BMC Nutrition最新文献

{"title":"Effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on the recovery of hospitalized burn patients: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.","authors":"Elahe Ghadimi, Roozbeh Rahbar, Elham Jafarzade, Anahita Mansoori","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01024-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01024-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Burn patients, due to their damaged skin, may not be able to synthesize vitamin D. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the recovery of hospitalized burn patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifty-four patients participated in a randomized controlled trial. Eighteen patients were randomly assigned to group C (control, received gelatin soft gel as placebo), 18 patients to group D₁ (received 1000 IU/day vitamin D), and 18 patients to group D₂ (received 3000 IU/day vitamin D). After supplementation, wound biopsy and blood samples were obtained from the patients. Weight, height, 25(OH)D level, wound healing, scar formation, quality of pain, and blood parameters were evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were no significant differences in the serum vitamin D levels between the groups at admission (P = 0.52), and 81.5% of the participants were deficient, with a noteworthy increase during study in supplemented groups (P < 0.001). The Bates-Jensen Wound Assessment Tool demonstrated significant differences in wound healing between the C group and the D₁ and D₂ groups (P = 0.003), and the supplemented groups experienced greater improvement. The D₂ group showed significant differences in thickness and total score on the Vancouver scar scale up to three months after discharge (P = 0.03). Moreover, there was a notable decrease in insulin requirements and the number of injected insulin units in the supplemented groups compared with those in group C (P = 0.006 and P = 0.01, respectively). In addition, shorter hospitalization was observed in group D₂ (P = 0.04).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Supplementation with vitamin D at doses of 1000 and 3000 IU/day improved wound healing and decreased scar thickness as well as exogenous insulin requirements. Overall, at 3000 IU/day, better results were achieved than at 1000 IU/day.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This article is registered in 24/04/2020 on the Iranian Randomized Clinical Trials Registry (trial registration number (IRCT, code: IRCT20200420047141N1.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11808953/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143391875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of resveratrol supplementation on serum concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, fibroblast growth factor 21, and adiponectin in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.","authors":"Laleh Farzin, Elahe Mansouri, Shiva Salehi, Emma Baker, Farshad Amirkhizi, Somayyeh Asghari","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-00997-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-00997-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disorder which may progress from simple steatosis to liver failure. Patients with NAFLD have higher levels of systemic inflammation. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects through various mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of resveratrol supplementation on serum levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), adiponectin, fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) as well as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with NAFLD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this double-blind randomized controlled trial, 50 adults with NAFLD aged 20-60 years were allocated into two groups; the intervention and the placebo group received two capsules per day each containing 300 mg resveratrol and placebo, respectively. Fasting blood samples and anthropometric measurements were collected for all patients at baseline and at the end of the trial. Cges in the outcomes were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After 12 weeks of intervention, resveratrol supplementation did not cause significant changes in serum levels of liver enzymes including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) compared to the control group. No significant differences were observed in the serum levels of PAI-1, adiponectin, FGF-21, and hs-CRP between the two groups at the end of the study.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Resveratrol supplementation for 12 weeks did not show favorable effects on serum levels of liver enzymes, PAI-1, adiponectin, FGF-21, and hs-CRP.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT201511233664N16) (2016-02-08).</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11809030/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143391859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of melatonin supplementation on oxidative stress, and inflammatory biomarkers in diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Sara Sadeghi, Amirahmad Nassiri, Monir Sadat Hakemi, Fatemeh Hosseini, Fatemeh Pourrezagholie, Fatemeh Naeini, Aylar Nadiri Niri, Hossein Imani, Hamed Mohammadi","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01026-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01026-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive illness linked to higher rates of morbidity and death. One of the main causes of CKD is diabetes mellitus (DM), and oxidative stress is essential to the disease's development. It has been demonstrated that the natural antioxidant melatonin reduces inflammation and oxidative damage in renal tissues. Given the lack of robust evidence, this double-blind clinical trial sought to investigate the effects of melatonin supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in diabetic CKD patients.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This trial included 41 diabetic patients with CKD (stages 3-4) from Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran. For ten weeks, participants were randomized to receive either a placebo or 5 mg of melatonin twice a day. Baseline characteristics, dietary intake, physical activity, and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Oxidative stress (TAC, TOS, MDA) and inflammatory markers (IL-6, hs-CRP) were measured before and after the intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, with significance set at p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The 10-week trial was completed by 41 participants in total, and no adverse effects were noted. Dietary intake, physical activity, and anthropometric parameters did not significantly differ between the melatonin and control groups in baseline characteristics. Melatonin supplementation decreased oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers, including hs-CRP, MDA, TOS, and IL-6. However, these changes were not statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study showed that melatonin supplementation did not significantly affect oxidative stress or inflammatory markers, including TAC, TOS, MDA, IL-6, and hs-CRP, in diabetic patients with CKD. Despite a decrement in TOS, MDA, IL-6, and hs-CRP levels after 10 weeks, this was not statistically significant. Further studies with larger sample sizes, greater dosages, and longer follow-up periods are recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11806795/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143374897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining differences in exposure to digital marketing of unhealthy foods reported by Canadian children and adolescents in two policy environments.","authors":"Laura Vergeer, Carolina Soto, Mariangela Bagnato, Elise Pauzé, Ashley Amson, Tim Ramsay, Dana Lee Olstad, Vivian Welch, Monique Potvin Kent","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01019-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01019-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There has been relatively little research on youth's exposure to food marketing on digital media, which is important as new digital platforms emerge and youth spend more time online. Evidence evaluating different policy approaches to restricting digital food marketing to children is also limited. This study examined differences in self-reported exposure to digital food marketing between children and adolescents in different policy environments: Ontario (where food marketing is self-regulated) and Quebec (where advertising is government regulated).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An observational cross-sectional online survey was conducted in April 2023 among children (aged 10-12 years) and adolescents (13-17 years) from Ontario and Quebec, recruited by Leger Marketing. Participants self-reported their frequency of exposure to food marketing via various digital platforms and marketing techniques. Logistic regression and proportional odds models examined differences in exposure by province and age group, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and digital device usage.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The odds of reporting more frequent exposure to marketing of sugary drinks (OR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.69), sugary cereals (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.86), salty/savoury snacks (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.96), fast food (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.92), and desserts/sweet treats (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.78) were lower among Quebec children than Ontario children. Quebec children were less likely than Ontario children (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.84), but more likely than Quebec adolescents (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.42), to report exposure to unhealthy food marketing on one or more gaming/TV/music streaming platform/website(s). Compared with Ontario children, Quebec children were less likely to report exposure to marketing featuring characters or child/teenage actors (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.76), child-appealing subjects, themes and language (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.89), and visual design, audio and special effects (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.99), and to report exposure to a greater number of marketing techniques (OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.84).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Exposure to unhealthy food marketing on digital media is high for youth from Ontario and Quebec, particularly for Ontario children. These findings reinforce the need for federal regulations to protect Canadian youth from unhealthy food marketing on digital media.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"32"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11806838/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143371250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary and lifestyle patterns identified through reduced rank regression and their association with insulin-related disorders: a prospective analysis from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.","authors":"Ebrahim Mokhtari, Hossein Farhadnejad, Farshad Teymoori, Mitra Kazemi Jahromi, Mehrnaz Nikkhah, Parvin Mirmiran, Fereidoun Azizi","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01022-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01022-4","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Since foods are consumed in combinations that also interact with other lifestyle variables such as body mass index(BMI) and physical activity, it is difficult to separate the role of single foods or a lifestyle variable alone in predicting the risk of chronic diseases such as metabolic disorders. Therefore, a suitable way to examine the combined effect of food consumption and its interaction with other lifestyle variables is to derive dietary patterns and lifestyle patterns using appropriate statistical methods. This study aimed to derive two dietary and lifestyle patterns related to hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance(IR) using reduced rank regression(RRR) analysis.