Nutrients

Research

12 pages, 910 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diet with Metabolic-Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease

by Chengxiang Hu, Rong Huang, Runhong Li, Ning Ning, Yue He, Jiaqi Zhang, Yingxin Wang, Yanan Ma and Lina Jin

Nutrients 2023, 15(22), 4763; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224763 - 13 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1422

Abstract

Background: This observational cross-sectional study was designed to explore the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) and a low-fat diet (LFD) on metabolic-dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Methods: This study involved 3961 adults. The associations between LCD/LFD scores and MAFLD were evaluated utilizing [...] Read more.

Background: This observational cross-sectional study was designed to explore the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) and a low-fat diet (LFD) on metabolic-dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Methods: This study involved 3961 adults. The associations between LCD/LFD scores and MAFLD were evaluated utilizing a multivariable logistic regression model. Additionally, a leave-one-out model was applied to assess the effect of isocaloric substitution of specific macronutrients. Results: Participants within the highest tertile of healthy LCD scores (0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45–0.89) or with a healthy LFD score (0.64; 95%CI, 0.48–0.86) faced a lower MAFLD risk. Furthermore, compared with tertile 1, individuals with unhealthy LFD scores in terile 2 or tertile 3 had 49% (95%CI, 1.17–1.90) and 77% (95%CI, 1.19–2.63) higher risk levels for MAFLD, respectively. Conclusions: Healthy LCD and healthy LFD are protective against MAFLD, while unhealthy LFD can increase the risk of MAFLD. Both the quantity and quality of macronutrients might have significant influences on MAFLD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intergenerational Inheritance of Hepatic Steatosis in a Mouse Model of Childhood Obesity: Potential Involvement of Germ-Line microRNAs

by Francesc Ribas-Aulinas, Sílvia Ribo, Eduard Casas, Marta Mourin-Fernandez, Marta Ramon-Krauel, Ruben Diaz, Carles Lerin, Susana G. Kalko, Tanya Vavouri and Josep C. Jimenez-Chillaron

Nutrients 2023, 15(5), 1241; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051241 - 01 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1909

Abstract

Childhood obesity increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome later in life. Moreover, metabolic dysfunction may be inherited into the following generation through non-genomic mechanisms, with epigenetics as a plausible candidate. The pathways involved in the development of metabolic dysfunction across generations in [...] Read more.

Childhood obesity increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome later in life. Moreover, metabolic dysfunction may be inherited into the following generation through non-genomic mechanisms, with epigenetics as a plausible candidate. The pathways involved in the development of metabolic dysfunction across generations in the context of childhood obesity remain largely unexplored. We have developed a mouse model of early adiposity by reducing litter size at birth (small litter group, SL: 4 pups/dam; control group, C: 8 pups/dam). Mice raised in small litters (SL) developed obesity, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis with aging. Strikingly, the offspring of SL males (SL-F1) also developed hepatic steatosis. Paternal transmission of an environmentally induced phenotype strongly suggests epigenetic inheritance. We analyzed the hepatic transcriptome in C-F1 and SL-F1 mice to identify pathways involved in the development of hepatic steatosis. We found that the circadian rhythm and lipid metabolic process were the ontologies with highest significance in the liver of SL-F1 mice. We explored whether DNA methylation and small non-coding RNAs might be involved in mediating intergenerational effects. Sperm DNA methylation was largely altered in SL mice. However, these changes did not correlate with the hepatic transcriptome. Next, we analyzed small non-coding RNA content in the testes of mice from the parental generation. Two miRNAs (miR-457 and miR-201) appeared differentially expressed in the testes of SL-F0 mice. They are known to be expressed in mature spermatozoa, but not in oocytes nor early embryos, and they may regulate the transcription of lipogenic genes, but not clock genes, in hepatocytes. Hence, they are strong candidates to mediate the inheritance of adult hepatic steatosis in our murine model. In conclusion, litter size reduction leads to intergenerational effects through non-genomic mechanisms. In our model, DNA methylation does not seem to play a role on the circadian rhythm nor lipid genes. However, at least two paternal miRNAs might influence the expression of a few lipid-related genes in the first-generation offspring, F1. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3126 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Sarcopenia: A Meta-Analysis

by Houze Diao, Feifei Yan, Qingzhen He, Mingyuan Li, Qingzhao Zheng, Qing Zhu, Fang Fang and Weiwei Cui

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010219 - 01 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3492

Abstract

Background: The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is thought to be related to many healthy events. However, the association between the DII and sarcopenia remains unclear. Methods: The meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of the DII on the risk of sarcopenia utilizing [...] Read more.

