Bring Health Benefits Research Articles

Doses de radiação gama na conservação da qualidade de morangos

Strawberries attracts consumers due to its bright red color, characteristic odor, soft texture and slightly acid taste, with several phytochemicals groups that can bring health benefits. However, strawberries are very susceptive to decay, with a short shelf life and do not support sanitization. The cooling reduces the metabolism of fruits during postharvest period and the irradiation can be used as a complement to improve fruit preservation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application different doses of gama irradiation (0,0 KGy; 0,5 KGy; 1,0 KGy e 1,5 KGy) aiming an extended shelf life and quality maintenance of strawberries stored at cold room (0 ± 1ºC and 90 ± 5% RH) during 15 days. Doses of gama irradiation were not sufficient to change quality parameters and nutritional compounds in strawberries during storage, and the microbiological levels were acceptable until the end of storage period regardless the treatment. Fruit treated with 1,5 KGy were characterized for the higher anthocyanins levels and maintained the lower visual decay index during the last days of storage when compared to other treatments.

Estudio de intervención aleatorizado para evaluar la prevalencia de enfermedad ateromatosa y renal ocultas y su impacto en la morbimortalidad: Proyecto ILERVAS

Background and objectivesChronic kidney disease (CKD) and atherosclerosis are 2 interrelated diseases that increase the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The objectives of the ILERVAS project are: 1) to determine the prevalence of subclinical arterial disease and hidden kidney disease; 2) to assess the impact of early diagnosis of both diseases on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and also on the progression of CKD; 3) to have a platform of data and biological samples. MethodsRandomized intervention study. From 2015 to 2017, 19,800 people (9,900 in the intervention group and 9,900 in the control group) aged between 45 and 70 years without previous history of cardiovascular disease and with at least one cardiovascular risk factor will be randomly selected from the primary health care centres across the province of Lérida. A team of experts will travel around in a mobile unit to carry out the following baseline tests on the intervention group: Artery ultrasound; (carotid, femoral, transcranial and abdominal aorta); ankle-brachial index; spirometry; determination of advanced glycation end products; dried blood spot and urine spot tests. Additionally, blood and urine samples will be collected and stored in the biobank to identify new biomarkers using omics studies. Participants will be followed up until 2025 for identification of cardiovascular events, treatment changes and changes in lifestyle. ConclusionsThe ILERVAS project will reveal the prevalence of subclinical vascular disease and hidden kidney disease, determine whether or not their early diagnosis brings health benefits and will also allow investigation of new risk factors.

Structure characteristics of a water-soluble polysaccharide purified from dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) pulp

Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit with good taste. It can bring health benefits to human body. As one of the major bioactive components in this fruit, the polysaccharides might contribute to the health benefits. However, the precise structure information remains unknown. A leading polysaccharide of dragon fruit pulp, DFPP, was purified and identified by NMR and GC–MS. →4-β-d-GlcpA-1→, →6-β-d-Galp-1→ and →4-α-l-Rhap-1→ constituted the backbone and α-l-Araf-1→5-α-l-Araf-1→ formed the branch chain. The precise structure was putatively identified as below. The molecular weight was 2.2×103kDa. The structure information of polysaccharides will be helpful to understand this fruit. [Display omitted]

Aloe vera and Probiotics: A New Alternative to Symbiotic Functional Foods

Providing products that beyond a high nutritional value brings health benefits to consumers is a major challenge to food industry. Functional foods, including prebiotics and probiotic as components, are the protagonists to promote these advantages. Aloe vera is a medicinal plant well characterized in terms of its chemical composition and therapeutic properties. Taking into account these characteristics Aloe vera represents an excellent natural source of prebiotics, as well as a substrate for lactic acid bacteria fermentation. Thus a symbiotic drink using Aloe vera as the main ingredient and lactic acid bacteria as probiotics with significant benefits to human health might represent a promising product to develop. Mini-review Article

A generalized resistance resource: faith. A nursing view.

Based on Aaron Antonovsky's salutogenic model, the authors of this article aim to analyze the term Faith as a Generalized Resistance Resource (GRR) of people's health and to delve the relevance of this construct to clinical practice in Nursing. The authors consider that, in order for nurses to intervene in the promotion of faith so as to bring health benefits to people, a solid educational training in this subject area is required by nursing students.

Encapsulação de compostos bioativos por coacervação complexa

The bioactive compounds are chemicals found in plants and are widely known for bringing health benefits, so it can be designated as functional foods. However, they are sensitive to various factors found in the environment that are exposed primarily to tratogastrointestinal and, moreover, are lipophilic, therefore, have low solubility in aqueous media. In this sense, the encapsulation of these compounds is an alternative protection, and the provision of such compounds in suitable amounts. The complex coacervation microencapsulation is a technique commonly used for such compounds, besides having front advantages to other techniques such as the use of biopolymers, no use of toxic agents, among others. Currently, there are a lot of research in this direction, which will be presented in this paper. Thus, the present review aims to present the main bioactive compounds studied and encapsulated as well as the parameters for complex coacervation technique.

The Berry Fruit Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart): Bringing Health Benefits and Exotism to the Modern Table

The Berry Fruit Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart): Bringing Health Benefits and Exotism to the Modern Table

The Beneficial Effects of Coffee in Human Nutrition

Coffee is a complex combination of chemicals such as phenolic chlorogenic acid, di terpenes and caffeine, which is a natural alkaloid that can be found in large amounts more in coffee than in any other dietary products. Coffee is also composed of many other constituents such as potassium, niacin, magnesium, and antioxidant substances, like tocopherols, that may play a role in its biological activity. Coffee is a beverage that can have different caffeine concentrations, depending on the methodology of beverage preparation and type of coffee. The annual amount of coffee consumed per person is about 4 kg in USA and about 3 kg in United Kingdom. In the last few years several studies have pointed out that the consumption of coffee can bring health benefits by influencing on many biological systems; for instance it has been shown that people who drink coffee regularly have lower risks of developing type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, liver cirrhosis and gallstones. Because the benefits of coffee on health seem to exceed the negative effects, coffee can be regarded as a functional food.

Produção de amoreira-preta no Brasil

O cultivo da amoreira-preta vem crescendo nos últimos anos. Este aumento da demanda é atribuído a vários fatores, de econômicos a sociais, que também ocorre devido às suas qualidades fitoquímicas, que podem trazer benefícios à saúde, a partir da busca por uma alimentação mais saudável. Além disso, trata-se de uma cultura com características, que a tornam uma opção viável para a pequena propriedade. O objetivo do presente artigo foi realizar uma atualização de literatura sobre a cultura da amoreira-preta, buscando verificar as principais tecnologias de manejo, assim como as carências do sistema de produção e o cenário para os próximos anos no Brasil.

Immune responses to Helicobacter pylori infection.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is one of the most common infections in human beings worldwide. H. pylori express lipopolysaccharides and flagellin that do not activate efficiently Toll-like receptors and express dedicated effectors, such as γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA), arginase, that actively induce tolerogenic signals. In this perspective, H. pylori can be considered as a commensal bacteria belonging to the stomach microbiota. However, when present in the stomach, H. pylori reduce the overall diversity of the gastric microbiota and promote gastric inflammation by inducing Nod1-dependent pro-inflammatory program and by activating neutrophils through the production of a neutrophil activating protein. The maintenance of a chronic inflammation in the gastric mucosa and the direct action of virulence factors (vacA and cytotoxin-associated gene A) confer pro-carcinogenic activities to H. pylori. Hence, H. pylori cannot be considered as symbiotic bacteria but rather as part of the pathobiont. The development of a H. pylori vaccine will bring health benefits for individuals infected with antibiotic resistant H. pylori strains and population of underdeveloped countries.

Community leaders' perspectives on engaging African Americans in biobanks and other human genetics initiatives.

