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Fatty liver disease (FLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. The pathogenesis of this disease is closely related to obesity and insulin resistance. Ginger has hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects and acts as an insulin sensitizer. This study aims to evaluate the effect of ginger supplementation on the fatty liver. A comprehensive search of Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science/ISI, and Cochrane databases was conducted without time or language restrictions. Eighteen eligible studies were identified, including 17 in-vivo experiments in quantitative analysis and 3 clinical trials in qualitative analysis. The present study provides comprehensive evidence of the efficacy of ginger to improve the liver levels of cholesterol (-5.60 mg/g), triglycerides (TG, -4.28 mg/g), malondialdehyde (-3.16 nmol/mg), catalase (CAT) (3.35 nmol/mg), superoxide dismutase (SOD, 3.01 U/mg), serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT, -2.85 U/L), aspartate aminotransferase (AST, -0.98 U/L), TG (-4.98 mg/dL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL, -3.94 mg/dL), total cholesterol (TC, -3.45 mg/dL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL, 1.27 mg/dL), and fasting blood sugar (FBS, -2.54 mg/dL). Ginger administration may reduce many clinical aspects of FLD by several mechanisms, including insulin-sensitive effects, stimulating the expression of antioxidant enzymes, reducing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), having antidyslipidemic activities, and reducing hepatic fat content. However, future clinical trials are essential to investigate the clinical application of ginger in this area.

Background: The consumption of junk food among children and adults is increasing, which can affect their general health. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between junk food consumption and health-related physical fitness factors in Kamyaran students. Methods: Based on Morgan's tablet, a total of 309 subjects volunteered to participate in this study, out of 1514 students aged 10 - 12 years in Kamyaran city. The studied schools were selected by the multi-stage cluster method. The mean and standard deviation of the subjects’ age, height, and weight were 11.26 ± 0.68 years, 144.27 ± 4.75 cm, and 39.36 ± 8.01 kg, respectively. This study assessed height, weight, and body mass index based on the cut-off BMI National Health and Nutrition Survey. The physical fitness factors of students were measured according to standard tests. The researcher developed a questionnaire to assess the consumption of junk food. Cronbach’s alpha of this questionnaire was 0.78. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the mean and standard deviation of the data. Spearman correlation was used to examine the correlation of variables. Results: There was a significant inverse correlation between junk food consumption and health-related physical fitness factors (P < 0.05), but there was a direct and significant correlation between junk food consumption and body mass index (P < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between junk food consumption, nutritional knowledge, and behavior in the subjects (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between junk food consumption and healthy attitude in the subjects (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to our results, parents and policymakers should pay more attention to health and physical activity in schools and society.

The purpose of this study is to investigate socioeconomic inequality in fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake and contributing factors. Data of 9981 participants from the recruitment phase of Ravansar N...

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory illness characterized by persistent and systemic inflammation. There is just a little amount of research on nutrition and RA progression. The goal of this research is to see whether there's a link between main eating trends and RA activity.In Kermanshah, Iran, 183 individuals with RA were studied in cross-sectional research. The American College of Rheumatology's 2010 criteria were used to diagnose RA. The disease activity score 28 and nutritional information from a reliable 147-item food frequency questionnaire were used to assess RA activity. Factor analysis was used to extract dietary patterns.The researchers discovered three main eating trends, which they named. Individuals in the highest tertile of a high protein anti-inflammatory dietary pattern that emphasizes consumption of dairy products, red meats, white meats, vegetables oils, condiments, vegetables and fruits as well as low in salts and refined grain had lower DAS-28 scores than those in the first tertiles (T3 = 2.09 ± 0.14 vs. T1 = 3.75 ± 0.13; P-value = 0.001) after controlling for potential confounders. Patients in the top tertile of the low fiber dietary pattern had higher DAS-28 scores than those in the bottom tertile (T3 = 3.40 ± 0.15 vs. T1 = 2.95 ± 0.15; P-value = 0.036) than those in the bottom tertile.This research found an inverse connection between RA activity and adopting a high-protein anti-inflammatory dietary pattern. Furthermore, adopting a low-fiber dietary pattern may be linked to increased RA disease activity. To confirm such a relationship, further research is needed in the future.