Background: The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is thought to be related to many healthy events. However, the association between the DII and sarcopenia remains unclear. Methods: The meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of the DII on the risk of sarcopenia utilizing available studies. Up to September 2022, Cochrane, PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, and EMBASE databases were searched to evaluate the relationships between the DII and sarcopenia. A random‒effects model was used to calculate the effect size and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Result: Eleven studies with 19,954 participants were included in our meta-analysis. The results indicated that a high DII increased the risk of sarcopenia (OR = 1.16, 95%CI [1.06, 1.27], p < 0.05). The result of the dose–response analysis showed that the risk of sarcopenia increased by 1.22 times for each 1-point increase in the DII score (OR = 1.22, 95%CI [1.12, 1.33], p < 0.05). Conclusion: The meta-analysis demonstrated that the DII is associated with sarcopenia. Considering some limitations in this study, more studies are needed to verify this relationship. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 456 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Town-Level Comprehensive Intervention Study to Reduce Salt Intake in China: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

by Min Liu, Jianwei Xu, Yuan Li, Feng J He, Puhong Zhang, Jing Song, Yifu Gao, Shichun Yan, Wei Yan, Donghui Jin, Xiaoyu Chang, Zhihua Xu, Yamin Bai, Ning Ji and Jing Wu

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4698; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214698 - 07 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2337

Abstract

We determined whether a town-level comprehensive intervention program could lower the salt intake of a population. The parallel, cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out between October 2018 and January 2020 in 48 towns from 12 counties across 6 provinces in China. All [...] Read more.

We determined whether a town-level comprehensive intervention program could lower the salt intake of a population. The parallel, cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out between October 2018 and January 2020 in 48 towns from 12 counties across 6 provinces in China. All participants were asked to complete the 24 h urine collections, anthropometric measurements and questionnaires at the baseline and one-year post-intervention survey. A total of 2693 participants aged 18 to 75 years were recruited at the baseline. A total of 1347 individuals in 24 towns were allocated to the intervention group and the others were allocated to the control group. Valid information from 2335 respondents was collected in the follow-up survey. The 24-h urinary sodium excretion was 189.7 mmol/24 h for the intervention group and 196.1 mmol/24 h for the control group at baseline. At a one-year follow-up, the mean effect of salt intake did not show a significant change (p = 0.31) in the intervention group compared to the control group. However, the mean result of potassium excretion in the intervention group increased by 2.18 mmol/24 h (85.03 mg/24 h) (p = 0.004) and systolic blood pressure decreased by 2.95 mmHg (p < 0.001). The salt-related knowledge and attitude toward salt reduction improved significantly in the intervention group (p < 0.05). A longer period of intervention and follow-up assessment might be needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the program on salt reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 1037 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Mediating Role of Dietary Inflammatory Index in the Association between Eating Breakfast and Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Mengzi Sun, Xuhan Wang, Ling Wang, Wenyu Hu, Yixue Yang, Nan Yao, Jing Li, Zechun Xie, Ruirui Guo, Yuxiang Wang and Bo Li

Nutrients 2022, 14(20), 4378; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14204378 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2645

Abstract

Obesity is closely related with diet, including the regularity of meals and inflammation in the diet. No previous study focused on the associations among eating breakfast, which is regarded the most important meal, dietary inflammation, and obesity. This study analyzed data from the [...] Read more.

Obesity is closely related with diet, including the regularity of meals and inflammation in the diet. No previous study focused on the associations among eating breakfast, which is regarded the most important meal, dietary inflammation, and obesity. This study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018, with 23,758 participants involved. Obesity and dietary inflammation were measured by body mass index (BMI) and dietary inflammatory index (DII), respectively. Eating breakfast was defined by two days of dietary recalls based on NHANES dietary data. Pro-inflammatory diet and skipping breakfast were positively associated with obesity in the whole population. Compared with eating breakfast in both recalls, skipping breakfast had the higher OR of obesity, especially for individuals who reported no recall. Participants with diabetes were the sensitive population of these associations. Compared with participants who reported breakfast in both recalls, the mediated proportion of participants reported breakfast in one recall and in no recall were 24.71% and 27.34%, respectively. The association between eating breakfast and obesity was partly mediated by DII. We recommended eating breakfast regularly to reduce dietary inflammation, as well as further obesity, especially for diabetic populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1546 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sodium, Potassium and Iodine Intake in an Adult Population of Lithuania

by Urte Zakauskiene, Ernesta Macioniene, Lina Zabuliene, Diana Sukackiene, Ausra Linkeviciute-Dumce, Valdas Banys, Nomeda Bratcikoviene, Dovile Karosiene, Virginija Slekiene, Virginijus Kontrimas, Kazys Simanauskas, Algirdas Utkus, Deimante Brazdziunaite, Vilma Migline, Indre Makarskiene, Ingrida Zurlyte, Ivo Rakovac, Joao Breda, Francesco P. Cappuccio and Marius Miglinas

Nutrients 2022, 14(18), 3817; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183817 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1791

Abstract

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular events and death. A reduction in salt intake is among the most cost-effective strategies to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Increasing potassium lowers blood pressure and is associated with lower cardiovascular [...] Read more.

