This article aims to study the different dietary fat types associated with obesity and coronary indices. A sample of 491 healthy adults was included in a cross-sectional manner. Dietary fats intake, obesity indices (conicity index (CI), body adiposity index (BAI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body roundness index (BRI), and weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI)), and cardiovascular indices (cardiometabolic index (CMI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP)) were calculated and studied. Participants with an acceptable intake of omega-3 had a higher BRI score (1⋅90 ± 0⋅06 v. 1⋅70 ± 0⋅06). Participants with an unacceptable intake of cholesterol had a higher CI (1⋅31 ± 0⋅11 v. 1⋅28 ± 0⋅12; P = 0⋅011), AVI (20⋅24 ± 5⋅8 v. 18⋅33 ± 6⋅0; P < 0⋅001), BRI (2⋅00 ± 1⋅01 v. 1⋅70 ± 1⋅00; P = 0⋅003), WWI (11⋅00 ± 0⋅91 v. 10⋅80 ± 0⋅97; P = 0⋅032), and lower AIP (0⋅46 ± 0⋅33 v. 0⋅53 ± 0⋅33; P = 0⋅024). Total fat, saturated fat (SFA), and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) intake had a significant moderate correlation with AVI and BRI. The monounsaturated fat (MUFA) intake had a significantly weak correlation with CI, AVI, BRI, WWI, and AIP. Cholesterol and omega-6 had weak correlations with all indices. Similar correlations were seen among male and female participants. The different types of fat intake significantly affected obesity and coronary indices, especially SFA and PUFA, as well as omega-3 and cholesterol. Gender and the dietary type of fat intake have a relationship to influence the indicators of both obesity and coronary indices.

Hypertension remains a public health issue in Cameroon, though lifestyle and dietetic measures are the main approaches for the prevention and management of hypertension. The present study aimed at evaluating the impact of a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet using local foodstuffs on the status of hypertensive patients at the Ngaoundere Regional Hospital. A case–control study was carried out with 160 hypertensive patients divided into two groups, a test and a control group. A food questionnaire was used to evaluate the food habits of patients and design the sheet of the DASH diet to provide a maximum of 2000 kcal/d. The DASH diet was administered to the test group (eighty-eight patients), while the control group (seventy-two patients) consumed their normal diet. Both groups were followed up for 8 weeks. The systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP, DBP), body mass index (BMI), triglycerides, HDL-c, LDL-c and total-cholesterol levels of patients of the two groups were measured before and after the intervention. The results indicate that the DASH diet improves all the markers of hypertension in the test group with significant decreases in BMI, SBP, DBP, LDL-c and total-cholesterol. Patients of the control group had fourteen and seven times more risk of having increased systolic and diastolic pressures, respectively, and are thus exposed to hypertension complications. The DASH diet established in this study is therefore effective for the management of hypertension.

Relatively little is known about how the diet of chronically undernourished children may impact cardiometabolic biomarkers. The objective of this exploratory study was to characterise relationships between dietary patterns and the cardiometabolic profile of 153 3–5-year-old Peruvian children with a high prevalence of chronic undernutrition. We collected monthly dietary recalls from children when they were 9–24 months old. At 3–5 years, additional dietary recalls were collected, and blood pressure, height, weight, subscapular skinfolds and fasting plasma glucose, insulin and lipid profiles were assessed. Nutrient intakes were expressed as average density per 100 kcals (i) from 9 to 24 months and (ii) at follow-up. The treelet transform and sparse reduced rank regress'ion (RRR) were used to summarize nutrient intake data. Linear regression models were then used to compare these factors to cardiometabolic outcomes and anthropometry. Linear regression models adjusting for subscapular skinfold-for-age Z-scores (SSFZ) were then used to test whether observed relationships were mediated by body composition. 26 % of children were stunted at 3–5 years old. Both treelet transform and sparse RRR-derived child dietary factors are related to protein intake and associated with total cholesterol and SSFZ. Associations between dietary factors and insulin were attenuated after adjusting for SSFZ, suggesting that body composition mediated these relationships. Dietary factors in early childhood, influenced by protein intake, are associated with cholesterol profiles, fasting glucose and body fat in a chronically undernourished population.

Complete nutrition drinks with a low glycemic index (GI) provide nutritional support and prevent hyperglycaemia. The present study identified GI and factors predicting individual glucose response to a new complete nutrition drink. A randomised cross-over controlled trial was conducted in eighteen healthy volunteers (FPG < 100 mg/dl). Complete nutrition drinks containing retrograded starch, glucose solution and white bread were assigned in a random sequence with 14-day wash-out intervals. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were measured from baseline to 180 min after consuming each food. Results show the adjusted GIs of the drink was 48.2 ± 10.4 and 46.7 ± 12.7 with glucose and white bread as the reference, respectively. While the drink has low GI (<55), the individual glucose responses varied (GI: 7–149). Comparing characters in individual GI < 55 (n = 12) and GI ≥ 55 (n = 6) groups revealed significantly higher baseline insulin in the low GI group (14.86 ± 16.51 μIU/ml v. 4.9 ± 3.4 μIU/ml, P < 0·05). The correlation matrix confirms only two predictive factors for having individual GI <55 were baseline insulin (r = 0·5, P = 0·03) and HOMA-IR (r = 0·55, P = 0·02). ROC curve reveals fasting insulin above 1.6 μIU/ml and HOMA-IR above 1.05 as the cut-off values. The findings suggest that the complete nutrition drink has a low GI, but there was wide variability in individual responses partly explained by fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR. Screening for fasting insulin and HOMA-IR may be encouraged to maximise the functional benefit of the drink.

The fish paste product, fish balls ‘tsumire’, is a traditional type of Japanese food made from minced fish as well as imitation crab, kamaboko and hanpen. Although tsumire is known as a high-protein and low-fat food, there is a lack of scientific evidence on its health benefits. Hence, we aimed to investigate the effects of tsumire intake on organ weight and biomarker levels in Sprague–Dawley rats for 84 d as a preliminary study. Six-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two groups: group I, fed normal diets, and group II, fed normal diets with 5 % dried tsumire. Throughout the administration period, we monitored their body weight and food intake; at the end of this period, we measured their organ weight and analysed their blood biochemistry. No significant differences were observed with respect to body weight, food intake, organ weight and many biochemical parameters between the two groups. It was found that inorganic phosphorus and glucose levels were higher in group II rats than in group I rats. On the other hand, sodium, calcium, amylase and cholinesterase levels were significantly lower in group II than in group I. Interestingly, we found that the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase and leucine aminopeptidase in group II were significantly lower than in group I, and that other liver function parameters of group II tended to be lower than in group I. In conclusion, we consider that the Japanese traditional food, ‘tsumire,’ may be effective as a functional food for human health management worldwide.

This study aimed to determine anthropometric cut-points for screening diabetes and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Arab and South Asian ethnic groups in Kuwait and to compare the prevalence of the MetS based on the ethnic-specific waist circumference (WC) cut-point and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute WC criteria. The national population-based survey data set of diabetes and obesity in Kuwait adults aged 18–60 years was analysed. Age-adjusted logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to evaluate for 3589 individuals the utility of WC, waist:height ratio (WHtR) and BMI to discriminate both diabetes and ≥3 CVD risk factors. Areas under the ROC curve were similar for WC, WHtR and BMI. In Arab men, WC, WHtR and BMI cut-offs for diabetes were 106 cm, 0·55 and 28 kg/m2 and for ≥3 CVD risk factors, 97 cm, 0·55 and 28 kg/m2, respectively. In Arab women, cut-offs for diabetes were 107 cm, 0·65 and 33 kg/m2 and for ≥3 CVD risk factors, 93 cm, 0·60 and 30 kg/m2, respectively. WC cut-offs were higher for South Asian women than men. IDF-based WC cut-offs corresponded to a higher prevalence of the MetS across sex and ethnic groups, compared with Kuwait-specific cut-offs. Any of the assessed anthropometric indices can be used in screening of diabetes and ≥3 CVD risk factors in Kuwaiti Arab and Asian populations. ROC values were similar. The WC threshold for screening the MetS in Kuwaiti Arabs and South Asians is higher for women.

Table olives, a product of olive tree (Olea europaea L.), is an important fermented product of the Mediterranean Diet. Agronomical factors, particularly the cultivar, the ripening stage and the processing method employed are the main factors influencing the nutritional and non-nutritional composition of table olives and their organoleptic properties. The important nutritional value of this product is due to its richness in monounsaturated fat (MUFA), mainly oleic acid, fibre and vitamin E together with the presence of several phytochemicals. Among these, hydroxytyrosol (HT) is the major phenolic compound present in all types of table olives. There is a scarcity of in vitro, in vivo and human studies of table olives. This review focused comprehensively on the nutrients and bioactive compound content as well as the health benefits assigned to table olives. The possible health benefits associated with their consumption are thought to be primarily related to effects of MUFA on cardiovascular health, the antioxidant (AO) capacity of vitamin E and its role in protecting the body from oxidative damage and the anti-inflammatory and AO activities of HT. The influence of multiple factors on composition of the end product and the potential innovation in the production of table olives through the reduction of its final salt content was also discussed.