Dietary Regulation of Gut-Brain Axis in Alzheimer’s Disease: Importance of Microbiota Metabolites

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that impacts 45 million people worldwide and is ranked as the 6th top cause of death among all adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While genetics is an important risk factor for the development of AD, environment and lifestyle are also contributing risk factors. One such environmental factor is diet, which has emerged as a key influencer of AD development/progression as well as cognition. Diets containing large quantities of saturated/trans-fats, refined carbohydrates, limited intake of fiber, and alcohol are associated with cognitive dysfunction while conversely diets low in saturated/trans-fats (i.e., bad fats), high mono/polyunsaturated fats (i.e., good fats), high in fiber and polyphenols are associated with better cognitive function and memory in both humans and animal models. Mechanistically, this could be the direct consequence of dietary components (lipids, vitamins, polyphenols) on the brain, but other mechanisms are also likely to be important. Diet is considered to be the single greatest factor influencing the intestinal microbiome. Diet robustly influences the types and function of micro-organisms (called microbiota) that reside in the gastrointestinal tract. Availability of different types of nutrients (from the diet) will favor or disfavor the abundance and function of certain groups of microbiota. Microbiota are highly metabolically active and produce many metabolites and other factors that can affect the brain including cognition and the development and clinical progression of AD. This review summarizes data to support a model in which microbiota metabolites influence brain function and AD.

Dietary Regulation of Oxidative Stress in Chronic Metabolic Diseases

Oxidative stress is a status of imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants, resulting in molecular damage and interruption of redox signaling in an organism. Indeed, oxidative stress has been associated with many metabolic disorders due to unhealthy dietary patterns and may be alleviated by properly increasing the intake of antioxidants. Thus, it is quite important to adopt a healthy dietary mode to regulate oxidative stress and maintain cell and tissue homeostasis, preventing inflammation and chronic metabolic diseases. This review focuses on the links between dietary nutrients and health, summarizing the role of oxidative stress in ‘unhealthy’ metabolic pathway activities in individuals and how oxidative stress is further regulated by balanced diets.

EDUKASI PENGATURAN DIET DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) PADA PENYANDANG DM SELAMA MENJALANI PUASA RAMADHAN

ABSTRAKPengaturan diet DM sebagai salah satu pilar penatalaksanaan DM masih menjadi masalah sehingga memerlukan edukasi lebih lanjut bagi para penyandang DM di wilayah kerja puskesmas Tanjung Karang Kota Mataram terutama di bulan puasa. Pengaturan diet sangatlah penting sehingga glukosa darah penyandang DM tetap terkontrol pada batas normal. Tujuan kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan pemahaman penyandang DM dalam mengatur diet dibulan puasa sehingga meminimalisir timbulnya berbagai komplikasi akibat ketidakstabilan glukosa darah, meningkatkan kualitas hidup dan dapat menjalankan puasa dengan lancar. Pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini dilakukan dengan metode ceramah dan diskusi. Kegiatan yang dilakukan berupa pre-test, pemberian edukasi serta post-test pengetahuan tentang diet saat menjalankan puasa pada penyandang DM. Dari 30 orang penyandang DM yang mengikuti kegiatan ini didapatkan pengetahuan sebelum diberikan edukasi dengan kategori baik 10%, cukup sebanyak 40% dan kurang sebanyak 50% dan setelah diberikan edukasi terjadi peningkatan pengetahuan dengan kategori baik sebanyak 67% dan cukup 33%. Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan terjadi peningkatan pengetahuan terkait pengaturan diet pada penyandang DM melalui edukasi yang baik sehingga bisa diterapkan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Kata kunci: diabetes mellitus; diet; puasa; edukasi. ABSTRACTThe regulation of the DM’ diet as one of the pillars of DM management is still a problem so it requires further education for people with DM in the working area of the Tanjung Karang Public Health Center, Mataram City, especially during the fasting month. Dietary regulation is very important so that the blood glucose of people with diabetes remains controlled at normal limits. The purpose of this service activity is to increase the understanding of people with diabetes in regulating diet in the month of fasting so as to minimize the emergence of various complications due to blood glucose instability, improve quality of life and be able to carry out fasting smoothly. This community service is carried out using lecture and discussion methods. Activities carried out in the form of pre-test, providing education and post-test knowledge about diet when fasting for people with DM. Of the 30 people with DM who took part in this activity, knowledge was obtained before being given education in the good category of 10%, sufficient as much as 40% and less as much as 50% and after being given education there was an increase in knowledge in the good category as much as 67% and enough 33%. Thus, it can be concluded that there is an increase in knowledge related to diet management in people with DM through good education so that it can be applied in everyday life. Keywords: diabetes mellitus; diet; fasting; education.

