The Relationship between Low Carbohydrate Diet Score and Mental Health in Overweight and Obese Women

Background and Objectives: There is a bilateral relationship between mental health and overweight and obesity. In various studies, the association between dietary carbohydrate and mental health, have been controversially reported. Therefore, for the first time, we investigated the association between low carbohydrate diet score (LCDS) and mental health in overweight and obese women.   Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 360 obese and overweight women aged between 18 and 50 years, who were resident in Tehran city, were selected. A 47-item semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), was used to collect the dietary intake over the past year. LCDS was also calculated for all individuals. The psychiatric health statue was evaluated using a 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) questionnaire. ANOVA and linear regression, were used to analyze the data.   Results: The results of the present study, showed that anxiety (p = 0.03), stress (p = 0.03), and depression (p= 0.02) had a significant inverse relationship with LCDS after adjusting for confounders (age, body mass index, physical activity, and total energy intake).   Conclusion: The current study revealed that lower amount of carbohydrate in diet is associated with mental health (anxiety, stress, and depression). Prospective studies are required to confirm these findings

Egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a PERSIAN cohort-based study

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the main causes of death worldwide. Data on the effect of eggs consumption on the risk of CVDs are still unreliable. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between CVDs and the consumption of eggs. Methods In this case-control study, the required data were extracted from the Prospective Epidemiologic Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN) cohort in Sabzevar, Iran. A total of 4241 adults participated including 1535 patients with CVDs as the case group and 2706 healthy people as controls. Egg consumption was assessed using a valid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Results A significant association was observed between eggs consumption and stroke after adjustment for physical activity, body mass index (BMI), smoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), using alcohol, lipid profile, diabetes, and the intake of energy, lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and cholestrol (OR:1.007, 95% CI:1.001–1.013, P = 0.03). No association was found between egg consumption with hypertension, cardiac ischemia, and myocardial infarction. Conclusions There was a significant association between the consumption of eggs and stroke. However, more studies are needed to examine the effect of eggs on CVDs

Naturally nutrient rich (NNR) score and the risk of colorectal cancer: a case-control study

Background The association between colorectal cancer (CRC) and nutrients has been studied frequently. However, the association of nutrient density of diets with the risk of CRC has been less studied. This study aimed to investigate the association between CRC and naturally nutrient rich (NNR) score in Iranian adults.Method This case-control study included 160 patients with colorectal cancer and 320 controls aged 35–70 years in Tehran, Iran. Dietary intake was assessed using a 168-item food frequency questionnaire. The NNR score was obtained by calculating the average daily value of 14 nutrients including protein, vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B12, calcium, zinc, iron, folate, potassium and unsaturated fatty acids.Results Regarding dietary intake of the components of NNR score, the case group had a lower intake of polyunsaturated fat (15.41±4.44 vs 16.54±4.20 g/day, p=0.01), vitamin E (10.15±4.16 vs 13.1±5.33; p=0.001), vitamin B1 (2±0.86 vs 2.19±0.84 mg/day, p=0.03) and folate (516.45±96.59 vs 571.05±80.31; p=0.001) and a higher intake of oleic acid (8.21±5.46 vs 5.59±3.17 g/day, p=0.01) compared with the control group. Colorectal cancer risk was inversely associated with the NNR score after adjusting for the confounders (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.88 to 0.97; p=0.03).Conclusion Low NNR scores may be linked to CRC. If confirmed by future longitudinal research, this result may help prevent CRC by recommending nutrient-rich diets

The effects of dietary supplements in patients with cervical cancer: a comprehensive systematic review

Background: Recent studies reported that complementary therapy including dietary supplements may has a beneficial role in cervical cancer. However, the results are inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the association between cervical cancer and dietary supplements. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to summarize and quantify the most recent findings on dietary supplement and cervical cancer. Several databases were checked for relevant publications published in English up to March 2023. Of the 32 articles identified, only 20 met the inclusion criteria and were included. Results: Women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia may benefit from folate supplementation against oxidative stress and inflammation. Vitamin D may reduce oxidative stress and may have a therapeutic effect. Zinc promotes the clearance of the human papilloma virus and reduces the chance of viral infection. The use of probiotic supplements may improve the complications associated with chemotherapy in patients with cervical cancer, such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy complications may also be reduced by omega-3 fatty acids. Conclusion: Some dietary supplements including folate, vitamin D, zinc, probiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids may have beneficial effects in patients with cervical cancer. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results

Association between type 2 diabetes and branched chain amino acids (BCAA); a case-control study

Background Several amino acids and their derivatives have been implicated in insulin resistance (IR) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). This research sought to establish a relationship between the dietary levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and the risk of T2DM. Methods This case-control study was carried out on 4200 participants consisting of 589 people with T2DM and 3611 non-diabetic aged 35 to 70 years residents in Sabzevar, Iran. Data on the economic-social, employment status, medical history, lifestyle, and sleep habits were collected via interview. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to check the nutritional status. Participants’ dietary BCAA consumption was estimated using Nutritionist IV software. Results A significant negative association between the incidence of T2DM and the dietary levels of BCAAs after adjustment for age and sex (OR = 0.972, CI 95%:0.648–0.996, P = 0.022). The negative association remained significant after additional adjustments for body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (OR = 0.967, CI 95%: 0.943–0.992, P = 0.010). Interestingly, a positive association was found between T2DM and total BCAAs (OR = 1.067, CI 95%: 1.017–1.119, P = 0.008), Isoleucine (OR = 1.248, CI 95%: 1.043–1.494, P = 0.016), Leucine (OR = 1.165, CI 95%: 1.046–1.299, P = 0.006) and Valine (OR = 1.274, CI 95%: 1.088–1.492, P = 0.003) after further adjustment for calorie intake. Conclusions Our results demonstrate branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) including isoleucine, leucine, and valine are negatively associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) after adjusting for age and sex, BMI, and physical activity. However, adjusting for calorie intake reversed the association between T2DM and BCAAs. These findings suggest that the association between BCAAs and T2DM may be influenced by calorie intake. Future longitudinal studies are warranted