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular events and death. A reduction in salt intake is among the most cost-effective strategies to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Increasing potassium lowers blood pressure and is associated with lower cardiovascular risk. Adequate iodine intake is important to prevent iodine deficiency disorders. Salt iodization is a key strategy to prevent such deficiency. In Lithuania, no surveys have been performed to directly assess sodium, potassium and iodine consumption. The aim of the present study was to measure sodium, potassium and iodine intake in a randomly selected adult Lithuanian adult population using 24 h urine collections, and to assess knowledge, attitudes and behavior towards salt consumption. Salt and potassium intakes were estimated in 888 randomly selected participants by 24 h urine sodium and potassium excretion and 679 individuals provided suitable 24 h urine samples for the analysis of iodine excretion. Average salt intake was 10.0 (SD 5.3) g/24 h and average potassium intake was 3.3 (SD 1.3) g/24 h. Only 12.5% of participants consumed less than 5 g/24 h of salt. The median value of urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was 95.5 μg/L. Our study showed that average salt intake is twice as high as the maximum level recommended by the World Health Organization while potassium and iodine intakes in Lithuania are below the recommended levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

14 pages, 1797 KiB

Open AccessReview

Maternal and Placental DNA Methylation Changes Associated with the Pathogenesis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

by Peng Xu, Shuai Dong, Linlin Wu, Yule Bai, Xueqing Bi, Yaping Li and Chang Shu

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010070 - 23 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2687

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an important metabolic complication of pregnancy, which affects the future health of both the mother and the newborn. The pathogenesis of GDM is not completely clear, but what is clear is that with the development and growth of [...] Read more.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an important metabolic complication of pregnancy, which affects the future health of both the mother and the newborn. The pathogenesis of GDM is not completely clear, but what is clear is that with the development and growth of the placenta, GDM onset and blood glucose is difficult to control, while gestational diabetes patients’ blood glucose drops and reaches normal after placenta delivery. This may be associated with placental secretion of insulin-like growth factor, adipokines, tumor necrosis factor-α, cytokines and insulin resistance. Therefore, endocrine secretion of placenta plays a key role in the pathogenesis of GDM. The influence of DNA methylation of these molecules and pathway-related genes on gene expression is also closely related to the pathogenesis of GDM. Here, this review attempts to clarify the pathogenesis of GDM and the related maternal and placental DNA methylation changes and how they affect metabolic pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 1952 KiB

Open AccessReview

New Insights into the Relationship between Gut Microbiota and Radiotherapy for Cancer

by Zhipeng Li, Xiyang Ke, Dan Zuo, Zhicheng Wang, Fang Fang and Bo Li

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010048 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3254

Abstract

Cancer is the second most common cause of death among humans in the world, and the threat that it presents to human health is becoming more and more serious. The mechanisms of cancer development have not yet been fully elucidated, and new therapies [...] Read more.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death among humans in the world, and the threat that it presents to human health is becoming more and more serious. The mechanisms of cancer development have not yet been fully elucidated, and new therapies are changing with each passing day. Evidence from the literature has validated the finding that the composition and modification of gut microbiota play an important role in the development of many different types of cancer. The results also demonstrate that there is a bidirectional interaction between the gut microbiota and radiotherapy treatments for cancer. In a nutshell, the modifications of the gut microbiota caused by radiotherapy have an effect on tumor radiosensitivity and, as a result, affect the efficacy of radiotherapy and show a certain radiation toxicity, which leads to numerous side effects. What is of new research significance is that the “gut-organ axis” formed by the gut microbiota may be one of the most interesting potential mechanisms, although the relevant research is still very limited. In this review, we combine new insights into the relationship between the gut microbiota, cancer, and radiotherapy. Based on our current comprehensive understanding of this relationship, we give an overview of the new cancer treatments based on the gut microbiota. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

15 pages, 2490 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

The Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of the Triglyceride-Glucose Index in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Jing Wang, Shoumeng Yan, Yani Cui, Feinan Chen, Meihua Piao and Weiwei Cui

Nutrients 2022, 14(23), 4969; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14234969 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2565

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been related to a series of harmful health consequences. The triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) appears to be associated with MAFLD. However, no consistent conclusions about the TyG index and incident MAFLD have been reached. PubMed, MEDLINE, [...] Read more.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been related to a series of harmful health consequences. The triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) appears to be associated with MAFLD. However, no consistent conclusions about the TyG index and incident MAFLD have been reached. PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched. Sensitivities, specificities and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) with a random-effects model were used to assess the diagnostic performance of the TyG index in NAFLD/MAFLD participants. Potential threshold effects and publication bias were evaluated by Spearman’s correlation and Deeks’ asymmetry test, respectively. A total of 20 studies with 165725 MAFLD participants were included. The summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve showed that the sensitivity, specificity and AUC were 0.73 (0.69–0.76), 0.67 (0.65, 0.70) and 0.75 (0.71–0.79), respectively. Threshold effects (r = 0.490, p < 0.05) were confirmed to exist. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression showed that some factors including country, number of samples, age and disease situation were the sources of heterogeneity (p < 0.05). Our meta-analysis suggests that the TyG index can diagnose and predict MAFLD patients with good accuracy. The number of studies remains limited, and prospective studies are needed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Epigenetics and Nutritional Epidemiology of Metabolic Diseases

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (9 papers)

Research

Review

Other

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI