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Nutrients Aug 2021Diet and dietary components have profound effects on the composition of the gut microbiota and are among the most important contributors to the alteration in bacterial... (Review)
Review
Diet and dietary components have profound effects on the composition of the gut microbiota and are among the most important contributors to the alteration in bacterial flora. This review examines the effects the "Western", "plant-based", "high-fat", "medical ketogenic", and "Mediterranean" diets have on the composition of the gut microbiota in both mice and human subjects. We show that specific dietary components that are commonly found in the "plant-based" and "Mediterranean" diet play a role in shifting the microbial composition. This review further evaluates the bacterial metabolites that are associated with diet, and their role in systemic inflammation and metabolic endotoxemia. Furthermore, the associations between diet/dietary components and altering bacterial composition, may lead to potential therapeutic targets for type II diabetes, obesity, and inflammatory diseases.
Topics: Animals; Diet; Diet, High-Fat; Diet, Ketogenic; Diet, Mediterranean; Diet, Vegetarian; Diet, Western; Endotoxemia; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Inflammation; Mice; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
PubMed: 34444955
DOI: 10.3390/nu13082795 -
Nutrients Dec 2021Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders. There is mounting evidence demonstrating the importance of nutrition in the development and progression...
Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders. There is mounting evidence demonstrating the importance of nutrition in the development and progression of mental disorders such as depression; however, less is known about the role of nutrition in anxiety disorders. This scoping review sought to systematically map the existing literature on anxiety disorders and nutrition in order to identify associations between dietary factors and anxiety symptoms or disorder prevalence as well as identify gaps and opportunities for further research. The review followed established methodological approaches for scoping reviews. Due to the large volume of results, an online program (Abstrackr) with artificial intelligence features was used. Studies reporting an association between a dietary constituent and anxiety symptoms or disorders were counted and presented in figures. A total of 55,914 unique results were identified. After a full-text review, 1541 articles met criteria for inclusion. Analysis revealed an association between less anxiety and more fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, "healthy" dietary patterns, caloric restriction, breakfast consumption, ketogenic diet, broad-spectrum micronutrient supplementation, zinc, magnesium and selenium, probiotics, and a range of phytochemicals. Analysis revealed an association between higher levels of anxiety and high-fat diet, inadequate tryptophan and dietary protein, high intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates, and "unhealthy" dietary patterns. Results are limited by a large percentage of animal and observational studies. Only 10% of intervention studies involved participants with anxiety disorders, limiting the applicability of the findings. High quality intervention studies involving participants with anxiety disorders are warranted.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Diet; Diet, Healthy; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Nutritional Status
PubMed: 34959972
DOI: 10.3390/nu13124418 -
Cell Apr 2022Diet as a whole, encompassing food composition, calorie intake, and the length and frequency of fasting periods, affects the time span in which health and functional... (Review)
Review
Diet as a whole, encompassing food composition, calorie intake, and the length and frequency of fasting periods, affects the time span in which health and functional capacity are maintained. Here, we analyze aging and nutrition studies in simple organisms, rodents, monkeys, and humans to link longevity to conserved growth and metabolic pathways and outline their role in aging and age-related disease. We focus on feasible nutritional strategies shown to delay aging and/or prevent diseases through epidemiological, model organism, clinical, and centenarian studies and underline the need to avoid malnourishment and frailty. These findings are integrated to define a longevity diet based on a multi-pillar approach adjusted for age and health status to optimize lifespan and healthspan in humans.
Topics: Caloric Restriction; Diet; Longevity; Nutritional Status
PubMed: 35487190
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.04.002 -
Nutrients Sep 2020Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic risk factors, characterized by abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c),... (Review)
Review
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic risk factors, characterized by abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), hypertension, and insulin resistance. Lifestyle modifications, especially dietary habits, are the main therapeutic strategy for the treatment and management of metabolic syndrome, but the most effective dietary pattern for its management has not been established. Specific dietary modifications, such as improving the quality of the foods or changing macronutrient distribution, showed beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome conditions and individual parameters. On comparing low-fat and restricted diets, the scientific evidence supports the use of the Mediterranean Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet intervention as the new paradigm for metabolic syndrome prevention and treatment. The nutritional distribution and quality of these healthy diets allows health professionals to provide easy-to-follow dietary advice without the need for restricted diets. Nonetheless, energy-restricted dietary patterns and improvements in physical activity are crucial to improve the metabolic disturbances observed in metabolic syndrome patients.
Topics: Caloric Restriction; Diet, Healthy; Diet, Mediterranean; Diet, Vegetarian; Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension; Exercise; Humans; Metabolic Syndrome
PubMed: 33003472
DOI: 10.3390/nu12102983 -
Nutrients Dec 2020Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic, progressive, and destructive granulomatous inflammatory bowel disorder that can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. It has... (Review)
Review
Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic, progressive, and destructive granulomatous inflammatory bowel disorder that can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. It has been presumed that different types of diet might improve gastrointestinal symptoms in CD patients. The aim of this review was to clarify the efficiency and indications of a low-"fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols" (FODMAP) diet (LFD) in CD and to further analyze the available data on other types of diets. PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and WILEY databases were screened for relevant publications regarding the effect of FODMAP diets on CD. Our search identified 12 articles analyzing the effect of an LFD in CD, 5 articles analyzing the effect of a Mediterranean diet (MD), 2 articles analyzing the effect of a vegetarian diet (VD), and 2 articles analyzing the effect of a low-lactose diet (LLD). The majority of the studies included in this review show the significant efficiency of the LFD in CD patients. We found significant evidence demonstrating that the LFD has a favorable impact on gastrointestinal symptoms in CD patients. Notwithstanding the evidence, it remains to be established if an LFD is more efficient than other types of diets in the short term and especially in the long term.
