-
Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and... 2020According to the rising prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders leading to impaired glucose metabolism, effective strategies to prevent and/or delay the onset of... (Review)
Review
According to the rising prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders leading to impaired glucose metabolism, effective strategies to prevent and/or delay the onset of disease are of great need. A plant-based diet has been suggested as an effective lifestyle change that may reduce the degree of obesity and improve outcomes related to glucose metabolism. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of a plant-based diet on outcomes related to glucose metabolism. A literature search was conducted in the database PubMed until January 30, 2020. Randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of a plant-based dietary intervention on outcomes related to glucose metabolism in human subjects compared to an omnivorous diet were eligible for inclusion. Of 65 publications identified, nine trials on subjects with overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or cardiovascular disease were included. Five studies reported that the plant-based intervention significantly improved markers of glycemic control from baseline to end point, of which four revealed a significant improvement in the intervention group compared to the control intervention. The remaining four studies did not observe a significant effect of a plant-based intervention on outcomes related to glucose metabolism. Our findings suggest that a shift to a plant-based diet may lead to favorable effects on glycemic control in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or obesity. The data were however somewhat conflicting, and the included trials reported results based on different intervention diets and study populations. Overall, no clear conclusions regarding effects of different plant-based diets can be drawn based on the current findings alone.
PubMed: 32884310
DOI: 10.2147/DMSO.S265982 -
Nutrients Aug 2020Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterised by chronic widespread pain alongside fatigue, poor sleep quality and numerous comorbidities. It is estimated to have a...
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterised by chronic widespread pain alongside fatigue, poor sleep quality and numerous comorbidities. It is estimated to have a worldwide prevalence of 1.78%, with a predominance in females. Treatment interventions for fibromyalgia have limited success, leading to many patients seeking alternative forms of treatment, including modifications to their diet and lifestyle. The effectiveness of dietary changes in fibromyalgia has not been widely researched or evaluated. This systematic review identified twenty-two studies, including 18 randomised control trials (RCTs) and four cohort studies which were eligible for inclusion. In total these studies investigated 17 different nutritional interventions. Significant improvements in reported pain were observed for those following a vegan diet, as well as with the low fermentable oligo di-mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diets. Supplementation with green algae, coenzyme Q10, acetyl-l-carnitine or a combination of vitamin C and E significantly improved measures of pain. Interpretation of these studies was limited due to the frequent poor quality of the study design, the wide heterogeneity between studies, the small sample size and a high degree of bias. Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to recommend any one particular nutritional intervention for the management of fibromyalgia and further research is needed.
Topics: Acetylcarnitine; Ascorbic Acid; Chlorella; Diet, Vegan; Dietary Supplements; Fermented Foods; Fibromyalgia; Humans; Nigella sativa; Pain; Phytotherapy; Quality of Life; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Seeds; Treatment Outcome; Ubiquinone; Vitamin E
PubMed: 32878326
DOI: 10.3390/nu12092664 -
Nutrients Aug 2020Fibromyalgia (FM) is a multifactorial syndrome of unknown etiology, characterized by widespread chronic pain and various somatic and psychological manifestations. The...
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a multifactorial syndrome of unknown etiology, characterized by widespread chronic pain and various somatic and psychological manifestations. The management of FM requires a multidisciplinary approach combining both pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies. Among nonpharmacological strategies, growing evidence suggests a potential beneficial role for nutrition. This review summarizes the possible relationship between FM and nutrition, exploring the available evidence on the effect of dietary supplements and dietary interventions in these patients. Analysis of the literature has shown that the role of dietary supplements remains controversial, although clinical trials with vitamin D, magnesium, iron and probiotics' supplementation show promising results. With regard to dietary interventions, the administration of olive oil, the replacement diet with ancient grains, low-calorie diets, the low FODMAPs diet, the gluten-free diet, the monosodium glutamate and aspartame-free diet, vegetarian diets as well as the Mediterranean diet all appear to be effective in reducing the FM symptoms. These results may suggest that weight loss, together with the psychosomatic component of the disease, should be taken into account. Therefore, although dietary aspects appear to be a promising complementary approach to the treatment of FM, further research is needed to provide the most effective strategies for the management of FM.
