Qualitative exploration of the factors influencing the use of dietary supplements in Iranian women: introduction to areas of focus for developing interventions

Background: Literature shows that the consumption of Dietary Supplements (DS) is more common in Iran. This study aimed to explore the experiences of a sample of Iranian women regarding the factors influencing the use of DS. Methods: This qualitative content analysis study was conducted in Qods city, Tehran province, Iran from January to March 2020. Forty-two semi-structured in-depth interviews were performed with women. The participants were asked about their experiences about the determinants of the consumption of DS. After the first round of the interviews was done, we performed content analysis of the data and continued up to data saturation. Results: Two main themes including personal factors (with 5 subthemes including sociodemographic characteristics, perceived benefits of DS, history of illness, physiological conditions, and lifestyle factors) and socio-economic factors (with 3 subthemes including subjective norms, the price of food and commercial considerations of the sectors involved in the production and sale of DS) emerged as the experiences of the participants as to the intake of DS. Conclusions: These variables may suggest areas which need to be focused on for performing more effective interventions to affect appropriate consumption of DS in Iran. © 202

The individual or combinational effects of Hesperetin and Letrozole on the activity and expression of aromatase in MCF-7 cells

Aromatase catalyzes the last and rate-limiting step in estrogen biosynthesis. Inhibition of estrogen production is a common strategy for breast cancer treatment. Citrus flavonoids have been confirmed to exhibit efficacious biological activities, particularly in cancer therapy. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of hesperetin on the activity and expression of aromatase and compare this property with letrozole as an aromatase inhibitor in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays in this study demonstrated that hesperetin at a concentration of 200 μM decreased cell viability in a time dependent manner (P < 0.05). Aromatase activity assay, based on 17β-Estradiol (E2) production from testosterone, revealed that hesperetin had no effect. Real-time PCR results indicated that treatment with 1μM concentration of hesperetin for 48 h significantly decreased relative aromatase expression (P =0.004). Combination of letrozole and hesperetin also had no effect on aromatase. The changes in activity paralleled the expression of aromatase. Likely, the reduction in aromatase activity was delayed in time along with the reduction in expression ratio; however additional studies are needed to confirm this. In conclusion, the present study showed that hesperetin could decrease expression of aromatase at low concentrations in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. © 2016 by the C.M.B. Association. All rights reserved

The effect of vitamin C supplementation in the last month of pregnancy on neonatal bilirubin levels; A double-blind randomized clinical trial

Objectives: Jaundice is a typical condition in the neonatal period, particularly in the Asian continent. Drowsiness and disruption of breastfeeding, behavioral and neurological disorders, hearing loss and mental retardation are the results of impairment in controlling it. The increase in oxidant substances can stimulate the heme oxygenase enzyme and increase the conversion of heme to bilirubin. In some studies, vitamin C levels in the blood of infants with hyperbilirubinemia were lower than in healthy infants. Design: In this double-blind clinical trial study, 144 healthy pregnant women aged 20�40 years who were in 34th weeks of gestation were randomly divided into intervention, and control groups and until the end of pregnancy, they took a 500 mg tablet of vitamin C or placebo (Preparation of starch) daily. Demographic information, dietary intake, and physical activity level of the participants were also evaluated. The total blood bilirubin level was measured on the fifth day after birth using a sample of the neonatal heel. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 22. In this study P-value < 0. 05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 144 participants, 128 of them completed the intervention. There was no significant difference between the two groups at the level of vitamin C intake through diet, and anthropometric indices, but the total bilirubin level in the neonates of the two groups was statistically different (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Vitamin C supplementation in the last month of pregnancy had a significant effect on neonatal bilirubin level and decreased it significantly. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

The effect of paleolithic diet on glucose metabolism and lipid profile among patients with metabolic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Objective: Several randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have investigated the effects of the Paleolithic diet (PD) in adult patients suffering from metabolic disorders. However, the results of these RCTs are conflicting. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effects of the PD in patients with metabolic disorders. Methods: We searched the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Databases, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Embase databases up to June, 2020. The data were pooled using a random-effects model. From the eligible publications, 10 articles were selected for inclusion in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. The heterogeneity was determined using the I2 statistics and the Cochrane Q test. Results: The pooled results from the random-effects model showed a significant reduction of the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (weighted mean difference, WMD: �0.39, 95 CI: �0.70, �0.08), fasting insulin (WMD: �12.17 μU/mL, 95 CI: �24.26, �0.08), total cholesterol (WMD: �0.32 mmol/l, 95 CI: �0.49, �0.15), triglycerides (WMD: �0.29 mmol/L, 95 CI: �0.42, �0.16), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD: �0.35 mmol/L, 95 CI: �0.67, �0.03), blood pressure (BP)(WMD � 5.89 mmHg; 95 CI � 9.973 to � 1.86 for the systolic BP and WMD � 4.01 mmHg; 95 CI � 6.21 to � 1.80 for the diastolic BP values) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (WMD: �0.84, mg/L, 95 CI: �1.62, �0.06) in the PD group versus control group. Conclusions: Our findings provide better insights into the effect of the PD on the modulation of the glucose and lipid metabolism factors in patients with metabolic disorders, providing comprehensive information for the development of future RCTs with a high quality design. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC