Culinary Herbs and Spices in Nutrition and Health – The Role of Nutrition Education in Creating Healthy Dietary Patterns

Abstract Objectives Worldwide, culinary herbs and spices have been used for centuries as food flavoring, preservative agents, or for their known health benefits. Over the last decade, they are gaining much significance as the dietary polyphenols contained have been recognized to have health promoting benefits and preventive role in most chronic diseases. Little data exists however referring to the actual level of knowledge of these foods or the dietary intake . While the consumption of herbs and spices is generally higher in Asian countries, it has been an increasing trend in their intake in developed countries as result of changing food habits and preference for ethnic and spicy food. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the level of knowledge and intake of herbs and spices, while promoting the importance of healthy dietary changes that would benefit throughout the lifespan. Methods The knowledge of the 30 herbs and spices to be studied, and common dietary patterns referring to this type of foods was evaluated in a very heterogeneous group in terms of age (15–65), ethnic and cultural background, educational level or living status, through a very simple Food Frequency Questionnaire specially adapted in this case for herbs and spices. Results While the importance of creating healthy eating habits from early years and school across the entire lifespan is well recognized, data shows it takes time learning and creating new routines. The number of herbs and spices known increases with age (from 50% in the age group under 20, to 100% in the age group 50–60). The number of herbs and spices most known in all age groups is relatively reduced, and includes: ginger, garlic, chili, turmeric, basil, lemongrass, coriander and curry. The age group 50–60 displays also the highest frequency in using them on a daily basis. The favorite and most used among all age groups are: garlic, ginger, onion, lemongrass, basil and turmeric. The most frequent reason for using spices in all groups is “flavor”. The level of education, living status, or location do not seem to influence much. Conclusions General nutrition knowledge is an important part of improving diet quality and healthy eating attitudes, thus, the earlier learned the patterns, the healthy and happier outcomes. Further study in a larger number of participants and on a wider selection of herbs and spices is definitely needed for validation. Funding Sources None.

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Lower and upper bounds of life expectancies and total expected longevity of a developing country

South East Asia Journal of Public Health ◽

10.3329/seajph.v3i2.20041 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 52-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ahbab Mohammad Fazle Rabbi

Keyword(s):

East Asian ◽

Age Groups ◽

Upper Bounds ◽

Early Years ◽

Age Group ◽

Remaining Life ◽

Lower And Upper Bounds ◽

Demographic Indicator ◽

Expected Longevity ◽

Full Population

Regardless of being most used demographic indicator of longevity, life expectancy has few limitations too; and it arise mainly due to irregular mortality patterns in particular age group. This paper aims to analyze the trend of remaining life expectancies in different age groups and examines the highest observed life expectancies along with lower and upper bounds of life expectancies for Bangladesh; a country where early aged mortality is present remarkably. To estimate the lower and upper bounds of life expectancies in particular age; corresponding survival fractions have been taken into account, which gave more flexible concepts about longevity measures. Obtained results indicate decline in the gap between early aged life expectancies for both sexes in Bangladesh; which suggests that the full population, rather than just the more selected survivors, may anticipate a longer life that was previously only the domain of those who survived past the early years. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v3i2.20041 South East Asian Journal of Public Health Vol.3(2) 2013: 52-57

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Dietary patterns on weekdays and weekend days in 4–14-year-old Danish children

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114512003662 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 109 (9) ◽

pp. 1704-1713 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Berit W. Rothausen ◽

Jeppe Matthiessen ◽

Lene F. Andersen ◽

Per B. Brockhoff ◽

Inge Tetens

Keyword(s):

Dietary Patterns ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Age Groups ◽

Principal Component ◽

Age Group ◽

Dietary Intakes ◽

Food Record ◽

High Agreement ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Dietary Energy Density

