Nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area in Selangor

This study aimed to assess the nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area. This cross-sectional study involved 115 adults aged from 18 to 59 years old (46 male and 69 female). Anthropometric and body composition measurements of height, weight, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference were taken. Biochemical measurements included blood glucose, blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Dietary intake was evaluated by interviewing subjects using Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ). Physical activity status was determined by interviewing subjects using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Most of the subjects were found to be mainly on low socioeconomic status and working as blue collar workers. The mean body mass index (BMI) for men and women were 27.3 ± 6.3 kg/m2 and 28.5 ± 5.3 kg/m2, respectively. The waist-hip ratio of men and women were 0.92 ± 0.07 and 0.86 ± 0.06, respectively. Mean blood pressure observed was 128.8 ± 18.8 mmHg (systolic) and 78.2 ± 12.1 mmHg (diastolic). Mean blood glucose was reported to be 6.6 ± 3.2 mmol/L while the mean blood cholesterol was 5.2 ± 1.0 mmol/L. Overall energy intake was 2705 ± 603 kcal with the contribution of 53.4% carbohydrate, 13.5% protein and 32.5% fat to overall energy intake. The nutrients that did not achieve Malaysia’s Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) were calcium (73.1%), thiamine (70.5%), folate (25.0%) and vitamin A (19.6%). The mean physical activity of subjects was 6739.8 ± 8135.6 MET-min/week (high physical activity). In conclusion, the adults living in low-cost housing have unsatisfactory nutritional status yet they have good physical activity level which might be contributed by their occupation

Pengehadan kalori, fungsi kognitif dan penuaan: peranan terhadap sistem biologi

Prevalens gangguan kognitif ringan (MCI) di Malaysia mencecah 68% pada tahun 2016. Pelbagai kaedah dijalankan bagi memastikan kelestarian tahap kesihatan warga tua termasuk melalui nutrisi, gaya hidup dan persekitaran. Pengehadan kalori dibuktikan mampu untuk menurunkan kadar mortaliti dan morbiditi warga tua serta memelihara tahap kesihatan warga tua supaya dapat membantu dalam meningkatkan kualiti hidup golongan tersebut. Pengehadan kalori juga merupakan salah satu kaedah yang lebih mudah dan berkesan dalam membantu meningkatkan ingatan dan memelihara kesihatan golongan tersebut. Ia juga membantu mengurangkan kadar inflamasi dan mencantas tindakan radikal bebas yang hadir di dalam sistem tubuh akibat daripada proses penuaan dan faktor persekitaran. Keadaan ini menyediakan tubuh badan yang lebih rentan terhadap kerosakan DNA dan serangan toksin daripada penyakit kronik, pemakanan dan persekitaran. Oleh itu, kajian ini memberikan konsep yang lebih jelas terhadap implikasi pengehadan kalori dalam memelihara fungsi kognitif

Health risk assessment of acrylamide in deep fried starchy foods among students of Kolej Tun Syed Nasir, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Studies found that deep fried starchy foods may contain potential compound to increase cancer risk known as acrylamide. Identification of acrylamide health risk assessment in deep fried starchy food among students in Kolej Tun Syed Nasir, Kuala Lumpur was investigated. A survey was conducted to obtain data on types of deep fried starchy food preferred by the subjects, the food source, intake frequency and also the serving size. Acrylamide in the food sample was quantified using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Based on this study, the estimated acrylamide intake are 0.042 μg/kg/day for fries, 0.012 μg/kg/day for fried banana, 0.129 μg/kg/day for fried sweet potato and 6.101 μg/kg/day for the coated fried chicken, while the acrylamide level in anchovies’ fritter cannot be detected (N/A). Based on the hazard quotient (HQ) calculated, the intake of french fries, fried banana and fried sweet potato do not give a significant health risk (HQ < 1). However, for the coated fried chicken, the HQ value is more than 1 which could possibly cause a health risk. Based on individual excess lifetime cancer risk (IELCR) calculated, the deep fried starchy food intake cancer risk of coated fried chicken is higher (3 × 10-2) compared to fried sweet potato (5.81 × 10-4), french fries (1.89 × 10-4) and anchovies fritter (5.4 × 10-5). The students’ intake of coated fried chicken can give a significant health risk compare to other tested food, however in term of cancer risk, all of the tested food give a high number of probability of increased risk of cancer

Hubungan antara puasa sunnah dan kerosakan DNA dalam kalangan warga emas yang mengalami gangguan kognitif ringan (MCI)

