Dietary Fats Are Vital For Human Long-Term Health

Lipids are the major contributors of taste, texture and energy of a diet. Changes in the intake of dietary fats bring about varied serum cholesterol levels as well the other factors that cause risk of chronic diseases. It has been established over years that the risk of CAD and other chronic health problems are not significantly influenced by the dietary saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Many recent researches also reported that the SFAs present in dairy products and coconut oil are very helpful in improving the health of an individual. Even though enhancement of inflammation and augmentation of the chronic ailments by V6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been reported widely, the V3 PUFA’s take the other side and act to counter the ill effects. Obesity and other associated health issues arise mainly due to the use of diets rich in carbohydrates instead of saturated fats. The benefits of replacing these carbohydrates and others with alternative nutrients have been well established with known mechanisms which bring down the adverse effects. The quality of fat may bring about chronic degenerative effects in the later stages. The use of fat and its types is shifted towards a pattern of healthy diet wherein the food may include a variety of different fats even at high levels. The present scenario of the researches in public health is mainly centered with the analysis of the association between dietary fat, level and quality, its impact on the risk of chronic diseases and cure. Thus, this review focuses on the need to re-examine the use of dietary fats and their clinical implications.

Prediction of COVID-19 Stress among Community Dwelling Older Adults: The Role of Anxiety and Resiliency

Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unparalleled source of stress. Older adults with anxiety are vulnerable to higher levels of stress during the pandemic. However not all older adults with anxiety will experience severe stress; resiliency may decrease such negative outcomes. There have been few, if any, longitudinal studies that followed older adults before and during the pandemic. Our data of community dwelling older adults (aged 60-92) is unique in that it allowed for an investigation of psychological variables that increase and decrease negative outcomes during the pandemic. Our longitudinal study examined the influence of pre-pandemic anxiety and resiliency on the severity of COVID related stress. Methods The pre-pandemic data was obtained in September 2018, and the pandemic data was collected in June 2020. In the baseline survey we obtained measures of anxiety and resiliency. During the pandemic we measured the severity of COVID related stressors. We hypothesized that anxiety would predict higher level of COVID-stress, whereas resiliency would be associated with decreased severity of COVID-stress. Further we predicted that resiliency would attenuate the association between anxiety and COVID-stress. Results Using OLS regression, we found that anxiety predicted higher COVID-stress, whereas resiliency predicted lower COVID-stress. However, resiliency did not moderate the association between anxiety and COVID-stress. Conclusion Older adults are subject to many unavoidable negative life events, such as death of family members and chronic health problems. Resiliency may help buffer against such adversities. Development of intervention programs to enhance resiliency may increase psychological resources and foster healthy aging.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown: Associations With Personality and Stress Components

The present study examines the role of personality traits, interpersonal relationships, and sociodemographic factors on perceived stress, related to COVID-19, and compliance with measures to mitigate its spread. Data were collected in the midst of the ‘first wave’ lockdown, with the survey completed in full by 963 participants. We measured stress, directly related to the pandemic, rather than general stress, and were able to distinguish between symptoms of emotional, behavioural, cognitive, physical stress, and alienation with high concordance. We included personality scoring with standardized T-scores, allowing for cross-study comparison, and a broader questionnaire on the participants’ support for COVID-19 mitigation measures. Results of the multiple regression models indicated that low emotional stability and introversion, and high conscientiousness, common conflicts with loved ones, and some demographics (female gender, middle age, chronic health problems) correspond to elevated stress. Conscientiousness was positively associated with total stress and some of its components, whereas opposite results were found for emotional stability. Extraversion was negatively correlated to total stress, its emotional and physical components, and alienation. Surprisingly, increased stress was not related to greater measure adherence. The present results shed light on how personality, interpersonal relationships, and sociodemographic factors influence people’s stress response during a pandemic.

Ballroom Dance as a Form of Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review

Chronic health problems, such as neurological conditions or long-lasting diseases, impair patients’ physical and mental functions with a subsequent reduction in overall quality of life. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize how ballroom dance is being investigated as a rehabilitative method in individuals with neurological or medical diseases. A systematic literature search was conducted in databases including MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, and PubMed. Of 728 articles located and titles and abstracts screened, 12 studies were included in this review. Study groups included Parkinson’s disease (4 studies), multiple sclerosis (2), spinal cord injury (1), stroke (1), dementia (1), cancer (2), and diabetes (1). Ballroom dances utilized included a combination of smooth and rhythm dances. Results revealed that ballroom dance is effective in improving gait functions, balance, and quality of life among various populations living with chronic neurological or medical conditions. In addition, ballroom dance is safe and associated with a low attrition rate (7.7%). There is increasing evidence to support ballroom dance as a feasible and effective intervention for adults with chronic neurological disorders or medical diseases. Further large-scale, randomized controlled trials are needed to examine the mechanisms, effectiveness, retention, and safety of ballroom dance as a rehabilitative intervention.

