Journal of Nutrition and Food Security
Volume:4 Issue: 1, Feb 2019

Aspergillus flavus is a toxic contaminant in foods, which can induce mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic effects. In last decades, synthetic fungicides have been used for inhibition of fungal growth in plants. The public attention was also attracted to contamination of food chain by these chemicals. Therefore, in the current study, we decided to use Zataria multiflora (ZM) essential oil to inhibit the Aspergillus flavus growth. The essential oil from ZM was obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by GC/MS. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) of ZM essential oil were determined at different concentrations (0-1000 ppm). In this study, Carvacrol (33.45%) and Thymol (34.44%) were the most frequent compounds of the ZM essential oil. The minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations were 100 and 400 ppm, respectively. The presence of phenolic compounds such as Thymol and Carvacrol, as the major components of ZM essential oil inhibits the Aspergillus flavus growth. Furthermore, this essential oil has a very strong anti-bacterial effect. Considering these results, it seems that ZM essential oil is potentially an appropriate natural alternative for controlling Aspergillus flavus fungus.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is known as a degree of glucose intolerance that occurs for the first time during pregnancy. There is paucity of evidence regarding the effect of oat bran on GDM. Oat as a source of β-glucan can be effective in reducing the blood sugar levels. This study aimed to investigate the effect of oat bran on fasting blood sugar (FBS) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in patients with GDM. This single-blind clinical trial was conducted on 90 pregnant women with GDM. The experimental group (EG) consumed 30 g of oat bran daily with 100 g of low-fat yogurt before lunch and dinner for 4 weeks. The control group (CG) consumed only low-fat yogurt and both groups received nutrition counseling. The present study investigated the FBS, HbA1c, and weight gain at the beginning and after four weeks of intervention. Out of 90 patients, 80 completed the study. FBS decreased in the EG (P = 0.04, -2.75 ± 8.22), whereas, it increased in the CG (P = 0.003, 4.37 ± 8.72). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of HbA1c levels. Weight gain was controlled more efficiently in the EG than the CG (P = 0.001). The use of oat bran for four weeks decreased the FBS,; whereas, it did not affect HbA1c levels. Weight gain was controlled better in the EG than the CG.

The present study was carried out to enable, motivate, persuade, and assist the households to use their nutritional knowledge for the promotion of their nutritional status. In this descriptive- analytical study, 188 households were randomly selected from four regions, which were selected as the population lab in Zahedan city in south-east of Iran. In the studied households, mothers were selected as the target group since they were the main caregivers in families. In the educational intervention, nutrition experts educated the participants individually. Pre- and post-tests were administered before and after the intervention. The educational program included three sessions with regard to every region of population lab. The questionnaire investigated the participants' knowledge (15 items) and practice (10 items). The total scores of knowledge and practice were calculated and participants were classified to be in weak, medium, and good status in this regard. P < 0.05 was considered as significant. The mean scores of knowledge were 6.5 ± 2.7 and 8.6 ± 3.0 for before and after the intervention, respectively (P = 0.0001). A significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the association of mothers' knowledge with their age and family size of households (P < 0.01). The results showed that the knowledge of participants was weak (55% vs. 21.5%), medium (43% vs. 51%), and good (12% vs. 27.5%) before and after the intervention, respectively. According to the findings, implementation of supplementary, participatory, and advisory programs are suggested for the improvement of household's nutritional practice.

Family is one of the early systems of human societies. Inappropriate performance of family in taking care of children, especially nutritional care, leads to irreparable damages to their development and growth. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the nutrition care of children under the age of six in Abadan. This descriptive-analytic study was carried out on 406 families with children under the age of six in Abadan city. The families were selected using the cluster sampling method. The data collection tools were a researcher-made questionnaire and direct interview. Furthermore, descriptive and analytical tests such as single sample t-test were used using the SPSS. The results of this study showed that 60 percent of children under one year of age and 32.7 percent of 1-3 year old children were breastfed. The family care function was not satisfactory in regarding the nutrition status of 1-3 year old children. This suggests the necessity of education on breastfeeding by the end of the 2-year period.

