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Nutrients Nov 2021Evidence on the impact of diet, alcohol, body-mass index (BMI), and physical activity on mortality due to cancer and other cancer-related outcomes is still scarce....
Evidence on the impact of diet, alcohol, body-mass index (BMI), and physical activity on mortality due to cancer and other cancer-related outcomes is still scarce. Herein, we reviewed the contribution of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study to the current state of the art on the role of these factors in cancer mortality. We identified 45 studies using a rapid systematic review methodology. Dietary factors associated with reduced cancer mortality included raw vegetable intake; dietary fiber intake; the Mediterranean diet; other dietary scores; other diet patterns including low meat eaters, vegetarians/vegans, or fish eaters; dietary intake (or biomarkers) of some vitamins (e.g., vitamin D, vitamin K2, or Vitamin C); and intake of lignans. Physical activity and following healthy lifestyle recommendations also reduced cancer mortality risk. In contrast, dietary factors associated with higher cancer mortality risk included poor diet quality, consumption of alcohol and soft drinks including juice, and, to a lesser extent, intake of some fatty acids. Excess weight and obesity also increased the risk of cancer mortality. The EPIC study holds valuable information on diet and lifestyle factors and offers a unique opportunity to identify key diet-related factors for cancer mortality prevention.
Topics: Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Body Mass Index; Diet; Diet, Healthy; Exercise; Female; Humans; Life Style; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 34959845
DOI: 10.3390/nu13124293 -
The American Journal of Chinese Medicine 2022Fortune is a biennial Chinese woad of the Cruciferae family. It is primarily cultivated in China, where it was a staple in indigo dye manufacture till the end of the...
Fortune is a biennial Chinese woad of the Cruciferae family. It is primarily cultivated in China, where it was a staple in indigo dye manufacture till the end of the 17th century. Today, is used primarily as a therapeutic herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The medicinal use of the plant is separated into its leaves (Da-Qing-Ye) and roots (Ban-Lan-Gen), whereas its aerial components can be processed into a dried bluish-spruce powder (Qing-Dai), following dehydration for long-term preservation. Over the past several decades, has been generally utilized for its heat-clearing effects and bodily detoxification in TCM, attributed to the presence of several classes of bioactive compounds, including organic acids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and flavonoids, as well as lignans, anthraquinones, glucosides, glucosinolates, sphingolipids, tetrapyrroles, and polysaccharides. This paper aims to delineate from its closely-related species ( and ) while highlighting the ethnomedicinal uses of from the perspectives of modern and traditional medicine. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, PMC, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases was done for articles on all aspects of the plant, emphasizing those analyzing the bioactivity of constituents of the plant. The various key bioactive compounds of that have been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-allergic properties, along with the protective effects against neuronal injury and bone fracture, will be discussed. Collectively, the review hopes to draw attention to the therapeutic potential of not only as a TCM, but also as a potential source of bioactive compounds for disease management and treatment.
Topics: Alkaloids; Humans; Isatis; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Plant Leaves; Plant Roots
PubMed: 35139772
DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X22500069 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Nov 2019There have been various clinical studies on the effect of flaxseed-derived products on circulating inflammatory biomarkers, but the findings from these are... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
There have been various clinical studies on the effect of flaxseed-derived products on circulating inflammatory biomarkers, but the findings from these are contradictory. The aim of the present study was to clarify any association. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from inception to May 2018. From the eligible trials, 32 articles describing studies conducted on adults aged 18-70 y were selected for the meta-analysis. Meta-analyses using the random-effects model were performed to investigate the data and results showed significant effects of flaxseed intake on circulating high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) [weighted mean difference (WMD) = -0.75; 95% CI: -1.19, -0.30; P < 0.001] and TNFα (WMD = -0.38; 95% CI: -0.75,-0.01; P = 0.04). However, no significant changes were found in IL6 concentration (WMD = -0.24; 95% CI: -0.70, 0.21; P = 0.28) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (WMD = -0.34; 95% CI:-0.89, 0.20; P = 0.22). Moreover, by eliminating 1 of the studies from the sensitivity analysis, changes in IL6 concentration were significant (WMD = -0.44; 95% CI: -0.81, -0.08). The changes in inflammatory biomarkers were dependent on study design (parallel or crossover), supplement type (flaxseed, flaxseed oil, or lignan), study quality (high or low), and participants' age and BMI. According to this meta-analysis, flaxseed significantly reduced circulating concentrations of hs-CRP and TNFα, but did not affect IL6 and CRP. Further research is needed to examine the effect of different doses and long-term benefits of flaxseed and its derivatives on inflammatory factors.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; C-Reactive Protein; Dietary Supplements; Female; Flax; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-6; Lignin; Linseed Oil; Male; Middle Aged; Seeds; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Young Adult
PubMed: 31115436
DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmz048 -
Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2024Bioactive compounds (bioactives) such as phenolic acids, coumarins, flavonoids, lignans and carotenoids have a marked improvement effect on human health by acting on...
Bioactive compounds (bioactives) such as phenolic acids, coumarins, flavonoids, lignans and carotenoids have a marked improvement effect on human health by acting on body tissues or cells. Nowadays, with increasing levels of knowledge, consumers prefer foods that can provide bioactives beside the necessary nutrients (e.g., vitamins, essential fatty acids and minerals). However, an important barrier for incorporating bioactives into foods is their low thermal stability. Nevertheless, thermal processing is widely used by the food industries to achieve food safety and desired texture. The aim of this work is to give an overview of encapsulation technology to improve thermal stability of bioactives incorporated into different food products. Almost all thermal analysis and non-thermal methods in the literature suggest that incorporation of bioactives into different walls can effectively improve the thermal stability of bioactives. The level of such thermal enhancement depends on the strength of the bioactive interaction and wall molecules. Furthermore, contradictory results have been reported in relation to the effect of encapsulation technique using the same wall on thermal stability of bioactives. To date, the potential to increase the thermal resistance of various bioactives by gums, carbohydrates, and proteins have been extensively studied. However, further studies on the comparison of walls and encapsulation methods to form thermally stable carriers seem to be needed. In this regard, the same nature of bioactives and the specific protocol in the report of study results should be considered to compare the data and select the optimum conditions of encapsulation to achieve maximum thermal stability.
Topics: Humans; Vitamins; Flavonoids; Nutrients; Technology
PubMed: 36178297
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2127145 -
Pharmacological Research Feb 2020Raised plasma lipids are one the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Flaxseed contains considerable amounts of α-linolenic acid, phenolic compounds,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Raised plasma lipids are one the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Flaxseed contains considerable amounts of α-linolenic acid, phenolic compounds, and lignans, which each have the capacity to reduce circulating lipid concentrations. This study aimed to systematically review current evidence to identify the potential effects of flaxseed supplementation on blood lipid profiles using a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched for publications between January 1900 and May 2019. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) were analyzed using a random-effects model. The Cochrane Collaboration tool was also used to assess the risk of bias of the studies included. Sixty-two RCTs with a total of 3772 participants met the eligibility criteria. Our analysis showed that flaxseed supplementation significantly reduced total cholesterol (TC) (WMD = -5.389 mg/dL; 95% CI: -9.483, -1.295, p = 0.010), triglyceride (TG) (WMD = -9.422 mg/dL; 95% CI: -15.514, -3.330, p = 0.002), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD = -4.206 mg/dl; 95% CI: -7.260, -1.151, p = 0.007) concentrations. However, it had no effects on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD = 0.047 mg/dl; 95% CI: -0.777, 0.872, p = 0.910). This meta-analysis suggested that flaxseed supplementation improves serum TC, TG, and LDL-C, which could delay the progression of heart disease. Further studies with large-scale and better design are now needed to confirm these results.
Topics: Animals; Dietary Supplements; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flax; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 31899314
DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104622