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nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2507 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | mTORC1 activity as a determinant of cancer risk--rationalizing the cancer-preventive effects of adiponectin, metformin, rapamycin, and low-protein ...
Increased plasma levels of adiponectin, metformin therapy of diabetes, rapamycin administration in transplant patients, and lifelong consumption of low-protein plant-based diets have all been linked to decreased risk for various cancers. These benefits may be mediated, at least in part, by down-regulated activity of the mTORC1 complex, a key regulator of protein translation. By boosting the effective availability of the translation initiator eIF4E, mTORC1 activity promotes the translation of a number of "weak" mRNAs that code for proteins, often up-regulated in cancer, that promote cellular proliferation, invasiveness, and angiogenesis, and that abet cancer promotion and chemoresistance by opposing apoptosis. Measures which inhibit eIF4E activity, either directly or indirectly, may have utility not only for cancer prevention, but also for the treatment of many cancers in which eIF4E drives malignancy. Since eIF4E is overexpressed in many cancers, strategies which target eIF4E directly--some of which are now being assessed clinically--may have the broadest efficacy in this regard. Many of the "weak" mRNAs coding for proteins that promote malignant behavior or chemoresistance are regulated transcriptionally by NF-kappaB and/or Stat3, which are active in a high proportion of cancers; thus, regimens concurrently targeting eIF4E, NF-kappaB, and Stat3 may suppress these proteins at both the transcriptional and translational levels, potentially achieving a very marked reduction in their expression. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-5239 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Leucine signaling in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and obesity
Epidemiological evidence points to increased dairy and meat consumption, staples of the Western diet, as major risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). This paper presents a new concept and comprehensive review of leucine-mediated cell signaling explaining the pathogenesis of T2D and obesity by leucine-induced over-stimulation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). mTORC1, a pivotal nutrient-sensitive kinase, promotes growth and cell proliferation in response to glucose, energy, growth factors and amino acids. Dairy proteins and meat stimulate insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling and provide high amounts of leucine, a primary and independent stimulator for mTORC1 activation. The downstream target of mTORC1, the kinase S6K1, induces insulin resistance by phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1, thereby increasing the metabolic burden of β-cells. Moreover, leucine-mediated mTORC1-S6K1-signaling plays an important role in adipogenesis, thus increasing the risk of obesity-mediated insulin resistance. High consumption of leucine-rich proteins explains exaggerated mTORC1-dependent insulin secretion, increased β-cell growth and β-cell proliferation promoting an early onset of replicative β-cell senescence with subsequent β-cell apoptosis. Disturbances of β-cell mass regulation with increased β-cell proliferation and apoptosis as well as insulin resistance are hallmarks of T2D, which are all associated with hyperactivation of mTORC1. In contrast, the anti-diabetic drug metformin antagonizes leucine-mediated mTORC1 signaling. Plant-derived polyphenols and flavonoids are identified as natural inhibitors of mTORC1 and exert anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects. Furthermore, bariatric surgery in obesity reduces increased plasma levels of leucine and other branched-chain amino acids. Attenuation of leucine-mediated mTORC1 signaling by defining appropriate upper limits of the daily intake of leucine-rich animal and dairy proteins may offer a great chance for the prevention of T2D and obesity, as well as other epidemic diseases of civilization with increased mTORC1 signaling, especially cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, which are frequently associated with T2D. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2509 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Amino acid sensing in dietary-restriction-mediated longevity: roles of signal-transducing kinases GCN2 and TOR
DR (dietary restriction), or reduced food intake without malnutrition, is associated with extended longevity, improved metabolic fitness and increased stress resistance in a wide range of organisms. DR is often referred to as calorie restriction, implying that reduced energy intake is responsible for its widespread and evolutionarily conserved benefits. However, recent data indicate dietary amino acid restriction as a key mediator of DR benefits. In fruitflies, an imbalance in essential amino acid intake is thought to underlie longevity benefits of DR. In mammals, reduced dietary protein or essential amino acid intake can extend longevity, improve metabolic fitness and increase stress resistance. In the present paper we review two evolutionarily conserved signal transduction pathways responsible for sensing amino acid levels. The eIF2α (eukaryotic initiation factor 2α) kinase GCN2 (general amino acid control non-derepressible 2) senses the absence of one or more amino acids by virtue of direct binding to uncharged cognate tRNAs. The presence of certain amino acids, such as leucine, permits activation of the master growth regulating kinase TOR (target of rapamycin). These two signal transduction pathways react to amino acid deprivation by inhibiting general protein translation while at the same time increasing translation of specific mRNAs involved in restoring homoeostasis. Together, these pathways may contribute to the regulation of longevity, metabolic fitness and stress resistance. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2519 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Caloric restriction in humans: potential pitfalls and health concerns.
To date, the only intervention that has consistently been shown to slow the rate of aging, and to increase mean and maximum lifespan in short-lived species, is life-long calorie restriction. It is yet unclear whether long-term calorie restriction in longer lived species (i.e. primates and humans) will have a similar effect. In humans, several studies investigating short-term calorie restriction or "weight loss" programs suggest beneficial outcomes on parameters of cardiovascular disease. Studies on long-term calorie restriction are performed on a self-selected group of human subjects and show similar effects. However, few studies are currently investigating the quality of life and potential pitfalls of long-term calorie restriction in humans. It is likely that some of the physiological and psychological effects of caloric restriction that occur in animals may impact the human life very differently. For certain, calorie restriction has a plethora of health benefits in mammals, such as a reduction in age-related diseases such as cancer. However, despite the "magic" of CR, this intervention in humans may present itself with a number of health concerns, which may not be applicable to or impact the life of experimental animals, but may do so in humans. These potential pitfalls and "side effects" are not clearly addressed in the literature and will be a focus of this review. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2510 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Comparative and meta-analytic insights into life extension via dietary restriction.
Dietary restriction (DR) extends the lifespan of a wide range of species, although the universality of this effect has never been quantitatively examined. Here, we report the first comprehensive comparative meta-analysis of DR across studies and species. Overall, DR significantly increased lifespan, but this effect is modulated by several factors. In general, DR has less effect in extending lifespan in males and also in non-model organisms. Surprisingly, the proportion of protein intake was more important for life extension via DR than the degree of caloric restriction. Furthermore, we show that reduction in both age-dependent and age-independent mortality rates drives life extension by DR among the well-studied laboratory model species (yeast, nematode worms, fruit flies and rodents). Our results suggest that convergent adaptation to laboratory conditions better explains the observed DR-longevity relationship than evolutionary conservation although alternative explanations are possible. © 2012 The Authors. Aging Cell © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2511 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | The Okinawan diet: health implications of a low-calorie, nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich dietary pattern low in glycemic load.
Residents of Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, are known for their long average life expectancy, high numbers of centenarians, and accompanying low risk of age-associated diseases. Much of the longevity advantage in Okinawa is thought to be related to a healthy lifestyle, particularly the traditional diet, which is low in calories yet nutritionally dense, especially with regard to phytonutrients in the form of antioxidants and flavonoids. Research suggests that diets associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases are similar to the traditional Okinawan diet, that is, vegetable and fruit heavy (therefore phytonutrient and antioxidant rich) but reduced in meat, refined grains, saturated fat, sugar, salt, and full-fat dairy products. Many of the characteristics of the diet in Okinawa are shared with other healthy dietary patterns, such as the traditional Mediterranean diet or the modern DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Features such as the low levels of saturated fat, high antioxidant intake, and low glycemic load in these diets are likely contributing to a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and other chronic diseases through multiple mechanisms, including reduced oxidative stress. A comparison of the nutrient profiles of the three dietary patterns shows that the traditional Okinawan diet is the lowest in fat intake, particularly in terms of saturated fat, and highest in carbohydrate intake, in keeping with the very high intake of antioxidant-rich yet calorie-poor orange-yellow root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, and green leafy vegetables. Deeper analyses of the individual components of the Okinawan diet reveal that many of the traditional foods, herbs, or spices consumed on a regular basis could be labeled "functional foods" and, indeed, are currently being explored for their potential health-enhancing properties. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2644 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | p-Nonyl-phenol: an estrogenic xenobiotic released from "modified" polystyrene.
Alkylphenols are widely used as plastic additives and surfactants. We report the identification of an alkylphenol, nonylphenol, as an estrogenic substance released from plastic centrifuge tubes. This compound was extracted with methanol, purified by flash chromatography and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography, and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Nonylphenol induced both cell proliferation and progesterone receptor in human estrogen-sensitive MCF7 breast tumor cells. Nonylphenol also triggered mitotic activity in rat endometrium; this result confirms the reliability of the MCF7 cell proliferation bioassay. The estrogenic properties of alkylphenols, specifically nonylphenols, indicate that the use of plasticware containing these chemicals in experimental and diagnostic tests may lead to spurious results, and these compounds as well as alkylphenol polyethoxylates may also be potentially harmful to exposed humans and the environment at large. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2646 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Do fast foods cause asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema? Global findings from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAA...
BACKGROUND: Certain foods may increase or decrease the risk of developing asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema. We explored the impact of the intake of types of food on these diseases in Phase Three of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. METHODS: Written questionnaires on the symptom prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema and types and frequency of food intake over the past 12 months were completed by 13-14-year-old adolescents and by the parents/guardians of 6-7-year-old children. Prevalence ORs were estimated using logistic regression, adjusting for confounders, and using a random (mixed) effects model. RESULTS: For adolescents and children, a potential protective effect on severe asthma was associated with consumption of fruit ≥3 times per week (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.97; OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.97, respectively). An increased risk of severe asthma in adolescents and children was associated with the consumption of fast food ≥3 times per week (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.49; OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.42, respectively), as well as an increased risk of severe rhinoconjunctivitis and severe eczema. Similar patterns for both ages were observed for regional analyses, and were consistent with gender and affluence categories and with current symptoms of all three conditions. CONCLUSIONS: If the association between fast foods and the symptom prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema is causal, then the findings have major public health significance owing to the rising consumption of fast foods globally. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2651 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Alkylphenols in human milk and their relations to dietary habits in central Taiwan.
The aims of this study were to determine the concentrations of 4-nonylphenol (NP) and 4-octylphenol (OP) in 59 human milk samples and to examine related factors including mothers' demographics and dietary habits. Women who consumed over the median amount of cooking oil had significantly higher OP concentrations (0.98 ng/g) than those who consumed less (0.39 ng/g) (P < 0.05). OP concentration was significantly associated with the consumption of cooking oil (beta = 0.62, P < 0.01) and fish oil capsules (beta = 0.39, P < 0.01) after adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI). NP concentration was also significantly associated with the consumption of fish oil capsules (beta = 0.38, P < 0.01) and processed fish products (beta = 0.59, P < 0.01). The food pattern of cooking oil and processed meat products from factor analysis was strongly associated with OP concentration in human milk (P < 0.05). These determinations should aid in suggesting foods for consumption by nursing mothers in order to protect their infants from NP/OP exposure. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-118 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Alkylphenols in human milk and their relations to dietary habits in central Taiwan.
The aims of this study were to determine the concentrations of 4-nonylphenol (NP) and 4-octylphenol (OP) in 59 human milk samples and to examine related factors including mothers' demographics and dietary habits. Women who consumed over the median amount of cooking oil had significantly higher OP concentrations (0.98 ng/g) than those who consumed less (0.39 ng/g) (P < 0.05). OP concentration was significantly associated with the consumption of cooking oil (beta = 0.62, P < 0.01) and fish oil capsules (beta = 0.39, P < 0.01) after adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI). NP concentration was also significantly associated with the consumption of fish oil capsules (beta = 0.38, P < 0.01) and processed fish products (beta = 0.59, P < 0.01). The food pattern of cooking oil and processed meat products from factor analysis was strongly associated with OP concentration in human milk (P < 0.05). These determinations should aid in suggesting foods for consumption by nursing mothers in order to protect their infants from NP/OP exposure. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2652 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Xeno-estrogenic compounds in precipitation.
The exposure to some chemicals can lead to hormone disrupting effects. Presently, much attention is focused on so-called xeno-estrogens, synthetic compounds that interact with hormone receptors causing a number of reactions that eventually lead to effects related to reproduction and development. The current study was initiated to investigate the presence of a number of such compounds in precipitation as a follow-up on a previous study in which pesticide concentrations in air and precipitation were determined. Rainwater samples were collected at about 50 locations in The Netherlands in a four week period. The samples were analysed for bisphenol-A, alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates, phthalates, flame retardants and synthetic musk compounds. The results clearly indicated the presence of these compounds in precipitation. The concentrations ranged from the low ng l(-1) range for flame retardants to several thousands of ng l(-1) for the phthalates. Bisphenol-A was found in 30% of the samples in concentrations up to 130 ng l(-1), while alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates were found in virtually all locations in concentrations up to 920 ng l(-1) for the individual compounds. Phthalates were by far the most abundant xeno-estrogens in the precipitation samples and were found in every sample. Di-isodecyl phthalate was found in a surprisingly high concentration of almost 100 000 ng l(-1). Polybrominated flame retardants were found in the low ng l(-1) range and generally in less than 20% of the samples. Noticeable was the finding of hexabromocyclododecane, a replacement for the polybrominted diphenyl ethers at one location in a concentration of almost 2000 ng l(-1). Finally, as expected, synthetic musk compounds were detected in almost all samples. This is especially true for the polycyclic musks HHCB and AHTN. Nitro musks were found, but only on a few locations. Kriging techniques were used to calculate precipitation concentrations in between actual sampling locations to produce contour plots for a number of compounds. These plots clearly show located emission sources for a number of compounds such as bisphenol-A, nonylphenol ethoxylate, phthalates and AHTN. On the contrary, the results for HHCB and some phthalates indicated diffuse emission patterns, probably as the result of the use of consumer products containing these compounds. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2653 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Nonylphenol and octylphenol in human breast milk.
Human milk is the most important form of nourishment for newborn children. Its consumption is strongly recommended by health authorities also for other important advantages. Unfortunately, in the last three decades a great number of investigations have shown the occurrence of several environmental contaminants in human milk, especially those with lipophilic properties. This study investigates the presence of nonylphenol, octylphenol (OP), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO) and two octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEOs) (namely OP1EO and OP2EO), in human breast milk of Italian women. NP was the contaminant found at the highest levels with mean concentrations of 32 ng/mL, about two orders of magnitude higher than OP (0.08 ng/mL), OP1EO (0.07 ng/mL) and OP2EO (0.16 ng/mL). In the group of study a positive correlation among fish consumption and levels of NP in the milk was observed, in accordance with the evidence that seafood represents one of the most important sources of exposure to this group of contaminants in Italy. On the basis of the concentrations found in the breast milk samples, a maximum NP daily intake of 3.94 microg/kg/day can be calculated, which is close to the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 5 microg/kg body weight (bw) proposed by the Danish Institute of Safety and Toxicology. In the cases of OP no TDI is available, but its intake is at least six orders of magnitude lower than the NOAEL of 10 mg/kg/day derived from a two generation study on rats. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2655 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Association of dietary soy genistein intake with lung function and asthma control: a post-hoc analysis of patients enrolled in a prospective multicentre clinical trial
Background Broad dietary patterns have been linked to asthma but the relative contribution of specific nutrients is unclear. Soy genistein has important anti-inflammatory and other biological effects that might be beneficial in asthma. A positive association was previously reported between soy genistein intake and lung function but not with asthma exacerbations. Aims To conduct a post-hoc analysis of patients with inadequately controlled asthma enrolled in a prospective multicentre clinical trial to replicate this association. Methods A total of 300 study participants were included in the analysis. Dietary soy genistein intake was measured using the Block Soy Foods Screener. The level of soy genistein intake (little or no intake, moderate intake, or high intake) was compared with baseline lung function (pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)) and asthma control (proportion of participants with an episode of poor asthma control (EPAC) and annualised rates of EPACs over a 6-month follow-up period. Results Participants with little or no genistein intake had a lower baseline FEV1 than those with a moderate or high intake (2.26L vs. 2.53L and 2.47L, respectively; p=0.01). EPACs were more common among those with no genistein intake than in those with a moderate or high intake (54% vs. 35% vs. 40%, respectively; p<0.001). These findings remained significant after adjustment for patient demographics and body mass index. Conclusions In patients with asthma, consumption of a diet with moderate to high amounts of soy genistein is associated with better lung function and better asthma control. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2659 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | European bans on surfactant trigger transatlantic debate.
