Journal of Nutrition and Food Security
Volume:7 Issue: 1, Feb 2022

The prevalence of obesity in adolescents has increased over the past three decades. Recent evidence has shown that in developed countries, about one in five teens is obese (Abdelghaffar et al., 2020). In Iran, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is 23% (Moghimi-Dehkordi et al., 2020). Improper eating behaviors and obesity are major concerns in adolescence that can be associated with the risk of many chronic diseases in adulthood. In fact, the main axis and key to obesity in adolescents is bad eating habits. In fact, due to faster growth and development in adolescence than other periods, nutritional needs and nutrient consumption in this period are important for growth and development and health. Many eating habits, physical, mental, and intellectual development are formed in childhood and adolescence

Mucormycosis or black fungus is usually a rare but life-threatening infection resulting from commonly distributed fungi belongingto the Mucorale orders. The disease was previously known as zygomycosis, since Rhizopus species, such as Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizopus microsporus, and Rhizopus oryza were more isolated from infected patients than Mucor (Chegini et al., 2020, Spellberg, 2017)

Corona disease has killed at least 5 million people globally since it started in Wuhan, China in December 2019 (World Health Organization, 2021). The disease is caused by SARS-COVID-19, and is transmitted from person to person by respiratory droplets (Baladia et al., 2020, Ejaz et al., 2020). Although the early symptoms of COVID-19  include fever, weariness, headache, sore throat, cough, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, and lung involvement (Shakoor et al., 2021), it can cause long-term risks, such as chronic lung disorders, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis (Wang et al., 2020)

Considering the incidence of malnutrition, a multidisciplinary approach with targeted nutrition is vital to improve the quality of care in cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate the overall nutritional status of Iranian cancer patients .

This cross -sectional study in 70 cancer patients was conducted in Shohada - e Tajrish Hospital from February to April 2019. The cancer patients were assessed by demographics and Scored Patient -Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG -SGA) utilized as a common tool to evaluate the nutritional status of patients with different types of cancer.

Overall, 20.0% and 70.0% of the patients had normal body mass index (BMI ) and overweight/obese, respectively. Moreover, 30.0% and 60.0% of the participants reported poor and normal intake, respectively. Males were more affected by malnutrition. Approximately 8.0% of the participants lost more than 10.0% of their weight; however, a vast majority of the patients maintained their weight.

The high prevalence of malnutrition among the studied cancer patients demonstrated the necessity of nutritional care to improve possible malnutrition for better treatment results.

The importance of healthy nutrition in increasing immunity and reducing disease has been identified for many years. Nutrient deficiencies lead to decreased immune function and thus increase the incidence or exacerbation of infections. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and nutritional function associated with COVID-19 disease in people of Yazd.

This descriptive and analytical study was conducted in 2021. The sample size was 420 adults in Yazd referring to health centers. Research tools included demographic checklist and questionnaire of nutritional knowledge, attitude, and practices related to COVID-19.

The mean scores of nutritional knowledge, attitude, and practices related to COVID-19 in people of Yazd were 21.35 ± 4.54, 20.74±  3.58, and 38.99 ±  7.39, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between knowledge and level of education and history of COVID-19 and practice with gender and history of COVID-19. The most important source of information for people was cyberspace.

Knowledge of the nutritional factors affecting a disease can affect people's attitudes and practices. So that lack of sufficient knowledge and misunderstanding among people can increase the prevalence of the disease and delay the recovery of COVID-19. Due to the importance of this matter, the need to implement educational programs to inform people about proper practices should be considered.

Trait anger is associated with numerous physiological and psychological problems and is a social health problem. The current study aimed to evaluate the socio-demographic and nutritional determinants of trait anger in young males.

In the current study, 150 young males aged between 14-44 years were randomly selected. General information was obtained and anthropometric assessments were performed. Trait anger was measured by the state-trait anger expression inventory, and affective control scale (ACS) was used for assessing affective disorders, including four subscales of anger, depressive mood, anxiety, and positive emotion. Dietary intakes were assessed using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ).

According to the findings of the current study, trait anger score was higher among young male subjects who were illiterate or had low educational attainment, unemployed, single, and had no physical activity. Similarly, among affective disorder subscales, the subjects who were illiterate or had lower educational attainment and were single, had higher scores of anger, positive emotion, depressive mood, and anxiety. Among dietary intakes, trait anger score was positively associated with dietary fat intake and negatively associated with fruit intake (P = 0.04).

The current study highlighted the effects of education, marital status, physical activity, and fruit intake in the attenuation and suppression of trait anger and affective disorders. The preventive strategies for trait anger can be focused to promote these healthy habits and modify life style into a physically active healthy diet pattern.

Given the concerns about the use of chemical preservatives in food, the consumers and producers have been interested in natural alternatives, such as plant essential oils and extracts. Since there are limited studies about the effect of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) on the behavior of foodborne pathogens in food models, this study aimed to determine the inhibitory effect of aqueous extract of saffron stigma on the growth behavior of Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) in commercial barley soup (as a food model) during storage at different temperatures.

