Antidiabetic properties of mango in animal models and humans: A systematic review.

Mango has long been an attractive source of nutrition and pharmacological therapeutics. The mango plant (Mangifera indica L.) contains bioactive compounds that may have antidiabetic properties. This systematic review investigated the evidence for antidiabetic properties of the different parts of the mango plant in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus in animal models and humans. The electronic databases PubMed, FSTA, Web of Science, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify articles with clear objectives and methodologies available in the English language with publication date limits up to December 2020. Twenty-eight of 1001 animal and human studies met the inclusion criteria that investigated antidiabetic properties of mango from leaf (31%), flesh (38%), seed-kernel (7%), peel (14%), stem-bark (7%), and by-product (3%). Results support the glucose-lowering properties of mango in both animals and human. Proposed antidiabetic mechanisms of action include inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, improved antioxidant status, improved insulin sensitivity, facilitated glucose uptake, and gene regulation of glucose transporter type 4, insulin receptor substrate 1, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase. The animal and randomized control trial findings suggest that mango may be beneficial as an antidiabetic agent. Although these studies hold promise, additional observational studies and randomized control trials are required because human studies are significantly fewer in number, use mango flesh almost exclusively, and had modest blood glucose effects. Additional research gaps include identifying the mechanisms of action for the different components of the mango plant.

Health Benefits of Plant-Based Nutrition: Focus on Beans in Cardiometabolic Diseases.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming over 650,000 American lives annually. Typically not a singular disease, CVD often coexists with dyslipidemia, hypertension, type-2 diabetes (T2D), chronic system-wide inflammation, and obesity. Obesity, an independent risk factor for both CVD and T2D, further worsens the problem, with over 42% of adults and 18.5% of youth in the U.S. categorized as such. Dietary behavior is a most important modifiable risk factor for controlling the onset and progression of obesity and related disease conditions. Plant-based eating patterns that include beans and legumes support health and disease mitigation through nutritional profile and bioactive compounds including phytochemical. This review focuses on the characteristics of beans and ability to improve obesity-related diseases and associated factors including excess body weight, gut microbiome environment, and low-grade inflammation. Additionally, there are growing data that link obesity to compromised immune response and elevated risk for complications from immune-related diseases. Body weight management and nutritional status may improve immune function and possibly prevent disease severity. Inclusion of beans as part of a plant-based dietary strategy imparts cardiovascular, metabolic, and colon protective effects; improves obesity, low-grade inflammation, and may play a role in immune-related disease risk management.

Macrophage Polarization and Osteoporosis: A Review.

Over 200 million people suffer from osteoporosis worldwide. Individuals with osteoporosis have increased rates of bone resorption while simultaneously having impaired osteogenesis. Most current treatments for osteoporosis focus on anti-resorptive methods to prevent further bone loss. However, it is important to identify safe and cost-efficient treatments that not only inhibit bone resorption, but also stimulate anabolic mechanisms to upregulate osteogenesis. Recent data suggest that macrophage polarization may contribute to osteoblast differentiation and increased osteogenesis as well as bone mineralization. Macrophages exist in two major polarization states, classically activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophage (M2) macrophages. The polarization state of macrophages is dependent on molecules in the microenvironment including several cytokines and chemokines. Mechanistically, M2 macrophages secrete osteogenic factors that stimulate the differentiation and activation of pre-osteoblastic cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC's), and subsequently increase bone mineralization. In this review, we cover the mechanisms by which M2 macrophages contribute to osteogenesis and postulate the hypothesis that regulating macrophage polarization states may be a potential treatment for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Impact of Educational Format on Learner Commitment to Change and Satisfaction.

INTRODUCTION: The value proposition of CME lies in its ability to elicit change in learners so new knowledge and skills are used to improve patient outcomes. In this study, we test the hypothesis that, in contrast to passive learning, education with an active engagement component has a greater impact on the motivation of learners to make changes in their practice. METHODS: We analyzed nine educational formats produced by the American Academy of Family Physicians. CME program between 2015 and 2017. Postactivity learner evaluations were used to measure both satisfaction and "commitment to change"-the percentage of learners who committed in making a change in their practice as a result of their participation. RESULTS: We found education that was interactive and leveraged elements of social learning theory produced the greatest commitment to change the score. Lower scores were obtained for more passive education formats. By contrast, satisfaction scores were not significantly different between formats. DISCUSSION: Our data demonstrate differences between commitment to change and educational format that could inform how format types might be better used to promote a behavior change. We also demonstrate that learner satisfaction has little or no value as a measure of educational efficacy.