U.S. and European regulators and researchers disagree over risks of a common class of surfactants. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2661 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates contamination of crustaceans and fishes from the Adriatic Sea (Italy).
This paper presents the results of an investigation on the occurrence of alkylphenols (APs) and their ethoxylates (APEs) in 8 edible marine species from the Adriatic Sea and tries to estimate the corresponding intake for the Italian population. Two crustaceans, Nephrops norvegicus (Norway lobster) and Squilla mantis (spottail mantis shrimp), plus six fish species, Engraulis enchrascicolus (anchovy), Scomber scombrus (Atlantic mackerel), Merluccius merluccius (European hake), Mullus barbatus (red mullet), Solea vulgaris (common sole) and Lophius piscatorius (angler) were analyzed for their content of nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP) and octylphenol polyethoxylates (OPEs). These compounds were found in all analysed samples. NP was detected at the highest concentrations: 118-399 and 9.5-1431 ng g(-1) fresh weight (fw) respectively in crustaceans and fish. OP was found at respective levels of 2.7-4.7 and 0.3-3.8 ng g(-1) fw in crustaceans and fish, whereas OPE was determined at respective concentrations of 1.2-16.8 and 0.2-21.1 ng g(-1) fw in the same species. These results, together with those from a previous study on 4 edible mollusc, allow to estimate respective daily intakes for NP, OP, and OPE of about 12, 0.1, and 0.1 microg day(-1) for an Italian adult living along the Adriatic Coast. In relation to NP and OP, these intakes are much lower than the doses associated with toxic effects in laboratory animals (9 mg kg(-1) bw for rats). Nevertheless, data of exposure from other sources to these chemicals and others with similar biological characteristics are needed. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2662 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Effects of xenoestrogenic environmental pollutants on the proliferation of a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7).
A human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) was used to develop an in vitro screening assay for the detection of xenoestrogenic environmental pollutants. MCF-7 cells were cultured in DMEM containing 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS). An estrogenic response was defined as an increase in the frequency of proliferating MCF-7 cells, and was measured using a thymidine analog, bromodeoxyuridine, and flow cytometry. Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and 4-n-nonylphenol (4-n-NP) were used as model chemicals. The proliferation rate of S-phase cells after 24 h of exposure to various concentrations of 17beta-estradiol and to model compounds was compared with a positive and a negative control, containing 1 nM 17beta-estradiol and 0.1% ethanol, respectively. DEHP and 4-n-NP increased the frequency of proliferating MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The lowest concentration that significantly increased the proliferation of MCF-7 cells was 10 microM for DEHP and 1 microM for 4-n-NP. The results showed that the assay is accurate and quick to perform. It may prove a valuable tool for screening potential estrogen-mimicking environmental pollutants. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-4551 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Maternal meat and fat consumption during pregnancy and suspected atopic eczema in Japanese infants aged 3-4 months: the Osaka Maternal and Child He...
Interest has increased in the possibility that maternal dietary intake during pregnancy might influence the development of allergic disorders in children. The present prospective study examined the association of maternal intake of selected foods high in fatty acids and specific types of fatty acids during pregnancy with the risk of suspected atopic eczema among Japanese infants aged 3-4 months. Subjects were 771 mother-child pairs. Information on maternal dietary intake during pregnancy was assessed with a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. The term 'suspected atopic eczema' was used to define an outcome based on results of our questionnaire completed by mothers 3-4 months postpartum. The risk of suspected atopic eczema was 8.4% (n = 65). Higher maternal intake of meat during pregnancy was significantly associated with an increased risk of suspected atopic eczema in the offspring: the multivariate odds ratio (OR) for the highest vs. lowest quartile was 2.59 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-6.17, p for trend = 0.01]. The positive association was strengthened when the definition of the outcome was confined to a definite physician's diagnosis of atopic eczema (n = 35): the multivariate OR between extreme quartiles was 3.53 (95% CI: 1.19-12.23, p for trend = 0.02). No material exposure-response relationships were observed between maternal intake of eggs, dairy products, fish, total fat, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid and cholesterol and the ratio of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption and the risk of suspected atopic eczema. Higher maternal meat intake may increase the risk of infantile atopic eczema, whereas we found no evidence that maternal intake of fish and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are preventive against infantile atopic eczema. (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2643 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Associated Disorders and Mechanisms of Action
The incidence and/or prevalence of health problems associated with endocrine-disruption have increased. Many chemicals have endocrine-disrupting properties, including bisphenol A, some organochlorines, polybrominated flame retardants, perfluorinated substances, alkylphenols, phthalates, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkylphenols, solvents, and some household products including some cleaning products, air fresheners, hair dyes, cosmetics, and sunscreens. Even some metals were shown to have endocrine-disrupting properties. Many observations suggesting that endocrine disruptors do contribute to cancer, diabetes, obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and infertility are listed in this paper. An overview is presented of mechanisms contributing to endocrine disruption. Endocrine disruptors can act through classical nuclear receptors, but also through estrogen-related receptors, membrane-bound estrogen-receptors, and interaction with targets in the cytosol resulting in activation of the Src/Ras/Erk pathway or modulation of nitric oxide. In addition, changes in metabolism of endogenous hormones, cross-talk between genomic and nongenomic pathways, cross talk with estrogen receptors after binding on other receptors, interference with feedback regulation and neuroendocrine cells, changes in DNA methylation or histone modifications, and genomic instability by interference with the spindle figure can play a role. Also it was found that effects of receptor activation can differ in function of the ligand. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2645 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Reduction in penis size and plasma testosterone concentrations in juvenile alligators living in a contaminated environment.
The development of the male reproductive ducts and external genitalia in vertebrates is dependent on elevated androgen concentrations during embryonic development and the period of postnatal growth. We have observed that a population of juvenile alligators living on Lake Apopka exhibit significantly smaller penis size (24% average decrease) and lower plasma concentrations of testosterone (70% lower concentrations) when compared to animals of similar size on Lake Woodruff. In addition to smaller phalli, no relationship exists between plasma testosterone concentrations and penile size in males from Lake Apopka, whereas a positive relationship exists for males from Lake Woodruff. The alligators on Lake Apopka are known to have elevated concentrations of the antiandrogenic DDT breakdown product p.p'-DDE stored in their fat. We suggest a number of hypotheses that could explain the modification in the phenotype of the juvenile male living in Lake Apopka. These modifications in phenotype include a smaller penis size, lower plasma androgen concentrations, and lack of responsiveness of the penis to the plasma androgens present. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2656 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Effects of intestinal microflora and the environment on the development of asthma and allergy.
The aim of previous research into the causes of allergic diseases, including asthma was mostly to identify potential risk factors in the environment. No major risk factors have been identified, however. Over the past 10 years, focus has, therefore, more been directed towards protective factors that could enhance the development of tolerance to allergens which were previously encountered early in life, but are now lost in modern affluent societies. In particular, the role of childhood infections has been discussed, but so far these studies have not been conclusive. Recent epidemiological studies and experimental research suggest that the microbial environment and exposure to microbial products in infancy modifies immune responses and enhances the development of tolerance to ubiquitous allergens. The intestinal microflora may play a particular role in this respect, as it is the major external driving force in the maturation of the immune system after birth, and animal experiments have shown it to be a prerequisite for normal development of oral tolerance. Recent studies have shown differences in the composition of the microflora between healthy and allergic infants in countries with a high and low prevalence of allergies and between healthy and allergic infants within such countries. These differences are apparent within the first week of life and thus precede clinical symptoms. The use of live microorganisms that might be beneficial to health has a long tradition and the safety is well documented. Very recently, several prospective intervention studies, modifying the gut flora from birth have yielded encouraging results and may suggest a new mode of primary prevention of allergy in the future. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2657 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Increasing prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis: a meta-regression analysis.
BACKGROUND: Japanese cedar pollinosis, caused by the pollen of the Japanese cedar tree (Cryptomeria japonica), is the commonest seasonal allergic disease in Japan. A number of epidemiological surveys have been reported on Japanese cedar pollinosis, but it has never been assessed systematically or quantitatively. To confirm the increasing prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis and related factors, we conducted a meta-regression analysis on population-based surveys in Japan. METHODS: We searched for data from population-based surveys in which serological methods were used to test all participants. Weighted regression of logit-transformed prevalence and sensitization rates were used to evaluate the effects of the year of survey, age, and degree of urbanization. We also analyzed the relationship between prevalence and sensitization rate. RESULTS: Thirty-eight reports with 27 subgroups for prevalence and 134 subgroups for sensitization rate were selected from the literature published in the years between 1986 and 2000. The Japanese cedar pollen sensitization rate was found to be significantly correlated with the year of survey, age, and degree of urbanization (adjusted R(2) = 0.55). The coefficient for the correlation between the prevalence and the sensitization rate revealed a statistically significant correlation (Pearson's r = 0.70, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis among adolescents was predicted to be 28.7% in metropolitan areas and 24.5% in the general population in urban areas in the year 2004, derived from the estimated sensitization rate and the relationship between sensitization rate and prevalence. The prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis increased 2.6-fold between 1980 and 2000, and the prevalence differed considerably according to age and degree of urbanization. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2658 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Alkylphenols--potential modulators of the allergic response.
The prevalence of allergic diseases has increased in recent decades. Allergic diseases, particularly asthma, are complex diseases with strong gene-environment interactions. Epidemiological studies have identified a variety of risk factors for the development of allergic diseases. Among them, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) play an important role in triggering or exacerbating these diseases. 4-Nonylphenol (NP) and 4-octylphenol (OP)--two major alkylphenols--have been recognized as common toxic and xenobiotic endocrine disrupters. Due to their low solubility, high hydrophobicity, and low estrogenic activity, they tend to accumulate in the human body and may be associated with the adverse effects of allergic diseases. Recently, new evidence has supported the importance of alkylphenols in the in vitro allergic response. This review focuses on the effects of alkylphenols on several key cell types in the context of allergic inflammation. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2660 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Trends in nutritional intake and serum cholesterol levels over 40 years in Tanushimaru, Japanese men.
BACKGROUND: Rapid socioeconomic development in Japan since the beginning of the Seven Countries Study in 1958 has brought remarkable changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns. We investigated the relationship between time trends in nutrient intake and serum cholesterol levels in a Japanese cohort of the Seven Countries Study, in Tanushimaru, a typical farming town on Kyushu Island. METHODS: Subjects totaled 628 in 1958, 539 in 1977, 602 in 1982, 752 in 1989, and 402 in 1999, and all of the subjects were men aged 40-64 years. Eating patterns were evaluated by 24-hour dietary recall from 1958 through 1989, and by a food frequency questionnaire in 1999. We also measured serum cholesterol levels in each health examination. RESULTS: The total daily energy intake decreased from 2837 kcal in 1958 to 2202 kcal in 1999. The carbohydrate intake in percentage of total daily energy intake decreased markedly, from 84% in 1958 to 62% in 1999, in contrast to large increases during this period in protein intake (from 11% to 18%) and fat intake (from 5% to 20%). In proportion to the dramatic change in protein and fat intake, serum cholesterol levels showed large increases (from 152.5mg/dl to 194.2 mg/ dL). CONCLUSIONS: In spite of such big dietary changes toward a westernized diet, the incidence of coronary artery disease in a rural Japanese area remains low. However, careful surveillance is needed in the future because of the remarkably increasing intake of fats, especially saturated fatty acids. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2649 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Dietary meat and fat intake and prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in pregnant Japanese women: baseline data from the Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study
Background Dietary fat exerts numerous complex effects on proinflammatory and immunologic pathways. Several epidemiological studies have examined the relationships between intake of fatty acids and/or foods high in fat and allergic rhinitis, but have provided conflicting findings. The current cross-sectional study investigated such relationships in Japan. Methods Study subjects were 1745 pregnant women. The definition of rhinoconjunctivitis was based on criteria from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Information on dietary factors was collected using a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. Adjustment was made for age; gestation; region of residence; number of older siblings; number of children; smoking; secondhand smoke exposure at home and at work; family history of asthma, atopic eczema, and allergic rhinitis; household income; education; and body mass index. Results The prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in the past 12 months was 25.9%. Higher meat intake was significantly associated with an increased prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis: the adjusted odds ratio between extreme quartiles was 1.71 (95% confidence interval: 1.25-2.35, P for trend = 0.002). No measurable association was found between fish intake and rhinoconjunctivitis. Intake of total fat, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, and cholesterol and the ratio of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake were not evidently related to the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis. Conclusions The current results suggest that meat intake may be positively associated with the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis in young adult Japanese women. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2999 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Western diseases and their emergence related to diet.
Many of the commonest diseases in the economically more developed communities are characteristic of modern Western culture. Evidence is presented suggesting that they represent a failure of adaptation to the dramatic changes in diet that have been associated with the emergence of modern Western culture. Dietary changes aimed at the alleviation and prevention of these diseases are discussed and recommended. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2997 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | The Etiological Significance of Related Diseases
If disease patterns emerge which show that certain diseases can be related, this is a valuable pointer to a common cause. This article traces the principle of interpreting disease relationships, illustrated by several common conditions of western civilization, for which the common cause is postulated as being removal of fiber from the diet. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2765 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | The value of current nutrition information.
To prevent or delay the occurrence of chronic diseases, scientific bodies from the cardiologic and oncologic disciplines have made recommendations regarding the daily dietary intake of certain macro- and micronutrients. This study assessed the knowledge of a random population of 2,305 individuals comprising members of the public, health care workers, university graduate students, and health club attendees. Segments of this population might be expected to have a greater understanding and ability to implement these dietary recommendations. We found that over 90% of the participants were unaware of the recommendations for calcium, salt, vitamin A, and fiber, and the fiber content in a high fiber cereal. Approximately 80% of the participants were unaware of the recommendations regarding fat intake and could not calculate the fat content of a food product. Almost half of the study population took a vitamin pill daily. Of the subjects who were aware of the correct unit measurement for vitamin A (IU), almost 25% of gave a response that exceeded the recommended daily intake. A majority of this study population were unaware of the dietary recommendations regarding the prevention of cardiovascular events and cancer. Subgroups of this study population that might be expected to have more information regarding these recommendations (i.e., having higher education or being a health care professional) did not display a satisfactory level of knowledge. To further compound the problems of adhering to the recommended guidelines, the labeling of many food products is misleading. The recommendations on dietary intake and the information on food product content must be transmitted to the public in a form that allows for ready application when purchasing and consuming food. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3001 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Towards a new system of health: the challenge of Western disease.
