Evaluation of the effects of dietary advanced glycation end products on inflammation.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a large number of heterogeneous compounds formed by the glycation of proteins, fats or nucleic acids. Endogenous AGEs have been associated with various health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Inflammation is thought to be one of the main mechanisms in the development of these disorders. Although AGEs are produced endogenously in the body, exogenous sources such as smoking and diet also contribute to the body pool. Therefore, when the AGE pool in the body rises above physiological levels, different pathological conditions may occur through various mechanisms, especially inflammation. While the effects of endogenous AGEs on the development of inflammation have been studied relatively extensively, and current evidence indicates that dietary AGEs (dAGEs) contribute to the body's AGE pool, it is not yet known whether dAGEs have the same effect on the development of inflammation as endogenous AGEs. Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate the results of cross-sectional and intervention studies to understand whether dAGEs are associated with inflammation and, if there is an effect on inflammation, through which mechanisms this effect might occur.

The Association of Pre-Pregnancy Obesity and Breast Milk Fatty Acids Composition and the Relationship of Postpartum Maternal Diet, Breast Milk Fatty Acids and Infant Growth.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of prepregnancy obesity on fatty acid profile in breast milk, to determine the relationship between maternal diet and fatty acids in breast milk, and to investigate the relationship between fatty acids in breast milk and infant growth. Materials and Methods: Twenty normal-weight mothers, 20 obese mothers, and their infants were recruited. Breast milk samples were collected at 50-70 days postpartum. Breast milk fatty acid was analyzed with gas chromatography. Infant body weight, height, and head circumference were taken from medical records at birth and during study visits at 2 months. Dietary intake was assessed by trained dietitians using a 24-hour dietary recall method. Results: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, p = 0.040), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, p = 0.019), and total n-3 fatty acid (p = 0.045) in total milk were found to be higher in normal-weight mothers compared with obese mothers. A positive association was found between C20:4 n-6 in foremilk and weight for age percentile (r = 0.381, p = 0.031; ß = 29.966, p = 0.047). Conclusions: Prevention of prepregnancy obesity is important for future generations, as prepregnancy obesity has many adverse effects on the mother and infant and may affect the composition of breast milk.

Serum irisin levels in newly diagnosed type-II diabetic patients: No association with the overall diet quality but strong association with fruit intake.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the serum irisin levels and diet quality of newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in comparison with healthy controls and to identify the correlations between serum irisin levels with diet quality, anthropometric measurements and biochemical parameters. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This case-control study was conducted with 38 newly-diagnosed T2DM patients and 38 healthy control individuals. Diet quality was calculated from the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire by using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2015. The anthropometric measurements were taken and body composition was analyzed with bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) method. Biochemical parameters and serum irisin levels were analyzed in blood samples which were obtained after overnight fasting. RESULTS: Irisin levels were higher in the T2DM group compared to the healthy control group (2.57 ± 0.44 ng/mL and 2.15 ± 0.44 ng/mL, respectively; p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off value for irisin to predict T2DM was 2.195 ng/mL (specificity = 71.1%, sensitivity = 78.9%). In both groups, irisin levels were not associated with overall HEI 2015; however, they were positively associated with total and whole fruit scores in the T2DM group (p < 0.05). After adjustment according to age, sex and BMI, in the T2DM group HDL cholesterol positively affected by irisin levels, while in the control group triglyceride positively affected irisin levels (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: High levels of irisin in newly diagnosed T2DM patients compared to healthy individuals indicate that irisin may have a role in the monitoring and treatment of T2DM. Though irisin levels were not associated with total diet quality, they were associated with fruit consumption.

The association of pre-pregnancy BMI on leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin and insulin-like growth factor-1 in breast milk: a case-control study.

The nutrient composition of breast milk alters during lactation, and maternal BMI adds more intricacy into its complexity. We aimed to compare leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels of pre-feed and post-feed breast milk in mothers with obesity and normal weight, and tried to determine their effects on infants' growth over weight for length z-score. Twenty obese and twenty normal weight mothers with 2-month-old infants were enrolled in this case-control study. Five millilitre pre-feed breast milk and 5 ml post-feed breast milk were collected. Breast milk leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin and IGF-1 were measured by commercial kits. The pre-feed breast milk of mothers with obesity had significantly higher levels of ghrelin than mothers with normal weight (P = 0·025), whereas the post-feed breast milk of mothers with normal weight had higher levels of adiponectin than the mothers with obesity (P = 0·010). No significant differences were observed in leptin and IGF-1 levels between the two groups. Post-feed breast milk IGF-1 levels of mothers with obesity were correlated with infant's weight for length z-score at 2 months (r -0·476; P = 0·034). In linear regression models, parity affected the ghrelin in pre-feed breast milk (P = 0·025). Our results revealed that maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with breast milk components.

The cholesterol lowering efficacy of plant stanol ester yoghurt in a Turkish population: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the cholesterol lowering efficacy of low-fat spoonable yoghurt with 1.9 g/d plant stanols as esters on plasma lipid profiles of Turkish subjects with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: Using a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study design, intervention (n = 35) and control (n = 35) groups consumed either 115 g low-fat yoghurt with 1.9 g/d plant stanols as esters or placebo yoghurt, respectively, for 4 weeks. Seventy subjects with untreated mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia (aged 23-65 years) were recruited. Changes in the lipid profile, including lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and triglycerides, and anthropometric measurements were monitored at screening, baseline, and at the end of the second, third, and fourth weeks of intervention. The general linear model repeated measures procedure was used to test differences in the repeated continuous variables between study groups. RESULTS: Serum total cholesterol (4.6%), LDL cholesterol (6.3%), and non-HDL cholesterol (6.2%) concentrations were reduced significantly from baseline in the plant stanol group compared to the control group (p = 0.007, p = 0.005 and p = 0.005, respectively). A variation in the response of serum total and LDL cholesterol between the subjects in plant stanol group was obtained. No clinically significant change in anthropometrical measurements was observed during the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The spoonable low-fat yoghurt with 1.9 g/d plant stanols as esters lowered total, LDL, and non-HDL cholesterol levels in Turkish subjects with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. Nevertheless variation in baseline cholesterol levels, genetic predisposition of the subjects and compliance may contribute to a large individual variability.