Journal of Nutrition and Food Security
Volume:6 Issue: 4, Nov 2021

Depression is a complicated disturbance affected by a collection of biological and environmental factors. The first aim of psychiatric studies is to recognize biological markers that could be utilized to predict improvement and increase reactions to antidepressant treatments. Diet affects different aspects of health, including depression. The aim of study was to determine antidepressant-like effects of some consumable oils, the effects of oils on depression were compared.

Thirty-two male and female mice (Mus musculus (BALB/c)) weighing 25- 35 g were randomly divided into 8 groups (4 mice in each group, 2 male and 2 female, A: Laden sunflower liquid oil, B: 50% vegetable oil + 50% olive oil, C: Kermanshah Rojin animal oil, D: Spring frying oil, E: Distilled water, F: BAHAR solid vegetable oil, G: Olive oil, H: 50% Kermanshah animal oil + 50% of olive oil). In different groups, 30 g of vegetable or animal oil was gavaged every day at 1:00 pm. Five types of vegetable and animal oils among the high consumption oils in the market were selected, including spring frying oil (used for several times in 305˚f, usually used in eastern Asia countries), Laden sunflower liquid oil, olive oil, Kermanshah Rojin animal oil, and BAHAR solid vegetable oil. After 6 weeks of using the oils diet, the forced swim test was utilized as a test of depression like behavior.

There was a significant difference between all groups (P < 0.0001). Based on the results, the latency time of immobility in group A significantly decreased in comparison with groups C (P ˂ 0.02), D (P ˂ 0.003), and G (P < 0.001). However, it increased in groups B and C compared to group H (P ˂ 0.02). Also, this parameter in group D increased significantly compared to groups E (P < 0.01), F (P < 0.05), and H (P < 0.002).

The results indicated that olive oil had a preventive effect against forced swimming-induced depression-like symptoms.

To contribute to the fight against malnutrition among women of reproductive age, this study aimed to evaluate the quality of food and the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women.

This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2018 to September 2018 to explore the frequency and distribution of the dietary, socioeconomic, and health characteristics of pregnant and lactating women as well as their nutritional status. The target population consisted of 124 pregnant women and 118 nursing women age between 15 to 49 years.

The prevalence of acute malnutrition was 30.9% among women in general, 1.6% with severe malnutrition according to the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). In terms of the body mass index (BMI), the prevalence of malnutrition among lactating women was 13.5%; 10.5% with moderate malnutrition and 3.5% with severe malnutrition. The women aged between 15 to 49 years had poor dietary diversity. The mean dietary diversity score (DDS) was estimated at 4.14±0.86. This score was 4.19±0.87 in pregnant women and 4.09 ± 0.85 in lactating women. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between them (P = 0.20 and OR = 0.82) [0.4; 1.4]. A substantial proportion (19.8%) of women had a low DDS (< 5), with a rate of 16.9% among pregnant women and 22.9% among lactating women.

This study revealed the presence of food and nutrition insecurity in semi-urban areas, particularly in "undeveloped" areas. Improving the living conditions of the populations in these localities, in parallel with nutritional education actions, could help to reduce the disease.

Villagization scheme was chosen as a policy option and implemented to ensure sustainable food security in Assosa zone, Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia, although it is blamed for intensifying food insecurity instead. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the food security status of households gathered in planned villages in the framework of villagization.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 344 households who were randomly selected. A questionnaire was used after exploring the perception of village communities about the nature of food security. Food security status was measured using a household food balance model (FBM) that uses calorie threshold value of 2100 Kcal/Adult Equivalent (ADE)/day.

There were some basic services and infrastructures in the planned villages, although most of them were supplied before the implementation of villagization scheme. The scheme did not improve the food security status of households in the villages; since about 67% of them were food insecure and only 33% were food secure. The proportion of food insecure households is much more than the recent national figure of 40%.

In spite of the fact that some basic services and infrastructures were supplied in the planned villages, villagization did not improve the food security status of households; in contrast food insecurity remained high. The scheme was merely supplied the service and infrastructures without improving economic access to basic services and infrastructures. It is recommended to conduct a study investigating why villagization could not improve the food security status according to the intended purpose.

Diabetes is an endocrine disorder that is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. The use of alternative therapy has recently increased and medicinal plants are one of the alternative therapies for diabetic patients. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of Urtica dioica (Nettle) on lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

This parallel randomized double-blinded clinical trial was conducted on 60 men and women with T2D for an 8-week period. The participants were randomly assigned to received 100mg/kg/day extract of Urtica Dioica (UG) and the placebo group (PG). Blood triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) were measured at baseline and end of the study. The data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 and P < 0.05 was considered significant.

