Compromiso de Asunción. Un llamado a la acción / Commitment of Asunción. A call to action

La Federación Latinoamericana de Terapia Nutricional, Nutrición Clínica y Metabolismo – FELANPE, fue fundada en el año 1988. Reúne a Socie-dades y Asociaciones Interdisciplinarias de Nutrición Clínica y Terapia Nutricional de América Latina y el Caribe, además de España y Portugal.Actualmente la conforman representaciones de 18 países.Se describen los objetivos de la Federación teniendo en cuenta el compromiso asumido.Se trata de estudio observacional transversal, multicéntrico en que se incluyeron 132 hospitales con más de 100 camas, de alta complejidad,estatales y privados de 14 países de Latinoamérica miembros de FELANPE. Se evaluaron las características del hospital, la implementación dela valoración nutricional, el diagnóstico nutricional de pacientes, el equipo responsable de la terapia nutricional, la terapéutica nutricional (oral,enteral y parenteral), la monitorización y el seguimiento nutricional.Para tal, se diseñó y validó un cuestionario digital y un video explicativo para garantizar la calidad de los datos recolectados. La validación seefectúo mediante un estudio piloto realizado en Paraguay, aprobado por el Comité de ética en la Investigación de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicasde la Universidad Nacional de Asunción. La investigación actual cuenta con la aprobación del Comité de ética de Investigación de la Facultad deCiencias Químicas de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción y del Comité de ética de FELANPE.Los resultados presentados en el XVIII Congreso Latinoamericano de FELANPE, en Asunción del Paraguay, el 12 de octubre del 2023, sirven comobase para caracterizar la implementación de la Terapia Nutricional Parenteral y Enteral (terapia nutricional médica) en Hospitales de Latinoaméricay son utilizados como sustento técnico del presente Compromiso de Asunción.(AU)

The Latin American Federation of Nutritional Therapy, Clinical Nutrition, and Metabolism – FELANPE, was founded in 1988. It brings togetherinterdisciplinary societies and associations in Clinical Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Spainand Portugal. Currently, it comprises representations from 18 countries.The objectives of the Federation are described, taking into account the assumed commitment. This is an observational cross-sectional, multicenterstudy that included 132 hospitals with more than 100 beds, of high complexity, both state-owned and private, from 14 countries in Latin Americathat are members of FELANPE. The study assessed hospital characteristics, implementation of nutritional assessment, nutritional diagnosis ofpatients, the team responsible for nutritional therapy, nutritional therapy (oral, enteral, and parenteral), monitoring, and nutritional follow-up.For this purpose, a digital questionnaire and an explanatory video were designed and validated to ensure the quality of the collected data. Validationwas carried out through a pilot study conducted in Paraguay, approved by the Ethics Committee for Research at the Faculty of Medical Sciences ofthe National University of Asunción. The current research has the approval of the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Chemical Sciencesof the National University of Asunción and the Ethics Committee of FELANPE.The results presented at the XVIII Latin American Congress of FELANPE in Asunción, Paraguay, on October 12, 2023, serve as a basis for cha-racterizing the implementation of Parenteral and Enteral Nutritional Therapy (medical nutritional therapy) in hospitals in Latin America and areused as technical support for the present Asunción Commitment.(AU)

Using point-of-care devices to examine covariation among blood nutritional-physiological parameters and their relationships with poxvirus infection, habitat urbanization, and male plumage coloration in house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus).

