Perspective on the health effects of unsaturated fatty acids and commonly consumed plant oils high in unsaturated fat.

Epidemiological and clinical trial evidence indicates that -6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake is cardioprotective. Nevertheless, claims that -6 PUFA intake promotes inflammation and oxidative stress prevail. This narrative review aims to provide health professionals with an up-to-date evidence overview to provide the requisite background to address patient/client concerns about oils containing predominantly unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), including MUFA and PUFA.

Health and functional advantages of cheese containing soy protein and soybean-derived casein.

The global food system faces a challenge of sustainably producing enough food, and especially protein, to meet the needs of a growing global population. In developed countries, approximately 2/3 of protein comes from animal sources and 1/3 from plants. For an assortment of reasons, dietary recommendations call for populations in these countries to replace some of their animal protein with plant protein.

Perspective: Observational Studies Involving Low-Soy Intake Populations Have Limited Ability for Providing Insight into the Health Effects of Soybean Isoflavones.

Isoflavones are naturally occurring plant compounds found in uniquely high amounts in soybeans and foods made from this legume. These soybean constituents have been proposed to exert several health benefits and as such they have been the subject of an enormous amount of research. This research includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and epidemiologic investigations.

Options for substantiating protein content claims for conventional foods.

In Canada and the United States, front-of-package protein content claims require data to support the quality of the protein. In general, protein quality reflects the product of the amino acid composition of the food protein relative to human amino acid requirements and a measure of digestibility. The currently accepted method in both jurisdictions is the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) that requires the measurement of true fecal protein (nitrogen) digestibility.

Dietary Guidelines Meet NOVA: Developing a Menu for A Healthy Dietary Pattern Using Ultra-Processed Foods.

Background: A proposed topic for the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) Scientific Advisory Committee to address is the relationship between dietary patterns with ultra-processed foods (UPF) and body composition and weight status. Implementing the NOVA system, the most commonly applied framework for determining whether a food is "ultra-processed," in dietary guidance could omit several nutrient-dense foods from recommended healthy diets in the DGA.

Objective: The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to determine the feasibility of building a menu that aligns with recommendations for a healthy dietary pattern from the 2020 DGA and includes ≥80% kcal from UPF as defined by NOVA.

Perspective: Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Can Help Facilitate and Maintain a Lower Animal to Plant Protein Intake Ratio.

The health and environmental advantages of plant-predominant diets will likely lead to increasing numbers of consumers reducing their reliance on animal products. Consequently, health organizations and professionals will need to provide guidance on how best to make this change. In many developed countries, nearly twice as much protein is derived from animal versus plant sources.

Imaging features of anorectal proctitis in monkeypox infection.

The monkeypox outbreak of 2022 saw the first community-sustained transmission of the monkeypox virus outside of Africa, and rapidly developed into multi-country spread. A common presenting sign of monkeypox infection during this outbreak has been rectal pain due to proctitis. Proctitis with large hypoattenuated anorectal ulcers on CT scan should invoke consideration for monkeypox infection in young homosexual or bisexual men with associated skin eruptions.

The health effects of soy: A reference guide for health professionals.

Soy is a hotly debated and widely discussed topic in the field of nutrition. However, health practitioners may be ill-equipped to counsel clients and patients about the use of soyfoods because of the enormous, and often contradictory, amount of research that has been published over the past 30 years. As interest in plant-based diets increases, there will be increased pressure for practitioners to gain a working knowledge of this area.

Perspective: Soybeans Can Help Address the Caloric and Protein Needs of a Growing Global Population.

Feeding a growing global population with projected rising socioeconomic status will require additional sources of calories and especially protein. These sources need to align with the Sustainable Development Goals established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The soybean is uniquely positioned to meet this challenge based on the following criteria: (1) Global soybean production exceeds by ~4 times the production of all pulses combined (2) Soybeans are higher in protein than other legumes and soy protein quality is similar to animal protein quality (3) Soybeans are an excellent source of healthy fat, including both essential fatty acids (4) Soybeans, like other legumes, symbiotically fix atmospheric nitrogen thereby reducing the need for fertilizer inputs (5) Greenhouse gas emissions per unit protein are lower than for nearly all other foods (6) Soybeans, like other legumes, are also recognized as an affordable food that can be incorporated into diverse diets regardless of economic standing and (7) The range of foods produced from soybeans constitutes an important position in historic and contemporary cuisines, cultures and emerging consumer trends for plant-based protein.

Perspective: Soy-based Meat and Dairy Alternatives, Despite Classification as Ultra-processed Foods, Deliver High-quality Nutrition on Par with Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Animal-based Counterparts.

