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Nutrients Nov 2021Plant-based diets, defined here as including both vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets, are growing in popularity throughout the Western world for various reasons,... (Review)
Review
Plant-based diets, defined here as including both vegan and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets, are growing in popularity throughout the Western world for various reasons, including concerns for human health and the health of the planet. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than meat-based diets and have a reduced environmental impact, including producing lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Dietary guidelines are normally formulated to enhance the health of society, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and prevent nutritional deficiencies. We reviewed the scientific data on plant-based diets to summarize their preventative and therapeutic role in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis. Consuming plant-based diets is safe and effective for all stages of the life cycle, from pregnancy and lactation, to childhood, to old age. Plant-based diets, which are high in fiber and polyphenolics, are also associated with a diverse gut microbiota, producing metabolites that have anti-inflammatory functions that may help manage disease processes. Concerns about the adequate intake of a number of nutrients, including vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fats, are discussed. The use of fortified foods and/or supplements as well as appropriate food choices are outlined for each nutrient. Finally, guidelines are suggested for health professionals working with clients consuming plant-based diets.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Chronic Disease; Diet, Vegan; Diet, Vegetarian; Dietetics; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nutrition Policy; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pregnancy; Young Adult
PubMed: 34836399
DOI: 10.3390/nu13114144 -
Nutrients Jan 2020Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract that characteristically develop in adolescence and... (Review)
Review
Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract that characteristically develop in adolescence and early adulthood. The reported prevalence of malnutrition in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients ranges between 20% and 85%. Several factors, including reduced oral food intake, malabsorption, chronic blood and proteins loss, and intestinal bacterial overgrowth, contribute to malnutrition in IBD patients. Poor nutritional status, as well as selective malnutrition or sarcopenia, is associated with poor clinical outcomes, response to therapy and, therefore, quality of life. The nutritional assessment should include a dietetic evaluation with the assessment of daily caloric intake and energy expenditure, radiological assessment, and measurement of functional capacity.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Colitis, Ulcerative; Crohn Disease; Diet Surveys; Female; Humans; Male; Malnutrition; Mass Screening; Nutrition Assessment; Nutritional Status; Prevalence; Young Adult
PubMed: 32023881
DOI: 10.3390/nu12020372 -
Nutrients Dec 2023Menopause is associated with an increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis. These diseases and unfavorable laboratory... (Review)
Review
Menopause is associated with an increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis. These diseases and unfavorable laboratory values, which are characteristic of this period in women, can be significantly improved by eliminating and reducing dietary risk factors. Changing dietary habits during perimenopause is most effectively achieved through nutrition counseling and intervention. To reduce the risk factors of all these diseases, and in the case of an already existing disease, dietary therapy led by a dietitian should be an integral part of the treatment. The following review summarizes the recommendations for a balanced diet and fluid intake, the dietary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, the role of sleep, and the key preventive nutrients in menopause, such as vitamin D, calcium, vitamin C, B vitamins, and protein intake. In summary, during the period of perimenopause and menopause, many lifestyle factors can reduce the risk of developing all the diseases (cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, and tumors) and symptoms characteristic of this period.
Topics: Female; Humans; Perimenopause; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Menopause; Vitamins; Osteoporosis
PubMed: 38201856
DOI: 10.3390/nu16010027 -
Journal of Renal Nutrition : the... Mar 2021The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the National Kidney Foundation collaborated to provide an update to the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for nutrition in... (Review)
Review
The International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism Commentary on the National Kidney Foundation and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in Chronic Kidney Disease.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the National Kidney Foundation collaborated to provide an update to the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for nutrition in chronic kidney disease (CKD). These guidelines provide a valuable update to many aspects of the nutrition care process. They include changes in the recommendations for nutrition screening and assessment, macronutrients, and targets for electrolytes and minerals. The International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism assembled a special review panel of experts and evaluated these recommendations prior to public review. As one of the highlights of the CPG, the recommended dietary protein intake range for patients with diabetic kidney disease is 0.6-0.8 g/kg/day, whereas for CKD patients without diabetes it is 0.55-0.6 g/kg/day. The International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism endorses the CPG with the suggestion that clinicians may consider a more streamlined target of 0.6-0.8 g/kg/day, regardless of CKD etiology, while striving to achieve intakes closer to 0.6 g/kg/day. For implementation of these guidelines, it will be important that all stakeholders work to detect kidney disease early to ensure effective primary and secondary prevention. Once identified, patients should be referred to registered dietitians or the region-specific equivalent, for individualized medical nutrition therapy to slow the progression of CKD. As we turn our attention to the new CPG, we as the renal nutrition community should come together to strengthen the evidence base by standardizing outcomes, increasing collaboration, and funding well-designed observational studies and randomized controlled trials with nutritional and dietary interventions in patients with CKD.
Topics: Dietary Proteins; Dietetics; Humans; Kidney; Nutritionists; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
PubMed: 32737016
DOI: 10.1053/j.jrn.2020.05.002 -
Nutrients May 2021Fasting potentials are the most interesting topics in the Nutritional Era. Fasting consists of the catabolism of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates to maintain blood...
Fasting potentials are the most interesting topics in the Nutritional Era. Fasting consists of the catabolism of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates to maintain blood glucose levels in a normal range. The action mechanisms of fasting were firstly understood in minor organisms and later in humans. Nutritional interventions of caloric restriction could attenuate age-associated epigenetic alterations and could have a protective effect against cellular alterations, promoting longevity and health span. While most fasting studies point out the weight and fat mass decreases, it is important to define specific guidelines for fasting and non-fasting days to enhance adherence, minimize the dropout rates of the interventions, and maximize body composition improvement. Although the panorama of evidence on fasting and caloric restriction is wide, there is a lack of a safe fasting protocol to guide physicians in its prescription. The main goal is to identify a how to use guide, a major posology of fasting, inserted within a huge dietetic personalized strategy leading to an optimal and healthy nutritional status.
Topics: Body Composition; Caloric Restriction; Dietetics; Fasting; Humans; Longevity; Practice Guidelines as Topic
PubMed: 34067055
DOI: 10.3390/nu13051570 -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2022Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder, diagnosed on the basis of typical motor disturbances, but also characterized by the presence of... (Review)
Review
Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder, diagnosed on the basis of typical motor disturbances, but also characterized by the presence of non-motor symptoms, such as rapid eye movement (REM)-sleep behavior disorders, olfactory impairment, and constipation, which are often prodromal to the onset of the disease. PD is often associated with the presence of oxidative brain injury and chronic neuroinflammation, with infiltration and accumulation of peripheral immune cells that have been found in affected brain regions of PD patients. Recently, the role of the gut-brain axis in the pathogenesis of PD is getting more and more attention, and several pieces of evidence indicate alterations in the gut microbiota of PD-affected patients. Diet exerts a central role in defining the microbiota composition and different dietetic patterns can result in a higher or lower abundance of specific bacteria that, in turn, can affect gut permeability and express anti- or pro-inflammatory metabolites. In the present review, the effects of the Mediterranean diet in modulating both PD onset and its progression will be considered with a special focus on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of this dietetic regimen as well as on its effects on the microbiota composition.
Topics: Humans; Parkinson Disease; Diet, Mediterranean; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder; Brain; Constipation
PubMed: 36613486
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010042 -
Current Nutrition Reports Dec 2022Depression and anxiety are mood disorders that affect health and therefore quality of life and increase the global burden of disease. One of the possible mechanisms in... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Depression and anxiety are mood disorders that affect health and therefore quality of life and increase the global burden of disease. One of the possible mechanisms in the pathophysiology of these mood disorders has been reported as oxidative stress and inflammation. In the light of this information, it is important to determine the relationship between antioxidant nutrients (such as vitamin D) and these diseases. There are points where the brain regions involved in the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety and vitamin D metabolism intersect.
RECENT FINDINGS
Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. For this reason, vitamin D screening should be performed in the prevention and treatment planning of these mood disorders. Vitamin D, which has antioxidant properties and activity in brain tissue, is important for mood disorders preventions or treatments but serum levels must be followed.
