Does dietary fat affect inflammatory markers in overweight and obese individuals? —a review of randomized controlled trials from 2010 to 2016
ConclusionMost interventions showed either no or minor effects of dietary fat intake on inflammatory markers in overweight and obese subjects. To progress our understanding on how diet and dietary components affect our health, mechanistic studies are required. Hence, future studies should include whole diets and characterization of obese phenotypes at a molecular level, including omics data and gut microbiota. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - October 4, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Amino acid supplements and metabolic health: a potential interplay between intestinal microbiota and systems control
AbstractDietary supplementation of essential amino acids (EAAs) has been shown to promote healthspan. EAAs regulate, in fact, glucose and lipid metabolism and energy balance, increase mitochondrial biogenesis, and maintain immune homeostasis. Basic science and epidemiological results indicate that dietary macronutrient composition affects healthspan through multiple and integrated mechanisms, and their effects are closely related to the metabolic status to which they act. In particular, EAA supplementation can trigger different and even opposite effects depending on the catabolic and anabolic states of the organisms. Among...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - October 4, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Ancestors ’ dietary patterns and environments could drive positive selection in genes involved in micronutrient metabolism—the case of cofactor transporters
ConclusionsThese findings could support the importance of considering individual ’s genetic makeup along with their metabolic profile when tailoring personalized dietary interventions for optimizing health. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - October 4, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Dietary and health biomarkers —time for an update
AbstractIn the dietary and health research area, biomarkers are extensively used for multiple purposes. These include biomarkers of dietary intake and nutrient status, biomarkers used to measure the biological effects of specific dietary components, and biomarkers to assess the effects of diet on health. The implementation of biomarkers in nutritional research will be important to improve measurements of dietary intake, exposure to specific dietary components, and of compliance to dietary interventions. Biomarkers could also help with improved characterization of nutritional status in study volunteers and to provide much m...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - September 29, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Role of microRNAs in obesity and obesity-related diseases
AbstractIn recent years, the link between regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) and diseases has been the object of intensive research. miRNAs have emerged as key mediators of metabolic processes, playing crucial roles in maintaining/altering physiological processes, including energy balance and metabolic homeostasis. Altered miRNAs expression has been reported in association with obesity, both in animal and human studies. Dysregulation of miRNAs may affect the status and functions of different tissues and organs, including the adipose tissue, pancreas, liver, and muscle, possibly contributing to metabolic abnormalities associated...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - September 25, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Short-term dietary methionine supplementation affects one-carbon metabolism and DNA methylation in the mouse gut and leads to altered microbiome profiles, barrier function, gene expression and histomorphology
ConclusionsTogether, these changes indicate that short-term feeding of MSD substantially alters the normal gut physiology. These effects may contribute to the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammatory diseases and/or sensitize the gut to exposure to other stressors. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - September 6, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Multi-parameter comparison of a standardized mixed meal tolerance test in healthy and type 2 diabetic subjects: the PhenFlex challenge
ConclusionThe PFT enables the quantification of all relevant metabolic processes involved in maintaining or regaining homeostasis of metabolic health. Studying both healthy subjects and subjects with impaired metabolic health showed that the PFT revealed new processes laying underneath health. This study provides the first evidence towards adopting the PFT as gold standard in nutrition research. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - August 29, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Lactase persistence in Tunisia as a result of admixture with other Mediterranean populations
ConclusionsOur study provided a first report of LP-associated alleles and haplotypes in the Tunisian population. We highlighted a gradient followed by LP diffusion from Europe to North Africa. Based on the rich historic background of Tunisia, we suggest that this adaptive trait was introduced in that geographic region by a relatively recent gene flow. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - August 24, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Formidable challenges to the notion of biologically important roles for dietary small RNAs in ingesting mammals
AbstractThe notion of uptake of active diet-derived small RNAs (sRNAs) in recipient organisms could have significant implications for our understanding of oral therapeutics and nutrition, for the safe use of RNA interference (RNAi) in agricultural biotechnology, and for ecological relationships. Yet, the transfer and subsequent regulation of gene activity by diet-derived sRNAs in ingesting mammals are still heavily debated. Here, we synthesize current information based on multiple independent studies of mammals, invertebrates, and plants. Rigorous assessment of these data emphasize that uptake of active dietary sRNAs is ne...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - July 7, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Bioavailability of transgenic microRNAs in genetically modified plants
ConclusionsThese preliminary results imply digestive stability and high expression levels of miRNAs in plants do not readily equate to bioavailability. This initial work suggests novel engineering strategies be employed to enhance miRNA bioavailability when attempting to use transgenic foods as a delivery platform. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - July 7, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Examining for an association between candidate gene polymorphisms in the metabolic syndrome components on excess weight and adiposity measures in youth: a cross-sectional study
ConclusionsOur observation suggests that AGT-rs699 and FTO-rs17817449 variants may contribute to the risk development of excess weight and an increase in the BMI, while IRS2-rs1805097 showed a protector effect; in addition, UCP3- rs1800849 showed a decreasing waist circumference. Socioeconomic and perinatal factors had no effect on the associations of the candidate gene. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - July 4, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Diet-derived microRNAs: unicorn or silver bullet?
AbstractIn ancient lore, a bullet cast from silver is the only effective weapon against monsters. The uptake of active diet-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) in consumers may be the silver bullet long sought after in nutrition and oral therapeutics. However, the majority of scientists consider the transfer and regulation of consumer ’s gene activity by these diet-derived miRNAs to be a fantasy akin to spotting a unicorn. Nevertheless, groups like Dr. Chen-Yu Zhang’s lab in Nanjing University have stockpiled breathtaking amounts of data to shoot down these naysayers. Meanwhile, Dr. Ken Witwer at John Hopkins has steadfastly ca...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - June 22, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Navigating dietary small RNAs
AbstractWhen a novel nutritional concept comes along, scientists become enthusiastic and start new explorations. In 2012, the field was enthralled with a study suggesting plant-based nucleic acid “information” acts as a bioactive to regulate animal metabolism. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - June 22, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Milk exosomes: beyond dietary microRNAs
AbstractExtracellular vesicles deliver a variety of cargos to recipient cells, including the delivery of cargos in dietary vesicles from bovine milk to non-bovine species. The rate of discovery in this important line of research is slowed by a controversy whether the delivery and bioactivity of a single class of vesicle cargos, microRNAs, are real or not. This opinion paper argues that the evidence in support of the bioavailability of microRNAs encapsulated in dietary exosomes outweighs the evidence produced by scholars doubting that phenomenon is real. Importantly, this paper posits that the time is ripe to look beyond mi...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - June 22, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Obesity and microbiota: an example of an intricate relationship
AbstractIt is widely accepted that metabolic disorders, such as obesity, are closely linked to lifestyle and diet. Recently, the central role played by the intestinal microbiota in human metabolism and in progression of metabolic disorders has become evident. In this context, animal studies and human trials have demonstrated that alterations of the intestinal microbiota towards enhanced energy harvest is a characteristic of the obese phenotype. Many publications, involving both animal studies and clinical trials, have reported on the successful exploitation of probiotics and prebiotics to treat obesity. However, the molecu...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - June 15, 2017 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
