Variation in the TAS1R2 Gene, Sweet Taste Perception and Intake of Sugars.

Background/aims: To determine whether variation in the TAS1R2 gene affects sucrose taste perception and sugar intake.

Methods: Participants were men (n = 238) and women (n = 458) aged 20-29 years. A subset (n = 95) with body mass index (BMI) data available completed a sensory analysis study.

Genetic variation in putative salt taste receptors and salt taste perception in humans.

The objective of this study was to determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SCNN1A (3), SCNN1B (12), SCNN1G (6), and TRPV1 (10) genes affect salt taste perception. Participants were men (n = 28) and women (n = 67) from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health study aged 21-31 years. Taste thresholds were determined using a 3-alternative forced-choice staircase model with solutions ranging from 9×10(-6) to 0.

Determination of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations in human colon tissues and matched serum samples.

Background: A novel method to measure 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)(2)D) in human tissue was developed and validated. The objectives of this study were to determine whether 1,25(OH)(2)D is present in human colon tissue and to characterize the relationship between human colon tissue and serum 1,25(OH)(2)D concentrations.

Materials And Methods: Normal colon tissue specimens and matched serum samples were obtained from 30 patients who had undergone colectomy.

The metabolic syndrome in healthy, multiethnic adolescents in Toronto, Ontario: the use of fasting blood glucose as a simple indicator.

Background: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing worldwide and prevention represents a major challenge. Usually identified in middle age, the MetS has pediatric roots and there are variable incidence rates between ethnic groups. Due to the difficulty of diagnosis, it remains largely undetected in adolescents.

Effects of Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer) and its isolated ginsenosides and polysaccharides on arterial stiffness in healthy individuals.

Background: Preclinical studies indicate a role of Korean red ginseng (KRG) in the modulation of vascular function; however, clinical evidence is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of KRG root on peripheral blood pressure (BP) and augmentation index (AI), an emerging method to assess cardiovascular risk beyond conventional BP measurements. Furthermore, in an attempt to elucidate which of the major components of KRG is responsible for these effects, the ginsenoside and polysaccharide fractions isolated from the same KRG root were also investigated.