The influence of fasting on energy and nutrient intake and their corresponding food sources among 6-23 months old children in rural communities with high burden of stunting from Northern Ethiopia

Background Limited studies in Ethiopia showed that infants and young children are at high risk of inadequate intake of energy and nutrients. However, inclusive assessment of both nutrient intakes and their food sources are lacking. We aimed at assessing energy and nutrient intakes and their food sources during religious fasting and non-fasting periods among 6–23 months old children in Northern Ethiopia. Methods Data for this longitudinal study were collected following repeated multiple-pass 24-h dietary recall technique through face-to-face interviews with primary caregivers. Using a two-stage systematic random sampling method, a total of 570 and 551 children participated respectively in the lent fasting and non-fasting periods. Energy and nutrient intakes were estimated and compared with WHO daily requirements. All foods that a child consumed on the day preceding the date of data collection were recorded and processed with database software. Chi-square and t- tests were used to analyze the data. Non-normally distributed data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results The overall prevalence of child stunting was 41.4%. Almost all of children (99.6%) consumed grains, roots, and tubers. The inadequacy prevalence of energy, protein and eight selected micronutrients (calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C) intake were 96.2, 44.9, and 95.5%, respectively. Calcium and zinc were the highest (100%) deficits observed across all age groups. Although consumption of animal source foods (ASFs) was very low (dairy 10.1%, meat 2.3% and eggs 23.6%), there was significantly higher consumption of meat and eggs during the non-fasting compared to fasting period (p < 0.001). Conclusions Inadequate intake of energy and nutrients was common among 6–23 months old children. Cereals were found to be the main sources of many of the nutrients. The consumption of ASFs among 6–23-month-old children was low which was also affected by the religious fasting period. Hence, strengthening social and behavior change communication, supporting rural households to raise poultry and small ruminants is recommended.

Mental and Behavioural Responses to Bahá’í Fasting: Looking Behind the Scenes of a Religiously Motivated Intermittent Dry Fast Using a Mixed Methods Approach

Background / Objective: Historically, fasting has not only been practiced for medical but also for religious reasons. Bah&aacute;&rsquo;&iacute;s follow an annual religious fast of 19 days. We assessed motivation behind and subjective health impacts of Bah&aacute;&rsquo;&iacute; fasting. Methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was embedded in a clinical single arm observational study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six fasters before, during and after fasting. Three months after the fasting period, two focus group interviews were conducted. 146 Bah&aacute;&rsquo;&iacute; volunteers answered an online survey at five time points before, during and after fasting. Results: Interviews: Fasting was found to play a central role for the religiosity of interviewees, implying changes in daily structures, spending time alone, engaging in religious practices, and experiencing social belonging. Results show an increase in mindfulness and well-being, accompanied by behavioural changes and experiences of self-efficacy and inner freedom. Survey: Scores point to an increase in mindfulness and well-being during fasting, while stress, anxiety and fatigue decreased. Mindfulness remained elevated even three months after the fast. Conclusion: Bah&aacute;'&iacute; intermittent dry fast seems to enhance participants&rsquo; mindfulness and well-being, lowering stress levels and reducing fatigue. Some of these effects lasted more than three months after fasting.

Intermittent fasting

Интервальное голодание (intermittent fasting) - метод профилактики и лечения людей с самой распространенной сегодня патологией: избыточной массой тела и ожирением. Особую актуальность проблеме создает тот факт, что некрасивое и осложняющее жизнь ожирение - маркер расстройства метаболизма, предрасполагающего к развитию многих неинфекционных пандемий современного человечества. Интервальное голодание осуществляется ежесуточным полным отказом от еды на срок не менее 12 часов, - соотношение периодов голодания и приема пищи 12 ч : 12 ч. Увеличение периода голодания, например, 18 ч : 6 ч повышает профилактическую и лечебную эффективность интервального голодания. Intermittent fasting is a method for prevention and treatment of the currently most common pathology, overweight and obesity. Of particular relevance is the fact that ugly and life-complicating obesity is a marker of metabolic disorders that predispose people to many noninfectious pandemics. The interval fasting is performed by daily complete refraining from food for at least 12 hours with a 12h:12h ratio of fasting and food consumption periods. Increasing the fasting period, for example to 18h:6h, enhances the preventive and therapeutic efficacy of intermittent fasting.

Analyzing the Metabolomic Profile of Yellowtail (Seriola quinquerdiata) by Capillary Electrophoresis–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry to Determine Geographical Origin

Country-of-origin violations have occurred in which some merchants have fraudulently sold cheap Japanese yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata) by presenting them as domestic Korean products. There are many methods for determining the origins of marine organisms, such as molecular genetic methods and isotope analysis. However, this study aimed to develop a method for determining the origins of aquatic products using metabolite analysis technology. Ten yellowtail each from Korea and Japan were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis–time of flight/mass spectrometry (CETOF/MS). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) results showed highly differing aspects between the Korean and Japanese samples. In the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, citric, malic, oxaloglutaric, and fumaric acids exhibited significant differences between Korean and Japanese yellowtail. Sixteen of the twenty essential amino acids analyzed as metabolites also differed significantly. All amino acids were involved in protein digestion, absorption, and metabolism. All 16 amino acid contents were higher in Japanese yellowtail than in Korean yellowtail, except for glutamine. The fasting period was found to be the biggest factor contributing to the difference in amino acid contents, in addition to environmental factors (including feeding habits). These significant differences indicated that metabolomics could be used to determine geographical origin.

Necrotizing enterocolitis in the preterm: newborns medical and nutritional Management in a Single-Center Study

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a typical disorder of preterm newborns, with a high mortality and morbidity rate. The therapeutic and nutritional management of disease depends on several factors. Its prognosis is linked, in addition to the severity of the disease and the need for surgery, to a correct enteral feeding in these patients. This study aims to identify the clinical characteristics of 18 patients with NEC, evaluating the different therapeutic paths undertaken, the type of formula used and the survival rate of this population. Average time of enteral nutrition before the NEC onset was 11,3 ± 11,6 days, with an average fasting period since the onset of 24 ± 18.9 days. 77.8% of patients received surgery and resumed enteral nutrition 17.7 ± 17.9 days after the intervention. The overall survival rate of our cohort was 55.5%. More prospective studies are needed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of survived children with NEC.

Dynamics of Microbial Shedding in Market Pigs during Fasting and the Influence of Alginate Hydrogel Bead Supplementation during Transportation

The shedding of foodborne pathogenic bacteria by food-animals can be affected by multiple factors, such as animal health, diet, stress, and environmental conditions. The practices that come with transport involve fasting, handling, mixing with unfamiliar pigs, and fluctuating temperatures. These practices, especially fasting and transport, can increase the microbial load in the feces of animals. The use of alginate hydrogels is a novel delivery system that can be a potential food safety intervention during transport to induce satiety and provide electrolytes to the animal’s system. This study sought to observe microbial shedding as affected by fasting and hydrogel bead supplementation during transport. Sixty market pigs were subjected to a 12 h fasting period and an additional 4 h transport period, in which a treatment group was fed hydrogel beads and a control group was not. Sampling points were before fast (BF), before transport (BT), and after transport (AT). Fecal samples were collected from every animal at each sampling point. Results from this study showed a significant increase in the concentrations of both Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia coli between the before fast (BF) and after transport (AT) sampling points. However, no difference (p > 0.05) was found between the treatment (hydrogel) and control (no hydrogel) during transport. Moreover, no significant difference was found in the prevalence of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 at the three different sampling points, or between the treatment and control groups.

