Oral dysbacteriosis in type 2 diabetes and its role in the progression to cardiovascular disease.

Background: Salivary changes and proliferation of specific bacterial communities are known to result in oral disease which may adversely impact on systemic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.Objectives: This study reports on the changes in oral ecology of healthy and diseased adults and the possible role in disease causation.Methods: The study comprised 150 participants divided into control (healthy), diabetic and cardiac groups. After dental examination for (Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) and Oral Rating Index (ORI), stimulated saliva was sampled to determine flow rate and buffering capacity. Salivary microbial load of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli were subsequently quantified.Results: DMFT, ORI, buffering capacity and flow rate were inferior for both diabetic and cardiac patients, who had higher bacterial counts (p<0.05). Long standing diabetics harboured a higher load of  treptococcus mutans. The microbial load of Streptococcus mutans in cardiac patients was double that of diabetics.Conclusion: Disruption in the salivary environment and changes in microbial ecology with increased load of cariogenic bacteria were found in diabetic and cardiac patients. This study brings forward new evidence of a markedly higher load of Streptococcus mutans in cardiac patients which may underlie the progression of diabetes to cardiovascular disease in this population.Keywords: Oral ecology, saliva, bacteria, dental caries, diabetes

Food allergies and perceptions towards food allergen labelling in Mauritius

There remains a paucity of research in food allergies in Sub-saharan Africa. It is the aim of this study 4 to determine the self-reported prevalence of food allergies and consumers’ perceptions towards food 5 allergen labelling in Mauritius. A survey was conducted in four supermarkets in the Municipalities of 6 Vacoas-Phoenix, Quatre-Bornes and Moka during the period of September to November 2017. The 7 questionnaire was designed based on previous studies and administered using a face-to-face 8 interview approach to increase completion rate. Descriptive analysis and one-way ANOVA between 9 subjects design were conducted. Shellfish was reported as the most common causative agent 10 followed by fish, egg and peanut. Respondents were satisfied with the current font size and general 11 information provided in food labels. Respondents agreed that it could be problematic to identify 12 suitable foods for individuals suffering from food allergies or intolerances. Variations of PAL 13 statements and generic terms provided in food labels, and location of allergy warnings were cause for 14 concern. More than 80% of the respondents felt that allergens in ingredient list should be emphasised 15 (e.g. bold font) and plain English or French language should be used to describe allergenic 16 ingredients. The findings in this study provide practical insights on food allergen labelling issues for 17 policy makers and stakeholders in the food supply chain. Determining the prevalence of food allergies 18 in the country will inform policy makers to consider adding shellfish and other major allergenic 19 ingredients to the list of ingredients requiring mandatory allergen warning label in Mauritiu

Eating Habits, Nutritional Status and Portion Sizes in the Elderly Population of Mauritius

It is known that nutrition plays a role in the ageing process, however the elderly do not give enough  importance to their diet and they very often have inadequate dietary intake and misconceptions about  portion sizes. As the number of older people is increasing, their nutritional and health status become a  major concern for public health authorities. Nutritional studies in the elderly population are required in  order to get a better understanding of their dietary intake and lifestyle characteristics. A study was  therefore conducted to investigate (i) the Mauritian elderly people’s nutritional status using   anthropometric measurements such as weight and height, (ii) their food consumption patterns as well as  the portion sizes of their foods using a food frequency questionnaires which were administered to a  random sample of male and female elderly population (n=60) aged 58 years old and above. The interview  was carried out face to face. The findings of this study showed that the nutritional status assessed by  anthropometry is rather unsatisfactory with a large proportion of obese independent of sex. As for the food patterns of the Mauritian elderly individuals, they were characterized by a prominent consumption of the  following four food categories: beverages, dairy products, meat and fish products, vegetables and fruits. For beverages, we observed that tea (93.3%), milk (66.6%) and water (96.7%) were most frequently  consumed. In the dairy product group, the majority of them consumed yogurt (61.7%). Rice (98.3%) and  “Farata” (66.7%) were the most frequently consumed carbohydrate group. We also found that, for  the meat category, chicken (73.3%) was preferred by most of them. 88.3% and 96.7% of the study  sample population consumed fruits and vegetables respectively. Intakes of other mixed food products  were of much lower levels. Characteristic dietary features, such as missing meals and eating out, were not observed among the elderly. Moreover, it was found that the portion size of food intake varied largely among the elderly subjects. However, although more female than male respondents (73.3% vs. 26.3%)  considered portion sizes of food to be very important they did not have a clear notion what an appropriate portion size is. Our study showed that the nutritional status of the elderly population as assessed by anthropometry was not satisfactory with a high prevalence of obesity, although their dietary patterns revealed relatively good eating habits. This discrepancy could be attributed either to other lifestyle  characteristics or diseases appearing in old age. Further nutrition and healthy lifestyle education is thus warranted in this population.Keywords: Nutrition survey, eating habits, nutritional status, portion size, elderly, Mauritiu

