In vivo randomized trial of three marketed milk preparations enriched with calcium and vitamins (D and K) on bone mass and bone turnover markers from biological fluids in premenopausal Caucasian women.

INTRODUCTION: osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease that leads to increased bone fragility and increased risk of fracture. OBJECTIVES: the aim of the present research was to determine the effectiveness of a diary intake of three different dairy products (250 ml) enriched with vitamins and calcium on decreasing bone mass. METHOS: the present study is a comparative trial of three dairy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D, parallel, randomized, double-blind andsingle-center. Bone mass content (BMC), bone mass density (BMD), T-score and Z-score were measured in different locations, besides biochemical markers along 18 months in premenopausal women. Two hundred and ten volunteers from all the three groups were submitted to the same monitoring procedures, consisting on blood extraction, urine collection and energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) done in the laboratory. The monitoring was carried on three times, first at month 0 (baseline), the second at month 9 (in the middle of the treatment) and, finally, at month 18 (the end of the treatment). RESULTS: the majority of anatomical locations showed both BMC and BMD decrease ranging between 0.5% and 1.5%. The T-score and the Z-scoreincreased in lumbar spine after the treatment with the dairy products. Moreover, the most noteworthy change on the biomarkers of bone resorption was showed by plasmatic tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), with and increase between 20.7% and 29.5% after the intake of the different products. CONCLUSIONS: therefore, the intake of the three dairy products improves the bone mass in lumbar spine, leading to important changes in the concentration of biomarkers of bone resorption. Especially, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase seems to be strongly influenced by the intake of every dairy product. However, no significant differences were found between the different dairy products used in the present study. Therefore, the intake of dairy product seems to be more determinant than micronutrients supplementation.

[Effect of quinua (Chenopodium quinoa)consumption as a coadjuvant in nutritional intervention in prediabetic subjects]. / Efecto del consumo de quinua (Chenopodium quinoa)como coadyuvante en la intervención nutricional en sujetos prediabéticos.

INTRODUCTION: Quinoa is a pseudocereal containing low glycemic index carbohydrates, dietary fiber, high biological value protein, phytosterols, and n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, which has generated interest in prediabetes nutritional interventions. This randomized (2:1), placebo-controlled, double-blind study evaluated the effects of processed quinoa on body mass index (BMI), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and the satiation and fullness (complete) degree in prediabetic patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Thirty patients were randomized (2:1) in two study arms: Kuska Active product (processed quinoa) and placebo (maltodextrin), with an intake period of 28 days. BMI, HbA1c and FPG were determined before starting treatment and at 28-day intake. Satiety and fullness sensation were just assessed by visual analog scale (VAS) at the day 28. ANOVA was performed for repeated measures with two factors to study (within-subject factor: time; intersubject factor: product consumed) to demonstrate the effectiveness of processed quinoa on the study variables. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients (placebo, n = 10; quinoa, n = 19) completed the study, and the quinoa group shows a significant decrease in BMI (p < 0.05) and HbA1c values (p < 0.001), and an increase in the satiation and fullness (complete) degree (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found in FPG levels from baseline to post-intake period. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that processed quinoa intake during 28 days decreases BMI and HbA1c levels, maintains FPG levels, and incr eases the satiation and fullness (complete) degree in prediabetic patients.

Comparative study of the oral absorption of microencapsulated ferric saccharate and ferrous sulfate in humans.

PURPOSE: Our objective was to compare the absorption of microencapsulated ferric saccharate (MFS) and ferrous sulfate (FS) in a fortified milk product, using a crossover design. METHODS: Seventeen non-iron-deficient healthy adults from both sexes participated in the study. On each intervention day (days 1 and 8), after an overnight fast, the volunteers consumed one type of product (test or control) and blood sampling was carried out at different times. The interventions days were separated by 7-day washout periods. This study was double blinded, crossover and randomized for nature of the test meals. The primary outcomes of the study were total serum iron and transferrin saturation. RESULTS: No significant differences could be observed in serum iron concentration during the 6-h postprandial study due to the type of milk product consumed, and there was neither an effect of time nor an interaction between the type of milk product and time. Transferrin saturation significantly increased after the intake of both products (P < 0.005), reaching a peak value between hours 2 and 4. No significant differences were detected between MFS and FS, indicating that iron absorption from MFS is equivalent to absorption from FS. CONCLUSIONS: MFS is a new ingredient that allows the fortification of a wide range of food products, including heat-processed and non-acidic products with similar absorption to FS, designed to produce neither organoleptic changes nor off-color development during storage of fortified food.

Potential role of heme oxygenase-1 in the progression of rat adjuvant arthritis.

Rat adjuvant arthritis is an experimental model widely used to evaluate etiopathogenetic mechanisms in chronic inflammation. We have examined the participation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in this experimental arthritis. In this study, an increased nitric oxide (NO) production in the paw preceded the upregulation of HO-1, whereas selective inhibition of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) after the onset of arthritis decreased HO-1 expression, suggesting that the induction of this enzyme may depend on NO produced by iNOS. Therapeutic administration of the HO-1 inhibitor tin protoporphyrin IX was able to control the symptoms of arthritis. This agent significantly decreased leukocyte infiltration, hyperplastic synovitis, erosion of articular cartilage and osteolysis, as well as the production of inflammatory mediators. In this experimental model, HO-1 can be involved in vascular endothelial growth factor production and angiogenesis. These results support a role for HO-1 in mediating the progression of the disease in this model of chronic arthritis.