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Aim: Addressing sarcopenia and frailty in aging populations is crucial for enhancing quality of life and reducing healthcare dependence. While the importance of energy, protein, and amino acid supplementation is known, the role of minerals needs further exploration. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of these minerals in managing sarcopenia and frailty. Methods: We analyzed data from the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and Ichu‐shi Web from January 2000 to March 2023. Studies were selected if they were interventional or observational, focused on individuals with frailty or sarcopenia who were aged 65 or older, and involved mineral supplementation. The risk of bias in these studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. Results: Of the 615 studies identified, seven met the inclusion criteria. These studies mainly focused on the effects of combined nutrient supplements, with few focusing on individual minerals. The findings were mixed, demonstrating some improvements in muscle strength, activity of daily living, and cognitive functions. Notably, minerals appeared to offer benefits as part of multi‐nutrient interventions, especially for cognitive and immune health, but had limited impact on muscle mass or strength when used alone. The limited number and variable outcomes of studies precluded a feasible meta‐analysis. Conclusions: The effect of mineral supplementation on sarcopenia and frailty remains uncertain, suggesting a need for tailored nutritional strategies. Future studies should aim for well‐designed clinical trials in order to gain a better understanding of the roles of minerals in improving muscle health and functional outcomes, leading to clearer recommendations for clinical practice. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 850–858. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Consumption of home-prepared meals may lead to better nutritional intake. Few studies have examined the association between the frequency of consuming meals prepared away from home and the inadequacy of nutritional intake based on nutritional standards and food group intake. We therefore aimed to investigate this issue among Japanese adults.Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of the 2015 National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan, involving 921 men and 1300 women aged 18-64 years, conducted as a cross-sectional survey. The frequency of consuming meals prepared away from home was defined using two questions inquiring about the frequency of eating out and take-away meals. Data on dietary intake were collected using a one-day semi-weighed household dietary record. Participants were stratified into three groups based on the frequency of consuming meals prepared away from home (High, Moderate, Low). The inadequacy of each nutrient intake was assessed by comparing estimated average requirement (EAR) level for 14 nutrients and the range of the dietary goal (DG) for seven nutrients according to the 2015 version of the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese. Group differences in nutrients adequacy were assessed using the covariate and logistic regression analysis. Food intake was also compared across the groups by classifying each food item into 17 groups based on Standard Tables of Food Composition.Results: The proportion of participants who consumed home-prepared meals almost every day were 34.9% among men and 46.8% among women, and the proportion of those consuming a higher frequency of meals prepared away from home were 14.7 and 6.3%, respectively. A higher frequency of consuming meals prepared away from home was associated with inadequacy of dietary fiber, vitamin C and minerals (iron, magnesium and potassium) intake, and with lower intake of vegetables and higher intake of fat and oils.Conclusions: High frequency of consuming meals prepared away from home was associated with insufficient intake of dietary fiber, vitamin C and multiple minerals among Japanese adults. These nutrients may be the potential target of interventions aimed at improving nutrient intake in individuals who predominantly eat food prepared away from home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of spraying mineral water onto agricultural crops on their yields and mineral contents were examined. We sprayed a solution containing a large quantity of essential minerals onto the leaves of various agricultural crops every other week for a few months. The mineral concentrations in the agricultural crops and of the sprayed solution were measured by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE). It was found that the effect of spraying mineral water on the crops was remarkable, especially for rice and soybeans, for which the yields became nearly three times higher and the concentrations of many essential minerals increased in their stems and leaves. However, no clear increase in the mineral contents was observed for polished rice. In addition, not all of the farm products showed positive effects. This indicates that an effective method and timing of spraying mineral water should be examined depending on the conditions of each individual agricultural crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the chemical composition and the growth of a marine alga, Sargassum horneri (Turner) C. Agardh (abbreviated as S. horneri) harvested from the Chikuzen Sea, Fukuoka, Japan, as well as the changes in the chemical composition during pre-heating of harvested S. horneri. Both its length and weight reached maximum levels late in March. The mean chemical composition of S. horneri from December 2004 to May 2005 was 87.7% moisture, 1.0% protein, 0.1% lipid, 3.4% ash and 5.7% total dietary fiber. The ash contents of the male plants were higher in February but lower in March and April than those of the female plants. The lipid contents of the males were higher in March than those of the female plants. The protein content reached its maximum in February. The total dietary fiber content began to increase in February and reached its maximum at the end of March. The total dietary fiber content increased after full growth and maturity. S. horneri is a potential source of dietary fiber and minerals as a food ingredient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on three roads in Tokyo, Japan, and the extent to which they represent the rapid development and urbanization of Japan from a nation of small, garden cities to a metropolitan county. Topics include reference to Japan as a country particularly attuned to nature, seasonal variation, and new plant growth; a discussion of the effect of rapid urbanization on the Japanese national relationship with nature, and an examination of the physical evidence of the transition.

