Carina Aparecida Pinto

Addition of pooled pumpkin seed to mixed meals reduced postprandial glycemia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial

We investigated if pumpkin and flaxseeds could improve postprandial glycemic, food intake, and appetitive responses. Herein, we hypothesize based on the literature that pumpkin seed has potential to lower postprandial glycemic effects. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design study involving normoglycemic adults (food intake: n = 25; glycemia: n = 15). Three high-carbohydrate mixed meals presenting no seed (control [C]) or 65 g of the tested seeds (pumpkin seed [P] or flaxseed [F]) were consumed in 3 nonconsecutive days. Test meals had similar nutritional composition. Blood glucose was measured by capillary finger blood at 0 (immediately before), 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after the ingestion of each meal, and the incremental area under glycemic response curves (iAUC) were calculated. Appetitive responses were assessed, and dietary records were used to evaluate food intake on testing days. Glucose iAUC was significantly lower in P compared with C (reduction of ~35%, P = .025). There was no significant differences in glucose iAUC between F and C (P = .257). Glycemic response at each time point did not differ between C, P, and F (Pgroup × time = .238). Fiber consumption was higher in F (P = .009) than in C, but there were no differences in appetitive responses, energy, or macronutrient consumptions between dietary interventions. Acute consumption of 65 g of pumpkin seed markedly reduced postprandial glycemia. Pumpkin seed has potential as a hypoglycemic food, which now deserves to be confirmed in long-term studies.

Food security and edible plant cultivation in the urban gardens of socially disadvantaged families in the municipality of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Subsistence farming in urban gardens may be a strategy for food and nutrition security, particularly in socially disadvantaged families, because it eases access to food. This study aimed to assess the following factors in socially disadvantaged families: (1) prevalence of food insecurity, (2) characterization of gardens and cultivation of edible plants in urban areas, and (3) relation between characteristics of urban gardens and cultivated edible plants and food security in families. A survey was conducted on the management and cultivation of plants in gardens and on the perception of food security according to the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale for 118 families living in urban areas in the municipality of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We observed that 78.8% of families were exposed to food insecurity and were socially vulnerable. Among these, 56.8% experienced mild food insecurity conditions, 15.3% moderate conditions, and 6.7% severe conditions. Management of urban gardens and cultivation of edible plants vary widely according to families’ needs and interests, available space, age of farmers, cultivation time, and previous relationship between the family and rural environments. There was no relation between characteristics of gardens, management, and cultivation of edible plants in urban gardens and the perception of food security of socially disadvantaged families.

Aspectos metodológicos da avaliação da qualidade da dieta no Brasil: revisão sistemática

This systematic review analyzes the methodologies of Brazilian studies that have used indices to evaluate dietary quality. A systematic search was performed of electronic databases (Lilacs, Medline, SciELO and Scopus) with no restriction on the year of publication of the studies. Original, Brazilian articles were selected that assessed dietary quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) or its revised versions. The descriptors were as follows: dietary quality; healthy eating index; and dietary quality index. Atotal of 45 articles were selected, of which 60% analyzed dietary quality using an instrument called the Healthy Eating Index and the rest used an index of dietary quality. Of the analyzed studies, 68.9% classified dietary quality. Most of the studies used ten items to evaluate dietary quality and were not standardized regarding methodologies. A total of 33.3% of the studies related the index to socioeconomic and demographic factors, food items and health conditions. Differences in terms of nomenclature and methodologies made it difficult to compare these studies of dietary quality.