BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are reported as two major frequent and chief complaints among peri-menopausal women in several societies. AIM: The objective of the study was to study the effect of using two dietary supplements to beat depression and anxiety associated with menopause. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty-six volunteers’ menopausal women participated on the study for 8 weeks, 35 subjects consumed daily cookies prepared mainly from soya flour and flaxseed, and 31 females consumed daily a blend composed mainly of raw unroasted peanut and raw sesame. Follow-up was performed with menopause rating scale, anxiety score, depression score, and biochemical parameters. RESULTS: Soya cookies were rich in plant-based protein and total phenols while blend was a good source of unsaturated fatty acid. Blend consumers showed significant percentage reduction in beck anxiety score and beck depression score after intervention, more than cookies consumers group. The anthropometrics parameters were statistical significant changed on both groups, more on the group who consumed the soya cookies. Soya cookies demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect, while blend had an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as was shown on the serum assay of interleukin-6 and malondialdehyde as an inflammatory marker and an antioxidant marker, respectively. CONCLUSION: From the results, it can be concluded that the supplementation of products enriched with unsaturated fatty acid was more beneficial to slow down the psychological menopause symptoms than natural estrogen rich product consumption.

AIM:Highlighting the impact of obesity on mental and cognitive functions using serum ceramide kinase enzyme concentration as a biomarker for cognitive evaluation in the middle aged females, and also targeting to control the obesity and simultaneously postponing the deterioration of the cognitive functions, by implementing two slimming dietary therapies each incorporating different functional ingredients known to boost cognition.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:Ninety six obese middle aged females, divided into two groups volunteered to follow a low caloric balanced diet combined with two bread supplements composed essentially of barley flour and wheat germ mixed with either 5% turmeric, group (A); or with 5% ginger, group (B) for 4 weeks, phase (1); to be followed by the hypocaloric diet alone for another 4 weeks, phase (2).RESULTS:By the end of phase (1), the biochemical analysis showed a positive response of the levels of C-peptide and modified homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; also increased levels of the serum ceramide kinase enzyme, coupled with improved cognitive functions tests. Improvement of the relevant metabolic profile, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure and the anthropometric measurements was detected.CONCLUSION:Using dietary therapy supported by special formulas which contain active ingredients succeeded in reducing weight and improving both the metabolic profile and the cognitive functions.

AIM:To study the interaction between sleep deprivation, obesity and cognitive functions, and the effect of following a balanced low caloric diet and increasing sleep duration on those variables.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:Ninety two obese females with mean age 47.00 ± 2.00 years and body mass index (BMI) 36.14 ± 3.00 kg/m² were divided into 3 groups according to their sleeping hours. They followed balanced low-caloric diet and were instructed to increase sleeping hours. Full clinical examination, 24 hours dietary intake recall, anthropometric measurements, mini mental state test, questionnaire for subjective sleep and life style evaluation were performed at baseline and after 2 months. Serum visfatin, fasting blood glucose and C-peptide were assessed; Modified homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance was calculated.RESULTS:About one third of our sample slept less than 6 hours daily, group (1), all patients had elevated visfatin serum level (33.87 ± 2.8 ng/ml) with the highest level in group (1). At base line, group (1) showed the highest BMI, lowest cognitive functions, highest visfatin level and highest insulin resistance (P < 0.05). After 2 months of intervention, improvement was recorded in all variables, with the best improvement in group (1) after extending sleep duration (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Sleep deprivation may be a modifiable risk factor for obesity, cognitive impairment and visfatin elevation.

Background Oxidative stress is postulated to have a major role in the pathophysiology of Bechet’s Disease (BD). Growing evidence suggests that vitamin D has important roles in enhancing the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as certain antioxidants. However, there is little evidence currently about the antioxidant properties of vitamin D in BD. Objective To study the relationship between vitamin D levels and the oxidative stress markers in patients with BD in addition to its association with disease activity and severity. Methods Sixty BD patients (45 males, 15 females; mean age: 34.2 ± 9.6 years) were enrolled in this study and compared to a sex and age matched control group. Plasma 25-Hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH-D) was measured using Human (25-OH-D) ELISA assay. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined by spectrophotometric methods in both groups. Plasma calcium (Ca) was measured by ELISA assay. Results When compared to controls vitamin D, GSH, CAT activity, TAC and Ca were significantly lower in BD patients, while MDA and NO levels were significantly increased in BD patients. Our Results Found that vitamin D was inversely correlated to BD current Activity form (BDCAF), disease severity score, ESR, CRP, MDA and NO, while vitamin D was significantly positively correlated to GSH, SOD, TAC and Ca. Conclusion Our study confirms that a lower level of vitamin D is associated with the oxidative stress state in BD patients as detected by MDA and NO elevation as well as decreased GSH, SOD activity, CAT activity and TAC. Hence, Vitamin D fortified foods and beverages or supplementation may improve disease severity and oxidative stress in BD patients.

BACKGROUND:The recognition of the complications of obesity in various organs and systems should make clinicians and dietitians aware of the importance of early strategies to fight obesity in all age groups.AIM:The objective of this study was to evaluate the early effect of using Avena sativa (oat) flour supplement compared to a hypocaloric diet in the management of obesity-related metabolic disorders.MATERIAL AND METHODS:Snack was prepared from wholemeal wheat flour (100% extraction) and oat flour. Chemical analysis of the raw materials and the formulae was carried out. 106 obese women with their mean body mass index were 37.73 ± 0.56 kg/m2 volunteered for 8 weeks period. They were divided into two groups; group (A), consumed hypocaloric diet supplemented by the prepared snack, while group (B) subjects followed the low caloric balanced diet. All patients were monitored clinically, anthropometrically, dietary 24 h recall and biochemically.RESULT:Data demonstrated significantly decreased in the mean levels of the anthropometric parameters. Group (A) showed a higher decrease in the waist circumference, WHR, body fat% and SBP; while in group (B) weight, BMI, chest circumference and DBP were the most affected parameters. The reduction in the biochemical parameters was higher in the group (A). At the baseline, high values of cystatin-C were found in both groups which may indicate early renal injury. At the end of the study, a significant reduction of the cystatin concentration was observed among both groups (-24.54 & -12.23%).CONCLUSION:The healthy effect of the dietary oat supplement on the reduction of central obesity, percentage body fat and different metabolic disorders criteria was confirmed than with hypocaloric diet.