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;The current study was conducted on 1063 individuals aged ≥ 25 years old of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study who have complete data on fasting blood sugar, plasma insulin, anthropometric variables, and nutritional intakes. Dietary intakes were collected using a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary and lifestyle patterns were identified via RRR analysis, using 34 food groups, BMI, smoking, and physical activity as predictor variables, and fasting serum insulin and HOMA-IR as response biomarkers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;RRR derived a dietary pattern with a higher intake of processed meat, doogh, pickles, lemon juices, fish, and a lower intake of starchy vegetables, garlic and onion, dried fruits, nuts, red meat, dairy products, and coffee as predictive variables for IR and hyperinsulinemia. Also, RRR derived a lifestyle pattern based on the above-mentioned dietary pattern and high BMI as response variables. In the final adjusted model of cross-sectional analysis, the odds of hyperinsulinemia(OR:1.23,95%CI:1.08-1.41,P&lt;sub&gt;trend&lt;/sub&gt;=0.002) and IR(OR:1.52,95%CI:1.25-1.86,P&lt;sub&gt;trend&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;0.001) were elevated with increasing each quartile of RRR-derived dietary pattern score. Also, a higher adherence to RRR-derived lifestyle pattern was associated with higher odds of hyperinsulinemia(OR:2.49,95%CI:2.14-2.88,P&lt;sub&gt;trend&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;0.001) and IR(OR:3.20,95%CI:2.50-4.10,P&lt;sub&gt;trend&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;0.001). Moreover, after three years of follow-up, the risk of hyperinsulinemia(OR:1.30,95%CI:1.08-1.56,P&lt;sub&gt;trend&lt;/sub&gt;=0.006) and IR(OR:1.26,95%CI:1.01-1.58,P&lt;sub&gt;trend&lt;/sub&gt;=0.037) incidence were increased per each quartile increase of the RRR-derived lifestyle pattern.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Our findings suggested that a dietary pattern and lifestyle with elevated BMI level, higher consumption of processed meat, doogh, pickles, lemon juices, and fish, and lower consumption of starchy vegetables, garlic and onion, dried fruits, nuts, red meat, dairy products, coffee may be associated with a higher risk of hyperinsulinemia and IR. It is suggested that further studies with a larger sample size and more extended follow-up duration, especially in other populations with different lifestyles and food habits be performed to c","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11806578/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143371240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of probiotic and prebiotics supplementation on hemoglobin levels and iron absorption among women of reproductive age and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Aditi Apte, Ashwini Parge, Radhika Nimkar, Anju Sinha","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01015-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01015-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This review aims to assess the effect of oral administration of probiotics and/or prebiotics in children and women of reproductive age (WRA) to improve intestinal iron absorption, hemoglobin, and ferritin levels.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Randomized controlled trials from published literature on probiotics and or prebiotics for prevention or treatment of anemia as a supplement or fortification in children or WRA till Jan 31, 2023, were included. Studies on probiotics and prebiotics in patients with anemia due to other causes were excluded. Screening and data extraction was done using Distiller SR and meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.4.1.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1925 records were identified from Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane, of which 29 were included in the systematic review (14 supplementation and 15 fortification studies; 15 studies in children and 14 studies in WRA). The major interventions included galacto-oligosaccharide, inulin, heat-killed H61, Lactobacillus plantarum 299v, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus acidophilus. Meta-analysis of 5 studies in WRA showed that the use of prebiotics and/or probiotics with or without iron was associated with little or no effect on hemoglobin. However, there is low certainty of evidence that the intervention led to improvement in fractional absorption of iron as compared to placebo or iron [8 studies, n = 335, mean increase 0.74%, 95%CI-0.11-1.38, p = 0.02]. Meta-analysis of 6 studies in WRA using prebiotics and/or probiotics with or without iron led to a significant increase in ferritin levels in WRA (mean increase 2.45 ng/ml, 95% CI 0.61-4.3, p = 0.009, n = 320) [Moderate certainty of evidence]. In children, meta-analysis of up to 8 studies did not result in any significant change in hemoglobin, ferritin and fractional iron absorption [low or very low certainty of evidence].</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There is some evidence to show that the use of prebiotics or probiotics (especially Lp299v and GOS) with or without oral iron can improve iron absorption in women and lead to improvement in ferritin levels in women. However, the current evidence does not conclusively show the benefit of these interventions in improving hemoglobin levels in women and children.