Association of High Calcitriol Serum Levels and Its Hydroxylation Efficiency Ratio with Disease Risk in SLE Patients with Vitamin D Deficiency.

Vitamin D (calcidiol) deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is more frequent than in healthy subjects (HS); it is associated with clinical activity and damage in SLE. Although calcidiol is considered the best indicator of the vitamin D serum status, its deficiency could not reflect its hydroxylation efficiency ratio and calcitriol serum status. This study was aimed at assessing the association of calcidiol and calcitriol serum levels and its hydroxylation efficiency ratio with the risk to clinical and renal disease activities in SLE patients.

The Relevance of Selenium Status in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease that can cause joint damage. Among the environmental risk factors, diet plays an important role because it can aggravate or attenuate inflammation. Selenium (Se) is considered an essential trace element since it is a structural component of antioxidant enzymes; however, its concentration can be affected by diet, drugs and genetic polymorphisms.

Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Endotoxemia in Young Obese Mexican Subjects.

Background: The gut microbiota plays an important role in human metabolism; previous studies suggest that the imbalance can cause a metabolic endotoxemia that may be linked to weight gain and insulin resistance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the gut microbiota composition, the lipopolysaccharide levels and the metabolic profile in obese and normal-weight young subjects.

Methods: We studied 32 obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and 32 normal-weight subjects (BMI = 18.

A REVIEW OF GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATIONS USED IN THE DIETARY GUIDELINES OF SELECTED COUNTRIES IN THE AMERICAS, EUROPE AND ASIA.

Introduction: Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) are an initiative by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) designed to help countries establish their own nutrition education principles. Such principles should be expressed through clear and specific messages that provide guidance and promote good health among populations. Many of these guidelines contain graphical representations (GRs) as visual aids for dietary guidance.

EFFECTS OF A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT ON THE INCIDENCE OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN SUSCEPTIBLE ADULTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL.

Introduction: although supplementation of specific micronutrients may improve immunologic factors, few studies about the combination of micronutrients with plant extracts on the occurrence of acute respiratory infections (ARI) have been published.

Objectives: to assess the effect of a nutritional supplement with micronutrients and plant extracts on the incidence of ARI in susceptible adults between January and April, 2012.

Methods: a randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo- controlled clinical trial was performed.

[Association between food behavior and hypercholesterolemia-LDL in university students].

Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia-LDL (H-LDL) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The association between H-LDL and feeding has focused on nutritional aspects. The study of the association between eating behavior (EB) and H-LDL in university students, could provide nutritional elements for correction and/or prevention in this population.

[Design and validation of a questionnaire to assess dietary behavior in Mexican students in the area of health].

Introduction: The dietary behavior (DB) establishes the relationship between the human being and foods and has an influence on nutrient intake and, therefore, it contributes to the health or disease status of a population, even among college students. There exit some validated instruments to assess food and nutrients intake, but there are very few assessing DB.

Objective: To design and validate a questionnaire to assess DB in Mexican college students.

Validation of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to assess food groups and nutrient intake.

Introduction: Semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) analyze average food and nutrient intake over extended periods to associate habitual dietary intake with health problems and chronic diseases. A tool of this nature applicable to both women and men is not presently available in Mexico.

Objective: To validate a FFQ for adult men and women.