azita hekmatdoost

Increased serum concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers in patients indicate a strong association between COVID-19 and inflammation. However, the association between diet-related inflammation and COVID-19 has been less investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the inflammatory scores of the diet are associated with the severity of COVID-19 disease and the probability of hospitalization of patients. 

The authors conducted a cross-sectional study involving 141 patients with COVID-19. The empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) and dietary inflammation scores (DIS) were calculated based on a 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The association between serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers and diet-related inflammation was also investigated.

74 inpatients and 87 outpatients participated in this study. Higher DIS scores were significantly associated with an increased risk of COVID-related hospitalization (Tertile3 vs. tertile1: OR = 3·62; 95 % CI 1·43 to 9·14, P=0·008 after fully adjustment). This association with EDIP was also observed, but it was not significant.

The data from this provide evidence that a pro-inflammatory diet was associated with higher risk of hospitalization due to high severity of COVID-19

The increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, one of the leading causes of death in the world, due to obesity is significant. This study was carried out suggesting palliative effects of the combination of brown flaxseed and hesperidin on atherogenic dyslipidemia in obese people.

In this randomized controlled study, 44 obese adults were randomly assigned to lifestyle modification (control group) or receiving combined brown flaxseed (30 g) and hesperidin (2 × 500 mg capsules) (intervention group) for 12 w. Atherogenic indices, anthropometric parameters and dietary intakes were recorded. The trial was registered in clinicaltrial.gov. with reg. no. NCT03737422.

After 12 w of intervention, body mass index decreased significantly in groups; however, decrease of body mass index in intervention group was significantly higher than that in control group (p = 0.034). Comparing changes of atherogenic indices between the two groups indicated a significant difference in triglyceride glucose index, atherogenic index of plasma and cholesterol index between the two groups. After adjusting results for condetecteders, including baseline value of the outcome and mean changes in body mass index, waist circumference and energy intake, differences became significant for Castelli risk index-II and lipoprotein combine index.

The current results have shown that intake of a combination of flaxseed and hesperidin with lifestyle modification effectively improves atherogenic dyslipidemia.

Regarding the increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), and its association with non-communicable chronic diseases, providing preventive and therapeutic strategies is a priority. A randomized controlled study was conducted to assess the effects of combination therapy of milled brown flaxseed and hesperidin during lifestyle intervention on MetS components.

Forty-eight subjects were randomly assigned to receive lifestyle intervention plus combination therapy of brown flaxseed (30 g milled) and hesperidin (two 500 mg capsules) or lifestyle modification alone for 12 weeks. MetS was assessed as a primary endpoint. The trial was registered in clinicaltrial.gov:NCT03737422.

Forty-six percent of patients in the flaxseed-hesperidin group experienced more than three MetS factors improvement from baseline to week 12, while only 17% of patients in the control group fall in this category. A comparison of blood pressure changes throughout the study indicated a greater reduction in blood pressure in the intervention group rather than in the control group (-5.66 vs. -1.56 mmHg, P = 0.049). The reduction in plasma glucose (-20.35 vs. -7.46 mg/dL, P = 0.007) and triglyceride (-45.3 vs. -8.39 mg/dL, P = 0.020) in the flaxseed-hesperidin group was significantly more than the control group after 12 weeks of intervention.

Our results indicate that co-administration of flaxseed and hesperidin as an adjunct to lifestyle modification program is more effective than lifestyle modification alone in the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

 An association has already been hypothesized between iron, copper, and magnesium status assessed through food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, self-reported dietary assessment methods are prone to measurement errors. We studied the association between iron, copper, and magnesium status and ESCC risk, using hair samples as a long exposure biomarker.

