The Role of Dietary Fats in the Development and Prevention of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in preterm infants. The pathogenesis of NEC is not completely understood; however, intestinal immaturity and excessive immunoreactivity of intestinal mucosa to intraluminal microbes and nutrients appear to have critical roles. Dietary fats are not only the main source of energy for preterm infants, but also exert potent effects on intestinal development, intestinal microbial colonization, immune function, and inflammatory response. Preterm infants have a relatively low capacity to digest and absorb triglyceride fat. Fat may thereby accumulate in the ileum and contribute to the development of NEC by inducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Some fat components, such as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), also exert immunomodulatory roles during the early postnatal period when the immune system is rapidly developing. LC-PUFAs may have the ability to modulate the inflammatory process of NEC, particularly when the balance between n3 and n6 LC-PUFAs derivatives is maintained. Supplementation with n3 LC-PUFAs alone may have limited effect on NEC prevention. In this review, we describe how various fatty acids play different roles in the pathogenesis of NEC in preterm infants.

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.

Nutritional status and dietary behaviours of Northern Algeria university students

The present study tries to assess the nutritional status and dietary behaviours in a group of undergraduate students in order to characterize their food habits and assess the quality of their diet. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 220 undergraduate university students (110 male and 110 female) aged between 19 and 24 years from the Food Department of Saad Dahlab Blida 1 University (Algeria). The data collection and nutritional evaluation were carried out using DIAL nutritional software. Male participants had significantly (P < 0.005) higher body mass index (BMI) when compared to females. Significantly higher percentages of female students (P < 0.005) had tried a low-fat diet (P = 0.0075) and a low-carbohydrate diet (P < 0.005). The prevalence of overweight was higher among males compared to females. In contrast, a greater percentage of underweight students were observed in the group of female subjects. Related to micronutrient intake, a significant difference by sex was observed for vitamin A, C, folic acid, iron, calcium, and sodium intakes. However, females consumed more food containing vitamins C and A, whereas males’ intake of calcium, sodium, folic acid, and iron was higher than the corresponding values observed in females. To conclude, these students reported a diet characterized by a high variety of cereal products and a moderate amount of vegetables, milk and dairy products, meat, fish and eggs, dietary fats and beverages, whereas the consumption of fruits was highly infrequent.

Energy and Nutritional Composition of School Lunches in Slovenia: The Results of a Chemical Analysis in the Framework of the National School Meals Survey

Background: Slovenia similar to some European countries has a long tradition of the organized system of school meals. The present survey aimed to compare school lunch composition in Slovene primary schools (n = 40) with the national dietary guidelines; Methods: The survey took place from January to September 2020. Sampling of a 5-day school lunch (n = 200) for adolescents aged 10 to 13 years, were performed in schools. Chemical analysis was provided by an accredited national laboratory. Results: The median energy value of school lunches was 2059 kJ (24% of the recommended daily energy intake). The school lunches contained 24.8 g of proteins, 52.9 g of carbohydrates and 16.7 g of dietary fats. Saturated fatty acids represent 4.7 g, polyunsaturated fatty acids 4.7 g, monounsaturated fatty acids 5.8 g, and industrial trans fats 0.2 g/100 g of a meal (1.2 g/meal). Dietary fibre represented 7.8 g, free sugars for 14.7 g and salt for 3.9 g; Conclusions: The survey showed lower values for energy, carbohydrates and total fats in school lunches as recommended, and exceeded values of salt, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Consumption of Coconut Oil Affects adipose miRNA Profile in Pigs.

Circulating miRNA molecules are intensively studied for their usefulness as biomarkers of civilization diseases. At the same time, it is known that diet can influence the level of miRNA expression in tissues. Our research aimed to determine how a diet containing various sources of fat (rapeseed oil, beef tallow, coconut oil) and different amounts of cDDGS (corn Dried Distilled Grains with Solubles) affects the miRNA profile in pig fat – the main source of circulating miRNAs. For this purpose, we used Next Generation Sequencing of miRNA libraries. We observed the highest number of differentially expressed miRNAs in the samples from animals that were fed with coconut oil in the diet compared to all other treatments. In contrary, cDDGS appeared to have little effect on miRNA expression. We propose a subset of di-et-related, adipose-specific, conservative miRNAs among mammals, namely: ssc-miR-99b, ssc-miR-4334-3p, ssc-miR-146b, ssc-miR-23a. Moreover, we observed that several miRNAs regulated by dietary fats are considered as biomarkers in human and animal diseases.

