The Effect of Healthy Boba Pearl Drink on Post-Prandial Glucose

This study was a randomized controlled trial using a repeated experimental design with a pre-test and a post-test control group. The study subjects were women of childbearing age, aged 20‒30 years, with no diagnosed chronic diseases and with baseline fasting blood glucose levels less than 125 mg/dL. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The treatment group received 350 mL of healthy boba drink, while the control group received 350 mL of commercial boba drink. The healthy boba drink was made by mixing 67 mL of fresh milk, 133 mL of soy milk, 1 g of stevia sweetener, 100 g of red dragon fruit, and 40 g of healthy boba pearls. It contained 215 kcal of energy, 8.82 g of protein, 8.90 g of fat, 30.78 g of carbohydrate, and 1,808 g of fiber. Each group had an initial fasting blood glucose levels measurement before the intervention, and postprandial glucose levels were measured at the end of the intervention (one time of intervention). The collected data were analyzed univariately to analyze the effect of treatment on postprandial glucose using the independent t-test. The result indicated that the subjects in the treatment group and 96.2% of the subjects in the control group had fasting glucose levels less than 126 mg/dL. Both participants in the control and treatment groups had postprandial glucose levels less than 200 mg/dL. The mean glucose level was 89.49 mg/dL in the treatment group and 92.57 mg/dL in the control group. The study results showed that the treatment group that consumed the healthy boba drink had a lower average postprandial glucose level than the control group. The statistical test results showed that there was a significant effect of healthy boba drink consumption on postprandial glucose levels in the treatment group (p<0.000). It is concluded that the healthy boba drink intervention had a significant effect (p<0.000) on lowering blood glucose by 5.82 mg/dL after the initial treatment. The results of this study are a major first step for future work to develop a healthier boba drink

The Relationship between Folic Acid Intake and Depression among College Students

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between folic acid intake and the incidence of depression among students of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, department of Nutrition. This cross-sectional study recruited 40 participants following the inclusion criteria. Sample collection was done by random sampling. Data collection on the adequacy of folic acid intake was carried out using the non-consecutive three days 24 four Food recall. The prevalence of depression was obtained by measuring the level of depression in the last two weeks using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) questionnaire. The results showed that 2.5% of the subjects had sufficient folic acid intake and 97.5% had insufficient folic acid intake with mean 78,5 mcg. About 47.5% of subjects experienced minimal depression, 20% experienced mild depression, 25% experienced moderate depression, and 7.5% experienced major depression with mean score 13.4. Futher analysis, the p-value (p=0.145) indicated that there was no significant relationship between folic acid and depression status. Recommended for using the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ) to see acid intake folate and pay attention to other factors that cause depression

Banana Peels as Potential Prebiotic and Functional Ingredient

This study aims to determine the prebiotic potential of the banana peel on the growth of probiotic Lactobacillus spp. in vitro and to utilize the peel as a functional ingredient in preparing biscuits. Peels of dessert banana (pisang berangan) and plantain (pisang nangka) were oven-dried and homogenized, and the total sugar content was determined. Subsequently, different cultivation media were made by substituting the carbon source with Banana Peel Powder (BPP), Plantain Peel Powder (PPP), glucose, and inulin. These media were later fermented with probiotic Lactobacillus spp., extracted from a probiotic drink. The growth performance was accessed following 24 hours of incubation. BPP and PPP were incorporated into the preparation of biscuits as functional ingredients. A portion of wheat flour was substituted with 10%, 20%, and 30% of BPP and PPP, respectively, during the preparation of the biscuits. These biscuits were then analyzed for proximate composition, physical properties, and estimated Glycaemic Index (eGI). The supplementation of BPP and PPP in the media improved the probiotic bacteria's growth rate and generation time as the media had a significantly higher amount of Lactobacillus spp. compared to others. Both BPP- and PPP-supplemented media had significantly low pH, indicating intense metabolic activity of the bacteria utilizing the peels. Results also showed significant differences in the total dietary fiber and protein content of BBP- and PPP-incorporated biscuits. The addition of BPP and PPP did not significantly affect the physical properties of the biscuit, and such incorporation resulted in lower eGI when compared to the control. BPP and PPP possess potential prebiotic properties and can be utilized as functional ingredients. Further study is warranted to explore other prebiotic properties of banana peels and to investigate consumers' acceptance of banana peel-incorporated foods

Nutrition Knowledge and the use of Nutrition Labels among Undergraduate Students in UiTM Puncak Alam

This study aimed to determine the relationship between socio-demographic factors, nutrition knowledge, and the use of nutrition information labels during food purchases among undergraduate students in UiTM Puncak Alam. In this cross-sectional study, 156 undergraduate students between 18 and 25 years old were recruited from different locations in UiTM Puncak Alam. Data collection involved a self-report questionnaire with five sections covering sociodemographic and anthropometric information, nutrition knowledge level, use of food and nutrition labels, factors influencing label usage, and preferences for nutrition information formats. The Fisher’s Exact Test revealed no significant association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and nutrition knowledge or nutrition label usage (p>0.05). However, gender is significantly associated with nutrition knowledge (p<0.05). As for nutrition knowledge and nutrition label usage, there was no significant association between the level of nutrition knowledge and the use of nutrition labels during food purchases (p>0.05). To summarize, this research may determine the most recent data on general nutrition knowledge patterns among university students following the COVID-19 outbreak and underscores the importance of nutrition awareness in empowering students to make informed dietary choices, improving their health and well-being, necessitating targeted interventions and further research for a healthier, nutritionally aware generation