Diet pemakanan memainkan peranan penting dalam menentukan kesihatan individu. Salah satu pendekatan yang paling mudah dan sesuai diikuti oleh individu tertentu terutamanya warga emas adalah puasa Sunnah. Puasa sunnah dilaporkan mempunyai kesan positif dalam kesihatan umum dan turut membantu dalam memanjangkan jangka hayat warga emas. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji hubungan puasa Sunnah dalam membaiki kerosakan DNA pada warga emas yang mengalami gangguan kognitif ringan (MCI). Reka bentuk kajian adalah kajian hirisan lintang perbandingan yang membandingkan dua fasa (dasar dan 36 bulan). Seramai 99 orang subjek MCI berumur ≥ 60 tahun keatas dan tidak mempunyai sebarang penyakit yang kritikal terlibat di dalam kajian ini. Sebanyak 10 ml darah penuh, data sosio-demografi dan penilaian kognitif juga turut diambil. MMSE, IADL, ADL dan GDS telah dijalankan untuk menentukan fungsi kognitif. Kajian mendapati bahawa peratusan ekor DNA (TD) bagi subjek yang mengamalkan puasa Sunnah untuk kedua-dua fasa adalah jauh lebih rendah berbanding subjek yang tidak mengamalkan puasa Sunnah (Dasar, TD: 12.49 ± 0.24% vs 17.40 ± 0.43%; 36 bulan, TD: 8.21 ± 0.43% vs 15.23 ± 1.16%). Peratusan momen ekor (TM) bagi subjek yang mengamalkan puasa Sunnah untuk kedua-dua fasa adalah jauh lebih rendah berbanding subjek yang tidak mengamalkan puasa Sunnah (Dasar, TM: 0.92 ± 0.05% vs 1.46 ± 0.08%; 36 bulan, TM: 0.4 ± 0.03% vs 1.32 ± 0.13%). Tuntasnya, ini menunjukkan bahawa puasa Sunnah boleh mengurangkan kerosakan DNA dalam kalangan warga emas MCI. Oleh itu, penyelidikan lanjut diperlukan untuk menentukan metabolit dalam kalangan subjek MCI yang berkaitan dengan puasa Sunnah untuk menghasilkan model ramalan diet sihat untuk digunakan pada masa hadapan

Juara Sihat™: study design of a school-based childhood obesity nutrition education programme in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The global prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has increased rapidly in the recent decades, including in Malaysia. Thus, development of effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity in Malaysia is urgently needed. This paper describes the study design of a 12-week multi-component, school-based nutrition education programme aimed at managing childhood obesity. The objective of Juara Sihat™ is to determine the effectiveness of a nutrition education programme in improving anthropometric status, knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of nutrition, eating habits and physical activity level among overweight and obese children. This quasi-experimental study involves two primary schools in Kuala Lumpur with similar demographic characteristics. Eligibility criteria of research participants are overweight and obese children aged 9 to 11 years. The main components of the Juara Sihat™ intervention are nutrition education classes on healthy eating and active lifestyle; physical activity sessions; and active involvements of parents and teachers. The control school does not receive any interventions. The primary outcome is BMI-for-age z-score, while other outcomes include waist circumference, body fat percentage, KAP of nutrition score, dietary intake, physical activity level, sedentary behaviour and biochemical profile. Outcome measures will be assessed at three intervals: baseline, post-intervention 1 (3-month follow-up), and post-intervention 2 (6-month follow-up). The Juara Sihat™ programme represents a promising approach to examining the effectiveness of a school-based childhood obesity intervention with strong empowerment of Parents’ and Teachers’ Association (PTA). We anticipate that this study may provide insights towards the development of more effective strategies in formulating childhood obesity interventions

Intermittent fasting enhanced the cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment by inducing biochemical and metabolic changes: a 3-year progressive study

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to various dietary regimens that cycle between a period of non-fasting and a period of total fasting. This study aimed to determine the effects of IF on cognitive function among elderly individuals who practice IF who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A total of 99 elderly subjects with MCI of Malay ethnicity without any terminal illness were recruited from a larger cohort study, LRGS TUA. The subjects were divided into three groups, comprising those who were regularly practicing IF (r-IF), irregularly practicing IF (i-IF), and non-fasters (n-IF). Upon 36 months of follow-up, more MCI subjects in the r-IF group reverted to successful aging with no cognitive impairment and diseases (24.3%) compared to those in i-IF (14.2%) and n-IF groups (3.7%). The r-IF group’s subjects exhibited significant increment in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduction in body weight, levels of insulin, fasting blood glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and DNA damage. Moreover, metabolomics analysis showed that IF may modulate cognitive function via various metabolite pathways, including the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, butanoate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways. Overall, the MCI-afflicted older adults who practiced IF regularly had better cognitive scores and reverted to better cognitive function at 36 months follow-up

Methodology approaches and challenges in population‐based longitudinal study of a neuroprotective model for healthy longevity