Topics: Acetylcarnitine; Ascorbic Acid; Chlorella; Diet, Vegan; Dietary Supplements; Fibromyalgia; Nutrition Therapy; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Syndrome; Ubiquinone; Vitamin E
PubMed: 32825400
DOI: 10.3390/nu12092525 -
Nutrients Jul 2020Long-term cancer survivors represent a sizeable portion of the population. Plant-based foods may enhance the prevention of cancer-related outcomes in these patients. We... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Long-term cancer survivors represent a sizeable portion of the population. Plant-based foods may enhance the prevention of cancer-related outcomes in these patients. We aimed to synthesize the current evidence regarding the impact of plant-based dietary patterns (PBDPs) on cancer-related outcomes in the general population and in cancer survivors. Considered outcomes included overall cancer mortality, cancer-specific mortality, and cancer recurrence. A rapid review was conducted, whereby 2234 original articles related to the topic were identified via Pubmed/Medline. We selected 26 articles, which were classified into studies on PBDPs and cancer outcomes at pre-diagnosis: vegan/vegetarian diet ( = 5), provegetarian diet ( = 2), Mediterranean diet ( = 13), and studies considering the same at post-diagnosis ( = 6). Pooled estimates of the associations between the aforementioned PBDPs and the different cancer outcomes were obtained by applying random effects meta-analysis. The few studies available on the vegetarian diet failed to support its prevention potential against overall cancer mortality when compared with a non-vegetarian diet (e.g., pooled hazard ratio (HR) = 0.97; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88-1.06). The insufficient number of studies evaluating provegetarian index scores in relation to cancer mortality did not permit a comprehensive assessment of this association. The association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cancer mortality reached statistical significance (e.g., pooled HR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.79-0.89). However, no study considered the influence of prognostic factors on the associations. In contrast, post-diagnostic studies accounted for prognostic factors when assessing the chemoprevention potential of PBDPs, but also were inconclusive due to the limited number of studies on well-defined plant-based diets. Thus, whether plant-based diets before or after a cancer diagnosis prevent negative cancer-related outcomes needs to be researched further, in order to define dietary guidelines for cancer survivors.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Diet, Mediterranean; Diet, Vegetarian; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Recurrence; Young Adult
PubMed: 32640737
DOI: 10.3390/nu12072010 -
Nutrients May 2020Vegan and vegetarian diets are becoming increasingly popular. Dietary restrictions may increase the risk of iodine deficiency. This systematic review aims to assess...
Vegan and vegetarian diets are becoming increasingly popular. Dietary restrictions may increase the risk of iodine deficiency. This systematic review aims to assess iodine intake and status in adults following a vegan or vegetarian diet in industrialised countries. A systematic review and quality assessment were conducted in the period May 2019-April 2020 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were identified in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and secondary sources. Fifteen articles met inclusion criteria. Participants included 127,094 adults (aged ≥ 18 years). Vegan groups presented the lowest median urinary iodine concentrations, followed by vegetarians, and did not achieve optimal status. The highest iodine intakes were recorded in female vegans (1448.0 ± 3879.0 µg day) and the lowest in vegetarians (15.6 ± 21.0 µg day). Omnivores recorded the greatest intake in 83% of studies. Seaweed contributed largely to diets of vegans with excessive iodine intake. Vegans appear to have increased risk of low iodine status, deficiency and inadequate intake compared with adults following less restrictive diets. Adults following vegan and vegetarian diets living in countries with a high prevalence of deficiency may be more vulnerable. Therefore, further monitoring of iodine status in industrialised countries and research into improving the iodine intake and status of adults following vegan and vegetarian diets is required.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Diet, Vegan; Eating; Female; Humans; Iodine; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Nutritional Status; Risk; Seaweed; Vegans; Vegetarians; Young Adult
PubMed: 32486114
DOI: 10.3390/nu12061606 -
Nutrients May 2020The beneficial effects of a vegetarian diet on blood pressure (BP) control have been reported in previous systematic reviews; however, so far, their relative... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The beneficial effects of a vegetarian diet on blood pressure (BP) control have been reported in previous systematic reviews; however, so far, their relative effectiveness is not well established. Here, we performed a systematic review together with trial sequential analysis to determine the effect of a vegetarian diet on the reduction of blood pressure. We searched the randomized controlled trial (RCT) through Medline, PubMed and Cochrane Central Register. Fifteen eligible RCTs with 856 subjects were entered into the analysis. The pooled results demonstrated that vegetarian diet consumption significantly lowered the systolic blood pressure (weighted mean difference (WMD), -2.66 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI) = -3.76, -1.55, < 0.001) and diastolic BP was WMD, -1.69 95% CI = -2.97, -0.41, < 0.001) as compared to an omnivorous diet. In subgroup analysis, a vegan diet demonstrated a greater reduction in systolic BP (WMD, -3.12 mm Hg; 95% CI = -4.54, -1.70, < 0.001) as compared with a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (WMD, -1.75 mm Hg, 95% CI -5.38, 1.88, = 0.05). The vegan diet has showed a similar trend in terms of diastolic blood pressure reduction (WMD, -1.92 mm Hg (95% CI = -3.18, -0.66, < 0.001) but those with a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet showed no changes in diastolic BP reduction (WMD, 0.00, 95% CI = 0.00, 0.00), =0.432). In conclusion, vegetarian diets are associated with significant reductions in BP compared with omnivorous diets, suggesting that they may play a key role in the primary prevention and overall management of hypertension.
