A nutritional intervention that promotes increased vegetable intake in Japanese with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a six-month trial.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a nutritional intervention motivating increased vegetable consumption would be an effective treatment and diet therapy for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We examined 15 patients with this disease (5 men and 10 women). During the 6-month intervention period, all participants received a small amount of vegetables twice a month as a nutritional education tool aimed at increasing vegetable consumption. They also received nutritional counseling and underwent ultrasound and blood biochemical examinations at baseline and 3 and 6 months after initiation of the intervention. Moreover, they were requested to submit dietary records for any 2 days. Green, white, and total vegetable intakes were significantly higher at 3 and 6 months than at baseline in 8 patients. These patients had significantly lower alanine amino-transferase and triglyceride concentrations than those whose vegetable intake did not increase. Additionally, green vegetable intake significantly negatively correlated with weight at 3 and 6 months (r = -0.617, p = 0.032 and r = -0.848, p = 0.008, respectively). These results suggest that our nutritional approach effectively increased vegetable consumption in at least some patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, consequently improving their condition.

Classification of "Kintoki ninjin" and other groups of carrot (Daucus carota) based on simple sequence repeat markers.

Carrot (Daucus carota) is cultivated in temperate regions for its taproot. Eastern and Western types have been differentiated. In Japan, the former type is categorized into Kintoki, Takinogawa oonaga, and Toso, with a few local cultivars. However, their genetic relationships are unclear because of the paucity of reports. We classified the Japanese Eastern and selected Western types based on simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Field traits, including root weight, length, diameter, and skin color, were also examined. Our field tests showed clear differences between the Kintoki and Western-type cultivars, confirming their differentiation. A phylogram based on nine SSRs classified 24 cultivars into groups I and II. Group I included all Eastern-type carrots examined (Kintoki and Toso groups, plus two local and two foreign cultivars), with the exception of an Indian cultivar ('Pusa rudhira red'). Among them, red carrots including Kintoki were clustered into two subgroups. Western-type, Eastern-Western hybrid, and 'Pusa rudhira red' were included in group II. A population structure analysis revealed the split between the Eastern and the other types. This study elucidates the genetic characteristics of the Eastern type of carrot, which will be valuable information for carrot breeding, especially when using the Eastern type as a source.