The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extract were determined against S. Typhimurium using broth microdilution method. The growth of S. Typhimurium was investigated in the presence of this extract in commercial barley soup during 12 days of storage at 10, 20, and 30 °C.

The MIC and MBC values ​​for saffron extract against S. Typhimurium were 100 and >200 mg/ml, respectively. Also, the saffron extract at a concentration of 200 mg/ml and temperature of 10 °C had the highest inhibitory effect on the growth of bacteria in commercial barley soup during storage.

According to the results of this study, the antimicrobial effect of this extract increased in a dose-dependent manner against this bacterium. Therefore, the use of proper concentrations of this extract together with appropriate storage temperature can have an appropriate inhibitory effect on the growth of this bacterium, improving food safety shelf life.

The use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) grade water is very important for laboratory studies, especially food quality control. These studies have a great impact on diagnosing food health. Food health improves the health of the community and these two parameters are closely related. HPLC grade water is ultra -pure water with low UV absorption ability. This water is often purified through a micron filter and all contaminants are removed. Method s: Thirty samples of HPLC grade water with Iranian and non -Iranian brands purchased from Tehran were tested for electrical conductivity and silica.

The quality of all the tested samples was approved which was lower than the allowable limit. None of the Iranian and non -Iranian samples exceeded the standard limit.

This study indicated the good quality of this product. It was concluded that all the samples had desirable quality.

Superheated water extraction (SWE), is a novel method, used to extract proteins or other bioactive component from agriculture product s .

In this study, the extract from quinoa -barley malt (in a proportion of 30:70) was treated by SWE method. The effect of extraction time (15, 30, and 45 min) on physicochemical and functional properties of the extract was determined at 120 ºC.

The result showed that by increasing the extraction time the amount of protein increased. The maximum protein (%) was obtained in 45 min of SWE. The results revealed that increasing the extraction time had a significant effect on the turbidity and pH. In addition, increasing the extraction time had a positive effect on the functional properties. The highest protein isolate (PI) solubility was at 120 °C.

Although SWE method appears to be a useful extraction method for producing valuable materials from cereal and pseudocereal , this method has only been used at pre -commercial scale and more investigation is required to study the quantity, quality, and stability of the extracted valuable materials to scale it up for industrial means.

Obesity is a public health issue, leading to many medical and socially unacceptable complications. To combat obesity, going on a diet is a routine prescription by dieticians. Although men and women with obesity are equally advised to lose their body weight, almost in all societies women are more adhered to their prescribed diets. However, some of weight reducing diets seems neither effective nor long lasting. This study aimed to assess perceived barriers to weight - loss programs among women with obesity in Shiraz. Method s : This qualitative study was conducted in 2017 in Shiraz. To fulfill the objectives of the study, eight semi - structured focus group discussions (FGDs) and seven in -depth interviews with key informants were performed. The eligible participants for FGDs were women with obesity who were not satisfied with their diet and were selected through a public call in Shiraz.

A total of 1429 initial codes were obtained from FGDs, and after categorizing, four main barriers were resulted. Dietary, socio -cultural, supportive - psychological, and economic issues were identified as the main perceived barriers to weight -loss programs.

The study findings provided comprehensive information about the probable causes of diet prescriptions failure, which can assist dietitians to improve the efficacy of their weight management advice in clinics.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine abnormality among reproductive -aged women. This study aimed to investigate the relevance of major nutrient patterns and PCOS.

This age -body mass index (BMI) matched case -control study was conducted among 216 women with and without PCOS. The validated 178 -items food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used for driving nutrient patterns. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between nutrient patterns and odds of PCOS.

Four major nutrient patterns were identified (65% of the variances of nutrient intake), including factor 1) high in carbohydrate, saturated fatty acids (SFA), total fat, and low in Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), factor 2) high loadings of SFA, cholesterol, vitamin D, total fat, and total fiber, factor 3) high in total fiber, EPA, DHA, chrome, vitamin C, vitamin D, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and factor 4) high loaded by fat, sodium, SFA, and low in vitamin D. Factor 1 and factor 4 nutrient patterns significantly increased the odds of PCOS (OR = 7.42; 95% CI 2.86, 18.1; Ptrend < 0.001) and (OR = 11.32; 95% CI 4.3, 29.97; Ptrend < 0.001), respectively. Also, the moderate adherence to factor 3 nutrient pattern had a protective effect on odds of PCOS (OR = 0.77; 95% CI 0.39, 0.98; Ptrend = 0.04).

It was found that factor 1 nutrient pattern increased the odds of PCOS and factor 3 nutrient pattern decreased the risk of PCOS. More prospective studies are required to confirm the study findings.

Recently, it has been suggested that people’s chronotype is involved in regulating food intake and obesity. This study aimed to investigate the association between chronotypes with hormones related to appetite in adults in Tehran.

This cross -sectional study was conducted on 353 men and women aged 18 -60 years using convenience sampling in Tehran municipality community centers. Information on morningness -eveningness choronotype and physical activity (PA) level were collected by validated questionnaires. The data for anthropometric measurements and 3 -day food recalls were also collected. ELISA method was used to assess Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and leptin serum level.

