49 research outputs found
Women's Income and healthy eating perception
No full textPurpose - The purpose of the chapter is to explore the relation between women's healthy eating intention and food attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and barriers with a focus on the effect of women's income differences. Methodology/approach - The research applies the Theory of Planned Behavior, including attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived barriers, and ability opportunity resources. Close-ended survey responses of 704 women between ages 25 and 65 years, affluent and at-risk-of-poverty women in three EU-member countries were analyzed. Findings - Women are mostly positively inclined towards healthy eating, and income does not differentiate women's inclination. Influencing factors are perceived behavioral control, attitudes towards healthy eating, subjective norms, and level of knowledge regarding healthy food. Barriers, when present, are similar for lower or higher income women and relate to routinized family habits and food affordability and availability. Research limitations/implications - Future research should thoroughly investigate family network and structure features, with a focus on family food preferences and habits. Social and practical implications - Encouraging women's healthy behavior also impacts children and men, and vice-versa. There is need to target all family components with enjoyable, self-rewarding, emotionally gratifying, and pleasant tasting food. Originality/value - Income is an overestimated driver in healthy food choices. Women are strongly influenced by personal and environmental factors, mainly personal control, feelings, and family habits
A Trait of Longevity: The Microbiota of Centenarians
No full textCentenarians, as striking examples of individuals who reach the extreme limits of human lifespan, are a valuable model for studying how the microbiota-component can successfully maintain or re-establish a mutualistic relationship with the human host, along with the occurrence of age-related variations. Indeed, the gut microbiota of centenarians emerges as a peculiar ecosystem, different from that of younger elderly and adults, specifically adapted to an extremely aged host. The study of the centenarians' gut microbiota provided in the last decade a large amount of remarkable data, from different populations across the world, summarized in the present article. Comparison between data from different study populations pointed out that, while lifestyle, ethnicity and geography surely have an impact on such extreme microbiota adaptive variations, common signatures of longevity emerge among the studied populations. The possibilities to exploit such data for human health maintenance during aging are still being explored and interesting scenarios are being envisioned, from the bioprospecting of age-specific probiotic bacteria to the possibility of using microbiota transplantation to promote those features in the gut ecosystem that are known to be linked to longevity
CONSUMER FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION in Italy, Lithuania, Serbia and Finland - KULUTTAJEN FOKUSRIHMAKESKUSTELUJA ITALIASSA, LIETTUASSA, SERBIASSA JA SUOMESSA
No full textResults from a European research project which e.g. studies obstacles and facilitators of a
healthy diet. From the group discussions that were carried out as a part of data collection, we gained
information of meanings connected to meat as a part of a healthy diet.
There were four countries involved in the research: Italy (I), Lithuania (L), Serbia (S) and Finland
(F). The text is based on two focus group discussions from each country: Italy women (26-40 y., 42-
58 y.), Lithuania women (25-57y.) and men (42-61 y.), Serbia women (26-61 y.) and men (30-65 y.),
and Finland women (65-72 y.) and men (65-83y.). Common to the discussants was that their income
level was low, but they could not be considered as poor. The income level of the Finnish participants
was the highest while the participants from Lithuania and Serbia had the lowest income level.
Differences in the income levels were reflected in the contents of the discussions.
It is typical for the focus group discussions to flow freely. Due to this and as the participating
consumer groups were chosen along criteria important for each country there is variation in the
contents of the discussions. Due to the nature of the data, it is not possible to draw generalizations or
comparisons between the countries
Early Life Events With Microbiota Mediated Effects on Brain Functions
No full textGut microbiota of a child goes through very dynamic changes during first three years of life. In parallel, development of central nervous system occurs, making early childhood one of the most sensitive periods for both processes. Early life events which can disturb optimal microbiota development may also have detrimental effects on neurodevelopment due to bidirectional communication between microbiota and CNS in the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Factors like early life antibiotic, intestinal infections, perinatal stress, changes in diet or probiotic treatments may induce alterations in microbiota composition with long lasting effects on mental health
Comparison of the systemic and pulmonary inflammatory response to endotoxin of neutropenic and non-neutropenic rats
No full textAbstract Background Neutrophil infiltration commonly occurs in acute lung injury and may be partly responsible for the inflammatory response. However, acute lung injury still occurs in the neutropenic host. The objectives of this study are to determine if inflammation and acute lung injury are worse in neutropenic versus the normal host after endotoxemia. Methods Rats were divided into four groups: 1) control, 2) neutropenic, 3) endotoxemic and 4) endotoxemic and neutropenic. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-2) were measured in the blood, lung lavage and for mRNA in the lung. Arterial blood gases were measured to determine the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient which reflects on lung injury. Results In endotoxemia, the neutropenic rats had lower plasma TNF-α (116 ± 73 vs. 202 ± 31 pg/ml) and higher plasma MIP-2 (26.8 + 11.9 vs. 15.6 + 6.9 ng/ml) when compared to non-neutropenic rats. The endotoxemic, neutropenic rats had worse lung injury than the endotoxemic, non-neutropenic rats as shown by increase in the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (24 ± 5 vs. 12 ± 9 torr). However, lavage concentrations of TNF-α and MIP-2 were similar in both groups. Conclusion Neutrophils may regulate TNF-α and MIP-2 production in endotoxemia. The elevation in plasma MIP-2 in the endotoxemic, neutropenic rat may be secondary to the lack of a neutrophil response to inhibit production or release of MIP-2. In endotoxemia, the severe lung injury observed in neutropenic rats does not depend on TNF-α or MIP-2 produced in the lung.</p
Zinc as a Biomarker of Cardiovascular Health
No full textThe importance of zinc (Zn) for cardiovascular health continuously gains recognition. As shown earlier, compromised Zn homeostasis and prolonged inflammation are common features in various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Similarly, Zn biochemistry alters several vascular processes, and Zn status is an important feature of cardiovascular health. Zn deficiency contributes to the development of CVDs; thus, Zn manipulations, including Zn supplementation, are beneficial for preventing and treating numerous cardiovascular (CV) disorders. Finally, additional long-term, well-designed studies, performed in various population groups, should be pursued to further clarify significant relationships between Zn and CVDs
Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Acetaminophen via Suppression of Nitric Oxide Synthase Induction by Group B Streptococci
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