Relationship between breast feeding and obesity in children with low birth weight

Background: Breast feeding appears to play a role in determining obesity and abdominal obesity during childhood, specifically in children with a history of low birth weight. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation of breast-feeding with either of abdominal obesity and obesity among Iranian school children. Materials and Methods: A total of 1184 students (625 girls and 559 boys), aged 10 to 13 years old, were selected from 112 governmental elementary schools in Iran. Height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure were measured using standard instruments and a pretested standardized questionnaire was performed for compiling information about family economics and educational level, first–degree family history of obesity, history of breast feeding, food pattern and birth weight, as well. Results: 13.68% (n = 160) of students had a history of low birth weight, and 26.41% of them had abdominal obesity. Of all participants, 22.04% were overweight and 5.32% were obese which was more prevalent in girls than in boys (P = 0.03). First-degree family history of obesity (P = 0.001), excessive gestational weight gain (P = 0.001) and birth weight (P = 0.01) were significantly correlated with the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity during childhood. Moreover the prevalence of abdominal obesity in children with low birth weight was significantly correlated with breast feeding (P = 0.04); But this relation was not significantly about obesity in our participants (P = 0.9). Furthermore duration of breast feeding was significantly and inversely correlated with obesity and abdominal obesity in schoolchildren with low birth weight (P = 0.01). Conclusions: The results suggest that Breast feeding and its long-term consequences were important factors for preventing metabolic syndrome criteria in childhood and later years of life span. With regard to the increasing prevalence of obesity in children, more research is urgently needed to clarify whether breast feeding have negative consequences for the risk of chronic disease in children, especially in children with low birth weight

A qualitative study on physical health threatening factors of Iranian seafarers working on ocean going tankers

Background: Seafaring is a highly physically demanding profession in a risky environment due to exposure to unique job health related risk factors. The purpose of the study is to describe physical health threatening factors of Iranian seafarers working on tankers. Materials and methods: A qualitative content analysis with inductive approach was performed on 17 Iranian male seafarers in 2016. Subjects were selected by purposive sampling, which continued until data saturation. Data were gathered using semi-structural questionnaire via in-depth-interviews. All interviews were transformed into computer files. Analysis was done based on conventional content analysis approach. Results: Mean job history and age of the participants was 11.9 ± 7.2 and 35.8 ± 9.3 years, respectively. Two main themes emerged during analysis of data and categories were created. The themes are (1) physical health threatening factors at the ship; (2) high risk ranks at the ship. Conclusions: The need for addressing nutrition at sea was acknowledged by seafarers. Also, it seems that revision of some regulations regarding seafarers’ medical examination, oral health and heart diseases is necessary

Effects of symbiotic and vitamin E supplementation on blood pressure, nitric oxide and inflammatory factors in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been suggested to be well correlated with altered blood pressure. This study was conducted to determine the effects of symbiotic and vitamin E supplementation on blood pressure and inflammatory indices of patients with NAFLD. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed among 60 NAFLD patients aged 25 to 64 years old. Participants were randomly divided into four groups to receive a 400 IU alpha-tocopherol and 2 × 108 CFU/g symbiotic supplement for 8 weeks. The anthropometric parameters, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) were assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention. After 8 weeks of intervention, combined symbiotic and alpha-tocopherol, symbiotic and alpha-tocopherol lone administration, compared with the placebo, resulted in significant decreases in SBP (-17.07±2.1, -16.07±3.56, -1.73±2.25 and -1.55±3.01 mmHg, P=0.01), serum MDA (-1.19±0.5, -0.12±0.65, 0.14 ± 0.64 and 0.16±0.34 nmol/mL, P<0.001), serum TNFα (-15.62±13.93, -9.24±7.12, -11.44 ± 15.47 and 3.01±1.71 pg/ml, P<0.001) concentrations. A significant decrease in serum AST (-11.36±4.52, -7.43±8.58, -5.93±6.61 and 2.5±5.75 μmol/L, P <0.001), ALT (-12.79±3.65, -3.66±6.81, -6.54±7.66 and 4.16±3.43 μmol/L, P <0.001) and ALP (-26.8±11.1, -4.56±9.22, -14.48±12.22 and 5.19±2.64 μmol/L, P <0.001) was seen. Variations in DBP and serum NO concentration were not significant. Alpha-tocopherol and symbiotic supplementation among patients with NAFLD resulted in decreased SBP, serum MDA, TNFα levels and enzymes liver; however, they did not affect DBP and serum NO concentration

