast were 6.23±0.91, 5.78±1.02, 3.52±1.08, and 2.27±0.71 log CFU/gr, respectively. Comparing results with microbial standards in similar products, it was found that the number of coagulase positive Staphylococci in 58.33% of samples was higher than the standard. The pH mean of samples was 6.09±0.84 and the acidity was 0.9±0.29 (% lactic acid).

Since Mahyaveh is widely used in Southern provinces, standardization in this field, monitoring and hygienic control over production centers and the hygienic control of products in the markets seem necessary.