Volume 27 Issue 3

▪ Keyword : human breast milk, nutritional composition, macronutrients, fatty acids, minerals

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: As breast milk is considered nature’s best food for infant growth and development, understanding its nutritional composition is crucial for optimising the components of infant formula milk. In this study, we aimed to summarise the available evidence on the nutritional composition of breast milk from Chinese women, in particular, the macronutrients, fatty acids and minerals. Methods and Study Design: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Chinese databases for articles about human breast milk from Chinese women published in English or Chinese between 1999 and 2015.

▪ Keyword : kiwifruit, constipation, IBS, actinidin, Zyactinase

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Zyactinase® is an extract of green kiwifruit, formulated into the consumer healthcare products marketed as Phloe® and Kivia, used to assist in the relief of the symptoms associated with a range of digestive system dysfunction, including constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Methods and Study Design: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was undertaken to determine the effects of the kiwifruit extract on bowel movement, stool formation and IBS associated symptoms amongst a subject group of generally healthy individuals experiencing a period of moderate constipation.

▪ Keyword : palm olein, olive oil, blood lipids, cross-over trial, population intervention

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: As the most widely produced edible vegetable oil, palm oil is known as to contain a high level of saturated fatty acid, which was thought to adversely affect serum lipid profiles. However, recent studies have shown no influence or benefits of palm oil on serum lipids. The potential nutritional value of palm oil is attributed to the high mono-unsaturation at the crucial sn2-position of the oil's triacylglycerols, as with the so-called ‘healthy’ olive oil (OO). The aim of this study was to further test this hypothesis and evaluate the effects of consuming palm olein versus olive oil on serum lipid profiles in a Chinese population.

▪ Keyword : gestational diabetes mellitus, probiotics, inflammation, oxidative stress

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Very little is known about the use of probiotics among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) especially its effect on oxidative stress and inflammatory indices. The aim of present study was to measure the effect of a probiotic supplement capsule on inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers in women with newly-diagnosed GDM.

▪ Keyword : body composition, percentage body fat, prediction equation, anthropometry, Indonesian adults

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Anthropometric equations are widely used to estimate body composition however, are only appropriate for use in populations in which they have been developed and validated. The present study developed anthropometric prediction equations for Indonesian adults and cross-validated them with selected equations used in this population. Methods and Study Design: Six hundred Indonesian adults aged between 18– 65 years (292 males and 308 females) were divided equally into development and validation groups. Stature, body weight, skinfold thickness at eight sites, girth at five sites, and bone breadth at four sites were measured.

▪ Keyword : type 2 diabetes mellitus, vitamin D, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy, diabetes duration

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: To evaluate the association of vitamin D deficiency with type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods and Study Design: A total of 287 type 2 diabetic patients were categorized in two ways, and each divided into two groups: DPN (n=164) and non-DPN (NDPN) groups (n=123); and DN (n=148) and non-DN (NDN) groups (n=139). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D3] level. Correlation analysis between 25(OH)D3 and other indicators was performed.

▪ Keyword : dietary education, infant, pregnancy outcomes, weight gain, BMI

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: An increased prevalence of low maternal weight and insufficient pregnancy weight gain may be responsible for an increase in low birthweight infants in Japan. We aimed to examine the effects of individualised dietary education at medical check-ups on maternal/fetal outcomes in Japanese women.

▪ Keyword : children, overweight, obesity, socioeconomic status, China

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Income inequality in China has risen steadily over the past decades. This study explored the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and overweight among urban children aged 7-12 years in Chengdu, a comparatively prosperous metropolis city located in “the West China”, the backward, less developed region of China.

▪ Keyword : malnutrition, household food insecurity, national survey, nutrition surveillance, Nepal

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Preschool undernutrition remains a burden in Nepal. This paper reports results of surveys in 2013 and 2014, examining patterns of child nutritional status across the country, associations with household food insecurity and antecedent comparative national data for subsequent evaluations of nutritional status following the earthquake in Nepal in 2015. Methods and Study Design: A multi-stage sample was drawn comprising 21 sites in 75 districts of the country, representing the mountains, hills and Terai zones, providing proportionate to zonal samples of 4286 and 4947 households and 5401 and 5474 preschool children in each year, respectively.

