Nutrition reviews
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Perioperative immune modulation using specialized enteral diets containing specific immunonutrients may improve postoperative outcomes in critically ill patients compared with standard formulas. A study from Italy involving 305 patents with histologically confirmed cancer of the gastrointestinal tract undergoing major elective surgery and preoperative weight loss < 10% demonstrated that a specialized preoperative oral formula enriched with arginine, omega-3 fatty acids, and RNA for 5 days before surgery with no nutritional support postoperatively (preoperative group) was as effective as pre- and postoperative administration of the same enriched formula (perioperative group) in decreasing the incidence of postoperative infections and length of hospital stay. Both pre- and perioperative immunonutritional strategies were superior to the conventional approach (no artificial nutrition perioperatively).
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Previous research has indicated that volatile odorants are detected through the main olfactory epithelium (MOE), whereas pheromones are detected via the vomeronasal organ (VNO). Gene disruption studies have established that olfactory signaling through the MOE is mediated through receptor stimulation of type 3 adenylyl cyclase (AC3). ⋯ Recently, it was discovered using olfactory-based behavioral assays that AC3 mutant mice can detect some volatile odorants. An analysis of these mutant mice led to the surprising discovery that some odorants are detected through the VNO.
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Mexico and other Latin American countries are currently undergoing important demographic, epidemiologic and nutrition transitions. Noncommunicable chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and high blood pressure are becoming public health problems as the population experiences an important reduction in physical activity and an increase in energy-dense diets. In contrast, the prevalence of undernutrition is declining in most countries, although several decades will be needed before the prevalence drops to acceptable values. The objective of this article is to discuss the characteristics of the nutrition transition with emphasis in data from Mexico, Brazil, and Chile.
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The role of certain nutrients that seem to have pharmacologic effects on immune and inflammatory parameters has been studied over the last two decades. This area of research is called immunonutrition. ⋯ The rate of infectious complications and length of hospital stay was decreased in those receiving immunonutrients compared with patients receiving no nutritional support. The role of the individual components of this immunonutrition and the clinical trials of similar combinations in surgical gastrointestinal cancer patients are reviewed.
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The purpose of this review is to examine the relationship between glycemic carbohydrate and its effect on body weight regulation. By contrast to fat, carbohydrate has a positive impact on energy intake, energy expenditure, and body weight control. ⋯ So far there are no indications that carbohydrate classes differ greatly with respect to energy expenditure and energy balance. However, the impact of carbohydrate source and class, as well as the form in which carbohydrate is consumed (i.e., solid or liquid) on body weight control requires further consideration.