Effects of diets rich in ghee or olive oil on cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults: A 2-period, crossover, randomized trial

This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular health-related effects of consuming ghee in the usual diet. Thirty healthy men and women were studied in a free-living outpatient regimen. The participants were instructed for the isocaloric inclusion of ghee or olive oil in their diets for 4 weeks using a randomized crossover design. At the end of run-in (baseline), 2-week wash-out, and interventions, fasting blood samples were drawn. In addition, 2-h postprandial blood samples were collected after ingestion of a meal containing olive oil or ghee at week 4 of each dietary intervention. Body weight was not different between the two interventions. Compared to the olive oil, the diet with ghee increased fasting plasma apolipoprotein-B (apo B) (0.09, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.17 g/L, p= 0.018) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) (0.53, 95% CI 0.01 to 1.05 mmol/L, p= 0.046) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not differ significantly between diet groups (0.29, 95% CI –0.05 to 0.63 mmol/L, p= 0.092), but had no significant effect on total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio (0.75, 95% CI −0.24 to 1.74 mmol/L, p= 0.118). No significant difference was observed in fasting as well as 2-h postprandial plasma triacylglycerol, glucose, insulin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 concentrations. This study showed that ghee which is predominantly saturated fats had an increasing effect on plasma apo B and non-HDL-C compared to olive oil, adding further evidence to the existing recommendations to replace dietary fats high in SFA with dietary fats high in unsaturated fats to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Increased Fat Taste Preference in Progranulin-Deficient Mice

Progranulin deficiency in mice is associated with deregulations of the scavenger receptor signaling of CD36/SCARB3 in immune disease models, and CD36 is a dominant receptor in taste bud cells in the tongue and contributes to the sensation of dietary fats. Progranulin-deficient mice (Grn−/−) are moderately overweight during middle age. We therefore asked if there was a connection between progranulin/CD36 in the tongue and fat taste preferences. By using unbiased behavioral analyses in IntelliCages and Phenomaster cages we showed that progranulin-deficient mice (Grn−/−) developed a strong preference of fat taste in the form of 2% milk as opposed to 0.3% milk, and for diluted MCTs versus tap water. The fat preference in the 7d-IntelliCage observation period caused an increase of 10% in the body weight of Grn−/− mice, which did not occur in the wildtype controls. CD36 expression in taste buds was reduced in Grn−/− mice at RNA and histology levels. There were no differences in the plasma or tongue lipids of various classes including sphingolipids, ceramides and endocannabinoids. The data suggest that progranulin deficiency leads to a lower expression of CD36 in the tongue resulting in a stronger urge for fatty taste and fatty nutrition.

The interactions between dietary fats intake and Caveolin 1 rs 3807992 polymorphism with fat distribution in overweight and obese women: a cross-sectional study

Background It has been reported that dietary fats and genetic factors in individuals are associated with the pattern of fat distribution. This study aimed to evaluate the interaction between dietary fats intake and Caveolin1 (CAV-1) rs 3807s992 polymorphism with fat distribution in overweight and obese women. Methods A total of 221 participants were included in the current cross-sectional study. Body composition, biochemical parameters were evaluated by body composition analyzer and Pars Azmoon kits and genotypes determination was performed by PCR–RFLP, dietary fats were measured using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FAQ). Results The frequency of GG, AA and AG genotypes were 53.1, 24.6, and 22.3%, respectively, and the mean intake of total dietary fat intake was 97.47 ± 36.87 g. There was positive significant interaction between total fat intake and AA genotype on visceral fat level (p = 0.001), trunk fat (p = 0.01) and waist circumference (p = 0.05), positive significant interaction between total fat intake and AG genotype on the waist to hip ratio (WHR) (p = 0.02) and visceral fat level (p = 0.05), positive borderline significant interaction between saturated fatty acid and AA genotype on the trunk fat (p = 0.06), and between trans-fatty acids and AG genotype on WHR (p = 0.04), visceral fat level (p = 0.01), and between monounsaturated fatty acid and AG genotype on WHR (p = 0.04), and a borderline interaction between polyunsaturated fatty acid and AA genotypes on visceral fat level (p = 0.06), negative significant interaction between AG genotypes and linolenic acid on WHR (p = 0.04), borderline significant interaction between ALA and AG genotype on WHR (p = 0.06). Conclusions Our findings showed that CAV-1 rs 3807992 polymorphism and dietary fats were associated with fat distributions in individuals.

Experience with the use of a ketogenic diet with type 1 glucose transporter deficiency (De Vivo disease)

De Vivo disease is characterized by early epileptic encephalopathy, delayed psychomotor development, spasticity, the formation of microcephaly, ataxia, dysarthria, alternating hemiplegia, and a decrease in glucose and lactate levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. Epilepsy is pharmacoresistant and the therapy for this syndrome is the ketogenic diet (until the time when will development of genetic targeted therapy). In GLUT1 deficiency syndrome, mutations are found in the SLC2A1 gene that lead to a decrease in glucose transport across the cell membrane. The “classic” ketogenic diet is a special high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that helps to control seizures in some people with epilepsy. It is prescribed by a physician and carefully monitored by a dietitian. It is usually used in children with seizures that do not respond to medications. It is stricter than the modified Atkins diet, requiring careful measurements of calories, fluids, and proteins. Foods are weighed and measured. Normal dietary fats, which are used predominantly in the classical ketogenic diet, consist of a mixture of mainly long chain triglyceride (LCT) fats with a small amount of short and medium chain triglyceride (MCT) fats. The MCT ketogenic diet uses a fat supplement that consists only of MCT fats (MCT oil).