 We designed a nested case-control study within the Golestan Cohort Study, that recruited about 50000 participants in 2004-2008, and collected biospecimens at baseline. We identified 96 incident cases of ESCC with available hair samples. They were age-matched with cancer-free controls from the cohort. We used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure iron, copper, and magnesium concentrations in hair samples. We used multiple logistic regression models to determine odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

 Median concentrations of iron, copper, and magnesium were 35.4, 19.3, and 41.7 ppm in cases and 25.8, 18.3, and 50.0 ppm in controls, respectively. Iron was significantly associated with the risk of ESCC in continuous analysis (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.03-1.92), but not in the tertiles analyses (ORT3 vs. T1=1.81, 95% CI=0.77-4.28). No associations were observed between copper and magnesium and ESCC risk, in either the tertiles models or the continuous estimate (copper: ORT3 vs. T1=2.56, 95% CI=1.00-6.54; magnesium: ORT3 vs. T1=0.75, 95% CI=0.32-1.78).

 Higher iron status may be related to a higher risk of ESCC in this population.

Recent evidence suggests overall diet quality, as assessed by dietary scores, may play a role in the development of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers. However, the existing dietary scores are derived from high-income countries with different dietary habits than regions with the highest burden of UGI cancers, where limited data is available. This study aimed to investigate the association between overall diet quality and risk of esophageal and stomach cancers in a high-risk region for UGI cancers.

We recruited 50 045 individuals aged 40-75 between 2004-2008 from northeastern Iran and followed them annually through July 2020. Data on demographics, diet, and various exposures were collected using validated questionnaires. Diet quality was assessed by calculating the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Alternative Mediterranean Diet (AMED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and World Cancer Research Fund–American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF-AICR) scores.

During an average 12 years of follow-up, 359 participants developed esophageal cancer and 358 developed stomach cancer. After adjustments, each standard deviation increase in baseline dietary scores was associated with up to 12% reduction in esophageal cancer risk and up to 17% reduction in stomach cancer risk. Esophageal cancer showed stronger inverse associations with adherence to AMED (HRQ4-vs-Q1 = 0.69 (0.49–0.98), P-trend = 0.038). Stomach cancer showed stronger inverse correlation with WCRF-AICR (HRQ4-vs-Q1 = 0.58 (0.41–0.83), P-trend = 0.004), and DASH (HRC4-vs-C1 = 0.72 (0.54–0.96), P-trend = 0.041). These associations were comparable across different population subgroups. We did not observe significant associations between HEI and AHEI scores and UGI cancers in this population.

Despite the differences in consuming individual food groups, adherence to the available dietary recommendations (derived from high-income countries) was associated with lower risk for subsequent esophageal and gastric cancers in this high-risk population. Educating the public to have a healthy eating pattern might be an effective strategy towards prevention of UGI cancers in high-risk regions.

Dietary intake is one of the modifiable risk factors for biliary stones. In recent studies, plant protein intake is associated with a lower risk of biliary stones in comparison to animal protein intake; however, the results are contradictory. The current study aims to compare the effect of animal protein and plant protein on the formation of biliary stone in one of the gastroenterology and liver disease centers in Iran.

110 participants who had a history of biliary stone and 230 controls who were normal in terms of biliary diseases and referred to the medical center from November 2017 to October 2018 enrolled in this study. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used for the nutritional assessment; moreover, demographic and anthropometric data, habitual history and comorbidities were collected. Statistical analysis was conducted by SPSS software.

Plant protein consumption was significantly lower (P=0.03) and animal protein intake was significantly higher (P=0.02) among men in case compared to controls. Furthermore, the relationship between biliary stone disease and animal protein intake was significant in crude model for men (OR: 1.03, 95% CI=1.01-1.05). In addition, the risk of biliary stone was significantly lower in patients with higher consumption of plant protein (for women: OR: 0.94, 95% CI=0.89-0.99, for both sexes: OR: 0.96, 95%CI=0.93-0.99).

The present study suggested that consumption of animal protein sources increased the risk of biliary stone, and intake of plant protein sources decreased the risk of biliary stone

The dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) encourages high fruit, vegetable, and lean protein consumption and low salt, red meat, and fat intake to prevent or treat hypertension. However, besides hypertension, adherence to this diet has been shown to decrease other cardiovascular risk factors.

This study assessed the relationship between the DASH diet and cardiovascular risk factors in a cross‑sectional study of 2,831 adults chosen by multistage cluster sampling from 27 counties of Khuzestan province, Iran. DASH scores were calculated using data obtained from a qualitative food frequency questionnaire. Regression models were used to evaluate the association of DASH scores and common cardiovascular risk factors.

Significant trends were observed across quintiles of DASH scores for systolic blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and its components (p < 0·05). After adjusting for potential confounders such as sex, age, ethnicity, residence, wealth score, physical activity, energy intake, and family history of heart disease, the multiple regression analysis for each cardiovascular risk factor revealed that being in the highest quintile of total DASH score (OR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.52–0.99) was negatively associated with hyperglycemia.

This study showed a positive relationship between DASH diet adherence and lower serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The main composition of intestinal microbiota in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients has not yet been elucidated. In this, case?control study, we  dentified differences of intestinal microbiota in male patients with NAFLD, presumed NASH, and healthy controls.

We  ompared gut microbial composition of 25 patients with NAFLD, 13 patients with presumed NASH, and 12 healthy controls. Demographic information as well as clinical, nutritional, and physical activity data was gathered.  tool and blood samples were collected to perform the laboratory analysis. The taxonomic composition of gut microbiota was assessed using V4  egions of microbial small subunit ribosomal Ribonucleic acid genes sequencing of stool samples.

Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the most frequently phyla in all groups. Our results revealed that Veillonella was the only genus with significantly different  mounts in presumed NASH patients compared with patients with NAFLD (P = 2.76 × 10?6, q = 2.07 × 10?4, logFC = 5.52).

This pilot study was the first study to compare gut microbial composition in patients with NAFLD and presumed NASH in the Middle East. Given the potential effects of gut microbiota on the management and prevention of NAFLD,  arger, prospective studies are recommended to confirm this study’s findings.

Disruptions in sleep related to mealtime may contribute to gut microbial imbalances, and put individuals at higher risk for metabolic diseases. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the relationships between late-night eating habits and sleep quality and duration, with gut microbiota (GM) profiles.

In this cross-sectional study, 36 men referred to a clinic were enrolled. In addition to demographic information, each participant completed questionnaires regarding medical history, physical activity, late-night eating habits, sleep quality and sleep duration. The scores from these questionnaires were used to categorize study participants into the following groups: sleep quality (good or poor), late-night eating (yes or no) and sleep duration (<7 or ≥7 hours). Five grams of stool was also obtained from each participant for GM profiling analysis by sequencing.

The mean age of the study population was 42.1 ± 1.6 years. Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were the two dominant phyla present in all participant samples. Differences in the relative abundance of GM at each taxonomic rank between study groups were insignificant. Only Erysipelotrichales at the order level were found to be significantly different between individuals who had late-night eating habits and those who did not (P & q < 0.05). No other parameter demonstrated a significant difference in GM profiles of participants.

In this pilot study, we found Erysipelotrichales to be more abundant in individuals with late-night eating habits. Studies with higher sample sizes are warranted to better delineate the possible effects of time of eating on microbial composition.

Nutrition‑related factors have been of great interest as one of risk factors of biliary stones. This study evaluated the association of dietary patterns with biliary stone among Iranians.

This is a hospital‑based case‑control study, which was conducted in a general hospital in Tehran, Iran. A total of 110 patients with gallstone or common bile duct (CBD) stone confirmed by Ultrasonography within the last 6 months before collecting data were recruited. Controls were age‑matched patients admitted to the other wards of the same hospital for a broad spectrum of disorders including traumas and orthopedic conditions, or elective surgeries, or throat/ear/nose disease and had no gallbladder disorders, participated in this study. We used a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire to assess dietary intakes of participants. Dietary patterns were determined by factor analysis.

By design, age was similar in both groups (57.66 ± 16.39 years vs . 56.00 ± 10.64 years in cases and controls, respectively). Two dietary patterns were extracted; “Unhealthy” (high consumption of artificial juice, processed meats, refined grains, sweets and desserts, pickles, snacks, and red meats), and “Healthy” (high consumption of vegetable oils, vegetables, fruits, fish, legumes, and nuts, as well as low consumption of hydrogenated fats and salt). Participants in the highest tertile of “Healthy” dietary pattern were significantly less likely to have the gallstones disease (OR: 0.33, 95% CI = 0.120.89) compared to the reference group (low tertile of “Healthy” dietary pattern) (P = 0.02).

