Effective weight management interventions involve a combination of behavioral strategies focusing on dietary changes. Tracing the change through mobile apps has been proven to be a valuable platform for facilitating weight management in many countries. However, the effectiveness of mobile app-based dietary intervention on weight management in Taiwan remains to be determined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere are emerging concerns about the potential cerebral cortex injury from aspartame due to the accumulation of the various neurotoxic metabolic components in the central nervous system after long-term dietary exposure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral aspartame consumption on cerebral cortex injury in the rat brain, and further evaluate the various underlying molecular mechanisms, with a special focus on oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis pathways. Sprague Dawley rats (nineteen, female) were randomly sub-divided into three groups: (i) normal diet with vehicle: control group (five rats), (ii) low dose of aspartame group (LA): seven rats received 30 mg/kg body weight (bw) daily doses of aspartame, (iii) high dose of aspartame group (HA): seven rats received 60 mg/kg bw daily doses of aspartame.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCereals play an important role in global food security. Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization projects increased consumption of cereals from 2.6 billion tonnes in 2017 to approximately 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHunger and malnutrition continue to affect Africa especially the vulnerable children and women in reproductive age. However, Africa has indigenous foods and associated traditional technologies that can contribute to alleviation of hunger, malnutrition, and communicable and noncommunicable diseases. The importance of African indigenous vegetables is undeniable, only that they are season-linked and considered as "food for poor" despite their high nutritional contents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh-strength or long-duration exercise can lead to significant fatigue, oxidative stress, and muscle damage. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of mangosteen concentrate drink (MCD) supplementation on antioxidant capacity and lactate clearance in rats after running exercise. Forty rats were divided into five groups: N, non-treatment; C, control; or supplemented with MCD, including M1, M5, and M10 (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVascular endothelial dysfunction is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This study evaluated the effect of curcumin on factors associated with vascular dysfunction using rats fed a high-sucrose, high-fat (HSF) diet. The experiment included 2 animal feeding phases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is caused by multiple factors including hepatic oxidative stress, lipotoxicity, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Obesity is among the risk factors for NAFLD alongside type 2 diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. α- mangostin (α-MG) extracts from the pericarps of mangosteen ( may regulate high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis; however the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetic patients are at high risk of developing anemia; however, pharmacological doses of iron supplementation may vary greatly depending on diabetes-related complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the dose-dependent effect of iron on glucose disposal with a special focus on endoplasmic reticular (ER) stress, iron metabolism, and insulin signalling pathways. Diabetes was induced in overnight fasted rats by intraperitoneal (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by wasting and chronic intestinal inflammation triggered by various cytokine-mediated pathways. In recent years, it was shown that T helper 17 (Th17) cells are involved in the pathogenesis of IBD, which makes them an attractive therapeutic target. Th17 cells preferentially produce interleukin (IL)-17A-F as signature cytokines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Fe is an essential element for erythropoiesis and Hb synthesis. High Hb levels affect the blood's viscosity and are associated with cardiovascular dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to examine relationships of Hb and cardiometabolic abnormalities with the risk of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation in adolescents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhether being overweight or obese is associated with increased risk of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains controversial. We evaluated the dietary intakes and risk for IDA in relation to body mass index (BMI). One thousand two hundred and seventy-four females aged ≥ 19 years, enrolled in the third Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) 2005-2008, were selected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBody iron levels have recently been shown to be a strong predictor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of NAFLD in a general adult population, and to investigate the relationship between body iron levels, NAFLD and the metabolic syndrome (MetS). 2186 adults participated in the third National Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT, 2005-2008).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: A sharp increase in the prevalence of obesity and a decline in iron deficiency in children was observed between the two consecutive Nutrition and Health Surveys in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of hepcidin in relation to nutritional status in children.
Methods: 648 children ages 7 to 13 y living in Taipei and New Taipei City were enrolled in this study.
Background: Interleukin 10 (IL-10) has multifaceted anti-inflammatory properties that are known to regulate insulin sensitivity and atherosclerotic development. However, studies in children are limited and have yielded conflicting results. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether changes in this circulating anti-inflammatory cytokine is a marker for metabolic syndrome.
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