Reema F. Tayyem

Curcumin Content of Turmeric and Curry Powders

Abstract: Curcumin, derived from the rhizome curcuma longa, is one of the primary ingredients in turmeric and curry powders that are used as spices in Middle Eastern and Asian countries, especially on the Indian subcontinent. More recently, laboratory studies have demonstrated that dietary curcumin exhibits various biological activities and significantly inhibits colon tumorigenesis and tumor size in animals. Curcumin displays both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, giving it the potential to be considered in the development of cancer preventive strategies and applications in clinical research. Experimental studies have shown the biological activities of the compound, but much more information on pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and food content are needed. Whether the amount of curcumin in turmeric and curry powders is sufficient to suggest effects on biological activities and cancer risk is unknown. To determine and compare the quantitative amounts of curcumin that are present in several brands of turmeric and curry powders, a high performance liquid chromatography technique was used to analyze 28 spice products described as turmeric or curry powders and two negative controls. Pure turmeric powder had the highest curcumin concentration, averaging 3.14% by weight. The curry powder samples, with one exception, had relatively small amounts of curcumin present, and the variability in content was great. The curcumin content of these seasoning products that are consumed as a component of the diet should be considered in evaluating baseline tissue concentration and response to curcumin supplementation, which is under study in chemoprevention trials.

The association between periodontal disease and obesity among adults in Jordan.

AIM To determine the relationship between periodontitis and overweight/obesity among Jordanians. MATERIAL AND METHODS A systematic random sample of 340 persons aged between 18 and 70 years was selected from those who accompanied patients during their visit to the outpatient clinics in the medical centre of Jordan University of Science and Technology in north of Jordan. All participants underwent periodontal examination, had anthropometric measurements, and completed the questionnaire. Periodontitis was defined as presence of four or more teeth with one or more sites with probing pocket depth >or=4 mm and clinical attachment loss >or=3 mm. RESULTS Only 14% of normal weight participants had periodontal disease whereas 29.6% of overweight and 51.9% of obese participants had periodontal disease. Periodontitis was more prevalent among subjects with high waist circumference (WC) and among subjects with high waist-to-hip ratio. After adjusting for important variables, only body mass index (BMI)-defined obesity [odds ratio (OR)=2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3, 6.1], high WC (OR=2.1, 95%CI: 1.2, 3.7), and high fat per cent (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.3) remained significantly associated with increased odds of periodontitis. CONCLUSION BMI-defined obesity, high WC, and high fat per cent were significantly associated with increased odds of having periodontitis.

The association between periodontal disease, physical activity and healthy diet among adults in Jordan

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet have been implicated as risk factors for several chronic diseases that are known to be associated with periodontitis, such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes. Studies investigating the relationship between periodontitis and physical activity and diet are limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between physical activity, healthy eating habits and periodontal health status. MATERIAL AND METHODS A systematic random sample of 340 persons, 18-70 years of age, was selected from persons accompanying their relative patients who attended the outpatient clinics in the medical center of Jordan University of Science and Technology in north of Jordan. Data collected included socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, anthropometric measurements, physical activity level and dietary assessment. RESULTS Individuals who were highly physically active had a significantly lower average plaque index, average gingival index, average clinical attachment loss (CAL) and percentage of sites with CAL ≥ 3 mm compared to individuals with a low level of physical activity and individuals with a moderate level of physical activity. Those who had a poor diet had a significantly higher average number of missing teeth and an average CAL compared with those who had a good diet. In the multivariate analysis, a low level of physical activity and a poor diet (diets with a healthy eating index score of < 50 points) were significantly associated with increased odds of periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS A low physical activity level and a poor diet were significantly associated with increased odds of periodontal disease. Further studies are needed to understand this relationship in greater detail.

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Adolescents in Seven Arab Countries: A Cross-Cultural Study

Objective. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in seven Arab countries using similar reference standard. Methods. A school-based cross-sectional study was carried out in seven cities in Arab countries, namely, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria, and United Arab Emirates. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used. The total sample included was 4698 adolescents aged from 15 to 18 years (2240 males, 2458 females). The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reference standard was used to classify the adolescents as nonobese, overweight, and obese. Results. Among males, overweight was highest among Kuwaiti adolescents (25.6%), followed by Jordanian (21.6%), and Syrian (19.7%) adolescents. Among females, the highest prevalence of overweight was reported in Libyan adolescents (26.6%), followed by Kuwaiti (20.8%), and Syrian (19.7%) adolescents. As for obesity, Kuwaiti adolescents showed the highest prevalence of obesity for both males (34.8%) and females (20.6%). Conclusion. There is an urgent need to establish a plan of action to combat obesity in schoolchildren in these countries.

Risk of disordered eating attitudes among adolescents in seven Arab countries by gender and obesity: a cross-cultural study.