High consumption of vegetable oils, vegetables, fruits, fish, legumes, and nuts, as well as low consumption of hydrogenated fats and salt in context of healthy dietary pattern are inversely associated with risk of gallstones.

Backgroundsː Dietary sodium (Na) and potassium (K) relationship with chronic disease has drawn more attention recently. Epidemiological studies reported controversial findings about high salt and Na diets with the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and studies about the association between K and NAFLD are scare. Present study aimed to examine the associations between dietary intake of Na, K, and Na:K ratio with the risk of NAFLD.

We analyzed data from a case– control study of 225 patients with NAFLD cases and 450 controls. Dietary intake of Na and K measured using a validated 168 item food frequency questionnaire. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to report odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI) of NAFLD across tertiles of Na, K, and Na:K ratio.

The mean ± standard deviation of age and body mass index of participants (47% female) were 38.1 ± 8.8 years and 26.8 ± 4.3 Kg/m2. In the age‑ and sex‑adjusted model, there was any significant association between Na, K, and Na: K ratio with the risk of NAFLD. In the final adjusted model, the OR (95%CI) of the highest vs the lowest tertiles of K, Na, and Na:K was 0.39 (0.19–0.80), 0.71 (0.40–1.25), and 1.10 (0.61–1.97), respectively.

The present study indicates that higher dietary K was related to lower odds of NAFLD; however, there was no association between dietary Na and Na: K ratio with odds of NAFLD.

Since the relation between dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) and the occurrence of gallstone disease (GSD) remains unclear, we conducted, for the first time, a case‑control study to clarify this association in the Iranian population.

In the present case‑control study, convenience Sampling was performed. A total of 600 participants (300 case and 300 control) were included. Anthropometric, demographic, physical activity, and nutrient intakes data were obtained from each subject. DTAC was calculated using the US Department of Agriculture’s database. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were assessed using unconditional logistic regression.

The participants in the highest quartile of DTAC had a significantly lower OR for gallstone than the lowest quartile, which remained significant after further adjustment for age, sex, and education (model 2: OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.16–0.71). In addition, after adjustment for age, sex, education, BMI, physical activity, and energy, the results revealed that participants with the highest quartile of DTAC had 71% lower odds of gallstone than those with the lowest quartile (model 3: OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.11–0.78).

The results of the present study demonstrated that the DTAC had an inverse association with GSD incident. However, interventional approaches are needed to confirm the relation between DTAC and GSD prevention.

This systematic review was conducted to review the studies investigating the role of dietary approach to stop hypertension (DASH) diet in prevalence and progression of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children, adolescents, and adults.

Electronic searches for included studies were performed in MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE, Cochrane Trial Register, and ISI Web of Science until 30 March 2020. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were fulfilled independently by two reviewers using predefined criteria. Studies were included if they assessed the role of adherence to DASH diet in risk of incidence, prevalence, and development of MetS.

Twelve eligible studies (eight observational studies and four clinical trials) were identified. Despite methodological heterogeneity, limited statistical power, and the cross‑sectional nature of most of observational studies, greater adherence to DASH diet was associated with reduced risk of MetS. However, results for change in metabolic characteristics based on dietary intervention with DASH diet in some interventional studies were somewhat controversial.

The current study demonstrates that, based on observational studies, greater adherence to a DASH diet is inversely associated with MetS presence and progression. However, more interventional studies are needed in this regard to clarify the exact effect of DASH diet on MetS.

Stomach cancer (SC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. Dietary risk factors of SC are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the association between macronutrient intakes and the risk of SC. Study design: A hospital-based case-control study.

The data were obtained from a hospital-based case-control study conducted at the Cancer Institute of Iran from 2010 to 2012. Patients were 40 years or older and were diagnosed with SC in less than one year with no history of any cancers. On the other hand, the controls were healthy subjects who were caregivers or visitors of the patients. Demographic characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire through face to face interviews by trained interviewers. Dietary data were obtained using a validated Diet History Questionnaire. The age and gender-adjusted odds ratios (ORs), as well as the adjusted ORs of age, gender, energy, education, smoking, and body mass index, were reported for continuous and tertiles of intakes.

Totally, 207 SC patients and 217 controls participated in this study. In the full adjusted model, after comparing the highest tertiles to the lowest ones, the intake of sucrose (OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.66-5.19; P-trend<0.001), protein (OR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.17-3.55; P-trend=0.011), cholesterol (OR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.28-3.85; P-trend=0.005), and percent of calories from protein (OR: 3.09; 95% CI: 1.69-5.61; P-trend<1.001) showed a positive significant association with SC. Moreover, a significantly negative association was found between the percent of calories obtained from carbohydrates and SC (OR: 0. 57; 95% CI: 0.33-0.98; P-trend=0.015).

The findings in this study showed that macronutrient intakes might be associated with the etiology of SC in Iran.

With the increasing prevalence of obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), has become a frequent cause of chronic liver disease, often leading to cirrhosis. In recent decades, gut microbiota have been evaluated as an effective factor in NAFLD pathogenesis, causing steatohepatitis by involving the host immune system. The aim of this study is to evaluate gut microbiota dysbiosis in NAFLD/NASH patients in comparison to healthy controls.

We conducted a systematic search of published studies that have examined the composition of gut microbiota in relation to NAFLD. PubMed, Scopus and ISI Web of Science were searched. After the exclusion of irrelevant studies, 15 eligible studies were included and summarized.

Overall, some studies reported the composition of microbiota at the phyla level, while others reported them at smaller subgroups; the results of studies were contradictory in some cases.

Overall, study findings indicate a relationship between microbial composition and NAFLD. Study methods and sequencing techniques influenced these results.

The aim of this study was to determine the relation between different food groups intake, nutritional status of cirrhotic patient and the stage of the disease. Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a common problem in cirrhotic patients. Food intake assessment is highly important in the investigation regarding the health-disease process. In this cross-sectional study, sixty eight ambulatory cirrhotic patients, with a mean age of 54 years, were included. In order to assess the stage of the disease and malnutrition status, Child-Pugh score and Subjective Global Assessment index were used respectively. Dietary intakes were assessed using a 168-item semi-quantitative validated food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed, using logistic regression models. After adjustment for confounders, we found significant inverse relations between intakes of nuts (OR=0.140, CI=0.031-0.625) and olive (OR=0.212, CI=0.049-0.917) with severity of disease and boiled potatoes (OR=0.154, CI=0.040-0.592) and legumes (OR=0.090, CI=0.020-0.406) with malnutrition status. Inversely, solid fats (OR=3.324, CI=1.080-10.238) and mayonnaise (OR=5.215, CI=1.203-22.612) were positively associated with disease severity and malnutrition, respectively. These findings suggest that selection of healthy foods was negatively associated with severity of hepatic cirrhosis whereas unhealthy food groups had a positive relation with disease severity and malnutrition.Keywords: food groups, hepatic cirrhosis, malnutrition, Child-Pugh score.(Please cite as: Pashayee-khamene F, Saber-firoozi M, Hatami B, Hekmatdoost A, Rashidkhani B, Aghamohammadi V, et al. Food groups intake of cirrhotic patients, comparison with the nutritional status and disease stage. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench 2019;12(3):226-232).

There are limited data on the role of nutrient patterns in development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aim of the study is to document the relationship between nutrient patterns and PCOS. In this study, 281 incident PCOS women and 472 controls were interviewed through the endocrine clinics between February 2013 and March 2015 in Tehran, Iran. Usual dietary intakes were obtained using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis was conducted on the basis of 32 nutrients. Unconditional logistic regression was performed to ascertain odds ratios. The p<0.05 was considered for significance level. In principal component analysis two nutrient patterns emerged. Factor 1 had high loadings for riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, thiamin, magnesium, pantothenic acid, cobalamin, vitamin C, folate, vitamin D, total fiber, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin E, manganese, vitamin K, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, potassium and vegetable protein. Factor 2 characterized by high loadings for carbohydrate, animal protein, fat, cholesterol, saturated fatty acid, sodium, biotin, copper, iron, fluoride, zinc, and calcium. After adjusting for potential confounders, the risk of PCOS was significantly higher in the highest tertile of factor 2 (OR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.69-3.21). Conversely, being in the highest tertile of factor 1 was associated with a lower risk of PCOS (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.21-0.82). Our results provide a possible new insight into the interactions between nutrient intakes and PCOS.