There is limited information about what African Americans think about biobanks and the ethical questions surrounding them. Likewise, there is a gap in capacity to successfully enroll African Americans as biobank donors. The purposes of this community-based participatory study were to: (a) explore African Americans' perspectives on genetics/genomic research, (b) understand facilitators and barriers to participation in such studies, and (c) enlist their ideas about how to attract and sustain engagement of African Americans in genetics initiatives. As the first phase in a mixed methods study, we conducted four focus groups with 21 African American community leaders in one US Midwest city. The sample consisted of executive directors of community organizations and prominent community activists. Data were analyzed thematically. Skepticism about biomedical research and lack of trust characterized discussions about biomedical research and biobanks. The Tuskegee Untreated Syphilis Study and the Henrietta Lacks case influenced their desire to protect their community from harm and exploitation. Connections between genetics and family history made genetics/genomics research personal, pitting intrusion into private affairs against solutions. Participants also expressed concerns about ethical issues involved in genomics research, calling attention to how research had previously been conducted in their community. Participants hoped personalized medicine might bring health benefits to their people and proposed African American communities have a "seat at the table." They called for basic respect, authentic collaboration, bidirectional education, transparency and prerogative, and meaningful benefits and remuneration. Key to building trust and overcoming African Americans' trepidation and resistance to participation in biobanks are early and persistent engagement with the community, partnerships with community stakeholders to map research priorities, ethical conduct of research, and a guarantee of equitable distribution of benefits from genomics discoveries.

Utility of an alternative bicycle commute route of lower proximity to motorised traffic in decreasing exposure to ultra-fine particles, respiratory symptoms and airway inflammation--a structured exposure experiment.

BackgroundBicycle commuting in an urban environment of high air pollution is known to be a potential health risk, especially for susceptible individuals. While risk management strategies aimed to reduce exposure to motorised traffic emissions have been suggested, only limited studies have assessed the utility of such strategies in real-world circumstances.ObjectivesThe potential to lower exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP; < 0.1 μm) during bicycle commuting by reducing proximity to motorised traffic was investigated with real-time air pollution and intermittent acute inflammatory measurements in healthy individuals using their typical higher proximity, and an alternative lower proximity, bicycle commute route.MethodsThirty-five healthy adults (mean ± SD: age = 39 ± 11 yr; 29% female) completed two return trips, one each in the condition of their typical route (HIGH) and a pre-determined alternative route of lower proximity to motorised traffic (LOW); proximity being determined by the proportion of on-road cycle paths. Particle number concentration (PNC) and diameter (PD) were monitored in-commute in real-time. Acute inflammatory indices of respiratory symptoms (as a scalar of frequency from very low to very high / 1 to 5), lung function and spontaneous sputum (for inflammatory cell analyses) were collected immediately pre-commute, and immediately and three hours post-commute.ResultsIn the condition of LOW, compared to in the condition of HIGH, there was a significant decrease in mean PNC (1.91 x e4 ± 0.93 × e4 ppcc vs. 2.95 × e4 ± 1.50 × e4 ppcc; p ≤ 0.001), and the mean frequency of in-commute offensive odour detection (2.1 vs. 2.8; p = 0.019), dust and soot observation (1.7 vs. 2.3; p = 0.038) and nasopharyngeal irritation (1.5 vs. 1.9; p = 0.007). There were no significant differences between LOW and HIGH in the commute distance and duration (12.8 ± 7.1 vs. 12.0 ± 6.9 km and 44 ± 17 vs. 42 ± 17 min, respectively), or other indices of acute airway inflammation.ConclusionsExposure to PNC and offensive odour, and nasopharyngeal irritation, can be significantly lowered when utilising a route of lower proximity to motorised traffic whilst bicycle commuting, without significantly affecting commute distance or duration. This may bring health benefits for both healthy and susceptible individuals.