Over the last three decades, the concept of Western disease has become well established. Medicine has approached this group of diseases by searching for new cures but has achieved relatively little success. We argue that medicine should now accept the failure of this strategy and place a major emphasis on prevention. The key objective is to change the climate of opinion so that prevention is taken seriously by the general population. The chief activity should be a wide ranging public education campaign so as to persuade people to live a healthier lifestyle. Medicine will require restructuring in order to carry out this work. Medical education needs to be reformed so that medical students receive the necessary training. This must be done as part of an integrated approach in which government, industry and medical research all play a major role. Governments should use taxation and subsidies in areas such as food and tobacco so as to shift consumption patterns towards healthier products. Governments must also tighten laws on tobacco sales and advertising, support health education, and improve food labelling. Industry must be made far more responsive to the health needs of the population. This should be done both by public education, so as to alter demand, and by government action. Medical research should change its emphasis from studying the detailed mechanisms of disease ("complex research") to studying the role of lifestyle factors ("simple research"). |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2769 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Milk Intake in Early Life and Risk of Advanced Prostate Cancer
The authors investigated whether early-life residency in certain areas of Iceland marked by distinct differences in milk intake was associated with risk of prostate cancer in a population-based cohort of 8,894 men born between 1907 and 1935. Through linkage to cancer and mortality registers, the men were followed for prostate cancer diagnosis and mortality from study entry (in waves from 1967 to 1987) through 2009. In 2002–2006, a subgroup of 2,268 participants reported their milk intake in early, mid-, and current life. During a mean follow-up period of 24.3 years, 1,123 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 371 with advanced disease (stage 3 or higher or prostate cancer death). Compared with early-life residency in the capital area, rural residency in the first 20 years of life was marginally associated with increased risk of advanced prostate cancer (hazard ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.97, 1.73), particularly among men born before 1920 (hazard ratio = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.56). Daily milk consumption in adolescence (vs. less than daily), but not in midlife or currently, was associated with a 3.2-fold risk of advanced prostate cancer (95% CI: 1.25, 8.28). These data suggest that frequent milk intake in adolescence increases risk of advanced prostate cancer. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2770 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | The experience of Japan as a clue to the etiology of breast and ovarian cancers: relationship between death from both malignancies and dietary prac...
Although breast and ovarian cancers are rare in Japan compared with other developed countries, the death rates for both are increasing. In Japan, dramatic lifestyle changes occurred after World War II. Over the past 50 years (1947-1997), the age-standardized death rates of breast and ovarian cancers increased about 2- and 4-fold, respectively, and the respective intake of milk, meat, and eggs increased 20-, 10-, and 7-fold. The increase in the annual death rates from breast and ovarian cancers might be due to the lifestyle changes (increased consumption of animal-derived food) that occurred after 1945. Among the food, milk and dairy products should receive particular attention since they contain considerable amounts of estrogens. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2771 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Milk consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer in Western countries: evidence from cohort studies.
We have previously found a positive association between milk consumption and prostate cancer risk using meta-analysis to analyze published case-control studies. In the present study, further meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the summary relative risk (RR) between the consumption of milk and dairy products and prostate cancer from cohort studies published between 1966- 2006. We found 18 relevant articles and 13 independent studies were available for our analysis. The summary RR was 1.13 (95% confidence interval = 1.02-1.24) when comparing the highest with the lowest quantile of consumption. The summary RRs by study stratification showed a positive association. A dose-response relationship was identified when combining the studies that partitioned the consumption by quintiles. We also evaluated the effects of some limitations, such as dairy classification, prostate cancer stages and publication bias, in the present study. These findings, together with the previous study, suggest that the consumption of milk and dairy products increases the risk of prostate cancer. This is biologically plausible since milk contains considerable amounts of fat, hormones, and calcium that are associated with prostate cancer risk. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2772 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Milk consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer: meta-analysis of case-control studies.
Prostate cancer has become the most common cancer among men in the United States. Although milk consumption is considered to be a risk factor in some epidemiological studies, the results are inconsistent. A meta-analysis method was conducted to estimate the combined odds ratio (OR) between milk consumption and prostate cancer from case-control studies published between 1984 and 2003 using commercial software (comprehensive meta-analysis). The combined OR was 1.68 (95% confidence interval = 1.34-2.12) in the 11 published case-control studies. The combined OR varied little by study stratification. Additionally, we evaluated the possible risk factors in milk for prostate cancer. In conclusion, we found a positive association between milk consumption and prostate cancer. The underlying mechanisms, including fat, calcium, hormones, and other factors, should be investigated further. Copyright 2004 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2774 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Milk stimulates growth of prostate cancer cells in culture.
Concern has been expressed about the fact that cows' milk contains estrogens and could stimulate the growth of hormone-sensitive tumors. In this study, organic cows' milk and two commercial substitutes were digested in vitro and tested for their effects on the growth of cultures of prostate and breast cancer cells. Cows' milk stimulated the growth of LNCaP prostate cancer cells in each of 14 separate experiments, producing an average increase in growth rate of over 30%. In contrast, almond milk suppressed the growth of these cells by over 30%. Neither cows' milk nor almond milk affected the growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells or AsPC-1 pancreatic cancer cells significantly. Soy milk increased the growth rate of the breast cancer cells. These data indicate that prostate and breast cancer patients should be cautioned about the possible promotional effects of commercial dairy products and their substitutes. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2775 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Incidence and mortality of testicular and prostatic cancers in relation to world dietary practices.
The incidence and mortality rates of testicular and prostatic cancers in 42 countries were correlated with the dietary practices in these countries using the cancer rates (1988-92) provided by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the food supply data (1961-90) provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Among the food items we examined, cheese was most closely correlated with the incidence of testicular cancer at ages 20-39, followed by animal fats and milk. The correlation coefficient (r) was highest (r = 0.804) when calculated for cheese consumed during the period 1961-65 (maternal or prepubertal consumption). Stepwise-multiple-regression analysis revealed that milk + cheese (1961-65) made a significant contribution to the incidence of testicular cancer (standardized regression coefficient [R] = 0.654). Concerning prostatic cancer, milk (1961-90) was most closely correlated (r = 0.711) with its incidence, followed by meat and coffee. Stepwise-multiple-regression analysis identified milk + cheese as a factor contributing to the incidence of prostatic cancer (R = 0.525). The food that was most closely correlated with the mortality rate of prostatic cancer was milk (r = 0.766), followed by coffee, cheese and animal fats. Stepwise-multiple-regression analysis revealed that milk + cheese was a factor contributing to mortality from prostatic cancer (R = 0.580). The results of our study suggest a role of milk and dairy products in the development and growth of testicular and prostatic cancers. The close correlation between cheese and testicular cancer and between milk and prostatic cancer suggests that further mechanistic studies should be undertaken concerning the development of male genital organ cancers. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2882 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Blueberry anthocyanins: protection against ageing and light-induced damage in retinal pigment epithelial cells.
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are vital for retinal health. However, they are susceptible to injury with ageing and exposure to excessive light, including UV (100-380 nm) and visible (380-760 nm) radiation. To evaluate the protective effect of blueberry anthocyanins on RPE cells, in vitro cell models of replicative senescent and light-induced damage were established in the present study. After purification and fractionation, blueberry anthocyanin extracts (BAE) were yielded with total anthocyanin contents of 31·0 (SD 0·5) % and were used in this study. Replicative senescence of RPE cells was induced by repeatedly passaging cells from the fourth passage to the tenth. From the fifth passage, cultured RPE cells began to enter a replicative senescence, exhibiting reduced cell proliferation along with an increase in the number of β-galactosidase-positive cells. RPE cells maintained high cell viability (P < 0·01) and a low (P < 0·01) percentage of β-galactosidase-positive cells when treated with 0·1 μg/ml BAE. In contrast, after exposure to 2500 (SD 500) lx light (420-800 nm) for 12 h, RPE cells in the positive control (light exposure, no BAE treatment) exhibited premature senescence, low (P < 0·01) cell viability and increased (P < 0·01) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) release compared with negative control cells, which were not subjected to light irradiation and BAE exposure. Correspondingly, BAE is beneficial to RPE cells by protecting these cells against light-induced damage through the suppression of ageing and apoptosis as well as the down-regulation of the over-expressed VEGF to normal level. These results demonstrate that BAE is efficacious against senescence and light-induced damage of RPE cells. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2899 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Iris color and macular pigment optical density.
The present study was designed to assess the relationship between iris color and macular pigment optical density. Both melanin and carotenoids (responsible for iris color and macular pigment composition, respectively) appear to protect the retina through similar mechanisms and higher concentrations may reduce the incidence of retinal degenerations. To evaluate this relationship, 95 subjects were examined and the following variables were measured: iris color; macular pigment optical density (MP); plasma concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin and beta-carotene; dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin and beta-carotene; and total fat intake. Iris color was determined by self assessment and classified as blue or gray (group I), green or hazel (group II) or brown or black (group III). MP density was measured psychophysically by measuring foveal and parafoveal sensitivities to lights of 460 and 550 nm, using the method of heterochromatic flicker photometry. Plasma carotenoid concentrations were measured using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Dietary intake was determined by a detailed food-frequency questionnaire. Despite similarities in diet and in blood concentrations of carotenoids, significant differences in macular pigment density (P < 0.02) were found for different colored irises (group I, n = 38, MP = 0.25; group II, n = 26, MP = 0.32; group III, n = 31, MP = 0.38). The covariation of iris color and MP indicates that past epidemiologic studies have not adequately determined the independent effects of either factor. The relationship of MP and iris color may be the result of one or two factors: the evolution of a shared tendency to accumulate melanin and carotenoids due to similar environmental pressures (e.g. light and oxygen); and/or MP might be depleted due to the tendency for eyes with light irises to transmit more light than eyes with dark irises, thus causing increased oxidative stress. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2894 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Two-year randomized, placebo-controlled study of black currant anthocyanins on visual field in glaucoma.
AIM: To examine the influence of the black currant anthocyanins (BCACs) on the disease progression of open-angle glaucoma (OAG), a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked trial was made in 38 patients with OAG treated by antiglaucoma drops. METHODS: BCACs (50 mg/day, n = 19) or their placebos (n = 19) were orally administered once daily for a 24-month period. Systemic blood pressure, pulse rates, intraocular pressure (IOP), ocular blood circulation by laser-speckle flowgraphy, and Humphrey visual field mean deviation (MD) were measured during the 24-month period. RESULTS: As a main outcome measurement, we evaluated the difference between the groups in MD deterioration in the eye with a better MD from the trial's baseline through 24 months. A statistically significant difference was observed between the treatment groups in mean change from baseline in MD 24 months after therapy (p = 0.039, unpaired t test). Upon administration of BCACs, the ocular blood flows during the 24-month observational period increased in comparison with placebo-treated patients. However, no significant changes were observed in systemic and ocular conditions including IOP during the 24-month period. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that oral administration of BCACs may be a safe and promising supplement for patients with OAG in addition to antiglaucoma medication. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3136 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Influence of frequent and long-term bean consumption on colonic function and fermentation.
The objective of this study was to determine the influence of frequent and long-term consumption of legume seeds on colonic function. Two groups of subjects were studied--one group habitually consumed legume seeds as part of their normal diet, a second group only infrequently consumed legumes. No differences between these groups could be detected for fecal output and frequency, intestinal transit time, VFA excretion or fecal pH during 23-day study periods in which subjects consumed either their usual diet or 100 g red kidney beans, daily. However, the addition of beans to the diets of both groups provided significantly more dietary fiber, and produced greater fecal output and a higher concentration of VFA in feces. Fecal output appeared to be determined by two independent parameters--dietary fiber intake and VFA excretion. Beans provided a physiologically useful source of dietary fiber and favorably influenced colonic function. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3138 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Perceptions of flatulence from bean consumption among adults in 3 feeding studies
Background Many consumers avoid eating beans because they believe legume consumption will cause excessive intestinal gas or flatulence. An increasing body of research and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans supports the benefits of a plant-based diet, and legumes specifically, in the reduction of chronic disease risks. The purpose of the current research was to investigate the perception of increased flatulence and gastrointestinal discomfort among participants who consumed a ½ cup of beans daily for 8 or 12 weeks. Methods Participants in three studies to test the effects of beans on heart disease biomarkers completed the same weekly questionnaire to assess gastrointestinal discomfort issues such as increased flatulence, stool changes, and bloating. Studies 1 and 2 were randomized crossover trials. Participants consumed ½ cup of pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and canned carrots as control (n = 17) in Study 1 for three randomized 8-week phases. For Study 2, participants ate ½ cup baked beans or canned carrots as control (n = 29) for two randomized 8-week phases. Study 3 was a parallel arm trial with 40 subjects receiving ½ cup pinto beans and 40 consuming a control soup for 12 weeks. Changes in the frequency of perceived flatulence, stool characteristics, and bloating were the primary outcome measures. Chi-square distributions were examined for the presence or absence of symptoms and demographic characteristics to determine differences by gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and bean type. Results Less than 50% reported increased flatulence from eating pinto or baked beans during the first week of each trial, but only 19% had a flatulence increase with black-eyed peas. A small percentage (3-11%) reported increased flatulence across the three studies even on control diets without flatulence-producing components. Conclusions People's concerns about excessive flatulence from eating beans may be exaggerated. Public health nutritionists should address the potential for gastrointestinal discomfort when increasing fiber intake from beans with clients. It is important to recognize there is individual variation in response to different bean types. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3141 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | A bean-free diet increases the risk of all-cause mortality among Taiwanese women: the role of the metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associations with chronic disease risk and mortality of the consequences of bean-free diets in Taiwanese adults with regard to gender. DESIGN: A sub-sample of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in 2001 agreed to physical examination in the subsequent year. This group then took part in the Taiwanese Survey of Hyperglycaemia, Hyperlipidaemia and Hypertension (TwSHHH) in 2002. SETTING: Individual records were linked to the eventual death files from 2002 to 2008. SUBJECTS: Up to the end of 2008, a total of 2820 men and 2950 women were tracked by death registry over the 6·8 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Among 38,077 person-years, an average follow-up 6·5 years, 225 all-cause deaths were identified. Generalized linear models showed beans to be favourable for metabolic syndrome (other than for fasting glucose) in men; in women, beans were favourable for waist circumference and HbA1c. Cumulative logistic regression models for the effect of a bean-free diet on metabolic syndrome scores according to the Taiwanese-modified National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-tw) gave adjusted odds ratios of 1·83 in men and 1·45 in women. Cox regression models for the bean-free diet showed an increased hazard ratio for all-cause mortality among women (1·98, 95% CI 1·03, 3·81) but not men (1·28, 95% CI 0·76, 2·16). CONCLUSIONS: A bean-free diet may play a role in developing the metabolic syndrome in both genders, and is a significant predictor of all-cause mortality in Taiwanese women but not men. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3140 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Legumes: the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities.
To identify protective dietary predictors amongst long-lived elderly people (N= 785), the "Food Habits in Later Life "(FHILL) study was undertaken among five cohorts in Japan, Sweden, Greece and Australia. Between 1988 and 1991, baseline data on food intakes were collected. There were 785 participants aged 70 and over that were followed up to seven years. Based on an alternative Cox Proportional Hazard model adjusted to age at enrollment (in 5-year intervals), gender and smoking, the legume food group showed 7-8% reduction in mortality hazard ratio for every 20g increase in daily intake with or without controlling for ethnicity (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.85-0.99 and RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.87-0.99, respectively). Other food groups were not found to be consistently significant in predicting survival amongst the FHILL cohorts. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3443 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Could dietary seaweed reverse the metabolic syndrome?