The assessment of pediatric diet quality is of high interest because food habits that develop in childhood can predict adult diet-related disease. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the Nutrient-Rich Foods (NRF) index score and weight and height status. This cross-sectional study was conducted in primary schools of Tehran, and the NRF9.3 algorithms were used to estimate the nutrient density of the diet of 400 girls, aged 6.5-8.4 years. Dietary data were collected using a 168-item food frequency questionnaire of foods consumed over the past month. Height and weight were measured, and height for age, body mass index (BMI) for age, and weight for age were classified using the World Health Organization's child growth standard Z-scores. Linear regression was used to examine the association between the quintiles of NRF index score and weight for age, height for age, and BMI for age. Liquid oil (P < 0.001), legume (P = 0.037), meat products (P = 0.005), and fruit (P < 0.001) were consumed in higher amounts significantly in the fifth quintile, while sugar & sweet sauce (P < 0.001), snacks (P = 0.002), fats, oil and savoury sauce (P = 0.002) were consumed in lower amounts significantly. A significant relationship between the NRF9.3 index and height for age (P = 0.039) was found, however, it did not follow a trend. The NRF9.3, NR9, and LIM3 scores were unrelated to weight status in childhood. There was no significant association between the NRF9.3 index score and malnutrition in girls, except for height for age. Bias in reporting the dietary intake or defects in the NRF index formula might be the reason for this insignificant result. Prospective studies can better detect the existence of such a relationship

Although the results were conflicting, the Paleolithic diet (PD) was proposed to be effective in improvement of metabolic status. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of PD on glycemic markers. Online databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched up to December 2017 without any restrictions. The weighted mean difference (WMD) was also calculated using random effects model. Eventually, eight good quality studies were included in the present systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled analysis showed that although adherence to the PD led to reduction of fasting blood glucose (FBG) concentrations, it was no statistically significant (WMD = -0.31, 95% CI: -0.70, 0.07, P = 0.11). Moreover, compared with the control diets, the PD consumption did not significantly affect other glycemic markers such as 2-h post-prandial blood glucose (2h PBG), insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Adherence to the PD had no significant effect on the glycemic markers, but reduction was observed in FBG levels.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOs) is one of the most common metabolic and endocrine abnormalities among women in reproductive age. In the case of not comprehensive treatment, PCOs can lead to hormonal, metabolic, and fertility disorders. The exact cause of PCOs is still unclear. This disease seems to have a genetic background caused by the interference of several key genes with the environmental factors such as dietary habit and food intake, which play an important role in prevention and treatment of this syndrome. We searched Scopus, PubMed, SID, and Magiran data bases to find the studies conducted in Iran on dietary patterns, dietary intake, food intake, and PCOs published in English. The findings showed that decrease of weight and fat intake from total calorie (especially saturated fat and cholesterol), increase of physical activity and intake of dietary fibers can improve this syndrome. Furthermore, DASH diet, increase of the protein/carbohydrate ratio in the diet, the low-calorie diets, or iso-caloric diets with a low glycemic index can also be useful in this regard. In recent studies, the effects of some healthy diets were studied on PCOs women. A few of these studies were about finding appropriate dietary patterns for PCOs patients, but their number was limited. So, further studies are needed in this regard.

Bangladesh is a developing country; so, it is faced with the great challenge of food insecurity. In spite of achieving self-sufficiency in food production, a huge number of people experience the food insecure situation in this country. Since long time ago, scientists are striving to feed the growing population of Bangladesh. However, this study was conducted to assess the present situation of food security in Bangladesh. This systematic study investigated the available literature and recorded the related and different dimensions of food security in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has made remarkable improvements in food availability, access, and utilization in the last few decades, but it is not the case regarding the food stability. The country experiences numerous challenges regarding food insecurity. Bangladesh has made significant improvement in cereals (rice) production. Despite the increase in the income of people, the food quality is not good. Unequal land ownership and income distribution have made the food access below par. Food utilization has improved but balanced food intake is still far below the standard. A notable portion of people are still severly food insecure and malnourished. To ensure food security, government of Bangladesh has undertaken several programs but they were not sufficient to cope with this everlasting issue. Despite the improvement in many aspects of food security, people of Bangladesh still lack dietary diversification, which leads to nutritional imbalance. In addition, several factors challenge the food security. Therefore, GOs and NGOs should work from the same platform to address the challenges affecting food security in Bangladesh efficiently.