Mediterranean diet in the treatment of metabolic syndrome: nutritional therapy and life perspective

Metabolic syndrome is the association of chronic diseases related to diet and physical activity. Also recognized as a complex entity that associates well-established cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes, among others, such as central fat deposition and insulin resistance. Currently, Metabolic Syndrome has gained worrisome dimensions within clinical practice, becoming one of the greatest challenges at the beginning of this century. In contrast, the Mediterranean diet recognized for its combination of tasty taste and nutritional benefits, in addition to its culture of the link between health and longevity, is a strategy in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome. Although there is no consensus on the most adequate nutritional strategy to treat Metabolic Syndrome (MS), in such a way that there is a reduction in cardiovascular risk, recent studies show the effectiveness of adopting healthy lifestyles capable of reversing this trend. To address the role of diet in MS treatment, with the main focus on the interaction of benefits of different nutritional interventions in MS remission, contributing to the integration of current evidence in the pre-existing context. In view of the studies carried out in this research, it was found that the Mediterranean diet has shown benefits in the secondary prevention of this syndrome, although the underlying mechanisms are not completely clear. In this sense, it is important to revitalize and apply this diet in the future in terms of preventive and therapeutic guidelines

The benefits of glutamine in the treatment of patients with cancer

The subject of this study is the benefits of immunonutrition or immunomodulation, based on the concept that malnutrition impairs immune function. It is a therapeutic approach in an artificial form of food with the function of rebuilding cells for the immune response, which involves specific amino acids such as arginine, glutamine, and fiber. In this sense, it is intended to deal specifically with glutamine, which is a “conditionally essential” amino acid, as its concentration in plasma can decrease by up to 50% during stress, causing a deficiency condition. In the treatment of cancer patients, glutamine constitutes an immunomodulatory nutrient, being a fundamental substrate for the cells of the immune system, stimulating the multiplication of lymphocytes, the differentiation of B cells, the production of interleukin 1, and the phagocytosis of macrophages. The high use of glutamine by lymphocytes and macrophages suggests that the provision of this amino acid is of paramount importance for the functioning of these cells and also for the proper functioning of the immune response. Important in viral infections and in combating tumor cells, Natural Killer (NK) cells are dependent on adequate glutamine stores for their proliferation. It also exerts a local immunostimulating effect, increasing intestinal T cells, and is a precursor of an important intracellular antioxidant, glutathione. This is bibliographical research, of a qualitative nature, carried out through specialized scientific articles on the chosen topic

Dysbiosis and obesity: implications of the gut microbiota

Introduction: Obesity has been considered a public health crisis, contributing as a risk factor for several important chronic diseases and even death. Considering this fact, it is noteworthy that there is a fundamental relationship between the intestine and health, and this organ is considered by modern medicine as our second brain in the concept of intestinal permeability. Within the evaluation of the food process, effective nutritional absorption can be altered due to imbalances, such as malabsorption, drug-nutrient interaction, changes in mucosal permeability, and, consequently, an imbalance in the gut microbiota. Dysbiosis is characterized by these negative changes that occur in the intestine. In this sense, the present systematic review study sought to answer: What influences can the microbiota composition have on the metabolic syndrome and obesity process? Objective: To elucidate the relationship between the presence of intestinal dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of obesity. Methods: This is a bibliographic review work where the MEDLINE, PubMed, and SciELO databases were consulted using the following descriptors: Human gut microbiota, obesity, dysbiosis. Results and Conclusion: Based on the literature that supports this theme, it was possible to observe that in the obese population there is an increase in bacteria of the genus Firmicutes and a decrease in the genus Bacteriodetes, with the blocking of factors and proteins that regulate the homeostasis of the absorption of lipids and fatty acids being observed thus being able to alter the energy metabolism leading to a greater accumulation of adipose tissue