Aim: The 36‐month Long‐Term Research Grant Scheme project: Towards Usual Aging – Neuroprotective Model for Healthy Longevity among Malaysian Elderly was designed to address multidimensional aspects including psychosocial, biophysical health, nutrition and dietary pattern, and auditory and visual function to highlight the magnitude of these associations in a single study. Methods: A total of 2322 respondents aged ≥60 years were recruited at baseline using the multistage sampling method, followed up at 18 months and 36 months. Results: Response rates at baseline, 18 months and 36 months were 87.8%, 77.3% and 67.1%, respectively. At baseline, the prevalence of successful aging, usual aging and mild cognitive impairment was 11%, 73% and 16%, respectively. The prevalence of single and multimorbidity at baseline were 25.9% and 50.3%, respectively. The incidence rates of mild cognitive impairment at 18 months and 36 months were 6.5 and 5.6 per 100 person‐years. The incidence rates of multimorbidity at 18 months and 36 months were 23.7 and 21.5 per 100 person‐years, respectively. Conclusions: The Long‐Term Research Grant Scheme project: Towards Usual Aging study provides an opportunity to investigate the interactions between wide ranges of aspects of the older population in a nationally representative sample of the older population

Zinc and genomic stability.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element required for both optimal human health and maintaining genomic stability. The main aim of this thesis was to address important knowledge gaps regarding the possible impact of Zn status on genomic stability events in both lymphocytes and epithelial cells using both in vitro and in vivo models. The project also aimed to study the differential impact of Zn Carnosine (ZnC) and Zn Sulphate (ZnSO₄) on genome stability as the former is a newly emerging commercially available supplement renown for its antioxidant capacity. The in vitro studies investigated the effects of ZnSO₄ and ZnC on cell proliferation via MTT assay and DNA damage rates and was measured using both the comet assay and the Cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN-Cyt) assay in the WIL2-NS human lymphoblastoid cell line and HOK cell line. This study also investigated the impact of Zn status on both telomere length and telomere base damage in vitro. An in vivo study was designed to further investigate the effect of Zn supplementation in minimising genome instability events in lymphocytes. An increased intake of Zn may reduce the risk of degenerative diseases but may be toxic if taken in excess. This study aimed to investigate whether taking daily supplements of 20 mg of Zn as Zn Carnosine can improve Zn status, genome stability events and Zn transporter genes in an elderly South Australian cohort characterised by having low plasma Zn levels. In conclusion, the in vitro studies suggest that 1) Zn deficiency (0 μM) and high Zn concentrations increase DNA damage; 2) Zn at 4-16 μM is optimal in maintaining genome stability events; 3) Zn at 16-32 μM is optimal in protecting the cell against DNA damage induced by irradiation and hydrogen peroxide challenges; and 4) Zn may play an important role in telomere maintenances. The in vivo study suggests that Zn supplementation may be beneficial in an elderly population with marginal lowered Zn status by raising plasma Zn levels, lowering DNA damage events and modifies Zn transporter gene expression.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Medicine, 201

DNA Damaging Effect of Selected Salted and Fermented Food Products Against Chang Liver Cell

DNA damaging effects of the salted and fermented food products (salted fishes, dried shrimps and shrimps pastes) collected from three different locations in Malacca namely Pantai Puteri, Batang Tiga and Kelemak on the DNA of the Chang liver cells were evaluated via Alkaline Comet Assay. Treatment at 62.5 mg/ml following 24 hours of incubation was used based on the preliminary cytoxicity data. Percentage of damage to the DNA was calculated using software for scoring based on the tail moment and tail intensity (severity of the DNA damage). Hydrogen peroxide was used as positive control at 0.1 mM following 30 minutes of incubation in 4 C.The results showed that the methanol extract of shrimps pastes and salted fish from Pantai Puteri, exhibited a higher DNA damage (shrimps pastes – TI – 8.33 ± 2.19; TI – 31.67 ± 5.84, salted fishes – TM – 2.25 ±0.86; TI – 9.25 ±1.55) and were expressed as (shrimps pastes) 56.66 ± 8.74% of DNA damage and methanol salted fish extracts from the same location showed 13.00 ± 2.84% of the DNA damage on Chang liver cells compared to the other extracts. Values for methanol extract of shrimps pastes from Pantai Puteri were comparable to the positive control-Hydrogen peroxide (TM-9.50 ± 1.50; TI 30.50 ± 2.50). On the other hand, aqueous salted fishes extract from Pantai Puteri (TM- 1.33 ± 0.42; TI – 8.67 ± 2.42) and shrimps pastes extract from Kelemak (methanol extract – TM – 1.75 ± 0.15; TI – 7.50 ± 0.50, aqueous extract – TM – 1.00 ± 0.00; TI – 5.00 ± 0.00) showed slightly high value for tail moment and tail intensity as compared to negative control (TM – 0.29 ± 0.05; TI – 2.50 ± 0.29). Values for methanol extracts of shrimps pastes from Pantai Puteri were comparable to the positive control (TM – 9.50 ± 1.50; TI – 30.50 ± 2.50). In conclusion, our results demonstrate genotoxic damage induced by few salted and fermented food extract in Chang liver cell