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"31"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11803929/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143371242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The policy and practice of establishing healthy eating in preschool children in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina: a qualitative study.","authors":"S Stojisavljevic, B Djikanovic, D Stojisavljevic, D Manigoda, J Niskanovic","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01017-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01017-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Healthy eating in preschools is a very important but challenging goal that can benefit from an adequate institutional and system approach. Five years ago, the Ministry of Education and Culture in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, adopted a policy for healthy eating in preschools in the form of a rulebook and standards, whose use was not mandatory. The aim of this research was to determine the practices, perceptions, and experiences of preschool personnel related to the implementation of the abovementioned rulebook and standards.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We applied a qualitative research method and conducted six focus groups: three with teachers (n = 37) and three with managers in preschools (n = 19). The qualitative data were analyzed according to the Framework Method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that the practice of healthy eating in public preschool settings involves a certain number of facilitators and ongoing challenges. While there are no doubts that the existing rulebook and standards are facilitating efforts in establishing healthy eating in preschools, their implementation has not been an easy-going process, and they have encountered resistance that has appeared at several levels. The participants perceived cookers as resistant and \"old-fashioned\" in preparing meals, which was found to be a significant challenge that requires education training and ongoing supervision with support. Experiences with limited financial resources and rigid public procurement procedures make it difficult to obtain desired food items. All the participants agreed that long-term commitment is needed to achieve the full implementation of policy recommendations, together with tripartite and convergent education programs for personnel, parents, and children.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Promoting proper nutrition in preschools requires a holistic approach that addresses both feasibility and attitudes toward policies, continuous education for staff, creative strategies for implementing new eating habits, and overcoming financial challenges. Collaboration with parents and community stakeholders is crucial in creating a supportive environment for healthy eating habits in preschool settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"30"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11800632/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143365884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesizing the impact of armed conflicts on food security, livelihoods and social dynamics in Amhara region, Ethiopia.","authors":"Jemal Hassen Muhyie, Desalegn Yayeh, Seblewongiel Ayenalem Kidanie, Wubshet Asnake Metekia, Temesgen Tilahun","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01013-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01013-5","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Armed conflicts cause food insecurity and famine by triggering the disruption and destruction of food systems. The conflict that erupted in northern Ethiopia lasted from 2020 to 2022 and affected millions of people. This resulted in severe damage to the food security, livelihoods and social dynamics of communities in the Amhara region.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;This study synthesized the impact of the conflict in northern Ethiopia on food security, livelihoods and social dynamics livelihoods in there zones, South Wello, North Wello and North Shewa zones of the Amhara Region. The conflict management response and the scope of humanitarian assistance are also analyzed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;The study used a qualitative case study design. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and observation. Data were collected from local authorities, representatives of displaced people, government and non-government officials who responded to the crisis and from the community members who were directly affected by the conflict. The primary data were supplemented by a review of reports from credible secondary sources. The research used thematic and narrative analysis techniques to synthesize the impact of armed conflicts on food security, livelihoods, and social dynamics in Amhara region, Ethiopia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Over 5.5 million people found to be affected by acute food insecurity and over half a million people were internally displaced due to the Northern conflict. The monetary value of the damage caused by the armed conflict is estimated at $500 million, due to the damage to basic services and the loss of 14 million quintals of agricultural production. The conflict has disrupted food systems by damaging agricultural infrastructure, causing market distortions and causing food shortages. Livelihoods were threatened by the loss of jobs and the destruction of private and municipal property. The destruction of the basic infrastructure such as health, water and sanitation, agriculture and market institutions inevitably have lasting