Beta-glucan- or rice bran-enriched foods: a comparative crossover clinical trial on lipidic pattern in mildly hypercholesterolemic men.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There has been growing interest in using dietary intervention to improve the lipid profile. This work aims at analyzing the effects and the comparison of the enrichment of a diet with beta-glucans or rice bran in mildly hypercholesterolemic men. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The subjects initially consumed a 3-week Step 1 American Heart Association diet with rice bran-enriched foods. After this adaptation period, volunteers were randomly assigned to follow a crossover, controlled trial that consisted of two treatment with beta-glucan- or rice bran-enriched foods, each of 4 weeks, with a 3-week wash-out, like the adaptation period, between periods. Fasted blood samples were collected on days 0, 21, 49, 70 and 98 in both study arms for measuring low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (primary outcome), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apo B and glucose levels. RESULTS: Twenty-four men (mean age: 50.3±5.3, mean body mass index: 24.9±1.9) completed the 14-week trial. Subjects in the 3-week adaptation period experienced significant reductions in the mean level of LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol, apo A-I, apo A-I/apo B and glucose. During the intervention diet periods, a difference was found between treatment groups for the mean change in LDL (0.21 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.02-0.40), P=0.033) and total cholesterol (0.34 (95% CI: 0.20-0.47), P<0.001). Other parameters evaluated were not significantly affected by the diet consumed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present crossover clinical trial showed that beta-glucan-enriched foods are more effective in lowering serum LDL levels, compared with rice bran-enriched foods.

[Pilot study to assess and compare the eating habits and nutrition knowledge in school-age Italians and Finns, using specific questionnaires]. / Studio pilota per la valutazione ed il confronto delle abitu- dini alimentari e dello stile di vita di un gruppo di ragazzi italiani ed un gruppo di ragazzi finlandesi grazie all'ausilio di specifici questionari.

In recent decades, the American diet has emerged in our country as a reference model food, particularly among young people, to the detriment of the Mediterranean diet, an healthy eating pattern rich in fruits and vegetables, olive oil, whole grains and fish. Even in Europe, North American habits are widespread at the expense of traditional northern nutritional powers, characterized by a lot of fish, wild game meat that are much thinner than from farm animals, rye, oats, cabbage, root vegetables. Given this background, in Pavia (Italy) and Tampere (Finland) we conducted a pilot study with the objective to assess and compare the eating habits and nutrition knowledge in school-age children using 2 questionnaires entitled "what do you eat?" and "what do you know about diet and health?". The results of the first questionnaire clearly shows that, among young people of both countries, there is the loss of traditional food: the Mediterranean and the Finnish diet. All the boys wear it with a low frequency fish, fruit and vegetables, and instead a high frequency of adverse health foods, such as potato chips and sweet drinks. The answers to questions which relate to nutrients and their properties, show that children of all groups have little knowledge about these topics. The use of questionnaires, such as those administered by us, can be easily performed to investigate the dietary habits and the nutritional level of culture, due to make nutrition education interventions aimed at correcting poor eating habits.

Satiety and amino-acid profile in overweight women after a new treatment using a natural plant extract sublingual spray formulation.

OBJECTIVE: To test the effect on satiety of a formulation comprising plant extracts naturally containing 5-hydroxytryptophan, delivered as sublingual spray (5HTP-Nat Exts), administered five times a day for 2 months. DESIGN: Two-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. SUBJECTS: A total of 27 healthy, adult overweight women were randomly assigned to the treatment (14) or the placebo group (13). MEASUREMENTS: Visual analog scales were used to assess appetite sensations every day. Moreover, the study evaluated the bioavailability of 5-hydroxytryptophan following sublingual delivery over 8 weeks, by comparing 24-h urinary excretion of 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), determined at baseline and after 2 months. Other secondary end points of the study were to compare body composition, depressive symptoms, severity of binge eating and quality of life. Finally, the study tested whether a single administration of 5HTP-Nat Exts in fasting state has an effect on amino-acid profile and on appetite ratings and whether 5HTP-Nat Exts administered before a fixed test meal has any effect on satiety. RESULTS: The group using the 5HTP-Nat Exts experienced a significantly greater increase in their sensation of satiety over an 8-week timeframe and in fasting state following administration of 5HTP-Nat Exts than the placebo group did (AUC=305.2 (52.8) vs 236.6 (59.4), mean difference -68.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) -116.2 to -21.2), P=0.007; mean difference in Haber score change 2.5 (95% CI 0.62-3.12, P=0.007)). A difference was observed between the groups for the mean change in 5-HIAA. All the amino acids evaluated after a single administration of 5HTP-Nat Exts were found to be similar. Differences were found for the mean change in body mass index, skinfold thicknesses and hip circumference. The other parameters were found to be similar. CONCLUSION: All these findings suggest that 5HTP-Nat Exts may be safely used to treat the problem of appetite control in overweight women during a weight loss program.

[The biological activity of beta-glucans]. / Le attività biologiche dei beta-glucani.

This review summarizes the recent knowledge about the positive effect of betaglucans on human health. Beta-glucans are polysaccharides occurring in the bran of cereal grains (barley and oats and to a much lesser degree in rye and wheat, in amounts of about 7%, 5%, 2% and less than 1%, respectively), the cell wall of baker's yeast, certain types of fungi, and many kinds of mushrooms. The differences between soluble and insoluble beta-glucans are significant in regards to application, mode of action, and overall biological activity. A growing body of science indicates that beta-glucans promote health in a number of important ways. Beta-glucans have been studied for their hypocholesterolemic effects; these mechanisms include: reducing the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and bile acids by binding to glucans; shifting the liver from cholesterol syntheses to bile acid production; and fermentation by intestinal bacteria to short-chain fatty acids, which are absorbed and inhibit hepatic cholesterol syntheses. Several studies have also shown that oat beta-glucans blunt the glycemic and insulin response. Moreover, beta-1,3-glucans improve the body's immune system defense against foreign invaders by enhancing the ability of macrophages, neutrophils and natural killer cells to respond to and fight a wide range of challenges such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Finally, there is renewed interest in the potential usefulness of beta-glucan as a radioprotective drug for chemotherapy, radiation therapy and nuclear emergencies, particularly because glucan can be used not only as a treatment, but also as a prophylactic.