Incidence of the metabolic syndrome is increasing worldwide, with notable exceptions of some Asian countries where seaweeds are commonly consumed. 13 men (mean age 47.4+/-9.9 yr) and 14 women (average age 45.6+/-12.2 yr) with at least one symptom of the metabolic syndrome were recruited in Quito Ecuador to a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. Subjects were assigned to either Group 1 (1 m placebo, followed by 1 m 4 g/d seaweed [Undaria pinnatifida]) or Group 2 (1 m of 4 g/d seaweed, followed by 1 m of 6 g/d of seaweed). Blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, inflammation biomarkers, and lipids were measured monthly. Repeated measures analysis of variance with Tukey's multiple comparison tests were used for statistical analysis. In Group 2, systolic blood pressure decreased 10.5 mmHg after a month of 6 g/d seaweed (95% CI: 4.1, 16.8 mmHg; p<0.05), primarily in subjects with high-normal baseline blood pressure. Waist circumference changed only for women participants, with a 2.4 cm decrease in Group 1 after treatment with placebo (95% CI: 1.0, 3.7 cm; p<0.01). In Group 2, women had a mean decrease of 2.1 cm after 4 g/d (95% CI: 0.4, 3.7 cm; p<0.05) and a further 1.8 cm decrease after 1 m 6 g/d seaweed (95 % CI: 0.1, 3.4, p<0.05). No other changes were observed. Consumption of 4 to 6 g/d seaweed, typical for most people in Japan, may be associated with low metabolic syndrome prevalence. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3444 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Iodine and thyroid cancer risk among women in a multiethnic population: the Bay Area Thyroid Cancer Study.
Research on the relationship between iodine exposure and thyroid cancer risk is limited, and the findings are inconclusive. In most studies, fish/shellfish consumption has been used as a proxy measure of iodine exposure. The present study extends this research by quantifying dietary iodine exposure as well as incorporating a biomarker of long-term (1 year) exposure, i.e., from toenail clippings. This study is conducted in a multiethnic population with a wide variation in thyroid cancer incidence rates and substantial diversity in exposure. Women, ages 20-74, residing in the San Francisco Bay Area and diagnosed with thyroid cancer between 1995 and 1998 (1992-1998 for Asian women) were compared with women selected from the general population via random digit dialing. Interviews were conducted in six languages with 608 cases and 558 controls. The established risk factors for thyroid cancer were found to increase risk in this population: radiation to the head/neck [odds ratio (OR), 2.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.97-5.5]; history of goiter/nodules (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.5-5.6); and a family history of proliferative thyroid disease (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.6-3.8). Contrary to our hypothesis, increased dietary iodine, most likely related to the use of multivitamin pills, was associated with a reduced risk of papillary thyroid cancer. This risk reduction was observed in "low-risk" women (i.e., women without any of the three established risk factors noted above; OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.33-0.85) but not in "high-risk" women, among whom a slight elevation in risk was seen (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.56-3.4). However, no association with risk was observed in either group when the biomarker of exposure was evaluated. In addition, no ethnic differences in risk were observed. The authors conclude that iodine exposure appears to have, at most, a weak effect on the risk of papillary thyroid cancer. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3441 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Marine edible algae as disease preventers.
As modern lifestyles and new feeding habits settle in the world, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have evolved to be major causes of disability in developing as well as developed countries. As a concomitant effect, there is a growing interest in natural, healthy food and an increasing awareness of risk factors and determinants of disease. This chapter describes some nutritional facts about seaweeds, which have been used as food since ancient times in China, Japan, Egypt, and India and comments on the potential utilization of marine algae as functional foods. This concept and the description of metabolic syndrome are used as a basis to comprehension of seaweeds against two dreadful illnesses of our times: high blood pressure and cancer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3445 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | An epidemiologic study of thyroid cancer in Hawaii.
A population-based case-control interview study was designed to test the hypothesis that dietary iodine or the consumption of goitrogenic vegetables increases the risk of thyroid cancer. A total of 191 histologically confirmed cases (64 percent female) and 441 matched controls from five ethnic groups in Hawaii were available for analysis. Among women, intake of seafood (especially shellfish), harm ha (a fermented fish sauce), and dietary iodine were associated with an increased risk of cancer, whereas consumption of goitrogenic (primarily cruciferous) vegetables was associated with a decreased risk. Non-dietary risk factors included miscarriage (especially at first pregnancy), use of fertility drugs, family history of thyroid disease, obesity, and work as a farm laborer. The odds ratio for the combined effect of a high iodine intake and a first-pregnancy miscarriage was 4.8 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-19.2); and for high iodine intake and use of fertility drugs 7.3 (95 percent CI = 1.5-34.5). Among men, positive associations were found for obesity, work as a farm laborer, and a past history of benign thyroid disease. Although this study identified several dietary and non-dietary risk factors for thyroid cancer, it could not fully explain the exceptionally high incidence rates among Filipino women in Hawaii. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3446 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Dietary seaweed modifies estrogen and phytoestrogen metabolism in healthy postmenopausal women.
Seaweed and soy foods are consumed daily in Japan, where breast cancer rates for postmenopausal women are significantly lower than in the West. Likely mechanisms include differences in diet, especially soy consumption, and estrogen metabolism. Fifteen healthy postmenopausal women participated in this double-blind trial of seaweed supplementation with soy challenge. Participants were randomized to 7 wk of either 5 g/d seaweed (Alaria) or placebo (maltodextrin). During wk 7, participants also consumed a daily soy protein isolate (2 mg isoflavones/kg body weight). After a 3-wk washout period, participants were crossed over to the alternate supplement schedule. There was an inverse correlation between seaweed dose (mg/kg body weight) and serum estradiol (E2) (seaweed-placebo = y = -2.29 x dose + 172.3; r = -0.70; P = 0.003), [corrected] which was linear across the range of weights. Soy supplementation increased urinary daidzein, glycitein, genistein, and O-desmethylangolensin (P = 0.0001) and decreased matairesinol and enterolactone (P < 0.05). Soy and seaweed plus soy (SeaSoy) increased urinary excretion of 2-hydroxyestrogen (2-OHE) (P = 0.0001) and the ratio of 2-OHE:16alpha-hydroxyestrone (16alphaOHE(1)) (P = 0.01). For the 5 equol excretors, soy increased urinary equol excretion (P = 0.0001); the combination of SeaSoy further increased equol excretion by 58% (P = 0.0001). Equol producers also had a 315% increase in 2:16 ratio (P = 0.001) with SeaSoy. Seaweed favorably alters estrogen and phytoestrogen metabolism and these changes likely include modulation of colonic bacteria. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3442 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | A case-control study on seaweed consumption and the risk of breast cancer.
Gim (Porphyra sp.) and miyeok (Undaria pinnatifida) are the seaweeds most consumed by Koreans. We investigated the association between the intake of gim and miyeok and the risk of breast cancer in a case-control study. Cases were 362 women aged 30-65 years old, who were histologically confirmed to have breast cancer. Controls visiting the same hospital were matched to cases according to their age (sd 2 years) and menopausal status. Food intake was estimated by the quantitative FFQ with 121 items, including gim and miyeok. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the OR and corresponding 95 % CI. The average intake and consumption frequency of gim in cases were lower than in controls. The daily intake of gim was inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer (5th v. 1st quintile, OR, 0.48; 95 % CI, 0.27, 0.86; P for trend, 0.026) after adjustment for potential confounders. After stratification analysis was performed according to menopausal status, premenopausal women (5th v. 1st quintile, OR, 0.44; 95 % CI, 0.24, 0.80; P for trend, 0.007) and postmenopausal women (5th v. 1st quintile, OR, 0.32; 95 % CI, 0.13, 0.80; P for trend, 0.06) showed similar inverse associations between gim intake and the risk of breast cancer after an adjustment for potential confounders except dietary factors. Miyeok consumption did not have any significant associations with breast cancer. These results suggest that high intake of gim may decrease the risk of breast cancer. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3447 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Seaweed prevents breast cancer?
To investigate the chemopreventive effects of seaweed on breast cancer, we have been studying the relationship between iodine and breast cancer. We found earlier that the seaweed, wakame, showed a suppressive effect on the proliferation of DMBA (dimethylbenz(a)anthracene)-induced rat mammary tumors, possibly via apoptosis induction. In the present study, powdered mekabu was placed in distilled water, and left to stand for 24 h at 4 degrees C. The filtered supernatant was used as mekabu solution. It showed an extremely strong suppressive effect on rat mammary carcinogenesis when used in daily drinking water, without toxicity. In vitro, mekabu solution strongly induced apoptosis in 3 kinds of human breast cancer cells. These effects were stronger than those of a chemotherapeutic agent widely used to treat human breast cancer. Furthermore, no apoptosis induction was observed in normal human mammary cells. In Japan, mekabu is widely consumed as a safe, inexpensive food. Our results suggest that mekabu has potential for chemoprevention of human breast cancer. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3448 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Seaweed consumption and the risk of thyroid cancer in women: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study.
Iodine is a suspected risk factor for thyroid cancer. Seaweed accounts for about 80% of Japanese people's iodine intake. We examined the association between seaweed consumption and the risk of thyroid cancer in Japanese women. Women participating in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (n=52 679; age: 40-69 years) were followed up for a mean of 14.5 years; 134 new thyroid cancer cases, including 113 papillary carcinoma cases, were identified. Seaweed consumption was assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire and divided into three categories: 2 days/week or less (reference); 3-4 days/week; and almost daily. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Seaweed consumption was clearly associated with an increased risk of papillary carcinoma (HR for almost daily consumption compared with 2 days/week or less=1.71; 95% CI: 1.01-2.90; trend P=0.04). After stratification for menopausal status, an increased risk was observed in postmenopausal women (papillary carcinoma HR for almost daily consumption compared with 2 days/week or less=3.81, 95% CI: 1.67-8.68; trend P<0.01), but not in premenopausal women (HR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.44-1.91; trend P=0.76). This study identified a positive association between seaweed consumption and the risk of thyroid cancer (especially for papillary carcinoma) in postmenopausal women. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1318 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Rice consumption is not associated with risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity or mortality in Japanese men and women: a large population-based, ...
BACKGROUND: Rice consumption has been associated with risk of type 2 diabetes, but its relation with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is limited. OBJECTIVE: We examined the association between rice consumption and risk of CVD incidence and mortality in a Japanese population. DESIGN: This was a prospective study in 91,223 Japanese men and women aged 40-69 y in whom rice consumption was determined and updated from 3 self-administered food-frequency questionnaires, each 5 y apart. Follow-up for incidence was from 1990 to 2009 in cohort I and 1993 to 2007 in cohort II and for mortality was from 1990 to 2009 in cohort I and 1993 to 2009 in cohort II. HRs and 95% CIs of CVD incidence and mortality were calculated according to quintiles of cumulative average rice consumption. RESULTS: In 15-18 y of follow-up, we ascertained 4395 incident cases of stroke, 1088 incident cases of ischemic heart disease (IHD), and 2705 deaths from CVD. Rice consumption was not associated with risk of incident stroke or IHD; the multivariable HR (95% CI) in the highest compared with lowest rice consumption quintiles was 1.01 (0.90, 1.14) for total stroke and 1.08 (0.84, 1.38) for IHD. Similarly, there was no association between rice consumption and risk of mortality from CVD; the HR (95% CI) for mortality from total CVD was 0.97 (0.84, 1.13). There were no interactions with sex or effect modifications by body mass index for any endpoint. CONCLUSION: Rice consumption is not associated with risk of CVD morbidity or mortality. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1319 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Diet and chronic degenerative diseases: perspectives from China.
A comprehensive ecologic survey of dietary, life-style, and mortality characteristics of 65 counties in rural China showed that diets are substantially richer in foods of plant origin when compared with diets consumed in the more industrialized, Western societies. Mean intakes of animal protein (about one-tenth of the mean intake in the United States as energy percent), total fat (14.5% of energy), and dietary fiber (33.3 g/d) reflected a substantial preference for foods of plant origin. Mean plasma cholesterol concentration, at approximately 3.23-3.49 mmol/L, corresponds to this dietary life-style. The principal hypothesis under investigation in this paper is that chronic degenerative diseases are prevented by an aggregate effect of nutrients and nutrient-intake amounts that are commonly supplied by foods of plant origin. The breadth and consistency of evidence for this hypothesis was investigated with multiple intake-biomarker-disease associations, which were appropriately adjusted. There appears to be no threshold of plant-food enrichment or minimization of fat intake beyond which further disease prevention does not occur. These findings suggest that even small intakes of foods of animal origin are associated with significant increases in plasma cholesterol concentrations, which are associated, in turn, with significant increases in chronic degenerative disease mortality rates. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1320 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | White Rice, Brown Rice, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women
Context Because of a different degree of processing and nutrient contents, brown rice and white rice may have different effects on risk of type 2 diabetes. Objective To prospectively examine white rice and brown rice consumptions in relation to type 2 diabetes risk in US men and women aged 26–87 yr. Design and Setting The Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986–2006) and the Nurses’ Health Study I (1984–2006) and II (1991–2005). Participants We prospectively ascertained diet, lifestyle practices, and disease status among 39,765 men and 157,463 women in these cohorts. All participants were free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline. Intake of white rice, brown rice, other foods, and nutrients was assessed at baseline and updated every 2–4 years. Results During 3,318,196 person-years of follow-up, we documented 10,507 incident cases of type 2 diabetes. After multivariate adjustment for age and other lifestyle and dietary risk factors, higher intake of white rice was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The pooled relative risk (95% confidence interval) of type 2 diabetes comparing ≥5 servings/week with <1 serving/month of white rice was 1.17 (1.02, 1.36). In contrast, high brown rice intake was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes: The pooled multivariate relative risk (95% confidence interval) was 0.89 (0.81, 0.97) for ≥ 2 servings/week of brown rice as compared with <1 serving/month. We estimated that replacing 50 grams/day (cooked, equivalent to ⅓ serving/day) intake of white rice with the same amount of brown rice was associated with a 16% (95% confidence interval: 9%, 21%) lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas the same replacement with whole grains as a group was associated with a 36% (95% confidence interval: 30%, 42%) lower diabetes risk. Conclusions Substitution of whole grains, including brown rice, for white rice may lower risk of type 2 diabetes. These data support the recommendation that most carbohydrate intake should come from whole grains rather than refined grains to facilitate the prevention of type 2 diabetes. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1321 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Phospholipids in rice: significance in grain quality and health benefits: a review.
Phospholipids (PLs) are a major class of lipid in rice grain. Although PLs are only a minor nutrient compared to starch and protein, they may have both nutritional and functional significance. We have systemically reviewed the literature on the class, distribution and variation of PLs in rice, their relation to rice end-use quality and human health, as well as available methods for analytical profiling. Phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and their lyso forms are the major PLs in rice. The deterioration of PC in rice bran during storage was considered as a trigger for the degradation of rice lipids with associated rancid flavour in paddy and brown rice. The lyso forms in rice endosperm represent the major starch lipid, and may form inclusion complexes with amylose, affecting the physicochemical properties and digestibility of starch, and hence its cooking and eating quality. Dietary PLs have a positive impact on several human diseases and reduce the side-effects of some drugs. As rice has long been consumed as a staple food in many Asian countries, rice PLs may have significant health benefits for those populations. Rice PLs may be influenced both by genetic (G) and environmental (E) factors, and resolving G×E interactions may allow future exploitation of PL composition and content, thus boosting rice eating quality and health benefits for consumers. We have identified and summarised the different methods used for rice PL analysis, and discussed the consequences of variation in reported PL values due to inconsistencies between methods. This review enhances the understanding of the nature and importance of PLs in rice and outlines potential approaches for manipulating PLs to improve the quality of rice grain and other cereals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1322 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Whole grain and refined grain consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies.