The objectives were to discover the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes (EAs) among adolescent males and females, and the association of obesity with EA in seven Arab countries. A multistage stratified sampling technique was used to select secondary students aged 15-18 years from cities in Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria and Sharijah Emirate (United Arab Emirates). The total sample was 4698 (2240 males and 2458 females). The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) was used to measure those at risk of disordered EA. Obesity was calculated according to the International Obesity Taskforce criteria. Participants were grouped into two categories, non-obese and obese (overweight and obese). The risk of disordered EA was twice as high among females as in males in Jordan, Libya, Palestine and Syria. Kuwaiti adolescents (males and females) showed higher prevalence of disordered EA than their counterparts in other countries. The risk of disordered EA among obese adolescents was two to three times higher than that of non-obese adolescents, in both genders. Excepting Kuwaiti females and Palestinian males. The association of obesity with disordered EA was statistically significant. This study highlighted the magnitude of the risk of disordered eating attitudes among both male and female adolescents in Arab countries and identified the need for programmes to prevent and control these disorders in the Arab region.

Perceived Barriers to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity among Adolescents in Seven Arab Countries: A Cross-Cultural Study

Objective. To highlight the perceived personal, social, and environmental barriers to healthy eating and physical activity among Arab adolescents. Method. A multistage stratified sampling method was used to select 4698 students aged 15–18 years (2240 males and 2458 females) from public schools. Seven Arab counties were included in the study, namely, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. Self-reported questionnaire was used to list the barriers to healthy eating and physical activity facing these adolescents. Results. It was found that lack of information on healthy eating, lack of motivation to eat a healthy diet, and not having time to prepare or eat healthy food were the main barriers to healthy eating among both genders. For physical activity, the main barriers selected were lack of motivation to do physical activity, less support from teachers, and lack of time to do physical activity. In general, females faced more barriers to physical activity than males in all countries included. There were significant differences between males and females within each country and among countries for most barriers. Conclusion. Intervention programmes to combat obesity and other chronic noncommunicable diseases in the Arab world should include solutions to overcome the barriers to weight maintenance, particularly the sociocultural barriers to practising physical activity.

Skin‐lightening practice among women living in Jordan: prevalence, determinants, and user’s awareness

Background  The use and misuse of skin‐lightening products among women living in Arab communities have not been documented previously. This study investigates the determinants, the prevalence and users awareness associated with the use and misuse of skin‐lightening products among women living in Jordan.

Food insecurity is related to glycemic control deterioration in patients with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND & AIMS Poor glycemic control has been shown to play a major role in the development and progression of diabetes complications. This cross-sectional study tested the hypothesis that food insecurity may deteriorate glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of food insecurity among type 2 diabetics in a major hospital that serves the area of northern Jordan, and to investigate its relation to glycemic control. METHODS A sample of 843 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes participated in the study. Socioeconomic and health data were collected by interview-based questionnaire. Weight and height were measured by a trained nutritionist. Dietary assessment was done using food frequency questionnaire. Dietary data were processed using food processor software. Food insecurity was assessed by the short form of the U.S. food security survey module. Glycemic control was assessed by measuring glycosyated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Statistical procedures used to analyze the data were chi-square, and post-hoc analysis of variance. RESULTS About 22% of the tested sample were food secure (FS); 51% were moderately food insecure (MFIS); and 27% were severely food insecure (SFIS). Higher BMI was associated with SFIS patients. After adjusting for age, gender, income, education, and duration of diabetes, body mass index, and caloric consumption; moderate and severe food insecurity were associated with poor glycemic control (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION food insecurity may be associated with glycemic control deterioration in patients with type 2 diabetes.

INCREASED OXIDATIVE STRESS AND IRON OVERLOAD IN JORDANIAN β-THALASSEMIC CHILDREN

β-Thalassemia (β-thal) is associated with abnormal synthesis of hemoglobin (Hb). Repeated blood transfusions in patients with β-thal major (β-TM) leads to an enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and subjects patients to peroxidative injury. We studied the antioxidant status and oxidative damage to children with β-thal in Jordan. Samples from 40 children with β-thal and 40 healthy controls were used. All children were under 13 years of age. Our results showed that plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were elevated in β-thalassemic children compared to controls together with compensatory increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decrease in catalase (CAT) activity. Elevated serum ferritin showed positive correlation with elevated liver enzyme levels except gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), confirming liver involvement due to iron overload. Serum ferritin also showed a positive correlation with elevated TBARS and SOD, suggesting that iron overload is involed in the oxidative stress shown in cells.

Validation of a Food Frequency Questionnaire to Assess Macronutrient and Micronutrient Intake among Jordanians

The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) among a convenience sample of healthy adults in Jordan. A modified version of the questionnaire known as Diet History Questionnaire I, which measures dietary intakes over a 1-year period, was administrated to 101 apparently healthy men and women recruited from three large medical centers in Jordan. Fifty-five participants completed the modified FFQ and three 24-hour recalls. Participants (N=101) completed the FFQ two times separated by a 1-month period. Reliability of the FFQ was assessed using test-retest method. Mean age of participants was 33.4±18.5 years. Energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, saturated fat, calcium, and iron had deattenuated correlations of .732, .563, .544, .487, .484, .451, and .459, respectively. The FFQ and 24-hour recalls produced similar agreement percentages ranging between 25.5% and 43.6%. Mean energy-adjusted reliability coefficients ranged from .695 to .943. A Cronbachs α for the total FFQ items of .857 was found. The modified FFQ has reasonable relative validity and reliability for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, saturated fat, calcium, and iron intakes in Jordanian adults over a 1-year period. However, its application may require additional modifications and validation efforts. Future research is warranted to further modify and test the FFQ in a larger and more diverse sample of Jordanians as well as to develop FFQ for the use among other age groups.