Major Dietary patterns and related factors among workers of Oil Terminal Company in Kharg Island, Iran

This study was conducted to identify the dietary patterns among workers of Oil Terminals Company and to assess their association with socio-demographic and lifestyle factors.The sample size (392) was estimated by considering minimum correlation (r=0.2) between variables. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of workers selected by a stratified random-sampling method (alloffices of the company). The head of company provided a list of workers, and the proportionof each center was specified via ni=ki/N × n [ni=number of participants from each center, ki=number of each center workers, N=number company workers, n= sample size (392)].Dietary pattern was identified by valid food frequency questionnaire containing 168 food items with specific serving size consumed by Iranians. Major dietary patterns analyzed by factor analysis. General characteristics across tertiles were compared by ANOVA and chi-square tests were used where appropriate. In addition, we used multivariate logestic regression tests to assess the relationship between demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle variables and the adherence to the dietary patterns. Two major dietary patternswere extracted: "Healthy pattern" characterized by high consumption of fruits, fish, yellow vegetables, potato, garlic, whole cereals, yogurt drink, and salt. The second one named "unhealthy pattern" characterized by high consumption of soft drinks, sugar, mayonnaise, sweets, eggs, butter, and processed meat, high- fat dairy products, organ meat, French fries, refined cereals, snacks and artificial juice. Work hours were positively correlated (b=0.14; p&lt;0.01) and being single (b=-0.4, p&lt;0.05) and full time work in comparison with part-time work (b=-0.5, p&lt;0.01) was negatively correlated with healthy dietary pattern, whereas age (b=-0.3, p&lt;0.05), dieting (b=-0.4, p&lt;0.01)  and history of hyperlipidemia had negative correlation (b=-0.41, p&lt;0.01) with unhealthy dietary pattern.Our findings show the association between socio-demographic, lifestyle factors and dietary patterns of the worker

Effects of hazelnuts consumption on fasting blood sugar and lipoproteins in patients with type 2 diabetes

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that nuts consumption have beneficial effects on serum lipid profiles in hyperlipidemic or normolipidemic subjects. However, similar studies in diabetes field are quite rare. So, we aimed to investigate the effects of hazelnut consumption on fasting blood sugar (FBS) and lipid profiles in patients with type 2 Diabetes. Materials and Methods: An 8-week controlled randomized parallel study in patients with type 2 diabetes. Fifty eligible volunteers were assigned to either the control or intervention groups. 10% of total daily calorie intake was replaced with hazelnuts in intervention group. Blood samples were collected from fasting patients at the start and at the end of the study. Results: After 8 weeks, there were significant differences in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations between two groups, using analyses of covariance (P = 0.009), which was due to the larger HDL-C reduction in control group (P = 0.003). Although, Hazelnut group achieved greater reduction in triglyceride (TG) concentrations than control group, these changes were not statistically significant. Neither between-group changes nor within-group changes were significant for FBS, total cholesterol (TC), TG, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Conclusion: Results of this study indicated that incorporation of hazelnuts into diet can prevent reduction of HDL-C concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes, but had no effect on FBS or other lipid profile indices

Adiponectin : An indicator for metabolic syndrome

Our research group would like to thank all subjects who took part in current study. The project was financially supported by the Iran University of Medical Sciences. (93-02-27-24976)Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Factors affecting health-promoting lifestyle profile in Iranian male seafarers working on tankers

Background: Seafaring is a risky occupation that is associated with a high incidence of lifestyle-related diseases. The present study was carried out to examine health promotion behaviour and its associated factors in seafarers of the National Iranian Tanker Company. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 200 Iranian male seafarers in 2015. A self-administered socio-demographic and Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) questionnaire was completed. One-way analysis of variance was used to identify significant differences among the various departments. The t-test was utilised to compare the HPLP-II scores according to the demographic variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between demographic variables and the overall HPLP-II score, in addition to the six health-promoting lifestyle subscale scores. Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.93 ± 9.51 years. Most of the seafarers were categorised as having a moderate (32%) or good lifestyle (61.5%). The mean lifestyle score was 136.14 ± 19.90, with the subscale spiritual growth showing the highest score (26.16 ± 5.03) and the subscale exercise behaviour showing the lowest score (19.95 ± 4.23). The lowest score for nutrition was found among the seafarers working in the engine department (engine: 20.41 ± 4.50, deck: 23.52 ± 4.97, and galley: 24.83 ± 4.64) (p &lt; 0.05). Working in the engine department was found to have a significant negative effect on the nutrition score (B = –3.57, p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, educational level was found to have a significant positive effect on spiritual growth (B = 2.97, p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: The findings suggest that health-related issues in this occupation, especially workers in the engine room, are a matter of concern

