Journal of Nutrition, Fasting and Health
Volume:9 Issue: 1, Winter 2021

Despite the abundant treatise and resource materials on Ramadan fasting, questions still arise regarding the benefits of this annual religious ritual. In an attempt to lend credence to the medical benefits of Ramadan, an academic adventure was undertaken, entailing the principles of Ramadan fasting and its effects on Muslims in terms of health and sickness. The findings of the studies on the health implications of Ramadan fasting and other similar prolonged dietary restrictions in human participants and animal models were reviewed and discussed. This review also catalogued the main contributions of fasting to the human health and physiological wellbeing of experimental subjects. In addition, our study considered religious limitations, as well as the side-effects and health hazards of some ailments that could pose a threat to Muslims, vis-à-vis their observance of Ramadan fasting. Some of the conditions that are inimical to the physiological status of human participants include cardiac diseases, diabetes mellitus, and pregnancy in women. Consistent with the previous findings, the present study indicated that Ramadan fasting has health, social, moral, environmental, and spiritual benefits for Muslims. In conclusion, fasting has proven an efficacious nutritherapy as the offered dietary regimens are among the non-pharmacological approaches to improving the human health with several societal and environmental benefits. In addition, Ramadan fasting leads to positive changes in the attitudes of individuals, thereby resulting in the sociocultural balance of the community and environmental harmony.

Sepsis is one of the major causes of high morbidity and mortality in intensive care units (ICU) and severe sepsis leads to some metabolic disorder. The previous studies indicate that l-carnitine deficiency in septic patients and causing mitochondria dysfunction and worsening metabolic disorder. Reducing mortality in sepsis by nutritional supplements may help mitigate the risk of clinical outcomes in sepsis patients. 

Our systematic search to find relevant studies was performed up to March 2020, using ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases. In this systematic review, the aim was to assess whether l-carnitine or levocarnitine may reduce the risk of mortality in patients with sepsis. 

10 articles were included in our systematic review. The results of the review showed that plasma carnitine levels were significantly associated with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (SOFA) (p<0.001). On the other hand, other studies showed carnitine supplementation had no significant effect on SOFA score change in a short time, while carnitine deficiency was associated with significantly increased SOFA score in critically ill patients.  L-carnitine supplementation indicated a significant decline in 28 days’ mortality as well. 

 Evidencefrom limited data suggested that carnitine may helps to reduce mortality risk in sepsis patients, but further studies are required with different doses and durations.

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. In this period, meals become exclusively nocturnal, and the traditional dishes served are often rich in fats and carbohydrates. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Ramadan fasting on the sports activities, diet, and anthropometry of the basketball players of the clubs of eastern Algeria.  This transversal study was conducted on 32 basketball players. Data were collected on the sports activities, diet (24-hour food recall, frequency of usual food consumption), and length of sleep using questionnaires. In addition, anthropometric measurements were performed.  The basketball players trained more frequently during normal periods compared to Ramadan (4.3±0.4 vs. 2.0±0.1 day/week; p <0.001) and hydrated in the evening during Ramadan (2.7±0.7 liters/day). The contribution of carbohydrates exceeded the recommendations. A significant difference was observed in the frequency of food consumption between normal periods and Ramadan for the fruits and vegetables group (p <0.001), fatty and sweet products (p <0.001), and beverage group (p <0.01). However, no significant difference was observed in the length of sleep between the two periods (P=0.621), and the body components did not change (weight, body mass index, brachial muscle circumference, and total muscle mass).  According to the results, Ramadan fasting had no significant effects on the diet, sports activities, and anthropometry of the basketball players.

One of the main causes of Alzheimer's disease is an increase in amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, which are produced by the activity of the enzyme gamma-secretase (γ-secretase). Although exercise and the use of royal jelly have protective effects on neurons, there is limited information about their interactive effects, so the present study was performed to investigate the effect of eight weeks of positive slope training (PST) and negative slope Training (NST), along with the use of royal jelly (RJ) on the hippocampal expression of Aβ and γ-secretase in Alzheimer's rats treated with trimethyltin (TMT). 

In this experimental study, 42 male rats were injected intraperitoneally with 8 mg/kg TMT and were randomly assigned to seven groups of 6 subjects, including: (1) sham (royal jelly solvent), (2) PST, (3) NST, (4) PST+RJ, (6) NST+RJ and (7) RJ were divided. To assess the effects of Alzheimer's induction on variables, six rats were included in the healthy control group. Rats performed endurance training for eight-weeks, five days per week, and 60 minutes per session and the royal jelly groups received 100 mg/kg royal jelly peritoneally each day for eight weeks. 

PST, NST, and RJ decreased the expression of Aβ and γ-secretase (P <0.001). Also, PST+RJ and NST+RJ decreased the expression of Aβ and γ-secretase in the hippocampal tissue of rats with Alzheimer's disease (P <0.001). 