negative impacts on the overall productivity of the community. Communities' religious and traditional values, informal social networks ​​are affected by the impact of armed conflict, complicating communities' reconstruction efforts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion and recommendation: &lt;/strong&gt;The northern armed conflict has significant negative impacts on the food security, livelihoods and social dynamics of people in the Amhara region. Recognizing the multiple impacts of conflict livelihoods in the region is a critical step in developing effective responses. Government, non-governmental organizations, and community-based institutions should play a crucial role in building community resilience and support post-conflict reconstruction efforts. Future studies can capitalize on this qualitative finding and could design a large scale asse","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"29"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11789359/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143123822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between the health promotion levy and employment in South Africa: an interrupted time series analysis.","authors":"Chengetai Dare, Micheal Kofi Boachie, Susan Goldstein, Evelyn Thsehla","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01012-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01012-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The production and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have been increasing over the past years, globally. However, there is overwhelming evidence linking SSBs to the rising prevalence in obesity and its comorbidities. In South Africa, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is high and is among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. In response to rising prevalence in obesity and its comorbidities, on 1 April 2018 the South African government introduced an SSB tax, known as the Health Promotion Levy (HPL). However, the levy has been opposed by the sugar industry, claiming that it leads to jobs losses. Against this backdrop, this study seeks to investigate the association between the HPL and employment in the sugar industry.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We employed single-group interrupted time series analyses using the Quarterly Labour Force Survey data from Statistics South Africa.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our results show that the HPL has not been associated with job losses (or generation) in the sugar-related industries in South Africa. These findings are consistent with the findings on the effects of SSB taxes on employment in other jurisdictions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Considering that the HPL does not impede employment, and the overwhelming evidence on the effectiveness of SSB taxes, together with the relatively low tax burden, it is imperative that the government raises the HPL from the current 8% of the retail price to the WHO-recommended 20% threshold. The government should also consider expanding the HPL to fruit juices. Such strategies are important in encouraging people to reduce the intake of SSBs, while enabling the government to raise additional revenue for the fiscus.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"28"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11786339/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143075854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the impact of genetic factors and fatty acid quality on visceral and overall Fat levels in overweight and obese women: a genetic risk score study.","authors":"Niloufar Rasaei, Atefeh Tavakoli, Saba Mohammadpour, Mehdi Karimi, Alireza Khadem, Azam Mohamadi, Seyedeh Fatemeh Fatemi, Fatemeh Gholami, Khadijeh Mirzaei","doi":"10.1186/s40795-024-00953-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-024-00953-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Recent studies suggest a link between dietary fat quality and obesity. Genetic risk scores (GRS) can predict obesity risk based on genetic factors. This study investigates how GRS and fatty acid quality affect visceral adiposity index (VAI) and body adiposity index (BAI) in overweight and obese women.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, 278 overweight and obese women (aged 18-58) participated. We have used a comprehensive food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to evaluate dietary intake and the fatty acids quality indexes. We have employed standard methods to measure biochemical factors, anthropometrics, and physical activity levels. Finally, the GRS was created by combining three SNPs [CAV-1 (rs3807992), Cry-1 (rs2287161), and MC4R (rs17782313)].</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study found that there was no significant association between the quality of fat intake (as measured by CSI score and N6/N3 score) and VAI or BAI in both crude (B = 70.70, SE = 35.14, CI:1.81-139.55, P = 0.04) and adjusted models (B = 93.67, SE = 39.28, CI:16.68-17.68, P = 0.01). CSI provides information on cholesterol and saturated fats. However, there was a notable interaction between the GRS and the N6/N3 score on VAI, suggesting that obese women with high obesity-related SNPs who consumed foods with a higher ratio of N6/N3 fatty acids tended to have an increased VAI.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study shows; that eating more food sources containing a higher ratio of N6/N3 may be the reason for the increase in VAI in obese women who have high obesity-related SNPs and emphasizes the matter of personalized nutrition in obesity issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"27"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783743/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143068389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}