Effects of Fermented Garlic Extract Containing Nitric Oxide Metabolites on Blood Flow in Healthy Participants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Aged or fermented garlic extract (FGE) is a natural remedy that improves vascular function through increasing vascular nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. This is because nitrite (NO2-), a NO metabolite, can be produced through bioconversion with macrobacteria during the fermentation of foods like garlic. We aimed to evaluate the effects of NO2- in FGE on blood flow (BF), blood pressure (BP), velocity of the common carotid artery (CCA) and internal carotid artery (ICA), regional cerebral BF (rCBF), and peripheral BF (PBF). The study was divided into two parts: (1) Thirty healthy adults were divided into FGE and placebo groups to compare BP and velocity of the CCA and ICA; and (2) Twenty-eight healthy adults were divided into FGE and placebo groups to compare rCBF and PBF and determine changes before/after ingestion. Significant changes were noted in BP and the velocity of both CCA 30-60 min after FGE ingestion. FGE ingestion resulted in significant increases in rCBF and increases in body surface temperature through alterations in PBF. No detectable clinical side effects were noted. Overall, oral administration of NO2- containing FGE demonstrated acute positive effects in upregulating BF, including the CCA, BP, rCBF, and PBF. Follow-up studies with larger sample sizes and long-term ingestion may be needed.

Feasibility of dance therapy using telerehabilitation on trunk control and balance training in patients with stroke: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effects of dance therapy using telerehabilitation on trunk control and balance training in patients with stroke and compare them with the effects of conventional treatment. METHODS: We enrolled 17 patients with subacute or chronic stroke who were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. In addition to conventional physical therapy, the experimental group (n = 9) participated in 40-minute, non-face-to-face, dance-therapy sessions and the control group (n = 8) received conventional physical therapy. The primary outcome measures were the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) scores to assess trunk control and balance function between the 2 groups as a measure of change from baseline to after the intervention. RESULTS: We found that the TIS scores of the patients in the experimental group significantly improved (P = .017). The TIS results indicated non-inferiority within a predefined margin for dance therapy using telerehabilitation (difference = -0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -2.21 to 0.50). CONCLUSION: Dance therapy using telerehabilitation significantly improved the TIS scores in the experimental group and was not inferior to conventional rehabilitation treatment when compared in a non-inferiority test. The remote dance program may therefore have similar effects to those of conventional treatment regarding trunk-control improvement in patients with stroke.

Effects of Photobiomodulation on Changes in Cognitive Function and Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Uncontrolled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Photobiomodulation (PBM) affects local blood flow regulation through nitric oxide generation, and various studies have reported on its effect on improving cognitive function in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the effect of PBM in the areas of the vertebral arteries (VA) and internal carotid arteries (ICA), which are the major blood-supplying arteries to the brain, has not been previously investigated. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether irradiating PBM in the areas of the VA and ICA, which are the major blood-supplying arteries to the brain, improved regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cognitive function. METHODS: Fourteen patients with mild cognitive impairments were treated with PBM. Cognitive assessment and single-photon emission computed tomography were implemented at the baseline and at the end of PBM. RESULTS: Regarding rCBF, statistically significant trends were found in the medial prefrontal cortex, lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and occipital lateral cortex. Based on the cognitive assessments, statistically significant trends were found in overall cognitive function, memory, and frontal/executive function. CONCLUSION: We confirmed the possibility that PBM treatment in the VA and ICA areas could positively affect cognitive function by increasing rCBF. A study with a larger sample size is needed to validate the potential of PBM.

Estimated Iron Intakes from Simulated Fortification to Selected Grain Products in the Korea Food Supply / 대한지역사회영양학회지

Until now, South Korea does not have either fortification or enrichment program as intervention tools, although the addition of micronutrients to foods is for the most part not regulated. The aim of this study was to determine which scenario would most effectively reduce the proportion of the population with low iron intake while not putting other population groups at risk of excessive intakes. In order to investigate potential dietary consequences of iron fortification, we analyzed 2 day dietary record data (n=3,955) from the 2001 National Nutrition Surveys. The Proportion of the population consuming dietary iron less than the estimated average requirement (EAR) ranged from 12.4~87.5% depending upon gender and age group. Iron fortification at the level of 100% of Recommended Intake (RI) per 100g to breads and instant or dried noodles was estimated to result in a 15% decrease of proportion of those with iron less than EAR, while putting 1.4 % of the population greater than the Upper Limit (UL). Iron fortification appeared to be the most effective for the 15~19 year old age group, showing 39% reduction of iron intake insufficiency. The results suggest that carefully designed fortification or enrichment to staple foods may contribute to increase dietary iron intakes of Koreans, especially for the young population with a high prevalence of iron inadequacy. As the estimation in this study was based solely upon dietary intake data, iron intake from supplements should be considered in further studies.