Dietary acid load and risk of diminished ovarian reserve: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiologic evidence on the association between acid load potential of diet and the risk of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) is scarce. We aim to explore the possible relationship between dietary acid load (DAL), markers of ovarian reserve and DOR risk in a case-control study. METHODS: 370 women (120 women with DOR and 250 women with normal ovarian reserve as controls), matched by age and BMI, were recruited. Dietary intake was obtained using a validated 80-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The DAL scores including the potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) were calculated based on nutrients intake. NEAP and PRAL scores were categorized by quartiles based on the distribution of controls. Antral follicle count (AFC), serum antimullerian hormone (AMH) and anthropometric indices were measured. Logistic regression models were used to estimate multivariable odds ratio (OR) of DOR across quartiles of NEAP and PRAL scores. RESULTS: Following increase in PRAL and NEAP scores, serum AMH significantly decreased in women with DOR. Also, AFC count had a significant decrease following increase in PRAL score (P = 0.045). After adjustment for multiple confounding variables, participants in the top quartile of PRAL had increased OR for DOR (OR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.08-1.42, P = 0.254). CONCLUSION: Diets with high acid-forming potential may negatively affect ovarian reserve in women with DOR. Also, high DAL may increase the risk of DOR. The association between DAL and markers of ovarian reserve should be explored in prospective studies and clinical trials.

The association between Diet Quality Index-International score and risk of diminished ovarian reserve: a case-control study.

Introduction: Although limited evidence exists on the beneficial reproductive effects of diet quality indices, the association is still largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) and antral follicle count (AFC) and serum antimullerian hormone (AMH) as precise and sensitive markers of ovarian reserve and to assess the risk of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) in women seeking fertility treatments. Methods: In a case-control study, 370 women (120 women with DOR and 250 women with normal ovarian reserve as controls), matched by age and body mass index (BMI), were recruited. Dietary intake was obtained using a validated 80-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The quality of diets was assessed using DQI-I, which included four major dietary components: variety (0-20 points), adequacy (0-40 points), moderation (0-30 points), and overall balance (0-10 points). DQI-I score was categorized by quartiles based on the distribution of controls. AFC, serum AMH and anthropometric indices were measured. Logistic regression models were used to estimate multivariable odds ratio (OR) of DOR across quartiles of DQI-I score. Results: Increased adherence to DQI-I was associated with higher AFC in women with DOR. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds of DOR decreased with increasing DQI-I score (0.39; 95% CI: 0.18-0.86). Conclusion: Greater adherence to DQI-I, as a food and nutrient-based quality index, may decrease the risk of DOR and improve the ovarian reserve in women already diagnosed with DOR. Our findings, though, need to be verified through prospective studies and clinical trials.

The efficacy of curcumin-piperine co-supplementation on clinical symptoms, duration, severity, and inflammatory factors in COVID-19 outpatients: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has made the disease a major global problem by creating a significant burden on health, economic, and social status. To date, there are no effective and approved medications for this disease. Curcumin as an anti-inflammatory agent can have a positive effect on the control of COVID-19 complications. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of curcumin-piperine supplementation on clinical symptoms, duration, severity, and inflammatory factors in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Forty-six outpatients with COVID-19 disease were randomly allocated to receive two capsules of curcumin-piperine; each capsule contained 500 mg curcumin plus 5 mg piperine or placebo for 14 days. RESULTS: Mean changes in complete blood count, liver enzymes, blood glucose levels, lipid parameters, kidney function, and c-reactive protein (CRP) were not significantly different between the two groups. There was a significant improvement in health status, including dry cough, sputum cough, ague, sore throat, weakness, muscular pain, headache, and dyspnea at week 2 in both curcumin-piperine and placebo groups (P value < 0.05); however, the improvement in weakness was more in the curcumin-piperine group than with placebo group (P value 025). CONCLUSION: The present study results showed that curcumin-piperine co-supplementation in outpatients with COVID-19 could significantly reduce weakness. However, in this study, curcumin-piperine co-supplementation could not significantly affect the other indices, including biochemical and clinical indices. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20121216011763N46 . 2020-10-31.

The effect of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on body composition, complete blood count, prothrombin time, inflammation and liver function in haemophilic adolescents.

There is no dietary strategy that has yet been specifically advocated for haemophilia. Therefore, we sought to assess the effect of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet in adolescents with haemophilia. In this parallel trial, forty male adolescents with haemophilia were dichotomised into the DASH group or control group for 10 weeks. The serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein, IL-6, complete blood count (CBC), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, partial thromboplastin time (PTT), waist circumference (WC), percentage of body fat, fat-free mass and liver steatosis were measured at the beginning and end of the study. Serum vitamin C was measured as a biomarker of compliance with the DASH diet. The DASH diet was designed to include high amounts of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, as well as low amounts of saturated fats, cholesterol, refined grains, sweets and red meat. Serum vitamin C in the DASH group was significantly increased compared with the control (P = 0·001). There was a significant reduction in WC (P = 0·005), fat mass (P = 0·006), hepatic fibrosis (P = 0·02) and PTT (P = 0·008) in the DASH group, compared with the control. However, there were no significant differences regarding other selected outcomes between groups. Patients in the DASH group had significantly greater increase in the levels of erythrocyte, Hb and haematocrit, as compared with the control. Adherence to the DASH diet in children with haemophilia yielded significant beneficial effects on body composition, CBC, inflammation and liver function.