Effects of school-based interventions on Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) in primary-school-age children: a systematic review.

This study systematically reviewed the evidence on interventions seeking to improve Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) functional, interactive and critical skills in primary school-aged children. Electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Cochrane, Pro-Quest and Google Scholar were systematically searched. Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials, pre-/post-test and case-control designs were included. The primary outcomes were three levels of FNLIT: functional, interactive and critical. All citations, full-text articles and abstract data were screened by two independent reviewers. Any conflicts were then resolved through discussion. The quality of the included studies was individually evaluated using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool. Two reviewers extracted data from the included studies, and a descriptive analysis was performed. The quality of all eligible studies (n 19) was rated as moderate/weak. A wide variety of skill-building activities were introduced by programmes, including recipe skills/food preparation, food label literacy, food tasting, gardening harvesting, and supporting cultural practices and ethnic foods. Only four studies measured food literacy (FL) (food label literacy) via a valid measure. Most interventions focused on the functional level of FL, except for two programmes (one scored weak and one scored moderate). In most of the studies, delivery of intervention content was facilitated by teachers (n 15). Promising interventions were tailored to the needs and interests of students, incorporated into the existing curriculum and facilitated by teachers. The successful intervention strategies led to improvements in functional, partly interactive and critical skills. Future interventions should focus, holistically, on all aspects of FNLIT, especially interactive and critical skills.

Naringenin: A potential flavonoid phytochemical for cancer therapy.

Naringenin is an important phytochemical which belongs to the flavanone group of polyphenols, and is found mainly in citrus fruits like grapefruits and others such as tomatoes and cherries plus medicinal plants derived food. Available evidence demonstrates that naringenin, as herbal medicine, has important pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-cancer activities. Collected data from in vitro and in vivo studies show the inactivation of carcinogens after treatment with pure naringenin, naringenin-loaded nanoparticles, and also naringenin in combination with anti-cancer agents in various malignancies, such as colon cancer, lung neoplasms, breast cancer, leukemia and lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, prostate tumors, oral squamous cell carcinoma, liver cancer, brain tumors, skin cancer, cervical and ovarian cancer, bladder neoplasms, gastric cancer, and osteosarcoma. Naringenin inhibits cancer progression through multiple mechanisms, like apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, angiogenesis hindrance, and modification of various signaling pathways including Wnt/ß-catenin, PI3K/Akt, NF-ĸB, and TGF-ß pathways. In this review, we demonstrate that naringenin is a natural product with potential for the treatment of different types of cancer, whether it is used alone, in combination with other agents, or in the form of the naringenin-loaded nanocarrier, after proper technological encapsulation.

Empirically-Derived Dietary Patterns in Relation to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases Among Adult Participants in Amol, Northern Iran: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach.

Dietary modifications remain the mainstay in managing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Published data on the effect of overall dietary patterns on NAFLD is scarce. The present study aims to extract the dietary patterns and investigate their association to NAFLD by gender, using structural equation modeling, among adult participants in Amol, northern Iran. In this cross-sectional study, data from 3,149 participants in the Amol cohort study (55.3% men, n = 1,741) were analyzed. Usual dietary intake was assessed by a validated 168-items semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. We classified major dietary patterns by explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). NAFLD diagnosis was based on ultrasound scanning, including increased hepatic echogenicity, abnormal appearance of hepatic arteries, and diaphragm in the absence of excessive alcohol consumption. Multivariable logistic regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to explore the relationship between dietary patterns and NAFLD. Three distinct dietary patterns, including western, healthy, and traditional/mixed dietary patterns, were identified. Adult male who adhere to the western dietary pattern were more affected with NAFLD risk [Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, odds ratio (OR) = 1, 1.16, 1.34, 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.83-1.61, 0.96-1.85, 0.98-1.96, p trend = 0.04, respectively]. A full mediating effect of healthy dietary pattern, western dietary pattern, and traditional dietary pattern via dietary acid load (DAL) proxy (of dietary patterns to DAL: ßstd = -0.35, p < 0.006, ßstd = 0.15, p = 0.009, and ßstd = 0.08, p = 0.001, respectively), on NAFLD was found through mediation analysis using SEM. A western dietary pattern comprising frequent intake of salty and sweet snacks, soft drinks, refined grains, processed meats, cooked and fried potatoes, eggs, and coffee was associated with a higher odds of NAFLD in an Iranian male population. Additionally, our findings might provide a mechanistic explanation for the association between dietary patterns and NAFLD via DAL proxy. However, further prospective studies, including assessing acid-base biomarkers, are needed.