In many non-Asian countries, soy is consumed via soy-based meat and dairy alternatives, in addition to the traditional Asian soyfoods, such as tofu and miso. Meat alternatives are typically made using concentrated sources of soy protein, such as soy protein isolate (SPI) and soy protein concentrate (SPC). Therefore, these products are classified as ultra-processed foods (UPFs; group 4) according to NOVA, an increasingly widely used food-classification system that classifies all foods into 1 of 4 groups according to the processing they undergo.

Soybean oil lowers circulating cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease risk, and has no effect on markers of inflammation and oxidation.

To reduce risk of coronary heart disease, replacement of saturated fats (SFAs) with polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) is recommended. Strong and concordant evidence supports this recommendation, but controversy remains. Some observational studies have reported no association between SFAs and coronary heart disease, likely because of failure to account for the macronutrient replacing SFAs, which determines the direction and strength of the observed associations.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiology department emergency ultrasound utilization.

Purpose: To analyze the change in utilization of healthcare resources through a review of ultrasound examinations performed in the emergency department of an urban healthcare system in NYC during the time of peak COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods: This is a retrospective review analyzing ED ultrasound exams performed by the radiology department of an urban healthcare system during the 8-week time period of the peak COVID-19 outbreak in NYC, compared to a time-matched period one year prior. Data regarding the examination type and indication were obtained in addition to patient demographics and indicators of outcomes including admission, length of stay, and mortality.

Neither soyfoods nor isoflavones warrant classification as endocrine disruptors: a technical review of the observational and clinical data.

Soybeans are a rich source of isoflavones, which are classified as phytoestrogens. Despite numerous proposed benefits, isoflavones are often classified as endocrine disruptors, based primarily on animal studies. However, there are ample human data regarding the health effects of isoflavones.

Neither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormones: An expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies.

Concerns that the phytoestrogens (isoflavones) in soy may feminize men continue to be raised. Several studies and case-reports describing feminizing effects including lowering testosterone levels and raising estrogen levels in men have been published. For this reason, the clinical data were meta-analyzed to determine whether soy or isoflavone intake affects total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), estradiol (E), estrone (E), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

Cytotoxic lesion of the splenium of the corpus callosum in a patient with EVALI.

Since first recognized in July 2019, numerous cases of a lung illness associated with electronic-cigarette use or vaping particularly tetrahydrocannabinol in adolescents and adults have been reported. As of January 2020, the Center for Disease Control has reported over 2500 cases of electronic-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI), including 60 deaths. Affected patients most commonly present with respiratory or gastrointestinal complaints although neurological symptoms including headache, confusion and lethargy have been reported.

Vaping associated lung injury: A potentially life-threatening epidemic in US youth.

Background: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has identified a national outbreak in the United States of over 2600 cases of e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI), including 60 deaths as of January 2020. We describe our experience in six adolescents.

Material And Methods: We identified all pediatric patients diagnosed with EVALI by CDC guidelines over a 6-month period at our health system.

A Meta-Analysis of 46 Studies Identified by the FDA Demonstrates that Soy Protein Decreases Circulating LDL and Total Cholesterol Concentrations in Adults.

Background: Certain plant foods (nuts and soy protein) and food components (viscous fibers and plant sterols) have been permitted by the FDA to carry a heart health claim based on their cholesterol-lowering ability. The FDA is currently considering revoking the heart health claim for soy protein due to a perceived lack of consistent LDL cholesterol reduction in randomized controlled trials.

Objective: We performed a meta-analysis of the 46 controlled trials on which the FDA will base its decision to revoke the heart health claim for soy protein.

No Difference Between the Effects of Supplementing With Soy Protein Versus Animal Protein on Gains in Muscle Mass and Strength in Response to Resistance Exercise.

Much attention has been given to determining the influence of total protein intake and protein source on gains in lean body mass (LBM) and strength in response to resistance exercise training (RET). Acute studies indicate that whey protein, likely related to its higher leucine content, stimulates muscle protein synthesis to a greater extent than proteins such as soy and casein. Less clear is the extent to which the type of protein supplemented impacts strength and LBM in long-term studies (≥6 weeks).

Health impact of childhood and adolescent soy consumption.

Soyfoods have been intensely researched, primarily because they provide such abundant amounts of isoflavones. Isoflavones are classified as both plant estrogens and selective estrogen receptor modulators. Evidence suggests that these soybean constituents are protective against a number of chronic diseases, but they are not without controversy.