Background Various diets and dietary compounds, through their inflammatory properties, are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases including Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs). Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) can evaluate the inflammatory properties of diet. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between DII and CVDs in participants of the Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study, Kermanshah, Iran. Materials The present cross-sectional study was conducted using the recruitment phase data of the RaNCD cohort study on 6369 participants aged 35 to 65 years. The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess diet. The DII scores were calculated using FFQ data. Participants with a history of myocardial infarction, stroke and coronary artery disease, and/or taking medications for the CVDs were considered as the CVDs patients. Results Of the 6369 studied participants, 9% (n = 579) had CVDs history. The mean DII score in this study was − 0.84 ± 1.6. Odds ratio (OR) of CVDs in women was 1.6 times higher than in men (CI 95% = 1.3–1.9), which this association was remained after adjusting for confounding variables (OR = 1.5, CI% = 1.2–1.9). The risk of CVDs in the fourth quartile of DII was 1.4 times higher than the first quartile of DII (OR: 1.4, CI 95% = 1.1–1.8). We found that higher adhere to DII was associated with risk of CVDs. Conclusion According to current documents, given the role of diet through inflammatory properties on the risk of CVDs, it is recommended to use DII as an appropriate index to measure the effect of diet on CVDs in Iranian population. In addition, a diet with lower DII may be healthier diet for cardiovascular health.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: The prevention of malnutrition is an important factor in the survival of critically ill patients with enteral nutrition. The present study aims to assess the nutritional status and its association with some blood-related markers in critically ill patients with enteral nutrition during hospitalization in the intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: Totally, 110 patients participated in this study from the time of admission to discharge at five ICUs. The patients’ nutritional status was assessed by subjective global assessment (SGA), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation and Albumin, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), Hemoglobin (Hb), Hematocrit (HCT), Ferritin, and Feas biochemical indices and anthropometric parameters. RESULTS: Malnutrition prevalence increased significantly on the day of discharge (83.6%) compared to the day of admission (41.8%), according to SGA (P

Purpose Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease which has become a public health concern, whose growing prevalence has been reported as around 33.9% in Iran. As oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, antioxidant compounds such as quercetin could ameliorate the side effect of oxidative stress. The aim of the current study was to assess the effect of quercetin on lipid profile, liver enzymes and inflammatory indices in NAFLD patients. Design/methodology/approach In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted as a pilot study, 90 patients with NAFLD were supplemented with either a quercetin or a placebo capsule twice daily (500 mg) for 12 weeks. Both groups were advised to follow an energy-balanced diet with physical activity recommendations. Blood sample was obtained for laboratory parameters at baseline and the end of week 12. Findings At the end of the follow-up, quercetin group had significantly greater reduction in anthropometric parameters, cholesterol (−15 ± (−41, 0.00) in Q group versus −1± (−8, 2) in control group, p = 0.004), TG (−56.7 ± 22.7) in Q group versus −13.4 ± 27.7 in control group, p = 0.04), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (−49.5 ± (−99, 21) in Q group versus −5 ± (−21, 0.30) in the control group, p < 0.0001) compared to the control group. However, changes in fatty liver grade, liver enzymes, as well as high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were not significantly different between the two groups. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first study which assessed the effect of quercetin supplementation on liver enzymes, lipid profile and inflammatory indices of NAFLD patients as a double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of self-report diabetes according to sociodemographic characteristics in participants of Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study. Methods The study population included 10182 adults (35–65 years old) participating in RaNCD. The ‘gold standard' for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was taken as a history of relevant medicine use and/or measurement of fasting blood glucose indicating diabetes. Self-report data collected before the clinical examinations through interviews by well-trained staff. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were used to estimate the accuracy of self-report in diabetes. Results Of the 10182 individuals invited to participate in the RaNCD, 96 people were not willing to participate in the study (participation rate = 99.06%). The prevalence of diabetes by self-report and gold standard was 10.04% and 8.19% respectively. Among those who said they had diabetes, 389 (38.78%) did not have diabetes. Self-reported diabetes had sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 75.0%, 95.8%, 61.2% and 97.7%, respectively. Being female, aging, smoking, and having a family history of diabetes increased the chance of false positive; and being male, having a family history of diabetes, aging, and increasing BMI increased the chance of false negative. Conclusions Although the overall validity of self-report in diabetes seems to be acceptable in the study population with a correction factor of 25.3%, it should be noted that the is influenced by age, gender, and family history of diabetes.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the effects of almond consumption on the lipid profiles of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Eligible trials were searched from four electronic databases until Jan 2020. Five eligible articles were included in the final quantitative analysis. Overall, meta-analysis could not show any beneficial effect of almond consumption on total cholesterol (TC) weighted mean difference (WMD: 0.65 mg/dL, 95% CI: -7.52-8.82

