Nutrition
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Anxiety is the most prevalent type of mental disorder and a significant health concern. Cross-sectional studies have detected a positive association between obesity and anxiety. What is less clear is whether weight loss can reduce anxiety. ⋯ Mean weight loss ranged from 0.7 to 18.6 kg (SD 4.5) and in three of the studies, anxiety fell by 9.2% to 11.4% and did not change in four studies. When macronutrient content was considered, only one of four interventional studies and one pilot study reported a beneficial effect of a moderate-fat diet on anxiety. There appears to be no strong evidence to indicate that diet-induced weight loss has a beneficial effect on anxiety, however, none of the diet-induced weight loss studies assessed had a detrimental effect on anxiety.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
One-month of calcium supplementation does not affect iron bioavailability: a randomized controlled trial.
Calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) are essential minerals for normal growth and development. Although previous studies have shown that Ca inhibits acute Fe absorption, there is no evidence of the possible long- or medium-term effects of Ca supplementation on Fe bioavailability. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 34 d of Ca supplementation on heme Fe and non-heme Fe bioavailability in non-pregnant women of ages 33 to 47 y. ⋯ The administration of calcium supplements for 34 d does not affect iron bioavailability. This trial is registered with Controlled-trials.gov, number ISRCTN 89888123.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of buttermilk consumption on blood pressure in moderately hypercholesterolemic men and women.
Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) found in buttermilk is rich in unique bioactive proteins. Several studies suggest that MFGM proteins possess biological activities such as cholesterol-lowering, antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer properties, but data in humans are lacking. Furthermore, to our knowledge, no study has yet investigated the antihypertensive potential of MFGM proteins from buttermilk. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of buttermilk consumption on blood pressure and on markers of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAS) system in humans. ⋯ Short-term buttermilk consumption reduces blood pressure in normotensive individuals.
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Low bone mineral density (BMD), osteopenia, and osteoporosis are frequent complications of celiac disease (CD). The etiology of pathologic bone alterations in CD is multifactorial; however, two main mechanisms are involved: intestinal malabsorption and chronic inflammation. A strict gluten-free diet (GFD) is thought to be the only effective treatment for CD; but treating bone complications related to CD remains complex. ⋯ Currently, a question of whether GFD alone is an effective treatment to correct the bone alterations in patients with CD is under debate. This review presents factors contributing to pathologic bone derangement, recent research on the epidemiology of low BMD, osteoporosis, and fractures, and the treatment of bone problems in patients with CD. The roles of calcium and transport mechanisms are additionally presented.