Preventing the Adverse Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 through Diet, Supplements, and Lifestyle

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ongoing worldwide pandemic, has cost the lives of almost 5 [...]

Fatty acid homeostasis in honey bees (Apis mellifera) fed commercial diet supplements

Honey bees obtain lipids from pollen or commercial supplements. These supplements do not fully support colony health. We tested the hypothesis that supplements are deficient because they lack essential fatty acids (EFAs). The five supplements we tested had low linolenic (⍵3) acid and were unbalanced (⍵6:⍵3 > 6) compared to natural pollen. We selected two of these supplements for further study because they had different levels of individual EFAs and different ⍵6:⍵3 ratios. Bees from hives fed these different supplements had equivalent tissue EFA levels. In choice assays, hives fed these different supplements were presented with flours with various absolute and relative levels of EFAs. We saw no difference in foraging preference. Rather, all hives preferred flours with small grain size and high protein to lipid ratios. We conclude that bees balance their internal EFAs and that differential colony nutrition does not affect foraging preference. The data also argue for more linolenic (⍵3) acid in commercial supplements.

Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Immunomodulatory Properties of Tea—The Positive Impact of Tea Consumption on Patients with Autoimmune Diabetes

The physiological markers of autoimmune diabetes include functional disorders of the antioxidative system as well as progressing inflammation and the presence of autoantibodies. Even though people with type 1 diabetes show genetic predispositions facilitating the onset of the disease, it is believed that dietary factors can stimulate the initiation and progression of the disease. This paper analyses the possibility of using tea as an element of diet therapy in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Based on information available in literature covering the last 10 years, the impact of regular tea consumption or diet supplements containing tea polyphenols on the oxidative status as well as inflammatory and autoimmune response of the organism was analyzed. Studies conducted on laboratory animals, human patients, and in vitro revealed positive effects of the consumption of tea or polyphenols isolated therefrom on the diabetic body. Few reports available in the literature pertain to the impact of tea on organisms affected by type 1 diabetes as most (over 85%) have focused on cases of type 2 diabetes. It has been concluded that by introducing tea into the diet, it is possible to alleviate some of the consequences of oxidative stress and inflammation, thus limiting their destructive impact on the patients’ organisms, consequently improving their quality of life, regardless of the type of diabetes. Furthermore, elimination of inflammation should reduce the incidence of immune response. One should consider more widespread promotion of tea consumption by individuals genetically predisposed to diabetes, especially considering the drink’s low price, easy availability, overall benefits to human health, and above all, the fact that it can be safely used over extended periods of time, regardless of the patient’s age.

Nutritional Evaluation and Biochemical Profiles of Microalgae as Potential Human Health Supplements

Food supplements industries, an important place must be assigned to nutraceuticals containing microalgae, nowadays accounting for a large and rapidly expanding market. The marketed products are mainly based on production strains, i.e., Spirulina and Chlorella in the composite situation, since two of them are cyanobacteria and the second one is eukaryotic. In the marketed form and several utilizations, and peculiarities that need special attention and adequate studies. General report is about the current scientific knowledge on each microalga, in particular the nutritional value and properties in prevention and wellbeing. Second, original studies are presented concerning the quality control of marketed products. Quality control is act as key argument in nutraceuticals validation. Microalgae one of particular organisms that need specific approaches to check identity and validate properties of microalgae. The paper is dedicated to the need for specificity in uses and to considerations about the future of microalgae in food supplements in our daily needs. India is a country with heterogenic population having diverse food habits become a driving force in the shift towards a greater recognition between diet and health care in research the use of few natural unprocessed foods like blue-green algae “spirulina” which has a galaxy of nutrients as diet supplements. The purpose of the present review is to compile evidence regarding the health benefits of spirulina, amount of evidence on health benefits are its effect in preventing anaemia, blood sugar and obesity many health diseases. Keywords: Microalgae, Nutraceuticals, Omega fatty acids, Phycocyanin, Spirulina: Blue-Green Algae.

Evaluation of cottonseed bioactive peptides supplementation on performance, egg quality, and total antioxidant activity of serum in laying hens

Background A study was undertaken to assess the effect of bioactive peptides derived from cottonseed (BPC) supplementation on productive performance, egg quality, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of serum and yolk in laying hens. A total of seventy-two 22-week-old Bovans White hens were randomly allocated to 12 cages to have similar cage body weight (1520 ± 5 g). The dietary treatments consist of basal diet (control) and basal diet supplements with 5 g BPC/kg of diet. Recording data initiated after 2 weeks. Results In the second week, hens fed diets containing BPC had significantly higher egg mass and egg weight (P < 0.05). Final BW was significantly higher in laying hens fed diets containing BPC (P < 0.05). The percentage of egg white protein as one of the highest quality proteins available was significantly higher in laying hens fed diets supplemented with BPC (P < 0.05). Hens fed diets containing BPC had significantly higher TAC compared with control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions The results indicated that addition of BPC to Bovans White hens at peaking period, receiving nutrient adequate diets, could induce favorable influences on egg quality and TAC of egg.