Several studies have suggested a protective effect of intake of whole grains, but not refined grains on type 2 diabetes risk, but the dose-response relationship between different types of grains and type 2 diabetes has not been established. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies of grain intake and type 2 diabetes. We searched the PubMed database for studies of grain intake and risk of type 2 diabetes, up to June 5th, 2013. Summary relative risks were calculated using a random effects model. Sixteen cohort studies were included in the analyses. The summary relative risk per 3 servings per day was 0.68 (95% CI 0.58-0.81, I(2) = 82%, n = 10) for whole grains and 0.95 (95% CI 0.88-1.04, I(2) = 53%, n = 6) for refined grains. A nonlinear association was observed for whole grains, p nonlinearity < 0.0001, but not for refined grains, p nonlinearity = 0.10. Inverse associations were observed for subtypes of whole grains including whole grain bread, whole grain cereals, wheat bran and brown rice, but these results were based on few studies, while white rice was associated with increased risk. Our meta-analysis suggests that a high whole grain intake, but not refined grains, is associated with reduced type 2 diabetes risk. However, a positive association with intake of white rice and inverse associations between several specific types of whole grains and type 2 diabetes warrant further investigations. Our results support public health recommendations to replace refined grains with whole grains and suggest that at least two servings of whole grains per day should be consumed to reduce type 2 diabetes risk. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1323 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Low-carbohydrate diet scores and risk of type 2 diabetes in men
Background: Fat and protein sources may influence whether low-carbohydrate diets are associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Objective: The objective was to compare the associations of 3 low-carbohydrate diet scores with incident T2D. Design: A prospective cohort study was conducted in participants from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who were free of T2D, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline (n = 40,475) for up to 20 y. Cumulative averages of 3 low-carbohydrate diet scores (high total protein and fat, high animal protein and fat, and high vegetable protein and fat) were calculated every 4 y from food-frequency questionnaires and were associated with incident T2D by using Cox models. Results: We documented 2689 cases of T2D during follow-up. After adjustments for age, smoking, physical activity, coffee intake, alcohol intake, family history of T2D, total energy intake, and body mass index, the score for high animal protein and fat was associated with an increased risk of T2D [top compared with bottom quintile; hazard ratio (HR): 1.37; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.58; P for trend < 0.01]. Adjustment for red and processed meat attenuated this association (HR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.95, 1.30; P for trend = 0.20). A high score for vegetable protein and fat was not significantly associated with the risk of T2D overall but was inversely associated with T2D in men aged <65 y (HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.92; P for trend = 0.01, P for interaction = 0.01). Conclusions: A score representing a low-carbohydrate diet high in animal protein and fat was positively associated with the risk of T2D in men. Low-carbohydrate diets should obtain protein and fat from foods other than red and processed meat. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1324 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Differential effect of protein and fat ingestion on blood glucose responses to high- and low-glycemic-index carbohydrates in noninsulin-dependent d...
Six noninsulin-dependent diabetic subjects received meals containing 25 g carbohydrate either as potato or as spaghetti. The meals were repeated with the addition of 25 g protein and with 25 g protein and 25 g fat. Blood glucose and insulin responses were measured for 4 h after the test meal. When carbohydrate was given alone, the blood glucose and serum insulin increments were higher for the potato meal. The addition of protein increased the insulin responses to both carbohydrates and slightly reduced the glycemic response to mashed potato (F = 2.04, p less than 0.05). The further addition of fat reduced the glycemic response to mashed potato (F = 14.63, p less than 0.001) without any change in the blood glucose response to spaghetti (F = 0.94, NS). The different responses to coingestion of protein and fat reduced the difference between the glycemic responses to the two carbohydrates. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1612 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Effect of protein ingestion on the glucose and insulin response to a standardized oral glucose load.
Type II diabetic subjects were given 50 g protein, 50 g glucose, or 50 g glucose with 50 g protein as a single meal in random sequence. The plasma glucose and insulin response was determined over the subsequent 5 h. The plasma glucose area above the baseline following a glucose meal was reduced 34% when protein was given with the glucose. When protein was given alone, the glucose concentration remained stable for 2 h and then declined. The insulin area following glucose was only modestly greater than with a protein meal (97 +/- 35, 83 +/- 19 microU X h/ml, respectively). When glucose was given with protein, the mean insulin area was considerably greater than when glucose or protein was given alone (247 +/- 33 microU X h/ml). When various amounts of protein were given with 50 g glucose, the insulin area response was essentially first order. Subsequently, subjects were given 50 g glucose or 50 g glucose with 50 g protein as two meals 4 h apart in random sequence. The insulin areas were not significantly different for each meal but were higher when protein + glucose was given. After the second glucose meal the plasma glucose area was 33% less than after the first meal. Following the second glucose + protein meal the plasma glucose area was markedly reduced, being only 7% as large as after the first meal. These data indicate that protein given with glucose will increase insulin secretion and reduce the plasma glucose rise in at least some type II diabetic persons. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1326 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Prevalence of diabetes among men and women in China.
BACKGROUND: Because of the rapid change in lifestyle in China, there is concern that diabetes may become epidemic. We conducted a national study from June 2007 through May 2008 to estimate the prevalence of diabetes among Chinese adults. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of 46,239 adults, 20 years of age or older, from 14 provinces and municipalities participated in the study. After an overnight fast, participants underwent an oral glucose-tolerance test, and fasting and 2-hour glucose levels were measured to identify undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes (i.e., impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance). Previously diagnosed diabetes was determined on the basis of self-report. RESULTS: The age-standardized prevalences of total diabetes (which included both previously diagnosed diabetes and previously undiagnosed diabetes) and prediabetes were 9.7% (10.6% among men and 8.8% among women) and 15.5% (16.1% among men and 14.9% among women), respectively, accounting for 92.4 million adults with diabetes (50.2 million men and 42.2 million women) and 148.2 million adults with prediabetes (76.1 million men and 72.1 million women). The prevalence of diabetes increased with increasing age (3.2%, 11.5%, and 20.4% among persons who were 20 to 39, 40 to 59, and > or = 60 years of age, respectively) and with increasing weight (4.5%, 7.6%, 12.8%, and 18.5% among persons with a body-mass index [the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters] of < 18.5, 18.5 to 24.9, 25.0 to 29.9, and > or = 30.0, respectively). The prevalence of diabetes was higher among urban residents than among rural residents (11.4% vs. 8.2%). The prevalence of isolated impaired glucose tolerance was higher than that of isolated impaired fasting glucose (11.0% vs. 3.2% among men and 10.9% vs. 2.2% among women). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that diabetes has become a major public health problem in China and that strategies aimed at the prevention and treatment of diabetes are needed. 2010 Massachusetts Medical Society |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1327 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Greater whole-grain intake is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain.
Whole-grain and high fiber intakes are routinely recommended for prevention of vascular diseases; however, there are no comprehensive and quantitative assessments of available data in humans. The aim of this study was to systematically examine longitudinal studies investigating whole-grain and fiber intake in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease (CVD), weight gain, and metabolic risk factors. We identified 45 prospective cohort studies and 21 randomized-controlled trials (RCT) between 1966 and February 2012 by searching the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane, Elsevier Medical Database, and PubMed. Study characteristics, whole-grain and dietary fiber intakes, and risk estimates were extracted using a standardized protocol. Using random effects models, we found that compared with never/rare consumers of whole grains, those consuming 48-80 g whole grain/d (3-5 serving/d) had an ~26% lower risk of T2D [RR = 0.74 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.80)], ~21% lower risk of CVD [RR = 0.79 (95% CI: 0.74, 0.85)], and consistently less weight gain during 8-13 y (1.27 vs 1.64 kg; P = 0.001). Among RCT, weighted mean differences in post-intervention circulating concentrations of fasting glucose and total and LDL-cholesterol comparing whole-grain intervention groups with controls indicated significantly lower concentrations after whole-grain interventions [differences in fasting glucose: -0.93 mmol/L (95% CI: -1.65, -0.21), total cholesterol: -0.83 mmol/L (-1.23, -0.42); and LDL-cholesterol: -0.82 mmol/L (-1.31, -0.33)]. [corrected] Findings from this meta-analysis provide evidence to support beneficial effects of whole-grain intake on vascular disease prevention. Potential mechanisms responsible for whole grains' effects on metabolic intermediates require further investigation in large intervention trials. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1328 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global B...
BACKGROUND: In 2010, overweight and obesity were estimated to cause 3·4 million deaths, 3·9% of years of life lost, and 3·8% of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) worldwide. The rise in obesity has led to widespread calls for regular monitoring of changes in overweight and obesity prevalence in all populations. Comparable, up-to-date information about levels and trends is essential to quantify population health effects and to prompt decision makers to prioritise action. We estimate the global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980-2013. METHODS: We systematically identified surveys, reports, and published studies (n=1769) that included data for height and weight, both through physical measurements and self-reports. We used mixed effects linear regression to correct for bias in self-reports. We obtained data for prevalence of obesity and overweight by age, sex, country, and year (n=19,244) with a spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression model to estimate prevalence with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). FINDINGS: Worldwide, the proportion of adults with a body-mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m(2) or greater increased between 1980 and 2013 from 28·8% (95% UI 28·4-29·3) to 36·9% (36·3-37·4) in men, and from 29·8% (29·3-30·2) to 38·0% (37·5-38·5) in women. Prevalence has increased substantially in children and adolescents in developed countries; 23·8% (22·9-24·7) of boys and 22·6% (21·7-23·6) of girls were overweight or obese in 2013. The prevalence of overweight and obesity has also increased in children and adolescents in developing countries, from 8·1% (7·7-8·6) to 12·9% (12·3-13·5) in 2013 for boys and from 8·4% (8·1-8·8) to 13·4% (13·0-13·9) in girls. In adults, estimated prevalence of obesity exceeded 50% in men in Tonga and in women in Kuwait, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Libya, Qatar, Tonga, and Samoa. Since 2006, the increase in adult obesity in developed countries has slowed down. INTERPRETATION: Because of the established health risks and substantial increases in prevalence, obesity has become a major global health challenge. Not only is obesity increasing, but no national success stories have been reported in the past 33 years. Urgent global action and leadership is needed to help countries to more effectively intervene. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1329 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | White rice-based food consumption and ischemic stroke risk: a case-control study in southern China.
White rice-based foods, which are high in refined carbohydrates, are widely consumed in China. A case-control study was conducted to investigate the association between white rice-based food consumption and the risk of ischemic stroke in the southern Chinese population. Information on diet and lifestyle was obtained from 374 incident ischemic stroke patients and 464 hospital-based controls. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the effects of rice-based foods on stroke risk. The mean weekly intake of rice foods appeared to be significantly higher in cases than in controls. Increased consumptions of cooked rice, congee, and rice noodle were associated with a higher risk for ischemic stroke after controlling for confounding factors. The corresponding adjusted odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) for the highest versus lowest intake level were 2.73 (1.31-5.69), 2.93 (1.68-5.13), and 2.03 (1.40-2.94), with significant dose-response relationships observed. The results provide evidence of a positive association between habitual rice food consumption and the risk of ischemic stroke in Chinese adults. Copyright © 2010 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1330 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Diabetes prevalence and determinants in adults in China mainland from 2000 to 2010: a systematic review.
AIMS: To systematically review trends in diabetes mellitus (DM) prevalence in adults in China over the last 10 years and to identify the determinants of these trends. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted for studies published between 2000 and 2010. Studies reporting DM prevalence were included if they met the pre-determined criteria. The prevalence estimates and reported determinants of these studies were compared. RESULTS: Twenty-five manuscripts, reporting on 22 studies, were selected for inclusion in the review. There has been an increase in DM prevalence from 2.6% to 9.7% in China over the past decade. DM prevalence is strongly associated with age and is higher in urban residents compared with rural populations. Some studies found a difference in DM prevalence between males and females, but this finding was not consistent. Other commonly reported associations with DM included family history, obesity and hypertension. CONCLUSION: Over the period of 2000-2010, we identify a significant increase in DM prevalence at the national level. It is important for all levels of government to develop more effective strategies to prevent and manage this rising diabetes epidemic. There is also an important need for more large-scale studies of diabetes in the western and central regions of China. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1331 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Dynamics of the nutrition transition toward the animal foods sector in China and its implications: a worried perspective.
Many changes in diet and in physical activity are occurring simultaneously in the developing world. These diet shifts include large increases in energy density, in the proportion of the population consuming a high fat diet and in animal product intake. Animal source foods (ASF) play a major role in these diet shifts. This article documents the large shifts in the composition of diets and obesity across the developing world and notes that these changes are accelerating. Using China as a case study, evidence of the speeding up of this process is presented in descriptive and more rigorous dynamic longitudinal analysis. The implications of these changes for dietary and obesity patterns and cardiovascular disease are great. Indeed, developing countries are at a point where the prevalence of obesity is greater than that of undernutrition and concerns related to intake of saturated fat and energy imbalance must be considered more seriously by the agriculture sector. Current agriculture development policy in many developing countries focuses on livestock promotion and does not consider the potential adverse health consequences of this strategy. Although linkages between ASF intake and obesity cannot be established as clearly as they are for high ASF intakes, heart disease and cancer, the potential adverse health effects linked with an increased ASF intake should no longer be ignored. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1332 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Japan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Background The definition of incident type 2 diabetes varies across studies; hence, the actual incidence of type 2 diabetes in Japan is unclear. Here, we reviewed the various definitions of incident type 2 diabetes used in previous epidemiologic studies and estimated the diabetes incidence rate in Japan. Methods We searched for related literature in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Ichushi databases through September 2012. Two reviewers selected studies that evaluated incident type 2 diabetes in the Japanese population. Results From 1824 relevant articles, we included 33 studies with 386,803 participants. The follow-up period ranged from 2.3 to 14 years and the studies were initiated between 1980 and 2003. The random-effects model indicated that the pooled incidence rate of diabetes was 8.8 (95% confidence interval, 7.4–10.4) per 1000 person-years. We observed a high degree of heterogeneity in the results (I2 = 99.2%; p < 0.001), with incidence rates ranging from 2.3 to 52.6 per 1000 person-years. Three studies based their definition of incident type 2 diabetes on self-reports only, 10 on laboratory data only, and 20 on self-reports and laboratory data. Compared with studies defining diabetes using laboratory data (n = 30; pooled incidence rate = 9.6; 95% confidence interval = 8.3–11.1), studies based on self-reports alone tended to show a lower incidence rate (n = 3; pooled incidence rate = 4.0; 95% confidence interval = 3.2–5.0; p for interaction < 0.001). However, stratified analyses could not entirely explain the heterogeneity in the results. Conclusions Our systematic review and meta-analysis indicated the presence of a high degree of heterogeneity, which suggests that there is a considerable amount of uncertainty regarding the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Japan. They also suggested that laboratory data may be important for the accurate estimation of the incidence of type 2 diabetes. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1333 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Insulin secretion as a determinant of pancreatic cancer risk.