Topics: Blood Pressure; Diet, Vegetarian; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 32486102
DOI: 10.3390/nu12061604 -
Nutrition Reviews Mar 2021Vegetarian and vegan diets are increasing in popularity. Although they provide beneficial health effects, they may also lead to nutritional deficiencies. Cognitive... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
CONTEXT
Vegetarian and vegan diets are increasing in popularity. Although they provide beneficial health effects, they may also lead to nutritional deficiencies. Cognitive impairment and mental health disorders have a high economic burden.
OBJECTIVE
A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between vegan or vegetarian diets and cognitive and mental health.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Proquest databases were examined from inception to July 2018.
STUDY SELECTION
Original observational or interventional human studies of vegan/vegetarian diets were selected independently by 2 authors.
DATA EXTRACTION
Raw means and standard deviations were used as continuous outcomes, while numbers of events were used as categorical outcomes.
RESULTS
Of 1249 publications identified, 13 were included, with 17 809 individuals in total. No significant association was found between diet and the continuous depression score, stress, well-being, or cognitive impairment. Vegans/vegetarians were at increased risk for depression (odds ratio = 2.142; 95%CI, 1.105-4.148) and had lower anxiety scores (mean difference = -0.847; 95%CI, -1.677 to -0.018). Heterogeneity was large, and thus subgroup analyses showed numerous differences.
CONCLUSIONS
Vegan or vegetarian diets were related to a higher risk of depression and lower anxiety scores, but no differences for other outcomes were found. Subgroup analyses of anxiety showed a higher risk of anxiety, mainly in participants under 26 years of age and in studies with a higher quality. More studies with better overall quality are needed to make clear positive or negative associations.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO registration no. CRD42018097204.
Topics: Anxiety; Cognition; Depression; Diet, Vegan; Diet, Vegetarian; Humans; Mental Health; Vegans; Vegetarians
PubMed: 32483598
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa030 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2020Creatine monohydrate is a nutritional supplement often consumed by athletes in anaerobic sports. Creatine is naturally found in most meat products; therefore,...
BACKGROUND
Creatine monohydrate is a nutritional supplement often consumed by athletes in anaerobic sports. Creatine is naturally found in most meat products; therefore, vegetarians have reduced creatine stores and may benefit from supplementation.
OBJECTIVE
to determine the effects of creatine supplementation on vegetarians.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed and SPORTDiscus. Eligibility criteria: Randomized controlled trials (parallel group, cross-over studies) or prospective studies.
PARTICIPANTS
Vegetarians.
INTERVENTION
Creatine supplementation. Study appraisal and synthesis: A total of 64 records were identified, and eleven full-text articles (covering nine studies) were included in this systematic review.
RESULTS
Creatine supplementation in vegetarians increased total creatine, creatine, and phosphocreatine concentrations in vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius muscle, plasma, and red blood cells, often to levels greater than omnivores. Creatine supplementation had no effect on brain levels of phosphocreatine. Creatine supplementation increased lean tissue mass, type II fiber area, insulin-like growth factor-1, muscular strength, muscular endurance, Wingate mean power output, and brain function (memory and intelligence) in vegetarian participants. Studies were mixed on whether creatine supplementation improved exercise performance in vegetarians to a greater extent compared to omnivores.
LIMITATIONS
Studies that were reviewed had moderate-high risk of bias.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, it appears vegetarian athletes are likely to benefit from creatine supplementation.
Topics: Athletes; Cognition; Creatine; Diet, Vegetarian; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Memory; Physical Fitness; Prospective Studies; Vegetarians
PubMed: 32349356
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17093041 -
Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2021It is known that nutritional composition of breast milk is, to a certain extent, related to maternal diet. The question of nutritional adequacy of mothers' milk is often...
It is known that nutritional composition of breast milk is, to a certain extent, related to maternal diet. The question of nutritional adequacy of mothers' milk is often raised whenever a vegetarian or vegan diet during the lactation process is concerned. For this reason, in some countries, the recruitment of vegan lactating women as milk donors is excluded by milk banks. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize existing knowledge on variability of specific nutrients in breastmilk of mothers adhering to a plant-based diet. The databases, including MEDLINE (Pubmed) and Scopus, were used to identify relevant publications. Data extraction and analysis were conducted following a PRISMA protocol. Thirteen publications concerning the impact of dietary pattern and levels of animal-origin food intake on breast milk composition were included. The systematic review has shown that all non-vegetarian, vegetarian and vegan mothers produce breast milk of comparable nutritional value. Several differences are primarily attributed to fatty acids and some micro-components, primarily vitamin B12. Regardless of dietary choices, nourishment and adequate nutrition have a significant impact on human milk composition - on the basis of the current evidence, vegetarian and vegan mothers are capable of producing nutritionally valuable milk for their infants, as far as the appropriate supplementation compensating for breastfeeding mother's nutritional requirements is provided. Dietary choices should not be a permanent exclusion criterion for donor candidates in human milk banks.
Topics: Animals; Breast Feeding; Diet; Diet, Vegan; Diet, Vegetarian; Female; Humans; Infant; Lactation; Milk, Human; Vegans
PubMed: 32319307
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1753650