The development of inexpensive and portable point-of-care devices for measuring nutritional physiological parameters from blood (e.g., glucose, ketones) has accelerated our understanding and assessment of real-time variation in human health, but these have infrequently been tested or implemented in wild animals, especially in relation to other key biological or fitness-related traits. Here we used point-of-care devices to measure blood levels of glucose, ketones, uric acid, and triglycerides in free-ranging house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus)-a common songbird in North America that has been well-studied in the context of urbanization, nutrition, health, and sexual selection-during winter and examined (1) repeatability of these methods for evaluating blood levels in these wild passerines, (2) intercorrelations among these measurements within individuals, (3) how blood nutritional-physiology metrics related to a bird's body condition, habitat of origin (urban vs. suburban), poxvirus infection, and sex; and (4) if the expression of male sexually selected plumage coloration was linked to any of the nutritional-physiological metrics. All blood-nutritional parameters were repeatable. Also, there was significant positive covariation between concentrations of circulating triglycerides and glucose and triglycerides and uric acid. Urban finches had higher blood glucose concentrations than suburban finches, and pox-infected individuals had lower blood triglyceride concentrations than uninfected ones. Last, redder males had higher blood glucose, but lower uric acid levels. These results demonstrate that point-of-care devices can be useful, inexpensive ways of measuring real-time variation in the nutritional physiology of wild birds.

A review of natural plant extracts in beverages: Extraction process, nutritional function, and safety evaluation.

The demand for foods and beverages with therapeutic and functional features has increased as a result of rising consumer awareness of health and wellness. In natural, plants are abundant, widespread, and inexpensive, in addition to being rich in bioactive components that are beneficial to health. The bioactive substances contained in plants include polyphenols, polysaccharides, flavonoids, aromatics, aliphatics, terpenoids, etc., which have rich active functions and application potential for plant-based beverages. In this review, various existing extraction processes and their advantages and disadvantages are introduced. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, intestinal flora regulation, metabolism regulation, and nerve protection effects of plant beverages are described. The biotoxicity and sensory properties of plant-based beverages are also summarized. With the diversification of the food industry and commerce, plant-based beverages may become a promising new category of health functional foods in our daily lives.

Credibility at stake: only two-thirds of randomized trials of nutrition interventions are registered and lack transparency in outcome and treatment effect definitions.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the adherence of randomized controlled trials of nutrition interventions to transparency practices informing assessments of selective reporting biases, including the availability of a trial registration entry, protocol and statistical analysis plan (SAP). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective observational study with cross-sectional design. We systematically searched for trials published from 1 July 2019, to 30 June 2020, and included a randomly selected sample of 400 studies. We searched for registry entries, protocols, and SAPs for all included studies. We extracted data to characterize the disclosure of sufficient information in the available materials to inform assessments of selective reporting biases, considering the definition of outcome domain, measure, metric, method of aggregation, time point, analysis population, methods to handle missing data and method of adjustment. RESULTS: Most trials (69%) were registered, but these often lacked sufficient specification of outcomes and intended treatment effects. Protocols and SAPs provided more details but were less often available (14% and 3%, respectively), and even then, almost all studies presented limited information to inform the assessments of risk of bias due to the selection of the reported result. CONCLUSION: Lack of full specification of outcomes and intended treatment effects hinder a full adherence of randomized controlled trials of nutrition interventions to transparency practices and may affect their credibility.

Nutritional control of developmental processes.

Nutritional and metabolic cues are integral to animal development. Organisms use them both as sustenance and environmental indicators, fueling, informing and influencing developmental decisions. Classical examples, such as the Warburg effect, clearly illustrate how genetic programs control metabolic changes. However, the way that nutrition and metabolism can also modulate or drive genetic programs to instruct developmental trajectories is much more elusive, owing to several difficulties including uncoupling permissive and instructive functions. Here, we discuss recent advancements in the field that highlight the developmental role of nutritional and metabolic cues across multiple levels of organismal complexity.

Nutrition and Gut Health: Recent Advances and Implications for Development of Functional Foods.

The small intestine is a highly differentiated and complex organ with many nutritional, physiological, and immunological functions [...].

Genetic association between feed efficiency, growth, scrotal circumference, and carcass traits in Guzerat cattle.