Social Inequalities in Breakfast Consumption among Adolescents in Spain: The DESKcohort Project

Breakfast has a critical role in energy balance and dietary regulation. Consequently, it is considered an important component of a healthy diet, especially in adolescence, when there are great opportunities to consolidate habits and establish future patterns of healthiness in adulthood. Socioeconomic position (SEP) causes inequalities that are reflected in health behaviors, physical activity, mental health, and diet. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 2019–2020 DESKcohort project (Spain) to explore the relationships between breakfast and sociodemographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and school performance of 7319 adolescents. Our findings showed that the prevalence of skipping breakfast every day was 19.4% in girls and 13.7% in boys and was related to students’ SEP. The risk of skipping breakfast was 30% higher in girls from the most disadvantaged SEP, in comparison to those in the most advanced SEP (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11–1.54). Also, boys from the most disadvantaged SEP showed 28% higher risk of skipping breakfast than those in the most advanced SEP (PR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.04–1.59). In conclusion, future public policies should be adapted considering a SEP and gender perspective to avoid increasing nutritional and health inequalities.

The role of serotonin and diet in the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)- a neurotransmitter of both the Enteric Nervous System and the Central Nervous System is synthesized by the hydroxylation of L- tryptophan to 5-hydroxytryptophan.Serotonin has been associated with gut functions like assimilation and absorption, alongside the regulation of particle transport and fluid discharge in the gastrointestinal tract and its deficiency is found to be a prominent factor in the prevalence of gut disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome.For this review, we assessed the conventional treatment methods of common drugs, with the recently accredited treatment options like dietary regulation, exercise, meditation, and acupuncture. Having found that the most commonly used drugs exhibited various side effects like nausea, fatigue, rash, and dizziness, an in-depth evaluation of different Indian dietary patterns and their respective effects on tryptophan levels has been highlighted to formulate an ideal diet for patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). This review seeks to explore the numerous studies conducted to link IBS with the lack of serotonin production in the body, alongside exploring the evidence associating certain foods with raised tryptophan levels to hypothesize a suitable Indian diet.This review, in its essence, stresses the crucial need for further research on the dietary implications of common Indian foods and their FODMAP (Fermented Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyols) contents, while underscoring the benefits of using unconventional and natural methods for the treatment of tryptophan-related gut disorders.

PENCEGAHAN PENYAKIT DIABETES MELITUS DI KELURAHAN TAMARUNANG KEC SOMBAOPU KABUPATEN GOWA SULAWESI SELATAN

ABSTRAKDiabetes mellitus merupakan salah satu penyakit tidak menular yang memiliki prevalensi yang semakin meningkat di negara berkembang. Rendahnya pengetahuan masyarakat menjadi salah satu penyebab peningkatan tersebut, terutama didaerah pedesaan dan daerah pinggiran kota. Saat ini upaya penanggulangan penyakit diabetes mellitus belum menempati skala prioritas utama dalam pelayanan kesehatan, walaupun diketahui dampak negatif yang ditimbulkannnya cukup besar antara lain komplikasi kronik pada penyakit jantung , hipertensi, sistem saraf, hati, mata, dan ginjal. Mengingat insidensi diabetes mellitus yang terus meningkat dan bahaya komplikasi yang ditimbulkan, maka perlu dilakukan penyuluhan pencegahan dan penanganan penyakit diabetes mellitus termasuk pemeriksaan kadar gula darah agar warga di kelurahan tamarunang kecamatan somba opu kabupaten gowa melakukan pencegahan sejak dini. Metode pengabdian yang telah dilaksanakan meliputi Penyuluhan pencegahan dan terapi diabetes mellitus melalui metode presentasi dan pemeriksaan kadar gula darah menggunakan kit.Hasil kegiatan penyuluhan dan pemeriksaan darah inidapat member informasi dan pengetahuan mengenai pencegahan dan penanganan penyakit diabetes melalui pengaturan pola makan. Selain itu Bagi masyarakat yang belum pernah melakukan pemeriksaan kesehatan sebelumnya, pemeriksaan kesehatan tersebut dapat berfungsi sebagai skrining kesehatan untuk mengetahui status kesehatannya saat ini sehingga dapat diambil tindakan lebih lanjut. Kegiatan penyuluhan berlangsung dengan lancar dan masyarakat mendengarkan dengan antusias, Dari 27 orang yang diperiksa kadar gula darahnya ditemukan 4 orang dengan kadar gula darah melebihi batas normal (< 200 mg/dl). Kata kunci: diabetes mellitus; kadar gula darah; penyuluhan; komplikasi kronik. ABSTRACTDiabetes mellitus, which is one of the non-communicable diseases, has an increasing prevalence in developing countries. Low community knowledge is a factor of this increase, especially in rural and suburban areas. Currently, diabetes mellitus prevention efforts have not been put as the priority in health services. However, it has been understood that the negative impacts are rather severe (e.g., chronic complications in heart disease, hypertension, nervous system, liver, eyes, and kidney). Given the incidence of diabetes mellitus and the danger of its complications, which are increasing, its prevention, including blood glucose examination, need to be socialized so that residents in sub-district Tamarunang, Somba Opu, Gowa can do it early. Some services which have been implemented include socialization of the diabetes mellitus prevention and therapy, through presentation and Test blood glucose with a blood glucose meter. This counseling and blood examination results can provide information and knowledge on how to prevent and manage diabetes through dietary regulation. Besides, this health examination may serve as a health screening for people who have never had a previous medical test to determine their current health status to take further action. The counseling activities went smoothly, and the community listened enthusiastically. Four out of the 27 people who checked their blood sugar levels exceeded normal limits (<200 mg/dl). Keywords: diabetes mellitus; blood sugar level; counseling; chronic complication.