Meeting the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Among U.S. Youth

Participation in physical activity brings health benefits for adolescents. However, limited data are available on the percentage of U.S. adolescents who engage in levels of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities recommended in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2008 Guidelines). To examine the prevalence at which U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 years meet the 2008 Guidelines, and whether demographic and BMI variables influence that prevalence. Using data from an interviewer-administered self-report questionnaire in the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (analyzed in 2011), estimates were made of the percentage of adolescents who engaged in recommended levels of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities (≥60 minutes of aerobic activity/day and participation in muscle-strengthening activities ≥3 days/week). Among 6547 U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 years, 16.3% (95% CI=14.9%, 17.9%) met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines; 14.7% (13.3%, 16.2%) met the aerobic guideline only, 21.3% (19.4%, 23.3%) met the muscle-strengthening guideline only, and 47.8% (45.4%, 50.1%) met neither guideline. Adjusted for covariates, odds of meeting either the aerobic or muscle-strengthening guideline only or both guidelines versus meeting neither guideline were (p<0.05) higher among boys than girls. The odds of meeting the aerobic guideline only were higher among underweight/normal-weight adolescents than among obese adolescents. No clear pattern was observed by family groups according to poverty-to-income ratio. Less than 20% of adolescents reported engaging in recommended levels of both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

Traffic Control of Bacteria-Derived Molecules: A New System of Host-Bacterial Crosstalk

Virulent microorganisms, such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses, are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including toll-like receptors (TLRs) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization-domain proteins (NODs), and induce inflammatory responses in mammalian hosts. Conversely, commensal bacteria and probiotics, which symbiotically confer health benefits on the host organisms, can lodge in the host intestinal tract without inducing intestinal inflammation. Recent advances in investigations concerning host-microbial interactions have shown that some effector molecules secreted from beneficial bacteria activate cell survival pathways, such as those mediated by p38 MAPK and Akt, and bring health benefits to mammalian hosts. It is noteworthy that such bacteria-derived molecules are taken into the intestinal epithelia through a transport or endocytosis system, thereafter exhibiting their beneficial effects. Understanding this traffic control process can aid in the comprehension of host and microbe interactions and may provide new insight to clarify the pathogenesis of intestinal disorders. This paper highlights the intestinal trafficking systems of bacteria-derived molecules that affect the bacterial functions and modulate epithelial signaling cascades. The latter mechanism may contribute to the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis by improving the host damage induced by virulence factors and various disease states.

Amaranth Grain Brings Health Benefits to Young Normolipidemic Rats

This paper reports the impact of an extruded amaranth (Amaranthus spp) supplement on intestinal bile and fatty acids of normolipidemic rats. Forty-eight rats were fed either a control diet AIN 93-G (12 or 18% protein), or one of two levels of supplemental extruded amaranth flour for 48 days. Plasma glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, their fractions, and triacylglycerols, liver weight and lipid content, cecum short-chain fatty acids and fecal excretion of bile acids were determined. While no significant differences in the levels of plasma triacylglycerols, glucose or insulin, and liver parameters due to the diet were detected. Although amaranth promotes reduction of both total and LDL serum cholesterol, increased production of butyric acid in cecum and fecal excretion of deoxycholic acid in the feces. These results suggest that amaranth used routinely as a supplement to the standard casein diet could have a health-promoting value in the normal rat.

Efficacy of ‘Itrifal Saghir’, a combination of three medicinal plants in the treatment of obesity; A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundHerbal combination of Itrifal Saghir (triphala) has been widely used in traditional medicine. And brings health benefits such as antioxidant effect and scavenger of hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide radicals activity and substantiated in traditional medicine a anti-obesity.Material and methodIn this study we aimed to assess the efficacy of this herbal medicinal on reduction of weight and body mass index (BMI) of simple obese subjects in comparison with placebo. Obese subjects aged between 16 and 60 years were selected for 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial using a parallel design. Subjects were randomly assigned to take 5 grams of either the Itrifal Saghir (n = 31) or placebo (n = 31), 2 times daily for 12 weeks. Measures of body weight, BMI, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), were assessed at baseline and once every four weeks during the 12 week treatment period. The safety was evaluated by means of measuring the liver and kidney function. Homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated as [fasting insulin (μU/mL) × fasting glucose (mmol/L)/22.5].ResultsCompared to placebo group, in treatment group the mean difference of effective weight loss was 4.82Kg (CI95% 3.52 - 6.11, ρ < 0.001), the mean of decrease in waist circumference was 4.01 cm (CI 95% 2.13 - 5.90, ρ < 0.001), and the mean decrease in hip circumference was 3. 21 cm (CI 95% 1.96 - 4.45, ρ < 0.001) in treated subjects. No adverse effects or significant changes in liver and kidney function tests were observed in both placebo and treated groups.ConclusionsItrifal Saghir appears to produce a positive effect on weight loss in obese subjects.

