Nutrition
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We examined the feasibility and acceptability of a non-restrictive diet that was focused on increasing dietary fiber and lean protein intake for weight loss. ⋯ A diet that promotes increased fiber and lean protein intake demonstrates feasibility and high acceptability ratings, which resulted in calorie and weight reductions and an improvement of the dietary quality.
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Obesity is a known strong risk factor for the onset of knee osteoarthritis and is often accompanied by dysregulated lipid metabolism with elevated levels of free fatty acids such as saturated fatty acids (SFAs). The purpose of this study was to determine how autophagy varies in chondrocytes in response to predominant SFAs such as lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids. ⋯ These results represent a novel mechanism by which various SFAs activate autophagy and simultaneously modulate NFκB signaling pathways and the expression of chondrocyte regulatory genes.
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Gastroesophageal reflux disease is very common in industrialized countries and rapidly and significantly increasing even in developing countries. The approach in this study is one not commonly found to date in the scientific literature. To assess the ability of reduced-carbohydrate diets and foods that are enriched with acid potential of hydrogen (pH; lemon and tomato) to quickly and exponentially reduce symptoms that are related to conditions such as gastritis and gastroesophageal reflux and unrelated to Helicobacter pylori. ⋯ This study shows that a carbohydrate-free diet and/or highly hypoglycidal diet that is enriched with acid pH foods appears to lead to a decrease in the pH of the gastric contents, thus inhibiting the further production of hydrochloric acid with a reduction or disappearance of heartburn symptoms that are typical of gastroesophageal diseases.
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Postmenopausal osteoporosis is one of most commonly occurring skeletal diseases leading to bone loss and fragility. Probiotics have been associated with various immunomodulatory properties and thus can be exploited to enhance bone health. In the present study, we report, to our knowledge for the first time, that oral administration of Bacillus clausii (BC) in postmenopausal osteoporotic (OVX) mice model enhances bone health. ⋯ The present study strongly supports and establishes the osteoprotective potential of BC leading to enhanced bone health in postmenopausal osteoporotic mice model.
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A high-salt diet is considered a cardiovascular risk factor; however, the mechanisms are not clear. Research suggests that gut bacteria-derived metabolites such as trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are markers of cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated the effect of high salt intake on gut bacteria and their metabolites plasma level. ⋯ High salt intake increases plasma TMAO concentration, which is associated with decreased TMAO urine excretion. Furthermore, high salt intake alters gut bacteria composition. These findings suggest that salt intake affects an interplay between gut bacteria and their host homeostasis.