New epidemiology confirms that glucose intolerance is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer, and that this association cannot be accounted for by an adverse impact of early pancreatic cancer on beta cell function. Previous reports indicate that risk for pancreatic cancer is increased in adult-onset diabetics. Since streptozotocin diabetes inhibits carcinogen-mediated induction of pancreatic cancer in hamsters, the most reasonable interpretation of these findings is that insulin (or some other beta cell product) acts as a promoter for pancreatic carcinogenesis. This view is consistent with a report that human pancreatic adenocarcinomas express insulin receptors that can stimulate mitosis; an additional possibility is that high insulin levels indirectly promote pancreatic carcinogenesis by boosting effective IGF-I activity via hepatic actions. In international ecologic epidemiology, pancreatic cancer rates correlate tightly with dietary intake of animal products; this may reflect the fact that vegan diets are associated with low diurnal insulin secretion. There is also suggestive evidence that macrobiotic vegan diets, which are low in glycemic index, may increase mean survival time in pancreatic cancer. However, other types of diets associated with decreased postprandial insulin response, such as high-protein diets or 'Mediterranean' diets high in oleic acid, may also have the potential for pancreatic cancer prevention. The huge increases of age-adjusted pancreatic cancer mortality in Japan and among African-Americans during the last century imply that pancreatic cancer is substantially preventable; a low-insulin-response diet coupled with exercise training, weight control, and smoking avoidance, commendable for a great many other reasons, may slash pancreatic cancer mortality dramatically. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1334 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Program and Policy Options for Preventing Obesity in China
By 2002, China’s prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults was 18.9 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively. The Chinese traditional diet has been replaced by the “Western diet” and major declines in all phases of activity and increased sedentary activity as the main reasons explaining the rapid increase in overweight and obesity, bring major economic and health costs. The Nutrition Improvement Work Management Approach was released in 2010. Overweight and obesity prevention-related policies were added to national planning for disease prevention and control. The Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Overweight and Obesity of Chinese Adults and the School-age Children and Teenagers Overweight and Obesity Prevention and Control Guidelines in China were promulgated in 2003 and 2007, respectively. Few education programs have been implemented. Selected academic intervention research projects dominate with a focus on reducing child obesity and promoting healthier diets; increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time; and facilitating changes in family, school, social, and cultural environments. Intervention samples are small and have not addressed the increasing rates of obesity throughout the entire population. Government provision of effective policy measures, multisectoral cooperation and increasing corporate social responsibility are keys to curb the trend toward overweight and obesity in China. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1335 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Glycaemic responses to glucose and rice in people of Chinese and European ethnicity.
AIMS: Diabetes rates are especially high in China. Risk of Type 2 diabetes increases with high intakes of white rice, a staple food of Chinese people. Ethnic differences in postprandial glycaemia have been reported. We compared glycaemic responses to glucose and five rice varieties in people of European and Chinese ethnicity and examined possible determinants of ethnic differences in postprandial glycaemia. METHODS: Self-identified Chinese (n = 32) and European (n = 31) healthy volunteers attended on eight occasions for studies following ingestion of glucose and jasmine, basmati, brown, Doongara(®) and parboiled rice. In addition to measuring glycaemic response, we investigated physical activity levels, extent of chewing of rice and salivary α-amylase activity to determine whether these measures explained any differences in postprandial glycaemia. RESULTS: Glycaemic response, measured by incremental area under the glucose curve, was over 60% greater for the five rice varieties (P < 0.001) and 39% greater for glucose (P < 0.004) amongst Chinese compared with Europeans. The calculated glycaemic index was approximately 20% greater for rice varieties other than basmati (P = 0.01 to 0.05). Ethnicity [adjusted risk ratio 1.4 (1.2-1.8) P < 0.001] and rice variety were the only important determinants of incremental area under the glucose curve. CONCLUSIONS: Glycaemic responses following ingestion of glucose and several rice varieties are appreciably greater in Chinese compared with Europeans, suggesting the need to review recommendations regarding dietary carbohydrate amongst rice-eating populations at high risk of diabetes. © 2012 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine © 2012 Diabetes UK. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1795 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies
Objective To determine whether individual fruits are differentially associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Design Prospective longitudinal cohort study. Setting Health professionals in the United States. Participants 66 105 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (1984-2008), 85 104 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2009), and 36 173 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2008) who were free of major chronic diseases at baseline in these studies. Main outcome measure Incident cases of type 2 diabetes, identified through self report and confirmed by supplementary questionnaires. Results During 3 464 641 person years of follow-up, 12 198 participants developed type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for personal, lifestyle, and dietary risk factors of diabetes, the pooled hazard ratio of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week of total whole fruit consumption was 0.98 (95% confidence interval 0.96 to 0.99). With mutual adjustment of individual fruits, the pooled hazard ratios of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week were 0.74 (0.66 to 0.83) for blueberries, 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93) for grapes and raisins, 0.89 (0.79 to 1.01) for prunes, 0.93 (0.90 to 0.96) for apples and pears, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.98) for bananas, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.99) for grapefruit, 0.97 (0.92 to 1.02) for peaches, plums, and apricots, 0.99 (0.95 to 1.03) for oranges, 1.03 (0.96 to 1.10) for strawberries, and 1.10 (1.02 to 1.18) for cantaloupe. The pooled hazard ratio for the same increment in fruit juice consumption was 1.08 (1.05 to 1.11). The associations with risk of type 2 diabetes differed significantly among individual fruits (P<0.001 in all cohorts). Conclusion Our findings suggest the presence of heterogeneity in the associations between individual fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Greater consumption of specific whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, is significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas greater consumption of fruit juice is associated with a higher risk. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1418 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Hydrogen sulfide induces direct radical-associated DNA damage.
Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is produced by indigenous sulfate-reducing bacteria in the large intestine and represents an environmental insult to the colonic epithelium. Clinical studies have linked the presence of either sulfate-reducing bacteria or H(2)S in the colon with chronic disorders such as ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer, although at this point, the evidence is circumstantial and underlying mechanisms remain undefined. We showed previously that sulfide at concentrations similar to those found in the human colon induced genomic DNA damage in mammalian cells. The present study addressed the nature of the DNA damage by determining if sulfide is directly genotoxic or if genotoxicity requires cellular metabolism. We also questioned if sulfide genotoxicity is mediated by free radicals and if DNA base oxidation is involved. Naked nuclei from untreated Chinese hamster ovary cells were treated with sulfide; DNA damage was induced by concentrations as low as 1 micromol/L. This damage was effectively quenched by cotreatment with butylhydroxyanisole. Furthermore, sulfide treatment increased the number of oxidized bases recognized by formamidopyrimidine [fapy]-DNA glycosylase. These results confirm the genotoxicity of sulfide and strongly implicate that this genotoxicity is mediated by free radicals. These observations highlight the possible role of sulfide as an environmental insult that, given a predisposing genetic background, may lead to genomic instability or the cumulative mutations characteristic of colorectal cancer. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1419 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | A diet high in fat and meat but low in dietary fibre increases the genotoxic potential of 'faecal water'.
To determine the effects of different diets on the genotoxicity of human faecal water, a diet rich in fat, meat and sugar but poor in vegetables and free of wholemeal products (diet 1) was consumed by seven healthy volunteers over a period of 12 days. One week after the end of this period, the volunteers started to consume a diet enriched with vegetables and wholemeal products but poor in fat and meat (diet 2) over a second period of 12 days. The genotoxic effect of faecal waters obtained after both diets was assessed with the single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet assay) using the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT29 clone 19a as a target. The fluorescence and length of the tails of the comet images reflects the degree of DNA damage in single cells. The mean DNA damage, expressed as the ratio of tail intensity (fluorescence in the tail) to total intensity of the comet after incubation with faecal water from volunteers consuming diet 1 was about twice as high as for diet 2. The susceptibility of the cells incubated with faecal water to DNA damage caused by additional hydrogen peroxide treatment showed no significant differences between the two diets. Generation of oxidized pyrimidine and purine bases revealed no differences after pretreatment with both types of faecal water. The results indicate that diets high in fat and meat but low in dietary fibre increase the genotoxicity of faecal water to colonic cells and may contribute to an enhanced risk of colorectal cancer. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1420 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Nutrition and colonic health: the critical role of the microbiota.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To highlight mechanisms whereby diet affects colonic function and disease patterns. RECENT FINDINGS: Topical nutrients are preferentially used by the gut mucosa to maintain structure and function. With the colon, topical nutrients are generated by the colonic microbiota to maintain mucosal health. Most importantly, short chain fatty acids control proliferation and differentiation, thereby reducing colon cancer risk. In patients with massive loss of small intestine, short chain fatty acid production supports survival by releasing up to 1000 kcal energy/day. Human studies show that the microbiota synthesizes a large pool of utilizable folate which may support survival in impoverished populations. Unfortunately, the microbiota may also elaborate toxic products from food residues such as genotoxic hydrogen sulfide by sulfur-reducing bacteria in response to a high-meat diet. The employment of culture-free techniques based on 16S regions of DNA has revealed that our colons harbor over 800 bacterial species and 7000 different strains. Evidence suggests that the diet directly influences the diversity of the microbiota, providing the link between diet, colonic disease, and colon cancer. The microbiota, however, can determine the efficiency of food absorption and risk of obesity. SUMMARY: Our investigations have focused on a small number of bacterial species: characterization of microbiota and its metabolism can be expected to provide the key to colonic health and disease. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1421 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Contribution of dietary protein to sulfide production in the large intestine: an in vitro and a controlled feeding study in humans.
BACKGROUND: Hydrogen sulfide is a luminally acting, bacterially derived cell poison that has been implicated in ulcerative colitis. Sulfide generation in the colon is probably driven by dietary components such as sulfur-containing amino acids (SAAs) and inorganic sulfur (eg, sulfite). OBJECTIVE: We assessed the contribution of SAAs from meat to sulfide production by intestinal bacteria with use of both a model culture system in vitro and an in vivo human feeding study. DESIGN: Five healthy men were housed in a metabolic suite and fed a sequence of 5 diets for 10 d each. Meat intake ranged from 0 g/d with a vegetarian diet to 600 g/d with a high-meat diet. Fecal sulfide and urinary sulfate were measured in samples collected on days 9 and 10 of each diet period. Additionally, 5 or 10 g bovine serum albumin or casein/L was added to batch cultures inoculated with feces from 4 healthy volunteers. Concentrations of sulfide, ammonia, and Lowry-reactive substances were measured over 48 h. RESULTS: Mean (+/-SEM) fecal sulfide concentrations ranged from 0.22 +/- 0.02 mmol/kg with the 0-g/d diet to 3.38 +/- 0.31 mmol/kg with the 600-g/d diet and were significantly related to meat intake (P: < 0.001). Sulfide formation in fecal batch cultures supplemented with both bovine serum albumin and casein correlated with protein digestion, as measured by the disappearance of Lowry-reactive substances and the appearance of ammonia. CONCLUSION: Dietary protein from meat is an important substrate for sulfide generation by bacteria in the human large intestine. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-3964 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Diet and risk of inflammatory bowel disease.
BACKGROUND: A better understanding of the environmental factors leading to inflammatory bowel disease should help to prevent occurrence of the disease and its relapses. AIM: To review current knowledge on dietary risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: The PubMed, Medline and Cochrane Library were searched for studies on diet and risk of inflammatory bowel disease. RESULTS: Established non-diet risk factors include family predisposition, smoking, appendectomy, and antibiotics. Retrospective case-control studies are encumbered with methodological problems. Prospective studies on European cohorts, mainly including middle-aged adults, suggest that a diet high in protein from meat and fish is associated with a higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease. Intake of the n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid may confer risk of ulcerative colitis, whereas n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be protective. No effect was found of intake of dietary fibres, sugar, macronutrients, total energy, vitamin C, D, E, Carotene, or Retinol (vitamin A) on risk of ulcerative colitis. No prospective data was found on risk related to intake of fruits, vegetables or food microparticles (titanium dioxide and aluminium silicate). CONCLUSIONS: A diet high in protein, particular animal protein, may be associated with increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease and relapses. N-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids may predispose to ulcerative colitis whilst n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid may protect. These results should be confirmed in other countries and in younger subjects before dietary counselling is recommended in high risk subjects. Copyright © 2011 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-4342 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Animal protein intake and risk of inflammatory bowel disease: The E3N prospective study.
OBJECTIVES: Diet composition has long been suspected to contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but has not been thoroughly assessed, and has been assessed only in retrospective studies that are prone to recall bias. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of dietary macronutrients in the etiology of IBD in a large prospective cohort. METHODS: The Etude Épidémiologique des femmes de la Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale cohort consists of women living in France, aged 40-65 years, and free of major diseases at inclusion. A self-administered questionnaire was used to record dietary habits at baseline. Questionnaires on disease occurrence and lifestyle factors were completed every 24 months. IBDs were assessed in each questionnaire until June 2005, and subsequently validated using clinical and pathological criteria. We estimated the association between nutrients or foods and IBD using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for energy intake. RESULTS: Among 67,581 participants (705,445 person-years, mean follow-up since completion of the baseline dietary questionnaire 10.4 years), we validated 77 incident IBD cases. High total protein intake, specifically animal protein, was associated with a significantly increased risk of IBD, (hazards ratio for the third vs. first tertile and 95% confidence interval being 3.31 and 1.41-7.77 (P trend=0.007), and 3.03 and 1.45-6.34 (P trend=0.005) for total and animal protein, respectively). Among sources of animal protein, high consumption of meat or fish but not of eggs or dairy products was associated with IBD risk. CONCLUSIONS: High protein intake is associated with an increased risk of incident IBD in French middle-aged women. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1581 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | When can we cure Crohn's?
Crohn's disease is a life-long idiopathic inflammatory disease which affects the entire gastrointestinal tract and occasionally extra-intestinal organs. CD is thought to result from complex interactions between environmental factors, the gut microbes, and the genetic background and the immune system of the host. In the last decades research on these pathogenetic components, and especially on mucosal immunity, has led to the development of biologic agents and therapeutic strategies that have improved dramatically the treatment of CD but we are still far away from curing the disease. If there is a treatment for CD that will probably evolve through methodical steps towards integrating research on all the components involved in the pathogenesis of CD. This holistic and global approach may aid at unravelling the mysteries of CD and developing novel agents and therapeutic strategies which by targeting multiple pathogenetic pathways and at different stages of disease may lead hopefully to cure. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1425 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Epidemiologic analysis of Crohn disease in Japan: increased dietary intake of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and animal protein relates to the inc...
We examined the correlation between the incidence of Crohn disease and dietary change in a relatively homogeneous Japanese population. The incidence and daily intake of each dietary component were compared annually from 1966 to 1985. The univariate analysis showed that the increased incidence of Crohn disease was strongly (P < 0.001) correlated with increased dietary intake of total fat (r = 0.919). animal fat (r = 0.880), n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (r = 0.883), animal protein (r = 0.908), milk protein (r = 0.924), and the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acid intake (r = 0.792). It was less correlated with intake of total protein (r = 0.482, P < 0.05), was not correlated with intake of fish protein (r = 0.055, P > 0.1), and was inversely correlated with intake of vegetable protein (r = -0.941, P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that increased intake of animal protein was the strongest independent factor with a weaker second factor, an increased ration of n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The present study in association with reported clinical studies suggests that increased dietary intake of animal protein and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids with less n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may contribute to the development of Crohn disease. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1426 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Influence of dietary protein supplements on the formation of bacterial metabolites in the colon.
BACKGROUND: To evaluate the influence of increased dietary protein intake on bacterial colonic metabolism in healthy volunteers. METHODS: Short chain fatty acids, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds in faecal samples, and phenols in the urine of five volunteers were measured after one week of basal nutrient intake and and after one week of a diet supplemented with a protein rich food (Fortimel; Nutricia, Zoetermeer, The Netherlands). Paired t tests and factor analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Total energy and resistant carbohydrate intake remained unchanged in each study period. The percentage energy intake delivered as dietary protein, increased significantly (from 15.4% to 23.8%; p = 0.007) during supplement intake. A significant increase in faecal ammonia (p = 0.002), faecal valeric acid (p = 0.02), and urinary p-cresol (p = 0.04) was noted during supplementary protein intake. A total of 120 different volatile compounds were isolated from the faecal samples of which 10 increased significantly during dietary protein supplementation. The change in volatile pattern, especially for S containing metabolites, was clearly shown by a factor analysis model which made a distinction between the two dietary regimens for all volunteers. CONCLUSION: An increase in dietary protein leads to altered products formation by colonic metabolism, mainly reflected by an increase in faecal ammonia, faecal volatile S substances, and urinary p-cresol. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1527 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Mortality in Adventist Health Study 2
Importance Some evidence suggests vegetarian dietary patterns may be associated with reduced mortality, but the relationship is not well established. Objective To evaluate the association between vegetarian dietary patterns and mortality. Design Prospective cohort study; mortality analysis by Cox proportional hazards regression, controlling for important demographic and lifestyle confounders. Setting Adventist Health Study 2 (AHS-2), a large North American cohort. Participants A total of 96 469 Seventh-day Adventist men and women recruited between 2002 and 2007, from which an analytic sample of 73 308 participants remained after exclusions. Exposures Diet was assessed at baseline by a quantitative food frequency questionnaire and categorized into 5 dietary patterns: nonvegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, lacto-ovo–vegetarian, and vegan. Main Outcome and Measure The relationship between vegetarian dietary patterns and all-cause and cause-specific mortality; deaths through 2009 were identified from the National Death Index. Results There were 2570 deaths among 73 308 participants during a mean follow-up time of 5.79 years. The mortality rate was 6.05 (95% CI, 5.82–6.29) deaths per 1000 person-years. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality in all vegetarians combined vs non-vegetarians was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.80–0.97). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in vegans was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.73–1.01); in lacto-ovo–vegetarians, 0.91 (95% CI, 0.82–1.00); in pesco-vegetarians, 0.81 (95% CI, 0.69–0.94); and in semi-vegetarians, 0.92 (95% CI, 0.75–1.13) compared with nonvegetarians. Significant associations with vegetarian diets were detected for cardiovascular mortality, noncardiovascular noncancer mortality, renal mortality, and endocrine mortality. Associations in men were larger and more often significant than were those in women. Conclusions and Relevance Vegetarian diets are associated with lower all-cause mortality and with some reductions in cause-specific mortality. Results appeared to be more robust in males. These favorable associations should be considered carefully by those offering dietary guidance. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1528 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Effect of the vegetarian diet on non-communicable diseases.
A vegetarian diet generally includes plenty of vegetables and fruits, which are rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber, magnesium, vitamins C and E, Fe³⁺, folic acid and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and is low in cholesterol, total fat and saturated fatty acid, sodium, Fe²⁺, zinc, vitamin A, B₁₂ and D, and especially n-3 PUFA. Mortality from all-cause, ischemic heart disease, and circulatory and cerebrovascular diseases was significantly lower in vegetarians than in omnivorous populations. Compared with omnivores, the incidence of cancer and type 2 diabetes was also significantly lower in vegetarians. However, vegetarians have a number of increased risk factors for non-communicable diseases such as increased plasma homocysteine, mean platelet volume and platelet aggregability compared with omnivores, which are associated with low intake of vitamin B₁₂ and n-3 PUFA. Based on the present data, it would seem appropriate for vegetarians to carefully design their diet, specifically focusing on increasing their intake of vitamin B₁₂ and n-3 PUFA to further reduce already low mortality and morbidity from non-communicable diseases. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1529 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Risk of hospitalization or death from ischemic heart disease among British vegetarians and nonvegetarians: results from the EPIC-Oxford cohort study.
BACKGROUND: Few previous prospective studies have examined differences in incident ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk between vegetarians and nonvegetarians. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the association of a vegetarian diet with risk of incident (nonfatal and fatal) IHD. DESIGN: A total of 44,561 men and women living in England and Scotland who were enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Oxford study, of whom 34% consumed a vegetarian diet at baseline, were part of the analysis. Incident cases of IHD were identified through linkage with hospital records and death certificates. Serum lipids and blood pressure measurements were available for 1519 non cases, who were matched to IHD cases by sex and age. IHD risk by vegetarian status was estimated by using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: After an average follow-up of 11.6 y, there were 1235 IHD cases (1066 hospital admissions and 169 deaths). Compared with nonvegetarians, vegetarians had a lower mean BMI [in kg/m(2); -1.2 (95% CI: -1.3, -1.1)], non-HDL-cholesterol concentration [-0.45 (95% CI: -0.60, -0.30) mmol/L], and systolic blood pressure [-3.3 (95% CI: -5.9, -0.7) mm Hg]. Vegetarians had a 32% lower risk (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.81) of IHD than did nonvegetarians, which was only slightly attenuated after adjustment for BMI and did not differ materially by sex, age, BMI, smoking, or the presence of IHD risk factors. CONCLUSION: Consuming a vegetarian diet was associated with lower IHD risk, a finding that is probably mediated by differences in non-HDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1530 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer incidence in vegetarians: a meta-analysis and systematic review.
BACKGROUND: Prospective cohort studies have examined mortality and overall cancer incidence among vegetarians, but the results have been inconclusive. AIMS: The objective of the present meta-analysis was to investigate cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer incidence among vegetarians and nonvegetarians. METHODS: Medline, EMBASE and Web Of Science databases were searched for cohort studies published from inception to September 2011. Studies were included if they contained the relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% CI. Participants were from the UK, Germany, California, USA, the Netherlands and Japan. RESULTS: Seven studies with a total of 124,706 participants were included in this analysis. All-cause mortality in vegetarians was 9% lower than in nonvegetarians (RR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.66-1.16). The mortality from ischemic heart disease was significantly lower in vegetarians than in nonvegetarians (RR = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.87). We observed a 16% lower mortality from circulatory diseases (RR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.54-1.14) and a 12% lower mortality from cerebrovascular disease (RR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.70-1.06) in vegetarians compared with nonvegetarians. Vegetarians had a significantly lower cancer incidence than nonvegetarians (RR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.67-0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that vegetarians have a significantly lower ischemic heart disease mortality (29%) and overall cancer incidence (18%) than nonvegetarians. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1531 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | A Multicountry Ecological Study of Cancer Incidence Rates in 2008 with Respect to Various Risk-Modifying Factors
Observational and ecological studies are generally used to determine the presence of effect of cancer risk-modifying factors. Researchers generally agree that environmental factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and low serum 25-hdyroxyvitamin D levels are important cancer risk factors. This ecological study used age-adjusted incidence rates for 21 cancers for 157 countries (87 with high-quality data) in 2008 with respect to dietary supply and other factors, including per capita gross domestic product, life expectancy, lung cancer incidence rate (an index for smoking), and latitude (an index for solar ultraviolet-B doses). The factors found to correlate strongly with multiple types of cancer were lung cancer (direct correlation with 12 types of cancer), energy derived from animal products (direct correlation with 12 types of cancer, inverse with two), latitude (direct correlation with six types, inverse correlation with three), and per capita gross national product (five types). Life expectancy and sweeteners directly correlated with three cancers, animal fat with two, and alcohol with one. Consumption of animal products correlated with cancer incidence with a lag time of 15–25 years. Types of cancer which correlated strongly with animal product consumption, tended to correlate weakly with latitude; this occurred for 11 cancers for the entire set of countries. Regression results were somewhat different for the 87 high-quality country data set and the 157-country set. Single-country ecological studies have inversely correlated nearly all of these cancers with solar ultraviolet-B doses. These results can provide guidance for prevention of cancer. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-1532 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Trends in mortality from cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, esophagus, and stomach in East Asia: role of nutrition transition.
Although substantial nutrition transition, characterized by an increased intake of energy, animal fat, and red meats, has occurred during the last several decades in East Asia, few studies have systematically evaluated temporal trends in cancer incidence or mortality among populations in this area. Therefore, we sought to investigate this question with tremendous public health implications. Data on mortality rates of cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, esophagus, and stomach for China (1988-2000), Hong Kong (1960-2006), Japan (1950-2006), Korea (1985-2006), and Singapore (1963-2006) were obtained from WHO. Joinpoint regression was used to investigate trends in mortality of these cancers. A remarkable increase in mortality rates of breast, colon, and prostate cancers and a precipitous decrease in those of esophageal and stomach cancers have been observed in selected countries (except breast cancer in Hong Kong) during the study periods. For example, the annual percentage increase in breast cancer mortality was 5.5% (95% confidence interval: 3.8, 7.3%) for the period 1985-1993 in Korea, and mortality rates for prostate cancer significantly increased by 3.2% (95% confidence interval: 3.0, 3.3%) per year from 1958 to 1993 in Japan. These changes in cancer mortality lagged ∼ 10 years behind the inception of the nutrition transition toward a westernized diet in selected countries or regions. There have been striking changes in mortality rates of breast, colon, prostate, esophageal, and stomach cancers in East Asia during the last several decades, which may be at least in part attributable to the concurrent nutrition transition. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2114 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Potential role of FoxO1 and mTORC1 in the pathogenesis of Western diet-induced acne
Acne in adolescents of developed countries is an epidemic skin disease and has currently been linked to the Western diet (WD). It is the intention of this viewpoint to discuss the possible impact of WD-mediated nutrient signalling in the pathogenesis of acne. High glycaemic load and dairy protein consumption both increase insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signalling (IIS) that is superimposed on elevated IGF-1 signalling of puberty. The cell's nutritional status is primarily sensed by the forkhead box transcription factor O1 (FoxO1) and the serine/threonine kinase mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Increased IIS extrudes FoxO1 into the cytoplasm, whereas nuclear FoxO1 suppresses hepatic IGF-1 synthesis and thus impairs somatic growth. FoxO1 attenuates androgen signalling, interacts with regulatory proteins important for sebaceous lipogenesis, regulates the activity of innate and adaptive immunity, antagonizes oxidative stress and most importantly functions as a rheostat of mTORC1, the master regulator of cell growth, proliferation and metabolic homoeostasis. Thus, FoxO1 links nutrient availability to mTORC1-driven processes: increased protein and lipid synthesis, cell proliferation, cell differentiation including hyperproliferation of acroinfundibular keratinocytes, sebaceous gland hyperplasia, increased sebaceous lipogenesis, insulin resistance and increased body mass index. Enhanced androgen, TNF-α and IGF-1 signalling due to genetic polymorphisms promoting the risk of acne all converge in mTORC1 activation, which is further enhanced by nutrient signalling of WD. Deeper insights into the molecular interplay of FoxO1/mTORC1-mediated nutrient signalling are thus of critical importance to understand the impact of WD on the promotion of epidemic acne and more serious mTORC1-driven diseases of civilization. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2115 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Diet supplementation with donkey milk upregulates liver mitochondrial uncoupling, reduces energy efficiency and improves antioxidant and antiinflam...
Dietary PUFA, mainly those of the n-3 family, are known to play essential roles in the maintenance of energy balance and in the reduction of body fat deposition through the upregulation of mitochondrial uncoupling that is the main source of reactive oxygen species. We hypothesized that rat supplementation with raw donkey's milk (DM), characterized by low-fat content and higher n3:n6 ratio, may affect energy balance, lipid metabolism, and prooxidant status as compared to animals treated with cow's milk. In the present study, the effects of drinking raw DM (for 4 weeks) on energy balance, lipid metabolism, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant/detoxifying defences was compared to that produced by rat intake of an iso-energetic amount of raw cow's milk. The hypolipidemic effect produced by DM paralleled with the enhanced mitochondrial activity/proton leakage and with the increased activity or expression of mitochondrial markers namely, carnitine palmitoyl transferase and uncoupling protein 2. The association of decreased energy efficiency with reduced proinflammatory signs (TNF-α and LPS levels) with the significant increase antioxidant (total thiols) and detoxifying enzyme activities (glutathione-S-transferase NADH quinone oxidoreductase) in DM-treated animals, indicated that beneficial effects were attributable, at least in part, to the activation of nuclear factor 2 erythroid-related factor 2 pathway. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2116 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Turning acne on/off via mTORC1
Over the past 10 years, the increase in comprehension of the mechanisms behind acne has been truly exponential. Starting with the ethnological work of Cordain, accelerated by the epidemiological work of Adebamowo, supported by the clinical trials of Smith and Mann, Kwon, DiLandro and others, the interface of diet and acne is coming into focus. Melnik now presents an exceptional pair of papers that illustrate for dermatologists what translational research is all about. The Western diet, the role of dairy, FoxO1 and mTORC1, the interplay of agonists and antagonists, therapeutics present and future – the jigsaw puzzle is coming together. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2117 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Diet in acne: further evidence for the role of nutrient signalling in acne pathogenesis.
Recent evidence underlines the role of Western diet in the pathogenesis of acne. Acne is absent in populations consuming Palaeolithic diets with low glycaemic load and no consumption of milk or dairy products. Two randomized controlled studies, one of which is presented in this issue of Acta Dermato-Venereologica, have provided evidence for the beneficial therapeutic effects of low glycaemic load diets in acne. Epidemiological evidence confirms that milk consumption has an acne-promoting or acne-aggravating effect. Recent progress in understanding the nutrient-sensitive kinase mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) allows a new view of nutrient signalling in acne by both high glycaemic load and increased insulin-, IGF-1-, and leucine signalling due to milk protein consumption. Acne should be regarded as an mTORC1-driven disease of civilization, like obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer induced by Western diet. Early dietary counselling of teenage acne patients is thus a great opportunity for dermatology, which will not only help to improve acne but may reduce the long-term adverse effects of Western diet on more serious mTORC1-driven diseases of civilization. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-4896 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Acne vulgaris: a disease of Western civilization.
