Health-promoting properties of artichoke in preventing cardiovascular disease by its lipidic and glycemic-reducing action

The artichoke, Cynara scolymus, is one of the most ancient plants grown in the world, and its extracts, obtained from different parts of the plant (leaves, fruits and roots), have been used as medicaments from time immemorial. The pharmacological and therapeutic effects of the artichoke on the liver had already been well known in the 17th century. Modern studies started in the last century confirmed the stimulating properties of artichoke extracts on the liver and gallbladder. The ensuing wave of research was initially focused on the patent liver-stimulating, diuretic and choleretic effects exerted by artichoke preparations on both animals and man, then discovering such other therapeutic properties as the hypolipemizing activity, antioxidant activity and hypoglycemizing activity. This review enumerates the most significant studies that have highlighted these therapeutic properties. Complementary medicine information needs to be incorporated into clinical practice and patient and professional education, in addition to adequate education about proper nutrition. Awareness of the widespread use of complementary and alternative medicine by people with metabolic disorders is crucial for healthcare professionals in order to prevent cardiovascular disease

Food Pyramid for Subjects with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases

Nutritional problems are an important part of rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. COPD patients often present with malnutrition, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis with possible onset of cachexia, with an inadequate dietary intake and a poor quality of life. Moreover, diet plays a pivotal role in patients with COPD through three mechanisms: regulation of carbon dioxide produced/oxygen consumed, inflammation, and oxidative stress. A narrative review based on 99 eligible studies was performed to evaluate current evidence regarding optimum diet therapy for the management of COPD, and then a food pyramid was built accordingly. The food pyramid proposal will serve to guide energy and dietary intake in order to prevent and treat nutritionally related COPD complications and to manage progression and COPD-related symptoms. The nutrition pyramid described in our narrative review is hypothetical, even in light of several limitations of the present review; the main limitation is the fact that to date there are no randomized controlled trials in the literature clearly showing that improved nutrition, via the regulation of carbon dioxide produced/oxygen consumed, inflammation and oxidative stress, improves symptoms and/or progression of COPD. Even if this nutritional pyramid is hypothetical, we hope that it can serve the valuable purpose of helping researchers focus on the often-ignored possible connections between body composition, nutrition, and COPD

Where to Find Leucine in Food and How to Feed Elderly With Sarcopenia in Order to Counteract Loss of Muscle Mass: Practical Advice

The term sarcopenia refers to the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength that generally occurs during aging. The interventions that have proved most effective in reducing the severity and preventing the worsening of sarcopenia include physical exercise, especially resistance, and the administration of dietary supplements in association with a targeted diet; nutritional intervention is the main therapeutic approach for elderly people, since they are very often sedentary (also due to possible disabilities). Among the various nutrients, high biological value proteins and leucine are of particular interest for their demonstrated effects on the health of skeletal muscle. The intake of food containing proteins and leucine during meals stimulates muscle protein synthesis. Lower blood levels of leucine were associated with lower values of the skeletal muscle index, grip strength and performance. The international guidelines recommended that a leucine intake of 3 g at three main meals together with 25-30 g of protein is the goal to be achieved to counteract loss of lean mass in elderly. Food composition databases rarely show the amounts of leucine contained in foods and therefore it becomes difficult to build a diet that follows these guidelines. A table was therefore created for the first time in the literature to collect all the foods richest in leucine, thanks to the union of the most important Italian food databases. Moreover, in order to implement a diet that follows the right recommendations, another tables shows nutritional composition of breakfast, lunch and dinner (that each provide 3 grams of leucine and 25 grams of protein) for seven days

The Effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) and Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) Extract Supplementation on Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomised, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Objective. Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a frequent clinical finding in western world. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of a ginger and artichoke supplementation versus placebo in the treatment of FD. Methods. A prospective multicentre, double blind, randomized, placebo controlled, parallel-group comparison of the supplement and placebo over a period of 4 weeks was performed. Two capsules/day were supplied (before lunch and dinner) to 126 FD patients (supplementation/placebo: 65/61). Results. After 14 days of treatment, only supplementation group (SG) showed a significant amelioration (SG: S = +1.195 MCA score units (u), = 0.017; placebo: P = +0.347 u, = 0.513). The intercept ( ) resulted to be significantly higher in SG than in placebo ( S − P = +0.848 u, < 0.001). At the end of the study, the advantage of SG versus placebo persists without variation ( S − P = +0.077 u, = 0.542). In SG, a significant advantage is observed for nausea ( S − P = −0.398 u, < 0.001), epigastric fullness ( S − P = −0.241, < 0.001), epigastric pain ( S − P = −0.173 u, = 0.002), and bloating ( S − P = −0.167 u, = 0.017). Conclusions. The association between ginger and artichoke leaf extracts appears safe and efficacious in the treatment of FD and could represent a promising treatment for this disease

Effetti della supplementazione con un alimento a fini medici speciali (composto da proteine del siero del latte, aminoacidi e vitamina D) associato all’attività fisica, sull’incremento della massa magra, della forza e della funzionalità e sulla riduzione dell’infiammazione in soggetti anziani sarcopenici