Lychee Seed as a Potential Hypoglycemic Agent, and Exploration of its Underlying Mechanisms

Food is people’s primal want. A reasonable diet and healthy food not only provide nutrients for human growth but also contribute to disease prevention and treatment, while following an unhealthy diet can lead to an increased risk of many diseases, especially metabolic disorders, such as diabetes. Nature is enriched with different food sources, and it seems that purely natural products are more in line with the current concept of health, which enhance the formation of the notion that “Food/Diet Supplements from Natural Sources as a Medicine.” As a delicious fruit, the medicinal values such as anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidation, and antiglycating properties of lychee have been found. Lychee (Litchi in Chinese) is a subtropical fruit plant belonging to the family Sapindaceae. It has been widely cultivated in warm climates worldwide, particularly in China, for thousands of years. In recent years, various phytochemical components such as quercetin, procyanidin A2, and (2R)-naringenin-7-O-(3-O-αL-rhamnopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside) have been identified in a lychee seed, which may lend a lychee seed as a relatively safe and inexpensive adjuvant treatment for diabetes and diabetic complications. In fact, accumulating evidence has shown that lychee seed, lychee seed extracts, and related compounds have promising antihyperglycemic activities, including improving insulin resistance, anti-inflammatory effect, lipid regulation, neuroprotection, antineurotoxic effect, and renoprotection effect. In this review, we summarized publications on antiglycemic effects and mechanisms of lychee seed, lychee seed extracts, and related compounds, which included their efficacies as a cure for diabetes and diabetic complications in cells, animals, and humans, attempting to obtain a robust evidence basis for the clinical application and value of lychee seed.

Behavioral Factors Associated with Medication Nonadherence in Patients with Hypertension

Medication nonadherence is associated with an increased risk of complications in hypertensive patients. We investigated behavioral factors associated with medication nonadherence in hypertensive patients in southern Taiwan. Using questionnaires, we collected data regarding clinicodemographic characteristics and nonadherence behaviors from 238 hypertensive patients. We assessed the self-reported prevalence of specific behaviors of medication nonadherence and investigated factors associated with each behavior using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The most common behavior of medication nonadherence was forgetting to take medication (28.6%), followed by discontinuing medication (9.2%) and reducing the medication dose (8.8%). Age ≥ 65 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.15–0.69) and male sex (aOR = 2.61, CI = 1.31–5.19) were associated with forgetting to take medication. The presence of comorbidities (diabetes, kidney disease, or both) and insomnia (aOR = 3.97, 95% CI = 1.30–12.1) was associated with reducing the medication dose. The use of diet supplements was associated with discontinuing the medication (aOR = 4.82, 95% CI = 1.50–15.5). Compliance with a low oil/sugar/sodium diet was a protective factor against discontinuing medication (aOR = 0.14; 95% CI = 0.03–0.75). The most pervasive behavior associated with medication nonadherence among hypertensive patients was forgetting to take medication. Age <65 years, male sex, comorbidities, insomnia, noncompliance with diet, and the use of dietary supplements were specifically associated with medication nonadherence.

European inter-comparison studies as a tool for perfecting irradiated food detection methods

In this paper, we present the results of inter-comparison studies on identification of irradiated food carried out by the leading European laboratories from 1991 to 2018. In 1990s, the Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine in Germany played the leading role in the organization of the inter-laboratory tests on this subject. At the beginning of the present century, the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition and Food National Spanish Centre took over this role. In total, 47 international tests were carried out in which nearly 500 samples of alimentary products were analysed in 37 laboratories from 14 European countries. The tests were aimed at proving the reliability of analytical methods – thermoluminescence (TL), photostimulated luminescence (PSL), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy – for identification of specific irradiated food products and to control the analytical skills and experience of participating laboratories. The results made possible a discussion on why some irradiated food samples are more difficult for identification. In general, the tests showed that TL measurements of products such as herbs, nuts, peppers, and raisins, and EPR studies of fish and chicken bones, fresh strawberries, and dried fruits could be used as reliable control methods. The challenge that control laboratories are facing now, is related to the identification of complex food products such as diet supplements or biopharmaceuticals, in which only some additives are irradiated.

Panax Ginseng C.A.Mey. as Medicine: The Potential Use of Panax Ginseng C.A.Mey. as a Remedy for Kidney Protection from a Pharmacological Perspective

Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. has been widely consumed as food/diet supplements from natural sources, and its therapeutic properties have also aroused widespread concern. Therapeutic properties of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. such as anti-inflammatory, ameliorating chronic inflammation, enhancing the immunity, resisting the oxidation again, and regulating the glucose and lipid metabolism have been widely reported. Recent years, lots of interesting studies have reported the potential use of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. in the management of DKD. DKD has become the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide, which increases the risk of premature death and poses a serious financial burden. Although DKD is somehow controllable with different drugs such as Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEI), Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) and lowering-glucose agents, modern dietary changes associated with DKD have facilitated research to assess the preventive and therapeutic merits of diet supplements from natural sources as medicine including Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. Findings from many scientific evidences have suggested that Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. can relieve the pathological status in cellular and animal models of DKD. Moreover, a few studies showed that alleviation of clinical phenotype such as reducing albuminuria, serum creatinine and renal anemia in DKD patients after application or consumption of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey.. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the effectiveness of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. as medicine for targeting pathological phenotypes in DKD from a pharmacological perspective. This review will provide new insights into the potential understanding use of Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. in the management of DKD in clinical settings.