Trace Elements (Zn & Cu) And Plasma Proteins Status In Mauritian Pregnant Women

During pregnancy there is usually a fluctuation in the levels of trace elements in the body. The level of  copper for example may rise whilst that of zinc may fall. Plasma zinc and copper levels were measured in pregnant and non-pregnant women (mean age 25±6 and 23±5 years respectively). A commercially  available kit was used for the direct determination of zinc while copper assay was performed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Total plasma proteins, albumin and globulin levels were also measured by colorimetric method using commercially available kits. Plasma zinc and copper levels in pregnant women were found to be 99.3 ± 10.8 g/dl and 180 ± 31.4 g/dl respectively compared to mean values of 111.8 ± 7.2g/dl for zinc and 153.2 ± 15.2 for copper g/dl in the non-pregnant group. Plasma proteins were also significantly lower (p<0.05) in the pregnant individuals. Mean values of 63 ± 8.7g/l for total plasma  proteins, 37.2 ± 4.7 g/l for albumin and 25.8 ± 10.7g/l for globulin were obtained for the pregnant women. In the controls, total protein level was 79.6± 3.8 g/l, albumin level was 43.4 ±2.6 g/l and globulin 36.1 ± 5 g/l. In conclusions, our findings indicate that high level of copper during pregnancy may be responsible  for the lowering of zinc level since these two metals are known antagonists. In addition, lower levels of  albumin and globulin that are all carriers of zinc in the body may also be implicated in the lower zinc level during pregnancy.Key words: zinc, copper, total proteins, pregnancy, albumin, globulin

An Assessment of the Breastfeeding Practices and Infant Feeding Pattern among Mothers in Mauritius

Proper breastfeeding practices are effective ways for reducing childhood morbidity and mortality. While many mothers understand the importance of breastfeeding, others are less knowledgeable on the benefits of breastfeeding and weaning. The aim in here is to assess breastfeeding pattern, infant formula feeding pattern, and weaning introduction in Mauritius and to investigate the factors that influence infant nutrition. 500 mothers were interviewed using a questionnaire which was designed to elicit information on infant feeding practices. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS (version 13.0), whereby chi-square tests were used to evaluate relationships between different selected variables. The prevalence of breastfeeding practice in Mauritius has risen from 72% in 1991 to 93.4% as found in this study, while only 17.9% breastfed their children exclusively for the first 6 months, and the mean duration of EBF (exclusive breastfeeding) is 2.10 months. Complementary feeding was more commonly initiated around 4–6 months (75.2%). Despite the fact that 60.6% of mothers initiate breastfeeding and 26.1% of mothers are found to breastfeed up to 2 years, the practice of EBF for the first 6 months is low (17.9%). Factors found to influence infant feeding practices are type of delivery, parity, alcohol consumption, occupation, education, and breast problems