The role of maternal diet on fetal sex selection: A Review

Introduction: The desire of the human to control the gender of fetus prior to conception has always been important. The aim of this study was to determine the role of maternal diet on fetal gender. Materials and Methods: In this narrative review study, a comprehensive review of databases including Pubmed, Scirus, Cochrane library, ScienceDirect, MD Consult, google scholar, Iranmedex, Magiran, and SID from 1982 to 2013 was performed. Key words to search databases included fetal sex, sex ratio, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, fructose, eating disorders, sex selection, maternal diet, Ionic diet, fatty acid, calorie, and famine. Results: Results of studies on the effects of nutritional deficiencies and disorders on sex ratio were controversial. Studies showed that a combination of environmental factors such as stress, time of conception and maternal diet had effects on sex ratio. Preconceptional nutritional status of mothers was very important in changing sex ratio. Increasing the intake of K + + Na+/Ca 2 + + Mg2+ in diet and high calorie diet could increase the ratio of male offsprings. Conclusions: Preconceptional diet was important in fetal sex ratio. However, low sample size in most human studies and the complex mechanisms of sex determination make it difficult to conclude definitively on this issue. Further human studies with larger sample size in this field are suggested

Ethical challenges in conducting and the clinical application of human microbiome research

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Microbiome alterations in women with gestational diabetes mellitus and their offspring: A systematic review

AimsGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a metabolic disorder that might predispose pregnant women to develop type 2 Diabetes Mellitus or lead to severe adverse outcomes in their offspring. One of the factors that have been thought to be involved in the pathology behind this disorder is the microbiome. In this systematic review, we comprehensively review the documents regarding the microbiota alterations in different tracts of pregnant women with GDM and their offspring.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted in major databases including MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, and Web of sciences up to August 2021. Data on the demographics, methodology, and microbiome alterations were extracted and classified according to the type of microbiome in pregnant women with GDM and their offspring. The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).ResultsIn 49 articles which were retrieved, the findings were variable on the level of changes in alpha and beta diversity, enrichment or depletion in phyla, genera, species and OTUs, in each microbiome type. Although there were some inconsistencies among the results, a pattern of significant alterations was seen in the gut, oral, vaginal microbiome of women with GDM and gut, oral, and placental microbiome of their offspring.ConclusionEven though the alteration of the microbiome of the different tracts was seen in the cases of GDM, the inconsistency among the studies prevents us from identifying unique pattern. However, the results seem promising and further studies that overcome the confounding factors related to the demographics and methodology are needed

Reference values for lipid profile in Iranian children and adolescents: The CASPIAN-V study

Background: We aimed to develop the age- A nd sex-specific reference values for lipid profile of Iranian pediatric population. Methods: Fasting lipid profiles of 3843 participants, aged 7 to 18 years, were extracted from a surveillance survey on Iranian children and adolescents living in 30 provinces across the country. Results: The mean (SD) age of participants was 12.3(3.1) years, and 52.3 of them were boys. Significant differences were observed between genders comparing the levels of triglyceride (TG) (P = 0.04), total cholesterol (TC) (P = 0.02), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (P = 0.01), and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) (P = 0.03). In both genders, TG levels increased with age in the 75th and higher percentiles. Among boys, TC showed a decreasing trend at all percentiles and all age groups. In girls, TC levels increased with age at all percentiles except for the 75th and 90th percentiles. Among boys, the levels of LDL-C and HDL-C decreased with age in all percentiles. However, LDL-C and HDL-C concentrations increased up to the 50th percentile in girls and then decreased with age. The non-HDL-C level decreased in the 50th and higher percentiles among boys and in the 90th and 95th percentiles among girls. The TG/HDL-C ratio increased with age at all percentiles in boys. In girls, TG/HDL-C ratio increased with age in the 50th and higher percentiles. Conclusions: Based on the observed differences, it seems necessary to determine age- A nd sex-specific cut-off values for lipid parameters of children and adolescents in different populations. © 2020 The Author(s)

The therapeutic efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12® in infant colic: A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial

The pathogenesis of infant colic is poorly defined. Gut microbiota seems to be involved, supporting the potential therapeutic role of probiotics

Hypocholesterolemic and prebiotic effects of a whole-grain oat-based granola breakfast cereal in a cardio-metabolic "At Risk" population

Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RTC) have confirmed the hypocholesterolaemic effect of oats and oat based fibers. However, the mechanisms by which oats or oat fractions lower cholesterol is not totally clear. Recognizing the important role of the gut microbiome in metabolism and metabolic disease risk, we examined the impact of whole grain oat Granola (WGO) on the human gut microbiota and cardio-metabolic risk factors using a randomized crossover dietary intervention in at risk individuals (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01925365). We randomized 32 individuals at risk of developing cardio-metabolic disease by virtue of mild hypercholesterolaemia or glucose intolerance, into two groups consuming either 45 g of WGO or non-whole grain (NWG) breakfast cereals daily for two 6-week intervention periods separated by a 4-week wash out period in a randomized, controlled, crossover, double-blinded design. Confirming the cholesterol lowering effect of WGO, we observed a significant time by treatment interaction, for total cholesterol (TC) (P = 0.0001) and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) (P = 0.02) compared to NWG. A significant time by treatment interaction was also observed for the relative abundance of fecal bifidobacteria (P = 0.0001), lactobacilli (P = 0.001) and total bacterial count (P = 0.008), which were all elevated after consumption of WGO. Daily consumption of WGO resulted in a prebiotic effect on the human gut microbiota composition and significant reductions in TC and LDL-C concentrations. Prebiotic modulation of the human gut microbiota may thus constitute a previously unrecognized mechanism contributing to the hypocholesterolaemic effects of whole grain oat Granola

