Sa'eed Bawa

The role of the consumption of beverages in the obesity epidemic

This paper is intended to demonstrate to nutritionists, dietitians, paediatricians and other health care professionals as well as parents, primary and secondary school authorities, nutritional concerns pertaining to the consumption of soft drinks. High intake of soft drinks is associated with: 1) overweight or obesity because of the intake of additional calories in the diet; 2) increased risk of osteoporosis due to displacement of milk consumption, resulting in calcium deficiency and subsequent bone resorption; and 3) increased risk of dental caries and potential enamel erosion. School officials and parents should be aware of the health implications of vended drinks in schools before making a decision about pupils’ and students’ access to them.

The Significance of Soy Protein and Soy Bioactive Compounds in the Prophylaxis and Treatment of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is defined as a progressive systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Although bone mass and quality is mainly determined genetically, many other factors, including lifestyle and nutrition also have an impact on bone health. It has been suggested that dietary protein intake may be a risk factor for osteoporosis, and high-protein diets are associated with increased bone loss. Many scientists have examined the relationship between types of protein and urinary calcium excretion, and found that although animal protein was associated with increased urinary calcium excretion, soy protein was not. There is sufficient evidence suggesting soy isoflavones may have potential benefits for bone. Soy protein with naturally occurring phytoestrogens, mainly isoflavones protect against bone loss and synthetic soy ipriflavone in some studies has been shown to favorably affect, but a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of ipriflavone and maintenance of bone mineral density in post-menopausal women. Therefore it is too early to recommend it as a supplement for this group of women.

The influence of selected demographic and lifestyle factors on lutein intakes by groups of Polish women

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of selected demographic and lifestyle factors on the intake of lutein by groups of Polish women aged 19–81 years. The study was carried out in 100 respondents in the year 2006 with the use of 4-day dietary food records. The mean intake of lutein was 2.16 mg/person/day. The primary sources of lutein in food rations of the participants were vegetables and vegetable products (72.2%), especially leafy vegetables (48.6%), cereal products (9.3%) and eggs (7.9%). The main determinants of lutein intake in the groups of Polish women were age (r=0.238, P=0.017), body mass index (r=0.250, P=0.012), place of dwelling (r=0.206, P=0.050) as well as occupation (r= − 0.249, P=0.013). The knowledge of environmental factors affecting lutein consumption is important because of its role in the prevention of diet-related diseases.

Current prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with dyspepsia treated in Warsaw, Poland.

Introduction The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in patients with dyspepsia has important clinical and epidemiological implications. However, the current prevalence of Hp infection among patients within Poland is unknown; the last data were collected a decade ago and the majority of previous studies showed the prevalence to be between 60% and 100%. Aim To establish the current prevalence of Hp infection among patients with dyspepsia in Warsaw, Poland. Material and methods The study group comprised 148 patients (126 women and 22 men) with dyspepsia, treated in two outpatient clinics in Warsaw. The mean age in the group that tested positive for Hp was 45.8 years (SD = 14.86; median = 51; min = 19; max = 64). They were tested for Hp infection with a urea breath test that uses 13C-enriched urea and isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Results Helicobacter pylori infection was found in 53 patients (44 women and 9 men), i.e. in 35.8% of the whole study group. We did not find any significant relationship between Hp infection and the patients’ age, gender, or their body mass index. Conclusions The current prevalence of Hp infection among patients with dyspepsia treated in Warsaw is 35.8%. However, our data suggest almost a two-fold fall in the prevalence of Hp infection compared to the previous Polish studies.

Nutrient profile, bioactive components, and functional properties of okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench)

Abstract Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (syn, Hibiscus esculentus L.), is an important vegetable crop widely grown in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions of the world. The fruits or pods containing seeds are harvested when immature and are eaten as vegetables. This review focuses on the nutrient profile, bioactive components and their health effects, functional properties of okra, and identifies some regional okra food dishes. Okra is a very good source of dietary fiber, magnesium, manganese, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, B1, and B6. Studies have indicated that okra is rich in bioactive components, such as flavonoids, especially quercetin and phytosterols. The okra seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid, which is essential for human nutrition. Okra has beneficial health benefits on diabetes and some cancers. Okra mucilage from the immature pods was found to be suitable for industrial and medicinal applications.