COVID-19 Severity Is Associated with Selenium Intake among Young Adults with Low Selenium and Zinc Intake in North Carolina.

Background: The effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain a global public health emergency because of the ensuing economic burden and death. With robust research into vaccines, antibody treatments, and antiviral drugs for COVID-19, there is still a dearth of evidence on the role of an individual's nutritional status on the severity of COVID-19.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) status and COVID-19 severity among individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in North Carolina.

Influence of Sex and Strain on Hepatic and Adipose Tissue Trace Element Concentrations and Gene Expression in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J High Fat Diet Models.

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of sex and strain on the dysregulation of trace element concentration and associative gene expression due to diet induced obesity in adipose tissue and the liver. Male and female C57BL/6J (B6J) and DBA/2J (D2J) were randomly assigned to a normal-fat diet (NFD) containing 10% kcal fat/g or a mineral-matched high-fat diet (HFD) containing 60% kcal fat/g for 16 weeks. Liver and adipose tissue were assessed for copper, iron, manganese, and zinc concentrations and related changes in gene expression.

Elevated whole blood manganese is associated with impaired cognition in older adults, NHANES 2013-2014 cycle.

Manganese (Mn) is found in many commonly consumed foods and therefore its deficiency is rare. However, excessive exposure to Mn from contaminated drinking water as well as occupational exposure can result in toxic accumulation in the brain, which has been associated with impaired neurological function. The objective of this study was to examine the NHANES 2013 - 2014 cycle focusing on the relationship between whole blood Mn concentrations and cognitive tests including working memory, word recall and sustained attention in elderly adults (aged 60 years and older).

Estimated Phytate Intake Is Associated with Improved Cognitive Function in the Elderly, NHANES 2013-2014.

Phytate, an antioxidant, may improve cognition by inhibiting iron catalyzed hydroxyl radical formation. Particularly in the elderly, this provides a potential dietary approach for mitigating age-related brain neuronal dysfunction and loss. In this study, we investigated the relationship between phytate intake and cognitive function in the elderly.

Inflammatory diets are associated with lower total iron binding capacity in sera of young adults.

Chronic, systemic inflammation, which is associated with obesity and numerous other diseases, impairs iron status by increasing hepcidin concentration. Inflammation also decreases the concentration of transferrin, the main iron transport protein and a negative acute phase protein, which is indirectly assessed by measuring total iron binding capacity (TIBC). However, the contribution of diet-induced inflammation has not been studied.

Feasibility of Mass-Spectrometry to Lower Cost and Blood Volume Requirements for Assessment of B Vitamins in Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery.

Bariatric surgery induces deficiencies in a combination of B vitamins. However, high costs and a large blood volume requirement are barriers to routine screening. We adapted and validated a method coupling tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to facilitate cost-effective analysis for simultaneous detection of B vitamins in low volumes of plasma.

Comparison of single-step transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy and conventional photorefractive keratectomy in low to high myopic eyes.

Purpose: To compare the visual outcome, safety, safety index, efficacy, efficacy index and corneal transparency between single-step transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (t-PRK) and conventional photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with manual debridement of epithelium in eyes with low to high simple myopia and compound myopic astigmatism.

Methods: In this retrospective ,case control study, we analysed and compared the postoperative uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) , safety, safety index,efficacy,efficacy index and the corneal transparency between t-PRK and PRK with 6-generation Amaris excimer 500E laser (Schwind eye-tech-solutions) in 115 eyes of 59 patients.

Results: Preoperative Mean Refractive Spherical Equivalent (MRSE) was - 3.

Household Food Insecurity, Breastfeeding, and Related Feeding Practices in US Infants and Toddlers: Results From NHANES 2009-2014.

Objective: To examine the relationships among food insecurity, breastfeeding, and other related feeding practices by race/ethnicity among US infants and toddlers.

Design: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2009-2014, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey.

Participants: Infants and toddlers aged 0-24 months with complete data on household food security status (n = 2,069).

Relationship between Selenium and Hematological Markers in Young Adults with Normal Weight or Overweight/Obesity.

Selenium deficiency has been linked to anemia of inflammation, which is mediated by hepcidin. However, there are few studies providing evidence of the role of hepcidin in this relationship. In this study, we investigated the interrelationships among selenium biomarkers, hepcidin concentration, and iron status among individuals with overweight/obesity compared to their normal weight counterparts, since obesity is associated with chronic inflammation.

Association between Phytate Intake and C-Reactive Protein Concentration among People with Overweight or Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study Using NHANES 2009/2010.

Phytic acid has anti-oxidant properties, which are useful in addressing inflammation. This study investigated the relationship between dietary phytate intake and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels among individuals that are overweight or obese. The study used cross-sectional data from the 2009/2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 3152 subjects.

Iron Absorption from Iron-Enriched Is Similar to Ferrous Sulfate in Healthy Female Subjects.

Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) remains a global health issue, affecting mainly children and adolescent and pregnant women. Because of problems associated with current iron compounds used in both supplementation and fortification areas, there is an emerging interest in new natural iron sources to combat IDA.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the iron absorption of iron-enriched [Aspiron (ASP)] with FeSO in humans.

Impact of Iron-Enriched Aspergillus oryzae on Iron Bioavailability, Safety, and Gut Microbiota in Rats.

Iron deficiency is a leading global nutritional problem. Ferrous sulfate (FeSO) is the most common iron source used for supplementation. Because of many side effects associated with its consumption, it is important to identify new forms of iron.

Comparison of Oral Iron Supplement Formulations for Normalization of Iron Status Following Roux-EN-y Gastric Bypass Surgery: a Randomized Trial.

Background: The evidence behind recommendations for treatment of iron deficiency (ID) following roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) lacks high quality studies.

Setting: Academic, United States OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to compare the effectiveness of oral iron supplementation using non-heme versus heme iron for treatment of iron deficiency in RYGB patients.

Methods: In a randomized, single-blind study, women post-RYGB and iron deficient received non-heme iron (FeSO, 195 mg/day) or heme iron (heme-iron-polypeptide, HIP, 31.

Dietary Intervention for Glucose Tolerance In Teens (DIG IT): Protocol of a randomized controlled trial using health coaching to prevent youth-onset type 2 diabetes.

Background: Youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a disease that is newly emerging and behavioral strategies for its prevention are limited. Interventions that target the lifestyle behaviors of adolescents, to improve poor dietary quality and reduce excessive sedentariness, promise to reduce the risk of developing T2D. Health coaching is effective for promoting healthy behaviors in patients who have chronic disease, but few experimental studies are in adolescents.

Fractional Zinc Absorption for Men, Women, and Adolescents Is Overestimated in the Current Dietary Reference Intakes.

Background: The fractional zinc absorption values used in the current Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for zinc were based on data from published studies. However, the inhibitory effect of phytate was underestimated because of the low phytate content of the diets in the studies used.

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the fractional absorption of dietary zinc from the US diet by using 2 published algorithms.

Associations between Diet Behaviors and Measures of Glycemia, in Clinical Setting, in Obese Adolescents.

Objective: To determine the influence of dietary behaviors, assessed in a clinical setting, on measures of glycemia in overweight and obese adolescents.

Study Design: The study is a retrospective, cross-sectional chart review. Eligible participants were overweight youth (N = 146, age 9-21 years) who attended the Youth Diabetes Prevention Clinic in Indianapolis, IN.

Influence of diet and supplements on iron status after gastric bypass surgery.

Background: Iron deficiency is common after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, but there is no consensus on the optimal diet quality and quantity for restoring and preserving iron status.

Objectives: The authors explored the impact of dietary and supplemental sources of iron and absorptive factors on iron status.

Setting: Academic, United States.

Total Iron Bioavailability from the US Diet Is Lower Than the Current Estimate.

Background: Total (heme and nonheme) iron bioavailability from the US diet has been estimated to be 18% based on a single human absorption study. New data, however, suggest that it may be time to revisit this estimate.

Objective: We estimated total iron bioavailability from the US diet with the use of our recently reported algorithm that estimates nonheme iron absorption and a conservative value for heme iron absorption.

Regular Consumption of a High-Phytate Diet Reduces the Inhibitory Effect of Phytate on Nonheme-Iron Absorption in Women with Suboptimal Iron Stores.

Background: High phytate (HP) consumption is a concern in developing countries because of the high prevalence of iron deficiency in these countries.

Objective: We investigated whether habitual consumption of an HP diet reduces the inhibitory effect of phytate on nonheme-iron absorption.

Methods: Thirty-two nonanemic females, 18-35 y of age, with normal body mass index but with suboptimal iron stores (serum ferritin, ≤30 μg/L), were matched for serum ferritin concentration and randomly assigned to HP and low-phytate (LP) groups, in a parallel design study.

A complete diet-based algorithm for predicting nonheme iron absorption in adults.

Many algorithms have been developed in the past few decades to estimate nonheme iron absorption from the diet based on single meal absorption studies. Yet single meal studies exaggerate the effect of diet and other factors on absorption. Here, we propose a new algorithm based on complete diets for estimating nonheme iron absorption.

Effect of lysine supplementation on health and morbidity in subjects belonging to poor peri-urban households in Accra, Ghana.

Background: Lysine affects diarrhea and anxiety via effects on serotonin receptors, enhanced intestinal repair, and sodium chloride-dependent opioid peptide transport.

Objective: The objective was to investigate the effects of lysine supplementation on morbidity, growth, and anxiety in children and adults of peri-urban areas of Accra, Ghana.

Design: In a double-blind randomized trial, the effect of lysine supplementation (1 g lysine/d) compared with that of placebo was examined in 2 groups of men, women, and children (n = 271).