Extra virgin olive oil in maternal diet increases osteogenic genes expression, but high amounts have deleterious effects on bones in mice offspring at adolescence

Objective(s): Maternal high-fat diet has been shown to have deleterious effects on the offspring bones. However, there is no study to assess the effects of type and amount of maternal dietary oil in an isocaloric diet, with focus on extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). The objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that type of maternal dietary oil has more effects than its amount in an isocaloric diet during gestation and lactation on bone genes expression in offspring in adolescence. Materials and Methods: Virgin female C57BL/6 mice were impregnated and fed either the AIN 93G diet (received 16% of calories as soybean oil, as a control diet, or EVOO) or a high fat AIN 93G diet (received 45% of calories as soybean oil or EVOO) from the time of vaginal plug confirmation until offspring’s weaning. Results: After adjusting for the amount of oils, osteoprotegerin/ receptor activator of nuclear factor NF-κB ligand (OPG/RANK-L) and OPG expressions were 6.1- and 2.8-folds higher in offspring born to EVOO compared with soybean oil-fed mothers. OPG, beta-catenin, and OPG/RANK-L expression were 88%, 94%, and 70% lower in offspring born to the 45% oil-fed mothers compared with the 16% group. In contrast, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-2 (PPARγ2) gene expression was higher in the 45% oil group, adjusted for the types of oil. Conclusion: Maternal EVOO consumption, but not soybean oil increased osteoblastic gene expression, and high amounts of both oils decreased osteoblastic and increased adipogenic genes expression in adolescent offspring

Ellagic acid effects on disease severity, levels of cytokines and T-bet, RORγt, and GATA3 genes expression in multiple sclerosis patients: a multicentral-triple blind randomized clinical trial

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Ellagic acid is a natural polyphenol and affects the fate of neurons through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The present study aimed to investigate ellagic acid effects on disease severity, the expression of involved genes in the pathogenesis of MS, and the levels of related cytokines.MethodsThe present study was a triple-blind clinical trial. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to two groups: Ellagic acid (25 subjects) for 12 weeks, receiving 180 mg of Ellagic acid (Axenic, Australia) and the control group (25 subjects) receiving a placebo, before the main meals. Before and after the study, the data including general information, foods intake, physical activity, anthropometric data, expanded disability status scale (EDSS), general health questionnaire (GHQ) and pain rating index (PRI), fatigue severity scale (FSS) were assessed, as well as serum levels of interferon-gamma (IFNγ), interleukin-17 (IL-17), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), nitric-oxide (NO) using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) method and expression of T-box transcription factor (Tbet), GATA Binding Protein 3 (GATA3), retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) and Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes were determined using Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) method.FindingsEllagic acid supplementation led to a reduction in IFNγ, IL-17, NO and increased IL-4 in the ellagic acid group, however in the placebo group no such changes were observed (−24.52 ± 3.79 vs. -0.05 ± 0.02, p &lt; 0.01; −5.37 ± 0.92 vs. 2.03 ± 1.03, p &lt; 0.01; −18.03 ± 1.02 vs. -0.06 ± 0.05, p &lt; 0.01, 14.69 ± 0.47 vs. -0.09 ± 0.14, p &lt; 0.01, respectively). Ellagic acid supplementation had no effect on TGF-β in any of the study groups (p &gt; 0.05). Also, the Tbet and RORγt genes expression decreased, and the GATA3 gene expression in the group receiving ellagic acid compared to control group significantly increased (0.52 ± 0.29 vs. 1.51 ± 0.18, p &lt; 0.01, 0.49 ± 0.18 vs. 1.38 ± 0.14, p &lt; 0.01, 1.71 ± 0.39 vs. 0.27 ± 0.10, p &lt; 0.01). Also, ellagic acid supplementation led to significant decrease in EDSS, FSS and GHQ scores (p &lt; 0.05), and no significant changes observed in PRI score (p &gt; 0.05).ConclusionEllagic acid supplementation can improve the health status of MS patients by reduction of the inflammatory cytokines and Tbet and RORγt gene expression, and increment of anti-inflammatory cytokines and GATA3 gene expression.Clinical trial registration: (https://en.irct.ir/trial/53020), IRCT20120415009472N22