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• We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to clarify the potential impact of a low glycemic index (LGI) diet on the frequency of seizures in the pediatric population. • Our findings indicated that pooled efficacy rate for < 50 %, ≥ 50 %, > 90 % seizure reduction in epilepsy patients receiving a low glycemic index diet was 39 %, 34 %, and 19 %, respectively. • It also seems that the efficacy of this ketogenic diet to reduce seizures is greater during the intervention of less than 12 weeks. • It seems that according to the results of the subgroup, the length of the intervention period is one of the sources of high heterogeneity. Despite extensive research examining the effect of a low glycemic index (LGI) diet on the frequency of seizures in patients with epilepsy, the findings are inconclusive. Hence, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to clarify the potential effect of a low glycemic index (LGI) diet on the frequency of seizures in children. A systematic review and meta-analysis written in accordance with the PRISMA checklist was realized using a comprehensive systematic search in four electronic databases until October 2023 without time or language restrictions. A random effects model was employed to combine the data. The main outcomes were analyzed using weight mean difference (WMD) and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI). In total, 13 studies met the eligible criteria and were included. The publications included in this study were published between 2005 and 2021. The duration of the interventions in the studies included in this analysis ranged from 6 to 58 weeks. Our findings indicated that the pooled efficacy rate for < 50 %, ≥ 50 %, > 90 % seizure reduction in patients with epilepsy receiving a low glycemic index diet was 39 % (95 % CI: 26, 52), 34 % (95 % CI: 23, 45), and 19 % (95 % CI: 13, 25), respectively. It seems that the efficacy of this ketogenic diet in reducing seizures is greater during a shorter intervention period than 12 weeks. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that the low glycemia index diet can be beneficial as a treatment for epilepsy in pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence from clinical trial studies suggests that docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) may have greater potential effects on improving cardiovascular risk factors than eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). However, this evidence has not yet been meta-analyzed and quantified. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of DHA and EPA monotherapy on cardiovascular risk factors based on paired and network meta-analysis.Methods: Relevant articles published up to January 2022 were systematically retrieved from relevant databases. We included all Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on adults that directly compared the effects of DHA with EPA and RCTs of indirect comparisons (DHA and EPA monotherapy compared to control groups). Data were pooled by pairwise and network meta-analysis and expressed as mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (Registration ID: CRD42022328630).Results: Network meta-analysis of comparisons of DHA and EPA suggested significant comparable effects only on LDL-C (MD EPA versus DHA = -8.51 mg/L; 95% CI: -16.67; -0.35). However, the Network meta-analysis not show a significant effect for other risk factors. Furthermore, pairwise meta-analysis of direct comparisons of DHA and EPA showed significant difference in their effects on plasma glucose (MD EPA versus DHA = -0.31 mg/L; 95% CI: -0.60, -0.02), Insulin (MD EPA versus DHA = -2.14 mg/L; 95% CI: -3.26, -1.02), but the results were not significant for risk factors.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that both EPA and DHA act similarly on the markers under study, with slight changes in plasma glucose, insulin, and LDL-C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Although some evidence suggests that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) supplementation influences enzymes involved in forming homocysteine (Hcy) and improving hyperhomocysteinemia, these findings are still contradictory in humans. The aim of this systematic and meta-analysis study was to investigate the effects of omega-3 supplementation on Hcy using existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Data Synthesis: Available databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase, were searched to find relevant RCTs up to June 2021. The effect size was expressed as weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI).Conclusion: A total of 20 RCT studies with 2676 participants were included in this article. Our analyses have shown that omega-3 supplementation significantly reduced plasma Hcy levels (WMD: 1.34 μmol/L; 95% CI: 1.97 to -0.72; P < 0.001) compared to the control group. The results of subgroup analysis showed that omega-3 supplementation during the intervention <12 weeks and with a dose ≥3 gr per day causes a more significant decrease in Hcy levels than the intervention ≥12 weeks and at a dose <3 gr. In addition, omega-3 supplements appear to have more beneficial