The prevalence of eveningness, intermediate, and morningness chronotypes was 11%, 47.6%, and 41.4%, respectively. The participants with eveningness type were significantly younger (P = 0.001). The percentage of men with eveningness type was significantly higher than women ( P = 0.001). The mean values of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, total calorie intake, protein, carbohydrate, fat, and calorie intake from each of the main meals and snacks, were not different among three chronotypes. Leptin and NPY did not show any significant association with chronotypes.

Individual’s chronotype was not associated with NPY and leptin serum level. Further studies on a population with more varied work shifts are suggested.

Childhood obesity can affect life in three aspects, including continuing obesity after childhood, increased risk of chronic diseases, and mortality. Over the last year, students' lifestyles have changed due to the COVID -19 pandemic. In order to plan educational interventions to improve students' health, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of obesity among elementary students during COVID -19 pandemic in Yazd, Iran.

This cross -sectional study was conducted on 583 elementary students in 4 th - 6 th grades (aged 10 -12 years) in Yazd in 2021. The participants were recruited using multistage sampling (cluster, stratified , and random) method. Data collection tools included the physical activity questionnaire for older children (PAQ -C) and a validated researcher -made questionnaire in terms of fast food and carbonated sweet beverages consumption. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the students’ height and weight information registered in student electronic registration system (SANAD).

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school students was 23.9% and 14.5%, respectively. Gender ( P < 0.0001) , type of school ( P < 0.0001), mother’s education level ( P = 0.03), amount of carbonated sweet beverages ( P < 0.0001), and level of physical activity ( P = 0.04) were associated with BMI status. There was no significant association between frequency of students’ consumption of fast food ( P = 0.41) or soft drinks and BMI status ( P = 0.48).

During the COVID -19 outbreak, students’ weight gain has been more affected by reducing physical activity than consuming high -calorie foods. Therefore, it is required to create new infrastructure and opportunities for improving physical activity among students.

Poor oral nutrition is one of the important outcomes of hospitalization in children with respiratory disease, which may lead to insufficient energy intake. Deterioration of nutritional status during hospitalization affects clinical outcomes seriously. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an educational -supportive program for fathers on the eating behavior of hospitalized pediatrics with pneumonia in the COVID -19 pandemic.

In this clinical trial, 40 children aged 12 to 36 months with pneumonia were selected together with their parents, after which they were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. The intervention group received an educational supportive program face -to -face and virtually. Then, the father established an online video communication with the child and his mother as the main caregiver, while the control group received routine care. The data collection tools included the demographic questionnaire and the children's eating behavior questionnaire (CEBQ) completed by the mother during admission and 7 days later.

The results of the study showed no significant differences between any of the demographic variables of the study ( P > 0.05). The mean eating behavior of the two groups before the intervention was 104.25 ± 6.20 and 105 ± 6.20, which were not significantly different ( P = 0.70). However, the values of 113.2 ± 6.20 and 96.40 ± 6.20 were obtained after the intervention, indicating statistically significant differences ( P <0.00 1).

Planning and maintaining family integrity and educating and reminding parents of their role, including the fathers’ supportive role, can lead to the improvement of a child's eating disorder during hospitalization for pneumonia.

Adolescence may be accompanied by abnormalities in menstrual cycles that result in a higher incidence of sleep problems and related psychological disorders. Dietary factors can intensify or improve sleep problems. This study aimed to evaluate the association between sleep problems and habitual dietary patterns among Iranian adolescent girls.

This study was conducted in cities of Mashhad and Sabzevar, northeastern Iran. A total of 752 adolescent girls aged 12 -18 years were recruited from several schools by using a random cluster sampling method. A valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain the dietary intakes of the girls. Validated Iranian versions of the questionnaires were used to assess insomnia and daytime sleepiness prevalences.

Three major dietary patterns were identified based on the principal component analysis (PCA), including healthy, western, and traditional dietary patterns. No significant associations were found between the quartiles of healthy (OR: 1; 95% CI 0.62 -1.59, P trend = 0.75), western (OR: 1.3; 95% CI 0.8 -2.10, Ptrend = 0.16) or traditional (OR: 0.62; 95% CI 0.69 -1.82, Ptrend = 0.64) dietary patterns and sleep insomnia. In addition, there were no significant relationships between the quartiles of healthy (OR: 0.85; 95% CI 0.54 -1.69, P trend = 0.84), western (OR: 0.81; 95% CI 0.49 -1.32, Ptrend = 0.55) or traditional (OR: 1.07; 95% CI 0.66 -1.74, Ptrend = 0.9) dietary patterns and daytime sleepiness.

No significant association was observed between dietary patterns and insomnia or daytime sleepiness among adolescent girl participants.

Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) is a perennial plant native to the southern Mediterranean region of North Africa. Today, artichokes are widely grown around the world and buds of artichokes are used as a vegetable all over the world. This plant is widely used in the traditional medicine. Artichoke has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and countless medicinal properties. Artichoke inhabits reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals due to phenolic acids and flavonoid compounds and also suppresses the activation pathway of NF-κB, thereby could reduce oxidative stresses, inflammatory factors, and prevent suppressing red blood cells probably. It has also been suggested for traditional medicine including blood purification, so it can be used for anemia treatment.