Little is known about dietary patterns on weekdays and weekend days in children, and the aim of the present study was to investigate 4–14-year-old children's dietary patterns specifically on weekdays (Monday–Thursday) and weekend days (Saturday–Sunday). Dietary data were derived from the Danish National Survey of Dietary Habits and Physical Activity 2003–8, where a total of 784 children aged 4–14 years completed a 7 d pre-coded food record. Principal component analysis was used to identify dietary patterns in the age groups 4–6, 7–10 and 11–14 years. Consistently, two dietary patterns, labelled ‘processed’ and ‘health conscious’, emerged on both weekdays and weekend days. Factor scores from corresponding dietary patterns were significantly correlated between weekdays and weekend days with the exception of the ‘health conscious’ pattern in the 7–10-year-olds. Within each age group, children with high agreement for the ‘processed’ pattern had a significantly higher dietary energy density, which was reflected in significantly higher intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages and lower intakes of fruit and vegetables, compared with children with high agreement for the ‘health conscious’ pattern (P< 0·05). Moreover, these variables indicated less healthy dietary intakes on weekend days than on weekdays for both patterns. In conclusion, two distinct dietary patterns, labelled ‘processed’ and ‘health conscious’, were identified on both weekdays and weekend days for each age group. While overall major dietary patterns may somewhat track between weekdays and weekends, the specific foods actually eaten became less healthy during weekends.

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The Effect of Collagen Mediated Platelet Release on Plasma Prekallikrein Activation

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1661014 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 51 (01) ◽

pp. 037-041 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

K M Weerasinghe ◽

M F Scully ◽

V V Kakkar

Keyword(s):

Platelet Aggregation ◽

Healthy Volunteers ◽

Platelet Rich Plasma ◽

Age Groups ◽

Inhibitory Effect ◽

Age Group ◽

Platelet Factor ◽

Activated Platelets ◽

Platelet Release ◽

Collagen Treatment

SummaryCollagen mediated platelet aggregation caused -5.6 ± 6.7% inhibition and +39.1 ± 15.2% potentiation of prekallikrein activation in plasma from normal healthy volunteers between 20–40 and 50–65 years of age, respectively (n = 15, p <0.01). The amouns of platelet factor-four (PF4) released in the two groups were not significantly different. Collagen treatment in the presence of indomethacin caused +11.5 ± 3.6% and +59.6 ± 19.5% potentiation in the 20–40 and 50–65 age groups respectively (p <0.02). Adrenaline mediated platelet aggregation caused -55.2 ± 7.1% and -35.2 ± 8.3% inhibition in the 20–40 and 50–65 age groups, respectively. Collagen treatment of platelet-deficient-plasma and platelet-rich-plasma in EDTA also caused potentiation of prekallikrein activation.The results indicate that the observed degree of prekallikrein activation after platelet aggregation is a net result of the inhibitory effect of PF4 and the potentiatory effect of activated platelets. The potentiatory effect was greater after collagen treatment as compared to adrenaline treatment, and in the 50–65 age group as compared to the 20–40 age group.

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Health and Nutritional Status of Orphan Children’s Living in Orphanages with Special Reference to District Anantnag of Jammu and Kashmir

International Journal of Indian Psychology ◽

10.25215/0302.191 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Mashkoor Ahmad Lone ◽

Dr. P. Ganesan

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Indian Academy ◽

Dental Enamel ◽

Nutritional Intake ◽

Age Group ◽

Asian Countries ◽

Jammu And Kashmir ◽

Material Resources ◽

Height For Age ◽

Weight For Age

The practice of placing deprived children having least or no emotional and material resources, in orphanages has since long been prevailing in socio -economically poor Asian countries. A sample of 30 children residing in orphanage in district Anantnag in the age group of 13-18 years was selected for the present study. Most of the children were found socially and psychologically disturbed. As per Indian Academy Paediatrics (IAP) classification with respect to weight for age the condition was not bad that as approximately 67% percent of the children were found to be normal. In the same way height for age as per Waterloo’s classification shown that more than half of the children were normal. On clinical examination approximately 47% of children were normal, while as rest were suffering from dispigmentation of hair, moon face, xerosis of skin cheilosis, magenta tongue, spongy bleeding gums, oedema, conjuctival xerosis, and mottled dental enamel. The findings indicated that nutritional intake was deficient for all nutrients when compared to, Recommended Daily Allowances Chart (RDA) for all age groups which may be linked to poor planning of menus in orphanages.

