Search

Background: University students are a high-risk group for stress, consumption of junk food and significant weight gain over a short period. Inadequate vitamin D intake has been linked to many health issues, including chronic headache, apathy, aggression and depression. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency led to dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. The purpose of our study was to estimate the effect of 90-days healthy lifestyle programs along with gut microbiota modulation in university students with vitamin D3 deficiency., Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 130 students (18-25 years old) with vitamin D deficiency were recruited. Both the standard care group (N.=65) and the intervention group (N.=65) received a 3-months course of individually selected nutrition program and physical activity (8000-10,000 steps daily). The intervention group received an additional treatment with synbiotic Acidolac and vitamin D3 for 3 months. The psycho-emotional status of the participants was assessed by a validated questionnaire that examined situational anxiety. In all students, blood pressure, anthropometric variables, as well as laboratory metabolic parameters, were recorded., Results: In both groups, vitamin D3 deficiency was associated with instability and lability of mental processes, mood swings, bad sleep, high rates of stuck and agitation for any problem. Combined therapy (diet, physical activity and synbiotic) induced a significant improvement in the psycho-emotional state of students. The 90-days therapy vitamin D3 increased the level of vitamin D3 in serum in the intervention group. Lastly, we observed a decrease in the body weight, body mass index, waist circumference and fatty mass, only in students included in the interventional group., Conclusions: Nutrition program, physical activity, vitamin D3 intake and gut microbiota modulation led to both the improvement in vitamin D levels in serum and emotional harmonization.

Background: The manipulation of gut microbiota via administration of probiotics has been proposed as a potential strategy for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hence, we performed a double-blind single center randomized placebo-controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of coadministration of probiotics with omega-3 vs. placebo in type-2 diabetic patients with NAFLD., Methods: A total of 48 patients met the criteria for inclusion. They were randomly assigned to receive "Symbiter Omega" combination of probiotic biomass supplemented with flax and wheat germ oil (250 mg of each, concentration of omega-3 fatty acids 1-5%) or placebo for 8-weeks. The primary main outcomes were the change in fatty liver index (FLI) and liver stiffness (LS) measured by Shear Wave Elastography (SWE). Secondary outcomes were the changes in transaminases level, serum lipids and cytokines levels., Results: In probiotic-omega group, FLI significantly decreased from 83.53±2.60 to 76.26±2.96 (P<0.001) while no significant changes were observed in the placebo group (82.86±2.45 to 81.09±2.84; P=0.156). Changes of LS in both groups were insignificant. Analysis of secondary outcomes showed that the coadministration of probiotics with omega-3 lead to significant reduction of serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. Chronic systemic inflammatory markers after intervention decrease significantly only in Symbiter Omega group: IL-1β (P=0.029), TNF-α (P<0.001), IL-8 (P=0.029), IL-6 (P=0.003), and INF-γ (P=0.016)., Conclusions: Coadministration of a live multi-strain probiotic mixture with omega-3 fatty acids once daily for 8 weeks to patients with NAFLD can reduce liver fat, improve serum lipids, metabolic profile, and reduce chronic systemic inflammatory state.