Interaction between green tea and metformin and its effects on oxidative stress and inflammation in overweight women: a randomised clinical trial.

This study evaluated the effect of green tea extract and metformin and its interaction on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in overweight women with insulin resistance. After screening, 120 women were randomly allocated in 4 groups: Placebo (PC): 1g of microcrystalline cellulose/day; Green tea (GT): 1 g (558 mg polyphenols) of standardized dry extract of green tea/day and 1 g of placebo/day; Metformin (MF): 1 g of metformin/day and 1 g of placebo/day; Green Tea and Metformin (GTMF): 1 g (558 mg polyphenols) and 1 g of metformin/day. All groups were followed-up for 12 weeks with assessment of oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, specific activity of antioxidant enzymes and inflammatory cytokine serum levels.

Sex-related differences in eating behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review with metanalysis.

Eating behavior can be influenced by external factors; however, there is no consensus on the existence of differences in eating behavior between the sexes in stressful situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic review assessed whether there was a difference in eating behavior between sexes during the COVID-19 pandemic. A search of nine databases (Medline/Pubmed, Embase, Scielo, VHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ProQuest, Google Scholar) was conducted in October 2023.

Seasonal and sex-related variation in vitamin D status and its association with other biochemical markers in young individuals: A cross-sectional study.

Background: While several studies have investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and biochemical parameters, the results are still inconsistent and mostly overlook seasonal variations. This study explored the relationships between 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations, biochemical markers, and seasonal variation among young males and females.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 individuals aged 18-24 years of both sexes residing in Brasilia, Brazil (latitude: 15°S).

Impact of Final Phase Social Isolation and the COVID-19 Pandemic on Eating Behavior, Sleep Quality, and Anxiety Level.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in economic, social, and behavioral changes in people, which may favor several long-term consequences. This study evaluated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating behavior and mental health in the final phase of social isolation. This cross-sectional study included 756 adults that completed an online questionnaire.

Development and Validation of Protocol Based on Brazilian Dietary Guidelines for Adults with Diabetes Mellitus Who Attended Primary Health Care.

Background: To date, there is no protocol providing dietary guidelines to assist health care professionals in counseling Brazilian individuals with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) assisted in primary health care (PHC) according to the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (DGBP). Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a protocol based on the DGBP for health care, non-nutritionist professionals in counseling adults with DM in PHC.

Methods: We systematized the recommendations published in the DGBP, the Diabetes Brazilian Society guidelines, and the scientific literature regarding food and nutrition needs of adults with DM.

Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in South America: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Context: Vitamin D deficiency is considered a global public health issue, even in low-latitude countries where there is abundant sunlight radiation. Nevertheless, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in the South American continent has not been well characterized.

Objective: The aim of this review was to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxy-calciferol < 20 ng/mL) in South American populations.

Meditation practices and their relationship with eating behavior, weight changes, and mental health in adults from different regions of Brazil: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different meditation practices on eating behavior, changes in body weight, and mental health.

Methods: A virtual questionnaire was used to evaluate meditation practices and current and prepandemic weights. The questionnaire comprised specific and validated instruments to evaluate body image (silhouette scale), eating behavior (21-item three-factor eating questionnaire), current sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory).

Determinant factors of bone health after long-term of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate bone health and the potential influencing factors of bone metabolism disorders in adults ≥5 y after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients who were ≥5 y post-RYGB were invited. Bone health considered as bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) in this study was assessed by dual x-ray absorptiometry.

Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in chronic constipation: Outstanding aspects to be considered for the current evidence.

This integrative aimed to evaluate the effects and the potential mechanism of action of prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics on constipation-associated gastrointestinal symptoms and to identify issues that still need to be answered. A literature search was performed in the PubMed database. Animal models ( = 23) and clinical trials ( = 39) were included.

Validation of a dietary advice protocol for adults with obesity in primary health care according to the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines.

Background: Obesity is a non-communicable chronic disease which carries a high cost for the Brazilian Unified Health System. Standardized protocols can help primary health care (PHC) professionals manage the disease.

Objectives: To describe the validation process of a protocol concerning dietary guidelines for adults with obesity in PHC by non-nutrition professionals.

The effect of probiotics on postsurgical complications in patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Context: Clinical trials have investigated the effect of probiotics on postsurgical complications in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, so far, there are no systematic reviews evaluating the effect of probiotics and synbiotics on the clinical or infectious postsurgical complications of colorectal cancer.

Objective: The objective of this review was to synthesize the best available evidence on the effects of the use of probiotics or synbiotics on pre-, peri-, and post-operative complications of CRC surgical resection.

Vitamin D and musculoskeletal health: outstanding aspects to be considered in the light of current evidence.

Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption and bone mineralisation, promotes maintenance of muscle function, and is crucial for musculoskeletal health. Low vitamin D status triggers secondary hyperparathyroidism, increases bone loss, and leads to muscle weakness. The primary physiologic function of vitamin D and its metabolites is maintaining calcium homeostasis for metabolic functioning, signal transduction, and neuromuscular activity.

Biochemical Markers and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Risk in Individuals After Long-Term Bariatric Surgery.

Background: Individuals who have undergone long-term bariatric surgery may be at increased obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk. The purpose of this study was to estimate the frequency of OSA risk and its associations, via biochemical markers, in patients who have undergone long-term bariatric surgery.

Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated patients after 5 years or more post Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Frequency of Vitamin D Deficiency and Associated Factors in Long-term Bariatric Surgery Patients: a Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a common consequence of bariatric surgery (BS). However, few studies have evaluated influential factors and to date there are no studies investigating individual ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation levels in BS patients. This study aimed to evaluate vitamin D deficiency and its associated factors, including UVB radiation, in Roux-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) patients.

Does Probiotic Consumption Enhance Wound Healing? A Systematic Review.

The use of probiotics is one of the emerging lines of treatment for wound healing. This systematic review aimed to summarize currently available evidence on the effect of oral or enteral probiotic therapy on skin or oral mucosal wound healing in humans. To verify the developments in this field and the level of available scientific evidence, we applied a broad search strategy with no restrictions on wound type, target population, probiotic strain, or intervention protocol used.

Effects of Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis supplementation on gastrointestinal symptoms: systematic review with meta-analysis.

Context: The effects of probiotics on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms have been increasingly investigated, particularly that of Bifidobacterium animalis. Clinical trials so far have shown differing evidence regarding these effects in healthy adults.

Objective: To synthesize the published evidence on the effects of B.

Dietary inflammatory index and its relationship with gut microbiota in individuals with intestinal constipation: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To determine whether there is an association between the inflammatory potential of the diet, measured by the dietary inflammatory index (DII®), and the composition of intestinal microbiota in adults with functional constipation (FC).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 68 adults with FC. Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) was calculated from data obtained from food surveys, serum inflammation markers were measured and the composition of the intestinal microbiota was evaluated using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing method.

Vitamin D Supplementation and Sunlight Exposure on Serum Vitamin D Concentrations in 2 Parallel, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trials.

Background: Vitamin D concentrations are a function of sunlight exposure and dietary intake. However, current dietary vitamin D recommendations do not consider differences in country-specific sunlight availability or spontaneous individual exposure.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure on vitamin D concentrations in Brazilian women living in high compared with low latitudes.

A multiple-strain probiotic product provides a better enzymatic antioxidant response in individuals with constipation in a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Probiotics may have beneficial effects on intestinal dysbiosis. However, the effects of probiotics on redox and inflammatory responses in intestinal constipation remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a multiple-strain probiotic on the redox and inflammatory responses in individuals with intestinal constipation.

Exploring the Impact of Individual UVB Radiation Levels on Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Women Living in High Versus Low Latitudes: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the D-SOL Study.

Vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin via sunlight exposure as well as ingested through diet. Vitamin D deficiency is currently a major global public health issue, with increasing prevalence in both low and high latitude locations. This cross-sectional analysis aimed to compare the intensity of individual Ultraviolet B radiation levels between women of the same ethnicity living in England and Brazil, respectively; and to investigate the association with circulating 25(OH)D concentrations.

Effect of multispecies probiotic on gut microbiota composition in individuals with intestinal constipation: A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a multispecies probiotic on gut microbiota composition and constipation symptoms.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with 35 individuals with constipation for 30 days. The individuals were randomized into two groups: the control capsule (CC) and the probiotic capsule (PC) groups.

Dietary protein and appetite sensations in individuals with overweight and obesity: a systematic review.

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the effects of a high-protein diet on appetite sensations in individuals with overweight and obesity.

Methods: Two authors independently conducted literature searches, study selection, design of the method, and quality appraisal. The main inclusion criteria were studies involving protocols that present a protein intake greater than 1.

Suppression of Parathyroid Hormone as a Proxy for Optimal Vitamin D Status: Further Analysis of Two Parallel Studies in Opposite Latitudes.

Optimal vitamin D status has commonly been defined as the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) at which parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations would be maximally suppressed, represented by an observed minimum plateau. Previous findings indicate a large variation in this plateau, with values ranging from <30 nmol/L up to 100 nmol/L. This disparity in values might be explained by differences in study design and methodology, ethnicity, age, gender and latitude.

Association between 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Parathyroid Hormone, Vitamin D and Calcium Intake, and Bone Density in Healthy Adult Women: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the D-SOL Study.

There is still limited data on the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), parathyroid hormone (PTH), and bone health in healthy younger adults, particularly in Latin America. This cross-sectional analysis aimed to investigate the associations of 25(OH)D and plasma PTH concentrations with bone parameters, and potential confounders, in women living in a high (England) or low (Brazil) latitude country. Bone was assessed by either peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) (England) or dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan (Brazil), serum 25(OH)D concentrations by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and PTH by the chemiluminescent method.