INTRODUZIONE Con l’avanzare dell’età si verificano una serie di cambiamenti della composizione corporea, soprattutto inteso come riduzione della massa magra e conseguente diminuzione della forza muscolare. Questo comporta una perdita della funzionalità e una maggior dipendenza. Il termine “sarcopenia” viene proposto per descrivere la riduzione della massa muscolare scheletrica e della forza muscolare età-relata. Anche la riduzione dell’attività fisica, l’instaurarsi di meccanismi endocrinologici che favoriscono una minor sintesi proteica e uno stato infiammatorio cronico concorrono a favorire lo sviluppo di questa situazione. Un aiuto importante può derivare dalla nutrizione. OBIETTIVO L’ obiettivo primario è quello di dimostrare che un’integrazione adeguata, a base di proteine del siero del latte, aminoacidi e vitamina D associato all’attività fisica, è in grado di favorire un aumento della massa magra e della forza muscolare, riducendo lo stato di infiammazione MATERIALI E METODI È stato realizzato un trial clinico randomizzato, in doppio cieco placebo-controllato, a gruppi paralleli della durata di 12 settimane. Sono stati arruolati 130 pazienti, suddivisi in gruppo placebo e gruppo supplementato. Il gruppo supplementato ha ricevuto un’integrazione di proteine del siero del latte (22 g), aminoacidi essenziali (10,9 g di cui 4 g di leucina) e 100 UI di vitamina D. Tutti i soggetti hanno svolto un’attività fisica controllata durante tutta la durata del progetto. All’inizio e alla fine dello studio sono state analizzate: la massa magra tramite Dexa e la forza muscolare tramite Hangrip. In tutti i soggetti è stato valutato la stato infiammatorio tramite ematochimici. RISULTATI Nel gruppo trattato si è avuto un incremento di massa magra pari a 1,7 Kg rispetto al gruppo placebo, che è risultato essere statisticamente significativo (P< 0,001). Anche la forza muscolare è risultata migliorata (P=0,001) con una diminuzione dell’indice infiammatorio (P= 0,038). CONCLUSIONI Un’integrazione adeguata e completa con un alimento a fini medici speciali (composto da proteine del siero del latte, gli aminoacidi essenziali e la vitamina D) uniti ad una attività fisica, è in grado di favorire un aumento della massa muscolare e della forza muscolare diminuendo inoltre i markers dell’infiammazione

Fabbisogno idrico: la scelta dell’acqua da assumere per l’anziano

L’acqua non è solo idrogeno ed ossigeno, come recita la formula chimica H2O, ma è una soluzione di minerali, presenti in quantità diverse a seconda della provenienza dell’acqua, che sono assorbiti dall’organismo allo stesso modo di quelli presenti negli alimenti. L’assunzione di adeguate quantità di acqua, quindi, permette oltre che di idratarsi, anche di soddisfare i fabbisogni di nutrienti, vista l’elevata biodisponibilità dei minerali in essa disciolti

Effects of DHA-phospholipids, melatonin and tryptophan supplementation on erythrocyte membrane physico-chemical properties in elderly patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment

A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was carried out to assess the efficacy of a docosahexenoic acid (DHA)-phospholipids, melatonin and tryptophan supplemented diet in improving the erythrocyte oxidative stress, membrane fluidity and membrane-bound enzyme activities of elderly subjects suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These subjects were randomly assigned to the supplement group (11 subjects, 9F and 2M; age 85.3 +/- 53 y) or placebo group (14-matched subjects, 11F and 3M; 86.1 +/- 6.5). The duration of the treatment was 12 weeks. The placebo group showed no significant changes in erythrocyte membrane composition and function. The erythrocyte membranes of the supplement group showed a significant increase in eicosapentenoic acid, docosapentenoic acid and DHA concentrations and a significant decrease in arachidonic acid, malondialdehyde and lipofuscin levels. These changes in membrane composition resulted in an increase in the unsaturation index, membrane fluidity and acetylcholine esterase activity. Moreover, a significant increase in the ratio between reduced and oxidized glutathione was observed in the erythrocyte of the supplement group. Although this study is a preliminary investigation, we believe these findings to be of great speculative and interpretative interest to better understand the complex and multi-factorial mechanisms behind the possible links between diets, their functional components and possible molecular processes that contribute to increasing the risk of developing MCI and Alzheimer's. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Insufficienza renale cronica: epidemiologia, cause, prevenzione e trattamento nutrizionale

In base ai livelli di creatininemia e di clearance della creatinina che il paziente con insufficienza renale cronica presenta si determinano situazioni che richiedono obiettivi e trattamenti specifici. Normalmente si inizia con una restrizione dell’assunzione di proteine quando la clearance creatininica del paziente si avvicina a 30 ml/min/1,73 m2. L’apporto proteico suggerito è basato sul peso corporeo attuale (corretto dall’edema) e non su quello ideale o desiderato. Tuttavia, nei pazienti obesi si suggerisce di utilizzare una correzione del peso corporeo per determinare i fabbisogni proteici

Update on the role of melatonin in the prevention of cancer tumorigenesis and in the management of cancer correlates, such as sleep-wake and mood disturbances: review and remarks

The aim of this article was to perform a systematic review on the role of melatonin in the prevention of cancer tumorigenesis--in vivo and in vitro--as well as in the management of cancer correlates, such as sleep-wake and mood disturbances. The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified "shift-work that involves circadian disruption" as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A) based on "limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of shift-work that involves night-work", and "sufficient evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of light during the daily dark period (biological night)". The clinical implications and the potential uses of melatonin in terms of biologic clock influence (e.g. sleep and mood), immune function, cancer initiation and growth, as well as the correlation between melatonin levels and cancer risk, are hereinafter recorded and summarized. Additionally, this paper includes a description of the newly discovered effects that melatonin has on the management of sleep-wake and mood disturbances as well as with regard to cancer patients' life quality. In cancer patients depression and insomnia are frequent and serious comorbid conditions which definitely require a special attention. The data presented in this review encourage the performance of new clinical trials to investigate the possible use of melatonin in cancer patients suffering from sleep-wake and mood disturbances, also considering that melatonin registered a low toxicity in cancer patients