The mean difference of total cholesterol showed no significant difference in the UG compared to the PG which were -10.56±40.5 and -19.5± 35.9 (P = 0.14), respectively. The study also showed no significant difference between TG and LDLc in the UG compared to the PG (-39.8±171.5 vs. -23.37±72.3 (P = 0.68) and -3.16±33.4 vs. -11.2±35.6 (P = 0.15), respectively). The mean difference of HDLc in the UG and PG were -2.68±8.11 and 2.62±10.6 (P = 0.05), respectively, indicating a significant increase in the UG compared to the PG.

The results demonstrated that consumption of 100mg/kg/day extract of UD for 8 weeks by increasing HDL concentration can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with T2D.

Malnutrition resulting from inappropriate and ineffective childhood feeding remains a significant public health concern especially in developing countries, where poor child feeding practices exert serious negative impact on health outcomes. This qualitative study explored mothers’ perception about complementary feeding, mothers’ hygiene and food safety measures, food storage, and preparation and food handling practices.

This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey, conducted in selected Local Government Areas (LGAs), Southwestern Nigeria in November, 2019. Four sessions of Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were conducted in each of four selected LGAs giving a total of sixteen sessions with eight discussants selected for each session of FGD giving a total of 128 discussants. The discussants were selected by multistage sampling technique. FGD guide was used to explore mothers’ perception about complementary feeding, complementary feeding practices, and associated factors. Responses were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using Nvivo 11 software.

Five themes were developed from FGD responses, including mothers’ perception about complementary feeding, hygiene practices, food storage, safety, food preparation, and food handling. Mothers’ age, parity, educational status, employment status, family income, and food availability and affordability affected mothers’ perception about complementary feeding and complementary feeding practices.

Advocacy on infants’ feeding must take cognizance of the finding factors towards appropriate, effective childhood feeding in addition to reduction in malnutrition and related burden.

Food insecurity consistently challenges middle-income countries, including Pakistan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the dietary food intake of the households in the selected location through a semi-structured questionnaire.

A cross sectional study was carried out among 500 households comprised 2094 participants to investigate dietary intake and status of food insecurity. Furthermore, socio-demographic and weekly dietary food intake was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire in 2019. Those households who assent to participate were included in the study.

Mean household size was 5.80±2.05 comprised 49.27% male and 50.61% female. Six food types were commonly consumed in the study population. Among these foods (g/capita/day) starch remained at the top 734.43 followed by fruits 256.02 and vegetables 89.77. These data highlighted limited dietary diversity and reduced dietary intake. The energy intake (per capita/day) from the food basket, contribution of the starch was the highest 32.37% versus protein 14.43%, milk 14.08%, vegetables 1.31%, and fruit 7.79% with an overall calories intake 81.08% from all food groups except tea. Finally, of the 500 households, 42.4% people were below the poverty line, 41.8% people at the poverty line, and 15.8% people were above the poverty line.

The results showed that dietary intake of the participants was below the reference intake, demonstrating food insecurity and unbalanced diet.

Consumer behaviors at the household level have an impact on the quantity of food waste and the economic resources of the family and the country. This study aimed to assess food waste in a random sample of the Libyan community.

A questionnaire was designed for the study and distributed randomly through social media, short message, e-mails, and via face to face interviews from November 26 to December 21, 2019.

Forty percent of the respondents used a shopping list for food; while 15% of the respondents discarded food. The percentage of monthly expenditure on food was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with shopping list, income, education level, and employment. Meanwhile, the quantity of food waste was associated (P < 0.05) with education level and place of living. Moreover, the economic value of food waste was associated (P < 0.05) with the shopping list. The bread was the most food waste commodity followed by vegetables and pasta. The quantity of discarded food accounted for 2661 tons/year with an estimated value of 163 million Libyan dinars/year.

To reduce household food waste by the Libyan community it is required to improve the quality of bread and raise consumer awareness of the impact of food waste on the environment, economy, and society. This could be achieved through mass media extension programs as well as seminars and workshops.

Anthropometric studies in children and adolescents are important to screen changes in growth and puberty. Hence, standard percentiles and cutoffs are set by the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Iranian national criteria. This study aimed to examine and compare the prevalence of weight disorders in children and adolescents in Lorestan province according to different criteria.

Children and adolescents (6–18 years) were randomly selected from the urban and rural areas by the multistage stratified cluster sampling method. All Iranian citizens aged who resided in Lorestan province for at least one year were eligible to participate in this study. After obtaining consent forms, researchers gathered the accurate anthropometrics and body mass index (BMI) measurements.

A total of 866 children and adolescents took part in the study, 447(51.6%) of whom were girls and 419 (48.4%) were boys. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 17% in boys and 12.5% in girls. The prevalence of underweight in girls was 5.8%; while in boys it was 4.5%. The total prevalence rate of underweight according to the national criteria was 5.2%. However, this rate increased to 12% and 12.6% by using WHO and CDC cut-off points, respectively. The highest prevalence of overweight was obtained by CDC (15.8%), followed by WHO (13%); while national cut-off points resulted in 9.7%. Furthermore, 9.2% of the studied population was found to be obese by WHO; while this rate was 4.2%, and 5% by CDC and national cut-off points.

