Polydextrose and soluble corn fiber increase five-day fecal wet weight in healthy men and women.

Dietary fiber has well-established beneficial effects on laxation. Many fibers have been developed with positive sensory properties and 2 such fibers are polydextrose (PDX) and soluble corn fiber (SCF), which can be added to many commercially produced products. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing the laxative effects of PDX and SCF at a dose of 20 g/d with a low fiber control (LFC) eaten daily as a muffin and cereal in 36 healthy men and women. Each treatment period was 10 d with a 2-wk washout period between. Participants collected fecal samples during the last 5 d of each treatment and completed food diaries and gastrointestinal tolerance questionnaires on d 1, 2, and 10 of each treatment period. Five-day fecal wet weight was higher after the PDX and SCF treatments than the LFC treatment (P ≤ 0.0007). The number of stools per day and daily fecal output also were significantly greater during the PDX treatment compared with the LFC treatment. The whole gut transit time did not differ among treatments. The PDX treatment resulted in a softer stool (P = 0.002) than the SCF and LFC treatments. Fecal pH was lowered by the PDX treatment (P = 0.02), whereas SCF tended to lower it compared with the LFC treatment (P = 0.07). When the participants consumed PDX and SCF, they reported significantly more flatulence and borborygmi compared with when they consumed the LFC. Consumption of PDX and SCF at a dose of 20 g/d results in a mild laxative effect with nominal gastrointestinal tolerance issues.

Risky sexual behavior, bleeding caused by intimate partner violence, and hepatitis C virus infection in patients of a sexually transmitted disease clinic.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate independent contributions of risky sexual behaviors and bleeding caused by intimate partner violence to prediction of HCV infection. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study of risk factors among patients of a sexually transmitted disease clinic with and without HCV antibodies, group-matched by age. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses indicated that Black race (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3, 4.4), injection drug use (OR = 20.3; 95% CI = 10.8, 37.8), sharing straws to snort drugs (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.01, 3.0), sharing razors (OR = 7.8; 95% CI = 2.0, 31.0), and exposure to bleeding caused by intimate partner violence (OR = 5.5; 95% CI = 1.4, 22.8) contributed significantly to the prediction of HCV infection; risky sexual behavior and exposure to blood or sores during sexual intercourse did not. CONCLUSIONS: HCV risk among patients of a sexually transmitted disease clinic can be explained by direct blood exposure, primarily through injection drug use. Exposure to bleeding caused by intimate partner violence may be a previously unrecognized mechanism for HCV transmission associated with risky sexual behavior.

A 13-week dietary toxicity study in rats of a Napin-Rich Canola Protein Isolate.

The objective was to study the safety of a Napin-Rich Canola Protein Isolate (NRCPI) fed to rats at various levels for 13-weeks. The study included four groups (20 animals/sex/group) of young Sprague Dawley rats. They were fed ad libitum with an AIN-93G based protein-free diet containing, respectively, 5%, 10% and 20% (w/w) NRCPI (test article) or 20% (w/w) vitamin-free casein (control article). Protein levels were adjusted at 18% in all groups with vitamin-free casein. Body weights, food consumption, locomotor activity and behavioral and clinical pathology parameters were recorded at various points in the study, followed by macroscopic examination, determination of organ weights and microscopic examination at termination. There were no test article-related effects on ophthalmology, functional observations, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights and macroscopic or microscopic findings. Lower body weight gains were observed in the 10% NRCPI-treated males and the 20% NRCPI-treated males and females. The lower body weight gains were associated with significantly lower food consumption. Therefore, for NRCPI the No Observed Adversed Effect Level (NOAEL) was considered to be 20% (the highest fed level); equivalent to 12.46 g/kg BW/day for males and 14.95 g/kg BW/day for females. The NRCPI was considered safe under the tested conditions.

Isoflavone supplements containing predominantly genistein reduce hot flash symptoms: a critical review of published studies.

OBJECTIVE: Several reviews have evaluated the clinical evidence relating isoflavone treatment to the relief of menopausal hot flash symptoms. The majority of these reviews included a variety of isoflavone sources, often without discriminating between the identities of individual isoflavones contained in the study product. An evaluation of published studies using well-characterized isoflavone-containing supplements was conducted to determine whether the observed effects, or lack thereof, were attributable to differences in the composition of isoflavones in study products. DESIGN: Eleven studies that met the inclusion criteria were stratified according to specific isoflavone composition. RESULTS: All 11 studies contained similar total isoflavone doses. In five studies, involving a total of 177 treated participants, the study product provided more than 15 mg genistein (calculated as aglycone equivalents) per treatment. Each of these five studies consistently reported a statistically significant decrease in hot flash symptoms. In the six studies involving a total of 201 treated participants that provided less than 15 mg genistein per treatment, only one reported a statistically significant decrease in hot flash symptoms. Thus, the reduction in hot flashes was related to genistein dose, not total isoflavone content of the treatments. CONCLUSION: Reports concluding that isoflavone supplements do not significantly reduce hot flash symptoms may be incorrect. The lack of discrimination between individual isoflavones contained in heterogeneous isoflavone mixtures from differing sources can be misleading when designing studies, interpreting results, and conducting reviews. In light of these observations, evaluation of isoflavone effects should focus greater attention to the specific composition within supplements in future studies.

Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH): a novel neural pathway for regulation of GnRH neurons.

The link between the state of energy balance and reproductive function is well known. Thus, signals denoting negative energy balance and the accompanying hyperphagic drive are likely to be factors in the suppression of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) activity. We have previously found that appetite-regulating systems, such as neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the arcuate nucleus (ARH) and orexin in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), send fiber projections that come in close apposition with GnRH neurons. Furthermore, the appropriate receptors, NPY Y5 and OR-1, respectively, are coexpressed on GnRH neurons, providing neuroanatomical evidence for a direct link between the NPY and orexin systems and GnRH neurons. Therefore, these orexigenic neuropeptide systems are potential candidates that convey information about energy balance to GnRH neurons. The current studies focused on melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), another orexigenic neuropeptide system located in the LHA that is sensitive to energy balance. The results showed that MCH fiber projections came in close apposition with approximately 85-90% of GnRH cell bodies throughout the preoptic area and anterior hypothalamic area in the rat. In addition, the MCH receptor (MCHR1) was coexpressed on about 50-55% of GnRH neurons. These findings present evidence for a possible direct neuroanatomical pathway by which MCH may play a role in the regulation of GnRH neuronal function. Thus, MCH is another potential signal that may serve to integrate energy balance and reproductive function.

Fructose and non-fructose sugar intakes in the US population and their associations with indicators of metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Relationships of sugar intakes with indicators of metabolic syndrome are important concerns for public health and safety. For individuals, dietary intake data for fructose and other sugars are limited. METHOD: Descriptive statistics. The data from 25,506 subjects, aged 12-80 yr, contained in the NHANES 1999-2006 databases were analyzed for sugar intakes and health parameters. RESULTS: Dietary fructose was almost always consumed with other sugars. On average, fructose provided 37% of total simple sugar intake and 9% of energy intake. In more than 97% of individuals studied, fructose caloric contribution was lower than that of non-fructose sugars. Fructose and non-fructose sugar intakes had no positive association with blood concentrations of TG, HDL cholesterol, glycohemoglobin, uric acid, blood pressure, waist circumference, and BMI in the adults studied (aged 19 to 80 yr, n=17,749). CONCLUSION: Daily fructose intakes with the American diet averaged approximately 37% of total sugars and 9% of daily energy. Fructose was rarely consumed solely or in excess over non-fructose sugars. Fructose and non-fructose sugar ordinary consumption was not positively associated with indicators of metabolic syndrome, uric acid and BMI.

Lack of association between dietary fructose and hyperuricemia risk in adults.

BACKGROUND: High serum uric acid concentration (hyperuricemia) has been studied for its relationship with multiple adverse health outcomes, such as metabolic syndrome. Intervention studies have produced inconsistent outcomes for the relationship between fructose intake and serum uric acid concentration. METHODS: The association of dietary fructose intake with hyperuricemia risk in adults was examined using logistic regression and U.S. NHANES 1999-2004 databases. A total of 9,384 subjects, between the ages 20 and 80 years, without diabetes, cancer, or heart disease, were included. RESULTS: The highest added or total fructose intake (quartiles by grams or % energy) was not associated with an increase of hyperuricemia risk compared to the lowest intake with or without adjustment (odds ratios = 0.515-0.992). The associations of alcohol and fiber intakes with the risk were also determined. Compared to the lowest intake, the highest alcohol intake was associated with increased mean serum uric acid concentration (up to 16%, P < 0.001) and hyperuricemia risk (odds ratios = 1.658-1.829, P = 0.057- < 0.001); the highest fiber intake was correlated with decreases of uric acid concentration (up to 7.5%, P < 0.002) and lower risk (odds ratios = 0.448-0.478, P = 0.001- < 0.001). Adults who were over 50 y old, male, or obese had significantly greater risk. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that increased dietary fructose intake was not associated with increased hyperuricemia risk; while increased dietary alcohol intake was significantly associated with increased hyperuricemia risk; and increased fiber intake was significantly associated with decreased hyperuricemia risk. These data further suggest a potential effect of fructose consumption in an ordinary diet on serum uric acid differs from results found in some short-term studies using atypical exposure and/or levels of fructose administration.