Double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) in the prophylactic treatment of migraine.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown an analgesic effect of ginger in the acute treatment of migraine, and there is anecdotal evidence of its efficacy in migraine prophylaxis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the potential of ginger to prevent migraine attacks. METHODS: This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial took place at the Headache Clinic, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil), involving 107 patients. Only subjects diagnosed with episodic migraine, aged between 18 and 60 years old, and who were not taking any prophylactic medication, were enrolled in the study. After one month of observation, subjects selected for the study were randomized 1:1 into placebo and treatment groups. Patients received capsules three times per day of 200 mg of dry extract of ginger (5% active ingredient) or placebo (cellulose) for three months. Visits were performed monthly and the patients were asked to fill in a migraine diary. The adherence to treatment was evaluated by counting capsules. RESULTS: The percentage of patients who responded to treatment (i.e. a reduction of 50% in the number of migraine attacks at the end of treatment) did not differ between the groups. There was a decrease in the number of days with severe pain, analgesic use for acute migraine and duration of migraine attacks in both groups, without significant difference between ginger and placebo groups. CONCLUSIONS: Ginger provides no greater benefit in the prophylactic treatment of migraine when compared to placebo. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02570633).

Lifetime shift work exposure: association with anthropometry, body composition, blood pressure, glucose and heart rate variability.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between lifetime exposure to shift work and blood pressure, fasting glucose (FG), anthropometric variables, body composition and heart rate variability (HRV). METHODS: Male shift workers (N=438) were evaluated using principal component (PC) analysis. The variables used were: weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), neck circumference (NC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body fat mass (BFKg), body fat percentage (BF%), visceral fat area (VFA), FG, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and HRV variables. ECG was performed, extracting heart rate (HR), root mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD), high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF) and the LF/HF ratio. Using linear regression models, the lifetime shift work exposure was associated with each PC. RESULTS: Five PCs were obtained, which accounted for 79.6% of the total variation of the data. PC1 (weight, BMI, WC, NC, HC, WHR, WHtR, BFKg, BF% and VFA) was designated as body obesity; PC2 (HF, RMSSD and LF) as good cardiac regulation; PC3 (SBP and DBP) as blood pressure; PC4 (LF/HF ratio and HR) as bad cardiac regulation and PC5 (WHR and FG) as insulin resistance. After age adjustment, the regression analysis showed that lifetime shift work was negatively associated with PC2 and positively associated with PC3. CONCLUSIONS: The association of lifetime shift work exposure with PC2 and PC3 suggests that shift work promotes unfavourable changes in autonomic cardiac control related to a decrease in parasympathetic modulation and an increase in blood pressure.

Acute effects of dry extract of ginger on energy expenditure in eutrophic women: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The thermic effect of food (TEF) is one of the components of total energy expenditure (TEE). Some bioactive compounds present in food could be useful to increase TEE. In this context, ginger has been extensively used as a thermogenic food despite no clear effect has been demonstrated yet. Herein, we evaluated the acute thermogenic effect of gingerol, a bioactive compound present in ginger, in healthy women. METHODS: We carried out a randomized double-masked, cross-over and placebo-controlled clinical trial with 20 healthy eutrophic women. Anthropometric, body composition, indirect calorimetry and clinical variables were collected at baseline and throughout the intervention phase. A standardized breakfast was offered together with two dry extract of ginger capsules (5% gingerol) or a placebo (cellulose). Indirect calorimetry, blood pressure, heart rate, axillary temperature and blood collection were assessed at baseline and thereafter, at 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 min postprandial. The analyses were repeated with a minimum of seven days' washout period. RESULTS: Ginger intake did not increase the TEF of a standardized breakfast compared to the placebo. Oxygen consumption, respiratory quotient, blood pressure, heart rate, axillary temperature and metabolic profile were not different as well. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that gingerol did not modify the acute TEF in healthy women. More studies in human subjects, using different concentrations of gingerol, administration methods and intervention type (chronic effect) are necessary to clarify the putative thermogenic effect of ginger. Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Thermogenic Effect of Ginger - NCT03089593).

Pathways linking obesity to neuropsychiatric disorders.

Obesity has been associated with cognitive and behavioral syndromes. Individuals who are obese have higher risk for developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and dementia than non-obese. Conversely, patients with neuropsychiatric conditions may exhibit some features that contribute to obesity development such as unhealthy behaviors and treatment with drugs that increase appetite. This review addresses the multiple pathways implicated in the relationship between obesity and neuropsychiatric disorders, mainly mood disorders, schizophrenia, and major neurocognitive disorder or dementia. Both obesity and neuropsychiatric disorders are characterized by a low-grade systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation. Obesity is frequently accompanied by neuroendocrine changes, particularly involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Indeed, activation of the stress system is commonly seen as a trigger for mood episodes, psychosis exacerbation, and cognitive decline. Growing evidence suggests the role of gut microbiota in obesity and brain functioning through the modulation of the inflammatory response and HPA axis. Owing to the intricate relationship between obesity and neuropsychiatric disorders, tackling one of them may affect the other. Therefore, a better understanding of the pathways underlying the link between obesity and neuropsychiatric disorders can contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies for these conditions.

