Lipid profile and cost of enteral nutrition formula with addition of fish oil used in a public hospital.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The present study evaluated the lipid profile of enteral nutrition formulas with added fish oil used in a public hospital, with an emphasis on the fatty acid (FA) composition. METHODS: FA composition was determined using gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Nine enteral nutrition formulas were evaluated and the results obtained were compared with those reported on the formulas labels. RESULTS: The sample with the highest percentage of added fish oil according to the label information had the lowest total amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA + DHA) (p < 0.05). In the evaluation of the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids (ΣPUFA/ΣSFA) ratio, five samples were not within the values recommended by Brazilan and international health regulatory agencies. Regarding the n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio, five samples showed values higher than the recommended ratio. It was observed that EPA + DHA content was positively correlated with the cost of the diet. Importantly, we also found that there was a significant difference between the results of our analysis and the descriptions found on the labels for fatty acids n-6, n-3, EPA, DHA, SFA, PUFA and MUFA. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the discrepancies for fatty acids between the values obtained in the analyses and the values reported on the labels highlight the need for more rigorous inspection when public hospitals purchase enteral nutrition formulas with added fish oil, since the administration of formulas with inadequate levels of FA in hospitalized patients can compromise clinical results during the hospitalization period.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and risk for Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review.

Objective: To investigate the association of the consumption of ultra-processed foods with the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in adults and the elderly. The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022375944). Methods: This is a systematic review reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Observational studies were included without language or publication year restrictions. Studies assessing only other types of dementia as outcomes, not considering Alzheimer's disease, were excluded. The research was carried out in the Medline, Embase, Lilacs databases, and a survey of the gray literature between April and November 2023, in addition to citation search in the included studies. Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers. The risk of bias and methodological quality of the included studies were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for cohort studies. Results: A total of 5 studies involving 617,502 adults and elderly people were included. All studies had a cohort design and were considered of high methodological quality. Of the included studies, 4 demonstrated a risk association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the development of Alzheimer's disease, while 1 study showed a risk association only with the development of cognitive decline. Discussion: The association between ultra-processed foods consumption and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is a recent topic in scientific studies, given that the oldest study identified by our review dates back to 2017. Of the four included studies, three showed a significant association between ultra-processed foods consumption and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.