Topics: Humans; Vitamin D; Depression; Quality of Life; Antioxidants; Vitamins; Anxiety
PubMed: 36097104
DOI: 10.1007/s13668-022-00441-0 -
Frontiers in Nutrition 2021Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets have been long been used to reduce seizure frequency and more recently have been promoted for a variety of health conditions,... (Review)
Review
Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets have been long been used to reduce seizure frequency and more recently have been promoted for a variety of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and liver disease. Ketogenic diets may provide short-term improvement and aid in symptom management for some chronic diseases. Such diets affect diet quality, typically increasing intake of foods linked to chronic disease risk and decreasing intake of foods found to be protective in epidemiological studies. This review examines the effects of ketogenic diets on common chronic diseases, as well as their impact on diet quality and possible risks associated with their use. Given often-temporary improvements, unfavorable effects on dietary intake, and inadequate data demonstrating long-term safety, for most individuals, the risks of ketogenic diets may outweigh the benefits.
PubMed: 34336911
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.702802 -
Journal of Translational Medicine Jun 2020Worldwide, 70% of the adult population has limited expression of lactase enzyme with a wide variation among different regions and countries. Lactase deficiency may lead... (Review)
Review
Worldwide, 70% of the adult population has limited expression of lactase enzyme with a wide variation among different regions and countries. Lactase deficiency may lead to lactose intolerance (LI). Depending both on the amount of lactose ingested and on the lactase activity, people who suffer from lactose malabsorption might experience numerous gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms and manifestations. Treatment of LI mainly consists of reducing or eliminating lactose from the diet until the symptoms disappear as well as supplementing lactase, and inducing colon microbiome adaptation by probiotics. Cow's milk is one of the major source of calcium and several other vitamins and minerals. Thus, a complete exclusion of dairy products may favor the development of bone diseases such as osteopenia and osteoporosis. Therefore, the dietetic approach has a crucial role in the management of LI patients. Additionally, the use of lactose and milk-derived products in non-dairy products (e.g., baked goods, breakfast cereals, drinks, and processed meat) has become widespread in the modern industry (the so-called "hidden lactose"). In this regard, a strict adherence to the lactose-free diet becomes challenging for LI patients, forced to continuous check of all products and food labels. In fact, lactose-free product labeling is still controversial. Considering that nowadays a specific cut-off value establishing "lactose-free" labeling policy is lacking and that there is no universal law regulating the production and commercialization of "delactosed" products, identification of specific safe and suitable products with a well-recognized lactose-free logo might help consumers. This narrative review aims to identify the dietary management for lactose intolerant people, avoiding symptoms and nutrients deficiencies, helped by the use of specific labelling to guide them to choose the safer product on the market.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Cattle; Diet; Female; Food Labeling; Humans; Lactase; Lactose; Lactose Intolerance
PubMed: 32590986
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02429-2 -
Nutrients Mar 2020Dialysis and nutrition are two sides of the same coin-dialysis depurates metabolic waste that is typically produced by food intake. Hence, dietetic restrictions are... (Review)
Review
Dialysis and nutrition are two sides of the same coin-dialysis depurates metabolic waste that is typically produced by food intake. Hence, dietetic restrictions are commonly imposed in order to limit potassium and phosphate and avoid fluid overload. Conversely, malnutrition is a major challenge and, albeit to differing degrees, all nutritional markers are associated with survival. Dialysis-related malnutrition has a multifactorial origin related to uremic syndrome and comorbidities but also to dialysis treatment. Both an insufficient dialysis dose and excessive removal are contributing factors. It is thus not surprising that dialysis alone, without proper nutritional management, often fails to be effective in combatting malnutrition. While composite indexes can be used to identify patients with poor prognosis, none is fully satisfactory, and the definitions of malnutrition and protein energy wasting are still controversial. Furthermore, most nutritional markers and interventions were assessed in hemodialysis patients, while hemodiafiltration and peritoneal dialysis have been less extensively studied. The significant loss of albumin in these two dialysis modalities makes it extremely difficult to interpret common markers and scores. Despite these problems, hemodialysis sessions represent a valuable opportunity to monitor nutritional status and prescribe nutritional interventions, and several approaches have been tried. In this concept paper, we review the current evidence on intradialytic nutrition and propose an algorithm for adapting nutritional interventions to individual patients.
Topics: Algorithms; Female; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Male; Malnutrition; Middle Aged; Nutritional Status; Parenteral Nutrition; Peritoneal Dialysis; Precision Medicine
PubMed: 32188148
DOI: 10.3390/nu12030785