View clinical trials related to Diet Therapy.
Filter by:To the best of our knowledge, the effect of pasta consumption within a hypocaloric Mediterranean diet has only been scarcely explored yet. Therefore, a two-parallel group dietary intervention was carried out to investigate if pasta consumption could affect the BMI change in obese patients. The primary outcome was the loss of at leat 8% of the initial body weight in the first 6 months. Anthropometric and body composition (from bioelectrical impedance analysis - BIA-) measures were collected every month for the first 6 months and after 1 year. In addition, dietary information was collected at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months through a 7-day carbohydrate food record and a 24-h food recall. Blood samples were collected at baseline and at 6 and 12 months to assess: glucose, insulin, Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistant (HOMA-IR) index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and uric acid. Furthermore, the perceived quality of life was investigated through the 36-items short form health survey (SF36) questionnaire.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of especial diet therapy "Anti-inflammatory Diet" on inflammatory, oxidative stress, and nutritional markers in the context of protein-energy wasting syndrome(PEW) in hemodialysis patients.
Background: - LIFE-Moms (Lifestyle Interventions for Expectant Moms) is a national project that is studying pregnant women who are overweight or obese. It is looking at ways they can manage their weight gain in pregnancy and how this may affect them and their babies health at birth and through the first year. Researchers want to recruit pregnant women who are being treated at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. They will participate in a two-part study. Objectives: - To study pregnant women who are in the LIFE-Moms project at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Eligibility: - Pregnant women at least 18 years of age who are overweight or obese. - Participants must be receiving care at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. - Participants must be having only one child in their pregnancy (no twins or other multiple births). Design: - This study will have two parts. The first part will have three visits to obtain data about health early in pregnancy. It will also let participants and researchers find out if the participants are eligible and should continue in the second part of the study. In the second part, participants will be monitored throughout their pregnancy and during the first year after the baby s birth to test the effects of a lifestyle intervention to control weight gain during pregnancy. - On the Part 1 study visits, participants will have a physical exam and medical history. They will provide blood, urine, hair, and other samples to be examined for possible genetic conditions. - For the Part 2 study visits, participants will be placed in one of two treatment groups. Each group will receive the same prenatal and postnatal care that they would get if they did not join the study. - The first group will have a lifestyle intervention program. They will spend about 2 hours every week with other members of their group to learn diet and activity behaviors that may help with their health. - The second group will have an enhanced care program. They will be given additional information about health and pregnancy and be invited to attend three classes to learn about staying healthy during pregnancy.
Background: - Researchers who study health and nutrition are interested in developing more accurate methods of determining what people eat from day to day and how it affects their general health. In particular, better methods are needed to determine if people are accurately remembering what they ate. One possible method involves the use of biomarkers, or indicators in urine, blood, saliva, fat, and hair, which are related to the intake of a particular food in a consistent way. One set of biomarkers in blood samples and hair may be used to determine the relative amount of meat, fish, and soda (corn/sugar cane) in a person s diet. However, more research is needed to study the effectiveness of using these biomarkers to accurately track dietary intake. Objectives: - To validate the use of biomarkers as representative of specific dietary intake patterns (meat/fish/soda). Eligibility: - Healthy, nondiabetic men between 18 and 65 years of age. Design: - This study involves an initial screening visit and a 12-13 week inpatient dietary study period. - Participants will be screened with a medical history and physical examination, as well as blood and urine samples and a glucose tolerance test to exclude individuals who have diabetes. - After 3 days of a standard weight-maintaining diet, participants will have a glucose tolerance test and a body fat scan; provide hair, blood, and fat tissue samples; and complete questionnaires and performance tests. - Participants will spend one day in a metabolic chamber to measure their energy expenditure and general metabolism. - Participants will then be randomized into one of eight carefully designed diets for 12 weeks. The diets will differ in the amount of meat, fish, and soda, including one diet where none of the three biomarker-related foods will be permitted. Blood samples will be collected throughout the study diet period. - At the end of the 12-week study diet period, participants will provide additional hair, blood, and fat tissue samples, and will have a second metabolism assessment in the metabolic chamber.