It seems that PST, NST, and RJ can reduce the progression of Alzheimer's disease markers, and PST+RJ and NST+RJ synergistically reduce the progression of Alzheimer's disease in animal models.

Malnutrition is considered to be a severe complication in hospitalized patients, which increases the length of hospital stay, treatment costs, and mortality. The present study aimed to evaluate neck circumference as a possible predictor of metabolic disorders in the hospital settings.  This study was conducted on 300 hospitalized patients selected from the internal disease ward of Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz, Iran. Data were recorded on their demographic characteristics, medical history, medication use, and anthropometric and biochemical parameters. Dietary supplementation use, nutritional support, and physical activity (PA) were also measured using the subjective global assessment tool, and neck circumference (NC) was measured by the researcher. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16.0.  In total, 61.8% of the male and 65.9% of the female patients had an NC of equal to or higher than normal. Chi-square was applied to assess the categorical variables, and one-way ANOVA was used for the continuous variables, indicating significant correlations between the NC and gender, body mass index, marital status, occupation status, PA, current nutritional status, and medical history such as diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and renal disorders, as well as the use of some medications (p <0.05). Furthermore, significant correlations were denoted between the NC and levels of albumin (P=0.025), mean corpuscular volume (P=0.001), and total bilirubin (P=0.034). Systolic blood pressure was also significantly correlated with the NC (P=0.033).  NC represents a relatively new anthropometric assessment, which is rarely used in clinical practice, while it is easy to perform and has excellent reproducibility. Our findings indicated that NC, DM, and HTN were correlated. Further studies are suggested to establish accurate associations between NC and metabolic disorders and confirm their correlations with biochemical factors.

Cancer is a major health concern and the third leading cause of death in Iran. The prevention and management of malnutrition are recognized as the inherent elements of cancer care. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of malnutrition and the influential factors in the cancer patients admitted to Omid Hospital affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2020.  Malnutrition was detected using the patient generated-subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) in 113 cancer patients, who were selected from the Cancer Research Center of Omid Hospital. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16.  The PG-SGA scores indicated the moderate and severe prevalence of malnutrition in 3.6% and 96.4% of the cancer patients, respectively. No significant correlation was observed between the type of cancer and malnutrition due to the limited data of the patients receiving proper nutrition. However, significant correlations were denoted between the type of cancer, weight loss within the past six months, and education level of the patients (P<0.05). Xerostomia and anorexia were the most common dietary intake-related complaints in the cancer patients.  According to the results, the prevalence of malnutrition was extremely high in the cancer patients receiving active treatment across all the treatment settings based on the PG-SGA scores. Furthermore, anorexia was the most common cause of decreased food intake by the patients.

Pistol shooting performance in police officers is very important during chasing the suspects. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of carbohydrate supplementation on pistol shooting performance, pulse rate (PR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of police officers after exhaustive acute exercise.  In this semi- experimental study, 40 male officers with mean age of 30.12±2.21 years and more than eight years of police experience were divided into five groups of eight subjects including 1) control (C), 2) placebo consumption before exercise (PBE), 3) placebo consumption during exercise (PDE), (4) carbohydrate consumption before exercise (CBE), and 5) carbohydrate consumption during exercise (CDE). All subjects performed an exhaustive acute exercise on the treadmill between two shooting trails and according to the protocol; they consumed carbohydrates and placebo supplementation. Pistol shooting performance, PR, SBP and DBP were measured before and after exercise.  Pistol shooting performance in PBE and PDE groups significantly decreased after exercise (P≤0.05) nevertheless in CDE group significantly increased (P≤0.05) also PR and SBP in PBE, PDE, CBE, and CDE groups significantly increased after exercise (P≤0.05).  It appears that carbohydrates supplementation during exhaustive acute exercise can enhance pistol shooting performance in police officers.

We know mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are in the higher postpartum risk of spare weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Excessive postpartum weight gain also lead to low maternal vitamin D levels. So, we decided to evaluate the result of a single mega dose of injectable vitamin D in postpartum weight gain and other anthropometric measurements in the new cases of GDM. 

This is a randomized clinical trial study with the follow-up time of 3 months. Totally 45 people were randomly allocated into control and intervention groups. The intervention group got only one IM injection of 300,000 IU of vitamin D whereas controls did not. The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference and waist to hip ratio were quantitated. 

24 mothers with an average age of 30.7±6.2 in the intervention group and 21 mothers with an average age of 29.5±4.0 in the control group took part in the study. Waist circumference and hip circumference reduced in the intervention group in compared to the control group (P value= 0.006), significantly. Changes of BMI were not significant after intervention (P value= 0.9). 

Only one single 300,000 IU dose of vitamin D decreased waist and hip circumference in postpartum of GDM women, but it did not find any significant effect on BMI. Further prospective studies with longer follow up period are necessary.

Acute inflammation in critically ill patients could affect the metabolism, including nutritional needs and nutrient uptake. Diet also affects the body through various mechanisms, such as the reduction of inflammatory processes, antioxidant capacity, and alteration of lipid profiles and the microbial balance of the intestine. The dietary inflammatory index is a predictive index of inflammatory dietary potential. The present study aimed to hypothesize whether designing a new low dietary inflammatory index formula with high antioxidants could reduce the inflammatory factors in critically ill patients. 

This single-center, prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled study was conducted on patients with severe trauma, who were randomly assigned to the standard formula (n=10) and intervention formula (n=10) upon admission to the intensive care unit. 

The primary outcomes of the study were the clinical status, metabolic factors, and inflammatory biomarkers. 

Since no studies have been focused on the formulation of antioxidant micronutrients in terms of dietary inflammation indices, this research aimed to investigate the effects of this formulation with a low inflammatory profile on the metabolic and inflammatory markers of patients with multiple traumas.

Respiratory tract infections are one of the health problems in the world that impose high economic costs on families. Studies have shown that regular exercise and vitamin C supplementation have favorable effects on people's health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of 12 weeks of regular exercise and vitamin C supplementation on respiratory tract infections in male students.  In this clinical trial study, 120 high school students were randomly assigned to four groups of 30 subjects, including: 1) placebo, 2) exercise, 3) exercise + vitamin C supplementation, and 4) vitamin C supplementation. Groups 2 and 3 performed the selected exercises three sessions per week for 12 weeks, and groups 3 and 4 consumed three 250 mg vitamin C tablets per week. The number of days of infection, the frequency of cases, and the week of the first respiratory infections were recorded during the research period. In order to analyze the findings, the one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s  post- hoc tests in SPSS software (version 22) were used (P≤0.05).  The number of days of respiratory infections in the exercise group was significantly lower than the placebo (P=0.001) and vitamin C groups (P=0.02), The number of days of respiratory infections in the exercise (P=0.007) and vitamin C (P=0.007) groups was significantly lower than the exercise + vitamin C group. Nevertheless, in the exercise + vitamin C group, the first week of lung infection was higher than the vitamin C group (P=0.04).  It seems that regular exercise can be useful in preventing respiratory infections in male high school students, but the effectiveness of vitamin C is dose-dependent, and thus more studies on vitamin C are needed.

Recently, increasing use of electronic devices, which generate electromagnetic fields, focused researchers' attention on investigating the effects of electromagnetic fields on human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on, weight of spleen and weight of liver and kidney and role of Vitamin C in the mice.In this experimental study, 24 adult male mice (Balb/C) were divided into 3 groups. The control group consist of 8 mice were kept in normal conditions. The group exposure to electromagnetic field consist of 8 mice, which were exposed to electromagnetic low field (ELF) (50Hz, 4Mt) for 15 days, and the group that exposure to electromagnetic field supplemented with vitamin C, contains 8 mice that were exposed to ELF (50Hz, 4Mt) for 15 days and vitamin C were injected intraperitoneally 7 times. After 15 days, the weight of mice were measured, then this samples were dissected, finally spleen, liver and kidney was removed to measure. Data was analyzed using one way ANOVA test. The results show electromagnetic fields leads a significant reduction in weight of spleen and weight of liver and appropriate dose of vitamin C is a treatment that damage is caused by electromagnetic fields with a frequency of 50 Hz decreases.

 Nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is a potent cancer-causing agent in cigarettes and is also associated with the induction of lung tumors by the stimulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and expression of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The present study aimed to examine the variations of MDA levels and TAM expression in the lung tissues of rats exposed to NNK following 12 weeks of Nigella sativa nanocapsule injection. 

 In this study, 48 Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups of supplement, supplement with NNK, NNK, control, and saline. For 12 weeks, NNK was injected subcutaneously per kilogram of the animals' body weight with the weekly dose of 12.5 milligrams. In addition, the nanocapsules were subcutaneously injected once a week per kilogram of the body weight with the weekly dose of 12.5 milligrams. The MDA levels and CD68-TAM expression in lungs were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry, respectively. 

 The injection of Nigella sativa nanocapsules for 12 weeks significantly decreased the MDA levels and CD68-TAM expression in the NNK group (p <0.001). Additionally, the injection of Nigella sativa nanocapsules along with the consumption of NNK significantly decreased the MDA levels and CD68-TAM expression in the lung tissues of the NNK group (p <0.001). 

 According to the results, the orderly injection of Nigella sativa nanocapsules could significantly deter lung tissue inflammation induced by NNK through the reduction of MDA levels and CD68-TAM expression in rats.