Nutrition
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Sarcopenia is characterized by muscle mass depletion and decrease in muscle power or physical activity. We previously reported that low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) is closely involved with posttransplant mortality in patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the effects of pretransplant sarcopenia on survival and examine sequential changes in sarcopenic parameters after LDLT. ⋯ This prospective study confirmed that pretransplant sarcopenia is closely associated with short-term survival after LDLT and that GS recovers before SMM.
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Multivitamin/mineral supplements (MVM) are widely used in many populations. In particular, in pregnant women, MVM together with iron and folic acid are recommended to improve birth outcome and reduce low birth weight and rates of miscarriage. However, MVM use is common in the general population. ⋯ In particular, there were no significant differences between treatment and placebo groups. MVM use within the range of the dietary reference intake will not result in excess intake, even when including the impact of food and fortified food, and does not increase mortality. Taken together, these findings indicate that MVM can be safe for long-term use (more than 10 y).
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Dietary guanidinoacetic acid increases brain creatine levels in healthy men.
Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is an experimental dietary additive that might act as a creatine source in tissues with high-energy requirements. In this case study, we evaluated brain levels of creatine in white matter, gray matter, cerebellum, and thalamus during 8 wk oral GAA administration in five healthy men and monitored the prevalence and severity of side effects of the intervention. ⋯ Supplemental GAA led to a region-dependent increase of the creatine pool in the human brain. This might be relevant for restoring cellular bioenergetics in disorders characterized by low brain creatine and functional enzymatic machinery for creatine synthesis, including neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, or cerebrovascular disease.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
NUTRISCORE: A new nutritional screening tool for oncological outpatients.
The aim of this study was to design a new nutritional screening tool (NUTRISCORE) to detect nutritional risk in outpatients with cancer. ⋯ NUTRISCORE has been found to be a novel, fast, and valid nutritional screening tool for outpatients with cancer. Its simplicity and high level of accuracy in detecting nutritional risk facilitates its applicability.
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Selenium is an essential trace element in the diet, required for maintenance of health and growth; however, its toxicity could cause serious damage depending on dose and chemical form. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) represent what we believe to be a novel prospect for nutritional supplementation because of their lower toxicity and ability to gradually release selenium after ingestion. ⋯ We also discuss absorption and bioavailability of nanoparticles within the organism. SeNPs demonstrate anticancer and antimicrobial properties that may contribute to human health, not only as dietary supplements, but also as therapeutic agents.