Topics: Crohn Disease; Databases, Factual; Diet; Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; Diet, Mediterranean; Diet, Vegan; Diet, Vegetarian; Fermentation; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Nutrition Therapy; Polymers
PubMed: 33291329
DOI: 10.3390/nu12123751 -
Nutrients Jun 2022Gut microbiota plays a significant role in the maintenance of physiological homeostasis, contributing to human health. Nevertheless, some factors (sex, age, lifestyle,... (Review)
Review
Gut microbiota plays a significant role in the maintenance of physiological homeostasis, contributing to human health. Nevertheless, some factors (sex, age, lifestyle, physical activity, drug-based therapies, diet, etc.) affect its composition and functionality, linked to pathologies and immunological diseases. Concerning diet, it interacts with microorganisms, leading to beneficial or detrimental outcomes for the health of host. On the other hand, physical activity is known to be useful for preventing and, sometimes, treating several diseases of cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, respiratory, and muscular systems. This paper focuses on diet and physical activity presenting the current knowledge about how different diets (Western, ketogenic, vegan, gluten free, Mediterranean) as well as different types of exercise (intensive, endurance, aerobic) could shape gut microbiota.
Topics: Diet; Diet, Gluten-Free; Diet, Vegan; Exercise; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Nutritional Status
PubMed: 35745186
DOI: 10.3390/nu14122456 -
Nutrients Apr 2021Chronic degenerative diseases (CDDs), represented mainly by obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), inflammatory bowel diseases,...
Chronic degenerative diseases (CDDs), represented mainly by obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), inflammatory bowel diseases, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease (HD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chronic respiratory diseases, and many cancers, have been, up to now, the most frequent causes of prolonged disability and death worldwide [...].
Topics: Chronic Disease; Diet; Diet, Mediterranean; Energy Intake; Exercise; Humans; Nutritional Status
PubMed: 33923865
DOI: 10.3390/nu13041372 -
International Journal of Environmental... Feb 2023Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally and here in the United States. Diet has a major impact on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally and here in the United States. Diet has a major impact on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. An unhealthy diet is the most significant potential behavioral and modifiable risk factor for ischemic heart disease. Despite these established facts, dietary interventions are far less frequent than pharmaceutical and procedural interventions in the management of cardiovascular disease. The beneficial effects of a plant-based diet on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality have been demonstrated in a number of recent clinical studies. The significant findings of each study are discussed in this review article, highlighting the role of a healthy plant-based diet in improving cardiovascular outcomes. From a clinician's standpoint, the knowledge and understanding of the facts and data points from these recent clinical studies would ensure more effective patient counseling on the substantial benefits of dietary interventions.
Topics: Humans; United States; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diet; Risk Factors; Diet, Healthy; Diet, Vegetarian
PubMed: 36834032
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043337 -
Molecular Metabolism Mar 2020Cancer is one of the greatest public health challenges worldwide, and we still lack complementary approaches to significantly enhance the efficacy of standard anticancer... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Cancer is one of the greatest public health challenges worldwide, and we still lack complementary approaches to significantly enhance the efficacy of standard anticancer therapies. The ketogenic diet, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet with adequate amounts of protein, appears to sensitize most cancers to standard treatment by exploiting the reprogramed metabolism of cancer cells, making the diet a promising candidate as an adjuvant cancer therapy.
SCOPE OF REVIEW
To critically evaluate available preclinical and clinical evidence regarding the ketogenic diet in the context of cancer therapy. Furthermore, we highlight important mechanisms that could explain the potential antitumor effects of the ketogenic diet.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS
The ketogenic diet probably creates an unfavorable metabolic environment for cancer cells and thus can be regarded as a promising adjuvant as a patient-specific multifactorial therapy. The majority of preclinical and several clinical studies argue for the use of the ketogenic diet in combination with standard therapies based on its potential to enhance the antitumor effects of classic chemo- and radiotherapy, its overall good safety and tolerability and increase in quality of life. However, to further elucidate the mechanisms of the ketogenic diet as a therapy and evaluate its application in clinical practice, more molecular studies as well as uniformly controlled clinical trials are needed.
Topics: Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; Diet, High-Fat; Diet, Ketogenic; Humans; Neoplasms; Quality of Life; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 31399389
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2019.06.026 -
Nutrients Nov 2021Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and globally. Dietary risk factors contribute to over half of all CVD deaths... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. and globally. Dietary risk factors contribute to over half of all CVD deaths and CVD-related disability. The aim of this narrative review is to describe methods used to assess diet quality and the current state of evidence on the relationship between diet quality and risk of CVD. The findings of the review will be discussed in the context of current population intake patterns and dietary recommendations. Several methods are used to calculate diet quality: (1) a priori indices based on dietary recommendations; (2) a priori indices based on foods or dietary patterns associated with risk of chronic disease; (3) exploratory data-driven methods. Substantial evidence from prospective cohort studies shows that higher diet quality, regardless of the a priori index used, is associated with a 14-29% lower risk of CVD and 0.5-2.2 years greater CVD-free survival time. Limited evidence is available from randomized controlled trials, although evidence shows healthy dietary patterns improve risk factors for CVD and lower CVD risk. Current dietary guidance for general health and CVD prevention and management focuses on following a healthy dietary pattern throughout the lifespan. High diet quality is a unifying component of all dietary recommendations and should be the focus of national food policies and health promotion.
Topics: Cardiovascular Diseases; Chronic Disease; Diet; Diet Surveys; Diet, Healthy; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Humans; Nutrition Assessment; Nutrition Policy; Nutritive Value; Prospective Studies; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Recommended Dietary Allowances
PubMed: 34959857
DOI: 10.3390/nu13124305