Samara Palma Milla

Indicaciones de diferentes tipos de fibra en distintas patologías

INTRODUCTION Fiber definition includes all those carbohydrates which are not digested nor absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract allowing them to reach the colon with no previous processing. Traditionally fiber has been classified according to their solubility into soluble and insoluble and different physiological properties have been defined for each type. The physiologic role of the fiber intake has been studied in diabetes, dyslipidemia or obesity. Fiber intake has also demonstrated to be beneficial in the prevention of many neoplastic diseases like colorectal cancer. It´s also known that fiber plays an important role in the faecal excretion of nitrogen. AIM To evaluate the current evidence that fiber intake plays in the management and prevention of several different diseases, being able to determine, if possible, the most recommended fiber type for each clinical condition. METHODS A non-systematic review by searching the Medline and Pubmed was made and studies which met the inclusion criteria were identified and selected for analysis. RESULTS Different fiber types can be useful for the treatment of several gastrointestinal diseases like constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis remission or short bowel syndrome. Patients diagnosed with diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and other cardiometabolic diseases can get a clinical improvement with soluble fiber intake. Dietary fiber has demonstrated to play a role in the prevention of colorrectal cancer and other neoplastic diseases. Patients with hepatic encephalopathy or chronic kidney disease will also benefit from fermentable fiber intake. DISCUSSION Fiber plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of many clinical conditions. However further investigations are needed to establish specific fiber intake recommendations.

Variables predictoras de baja adherencia a un programa de modificación de estilos de vida para el tratamiento del exceso de peso en atención primaria

OBJECTIVES To identify predictive variables of low adherence to a pilot Lifestyle Modification Program (LMP) for overweight and obesity treatment in primary health care (PC ). MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty subjects with BMI > 27 kg/m(2) were recruited. Health professionals directed the program in a group structure and biweekly, based on nutrition education with individualized dietary guidelines, promotion of physical activity and motivational support. A validated questionnaire on lifestyle habits for overweight and obesity subjects was used to identify variables related with program adherence and anthropometric variables were measured before and 6 months after intervention. Low adherence was considered when patients attended to less than 80% of visits. RESULTS Twenty-seven subjects (45%) presented high adherence to the program. The variables associated to low adherence were related to baseline with IMC ≥ 35 kg/m(2) (p < 0.05); ex smoker period ≤ 4 months (p < 0.01); high caloric diet (p < 0.01) and scarce physical activity (p < 0.05). At 6 months the subjects who finalized the program presented a significant decrease of weight (86.0 ± 15.6 vs 79.2 ± 13.4 kg; p < 0,001); fat mass percentage (41,6 ± 4,6 vs 38.8 ± 5,4%; p < 0.001), blood glucose (108 ± 45.48 vs 94.38 ± 11.97 mg/dl; p < 0.01). It also improved caloric diet profile, above all decreasing the percentage of fat (39.6 ± 4.8 vs 35.5 ± 5.6%; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION Have recently left smoking, obesity degree two or higher, a high caloric diet and scarce physical activity were basal variables identified as predictive of a low adhesion to a LMP for the treatment of overweight and obesity in primary health care. We do not consider this pilot experience as satisfactory and other new strategies are under development.

Obesidad y azúcar: aliados o enemigos

In the last three decades, the prevalence of obesity in developed countries has reached epidemic proportions, and continues rising. Many factors have influence on the incidence of obesity, and with the decline of physical activity, overeating plays a role in the emergence of this public health problem. Although a clear relationship between fat intake and weight gain has been established, the role of carbohydrates and more specifically from sucrose and the development of obesity is more controversial. Much of this controversy is due to the growing demand for sweetened drinks and caloric increase posed by these in the diet. Despite multiple studies and communications on this subject in recent years, there are still many areas of uncertainty about the role played by diets rich in sugars over the increase in obesity in last years.

Una visión global de las reacciones adversas a alimentos: alergia e intolerancia alimentaria

Over the last years, there has been an increase in adverse food reactions, probably associated with life style changes in the past decades. An adverse food reaction is any clinically abnormal response that can be attributed to ingestion, contact or inhalation of a food, its derivatives or an additive contained in it. They can be classified as food allergy or intolerance. Food allergies are usually immune-mediated, associated with IgE. Adverse reactions to food have a large clinical and social repercussion, which can be fatal in some cases and impair the quality of life of patients. This implies directly the services of collective catering and food manufacturing, which is why a legislature and regulations were implemented for its correct management. The most allergenic foods change according to the age group; being the egg the most frequent in children under 5 years, and fresh fruits in the older than 5 years. The most frequent clinical manifestations are cutaneous-mucous type. Food intolerances may be due to a pharmacological, metabolic, mixed or idiosyncratic mechanism. Clinical manifestations are usually dose dependent. The most common and known food intolerance is lactose, which is a metabolic type. The main treatment of both types of adverse reaction to foods is avoidance of the causal food of the reaction.