family members and health-related behaviors

The aim of this study was to clarify the associations of family members living together with health-related behaviors in Japanese young workers. The participants were 300 men and women aged 20-39 years in 2015 who had a job. A web-based self-administered questionnaire on status of partnering and parenting, number of family members living together, dietary habits, drinking habit, smoking habit, self-rated health, employment status, working time and commuting time was conducted through Internet. Multiple logistic regression analysis and general linear models were used to assess the association of family members living together with health-related behaviors. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval, p-value) for current drinking in unmarried participants living with their parents compared to unmarried participants living alone was 0.35 (0.13-0.93, p=0.036). The adjusted means of frequency of breakfast skipping and frequency of eating out showed a trend for inverse associations with the presence of a partner and children. However, those associations disappeared after adjustment for age of youngest child. The findings suggest that the presence of parents might affect drinking behavior and that age of youngest child living together might affect the frequency of breakfast skipping in young Japanese workers

ノビレチンは17型ヘルパーT細胞の分化調節により、実験的自己免疫性脳脊髄炎の発症を抑制する

Multiple sclerosis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that targets the myelin antigen in the central nervous system. Nobiletin is a dietary polymethoxylated flavonoid found in citrus fruits. In this study, we investigated how nobiletin affects the disease state and immune responses to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice. Nobiletin was administered orally from 14 days before immunization until the end of the experiment, and clinical scores were determined. The production levels of interleukin-17A and interferon-γ were measured in a culture supernatant of splenocytes stimulated with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. In addition, flow cytometric analysis was performed to examine the effect of nobiletin on T cell differentiation in vitro. Admin­istration of nobiletin significantly decreased the clinical score and interleukin-17A production in splenocytes. Furthermore, in vitro analysis showed that nobiletin significantly suppressed Th17 cell differentiation and interleukin-17A production in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that nobiletin attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis severity through modulation of Th17 cell differentiation

Polymethoxyflavonids and T helper 17 cells

We examined the effects of polymethoxyflavonoids (PMFs) on T helper (Th) 17 cell differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Five different PMFs including nobiletin (NOB), sudachitin (SUD), demethoxysudachitin, heptamethoxyflavone and natsudaidain were used for the in vitro study, and effects of those flavonoids on Th17 responses were investigated. NOB and heptamethoxyflavone significantly suppressed the proliferation response, but SUD, demethoxysudachitin and natsudaidain did not suppress the proliferation response. All of the five flavonoids decreased IL-17A production. Mice with experimentally induced autoimmune encephalomyelitis were used as an in vivo Th17 differentiation model. We focused on two flavonoids, NOB and SUD, and examined the effects of those flavonoids. NOB significantly suppressed Th17 cell proliferation and cytokine responses, but SUD only decreased proliferation responses. The results suggest that the suppressive effect of NOB on Th17 response in vivo is stronger than that of SUD

validity of dietary diversity

The validity of dietary variety score (DVS) using a short-form questionnaire has not been investigated using dietary diversity based on a quantitative distribution of consumed foods in older Japanese. We examined the association between DVS and objective dietary diversity using a Quantitative Index for Dietary Diversity (QUANTIDD) based on the quantitative distribution of foods consumed by older Japanese community dwellers. The subjects were 65 older Japanese community dwellers aged 60–79 years. We used two kinds of scores for assessment of dietary diversity. At first, dietary diversity was determined using DVS calculated from answers to a questionnaire about frequencies of intake of 10 food groups. Second, dietary intake was assessed using a 3-day dietary record with photographs, and dietary diversity was determined using QUANTIDD. The relationships between DVS and QUANTIDD were assessed using partial correlation coefficients controlling for confounders. The correlation coefficient between DVS and QUANTIDD was moderate (r = 0.212-0.458). After controlling for confounders, those correlation coefficient between DVS and QUANTIDD remained moderate. The findings suggest that there was a moderate relationship between DVS and QUANTIDD, and DVS using a short-form questionnaire may be useful for assessing dietary diversity in older Japanese community dwellers

Dietary diversity and healthy lifestyle

The aim of this study was to clarify the characteristics of lifestyle and health awareness according to dietary diversity in a Japanese worksite population. The participants were 1,312 men and women aged 20 to 63 years who were living in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan during the period 2012-2013. We obtained anthropometric data and information on lifestyle characteristics using a self-administered questionnaire. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary diversity was determined using the Quantitative Index for Dietary Diversity (QUANTIDD). The characteristics of lifestyle and health awareness according to quartiles of the QUANTIDD score were assessed using the chi-square test and a general linear model. The higher the QUANTIDD score was, the larger were the proportions of participants who knew the appropriate amount of dietary intake and participants who referred to nutritional component information when choosing and / or buying food. Among participants with higher QUANTIDD scores, the proportion of participants who considered their current diet was good was high in women, whereas the proportion of participants who wanted to improve their diet in the future was high in men. Those results indicate that higher dietary diversity was related to better characteristics of lifestyle and awareness of health

エイヨウ ト メンエキ キノウ : ヒヒッス エイヨウソ テイエイヨウ ジョウタイ カエイヨウ ジョウタイ ト メンエキ

It is known that nutritional state crucially affects immune function. In recent years, the contributionof the diet to the optimal working of the immune system has become wildly appreciatedand the influence of different dietary components on specific aspects of immune function has beenextensively studied. Soy isoflavone genistein suppresses antigen-specific immune response inBALB/c mice and suppresses development of atopic-like dermatitis in NC/Nga mice. In other soyisoflavone equol enhances antigen-specific IgE production via IL-13-mediated pathway. Further,equol exacerbates colitis of dextran sulfate sodium-treated mice. Therefore, immune stimulatoryeffects are strikingly different among soy isoflavones. In this reviews, in addition of the isoflavone,we overview the effects of dietary nucleic acid and protein-deficiency on antigen-specific immuneresponses. Furthermore, we present hot topics researches in the field of obesity and T cellfunction