Mother’s Knowledge, Attitude and Practices and its Influence toward Nutritional Status of Children in Terengganu

This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the nutritional status, Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) regarding stunting among mothers and its relationship with stunting among children below two years old in Terengganu. A total of 330 mother-child pairs from Terengganu were recruited through purposive sampling. Anthropometric measurement comprised weight and height. Information on socio–demographic, and a validated questionnaire on knowledge, attitude and practice of stunting were selfreported. Chi-square test was applied in this study with p<0.05 considered significant outcome. The majority (61.2%) of the mothers aged 30−39 years old, with tertiary educational level (51.5%) and in the low income group (86.4%). The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight was 25.2%, 9.4% and 14.2% respectively for the children below two years old in Terengganu. KAP analysis revealed that 44.5% of mothers had moderate level of knowledge, while 68.8% and 92.7% had good level of attitude and practice, respectively. A significant association (p<0.05) was found between knowledge of mothers with stunting among the children, while no significant association between attitudes and practice with stunting. The present study found that mothers’ knowledge significantly impacted their child’s growth status in relation to stunting. Future intervention programmes should incorporate nutrition education focusing on mothers’ knowledge to prevent stunting among children

Effect of Sacha Inchi Oil on Human Blood Pressure and Lipid Profile: A Preliminary Study in Malaysia

This uncontrolled pre-post study aimed to assess changes in blood lipid profiles and blood pressure resulting from a 2-month consumption of Sacha Inchi Oil (SIO) (Plukenetia volubilis). Investigating the effects of SIO on Malaysians is essential for tailoring interventions to the local context, considering genetic, cultural, and dietary differences. A total of 13 adult participants, comprising 8 males and 5 females aged 35 to 74 years old, took part in this intervention study. Each participant was instructed to consume 2 softgels daily, with each softgel containing 530 mg of SIO. Blood lipid profiles and blood pressure were measured at baseline and at the end of the 2-month period, utilizing venipuncture for blood tests and a sphygmomanometer for blood pressure assessment. The results indicated a significant reduction in Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) levels following SIO supplementation (2 softgels daily) (p<0.05). However, there were no notable improvements in Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Total Cholesterol (TC), Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C), and Triglycerides (TG) after the 2-month supplementation. In conclusion, the daily supplementation of 2 softgels of SIO (1,060 mg) for 2 months demonstrated a beneficial effect on blood pressure, particularly in reducing SBP. These findings serve as preliminary data for future research into the potential health benefits of SIO in the Malaysian population

Development and Validation of Postnatal Diet, Lactation, and Emotion Management (LEDies) Module

This study aims to develop and validate a module on managing diet, lactation, and emotion for postnatal mothers. This cross-sectional study involves three phases: needs assessment, module development, and module validation. About 37 mothers aged 18 to 49 years old with infants less than 6 months were recruited, and information on postnatal care practices, lactation knowledge, and emotion were obtained for module development. The guidelines from the Ministry of Health Malaysia and literature served as the foundation for the module that was developed following the requirements assessment utilizing the Health Belief Model (HBM). Content and face validity of the module is carried out to validate the developed module. The validation form used was adapted from Silveira de Castro (2007) which consists of seven criteria, two criteria related to content validity and another five criteria related to face validity. The content validity was assessed using a Content Validity Index (CVI). CVI was calculated using two different formulas: I-CVI and S-CVI. Meanwhile, a level of agreement was used in the data for the module's face. From the need assessment, most mothers with restricted seafood and nuts intake struggled to breastfeed and about 21.6% of them experienced postpartum depression. The developed module has been validated with both mean I-CVI and S-CVI more than 0.78 and 0.80, respectively. Meanwhile, five face validation components achieved 75% agreement, confirming the validity. In conclusion, the developed module named The LEDies has good validity and can serve as teaching material for postnatal mothers caring for themselves and their infants during the postpartum period

Effect of Kappaphycus alvarezii and Overripe Banana Sweetener Addition on the Nutritional Composition and Palatability of Cookies

This study aimed to assess the qualities of butter biscuits made with seaweed flour (Kappaphycus alvarezii, (KA) (0, 4, and 8%) and Overripe Banana Sweetener (ORBS) (0, 50, and 100%) as a partial replacement for wheat flour and table sugar. A.O.A.C. and hedonic methodologies have been used to analyze the nutritional composition, color, and sensory evaluation of butter cookies. The increase in ORBS in cookie formulation resulted in a significant rise in the nutritional qualities of butter cookies, according to the result. Butter cookies with 4% seaweed flour and 100% ORBS had higher total dietary fiber (19.6%) and ash (3.07%) values. Sensory scores for the control (0%) and 4% seaweed flour-incorporated cookies did not differ substantially across all sensory qualities. However, the addition of 4% seaweed flour and 50% ORBS resulted in the highest scores for aroma, flavor, and overall acceptance. In conclusion, substituting 4% seaweed flour for wheat flour and 50% ORBS for table sugar could be an effective combination to make nutritious and tasty butter cookies