▪ Keyword : diet history questionnaire, amino acid, dietary intake, validation study, Japanese

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Despite growing interest in the association between dietary amino acid intake and optimal health, validated dietary questionnaires that can estimate amino acid intake have been scarce. We examined the validity of amino acid intakes estimated using a self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ) comparing with 16-day semi-weighed dietary records (DR). Methods and Study Design: A total of 184 Japanese men and women completed a four-day DR and a DHQ four times, once in each season.

▪ Keyword : Sodium intake; Urinary sodium; Hearing threshold; Adolescent; Hearing loss

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: High sodium intake is a well-known risk factor for diseases such as cardiovascular and renal disease. There may also be links between sodium intake and inner ear symptoms. However, the available data are limited, and clinicians remain suspicious about sodium intake and hearing threshold. We analyzed the relationship between spot urine sodium concentration and sensorineural hearing loss in Korean adolescents.

▪ Keyword : L-carnitine, muscle wasting, cachexia, fatigue, oxidative stress

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Cachexia is a paraneoplastic syndrome that affects the large majority of patients with end-stage cancer. No known therapy exists to effectively overcome the severe symptoms of cachexia, which include anorexia, weight loss and fatigue. This study considered the results of both experimental and clinical studies to evaluate the suitability of L-carnitine and its derivatives as potential therapies for cachexia in patients with cancer.

▪ Keyword : age, CD4, anaemia, HIV, Javanese

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Anaemia in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is multifactorial and an increasingly important variable to consider in the management. This is the first study of anaemia in HIV infection in the Javanese population, which constitutes the largest ethnic group in Indonesia. The aim of this study was to determine the factors which are associated with anaemia in Javanese patients with HIV infection.

▪ Keyword : carbohydrate, glycemic load, prediabetes, diabetes, obesity

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Previous studies have obtained conflicting findings regarding the possible associations between glycemic load (GL) indices and diabetes. In the present study, we examined cross-sectional associations between several GL indices, including the total dietary GL, the energy-adjusted GL, and the prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism, including prediabetes and diabetes.

▪ Keyword : Food Guide Pagoda, food safety, follow-up study, the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, women

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Women are a dominant force in the family’s diet and nutrition in China. The short-term effects of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake were found. However, the long-term effects of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake on the food safety, energy, and intake frequency of women remain unclear. This study analyzed the effects of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake on the dietary behaviors of women one year after the earthquake.

▪ Keyword : epidemiology, dietary sodium, kidney diseases, oral health, urinalysis

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between urinary sodium, urinary sodium/creatinine, and urinary sodium/urine specific gravity and oral health behavior using nationally representative data. Methods and Study Design: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used; the sample analyzed in this study consisted a total of 15,013 respondents over 19 years old who had no missing values for the urinalysis or outcome variables.

▪ Keyword : diet, human health, Chinese, Indian, taste

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Taste perception plays a key role in consumer acceptance and food choice, which has an important impact on human health. Our aim was to examine the relationship between recognition thresholds for five basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami) in Chinese and Indians in relation to their dietary intake.

▪ Keyword : mini nutrition assessment, cognitive functioning, eating alone, older adults, Taiwan

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Nutritional status is not only associated with older individuals’ physical health but also has an impact on their cognitive functioning. Evidence indicates that a socially integrated lifestyle in the later stages of life protects against cognitive decline and dementia. This study tested the combined effect of two hazards, the risk of malnutrition and eating meals alone, on the cognitive changes among a representative sample of older Taiwanese individuals over an 8-year period.

▪ Keyword : eating disorders, mass media, parental factors, body shape, university students

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Eating disorders (ED) can be influenced by psychological and socio-cultural factors. The aim of this study was to explore the association between parental and media influences and body image concerns as factors in the onset of ED. Methods and Study Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 662 students (407 women and 255 men) attending one of three universities in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

▪ Keyword : case-control study, green tea, tea consumption, risk factors, type 2 diabetes

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: The association between tea consumption and type 2 diabetes risk remains inconsistent in Asian populations. This case-control study investigated the association between habitual tea consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes among Vietnamese adults. Methods and Study Design: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted during 2013-2015 in Vietnam.