Mycotoxins in Foods: Occurrence, Challenges and Management in Context of Nepal

Incidence of mycotoxins in principal foods and grains is a major threat to achieving food safety but still remains one of the most underrated and ignored sources for food borne diseases, particularly in less developed countries. Furthermore, food insecurity together with ineffective government regulations and environmental conditions that favor fungal proliferation and toxin production merge together to make the people’s life even harder in countries like Nepal. Apart from wasting huge quantities of food every year, mycotoxins are associated with various acute and chronic health disorders including carcinogenic, mutagenic, estrogenic, digestive, vascular and nervous defects. Staple diets in less developed countries like Nepal are largely based on crops like maize, susceptible to mycotoxins which may ultimately lead to chronic health problems in large population. Although there is an immediate need to address the food safety challenges caused by mycotoxin contamination in cereal grains, studies so far in Nepal has been conducted mainly in aflatoxins in limited commodities only and very less efforts have been made to manage and mitigate the problems caused by mycotoxins in Nepal. Therefore, a thorough control of mycotoxins in overall food chain is essential to safeguard the health of the population which could be achieved by implementing stricter regulations, modern and scientific post-harvest operations, effective monitoring programs and raising necessary awareness among stakeholders. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 9(3): 152-159.

Life course perspective on the role of military sexual trauma as a pathway to homelessness for female veterans

Lay Summary The human dimension of war can be traumatizing. For women serving as active-duty service members, the atrocities of war can be exacerbated by sexual harassment and abuse, known as military sexual trauma (MST). The limited research on MST among U.S. Veterans suggests that as many as 1 in 3 Veterans experiencing homelessness were exposed to MST. MST can have long-lasting consequences, including alcohol and drug problems, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, chronic health problems, and unstable housing and homelessness. This qualitative exploratory study used a life course perspective to examine how MST and other experiences influenced female Veterans’ pathways into homelessness.

Characterization of Quercetin Derivatives in Crossing Combination of Habanero White and Capsicum annuum Peppers and of Anti-Inflammatory and Cytotoxic Activity

The overproduction of reactive oxygen species and the exposure of the human body to free radicals contribute to the aetiology of many chronic health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Supplementation with natural antioxidants could be helpful, preventing free-radical-induced tissue damage through the inhibition of the radicals’ formation. Quercetin derivatives have recently been shown to inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators and to reduce the proliferation of tumoral cells, thus being valid compounds to be promoted as dietary supplements. In this work, an HPLC-MS/MS investigation on the derivatives of quercetin in a methanolic extract of peppers deriving from an original crossing combination between Habanero white and Capsicum annuum revealed the occurrence of nine glycoconjugates, either monosaccharide, disaccharide or trisaccharide, as well as an acylated disaccharidic derivative (i.e., quercetin rhamnoside-(feruloyl-hexoside)). Due to the great variability in the quercetin derivatives’ profiles, the Habanero white hybrid pepper extract was subjected to in vitro cytotoxicity assays. The pepper extract under study was proved to have anti-inflammatory activity comparable to that shown by a Capsicum annuum pepper extract since it reduced ROS levels compared to activated cells. Due to its beneficial effects, it could be exploited as a natural constituent of nutraceutical formulations.

Depression

HEALTH ISSUE:Depression causes significant distress or impairment in physical, social, occupational and other key areas of functioning. Women are approximately twice as likely as men to experience depression. Psychosocial factors likely mediate the risks for depression incurred by biological influences. KEY FINDINGS:Data from the 1999 National Population Health Survey show that depression is more common among Canadian women, with an annual self-reported incidence of 5.7% compared with 2.9% in men. The highest rates of depression are seen among women of reproductive age. Predictive factors for depression include previous depression, feeling out of control or overwhelmed, chronic health problems, traumatic events in childhood or young adulthood, lack of emotional support, lone parenthood, and low sense of mastery. Although depression is treatable, only 43% of depressed women had consulted a health professional in 1998/99 and only 32.4% were taking antidepressant medication. People with lower education, inadequate income, and fewer contacts with a health professional were less likely to receive depression treatment. DATA GAPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:A better understanding of factors that increase vulnerability and resilience to depression is needed. There is also a need for the collection and analysis of data pertaining to: prevalence of clinical anxiety; the prevalence of depression band 12 months after childbirth factors contributing to suicide contemplation and attempts among adolescent girls, current treatments for depression and their efficacy in depressed women at different life stages; interprovincial variation in depression rates and hospitalizations and the impact and costs of depression on work, family, individuals, and society.

Depression

HEALTH ISSUE:Depression causes significant distress or impairment in physical, social, occupational and other key areas of functioning. Women are approximately twice as likely as men to experience depression. Psychosocial factors likely mediate the risks for depression incurred by biological influences. KEY FINDINGS:Data from the 1999 National Population Health Survey show that depression is more common among Canadian women, with an annual self-reported incidence of 5.7% compared with 2.9% in men. The highest rates of depression are seen among women of reproductive age. Predictive factors for depression include previous depression, feeling out of control or overwhelmed, chronic health problems, traumatic events in childhood or young adulthood, lack of emotional support, lone parenthood, and low sense of mastery. Although depression is treatable, only 43% of depressed women had consulted a health professional in 1998/99 and only 32.4% were taking antidepressant medication. People with lower education, inadequate income, and fewer contacts with a health professional were less likely to receive depression treatment. DATA GAPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:A better understanding of factors that increase vulnerability and resilience to depression is needed. There is also a need for the collection and analysis of data pertaining to: prevalence of clinical anxiety; the prevalence of depression band 12 months after childbirth factors contributing to suicide contemplation and attempts among adolescent girls, current treatments for depression and their efficacy in depressed women at different life stages; interprovincial variation in depression rates and hospitalizations and the impact and costs of depression on work, family, individuals, and society.