The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters for feed efficiency-related traits and their genetic correlations with growth, male fertility, and carcass traits using multi-trait analysis in Guzerat cattle. Further, it aimed to predict the direct and correlated responses for feed efficiency traits when selection was applied for growth, male fertility, and carcass traits. The evaluated traits were adjusted weight at 120 (W120), 210 (W210), 365 (W365), and 450 days of age (W450), adjusted scrotal circumference at 365 days of age (SC365) and at 450 days of age (SC450), scrotal circumference, ribeye area (REA), backfat thickness (BFT), rump fat thickness (RFT), residual feed intake (RFI), and dry matter intake (DMI). The genetic parameters were obtained by the restricted maximum likelihood method (REML), using an animal model in multi-trait analyses. The heritability estimates for W120, W210, W365, W450, SC365, and SC450 varied from low to high (0.17 to 0.39). The carcass traits, REA, BFT, and RFT, displayed low to moderate heritability estimates, 0.27, 0.10, and 0.31, respectively. The heritability estimates for RFI (0.15) and DMI (0.23) were low and moderate, respectively. The RFI showed low genetic correlations with growth traits, ranging from - 0.07 to 0.22, from 0.03 to 0.05 for scrotal circumference, and from - 0.35 to 0.16 for carcass, except for DMI, which ranged from 0.42 to 0.46. The RFI and DMI presented enough additive genetic variability to be used as selection criteria in Guzerat breed genetic improvement program. Additionally, the response to selection for RFI would be higher when selection is performed directly for this trait. The selection for residual feed intake would not promote unfavorable correlated responses for scrotal circumference, carcass (yield and finish), and growth traits. Therefore, the selection for more efficient animals would not compromise the productive, reproductive, and carcass performance, contributing to reduce the production costs, increasing the profitability and sustainability of beef cattle production in tropical areas.

Equid Nutritional Physiology and Behavior: An Evolutionary Perspective.

Like other members of the odd-toed ungulates (the perissodactyls), equids once had a higher species diversity in the fossil record than they have today. This is generally explained in comparison to the enormous diversity of bovid ruminants. Theories on putative competitive disadvantages of equids include the use of a single toe as opposed to two toes per leg, the lack of a specific brain cooling (and hence water-saving) mechanism, longer gestation periods that delay reproductive output, and in particular digestive physiology. To date, there is no empirical support for the theory that equids fare better on low-quality forage than ruminants. In contrast to the traditional juxtaposition of hindgut and foregut fermenters, we suggest that it is more insightful to sketch the evolution of equid and ruminant digestive physiology as a case of convergence: both evolved a particularly high chewing efficacy in their respective groups, which facilitates comparatively high feed and hence energy intakes. But because the ruminant system, less based on tooth anatomy but more on a forestomach sorting mechanism, is more effective, equids depend more on high feed intakes than ruminants and may well be more susceptible to feed shortages. Arguably, the most underemphasized characteristic of equids may be that in contrast to many other herbivores including ruminants and coprophageous hindgut fermenters, equids do not use the microbial biomass growing in their gastrointestinal tract. Equids display behavioral and morphophysiological adaptations to high feed intakes, and their cranial anatomy that facilitates the cropping of forage while performing grinding chewing at the same time might be unique. Rather than looking for explanations how equids are better adapted to their present niches than other organisms, considering them remnants of a different morphophysiological solution may be more appropriate.

Assessment of an Online Nutrition Education Program to Improve Mealtime Practices Among Families Receiving SNAP and WIC.