BACKGROUND: In westernized societies, acne vulgaris is a nearly universal skin disease afflicting 79% to 95% of the adolescent population. In men and women older than 25 years, 40% to 54% have some degree of facial acne, and clinical facial acne persists into middle age in 12% of women and 3% of men. Epidemiological evidence suggests that acne incidence rates are considerably lower in nonwesternized societies. Herein we report the prevalence of acne in 2 nonwesternized populations: the Kitavan Islanders of Papua New Guinea and the Aché hunter-gatherers of Paraguay. Additionally, we analyze how elements in nonwesternized environments may influence the development of acne. OBSERVATIONS: Of 1200 Kitavan subjects examined (including 300 aged 15-25 years), no case of acne (grade 1 with multiple comedones or grades 2-4) was observed. Of 115 Aché subjects examined (including 15 aged 15-25 years) over 843 days, no case of active acne (grades 1-4) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The astonishing difference in acne incidence rates between nonwesternized and fully modernized societies cannot be solely attributed to genetic differences among populations but likely results from differing environmental factors. Identification of these factors may be useful in the treatment of acne in Western populations. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2120 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | ACNE AND RISK OF PROSTATE CANCER
In a recent study, prostatectomy specimens from which Propionibacterium acnes was cultured were more likely to have inflammation than culture-negative specimens or specimens positive for other bacteria, leading the authors to hypothesize that P. acnes-mediated inflammation may contribute to prostate carcinogenesis. To indirectly explore associations between P. acnes and prostate cancer, we investigated severe acne, as measured by tetracycline use for four or more years, in relation to incident prostate cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. On the 1992 follow-up questionnaire, participants were asked whether they had ever used “tetracycline for at least two months at a time (e.g., for acne or other reason)” and their duration of use. Prostate cancer diagnoses were ascertained on each subsequent biennial questionnaire and confirmed by medical record review. Between 1992 and 2002, 2,147 cases of prostate cancer were reported among 34,629 eligible participants. Men who used tetracycline for four or more years had a significantly higher risk of prostate cancer (16 cases, 1,569 person-years) than men who did not use tetracycline (2,071 cases, 304,822 person-years, multivariable-adjusted RR=1.70, 95% CI:1.03–2.80). Although intriguing, this finding should be viewed cautiously because of the small number of exposed cases, indirect assessment of severe acne, and complex etiology of acne, which is not limited to P. acnes infection. Therefore, additional biologic and epidemiologic studies are necessary to determine and elucidate the possible role of P. acnes infection in prostate carcinogenesis. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2121 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Dietary intervention in acne
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the endocrine signaling of Western diet, a fundamental environmental factor involved in the pathogenesis of epidemic acne. Western nutrition is characterized by high calorie uptake, high glycemic load, high fat and meat intake, as well as increased consumption of insulin- and IGF-1-level elevating dairy proteins. Metabolic signals of Western diet are sensed by the nutrient-sensitive kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which integrates signals of cellular energy, growth factors (insulin, IGF-1) and protein-derived signals, predominantly leucine, provided in high amounts by milk proteins and meat. mTORC1 activates SREBP, the master transcription factor of lipogenesis. Leucine stimulates mTORC1-SREBP signaling and leucine is directly converted by sebocytes into fatty acids and sterols for sebaceous lipid synthesis. Over-activated mTORC1 increases androgen hormone secretion and most likely amplifies androgen-driven mTORC1 signaling of sebaceous follicles. Testosterone directly activates mTORC1. Future research should investigate the effects of isotretinoin on sebocyte mTORC1 activity. It is conceivable that isotretinoin may downregulate mTORC1 in sebocytes by upregulation of nuclear levels of FoxO1. The role of Western diet in acne can only be fully appreciated when all stimulatory inputs for maximal mTORC1 activation, i.e., glucose, insulin, IGF-1 and leucine, are adequately considered. Epidemic acne has to be recognized as an mTORC1-driven disease of civilization like obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. These new insights into Western diet-mediated mTORC1-hyperactivity provide a rational basis for dietary intervention in acne by attenuating mTORC1 signaling by reducing (1) total energy intake, (2) hyperglycemic carbohydrates, (3) insulinotropic dairy proteins and (4) leucine-rich meat and dairy proteins. The necessary dietary changes are opposed to the evolution of industrialized food and fast food distribution of Westernized countries. An attenuation of mTORC1 signaling is only possible by increasing the consumption of vegetables and fruit, the major components of vegan or Paleolithic diets. The dermatologist bears a tremendous responsibility for his young acne patients who should be advised to modify their dietary habits in order to reduce activating stimuli of mTORC1, not only to improve acne but to prevent the harmful and expensive march to other mTORC1-related chronic diseases later in life. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2122 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Metabolic disorders and breast cancer risk (United States).
OBJECTIVE: To clarify the hormonal context of breast cancer etiology we used data from a large, population-based case-control study to investigate the relationship between breast cancer risk and a history of diabetes mellitus, disorders associated with estrogen stimulation (uterine fibroids, endometriosis, gallstones), and disorders associated with androgen stimulation (acne, hirsutism, and polycystic ovaries). METHODS: Breast cancer patients between 50 and 75 years old were identified from state-wide tumor registries in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire; controls were randomly selected from drivers' license lists (age less than 65) or Medicare enrollment files (age 65-74). Information on reproductive history, medical history, and personal habits was obtained by telephone interview. A total of 5659 cases and 5928 controls were interviewed and provided suitable data. RESULTS: There was no overall association between breast cancer risk and reported history of diabetes mellitus, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, gallstones, or cholecystectomy. However, the disorders with androgenic associations all conferred an increased risk: the overall odds ratio (OR) for a history of acne was 1.4 (95% CI 1.0-1.9), that for hirsutism was 1.2 (95% CI 0.81-1.8), and that for polycystic ovaries 1.6 (95% CI 0.8-3.2). Diabetes mellitus diagnosed before age 35 conferred an odds ratio of 0.52 (95% 0.25-1.1), while diabetes diagnosed at a later age was associated with an increased risk (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.4). CONCLUSIONS: Androgen-related phenomena are likely to be important in the etiology of breast cancer. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2123 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Milk is not just food but most likely a genetic transfection system activating mTORC1 signaling for postnatal growth
Milk has been recognized to represent a functionally active nutrient system promoting neonatal growth of mammals. Cell growth is regulated by the nutrient-sensitive kinase mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). There is still a lack of information on the mechanisms of mTORC1 up-regulation by milk consumption. This review presents milk as a materno-neonatal relay system functioning by transfer of preferential amino acids, which increase plasma levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), insulin, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) for mTORC1 activation. Importantly, milk exosomes, which regularly contain microRNA-21, most likely represent a genetic transfection system enhancing mTORC1-driven metabolic processes. Whereas human breast milk is the ideal food for infants allowing appropriate postnatal growth and species-specific metabolic programming, persistent high milk signaling during adolescence and adulthood by continued cow´s milk consumption may promote mTORC1-driven diseases of civilization. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2124 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Acne: risk indicator for increased body mass index and insulin resistance.
Acne appears to represent a visible indicator disease of over-activated mTORC1 signalling, an unfavour-able metabolic deviation on the road to serious common Western diseases of civilisation associated with increased body mass index and insulin resistance. Exaggerated mTORC1 signalling by Western diet explains the association of acne with increased body mass index, insulin resistance, and early onset of menarche. Both, a high glycaemic load and increased consumption of milk and milk products, staples of Western diet, aggravate mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signalling. This review of the literature summarises present evidence for an association between acne, increased body mass index, insulin resistance and Western diet. By dietary intervention with a Palaeolithic-type diet, the dermatologist has the chance to attenuate patients' increased mTORC1 signalling by reducing glycaemic load and milk consumption, which may not only improve acne but may delay the march to more serious mTORC1-driven diseases of civilisation. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2136 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | The impact of cow's milk-mediated mTORC1-signaling in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer (PCa) is dependent on androgen receptor signaling and aberrations of the PI3K-Akt-mTORC1 pathway mediating excessive and sustained growth signaling. The nutrient-sensitive kinase mTORC1 is upregulated in nearly 100% of advanced human PCas. Oncogenic mTORC1 signaling activates key subsets of mRNAs that cooperate in distinct steps of PCa initiation and progression. Epidemiological evidence points to increased dairy protein consumption as a major dietary risk factor for the development of PCa. mTORC1 is a master regulator of protein synthesis, lipid synthesis and autophagy pathways that couple nutrient sensing to cell growth and cancer. This review provides evidence that PCa initiation and progression are promoted by cow´s milk, but not human milk, stimulation of mTORC1 signaling. Mammalian milk is presented as an endocrine signaling system, which activates mTORC1, promotes cell growth and proliferation and suppresses autophagy. Naturally, milk-mediated mTORC1 signaling is restricted only to the postnatal growth phase of mammals. However, persistent consumption of cow´s milk proteins in humans provide highly insulinotropic branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) provided by milk´s fast hydrolysable whey proteins, which elevate postprandial plasma insulin levels, and increase hepatic IGF-1 plasma concentrations by casein-derived amino acids. BCAAs, insulin and IGF-1 are pivotal activating signals of mTORC1. Increased cow´s milk protein-mediated mTORC1 signaling along with constant exposure to commercial cow´s milk estrogens derived from pregnant cows may explain the observed association between high dairy consumption and increased risk of PCa in Westernized societies. As well-balanced mTORC1-signaling plays an important role in appropriate prostate morphogenesis and differentiation, exaggerated mTORC1-signaling by high cow´s milk consumption predominantly during critical growth phases of prostate development and differentiation may exert long-term adverse effects on prostate health. Attenuation of mTORC1 signaling by contemporary Paleolithic diets and restriction of dairy protein intake, especially during mTORC1-dependent phases of prostate development and differentiation, may offer protection from the most common dairy-promoted cancer in men of Western societies. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2126 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Excessive Leucine-mTORC1-Signalling of Cow Milk-Based Infant Formula: The Missing Link to Understand Early Childhood Obesity
Increased protein supply by feeding cow-milk-based infant formula in comparison to lower protein content of human milk is a well-recognized major risk factor of childhood obesity. However, there is yet no conclusive biochemical concept explaining the mechanisms of formula-induced childhood obesity. It is the intention of this article to provide the biochemical link between leucine-mediated signalling of mammalian milk proteins and adipogenesis as well as early adipogenic programming. Leucine has been identified as the predominant signal transducer of mammalian milk, which stimulates the nutrient-sensitive kinase mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Leucine thus functions as a maternal-neonatal relay for mTORC1-dependent neonatal β-cell proliferation and insulin secretion. The mTORC1 target S6K1 plays a pivotal role in stimulation of mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate into adipocytes and to induce insulin resistance. It is of most critical concern that infant formulas provide higher amounts of leucine in comparison to human milk. Exaggerated leucine-mediated mTORC1-S6K1 signalling induced by infant formulas may thus explain increased adipogenesis and generation of lifelong elevated adipocyte numbers. Attenuation of mTORC1 signalling of infant formula by leucine restriction to physiologic lower levels of human milk offers a great chance for the prevention of childhood obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2445 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Dietary polyphenols in the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases.
Allergic disorders encompass skin, food and respiratory allergies. Sensitization to a normally harmless allergen results in the immune system being biased to a predominant T-helper type 2 response. Re-exposure to the same allergen leads to a robust secretion of allergy-related mediators that eventually triggers symptoms. Our understanding of these disorders has enabled the search of therapeutic approaches that can either modulate the sensitization process or impact on allergic mediators, thus helping manage allergic symptoms. Polyphenols are one such class of compounds that are found in foods and plant sources and have been investigated for their anti-allergic effect in different disease models and in human clinical trials. Their anti-inflammatory profile is known to impact on the recruitment of immune cells to the skin and in preventing the development of secondary infections following disruption of the skin barrier. The interaction of polyphenols with proteins can modulate the process of allergic sensitization and their direct effect on allergic effector cells such as mast cells inhibit mediator release, resulting in the alleviation of symptoms. In addition, their endogenous anti-oxidant ability limits the extent of cellular injury from free radicals during the allergic insult. Overall, polyphenols hold promise as anti-allergy agents capable of influencing multiple biological pathways and immune cell functions in the allergic immune response and deserve further investigation. The objective of the current review is to summarize the key findings and progress made in studying polyphenols as anti-allergic ingredients. Special emphasis is placed in this review to highlight key physiological, cellular and signalling pathways implicated in the mechanism of action of different polyphenols in the context of allergic disorders and their manifestations. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2446 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Dietary antioxidant intake, allergic sensitization and allergic diseases in young children.
BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases have risen in prevalence over recent decades. The aetiology remains unclear but is likely to be a result of changing lifestyle and/or environment. A reduction in antioxidant intake, consequent to reduced intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, has been suggested as a possible cause. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether dietary antioxidant intake at age 5 was related to atopy at 5 and 8 years of age amongst children in an unselected birth cohort. METHODS: Children were followed from birth. Parents completed a validated respiratory questionnaire and children were skin prick tested at 5 and 8 years of age. Serum IgE levels were measured at age 5. At age 5, antioxidant intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). A nutrient analysis program computed nutrient intake, and frequency counts of foods high in the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E were assessed. RESULTS: Eight hundred and sixty-one children completed both the respiratory and FFQ. Beta-carotene intake was associated with reduced risk of allergic sensitization at age 5 [0.80 (0.68-0.93)] and 8 [0.81 (0.70-0.94)]. In addition, beta-carotene intake was negatively associated with total IgE levels (P = 0.002). Vitamin E intake was associated with an increased risk of allergic sensitization [1.19 (1.02-1.39)], only at age 5. There was no association between antioxidant intakes and wheeze or eczema. CONCLUSION: Increased beta-carotene intake was associated with a reduced risk of allergic sensitization and lower IgE levels, in 5- and 8-year-old children. Dietary antioxidants may play a role in the development of allergic sensitization. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2458 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Manipulating antioxidant intake in asthma: a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND: Antioxidant-rich diets are associated with reduced asthma prevalence in epidemiologic studies. We previously showed that short-term manipulation of antioxidant defenses leads to changes in asthma outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate the effects of a high-antioxidant diet compared with those of a low-antioxidant diet, with or without lycopene supplementation, in asthma. DESIGN: Asthmatic adults (n = 137) were randomly assigned to a high-antioxidant diet (5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit daily; n = 46) or a low-antioxidant diet (≤2 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit daily; n = 91) for 14 d and then commenced a parallel, randomized, controlled supplementation trial. Subjects who consumed the high-antioxidant diet received placebo. Subjects who consumed the low-antioxidant diet received placebo or tomato extract (45 mg lycopene/d). The intervention continued until week 14 or until an exacerbation occurred. RESULTS: After 14 d, subjects consuming the low-antioxidant diet had a lower percentage predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s and percentage predicted forced vital capacity than did those consuming the high-antioxidant diet. Subjects in the low-antioxidant diet group had increased plasma C-reactive protein at week 14. At the end of the trial, time to exacerbation was greater in the high-antioxidant than in the low-antioxidant diet group, and the low-antioxidant diet group was 2.26 (95% CI: 1.04, 4.91; P = 0.039) times as likely to exacerbate. Of the subjects in the low-antioxidant diet group, no difference in airway or systemic inflammation or clinical outcomes was observed between the groups that consumed the tomato extract and those who consumed placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Modifying the dietary intake of carotenoids alters clinical asthma outcomes. Improvements were evident only after increased fruit and vegetable intake, which suggests that whole-food interventions are most effective. This trial was registered at http://www.actr.org.au as ACTRN012606000286549. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2448 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | Clinical efficacy of apple polyphenol for treating cedar pollinosis.
A double-blind comparative study was conducted on cedar pollinosis patients in order to evaluate the treatment efficacy of apple polyphenol (Ap). Ap was administered (500 mg) once daily for 12 weeks, starting about 2 weeks prior to cedar pollen dispersion. Pollinosis symptoms during the study were evaluated according to the classification in the guidelines for allergic rhinitis diagnosis and treatment. The results show that the sneezing score was significantly lower for the Ap group than with the placebo group during the early period of pollen dispersion and during the main dispersion period. In addition, no adverse reactions were induced by Ap during the study. These results suggest that Ap may alleviate the symptoms of cedar pollinosis. |
nfcorpus-qrel-MED-2449 | Generate text that best answers this question: Japan | An evaluation of the clinical efficacy of tomato extract for perennial allergic rhinitis.
BACKGROUND: Recently, some common foods in daily life have been found to have anti-allergic effects. We have reported that tomato extract (TE) could possibly inhibit histamine release and mouse ear-swelling responses. Moreover, it is reported that TE could relieve the symptoms for Japanese cedar pollinosis. METHODS: To evaluate the anti-allergic effect of TE, we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 33 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) using oral administration of TE (360 mg per day) or placebo for 8 weeks. RESULTS: We found that the sneezing score significantly decreased in the TE group at the end of the trial compared to the beginning (P < 0.05). There were decreasing tendencies of rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction in the TE group. The patients' quality of life was significantly improved in the TE group after 8 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05), but not in placebo group. A significant improvement in total symptom scores, combining sneezing, rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction, was observed after oral administration of TE for 8 weeks (P < 0.01). The safety of TE treatment was confirmed by laboratory tests and inspection of general conditions. CONCLUSIONS: TE can be expected to safely improve the nasal symptoms of PAR. |
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