Indices, based on anthropometrics with or without non-anthropometric components, are predictive of cardio-metabolic outcomes. Fat mass index (FMI) is similar to BMI except measured fat mass replaces body weight. The visceral adiposity index (VAI) combines anthropometric measures with lipid measurements TG/HDL. The relationship of these indices to incident type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has not been established. Therefore, we have evaluated the predictive power and optimal cut-off points of FMI, and VAI with T2DM in a cross-sectional population study.These population-based cross-sectional study comprised 8411 adults aged 35-65 years using data from the Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort. VAI and FMI were defined as previously published. Optimal cut-off points for association with incident T2DM were determined from receiver-operating curves (ROC).The optimal cut-off point for VAI was 4.86 (AUC: 0.673; 95% CI: 0.65-0.69) and FMI 9.3 (AUC: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.55-0.59), and for T2DM in our study population. The odds ratios (OR) for T2DM were nearly identical, for VAI 1.098 (95% CI: 1.08-1.11) and for FMI 1.08 (95% CI: 1.05-1.10).In the current population study, VAI and FMI were weakly associated with T2DM. Therefore, it seems that anthropometric measures are unlikely to be strong mediators of T2DM compared to historical and other factors in the population studied.

Background: Internal assessment plays a key role in improving the quality of education. Objectives: The present study aimed to internally assess the nutrition department of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the nutrition department of KUMS. Data were collected using the internal assessment questionnaires based on the guidelines and framework of the ministry. Results: The main factors involved in internal assessment included goals, organizational position, management and organization, faculty staff, students, and educational facilities and equipment, which had a favorable status. In addition, the educational courses, curriculum, and teaching/learning strategies had a relatively favorable status, while graduates had an unfavorable status. In general, the mean of all the internal assessment factors was considered favorable. Conclusions: Although the internal assessment indicated the favorable status of the nutrition department of KUMS, special attention should be paid to the graduates in this regard.

Grip strength in midlife can predict physical disability in senior years. Recent evidence shows the critical role of nutritional status on muscle function. We aimed to elucidate whether adherence to a particular dietary pattern would be associated with abnormal muscle strength among middle‐aged people. In this cross‐sectional study, a semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intake of 2781 participants in the Ravansar Non‐Communicable Chronic Disease (RaNCD) cohort. Major dietary patterns from 28 main food groups were extracted using principal component analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the association between the tertiles of the major dietary patterns and muscle strength status. Two major dietary patterns were identified: the “mixed dietary pattern” that heavily loaded with fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairies, sweets, legumes, dried fruits, fish, red meat, butter, whole grains, natural juices, poultry, pickles, olive, industrial juice, egg, processed meat, and snacks and “unhealthy dietary pattern” that heavily loaded by fats, sugar, refined grains, soft drink, salt, organ meat, tea, and coffee. Adherence to the mixed dietary pattern (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.8–1.33, P for trend = 0.77) and the unhealthy dietary pattern (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.79–0.13, P for trend = 0.89) did not associate with abnormal muscle strength. This study suggests that the dietary pattern involving the consumption of healthy and unhealthy food does not have an effect on muscle strength in middle‐aged adults., We identified two major dietary patterns from data of participants in the Ravansar Non‐Communicable Chronic Disease (RaNCD) study. The first dietary pattern was “mixed” that heavily loaded with fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairies, sweets, legumes, dried fruits, fish, red meat, butter, whole grains, natural juices, poultry, pickles, olive, industrial juice, egg, processed meat, and snacks and the second dietary pattern was “unhealthy” that heavily loaded by fats, sugar, refined grains, soft drink, salt, organ meat, tea, and coffee. Surprisingly we found that adherence to the mixed dietary pattern and the unhealthy dietary pattern did not associate with abnormal muscle strength.

