Biography:

Prof. Inga Thorsdottir, Board Member in “FENS” Federation of European Nutritrition Societies. Dean of the School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland  2012, Professor in Human Nutrition, University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences (affiliation: Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition (formerly Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science) and Faculty of Nursing).  Dean of the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition from 2008-2012.

Abstract:

Background: There is conflicting evidence regarding the optimal age of introduction of solid food as well as vitamin D supplement use as primary prevention to reduce atopy and allergy.

Objectives: To compare nutrition, including age at solid food introduction and vitamin D as well as growth from infancy to 6 years between IgE sensitized and non-sensitized children.

Methods: In this prospective Icelandic cohort, serum specific IgE-antibodies against food were analyzed at 6 years (cut-off specific IgE≥0.35 kUA/L). Dietary information ≤ 4 months was assessed with a dietary recall, at 5 and 6 months with 1-day food records, and at 12 months and 6 years with 3-day weighed-food records. Weight, length/height and head circumference was measured in infancy and at 6 years. Background variables were gathered from parental questionnaires.

Results: Out of 144 6-year-old children, 14 (10%) were IgE sensitized. At 4 months (17 weeks), 57% IgE sensitized vs. 23% non-sensitized children (p=0.006) had received solid food. From birth to 2 months, IgE sensitized compared to non-sensitized children had greater increase in weight (mean±SD; 2.2±0.4 kg vs. 1.8±0.7 kg, p=0.039) and head circumference (4.9±1.2 cm vs. 4.2±0.7 cm, p=0.017) and at 6 years, IgE sensitized children were more likely overweight or obese (29% vs. 10%, p=0.041). At 12 months, IgE sensitized children had a lower intake of vitamin D (median (25th,75th percentiles); 3.9 μg/d (3.2,7.2) vs. 8.1 μg/d (4.4,12.3), p=0.034) and at 6 years, they were less likely to use vitamin D supplements (23% vs. 56%, p=0.026).

Conclusions: Solid food introduction prior to 4 months, a different growth pattern and less vitamin D intake was associated with increased IgE sensitization. This supports delaying solid food introduction to 4 months and encouraging vitamin D intake from diet or supplements in this population of northern latitude. 

Biography:

Dr. Shabnam Pooya is an assistant professor at California State University Fresni. She received her Ph.D degree focusing on the effects of methyl donor deficiency (Vitamin B12 and Folate) during pregnancy and lactation on myocardial and hepatic tissue metabolism in rats (University of Lorraine, Nany, France). Later as a post-doctoral research fellow at theed Mical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee), she studied Vasculogenesis and brain development biology, neuro-stem cell signaling and metabolism in the department of pediatrics. She also conducted post-doctoral fellow research at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Division of Oncology in brain developmental biology, neuro-stem cell and glial cells signaling and metabolism.

Abstract:

Malnutrition is a serious problem in patients undergoing major surgeries and has direct association with increased morbidity, mortality, length of stay (LOS), increased readmissions and cost of care. Studies suggest several advantage of supplementation with protein or specific amino acids in malnourished patients. Dietary leucine or its metabolite β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) can improve skeletal muscle mass and function by increasing transcriptional level of protein synthase, while other high protein or amino acids like Glutamine or Arginine supplements only provide protein-amino acids pool for patients while body`s preferred fuel during metabolic stress is endogens protein, rather than exogenous diet.

In this study we seeked to achieve two distinct goals:

1) Determine the patients’ nutritional status before and after major surgeries by baseline and subsequent nutritional assessments, according to ASPEN’s criteria. In addition, we were going to use indirect calorimetry to determine the Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) in different phases of pre- and postoperative periods. We also propose to compare different serum protein markers and their ratios in order to correlate them with ASPEN’s criteria for nutritional status quantification. In Summary, three discrete tools including: ASPEN’s criteria, indirect calorimetry and serum biomarkers are going to be used in conjunction with each other to delineate the patients’ nutritional status in various pre- and post-operative periods.

2) Patients undergoing major surgeries were supplemented with high protein with ß-hydroxy ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) (Ensure, Envile) or HMB only as a control, in order to improve their nutritional status and improve post-operative outcomes. We looked for depict meaningful improvements in surgical outcomes by nutritional supplementation with or without HMB.

Biography:

Abstract:

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder with established, well-defined precursors. Obesity and insulin resistance are amongst most important factors in predisposition to diabetes. Rice is a staple for about half the global population and its consumption has been strongly linked with diabetogenesis. We assert that tackling the prevalence of predisposing factors by modifying certain rice cultivars could reduce the global burden of obesity and insulin resistance, and by extension type 2 diabetes. Several rice cultivars with various properties were fed to nulliparous rats (five weeks old at the start of the experiment) for 90 days. They were then returned to a diet of standard pellets and mated with males raised on a standard diet. The resulting pups and dams were investigated for obesity and insulin resistance markers. We found that germination did more to reduce predisposition to obesity and insulin resistance than high amylose content. The combined reducing effect of germination and high amylose content on predisposition to obesity and insulin resistance was greater than the sum of their independent effects. Polished (white) rice with a low amylose content predisposed dams on a high-fat diet to markers of insulin resistance and obesity and this predisposition was inherited by their F1 offspring. Overall, the results suggest that harnessing the beneficial properties of germination and amylose in rice would reduce the burden of obesity and insulin resistance, which are known to be key risk factors for development of type 2 diabetes.

