Consumption of plant sterols-enriched soy milk with a healthy dietary pattern diet lowers blood pressure in adults with metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.

Background & Aims: Plant sterols (PS) have been shown to lower blood lipid-lipoproteins concentrations and may serve as a potential functional ingredient for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management. However, there are limited studies examining this effect in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of PS-enriched food consumption as part of a healthy dietary pattern (HDP) on blood pressure and endothelial function in Singaporean adults with MetS.

The impact of 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation on sleep quality and gut microbiota composition in older adults: A randomized controlled trial.

Background & Aims: Sleep quality is a pivotal part of health and there is growing evidence on the association between gut microbiota composition and sleep quality. 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is known as a precursor of the sleep regulating neurotransmitter and hormone. However, efficacy of 5-HTP supplementation for improving sleep quality in older adults is unclear.

Measures of carbohydrate quality and their association with diet quality and cardiometabolic health outcomes in Singapore middle-aged and older adults.

Background And Aims: Carbohydrate quality may play a key role in cardiometabolic health and disease risk. This study aimed to assess the dietary carbohydrate quality of the free-living middle-aged and older adults in Singapore, and its association with overall diet quality and cardiometabolic health.

Methods And Results: This cross-sectional study examined the diet and cardiometabolic disease risk indicators of middle-aged and older adults in Singapore (n = 104).

Postprandial glycemic and circulating SCFA concentrations following okara- and biovalorized okara-containing biscuit consumption in middle-aged and older adults: a crossover randomized controlled trial.

Okara is a high-fiber food by-product that can be biotransformed with to improve its nutritional value and palatability. This research aims to assess postprandial changes in glycemic-related and lipid-related outcomes in middle-aged and older Singaporeans following okara- and biovalorized okara-containing biscuit consumption. Fifteen participants (58 ± 6 years old, mean ± SD) completed the randomized crossover study.

Association Between Dietary Protein Intake and Sleep Quality in Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Singapore.

Poor sleep has been associated with the increased risk of developing detrimental health conditions. Diet and certain nutrients, such as dietary protein (PRO) may improve sleep. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between PRO intake, their amino acid components, and sources with sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults residing in Singapore.

Enhancing the cardiovascular protective effects of a healthy dietary pattern with wolfberry (Lycium barbarum): A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The consumption of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum), a rich source of carotenoids and bioactive polysaccharides, may serve as a potential dietary strategy for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management although limited studies examined its effects as whole fruits.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of wolfberry consumption as part of a healthy dietary pattern on vascular health-related outcomes and classical CVD risk factors in middle-aged and older adults in Singapore.

Methods: This is a 16-week, parallel design, randomized controlled trial.

The impact of tryptophan supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

Context: L-tryptophan (Trp) has been documented to aid sleep, but a systematic compilation of its effect on sleep quality is still limited.

Objective: We assessed the effect of Trp supplementation on sleep quality via meta-analysis and meta-regression. The effects of daily Trp dose (<1 g and ≥1 g) were also assessed.

Wolfberry () Consumption with a Healthy Dietary Pattern Lowers Oxidative Stress in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Incorporating zeaxanthin-rich wolfberry () into a healthy dietary pattern may augment its antioxidant potential. The present 16-week, parallel design randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the impact of adhering to a healthy dietary pattern, either with or without whole dried wolfberry (15 g/d) on oxidative stress status (plasma malondialdehyde and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α) in middle-aged and older adults. Changes to carotenoids status (plasma and skin carotenoids) and body composition were further evaluated to explore potential mechanisms which underlie the antioxidant properties of wolfberry.

Animal Protein versus Plant Protein in Supporting Lean Mass and Muscle Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Although animal protein is usually considered to be a more potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis than plant protein, the effect of protein source on lean mass and muscle strength needs to be systematically reviewed. This study aimed to examine potential differences in the effect of animal vs. plant protein on lean mass and muscle strength, and the possible influence of resistance exercise training (RET) and age.

Skin carotenoid status and plasma carotenoids: biomarkers of dietary carotenoids, fruits and vegetables for middle-aged and older Singaporean adults.

Skin carotenoid status (SCS) measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS) may serve as an emerging alternative measurement for dietary carotenoid, fruit and vegetable (FV) intake although its application had not been assessed in a middle-aged and older population in Asia. This cross-sectional study aims to concurrently examine the use of SCS and plasma carotenoids to measure FV and carotenoid intake in a middle-aged and older population, taking into consideration potential socio-demographic and nutritional confounders. The study recruited 103 middle-aged and older adults (mean age: 58 years) in Singapore.

Skin carotenoids status as a potential surrogate marker for cardiovascular disease risk determination in middle-aged and older adults.

Background And Aims: Upon consumption, carotenoids, which may attenuate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, diffuse from the blood and accumulate in the skin. This study aimed to assess the associations between dietary, plasma, and skin carotenoids with CVD risk indicators and to examine the mediational role of plasma carotenoids in the relationship between skin carotenoids status (SCS) and CVD risk.

Methods And Results: Dietary, plasma, and skin carotenoids were assessed in a cross-sectional study from a community in Singapore (n = 103) aged 50 to 75 y.

Association of Sleep Quality and Macronutrient Distribution: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression.

Sleep is involved in metabolic, emotional and cognitive regulation and is therefore an essential part of our health. Although an association between sleep quality and macronutrient intake has been reported, studies on the effect of macronutrient distribution with sleep quality are limited, and available results are inconsistent. In this study, we aim to assess the association between sleep quality and macronutrient distribution in healthy adults from systematically reviewed cross-sectional studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Preventing mussel adhesion using lubricant-infused materials.

Mussels are opportunistic macrofouling organisms that can attach to most immersed solid surfaces, leading to serious economic and ecological consequences for the maritime and aquaculture industries. We demonstrate that lubricant-infused coatings exhibit very low preferential mussel attachment and ultralow adhesive strengths under both controlled laboratory conditions and in marine field studies. Detailed investigations across multiple length scales-from the molecular-scale characterization of deposited adhesive proteins to nanoscale contact mechanics to macroscale live observations-suggest that lubricant infusion considerably reduces fouling by deceiving the mechanosensing ability of mussels, deterring secretion of adhesive threads, and decreasing the molecular work of adhesion.

Mussel adhesion is dictated by time-regulated secretion and molecular conformation of mussel adhesive proteins.

Interfacial water constitutes a formidable barrier to strong surface bonding, hampering the development of water-resistant synthetic adhesives. Notwithstanding this obstacle, the Asian green mussel Perna viridis attaches firmly to underwater surfaces via a proteinaceous secretion (byssus). Extending beyond the currently known design principles of mussel adhesion, here we elucidate the precise time-regulated secretion of P.