This study will investigate how to better predict why some individuals gain or lose weight more easily than others. It will examine whether the increase in the amount of energy a body burns in 24 hours with overeating or the decrease over 24 hours with fasting can help determine how easily someone gains or loses weight. Healthy people between 18 and 60 years of age who have a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 kg/m(2) and 24 kg/m(2) (for overfeeding study) or a BMI greater than 27 kg/m(2) with a body weight less than 350 pounds (weight loss study) may be eligible for this study. The study requires a 10-week admission to the NIH Clinical Center (2-week baseline, 6-week overfeeding/weight loss, 2-week post-weight change). Participants undergo the following tests and procedures during the hospital admission: - Medical history, physical examination and laboratory studies - Questionnaires to assess eating behavior, food preferences, body composition, and activity level - Body composition assessment (height, weight, waist circumference, and fat mass and muscle content through DXA and MRI scans) - Oral glucose tolerance test - Meal test to measure the response of certain hormones to food - Activity monitors to determine activity level - Metabolic chamber study to measure calories burned over 24 hours and monitor body temperature - Free-living energy use study to measure calories burned under normal home conditions over 7 days - Fat and muscle biopsies - Dietary intervention: Measurements of food intake and energy loss over a 6-week overfeeding (1.5 times the subject s normal food intake) or weight loss (one-half the subject s normal food intake) program Followup procedures after the inpatient stay: - Height and weight measurements at 6 months (overfeeding study participants) and monthly for the first year, at 3-month intervals for the second year, and then yearly for 3 more years (weight loss study participants) - Yearly visits (2-night inpatient stay) for all participants for repeat meal test, DXA, oral glucose tolerance test, behavioral questionnaires and, in women who can become pregnant, pregnancy test
Our antibiotic studies indicated that cholesterol lowering was seen when fecal bifidobacterial counts were increased. Due to the dangers associated with prolonged antibiotic use we have been funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation to see if gut bacteria can be modified by non-antibiotic means. Inulin a dietary fiber found in artichokes, chicory, leaks, onion, etc., (which also produces flatulence) has been shown to increase bifidobacteria and also appears to lower serum cholesterol. We will therefore test the fiber to determine its effectiveness in lowering serum cholesterol and whether it can be used to maximize the cholesterol-lowering effects of soy protein foods and viscous fiber foods (e.g. oats and psyllium).
To assess the effects of almonds on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors (serum lipids, measurements of oxidative stress and nitric oxide production) when added to the diets of subjects with high cholesterol. Also, to assess whether the amount of almonds consumed (i.e. almond dose) decreases CHD risk factors in a dose dependent manner. We hypothesize that since almonds have been shown to reduce serum lipids, we believe they will also increase nitric oxide levels related to their high levels of arginine and reduce markers of oxidative stress related to their content of bioactive phenolics. We anticipate that a dose-dependent relationship will be observed resulting in greater reductions in risk factors for coronary heart disease when greater doses of almonds are consumed.
Low and very low carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins' Diet, have recently gained attention for their potential health benefits from weight loss and have gained some scientific support from a growing number of studies. Benefits have been noted in relation to raised "good" cholesterol, lower "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides. Other studies have shown an advantage in substituting vegetable fat for carbohydrate in insulin resistant individuals and in some instances in type 2 diabetes where improvements were seen in "good" cholesterol and blood sugars. At the same time, our research have been exploring diets containing less processed carbohydrates and other components which in combination (portfolio diet) have a similar cholesterol lowering effect to drug therapy. Therefore we wish to determine whether our cholesterol-lowering components (portfolio diet) should be incorporated into lower carbohydrate diets especially to preserve "good" cholesterol and lower "bad" cholesterol for decreasing the risk of heart disease.
An alpha linolenic acid (ALA) rich diet in the Lyon Diet Heart Study reduced sudden cardiac deaths possibly by reducing cardiac arrhythmias and ventricular fibrillation (Lancet 1994). Since then, there has been a growing interest in ALA, ω-3 fatty acid family precursor, as a cardioprotective nutrient. Much of the interest has focused on the potential antiarrhythmic effect of longer chain ω-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, derived from fish. We therefore concluded it important to test wether vegetable source ω-3 also had antiarrhythmic effects, as shown in animals by Leaf and McLennan, since this might also explain the beneficial effects seen on cardiovascular mortality in the Lyon Diet Heart Study.
The Question posed is: Does an barley protein concentrate have health benefits similar to those demonstrated for soy protein foods which would justify the use of the non-fiber components of barley as functional food ingredients? Hypotheses: 1. Cholesterol Lowering: There is good evidence indicating that soy protein lowers serum cholesterol levels. The evidence was strong enough for a health claim for coronary heart disease risk reduction to be approved by the FDA. In addition, we have found that wheat gluten significantly reduced serum triglyceride levels. However, there is a need to assess the possible health benefits other vegetable protein sources. Barley is grown in relatively large amounts in Canada and barley protein would be a readily available vegetable protein source if health attributes could be ascribed to it. In addition other components of barley, including plant sterols and phenolics, may have hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant properties. 2. Antioxidant: In addition to cholesterol-lowering and possibly of equal importance in terms of prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, the barley phenolics associated with barley protein and may have added benefits as antioxidants. 3. Markers of Inflammation: Barley components are considered to be hypoallergenic. Hence their use in the cosmetic industry. Auto-immune and inflammatory responses are associated with increased CHD risk. Barley protein consumption may therefore reduce the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines; and the acute phase proteins. 4. Arterial Dilatation: Barley proteins may also have beneficial effects on vascular reactivity which may reduce CHD risk on account of their higher arginine:lysine ratio. Arginine enhances nitric oxide synthesis associated with endothelial relaxation and arterial dilatation. Barley may therefore increase pulmonary nitric oxide levels.