▪ Keyword : DRD2 gene Taq1 polymorphisms, eating behavior, obesity, Malaysia, university students

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: This study investigated the association of DRD2 Taq1A, Taq1B and Taq1D gene polymorphisms with eating behavior, the preference/intake frequency/craving of high-fat foods and obesity in 394 Malaysian adults (161 males, 233 females; 308 Chinese, 86 Indians; 67 obese, 327 non-obese). Methods and Study Design: Eating behaviors namely Cognitive Restraint, Uncontrolled Eating and Emotional Eating scores were assessed by the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18. The preference/intake frequency/craving of 26 common high-fat Malaysian foods was assessed using a 7-point hedonic scale. Anthropometric measurements were taken and Taq1 gene polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism using DNA extracted from mouthwash samples.

▪ Keyword : methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, A1298C, polymorphism, folate concentration, meta-analysis

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) irreversibly converts 5,10- methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which is the main form of folate used in the body. Previous studies suggest that MTHFR polymorphism influences folate metabolism, but conflicting results are reported. We performed a meta-analysis to accurately characterize the association between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and peripheral blood folate concentration in healthy populations.

▪ Keyword : persistent diarrhea, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, pancreatic enzyme supplementation, children, length of diarrhea

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Persistent diarrhea has been proven to cause pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, due to decreased stimulation to the pancreas caused by prolonged mucosal injury. Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) given in conjunction to regular treatment is thought to be beneficial in replacing this pancreatic enzyme deficiency, avoiding the need of elemental diet. This study aims to evaluate the benefit of PERT in children with persistent diarrhea.

▪ Keyword : nutritional intervention, diabetes mellitus, wound healing, malnutrition, physical function

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Severe infection, inadequate food intake, and pressure ulcers in patients with type 2 diabetes can result in malnutrition. We describe a case in which rehabilitation nutrition was effective for treating a pressure ulcer in a malnourished patient with type 2 diabetes. Methods and Results: A 58-year-old man with type 2 diabetes was diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa on the left buttock and thigh and a severe pressure ulcer on his left kneecap.

▪ Keyword : thalassemia, genetic hemoglobin disorders, Philippines, anemia, iron deficiency

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia worldwide. In Southeast Asia, studies showed that genetic hemoglobin disorders also contribute significantly to the burden of anemia. The study aimed to estimate the proportion of thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies versus iron deficiency and other causes in a sample of anemic individuals; describe the characteristics of thalassemic subjects in terms of severity of anemia, adequacy of iron stores, and hematological profile; examine the intake of iron supplements among individuals with varying causes of anemia.

▪ Keyword : chronic inflammation, hip fracture, malnutrition, sarcopenia, elderly

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: To evaluate malnutrition and chronic inflammation as risk factors for sarcopenia in elderly patients with hip fractures, as defined by the criteria of the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia (AWGS). Methods and Study Design: A total of 327 elderly patients with hip fractures were enrolled in this retrospective observational study. The main outcome measure was the nutritional status and nutritional risk factors for sarcopenia in elderly patients.

▪ Keyword : meal accuracy, food safety, patient safety, meal delivery, specialised diets specialised

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Patients requiring therapeutic diets in hospital are at risk of exposer to dietary errors that may pose an acute threat to their safety. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of meal-related errors among hospitalised patients prescribed therapeutic diets, following the implementation of an electronic food-service system (EFS). Methods and Study Design: This observational study involved six wards in a tertiary metropolitan hospital that used an EFS for meal ordering and plating.

▪ Keyword : prognostic nutritional index, survival, advanced gastric cancer, serum albumin, lymphocytes

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Nutrition and inflammation play a crucial role in the development of cancer. The prognostic value of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has been confirmed in some types of human cancers. This study analyzed the prognostic significance of the preoperative PNI in patients with stage III gastric cancer after curative surgery.

▪ Keyword : health belief model, type 2 diabetes, self-efficacy education, quality of life, metabolic profile

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic illness which can be managed by patients’ commitment to self-care and self-efficacy behaviors. Methods and Study Design: A randomized controlled intervention study was carried out to determine the impact of self-efficacy education based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) in 240 patients with type 2 diabetes at the Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran between October 2014 and August 2015.

▪ Keyword : polycystic ovary syndrome, cinnamon, glycemic indices, lipid profile, adiponectin

▪ Content : Background and Objectives: The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic indices, serum lipids and adiponectin in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods and Study Design: This double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 84 overweight or obese PCOS patients. Subjects in cinnamon (n=42) and placebo (n=42) groups were given 3 cinnamon capsules (each one contained 500 mg cinnamon) or placebo daily for 8 weeks.