PURPOSE: This study examines if participation in an online nutrition education program holds promise for improving mealtime practices in families using SNAP and WIC. DESIGN: Pre-post self-report surveys. SETTING: Digital program delivered online, nationally in the United States. SAMPLE: Two hundred fifty-seven parents receiving SNAP and/or WIC. INTERVENTION: Parents signed up to participate in Affordable Flavors, an online self-guided 30-day meal plan, developed by culturally diverse dietitians, aligned with the Dietary Guidelines, and linked with social media support. MEASURES: Overall program utilization and acceptability were assessed along with parent meal preparation practices, diet quality of meals served to children, self-efficacy, mealtime stress, grocery spending, and food insecurity. ANALYSIS: Paired t-tests (continuous variables) and McNemar's tests (categorical variables). RESULTS: Overall program utilization and acceptability were high. Participants reported improvements in meal preparation practices (t(255) = 6.6, P < .001), diet quality of meals served to children (t(245) = 4.0, P < .001), and self-efficacy (t(251) = 10.0, P < .001), and decreases in grocery spending (t(175) = -4.3, P < .001), mealtime stress (t(256) = -8.8, P < .001) and food insecurity (26.8% vs 10.9%, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Affordable Flavors is an acceptable, cost-effective, and easily disseminatable program that holds promise for improving parent self-efficacy to prepare and serve healthy meals to children and increase diet quality in families receiving SNAP and WIC. Engaging online nutrition education programs that can be used by a variety of health professionals, especially in settings where direct nutrition education services are not feasible or cost prohibitive, are needed.

Celiaquía: alimentos libres de gluten

La importancia de la prevención y el diagnóstico temprano en la Celiaquía. Alimentos libres de gluten: encontrarlos, prepararlos y consumirlos

Nutritional condition affects tergal gland secretion and courtship success of male cockroaches.

An integral part of the courtship sequence of the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) involves the male raising his wings to expose tergal glands on his dorsum. When a female cockroach feeds on the secretion of these glands, she is optimally positioned for mating. Core chemical components have been identified, but the effect of male diet on the quality of the tergal gland secretion remains unexplored. After validating the pivotal role of tergal feeding in mating, we starved or fed reproductively mature males for one week. We then paired each male with a sexually receptive female and observed their interactions through an infrared-sensitive camera. While starvation had no effect on male courtship behavior, it did influence the duration of female tergal feeding and mating outcomes. Females fed longer on the gland secretion of fed males, and fed males experienced greater mating success than starved males (73.9% vs. 48.3%, respectively). These results suggest that the quality of the tergal gland secretions, and by association mating success, are dependent on the nutritional condition of the male.

Association of Functional Disability and Biopsychosocial Factors in Older Adults With Low Back Pain Who Live in the Amazonas State Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify social and clinical factors associated with levels of functional disability (FD) in older adults with low back pain (LBP) in the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 557 adults with LBP aged ≥60 years was completed. Sociodemographic and clinical features, pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale), FD (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short version), body mass index, educational level, health perception, emotional level, and self-reported diseases were evaluated. Statistical analysis was used to verify the association between quantitative variables and a group; Student t test or Mann-Whitney test, and analysis of variance (normality assumption) or Kruskal-Wallis test (non-parametric), P value of less than .05. RESULTS: There were 81.3% female participants, 54.9% self-reported their race and/or skin color as brown, and 37.8% were sedentary. Pain intensity scores were 6.26 ± 2.19 in female participants and 5.82 ± 1.84 in male participants. Mean FD scores were 11.68 ± 6.08 for female participants and 9.61 ± 5.76 for males participants, although 39.7% of the total group presented with severe disability (score ≥14) and FD was associated with female sex (P = .001), physical activity (P≤ 0.001), body mass index (P≤ .001), emotional level (P < .001), and health perception (P < .001). CONCLUSION: In this group of older adults with LBP, FD was associated with female sex, level of physical activity, body mass index, emotional level, and health perception. Many factors that were identified with FD are modifiable; therefore, interventions, such as nutrition education and re-conceptualization of self-emotional and health perception, may have potential to help in preventing and reducing FD.