BackgroundSocio-economic status affects many health-related outcomes and one of the most important factors is the pattern and quality of nutrition. Thus, this study is carried out to investigate the effect of socio-economic status on the quality of nutrition based on healthy Eating Index (HEI).MethodsThis is a population-based study using the baseline data from Ravansar Non-Communicable Disease cohort study. HEI calculated from Food Frequency Questionnaire. The quality of nutrition was assessed based on HEI-2015 which evaluates 13 food groups.ResultsThe mean of age of the participants was 48.02 (SD = ±8.27) years. The median and mean of HEI in the studied population were 53 and 53.69 (SD = ±7.34), respectively. Women, the educated, city dwellers, people of higher socioeconomic classes, and non-smokers had greater odds of having higher quality of nutrition. The worst score among all components of HEI were for the refined grains and then the whole grain, and the highest score was obtained for the tatal protein foods. ConclusionsDue to low nutritional quality and its adverse effects, especially in people with low socioeconomic status and villagers, the quality of nutrition, especially in the poor, should be promoted with proper interventions so as to reduce disparity in the society.

A healthy diet has long been indicated to be protective against Alzheimer's diseases (AD). We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of published observational studies to explore the relationship between healthy and unhealthy diets and risk of ADs. We screened PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Embase, and screened manually to identify relevant articles published in English and non-English until Jun 2020. We classified the studied dietary patterns into two groups: healthy and unhealthy diets. The pooled weighted mean difference and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to analyze the data using a random-effects model. The data were extracted manually and the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis checklist was used to appraise the risk of bias and quality of data. Of the 1,813 articles identified, 21 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the quantitative analysis. A healthy diet was related to a lower risk of AD [odds ratio (OR): 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.86, I2=99.7%; n=17 studies]. Moreover, high adherence to an unhealthy diet was not associated with increased risk of AD (OR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98 to 0.99, I2=0.0%; n=6 studies). However, the etiology of AD is uncertain and it is difficult draw conclusions about dietary healthy patterns. We concluded that adherence to a healthy diet is associated with a lower risk of AD, but were unable to find evidence that an unhealthy diet increases the risk of AD.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) is a popular spice/herb with several biological functions owing to its antioxidant and insulin-like activities. Many clinical trials have indicated the potent anti-diabetic property of sumac but the results on few glycemic indices were inconclusive. Hence, this systematic review and meta-analysis were aimed to investigate sumac supplementation effect on glycemic indices. METHODS: Systematically searched was performed by two independent reviewers using online databases including: PubMed, Scopus, web of science, EMBASE from inception until November 2020. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A total of 6 potentially relevant clinical trials met the inclusion criteria with total of 278 participants. Random-effects meta-analysis suggested no significant effects on the levels of fasting blood glucose -7.08 mg/dl, 95 {\%} CI: -14.85 to 0.70,P = 0.07, I(2) = 59.8 {\%}, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) -0.48 {\%}, 95 {\%} CI: -1.01 to -0.04, P = 0.07, I(2) = 0.0 {\%}, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) -0.97, 95 {\%} CI: -1.96 to 0.02, P = 0.05, I(2) = 83.8 {\%}, and insulin -2.94 Hedges' g, 95 {\%} CI: -6.67 to 0.80, P = 0.12, I(2) = 83.1 {\%} following supplementation with sumac powder. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis showed no significant effects on any glycemic indices following supplementation with sumac powder.

Context: In most combat sports, athletes are classified according to their body weight, and many of them attempt to lose weight quickly. Objectives: Since the effects of rapid weight loss (RWL) on competitive performance are somewhat ambiguous, this study aims to review high-risk behaviors used for RWL, to assess food intake and anthropometric data in combat sports athletes, and to investigate the negative effects of RWL on physiological and health-related parameters. Methods: This systematic review study was conducted by searching the PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus databases using keywords, including (combat sports, RWL, high-risk behaviors) and (food intake, anthropometric measurements) from 2001 to 2017. After screening based on the title and abstract of identified studies, 17 articles met our inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Results: The results of the studies indicated a high prevalence of RWL among athletes, which was often due to reduced body fluids. At the same time, lower-level athletes often used more dangerous methods, such as fasting, skipping meal, and fluid restriction. This method can negatively affect athletes’ mental status and athletic performance. Conclusions: Regarding the negative effects of short-term adjustment of weight on physiological and mental function, further studies suggest athletes to consume a balanced and varied diet including all food groups.