effects in individuals with high levels of normal Hcy. This meta-analysis showed that omega-3 supplementation significantly improved Hcy. However, further studies are needed to confirm the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the widespread use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients and physicians alike, there is no accurate evidence regarding the effects of vitamin D supplementation on treatment-induced pain in cancer patients. Thus, the aim of this systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was to evaluate the impact of vitamin D administration on therapy-related pain in subjects diagnosed with malignant disorders. We searched the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar databases up to October 2020 to identify published RCTs that investigated the use of vitamin D in the management of treatment-induced pain in individuals with cancer. Nine RCTs were detected. The median duration of the intervention was of 24 weeks (range 12-52 weeks) and dose of vitamin D employed was 2000-50000 IU of vitamin D3 weekly orally each day. Six RCTs reported a significant reduction in pain, whereas three did not detect a notable decrease of this variable. Of the six studies that reported an alleviation of pain, an RCT which recruited 60 participants and lasted for 24 weeks consisted of supplementation with high doses of vitamin D2 weekly for 8 weeks in women receiving anastrozole as adjuvant therapy, then supplementation with vitamin D2 monthly for 4 months, effectively alleviated the aromatase inhibitor-associated musculoskeletal syndrome (AIMSS). The results of the same RCT also suggested a beneficial effect of vitamin D on musculoskeletal pain. Our results suggest that the supplementation with high doses of vitamin D in cancer patients with low serum levels of vitamin D, can be effective in reducing treatment-related pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies that investigated the association between the consumption of vinegar and various cardiometabolic parameters have yielded conflicting results. In this work, we investigated the effects of vinegar consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors using a meta-analysis. Relevant studies were identified using four databases (Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science) up to January 2022. Of the 2806 articles from the initial search, 11 RCTs with 12 treatment arms were included in the meta-analysis. The RCTs focused on both healthy individuals and individuals with cardiometabolic disorders. Consumption of vinegar was associated with significant reductions in fasting blood glucose (WMD: -9.36 mg/dL, 95% CI: -14.82, -3.91) and glycated hemoglobin (WMD: -0.67, 95% CI: -1.36, - 0.01). In terms of lipid profile, there was a significant reduction in total cholesterol (WMD: -18.87 mg/dL, 95% CI: -34.44, -3.29) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD: -21.37 mg/dl, 95% CI: -37.54, -5.20), but non-significant reductions in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were noted, although the latter reduction was of clinical significance (WMD: -21.47 mg/dl, 95% CI: -49.72, 6.77). In addition, no significant changes in fat mass and waist circumference were observed, while significant reductions in body mass index (WMD: -0.39 kg/m2, 95% CI: -0.74, -0.04, p = 0.028) and body weight (WMD: -0.73 kg, 95% CI: -1.45, -0.01) were noted with dubious clinical relevance. In conclusion, the consumption of vinegar may have beneficial effects on some glycemic and lipid indices and could be considered as an intervention for weight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A potential relationship between depression and the intake of dietary fiber has been hypothesized in several studies. However, no meta-analysis has been conducted so far to explore the association between these two variables. Hence, we designed the present meta-analysis to elucidate the relationship between the intake of dietary fiber and depression.Methods: A comprehensive search was performed using the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases to identify any relevant studies published from inception to October 2019. Observational studies (cross-sectional and case-control) were included in the analysis.Results: Pooled analysis from the random-effects model of four case-control studies revealed that the consumption of dietary fiber in patients with depression was significantly lower versus healthy controls (WMD: -1.41 mg/dl, 95 % CI: -2.32, -0.51, P = 0.002). No significant heterogeneity was demonstrated among the analyzed studies (I2 = 4.0 %, P = 0.37). By pooling 5 effect sizes of cross-sectional studies (with a total of 97,023 subjects), we demonstrated that a higher dietary consumption of fiber was associated with significantly lower odds of depression (OR = 0.76; 95 % CI: 0.64, 0.90; P = 0.010), with a low heterogeneity seen among the retrieved studies (I2 = 43.9 %; P = 0.12).Conclusion: An increased intake of total dietary fiber is associated with lower odds of depression. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between the different types of dietary fiber and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]