Efectos de una intervención nutricional asociada a entrenamiento concurrente en la composición corporal de hombres físicamente activos / Effects of a nutritional intervention associated with concurrent training on the body composition of physically active men

RESUMEN: La práctica regular de ejercicio físico es una de las estrategias que se utiliza para optimizar la composición corporal. Para esto, no siempre se considera una intervención nutricional como parte de un trabajo interdisciplinario. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los efectos de un programa de intervención nutricional asociada a un entrenamiento concurrente en la composición corporal evaluada a través de bioimpedancia eléctrica (BIA) en hombres físicamente activos. La intervención tuvo una duración de 6 meses, donde participaron 12 personas (23,4 ± 4,9 años). Durante los primeros 5 meses se aplicó una planificación alimentaria y de entrenamiento ajustado a las características individuales de cada uno de los participantes, al comienzo del 6º mes, fue eliminada la planificación alimentaria y sólo se mantuvo el entrenamiento, esto con el objetivo de analizar los posibles cambios de composición corporal de los participantes. Antes (previo al programa de intervención), durante (al final del mes 5) y posterior a la intervención (final del mes 6) se evaluó el tejido adiposo, muscular y la masa libre de grasa a través de bioimpedancia eléctrica (BIA). Los resultados muestran que el programa de entrenamiento con intervención nutricional generaron en los primeros 5 meses, una disminución del porcentaje de tejido adiposo (PRE= 16,20 ± 4,75; POST= 9,52 ± 3,70; p= 0,000; TE= 1,51) e índice de tejido adiposo (PRE= 5,34 ± 1,75; POST= 3,16 ± 1,34; p=0,001; TE=1,35), aumento del porcentaje de tejido muscular (PRE= 46,05 ± 3,02; POST= 49,90 ± 2,90; p=0,004; TE= -1,25) y aumento el índice muscular/adiposo (PRE= 2,53 ± 0,75; POST= 4,85 ± 2,64; p=0,005; TE= -1,15), efectos que se atenúan significativamente cuando la intervención nutricional fue retirada del programa de intervención (p>0.05). Se concluye que la intervención nutricional es un factor clave para generar efectos positivos en la optimización de la composición corporal independientemente del nivel de entrenamiento de las personas. Estos resultados evidencian la importancia de la realización de una planificación alimentaria individualizada, ejecutada por un profesional nutricionista en los cambios de la composición corporal en sujetos físicamente activos. Los resultados de este estudio podrían orientar la consideración de un profesional nutricionista a la hora de formar equipos transdisciplinarios con el fin de mejorar hábitos de alimentación y de composición corporal.

SUMMARY: The regular practice of a certain type of training is one of the strategies used to optimize body composition. Consequently, nutritional intervention is not always considered as part of interdisciplinary work. This study aimed to identify the effects of a nutritional intervention program associated with concurrent training on body composition, assessed through bioelectrical impedance (BIA) in physically active men. The intervention lasted 6 months, with the participation of 12 subjects (23.4 ± 4.9 years). During the first 5 months, food and training planning was applied, adjusted to the individual characteristics of each of the participants. At the beginning of the 6th month, food planning was eliminated and only training was maintained, to analyze the possible changes in body composition of the participants. Prior to (before the intervention program), during (at the end of month 5), and after the intervention (end of month 6), adipose tissue, muscle, and fat-free mass were evaluated through electrical bioimpedance (BIA). The results showed that in the first five months, this training program generated a decrease in the percentage of adipose tissue (PRE= 16.20 ± 4.75; POST= 9.52 ± 3.70; p= 0.000; ES= 1.51) and adipose tissue index (PRE= 5.34 ± 1.75; POST= 3.16 ± 1.34; p=0.001; ES=1.35), increase in the percentage of muscle tissue (PRE= 46.05 ± 3.02; POST= 49.90 ± 2.90; p=0.004; ES= -1.25) and increased muscle/fat index (PRE= 2.53 ± 0.75; POST = 4.85 ± 2.64, p=0.005, SE= -1.15). The above effects were significantly reduced when the nutritional intervention was withdrawn from the program (p>0.05). It is concluded that nutritional intervention is a key factor to generate positive effects in the optimization of body composition regardless of the level of training. These results show the importance of individualized food planning, carried out by a professional nutritionist with regard to changes in the body composition of physically active subjects. The results of this study could be useful for nutritionists when forming disciplinary teams to improve eating habits and body composition.