Validation of a dietary balance score

This study assessed the validity of dietary balance scores (DBSs) by investigating the association between DBSs and nutrient adequacy (NA) in two Japanese populations. The participants were 65 community-dwelling Japanese from Tokushima Prefecture and 2,330 community-dwelling Japanese from Aichi Prefecture. Based on food frequency questionnaires or 3-day dietary records, we obtained 18 food groups. The NA score integrates nine beneficial nutrients and two nutrients that should be limited. We calculated four different DBSs: DBS1 consisted of five food groups (score range : 0–20), DBS2 consisted of nine food groups (score range : 0–36), DBS3 consisted of eight food groups (score range : 0–32), and DBS4 consisted of 10 food groups (score range : 0–40). Both the Spearman rank correlation coefficient with NA and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) for the nine beneficial nutrients were then estimated to test the performance of each DBS in predicting nutrient intake. The results showed that DBS1 and DBS4 were positively correlated with NA, while the AUC-ROC showed that DBS4 could moderately discriminate individuals with adequate intake levels of all nine nutrients. These findings suggest DBSs (especially DBS4) are useful in assessing dietary balance in middle-aged and older community-dwelling Japanese

The effect of modifiable healthy practices on higher-level functional capacity decline among Japanese community dwellers

This study aimed to clarify the effects of the accumulation of 8 modifiable practices related to health, including smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, sleeping hours, body mass index, dietary diversity, ikigai (life worth living), and health checkup status, on higher-level functional capacity decline among Japanese community dwellers. Data were derived from the National Institute for Longevity Sciences - Longitudinal Study of Aging. Subjects comprised 1269 men and women aged 40 to 79 years at baseline (1997–2000) who participated in a follow-up postal survey (2013). Higher-level functional capacity was measured using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (total score and 3 subscales: instrumental self-maintenance, intellectual activity, and social role). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for a decline in higher-level functional capacity in the follow-up study according to the total number of healthy practices were analyzed using the lowest category as a reference. Multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for the total score of higher-level functional capacity, which declined according to the total number of healthy practices (0–4, 5–6, 7–8 groups) were 1.00 (reference), 0.63 (0.44–0.92), and 0.54 (0.31–0.94). For the score of social role decline, multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CIs) were 1.00 (reference), 0.62 (0.40–0.97), and 0.46 (0.23–0.90), respectively (P for trend = 0.04). Having more modifiable healthy practices, especially in social roles, may protect against a decline in higher-level functional capacity among middle-aged and elderly community dwellers in Japan

Inverse association between soy food consumption, especially fermented soy products intake and soy isoflavone, and arterial stiffness in Japanese men

Studies on the associations between soy food consumption and arterial stiffness are rare. The aim of the present study was to evaluate their associations in Japanese men. A total of 652 eligible men, aged 35–69 years, who underwent the measurement of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as an index of arterial stiffness were evaluated in this cross-sectional study. Information on their lifestyle characteristics, including dietary behavior, was obtained from a structured self-administered questionnaire. The frequency of total soy products as well as fermented and non-fermented soy products intakes was calculated, and the amounts of soy protein and soy isoflavone intakes were also estimated; these were then divided into tertiles and their associations with baPWV values were evaluated using general linear models. Higher frequency of fermented soy products intake was associated with decreased baPWV after adjusting for the multivariable covariates (P value for trend was 0.002, in Model 3). This association did not alter after further adjustment with a biomarker of systemic inflammation (serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)) (P value for trend was 0.001, in Model 4). Total soy isoflavone consumption was also inversely associated with baPWV even after adjusting for multivariable covariates including serum hs-CRP (P value for trend was 0.043, in Model 4); however total soy protein consumption was not. These results demonstrated that greater consumption of soy food, especially fermented soy products and soy isoflavone was associated with reduced arterial stiffness, independent of systemic inflammation, in Japanese men

Associations of dietary patterns with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance : a cross-sectional study in a Japanese population

The associations of dietary patterns with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance have not been fully investigated in the Japanese population. A cross-sectional study was performed on 513 subjects without treatment for diabetes who had participated in the baseline survey of a cohort study in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Frequencies of consumption of 46 foods and beverages were assessed using a questionnaire. MetS was diagnosed using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to examine the associations of the dietary patterns with the prevalence of MetS, its components, and the Homeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Using principal component analysis, four dietary patterns were extracted : prudent diet (high intake of vegetables and fruits) ; high fat/Western (high intake of fried foods, fried dishes and meat) ; bread and dairy products ; and seafood patterns. After adjustment for sex, age, and other potential confounders, prudent diet pattern scores were inversely correlated with the prevalence of reduced serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.04) and high blood pressure (P=0.05), and bread and dairy products pattern scores were correlated with a lower prevalence of abdominal obesity (P=0.04) and high plasma glucose (P=0.04). The high fat/Western pattern was positively correlated with HOMA-IR (P=0.04). Prudent dietary pattern and bread and dairy products pattern may be correlated with a lower prevalence of some components of MetS. A high fat/Western dietary pattern may be positively associated with insulin resistance in the Japanese population