Nutritional status can affect the linear growth of bones during puberty by affecting growth plate (GP) chondrocytes. We hypothesized that there is a relationship between dietary patterns and bone age on girls who have experienced height loss. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 350 girls aged 12-13 years with open GP, and major dietary patterns were determined using the factor analysis method. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measurement of participant's wrist was performed to determine GP openness and bone age. In the present study, 70.3% of participants had bone age below chronological age. Three major dietary patterns-healthy, high sugar and salt, and Western diet-were identified using findings of dietary intake. Adherence to the healthy diet led to significant increase in height, weight, body mass index, and other components of body composition such as lean body mass (P < .001). Among these dietary patterns, we found only a significant association between healthy diet and difference between bone and chronological age (B = -0.106). In the present study, adherence to a healthy diet was associated with increase in bone age (P = .02). Healthy dietary pattern with an emphasis on enough intake of plant protein and white meat was associated with better linear growth.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease leading to a gradual and irreversible loss of memory, linguistic skills, and perception of time and space, thinking, and behavior. Dietary pattern has been presented as a contributor to the incidence of Alzheimer's. This study aimed at reviewing the evidence on the relation between dietary pattern and AD. This systematic search was performed on the articles available in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Sciences databases until May 2019 using keywords, including (diet, food, dietary pattern, food pattern) and (Alzheimer's disease) among observational studies. After excluding duplicated, and irrelevant studies, 26 studies were eligible for this review study. We categorized the studied dietary patterns into two groups: healthy and unhealthy diet. This study reviewed two case-control, five cross-sectional, and 19 prospective studies. Eight studies assessed unhealthy diet (high-fat diet, high-glycemic diet, sweetened sugary beverage, etc.) and the risk of AD. In addition, the other studies considered the effect of healthy diet such as Mediterranean diet, dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH), Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay, and seafood-rich diet on AD. This literature review indicated that adherence to a healthy dietary pattern has neuroprotective effects on AD prevention, while unhealthy diet can cause neurodegenerative effects in AD etiology. In conclusion, our findings showed that adherence to healthy diet can decrease oxidative stress and inflammation and accumulation of amyloid-β and consequently can decrease the risk of AD.

Background: Fiber is a carbohydrate, which is neither completely digested nor absorbed in the small intestine, but may be fermented and plays a key role in the human health. We investigated the beneficial effects of fiber on major chronic diseases. Methods: It was extracted the relevant articles by searching the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases using the following keywords: dietary fiber, carbohydrate fermentation, short chain fatty acids, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, constipation, and appetite. In this research, a variety of studies were investigated including prospective cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, and clinical trial. The thematic relation of these studies was evaluated by reviewing their titles and abstracts. Results: From a total of 123 articles, 27 related studies with appropriate design and reliable information were selected and reviewed. Considering the selected studies, 13 were clinical trials, 10 articles were cohort, one was case-control, and three studies were cross-sectional. The studies investigated the beneficial effects of fiber on cardiovascular diseases (N = 4), type 2 diabetes (N = 8), appetite control and body weight (N = 3), colorectal cancer (N = 4), breast cancer (N = 2), immune system (N = 3), and constipation (N = 3). According to the results of this study, fiber reduces the rate of gastrointestinal discharges; this in turn leads to decrease of the glucose uptake and increases the satiety. More fiber consumption was associated with improvement of the immune system, weight control, reduction of the cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, colon cancer, and breast cancer. Conclusions: Regular consumption of fiber has beneficial health outcomes. However, these benefits depend largely on the types of the consumed fiber and the individual who intakes them.