Hypometabolism as a potential risk factor for overweight and obesity in liver recipients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to identify whether overweight liver recipients are hypometabolic. METHODS: Liver transplantation (LT) recipients (n = 20), who were 18 to 65 y of age, had a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2, and were 1 to 3 y post-transplant. They were matched with healthy controls in terms of sex, age, BMI, and body composition. Dietary intake data were collected using a 3-d food record. The individuals' daily activities were converted into metabolic equivalents. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was assessed in the morning after an overnight fast (12 h), by indirect calorimetry, using an open-circuit calorimeter. RESULTS: Total energy and macronutrient intakes were similar among liver recipients and controls. The majority of the individuals from both groups were sedentary (75%; n = 15/group). Patients who underwent LT showed lower REE (1449.15 ± 101.25 kcal) compared with the control group (1768.45 ± 86.94 kcal). Likewise, the ratio of REE to fat-free mass (FFM) was lower in the LT group (28.9 ± 1.7 kcal/ kg) than in the control group (32.9 ± 0.9 kcal/ kg; P < 0.05). The correlation between the FFM and the REE was strong in control participants (r = 0.73; P < 0.01), whereas it was moderate in the LT group (r = 0.45). CONCLUSION: The REE of overweight liver recipients is reduced and it might be a risk factor for excessive body weight gain in this population.

Heart rate variability in shift workers: responses to orthostatism and relationships with anthropometry, body composition, and blood pressure.

In order to investigate the response of heart rate variability (HRV) components to postural change and their association with cardiovascular risk factors in shift workers, a cross-sectional study with 438 Brazilian males rotating shift workers was done. Anthropometric, body composition, and clinical measures were collected. Electrocardiogram was recorded for 3 minutes, in the supine and orthostatic position, and HRV components were extracted. Descriptive analyses showed that mean values of body mass index, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio, visceral fat area (VFA), and blood pressure (BP) were higher than the reference values. In the regression model, age, WC, VFA, and systolic BP showed negative association with HRV components. These findings suggest the need for determining effective strategies for the evaluation and promotion of health among shift workers focused on the altered variables.

Análise de aflatoxinas em pastas de amendoim comercializadas no mercado central de Belo Horizonte, MG

Aflatoxicose é uma intoxicação resultante da ingestão de aflatoxinas presentes nos alimentos. O quadro clínico está diretamente relacionado ao grau de contaminação do produto, tempo e quantidade ingerida pelo individuo assim como seu estado nutricional. O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a presença de aflatoxina em amostras selecionadas de pastas de amendoim comercializadas em Belo Horizonte, MG e correlacionar com a legislação vigente no Brasil e em outros países. Para tal, foram coletadas uma amostra de cada marca diferente de pasta de amendoim integral, sem adição de outros ingredientes, comercializadas no Mercado Central, em Belo Horizonte-MG, em dezembro de 2016. Como critério de escolha foram selecionadas todas as marcas comercializadas no referido estabelecimento, com a descrição de pasta de amendoim integral sem adição de açúcar e outros ingredientes. Os resultados mostraram que em todas as amostras analisadas a quantidade de aflatoxina encontrada foi menor que 2,0 µg/kg de amostra, dentro do recomendado na legislação brasileira e internacional

Aflatoxicosis is an intoxication caused by the ingestion of aflatoxins present in food. The symptoms are directly related to the degree of contamination of the product, time and amount of ingest by the individual as well as their nutritional status. The present study aimed to determine the presence of aflatoxin in peanut pastes commercialized in Belo Horizonte, MG and correlate with current legislation in Brazil and other countries. For this purpose, six samples of whole peanut paste, without addition of other ingredients, commercialized at the Central Market in Belo Horizonte, MG, in December 2016. As a selection criterion, all the brands marketed in the establishment were selected. Description of whole peanut paste without added sugar and other ingredients. The results showed that in all analyzed samples the amount of aflatoxin found was lower than 2.0 µg / kg of sample, within the recommended in international and Brazilian legislation

Análise de aflatoxinas em pastas de amendoim comercializadas no mercado central de Belo Horizonte, MG

Aflatoxicose é uma intoxicação resultante da ingestão de aflatoxinas presentes nos alimentos. O quadro clínico está diretamente relacionado ao grau de contaminação do produto, tempo e quantidade ingerida pelo individuo assim como seu estado nutricional. O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a presença de aflatoxina em amostras selecionadas de pastas de amendoim comercializadas em Belo Horizonte, MG e correlacionar com a legislação vigente no Brasil e em outros países. Para tal, foram coletadas uma amostra de cada marca diferente de pasta de amendoim integral, sem adição de outros ingredientes, comercializadas no Mercado Central, em Belo Horizonte-MG, em dezembro de 2016. Como critério de escolha foram selecionadas todas as marcas comercializadas no referido estabelecimento, com a descrição de pasta de amendoim integral sem adição de açúcar e outros ingredientes. Os resultados mostraram que em todas as amostras analisadas a quantidade de aflatoxina encontrada foi menor que 2,0 µg/kg de amostra, dentro do recomendado na legislação brasileira e internacional.

Aflatoxicosis is an intoxication caused by the ingestion of aflatoxins present in food. The symptoms are directly related to the degree of contamination of the product, time and amount of ingest by the individual as well as their nutritional status. The present study aimed to determine the presence of aflatoxin in peanut pastes commercialized in Belo Horizonte, MG and correlate with current legislation in Brazil and other countries. For this purpose, six samples of whole peanut paste, without addition of other ingredients, commercialized at the Central Market in Belo Horizonte, MG, in December 2016. As a selection criterion, all the brands marketed in the establishment were selected. Description of whole peanut paste without added sugar and other ingredients. The results showed that in all analyzed samples the amount of aflatoxin found was lower than 2.0 µg / kg of sample, within the recommended in international and Brazilian legislation.