This study indicated the coexisting prevalence of underweight and obesity and high prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents in Lorestan province. Furthermore, using the WHO and CDC criteria leads to overestimating the prevalence of weight disorder compared to the national cut-off points in Iran.

A new sweetener with the commercial name of Lacritose has been recently produced, which is a combination of four simple sugars (lactose, fructose, sucrose, erythritol), with specific ingredients and percentages. This study aimed to assess glycemic response and short term gastrointestinal reactions in type 2 diabetic patients.

In this triple-blind randomized clinical trial, 30 diabetic patients referred to Yazd Diabetes Research Center in 2018 were included. After collecting the primary data, they were assigned into three groups, including sucrose consumers as the control group, sucrose-lactose, and lacritose as the groups of consumers group. They were followed for two weeks, and fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2-hour postprandial test (2HPP), fructose amine, SGOT, SGPT, urea, creatinine, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were assessed.

In lacritose consumers, significant reductions were seen in FBG and 2HPP (P < 0.001 and P = 0.05, respectively), although changes among the groups were not significant. In sucrose-lacritose consumers, FBG and cholesterol levels decreased (P = 0.04 and P = 0.03, respectively). In sucrose consumers, no reduction was seen. HOMA-IR did not significantly decrease, but intergroup changes were obvious.

The lacritose effects on FBG and 2HPP were significantly evident, but the other metabolic indices did not show any significant change.

Frying is one of the popular cooking methods for the preparation of food especially meat products. However, this process has some adverse effects, such as lipid oxidation that results in deterioration and rancidity of food during preparation and storage. Malondialdehyde (MDA) as a secondary product of oxidation is commonly used as an index of rancidity in food products. However, the level of MDA produced during the frying process varies depending on the type of food.

This study was performed to evaluate the levels of MDA before and after the frying process in different products, including chicken, fish, pan kebab, beef, sausage, and hamburger. Also, the effect of meat content in hamburger was evaluated on the MDA level. The spectrophotometric thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) test was used to determine MDA in the food products.

The concentration of MDA in the products increased significantly (P < 0.01) after frying in oil. The highest amount of MDA between the products was detected in fried fish (1.24 µM/g). By increasing the percentage of meat in hamburgers, the content of MDA increased in this product. In the hamburger containing 90% of meat, the MDA level was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than others (0.98 µM/g).

The results of the present study can provide proper knowledge about the levels of lipid peroxidation and the safety of different fried meat products.

Reference measurements are used to screen for abnormal blood lipids. The problem is that these reference values obtained in one population cannot be effective for another population. This study aimed to determine the reference values for blood lipids profiles in the population aged 25-64 years in Yazd.

This descriptive study was based on the data of  Yazd Health Study (YaHS) on 3800 adults by cluster sampling. The data set included gender, age, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and  high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). The linear percentile regression model and the generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) were fitted to the data and the reference values were predicted according to the regression coefficients. R-3.0.1 software was used for data analysis.

Refrence values for TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C were 109.43-275.72, 45.58-177.70, and 29.95-62.22 mg/dl. The trend of TC, TG, and LDL-C levels increased with age in both genders, but the trend of HDL-C in men decreased with age and remained almost constant in women.

In this study, for the population of Yazd, reference values for blood lipids were different in both genders and age groups. Reference values for lipid profile increased in men and women with age.These findings can be used in both prevention and clinical decisions.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a new and rapid technique to validate body composition. Several studies have used this technique to evaluate body compositions, such as muscle mass, in diabetic patients, but the results are very different. This may due the differences between diabetic patients and control group. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the muscle mass of diabetic patients with healthy matched adults using the BIA method.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 928 diabetic patients and 928 healthy individuals selected based on gender, age, height, weight, and closeness to demographic conditions. Body composition was measured by the BIA technique. Total body water, muscle mass in the trunk, legs, hands, and total body protein were measured by this method. The data were analyzed using t-test, paired t-test, and one-way ANOVA.

Diabetic women aged 50-60 years showed that their body weight, total protein, total muscle, right-hand muscle mass, left-hand muscle mass, right foot muscle mass, left foot muscle mass, and trunk muscle mass were higher than healthy matched women, and the differences were significant.

Diabetic women aged 50-60 years showed the most significant difference compared to other age groups. It seems that diabetes along with the changes in humeral status in this age group due to menopause affected their body weight, total muscle mass, hand and leg muscles, and trunk muscles mass, and total body protein compared to healthy matched women. However, diabetic men showed no significant difference in the studied variables compared to healthy male subjects.