Aerosol particles were collected for 1 year, starting in April 2003, in rural areas of Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan to understand the role of Asian dust as a long-range transporter of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Three sampling intervals were designated in this study, namely: (1) Dust period 1 (March 11–19, 2003); (2) Dust period 2 (March 28, 2003–April 9, 2003); and (3) Dust period 3 (April 9, 2004–April 25, 2004). The Asian dust particles are predominantly in the coarse particle size range (2. 1–11μm). PAH analyses were performed separately on both the coarse and fine (<1. 1μm) particle ranges. Seasonal trends in PAH concentrations for coarse and fine particles showed that the Asian dust particles in Dust period 3 contained significant amounts of less-volatile PAHs such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BghiP). A kinetic model developed in this study shows that almost none of these PAHs would be accumulated on Asian dust particles in the atmosphere, due to their extremely slow adsorption rates. These PAHs would have to originate from PAH-polluted soil particles around industrialized areas. Back trajectory analyses suggest that the Asian dust in Dust period 3 came from loess regions around industrialized areas. This indicates that geologic materials play a significant role in the atmospheric circulation of PAHs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The micro-mist system can efficiently reduce the internal temperature of greenhouses. • The micro-mist system not only increased the yield of spinach, but also improved the lutein content with no loss of minerals. • The cultivation period can be shortened using the micro-mist system during hot seasons. Recent trends in global warming have restricted the cropping periods in Japan, as ambient temperature during summer often rises above 35 °C and concomitantly, the air temperature inside a greenhouse can reach up to 50 °C. In this study, we investigated a strategy for reducing heat stress for sustainable greenhouse cultivation of spinach. Generally, this species is not cultivated during hot seasons due to heat-induced inhibition of growth. We compared the growth of spinach with and without a micro-mist system that produced mist with an average particle size of 10 μm. Our system effectively reduced the temperature in the greenhouse by as much as 4.3 °C through the evaporation of mist. Additionally, when temperature in the control area peaked at 37.4 °C, the temperature in the micro-mist area was 3.7 °C lower. Furthermore, average soil temperature decreased maximum average soil-temperature by 0.7 °C and average daily humidity was approximately 5 % higher. Consequently, crop yield increased by 30 %. Finally, spinach mineral content with/without micro-mist in the hot season did not differ from that measured in spinach grown conventionally, while spinach grown in the hot season with the micro-mist system had 1.4-fold greater lutein content than spinach grown conventionally. Altogether, our results demonstrate that spinach can be cultivated even during hot seasons in greenhouses equipped with a micro-mist system, without any significant decrease in mineral or lutein content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies have suggested that there is an association between diet and mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the intake of six minerals and mental disorders in a cross-sectional study. We used data from the Eating Habit and Well-being study in Japanese workers. Kessler's six-item psychological distress scale was used to detect mental disorders, with a cut-off score of 12/13, and a validated food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate dietary mineral intake. A total of 2089 participants with no history of depression were included. The prevalence of mental disorders was 6.9%. The lowest quartiles of zinc, copper, and manganese intakes were associated with mental disorders, whereas the lowest quartiles of calcium, magnesium, and iron intake were not associated with mental disorders. Combination analysis of high (≥median) or low (

To develop effective nutritional interventions for preventing frailty, the specific problems associated with the dietary habits of individuals based on sex differences must be identified. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between dietary habits and frailty in rural Japanese community-dwelling older adults. We recruited 800 participants, aged 65 and older, who underwent a comprehensive health examination between November 2015 and December 2017. Dietary habits were assessed by a brief self-administered dietary history questionnaire. Frailty was determined using either the Kihon Checklist (KCL) or the Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study (J-CHS). The percentage of frail older adults was 8.4% according to KCL and 4.0% according to J-CHS. Various kinds of nutrient intakes, including three major nutrients, minerals, and vitamins in frail men, according to KCL, were the lowest. By contrast, there were no differences in nutrient intake between the robust, prefrail, and frail female groups according to KCL. We found significant associations of the intakes of soluble dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin C with a frail status in men ( p = 0.035, 0.023. 0.012, and 0.007, respectively), and an association of the intake of vitamin C with a frail status in women ( p = 0.027) according to J-CHS. Attention should be paid to the diagnostic criteria of frailty and to sex differences, when nutritional interventions for the prevention of frailty are planned.