Effects of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) on gastrointestinal health.

Gastrointestinal (GI) health of newborns is maintained by the gastrointestinal microbiome, and the PNEI (psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology) system and can be altered by the delivery mode of the milk to the newborn such as breast versus bottle feeding, exposure to antibiotics in the milk, or exposure to environmental pollutants. The health of GI tract is particularly is maintained by breast feeding since the maternal milk provides micro- and macronutrients essential to growth, as well as multifunctional small oligosaccharides, particularly, 2'-fucosyllactose which maintain the GI health.

New therapeutic vision of nutrition in dermatology: Integrative nutrition.

Many skin disorders have been associated with nutritional deficiencies, as well as many skin disorders, have been associated to diet-related immune mechanisms. The food can be a source of beneficial substances for health that act in very precise ways on the body and the functioning of each individual cells, tissues, and organs.

Functional nutrition as integrated approach in vitiligo management.

Vitiligo is a common disease of unknown cause that produces disfiguring white patches of depigmentation that can be treated using various new and experimental therapies, such as narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) microphototherapy, NB-UVB excimer laser, and monochromatic excimer light. Medical treatments include topical corticosteroids and other topical treatments, such as antioxidants, tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, prostaglandin E, and vitamin D derivatives (Lotti, Berti, & Moretti, 2009). The goal of treating vitiligo is to make it less noticeable either by restoring lost pigment or by eliminating remaining pigment. Functional foods and healthy diet, with nutrients, form a variety of sources, could be considered an integral part, as well as helpful, of vitiligo's medical therapy.

Effects of Arnica comp.-Heel® on reducing cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary disease.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment with one tablet a day of a low dose multicomponent medication (Arnica comp.-Heel® tablets) with anti-inflammatory properties in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with clinically stable coronary disease. The presence of inflammatory cells in atherosclerotic plaques of patients with stable coronary disease indicates the possibility to act by inhibiting the inflammatory phenomenon with Arnica comp.-Heel® tablets reducing the risk of instability of the plaque and, consequently, improving the clinical outcome in patients with stable coronary disease. METHODS: Within this retrospective observational spontaneous clinical study 44 patients (31 males and 13 females) all presenting stable coronary artery disease were evaluated; 25 subjects were treated with only acetylsalicylic acid and/or clopidogrel in association with statins (standard therapeutic protocol) while for the other 18 subjects the standard therapeutic protocol was integrated with Arnica comp.-Heel® (one sublingual tablet/day). The primary outcome was to evaluate the incidence of acute coronary syndrome, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, or non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke. RESULTS: The evaluation of the primary outcome showed that in the group of patients (18) who received the standard therapeutic protocol plus Arnica comp.-Heel® only one cardiovascular event was registered (5.6%) while in the group treated only with standard therapy 4 events were recorded in 25 patients (16%). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment with Arnica comp.-Heel® (one tablet/day) in combination with standard therapies for secondary prevention is effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients with stable coronary artery disease.