Nutrition
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Gastrointestinal tract diseases are characterized by an imbalance in physiological functions, which may involve inflammatory and metabolic pathways and trigger chronic, multifactorial, and idiopathic inflammatory disorders. The association of probiotics with prebiotics has the potential to remedy these afflictive conditions, because they attenuate or even block the adhesion of pathogenic microorganisms in the enteric environment. ⋯ The importance of products containing probiotics and fibers from Psyllium as prebiotics becomes increasingly evident when there is a health bias. Emerging health challenges and advances in research will drive selective approaches in biotechnology to discover and evaluate new probiotics and prebiotics that can potentially contribute to human health.
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The roles of gut microorganisms in cancer are diverse. Studies on metagenomics and bioinformatics have documented diverse microbial etiology in different tumors. Evidence supports that a commensal microbiome could provide a promising strategy to treat and prevent cancer through interference in several biologic processes, such as host cell survival and death, host immune function, inflammation, oncogenic signaling, and several hormone receptor signaling and detoxification pathways. ⋯ Thus, an interplay of gut microorganisms with their fatty acid metabolites and the endocannabinoid system play an important role in the development, progression, immunomodulation, and chemoresistance of cancer. In this review, we highlight aspects of the current knowledge of and interactions between the microbiome with fatty acids and the host endocannabinoid system. We also document their effect on host immunomodulation and chemoresistance, and discuss how these insights might translate into future development of microbiome-targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Numerous smartphone-based applications that guide parenting, child nutrition, and child health-related knowledge are available. Here, we reviewed the applications available in the Google Play Store for child nutrition, primarily focused on children aged <5 y. The keywords used in the search were "child nutrition," "child nutrition status assessment," and "parenting." We identified 370 apps from the play store and 33 qualified for the review. ⋯ Findings from this review suggest that the apps do not follow any uniform guidelines for delivering the child nutrition information to the caregivers. About 50% of apps did not mention the consulted source for its development, indicating the unavailability of uniform guidelines or policy documents for child nutrition app development. App-based intervention studies are recommended to assess the effectiveness of child nutrition/health smartphone applications.
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The potential clinical effects of licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) and its extracts have been investigated since ancient times. Whether pseudohyperaldosteronism, with consequent arterial hypertension, is the only endocrine effect produced by licorice is uncertain, and a role in the reproductive system has been proposed. This review aimed to summarize the current knowledge on the pharmacologic effects of licorice on male and female reproductive systems. ⋯ Licorice consumption can affect the reproductive system. However, its role needs to be further explored, especially due to the great variability of bioactive compounds used in existing studies.