Intensive care units (ICUs) provides intensive treatment medicine to avoid complications such as malnutrition, infection and even death. As very little is currently known about the nutritional practices in Iranian ICUs, this study attempted to assess the various aspects of current nutrition support practices in Iranian ICUs. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 150 critically ill patients at 18 ICUs in 12 hospitals located in 2 provinces of Iran from February 2015 to March 2016. Data were collected through interview with supervisors of ICUs, medical record reviews and direct observation of patients during feeding. Our study showed that hospital-prepared enteral tube feeding formulas are the main formulas used in Iranian hospitals. None of the dietitians worked exclusively an ICU and only 30% of patients received diet counselling. Regular monitoring of nutritional status, daily energy and protein intake were not recorded in any of the participating ICUs. Patients were not monitored for anthropometric measurements such as mid-arm circumference (MAC) and electrolyte status. The nasogastric tube was not switched to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy or jejunostomy (PEG/PEGJ) in approximately 85% of patients receiving long-term enteral nutrition (EN) support. Our findings demonstrated that the quality of nutritional care was inappropriate in Iranian ICUs and improvement of nutritional care services within Iranian ICUs is necessary.

Combustion reactions in the Cu–Mo–Si system were investigated. A sample was ignited using electric arc and after completion of the combustion reaction, XRD, SEM and EDS analysis were carried out. The resulting microstructure consisted of almost spherical grains of MoSi 2 . Also a little amount of Mo-rich silicides (Mo 5 Si 3 , Mo 3 Si) and copper silicides were present at the grain boundaries. For investigating the formation mechanism of this microstructure, another sample was ignited and when the combustion wave was almost in the middle of the sample, the compact was quenched into liquid nitrogen. The results indicated that at the leading edge of combustion front, liquid solution of Cu–Si forms. The Mo particles dissolve in this melt and after that MoSi 2 precipitates. By growing MoSi 2 particles, remaining melt becomes richer in Cu which finally solidifies in cooling.

Background: Malnutrition is prevalent among patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and causes various complications. Dietary supplementation to provide appropriate nutritional support may reduce the malnutrition and complications through improvement in nutritional status. This study was carried out to assess the association between dietary supplementation and malnutrition among patients in ICUs. Methods: A case–control study was conducted on 180 male patients aged 20–60 years in the ICUs of the hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran in 2013. Data of two groups including 83 patients (cases) who had consumed regular hospital meals and dietary supplements and 97 patients (controls) who had received regular hospital meals were compared. Anthropometric measurements, laboratory values, and dietary intakes were extracted from medical records, and Maastricht index (MI) was calculated. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 21. T‑test and paired‑sample t‑test were used to determine the difference between groups. Results: Taking supplements increased daily energy intake, carbohydrate, and protein in case group (n = 83) significantly (P < 0.05). MI changed to 3.1 ± 3.8 and 4.3 ± 4.2 in case (n = 83) and control (n = 97) groups, respectively. Although the MI fell in both groups, it showed a greater reduction in case group (from 6.3 ± 5.3 to 3.1 ± 3.8). Conclusions: Since consuming dietary supplements besides the regular hospital meals increased intake of energy and macronutrients and reduced the MI significantly, it was concluded that it helped supply nutritional requirements more effectively and improved the malnutrition in ICU. Keywords: Dietary supplement, Intensive Care Unit, Maastricht index, malnutrition, nutritional status

Background: Weight management is a long-standing goal of achieving a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, it is important to find a safe and effective way to reduce the body weight of overweight or obese people. In this regard, studies focusing on the components of the diet are very important. Methods: We reviewed the results of the studies assessing the efficacy of green coffee extract (GCE) as a weight-reducing agent. Results: The components of the diet may work synergistically to prevent or promote weight management. Conclusions: Recently, green coffee introduced as the richest sources of cholorogenic acid that can play a role in weight loss.

BACKGROUND: Aging is accompanied by various changes that can cause changes in diet and body composition resulting sometimes in malnutrition and disability in the elderly. Changes in body composition among the elderly are mainly the result of physical inactivity and nutrition. This study was designed to examine the relationship between lifestyle and socio-demographic factors and body composition.METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 380 elderly people aged 60 and over in district 5 of Tehran, Iran. Their body composition was measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and the Actigraph device was used for assessing physical activity patterns. A three-day food recall was conducted to measure their intake of energy and macronutrients. Lifestyle and socio-demographic information were collected by interview using a pretested questionnaire.RESULTS: Overweight, obesity and central obesity were more prevalent in women than in men (pCONCLUSION: Overweight, obesity and high body fat percentage were common among the aged. Considering the factors that are significantly associated with body composition, programs that can increase their awareness about the dietary balance and suitable physical activity should be organized to address these problems.