The Emerging Field of Nutritional Dentistry.

Nutrition is, like oxygen, one of the basic requirements for animals and, accordingly, Homo sapiens to live [...].

Control of immunity via nutritional interventions.

Nutrition affects all physiological processes including those linked to the development and function of our immune system. Here, we discuss recent evidence and emerging concepts supporting the idea that our newfound relationship with nutrition in industrialized countries has fundamentally altered the way in which our immune system is wired. This will be examined through the lens of studies showing that mild or transient reductions in dietary intake can enhance protective immunity while also limiting aberrant inflammatory responses. We will further discuss how trade-offs and priorities begin to emerge in the context of severe nutritional stress. In those settings, specific immunological functions are heightened to re-enforce processes and tissue sites most critical to survival. Altogether, these examples will emphasize the profound influence nutrition has over the immune system and highlight how a mechanistic exploration of this cross talk could ultimately lead to the design of novel therapeutic approaches that prevent and treat disease.

Characteristics of Aerobics and Nutrition Strategy Based on Depth Image Human Body Recognition.

Bodybuilding operation is a favorite sports item, which is beneficial to enhance physical fitness, improve coordination and flexibility of movement, and enhance cardiopulmonary function. Standard aerobics movements and nutrition matching strategies can more effectively enhance the exercise effect. In this paper, the characteristics of aerobics, sports, and nutrition strategies are researched through the human body recognition technology of the depth image; the subjects were divided into four groups by statistical method and control variable experiment method. They were the control group, the experimental group for aerobics training, the experimental group for improving the nutritional balance under diet, and the experimental group for aerobics training. After two and a half months of experimental training and observation, the students in the four groups were tested for physical fitness and physical function; analyze the obtained experimental test data using the human body recognition technology of depth image, then obtain the experimental test data, and then use the data fusion method to combine the data and information for more accurate evaluation. The results showed that after 10 weeks of aerobics learning and nutrition, the average height of students increased by 1.19 cm, the average weight decreased by 1.17 kg, the number of sit-ups increased from 23.9 before the experiment to 31.2, and the results of 50-meter race and 800-meter run were 0.2 seconds and 2.9 seconds, respectively. It can be concluded that aerobics and nutrition can speed up metabolism, promote the growth and development of bones, and supplement the nutrition needed by the human body, to improve students' physical quality. This study contributes to the research of sports and nutrition matching in improving physical conditions.

Initial evidence of abnormal brain plasticity in anorexia nervosa: an ultra-high field study.

Anorexia Nervosa has been associated with white matter abnormalities implicating subcortical abnormal myelination. Extending these findings to intracortical myelin has been challenging but ultra-high field neuroimaging offers new methodological opportunities. To test the integrity of intracortical myelin in AN we used 7 T neuroimaging to acquire T1-weighted images optimized for intracortical myelin from seven females with AN (age range: 18-33) and 11 healthy females (age range: 23-32). Intracortical T1 values (inverse index of myelin concentration) were extracted from 148 cortical regions at ten depth-levels across the cortical ribbon. Across all cortical regions, these levels were averaged to generate estimates of total intracortical myelin concentration and were clustered using principal component analyses into two clusters; the outer cluster comprised T1 values across depth-levels ranging from the CSF boundary to the middle of the cortical regions and the inner cluster comprised T1 values across depth-levels ranging from the middle of the cortical regions to the gray/white matter boundary. Individuals with AN exhibited higher T1 values (i.e., decreased intracortical myelin concentration) in all three metrics. It remains to be established if these abnormalities result from undernutrition or specific lipid nutritional imbalances, or are trait markers; and whether they may contribute to neurobiological deficits seen in AN.