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COVID-19 Epigenetics and Implications for Public Health

Coronaviruses ◽

10.2174/2666796701999201005212515 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 01 ◽

Author(s):

Verda Tunalıgil ◽

Gülsen Meral ◽

Ahmet Katı ◽

Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay ◽

Amit Kumar Mandal

Keyword(s):

Chronic Conditions ◽

Empirical Investigation ◽

Age Groups ◽

Infectious Agent ◽

Well Being ◽

Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽

Age Group ◽

Epigenetic Changes ◽

Patient Groups ◽

Epigenetic Processes

Abstract:: Epigenetic changes in COVID-19 host, a pandemic-causing infectious agent that globally incapacitated communities in varying complexities and capacities are discussed, proposing an analogy that epigenetic processes contribute to disease severity and elevate the risk for death from infection. Percentages of hospitalization, with and without intensive care, in the presence of diseases with increased ACE2 expression, were compared, based on the best available data. Further analysis compared two different age groups, 19-64 and ≥65 years of age. The COVID-19 disease is observed to be the most severe in the 65-and-higher-age group with preexisting chronic conditions. This observational study is a non-experimental empirical investigation of the outcomes of COVID-19 in different patient groups. Results are promising for conducting clinical trials with intervention groups. To ultimately succeed in disease prevention, researchers and clinicians must integrate epigenetic mechanisms to generate valid prescriptions for global well-being.

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Tower Running—Participation, Performance Trends, and Sex Difference

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17061902 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 1902 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Daniel Stark ◽

Stefania Di Gangi ◽

Caio Victor Sousa ◽

Pantelis Nikolaidis ◽

Beat Knechtle

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Statistical Model ◽

Sex Difference ◽

Random Effects ◽

Age Groups ◽

Repeated Measurements ◽

Stair Climbing ◽

Age Group ◽

Performance Trends ◽

The Difference

Though there are exhaustive data about participation, performance trends, and sex differences in performance in different running disciplines and races, no study has analyzed these trends in stair climbing and tower running. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate these trends in tower running. The data, consisting of 28,203 observations from 24,007 climbers between 2014 and 2019, were analyzed. The effects of sex and age, together with the tower characteristics (i.e., stairs and floors), were examined through a multivariable statistical model with random effects on intercept, at climber’s level, accounting for repeated measurements. Men were faster than women in each age group (p < 0.001 for ages ≤69 years, p = 0.003 for ages > 69 years), and the difference in performance stayed around 0.20 km/h, with a minimum of 0.17 at the oldest age. However, women were able to outperform men in specific situations: (i) in smaller buildings (<600 stairs), for ages between 30 and 59 years and >69 years; (ii) in higher buildings (>2200 stairs), for age groups <20 years and 60–69 years; and (iii) in buildings with 1600–2200 stairs, for ages >69 years. In summary, men were faster than women in this specific running discipline; however, women were able to outperform men in very specific situations (i.e., specific age groups and specific numbers of stairs).

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Mediterranean Diet and Healthy Eating in Subjects with Prediabetes from the Mollerussa Prospective Observational Cohort Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13010252 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 252

Author(s):

Mireia Falguera ◽

Esmeralda Castelblanco ◽

Marina Idalia Rojo-López ◽

Maria Belén Vilanova ◽

Jordi Real ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Glucose Tolerance ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Normal Glucose Tolerance ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Normal Glucose ◽

Multivariable Analyses

We aimed to assess differences in dietary patterns (i.e., Mediterranean diet and healthy eating indexes) between participants with prediabetes and those with normal glucose tolerance. Secondarily, we analyzed factors related to prediabetes and dietary patterns. This was a cross-sectional study design. From a sample of 594 participants recruited in the Mollerussa study cohort, a total of 535 participants (216 with prediabetes and 319 with normal glucose tolerance) were included. The alternate Mediterranean Diet score (aMED) and the alternate Healthy Eating Index (aHEI) were calculated. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were performed. There was no difference in the mean aMED and aHEI scores between groups (3.2 (1.8) in the normoglycemic group and 3.4 (1.8) in the prediabetes group, p = 0.164 for the aMED and 38.6 (7.3) in the normoglycemic group and 38.7 (6.7) in the prediabetes group, p = 0.877 for the aHEI, respectively). Nevertheless, women had a higher mean of aMED and aHEI scores in the prediabetes group (3.7 (1.9), p = 0.001 and 40.5 (6.9), p < 0.001, respectively); moreover, they had a higher mean of aHEI in the group with normoglycemia (39.8 (6.6); p = 0.001). No differences were observed in daily food intake between both study groups; consistent with this finding, we did not find major differences in nutrient intake between groups. In the multivariable analyses, the aMED and aHEI were not associated with prediabetes (odds ratio (OR): 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75–1.87; p = 0.460 and OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 0.83–2.10; p = 0.246, respectively); however, age (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02–1.05; p < 0.001), dyslipidemia (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.27–3.22; p = 0.003) and body mass index (BMI) (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.05–1.14; p < 0.001) were positively associated with prediabetes. Physical activity was associated with a lower frequency of prediabetes (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.31–0.72; p = 0.001). In conclusion, subjects with prediabetes did not show a different dietary pattern compared with a normal glucose tolerance group. However, further research is needed on this issue.

