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a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oMeat has exerted a crucial role in human evolution and is an important component of a healthy and well balanced diet due to its nutritional richness. The present review attempts to sum up meats role and importance in human nutrition as well as examine some pejorative beliefs about meat consumption. Meat is a valuable source of high biological value protein, iron, vitamin B12 as well as other B complex vitamins, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. Fat content and fatty acid profile, a constant matter of concern when referring to meat consumption, is highly dependent on species, feeding system as well as the cut used. Pork meat can have the highest fat content but poultry skin is not far behind. It is also crucial to distinguish meat cuts from other meat products especially regarding its association with disease risk. As in other dietary components, moderation is advisable but meat has been shown to be an important component of a balanced diet.

Inflammation-modulating elements are recognized periodontitis (PD) risk factors, nevertheless, the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and PD has never been appraised. We aimed to assess the association between DII and PD and the mediation effect of DII in the association of PD with systemic inflammation. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2010, 2011–2012 and 2013–2014, participants who received periodontal exam and provided dietary recall data were included. The inflammatory potential of diet was calculated via DII. PD was defined according to the 2012 case definition. White blood cells (WBC), segmented neutrophils and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used as proxies for systemic inflammation. The periodontal measures were regressed across DII values using adjusted multivariate linear regression and adjusted mediation analysis. Overall, 10,178 participants were included. DII was significantly correlated with mean periodontal probing depth (PPD), mean clinical attachment loss (CAL), thresholds of PPD and CAL, WBC, segmented neutrophils and DII (p < 0.01). A linear regression logistic adjusted for multiple confounding variables confirmed the association between DII and mean PPD (B = 0.02, Standard Error [SE]: 0.02, p < 0.001) and CAL (B = −0.02, SE: 0.01, p < 0.001). The association of mean PPD and mean CAL with both WBC and segmented neutrophils were mediated by DII (from 2.1 to 3.5%, p < 0.001). In the 2009–2010 subset, the association of mean CAL with serum CRP was mediated by DII (52.0%, p < 0.01). Inflammatory diet and PD may be associated. Also, the inflammatory diet significantly mediated the association of leukocyte counts and systemic inflammation with PD.

Consumer interest in foods with enhanced nutritional quality has increased in recent years. The nutritional and bioactive characterization of fruits and their byproducts, as well as their use in the formulation of new food products, is advisable, contributing to decrease the global concerns related to food waste and food security. Moreover, the compounds present in these raw materials and the study of their biological properties can promote health and help to prevent some chronic diseases. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (prickly pear) is a plant that grows wild in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world, being a food source for ones and a potential for others, but not properly valued. This paper carries out an exhaustive review of the scientific literature on the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds of prickly pear and its constituents, as well as its main biological activities and applications. It is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins and bioactive compounds. Many of its natural compounds have interesting biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and antimicrobial. The antioxidant power of prickly pear makes it a good candidate as an ingredient of new food products with fascinating properties for health promotion and/or to be used as natural extracts for food, pharmaceutic or cosmetic applications. In addition, it could be a key player in food security in many arid and semi-arid regions of the world, where there are often no more plants.

We aimed to investigate the association between blood pressure (BP) and tooth loss and the mediation effect of age. A cross-sectional study from a reference dental hospital was conducted from September 2017 to July 2020. Single measures of BP were taken via an automated sphygmomanometer device. Tooth loss was assessed through oral examination and confirmed radiographically. Severe tooth loss was defined as 10 or more teeth lost. Additional study covariates were collected via sociodemographic and medical questionnaires. A total of 10,576 patients were included. Hypertension was more prevalent in severe tooth loss patients than nonsevere tooth lost (56.1% vs. 39.3%, p < 0.001). The frequency of likely undiagnosed hypertension was 43.4%. The adjusted logistic model for sex, smoking habits and body mass index confirmed the association between continuous measures of high BP and continuous measures of tooth loss (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03–1.06, p < 0.001). Age mediated 80.0% and 87.5% of the association between periodontitis with both systolic BP (p < 0.001) and diastolic BP (p < 0.001), respectively. Therefore, hypertension and tooth loss are associated, with a consistent mediation effect of age. Frequency of undiagnosed hypertension was elevated. Age, gender, active smoking, and BMI were independently associated with raised BP.