Evaluation of Polyphenolic Profile and Nutritional Value of Non-Traditional Fruit Species in the Czech Republic — A Comparative Study

Dry matter, organic acids, ascorbic acid, minerals (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium) and polyphenolic profile of a number of non-traditional fruit species and their genotypes, namely blue honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), black mulberry (Morus nigra), Tomentosa cherry (Prunus tomentosa Thunb.) and jostaberry (Ribes nigrum x Grossularia uva-crispa) were investigated. The results showed that Lonicera genotypes displayed high levels of ascorbic acid and they were rich in minerals, with the cultivar ‘Amfora’ achieving the leading position in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content among all lesser known fruit species. Amelanchier cultivars represented a valuable source of ascorbic acid and calcium, ‘Tišňovský’ and ‘Smoky’ together with Morus nigra ‘Jugoslavska’ accumulated the highest level of examined polyphenolic compounds. Regular consumption of studied less common fruit species can bring health benefits so they can represent a high potential value for fruit growers and in addition they can be utilised as functional foods.

Year in review 2011: Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and airway biology

1UBC James Hogg Research Centre, Institute for Heart + Lung Health, Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, 2The Prince Charles Hospital and The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 3Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, and 4Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

Oral Hypoglycemic Activity of Culinary-Medicinal Mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatus and P. cystidiosus (Higher Basidiomycetes) in Normal and Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats

This study investigates the oral hypoglycemic activity of Pleurotus ostreatus (P.o.) and P. cystidiosus (P.c.) mushrooms on normal and alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats. Different doses (250, 500, 750, 1000, and 1250 mg/kg/body weight) of suspensions of freeze-dried and powdered (SFDP) P.o. and P.c. were administered to normal rats, and postprandial serum glucose levels were measured. Optimal time of activity was investigated using the dose 500 mg/kg. Hypoglycemic effect of a single dose of SFDP P.o. and P.c. (500 mg/kg) were investigated using diabetic male and female rats at different stages of estrous cycle and compared with metformin and glibenclamide. Chronic hypoglycemic activity of SFDP P.o. and P.c. (500 mg/kg) was studied using serum glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Maximally effective dose of SFDP P.o. and P.c. was 500 mg/kg. The highest reduction in the serum glucose level was observed 120 minutes after administration of mushrooms. A single dose of P.o. and P.c. significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the serum glucose levels of male diabetic rats. The hypoglycemic activity in female rats was highest in proestrous stage. The hypoglycemic effect of P.o. and P.c. is comparable with metformin and glibenclamide. Daily single administrations of P.o. and P.c. to diabetic rats exert apparent control on the homeostasis of blood glucose. SFDP P.o. and P.c. possessed marked and significant oral hypoglycemic activity. This study suggests the consumption of P.o. and P.c. mushrooms might bring health benefits to mankind as it shows hypoglycemic activity in rats.

Effect of a soybean and rice beverage on the lipid and glycemic metabolisms in hamsters

There is a growing interest in functional foods that, apart from their nutritional function, bring health benefits, contributing to wellbeing and/or reducing the risk of certain diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the functional effect of a soybean and rice beverage on the ponderal and nutritional parameters and on the lipid and glycemic metabolisms of male hamsters. Four groups of 8 animals were used: Control (commercial feed), C (commercial feed with added cholesterol), B (commercial feed plus beverage) and CB (commercial feed plus cholesterol and beverage). The food efficiency coefficient was equivalent for all the groups. The weight of the liver was on average 28% heavier in groups C and CB than in the other groups, indicating cholesterol deposition in this organ. Although there was no significant difference, the concentrations of total cholesterol and of its fractions (LDL and HDL) and of the triglycerides, were lower in group CB than in group C, showing a possible benefic effect of the beverage. The blood glucose concentration did not differ significantly (p&lt;0.05).