Int J Vitam Nutr Res
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Int J Vitam Nutr Res · Jun 2021
Immunomodulatory role and potential utility of various nutrients and dietary components in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Recently, the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome cornoavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has become a great perturbation all around the globe and has many devastating effects on every aspect of life. Apart from the oxygen therapy and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, Remdesivir and Dexamethasone have been proven to be efficacious against COVID-19, along with various vaccine candidates and monoclonal antibody cocktail therapy for Regeneron. All of these are currently at different stages of clinical trials. ⋯ These nutritional and dietary supplements are potential candidates to curb the convulsive unfolding of novel COVID-19, in combination with other standard treatment protocols. In this review, various search engines were used to exploit available literature in order to provide a comprehensive review on nutritional and dietary supplements with respect to the viral infections. It will also provide a brief overview on some of the clinical trials that are in progress to assess the role of nutritional supplements, either alone or in combination with other pharmacological drugs, in fight against COVID-19.
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Int J Vitam Nutr Res · Jun 2021
No significant association between vitamin D and COVID-19: A retrospective study from a northern Italian hospital.
The world is currently overwhelmed by a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Clinically, COVID-19 shows a broad range of manifestations: from asymptomatic to severe and possibly lethal interstitial pneumonia. Several studies suggested the involvement of Vitamin-D (VitD) in reducing the risk of COVID-19 infections/severity. ⋯ Of them, 128 were positive (83 males, aged 62.7 ± 14.2 and 45 females, aged 69.3 ± 15.6) and 219 were negative (107 males, aged 62.8 ± 19.5 and 112 females, aged 54.3 ± 20.1). The averaged VitD levels were similar in the two groups: 21.8 ± 16.1 ng/mL and 22.8 ± 14.0 ng/mL for the COVID-19 positive and negative group respectively (p-value: 0.39), as well as the percentage of individuals having VitD levels below 30 ng/mL: 78.9% and 73.5% for the COVID-19 positive and negative group respectively. Because a large portion of patients were below the suggested 30 ng/mL threshold, we can't exclude that VitD supplementation, restoring normal levels, might be beneficial in reducing the risk of infection.
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Int J Vitam Nutr Res · Dec 2019
Folate and vitamin B-12 deficiencies additively impaired memory function and disturbed the gut microbiota in amyloid-β infused rats.
Folate and vitamin B12(V-B12) deficiencies are associated with metabolic diseases that may impair memory function. We hypothesized that folate and V-B12 may differently alter mild cognitive impairment, glucose metabolism, and inflammation by modulating the gut microbiome in rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like dementia. The hypothesis was examined in hippocampal amyloid-β infused rats, and its mechanism was explored. ⋯ The relative counts of Bacteroidia were lower and those of Clostridia were higher in AD-CON than Non-AD-CON. AD-FA, but not V-B12, separated the gut microbiome community compared to AD-CON and AD-VB12(P = 0.009). In conclusion, folate and B-12 deficiencies impaired memory function by impairing hippocampal insulin signaling and gut microbiota in AD rats.
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Int J Vitam Nutr Res · Jan 2013
Phytosterol content and fatty acid pattern of ten different nut types.
Ten different nut kinds (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts) were evaluated for their total oil and phytosterol content as well as their fatty acid composition. The total oil content was the predominant component; mean values oscillated between 45.2 % (cashews) and 74.7 % (macadamias). ⋯ MUFA- and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich nuts were peanuts and pecans, whereas Brazil nuts, pine nuts, and walnuts had the highest PUFA content (> 50 %); the high unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio ranged from 4.5 to 11.8. However, the fatty acid pattern of every nut is unique.
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Int J Vitam Nutr Res · Jan 2013
The Effects of Yerba Maté (Ilex Paraguariensis) consumption on IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10 production by bone marrow cells in wistar rats fed a high-fat diet.
An excessive consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) results in becoming overweight or obese, which triggers a chronic inflammatory condition that is associated with a high white blood cell count. Because of the potential for yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) (YM) to impact obesity, this study aimed to investigate the effects of YM consumption on the hematological response and on the production of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-10 by bone marrow cells from Wistar rats fed a HFD. Male Wistar rats were fed a control (CON) or HFD diet for twelve weeks. ⋯ However, cells from the HFD rats that were stimulated with LPS increased their IL-1α, IL-6, and TNF-α production, but YM consumption did not change this result. In summary, the consumption of YM affects the production of IL-1α, IL-6, and TNF-α by bone marrow cells, promotes weight loss, decreases the number of white blood cells, and significantly improves serum cholesterol level in HFD-fed rats. However, the bone marrow cells from the HFD+YM-fed rats challenged with LPS did not show improvement in the inflammatory response compared to the cells from animals fed only a HFD that were also challenged with LPS.