Evaluation of the effect of gluten-free diet and Mediterranean diet on autoimmune system in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease in which thyroid cells are attacked through cell-and antibody-mediated immune processes. A gluten-free diet reduces antibody concentration and regulates thyroid autoimmunization. Mediterranean diet reduces oxidative stress. This study evaluates the short-term effects of Mediterranean, gluten-free, and Mediterranean gluten-free dietary patterns on thyroid function and autoantibody levels of patients. The 40 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis included in the study were randomly divided into four groups (defined as gluten-free, Mediterranean, Mediterranean gluten-free, and controls) for 12 weeks. Thyroid function tests, autoantibody levels, and food consumption were recorded at the beginning and end of the study. There was no statistically significant difference in TSH levels of the groups before the intervention, but a statistically significant difference was found afterward (p < 0.05). Free T3 hormone levels showed a statistically significant difference across the groups before and after the intervention (p < 0.05). Free T3 hormone levels increased significantly in all intervention groups after the intervention, with the highest increase in the Mediterranean group (p < 0.05). In the intervention groups, anti-TPO and anti-Tg levels decreased after the intervention; however, this difference was not significant across groups (p > 0.05). In addition, body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumference averages decreased significantly in all intervention groups compared with controls (p < 0.05). The study achieved an increase in Free T3 hormone levels in the intervention groups. The most marked difference was seen in the Mediterranean gluten-free diet model, which may be due to the anti-inflammatory effect of both Mediterranean and gluten-free diets and the loss of body weight as a result of the intervention.

Growth and development impact of sustainable nutrition education: An experimental study.

Healthy societies are formed by learning and maintaining sustainable healthy eating behaviors from childhood. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of short-term sustainable nutrition education on growth and development parameters of preschool children. This study is an experimental design with pretest-posttest control group. This study was carried out in two kindergartens between February 2022 and June 2023 in Turkey. The education group received 4 months of dietary behavior training. The dietary scale and anthropometric measurements were administered at the first and last meetings. Data were analyzed with 95% confidence interval. The study was completed with 174 children. A statistically significant difference was found, especially in body weight (p < 0.05) and body weight percentile values (p < 0.05) in the posttest of the education group. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between the groups in the eating behavior scale posttest score. Nutrition education in schools is important in promoting healthy eating habits. Nutrition education improves eating behavior positively. To maintain healthy eating behaviors, however, the continuity of education is necessary. In addition, as growth and development are physical processes, it is recognized that growth and development cannot be assessed by nutrition alone.

Evaluation of nutritional behaviour related to COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: It is known that social isolation process has an impact on individuals' eating behaviours. Continuing nutritional behaviour resulting from emotional eating, uncontrolled eating and cognitive restriction may turn into eating disorders in the future. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possible effects of Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and social isolation process on individuals' nutritional behaviours and body weight changes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Nutritional behaviours of the participants before the COVID-19 pandemic and in the social isolation process were evaluated with the Three Factor Nutrition Questionnaire. The changes in individuals' body weight during this period were also evaluated. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1036 volunteer individuals (827 women, 209 men) aged 18 years and over participated in the study. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation process, there was an increase in emotional eating and uncontrolled eating behaviours of individuals, but no significant change in cognitive restriction behaviour occurred (P = <0·00; P = <0·00 and P = 0·53, respectively). It was reported that the body weight of 35 % of the individuals who participated in the study increased during this period. CONCLUSION: Social isolation process practiced as a result of COVID-19 pandemic may lead to changes in some nutritional behaviours. Some precautions should be taken to prevent this situation that occurs in nutritional behaviours from causing negative health problems in the future.

The relationship between orthorexia nervosa and body composition in female students of the nutrition and dietetics department.

This study was carried out to determine the relationship between orthorexia nervosa (ON) and eating disorder and body composition, class level, and place of residence in university students from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics. The participants (n = 136; 20.9 ± 2.0 years) were all female students, whose scores on the Orthorexia Nervosa Questionnaire (ORTO-11) and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40) indicated a prevalence of ON and eating disorder. Assessment of body composition indices (Tanita bioelectrical impedance; SC-330) of the participants showed there to be no significant difference in the EAT-40 and ORTO-11 scores in terms of body composition, class level, and place of residence. A large majority of the participants (70.6%) had high ORTO-11 scores, and a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) was identified between the EAT-40 and ORTO-11 scores. Final results from analysis of the data showed that although abnormal orthorexic tendencies were common among the students from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, they were nonetheless able to maintain body composition within normal values. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V, cross-sectional descriptive study.