Effect of yoghurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12® on faecal excretion of secretory immunoglobulin A and human beta-defensin 2 in healthy adult volunteers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Probiotics are used to provide health benefits. The present study tested the effect of a probiotic yoghurt on faecal output of beta-defensin and immunoglobulin A in a group of young healthy women eating a defined diet.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>26 women aged 18-21 (median 19) years residing in a hostel were given 200 ml normal yoghurt every day for a week, followed by probiotic yoghurt containing <it>Bifidobacterium lactis </it>Bb12^®(10⁹in 200 ml) for three weeks, followed again by normal yoghurt for four weeks. Stool samples were collected at 0, 4 and 8 weeks and assayed for immunoglobulin A and human beta-defensin-2 by ELISA. All participants tolerated both normal and probiotic yoghurt well. Human beta-defensin-2 levels in faeces were not altered during the course of the study. On the other hand, compared to the basal sample, faecal IgA increased during probiotic feeding (P = 0.0184) and returned to normal after cessation of probiotic yoghurt intake.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Bifidobacterium lactis </it>Bb12^®increased secretory IgA output in faeces. This property may explain the ability of probiotics to prevent gastrointestinal and lower respiratory tract infections.</p

Modulation of the peripheral blood transcriptome by the ingestion of probiotic yoghurt and acidified milk in healthy, young men

The metabolic health benefits of fermented milks have already been investigated using clinical biomarkers but the development of transcriptomic analytics in blood offers an alternative approach that may help to sensitively characterise such effects. We aimed to assess the effects of probiotic yoghurt intake, compared to non-fermented, acidified milk intake, on clinical biomarkers and gene expression in peripheral blood. To this end, a randomised, crossover study was conducted in fourteen healthy, young men to test the two dairy products. For a subset of seven subjects, RNA sequencing was used to measure gene expression in blood collected during postprandial tests and after two weeks daily intake. We found that the postprandial response in insulin was different for probiotic yoghurt as compared to that of acidified milk. Moreover changes in several clinical biomarkers were associated with changes in the expression of genes representing six metabolic genesets. Assessment of the postprandial effects of each dairy product on gene expression by geneset enrichment analysis revealed significant, similar modulation of inflammatory and glycolytic genes after both probiotic yoghurt and acidified milk intake, although distinct kinetic characteristics of the modulation differentiated the dairy products. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor was a major contributor to the down-regulation of the inflammatory genesets and was also positively associated with changes in circulating insulin at 2h after yoghurt intake (p = 0.05). Daily intake of the dairy products showed little effect on the fasting blood transcriptome. Probiotic yoghurt and acidified milk appear to affect similar gene pathways during the postprandial phase but differences in the timing and the extent of this modulation may lead to different physiological consequences. The functional relevance of these differences in gene expression is supported by their associations with circulating biomarkers

The gut microbiota and cardiovascular health benefits: a focus on wholegrain oats

Existing scientific data suggest that a high intake of wholegrain foods contributes to improved gut health and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Wholegrain oats are rich in dietary fibre and an important source of many bioactive components, including minerals, vitamins and phenolic compounds. The oat β‐glucans have been reported to lower low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol through their ability to increase the viscosity of intestinal chime, change the gut microbiota composition and increase the production of short‐chain fatty acids, which may contribute to the inhibition of hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Oats are also a rich source of phenolic acids, which are predominantly bound to cell wall polysaccharides through ester bonds. This bound state within oats means that phenolic acid bioavailability will largely be determined by interactions with the colonic microbiota in the large intestine. However, results from in vitro, animal and human studies have been inconsistent in relation to the impact of oats on the gut microbiota, possibly due to differences in experimental techniques and because compounds in oats, other than β‐glucans, have not been considered. This review focuses on the interaction of oat β‐glucans and phenolic acids with gut microbiota, and the subsequent link to cardiovascular health

Gut Microbiota, Probiotics and Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition of multifactorial origin, involving several molecular mechanisms related to the intestinal microbiota for its development. In type 2 diabetes, receptor activation and recognition by microorganisms from the intestinal lumen may trigger inflammatory responses, inducing the phosphorylation of serine residues in insulin receptor substrate-1, reducing insulin sensitivity. In type 1 diabetes, the lowered expression of adhesion proteins within the intestinal epithelium favours a greater immune response that may result in destruction of pancreatic β cells by CD8+ T-lymphocytes, and increased expression of interleukin-17, related to autoimmunity. Research in animal models and humans has hypothesized whether the administration of probiotics may improve the prognosis of diabetes through modulation of gut microbiota. We have shown in this review that a large body of evidence suggests probiotics reduce the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, as well as increase the expression of adhesion proteins within the intestinal epithelium, reducing intestinal permeability. Such effects increase insulin sensitivity and reduce autoimmune response. However, further investigations are required to clarify whether the administration of probiotics can be efficiently used for the prevention and management of diabetes