Biography:

Abstract:

Background: Nutrition support have undergone total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in postoperative patients in decades, Recent studies have elaborated that early enteral nutrition (EEN) have advantages in reducing the incidence of postoperative complications, however, Some studies have claimed that EEN is insignificant or even negative in decreasing complication morbidity rates after abdominal surgery;  thus, the role of EN remains debatable. However, current evidence is limited and controversial. To determine the safety and effectiveness of EN for patients after PD, we therefore performed an up-to-date meta-analysis to EN versus PN routes after pancreaticoduodenectomy including all randomized clinical trials .

Methods: Eligible studies in the PUBMED, the Cochrane Library and Embase were retrieved. Fixed-effect model or random-effects model was used via State 12.0 software, and P<0.05 indicated statistical significance. Calculation for dichotomous variables was carried out using the risk ratio (RR) and their 95% CI as the summary statistic.

Results: Six randomized controlled trial with 866 patients were included, in which 435 patients underwent early EN and 431 patients underwent parenteral nutrition routes following PD. In the EN versus PN routes, the postoperative Nutritional Index the level of serum albumin increased in the late postoperative days, and there is significant difference between two groups(mean difference, -0.29; 95 % CI, −0.47 to -0.11; P=0.002), and there is significant difference in hospital stay (mean difference, -0.29; 95 % CI, −0.56 to -0.02; P=0.038), but no significant difference could be found in delayed gastric emptying ( relative risk (RR) 0.94; 95 % CI, 0.71–1.24; P=0.66), postoperative infection( relative risk (RR) 0.88; 95 % CI, 0.68–1.13; P=0.31), pancreatic fistulas ( relative risk (RR) 1.22; 95 % CI, 0.88–1.70; P=0.231), gastrointestinal bleeding( relative risk (RR) 0.83; 95 % CI, 0.55–1.25; P=0.37), mortality( relative risk (RR) 1.41; 95 % CI, 0.61–3.23; P=0.423).

Conclusions: Our results revealed that EN has advantages in improving early term postoperative nutritional status, reducing hospital stay, and postoperative EN is safe and well tolerated, and shows no negative effect on postoperative complications. It is recommended that the routine postoperative enteral nutrition for patients undergoing PD is beneficial. Future large-scale, high-quality, multicenter trials are still required to clarify the issues of EN in patients undergoing PD.

Biography:

Abstract:

Lysine is one of the essential amino acids lacking in cereal based diets. It is known to be the most limiting and therefore determines the quality of dietary protein. This study investigated the effect of lysine supplementation on blood pressure of hypertensive adults in two peri-urban communities. The study was a randomized double-blind controlled study made up of adults men and women assigned to a lysine supplemented group and a placebo-supplemented (control) group. The subjects aged between 18-45 years and totaling 180. Total of 50 (28%) of the participating were hypertensive defined as Systolic Blood Pressure of ≥140mmHg. The mean SBP of lysine-supplemented group significantly dropped from 146.11±11.93 to 124.95±10.44 mmHg (p=0.02). That of women also dropped from 144.12±10.41 to 138.38±10.69 mmHg, (p=0.06) while the control group had their SBP remained fairly constant after 112 days of intervention with changes in men from 145.79±12.56 to 142.79±11.07 mmHg (p=0.32) and women in the control had very little drop from 145.15±14.79 to 145.00±17.93 mmHg (p=0.96). It could be concluded that, lysine supplementation resulted in normalization/reduction of blood pressure of hypertensive subjects. 

Biography:

Linda Fabea, a 22year old graduate from University of Ghana, department of Nutrition and Food Science. I am currently a research and teaching assistant at the department of Nutrition and Food science, University of Ghana under the direct supervision of Dr. Frederick Vuvor. I have coauthored few articles however, two have been published recently. Also, I have made one presentation at the 3^rd National Food Hygiene, safety and sanitation conference held in Ghana. I am aspiring to be a renowned research scientist and a medical doctor. 

Abstract:

Statement of Problem: Soft drinks are non-alcoholic beverages that contain carbon dioxide, sweeteners and various functional agents. Studies have revealed that too much soft drink consumption in adolescents have been associated with high risk of overweight, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers. This study sought to assess the knowledge, practice and perception of taking soft drinks with meal among students of Junior High School. Methodology & Theoretical orientation: The study involved 273 students aged between 10-16 years old. WHO Step-wise questionnaire was modified to gather all data. Association between the knowledge, practice, body mass index (BMI) and metabolic effects were determined. Findings: About 1 out of every 4 students (22.2%) had no knowledge that sugar was the major constituent in most soft drinks. About 58.4% of the students were aware of health implications of taking soft drinks with meal and about 46.5% of them mentioned an increase in body weight as an implication of taking soft drinks. About 30.3% of the students were undernourished, 51.0% were of normal weight, while 18.6% were overweight. On the average JHS students take soft drinks with meal at least once in a week. They perceived the practice to be unhealthy and they practice it because it is nice. Conclusion & significance: Majority of the adolescents have some knowledge on the negative health effects of the practice (consuming soft drinks along with meal), but this did not deter them. However, the prevalence of overweight/obese was unacceptably high. This calls for immediate in-depth research across the world as well as the development of interventions to end this practice since the supposed reason for the practice has been disproved.