Introduction

The introductory chapter deals with the Byzantine Orthodox Holy Week and its hymnography. This section of the book covers the Great Lent, a forty-day fasting period preceding Holy Week, as a baptismal/penitential liturgical cycle. The focus shifts then to Holy Week which culminates with Pascha or Easter vigil. The chapter reconstructs briefly the history of the Byzantine Holy Week with its main moments (i.e., Mar Sabas and Constantinopolitan rites and Constantinopolitan-Sabaic synthesis/symbiosis) and primary sources of evidence, such as the pilgrim Egeria’s Diary (384 C.E.) on Jerusalem rite. A close examination of Holy Week (Holy Monday through Holy Saturday) as observed currently by Orthodox communities follows. The introduction concludes with a brief summary of Byzantine hymnography prescribed for Holy Week, along with some of the most famous hymnographers, such as Theodore the Studite.

Microencapsulation Improved Fumaric Acid and Thymol Effects on Broiler Chickens Challenged With a Short-Term Fasting Period

The first objective of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of the microencapsulation technique to protect fumaric acid and thymol, avoiding their early absorption and ensuring their slow release throughout the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). For this purpose, the release of a lipid matrix microencapsulated brilliant blue (BB) was assessed in vitro, using a simulated broiler intestinal fluid, and in vivo. In vitro results showed that more than 60% of BB color reached the lower intestine, including 26.6 and 29.7% in the jejunum and ileum, respectively. The second objective was to determine the effects of microencapsulated fumaric acid, thymol, and their mixture on the performance and gut health of broilers challenged with a short-term fasting period (FP). One-day-old male ROSS 308 chickens (n = 280) were randomly distributed into seven treatments, with 10 replicates of four birds each. Dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet as negative control (NC), which was then supplemented by either non-microencapsulated fumaric acid (0.9 g/kg), thymol (0.6 g/kg), or a mixture of them. The same additive doses were also administered in a microencapsulated form (1.5 and 3 g/kg for the fumaric acid and thymol, respectively). At day 21, chickens were subjected to a 16.5-h short-term FP to induce an increase in intestinal permeability. Growth performance was assessed weekly. At day 35, ileal tissue and cecal content were collected from one bird per replicate to analyze intestinal histomorphology and microbiota, respectively. No treatment effect was observed on growth performance from day 1 to 21 (p &gt; 0.05). Microencapsulated fumaric acid, thymol, or their mixture improved the overall FCR (feed conversion ratio) and increased ileal villi height-to-crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) (p &lt; 0.001) on day 35 of the experiment. The microencapsulated mixture of fumaric acid and thymol increased cecal abundance of Bacteroidetes, Bacillaceae, and Rikenellaceae, while decreasing that of Pseudomonadaceae. These results indicate that the microencapsulation technique used in the current study can be useful to protect fumaric acid and thymol, avoiding early absorption, ensure their slow release throughout the GIT, and improve their effects on fasted broiler chickens.

Reversible insulin resistance helps Bactrian camels survive fasting

Camels have hunger tolerance and can adapt to the severe environment of the desert. Through the comparison of insulin signalling pathway genes in different tissues in different eating periods (feeding, fasting and recovery feeding), it was found that IRS1, PIK3CB, PIK3R1 and SLC2A4 expression was significantly downregulated in the fore hump and hind hump during the fasting period. In addition, there was no difference in serum insulin levels among the three stages. However, the serum leptin and adiponectin levels decreased significantly during fasting. Additionally, insulin tolerance tests during the three stages showed that camels were insensitive to insulin during fasting. Further study of the serum metabolites showed that serum branched-chain and aromatic amino acid levels increased during the fasting period. Finally, analysis of microbial diversity in camel faeces at different stages showed that during the fasting period, the proportion of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria increased, while that of Bacteroides and the butyrate-producing bacterium Roseburia decreased. The results of this study show that fasting is accompanied by changes in the activation of insulin pathways in various camel tissues, normal insulin levels, and increased lipolysis and insulin resistance, which return to normal after eating.