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Ten-year trends of hypertension treatment and control rate in Korea

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-86199-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kwang-il Kim ◽

Eunjeong Ji ◽

Jung-yeon Choi ◽

Sun-wook Kim ◽

Soyeon Ahn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Favorable Effect ◽

Age Group ◽

Hypertension Treatment ◽

Treatment Rate ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Multistage Sampling ◽

And Control

AbstractWe analyzed the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) database to determine the trends of hypertension treatment and control rate in Korea over the past 10 years. In addition, we tried to investigate the effect of chronic medical conditions on hypertension management. We investigated the hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rate from 2008 to 2017. KNHANES, which uses a stratified multistage sampling design, is a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey conducted by the Korean government. A total of 59,282 adults (≥ 20 years) were included, which was representative of the total population of around 40 million Koreans per year. The mean age was 50.7 ± 16.4 years and 42.6% were male. The prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity significantly increased over the 10 years. During this period, the hypertension treatment and control rate significantly improved. Hypertension treatment rate was significantly lower in the younger age group compared to the older age group, but the control rate among the treated patients was not significantly different between age groups. The treatment and control rates of hypertension were higher in patients with multimorbidity, which implies that it has a favorable effect on the treatment and control of hypertension. Hypertension treatment and control rate have improved over the past 10 years. The higher treatment and control rate in patients with multimorbidity suggest that the more aggressive surveillance might be associated with the improvement of hypertension treatment and control rate in Korea.

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Effects of culinary herbs and spices on obesity: A systematic literature review of clinical trials

Journal of Functional Foods ◽

10.1016/j.jff.2021.104449 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 81 ◽

pp. 104449

Author(s):

Chandana Deekshith ◽

Markandeya Jois ◽

Jessica Radcliffe ◽

Jency Thomas

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Literature Review ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Culinary Herbs ◽

Herbs And Spices

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A Study of Varicella Seroprevalence in a Pediatric and Adolescent Population in Florence (Italy). Natural Infection and Vaccination-Acquired Immunization

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9020152 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 152

Author(s):

Beatrice Zanella ◽

Angela Bechini ◽

Benedetta Bonito ◽

Marco Del Riccio ◽

Alessandra Ninci ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Infection ◽

Age Groups ◽

Varicella Vaccination ◽

Age Group ◽

Disease Notification ◽

Test Elisa ◽

Vaccine Schedule ◽

Almost All ◽

Vaccination Campaigns ◽

Dose Vaccine

Background: Varicella is a well-known infectious disease that can have severe complications, also in young children. The Universal Varicella Vaccination (UVV) program was introduced in Tuscany (Italy) in 2003, with a two-dose vaccine schedule given to children between their 13th and 15th month, and at 5–6 years old, as a monovalent for varicella (V) or tetravalent (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV)) formulation. Although varicella notifications have dramatically fallen in the last two decades, varicella disease underreporting remains a challenge. Methods: A qualitative immunoenzymatic test (ELISA) was used to measure the presence of anti-varicella antibodies in 165 sera of subjects aged 1–18 years residing in the province of Florence (Italy). Information regarding the anamnestic and vaccination status (including disease notification) was also collected. Results: Our study showed an overall varicella seropositivity of 75.8% (reaching the maximum at 96.3% in the 15–18 years age group). We found that varicella disease notification had been recorded for only 7/165 subjects; however, since 42/165 recalled having had the disease, we can hypothesize that some of them must have been underreported. Furthermore, our study showed that the presence of antibodies after the varicella vaccination remained over time, lasting up to 12 years. Conclusions: Although varicella seroprevalence is <95% in almost all our age groups (except for the 15–18 years age group), our data are encouraging and reflect the success of the introduction of the UVV program and the vaccination campaigns promoted in the Tuscany region.

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