This study aimed is to evaluate the association between dietary fructose intake and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Newly diagnosed patients with NAFLD and age matched controls were asked about their dietary intakes. Fructose consumption was assessed using a reliable and valid food frequency questionnaire and fructose intake was calculated using food composition table. In the crude model, subjects in the highest quartile had more than 3.08 times higher risk of NAFLD in comparison to those in the lowest quartile of the fructose intake (OR: 3.08; 95 percent CI: 1.87 - 5.06), (P < 0.001). Also, adjustment for age, sex, physical activity (MET-h/wk), body mass index (kg/m2), energy intake (kcal/d) and simple sugar strengthened this association (OR: 3.54; 95 percent CI: 1.81 - 6.93) (P = 0.003). Our results indicate that higher intake of fructose is significantly associated with the higher risk of NAFLD; this association remained significant after adjustment for known confounding factors. Further studies are required to find the cut point for safe daily fructose consumption alone or in combination with dietary fiber sources.

To evaluate the association between dietary protein sources with disease severity, malnutrition and anthropometric measurements in cirrhotic patients. Although the beneficial effects of protein and some amino-acids have been shown previously, no study has evaluated the effects of different dietary sources of proteins in patients with hepatic cirrhosis. In this cross-sectional study, dietary intakes of patients with hepatic cirrhosis were assessed using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire. The association between different dietary sources of proteins and nutritional status, anthropometric measurements, and disease severity were evaluated. Muscle strength (MS) increased significantly in highest tertile of dairy and vegetable protein sources compared with the lowest one (p=0.045). Dietary dairy and vegetable protein intakes had a positive significant correlation with body weight, MS, visceral fat percentage (VFP), and triceps skin-fold thickness (TST), and negative significant correlation with malnutrition stage. Our results indicate that consumption of proteins from dairy and vegetable sources is associated with improvement in nutritional and anthropometric status of patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results.Keywords: Cirrhosis; Malnutrition; Dietary Protein.(Please cite as: Pashayee-khamene F, Kord-varkaneh H, Saber-firoozi M, Hatami B, Rashidkhani B, Hekmatdoost A. Dietary protein sources and disease severity, malnutrition and anthropometric measurements in cirrhotic patients. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench 2019;12(2):143-148).

There are some evidence that Vitamin D supplementation may be benefcial for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Vitamin D supplementation on symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with IBS. In a randomized, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled clinical trial, 116 patients with IBS were supplemented weekly with either a pearl of 50,000 IU Vitamin D or an identical pearl of placebo containing medium chain triglyceride for 6 weeks. Mean age of patients was 42.24 ± 12.26, and 40.06 ± 13.37 in Vitamin D and placebo groups, respectively. Dietary intakes were similar between and within groups. Serum concentration of 25‑hydroxy Vitamin D increased signifcantly from 21.10 ± 5.23 to 36.43 ± 12.34 in the Vitamin D group (P < 0.001), while it was not signifcantly different before and after the trial in placebo group. The IBS symptoms severity scores (SSSs), disease‑specifc QOL, and total score were evaluated at weeks 0 and 6. IBS‑SSS, IBS‑QOL, and the total score were improved signifcantly more in Vitamin D group in comparison to the placebo group (P < 0.05). This study indicates that Vitamin D therapy can improve the severity of symptoms and QOL in patients with IBS; however, the long‑term effects remained to be elucidated. Trial registration at IRCT: IRCT201402234010N11 IRB Number: 116/3976

Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are the two essential factors determining ulcerative colitis (UC) onset and severity status. In present study, we aimed to investigate short-term effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale) as a well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent on the quality of life, disease activity index and some of inflammatory and oxidative stress factors in patients with active mild to moderate UC. This study was a double blind placebo controlled randomized clinical trial conducted in nutrition and diet therapy clinic of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran, from October 2017 to June 2018. Forty-six patients with active mild to moderate UC daily consumed four capsules of 500 mg dried ginger powder or similar placebo through eating their meals for 6 weeks. Before and after intervention, we analyzed patient´s scores of disease activity index, by simple clinical colitis activity index questionnaire (SCCAIQ) as well as their quality of life using inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire-9 (IBDQ-9). We also measured serum concentrations of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), high sensitive (hs)-CRP and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in fasted blood samples of each participant. Additionally, anthropometric and dietary intake values of energy, macro/micronutrients and minerals of all of participants were assessed at the same time. While the mean of anthropometric measures and dietary intake values remained unchanged during the study, MDA level decreased in ginger group (P=0.04) compared with placebo group. Additionally, ginger supplementation successfully lowered serum levels of TNF-α and disease activity index after 6 weeks of intervention compared with baseline in ginger consumer group, however the increase of quality of life score was not statistically significant in mentioned group versus baseline values. No significant change in other study outcomes was observed at the end of 6 weeks within and between groups. Our data indicates that two grams per day supplementation with dried ginger powder can reduce oxidative stress level of patients with active mild to moderate UC.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of curcumin supplementation on hepatic fibrosis using different fibrosis assessment methods. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may progress to hepatic fibrosis. Detection of hepatic fibrosis should be measured by liver biopsy, which is an invasive method. Thus, some non-invasive methods are suggested. Hepatic fibrosis was evaluated in forty six patients with NAFLD before and three months after supplementation with 1.5 gram curcumin or placebo. Methods of assessments included fibroscan, and calculating non-invasive marker panel including FIB-4 (Fibrosis4), NFS (NAFLD fibrosis score), APRI (AST (Aspartate aminotransferase) Platelet Ratio Index), and BARD (body mass index, AST/ALT (Alanine aminotransferase ratio, diabetes). Fibrosis score was reduced significantly after curcumin supplementation using fibroscan (p<0.01), FIB-4 (p<0.05) and APRI (p<0.05) tests, while fibrosis score did not change significantly using BARD and NFS methods (p>0.05). Our results revealed that fibroscan, FIB-4, and APRI are similar in assessment of hepatic fibrosis changes after curcumin supplementation. Future studies with higher sample sizes are needed to confirm these results.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between dietary fiber intake and risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Patients with IBS are usually concerned about their diet, which can exacerbate or relieve their symptoms. In this case-control study, ninety cases and 355 controls were selected from a gastroenterology clinic. Dietary intakes of participants were assessed using a validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary fiber was calculated according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food composition table. Dietary total fiber intake was significantly associated with lower risk of IBS. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) comparing the highest tertile of dietary total fiber with the lowest tertile was 0.14 (95% CI = 0.71–0.28; P-test for trend <0.001); however, there was no significant association or dose–response trend for higher intakes of soluble, and insoluble fiber separately with risk of IBS. Our data indicate that dietary fiber is inversely associated with the risk of IBS. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these data.

Context: Nigella sativa (NS) has been used as an herbal remedy for the treatment and prevention of a variety of diseases. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current evidence on the effects of NS consumption on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) characteristics. Evidence Acquisition: We reviewed the existing literature published by the end of 2017 using the following key words: “Nigella sativa”, “black seeds”, “black cumin”, “thymoquinone”, “NAFLD”, “NASH”, and “diabetes”. Papers used in this study were collected by searching the PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Scopus databases. Our search was limited to English-language articles. All the articles published between 2000 and 2017 meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study.

The results of current studies indicate that NS has many biological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and wound healing activities. In summary, it can be used as a valuable plant for designing therapeutic strategies in NAFLD.

Results from available studies indicate that NS can ameliorate the main metabolic disturbances related to NAFLD including hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and overweight. These effects are mainly attributed to the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of thymoquinone. Clinical trials on human subjects are highly essential to confirm the results found in in vivo and in vitro studies