106 research outputs found
Association between obesity and poor sleep: a review of epidemiological evidence
No full textSleep is a multifaceted biological process linked with biochemical pathways of growth, maturation, and energy homeostasis. Due to the growing complaints of poor sleep in the general population, there has been a significant increase in sleep research aiming to identify the determinants of poor sleep. This review aims to explore the current state of the knowledge on obesity-sleep association and evaluate the role of weight loss in sleep improvement and vice versa. Current evidence suggests three directions of association between obesity and sleep: obesity leading to poor sleep, poor sleep leading to obesity and co-occurrence of obesity and poor sleep. People with obesity often report poor sleep, and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and poor sleepers are often overweight or obese. Weight gain is not only associated with poor sleep and OSA prevalence but also affects the severity of OSA. Poor sleep, specifically OSA, affects metabolic hormones and influence behavioural pathways favouring unhealthy lifestyle leading to further worsening of obesity. Weight loss has shown potential in improving the quality of sleep, reducing OSA severity and decreasing metabolic abnormalities related to obesity. However, weight management is yet to be established as a clinical intervention with a long-lasting effect in improving sleep. Evidence also suggests that improvement in sleep quality lowers the odds of future obesity. Despite, the growing evidence base, the current literature has methodological limitations and fails to establish a causal link between obesity and poor sleep. Nonetheless, it is prudent to advise that weight management should be an important component of the clinical management plans for improving sleep
Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health
No full textThere is unequivocal experimental, epidemiological, and clinical evidence demonstrating a correlation between diet and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While nutritionally-poor diets can have a significant negative impact on cardiovascular health, dietary interventions with specific nutrients and/or functional foods are considered cost-effective and efficient components of prevention strategies. It has been estimated that nutritional factors may be responsible for approximately 40% of all CVD. Indeed, in one of the seminal studies conducted on modifiable risk factors and heart health (the INTERHEART study), >90% of all myocardial infarctions were attributed to preventable environmental factors with nutrition identified as one of the important determinants of CVD. There is an increasing public interest in and scientific investigation into establishing dietary approaches that can be undertaken for the prevention and treatment of CVD. This Special Issue provides an insight into the influential role of nutrition and dietary habits on cardiovascular health and disease, as well as their mechanisms of therapeutic and preventive action
Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health
No full textThere is unequivocal experimental, epidemiological, and clinical evidence demonstrating a correlation between diet and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While nutritionally-poor diets can have a significant negative impact on cardiovascular health, dietary interventions with specific nutrients and/or functional foods are considered cost-effective and efficient components of prevention strategies. It has been estimated that nutritional factors may be responsible for approximately 40% of all CVD. Indeed, in one of the seminal studies conducted on modifiable risk factors and heart health (the INTERHEART study), >90% of all myocardial infarctions were attributed to preventable environmental factors with nutrition identified as one of the important determinants of CVD. There is an increasing public interest in and scientific investigation into establishing dietary approaches that can be undertaken for the prevention and treatment of CVD. This Special Issue provides an insight into the influential role of nutrition and dietary habits on cardiovascular health and disease, as well as their mechanisms of therapeutic and preventive action
Cellular and Biochemical Mechanisms Driving the Susceptibility of Obese Subjects to Covid-19 Infection
No full textOverweight is a major global health problem currently affecting almost 2 billion people worldwide. An additional 800 million are obese. These figures showed that 40% of the global adult population aged 18 years, and over are overweight while 14% are obese. What is now worrying is that more than 40 million children worldwide, as young as 5 years of age are either overweight or obese. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 25–29 kg/m2 are considered to be overweight while obesity is the term used when the BMI is 30 kg/m2 and over. Obesity is an imbalance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure. In general, obesity can be caused by excessive eating and reduced physical activity. Obesity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus, respiratory and liver dysfunctions, sleep apnea, chronic inflammation, compromised immune system, renal failure, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases and others. Obesity is also a major risk factor for coronavirus disease 19 (Covid-19), which can induce severe cases of pneumonia and sepsis or acute respiratory distress syndrome. In many cases, Covid-19 causes severe and long-lasting damage to the lungs and other vital organs of the body resulting in death. This review describes the cellular and biochemical mechanism(s) whereby obese patients become susceptible to Covid-19 infection. It also outlines how obesity on its own can affect the lungs, which in turn become more compromised in cases of Covid-19 disease resulting in the imminent death of the patient
Adipocytes Under Environmental Assault: Targets for Obesity?
No full textAbstract In the recent years, there has been a tremendous concern over the possible health threat posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These are mostly synthetic chemicals found in various materials such as organo-chlorinated
pesticides, industrial chemicals, plastics and plasticizers, fuels, heavy metals, additives or contaminants in food, and personal care products. These chemicals are present in the environment and are with widespread use. Human exposure to EDCs
occurs via ingestion of food, dust and water, via inhalation of gases and particles in the air, and through the skin. Data from several animal models, human clinical observations, and epidemiological studies converge to implicate their association
with altered reproductive function in males and females, increased incidence of breast cancer, abnormal growth patterns and neuro-developmental delays in children, disruption of adipocyte function, as well as changes in immune function. The
EDCs exert their insulting effects by interfering with hormone biosynthesis, metabolism, or action resulting in a deviation from normal homeostatic control or reproduction. The mechanisms of EDCs involve divergent pathways including (but not limited to) estrogenic, anti-androgenic, thyroid, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor c, retinoid, and actions through other nuclear
receptors; steroidogenic enzymes; neurotransmitter receptors and systems; and many other pathways that are highly conserved in wildlife and humans. Emerging data from in vitro as well as in vivo models suggest new targets (i.e. adipocyte
differentiation and mechanisms involved in weight homeostasis) of abnormal programming by EDCs, and provide strong evidence to support the scientific term ‘obesogen’. The emerging idea of a link between EDCs and obesity expands the focus on obesity from intervention and treatment to include prevention and avoidance of these chemical modifiers. Because expansion of the adipocyte pool is critical for safely storing excess lipid, an understanding how these signaling axes can be altered by EDCs is critical in appreciating how environmental contaminants might contribute to the development of metabolic diseases
Dysfunctional Circadian Rhythm Is Associated with Food Consumption, Obesity and Related Metabolic Diseases: Role of Ion Channels
No full textCircadian oscillators are the body’s biological clocks which exhibited in most of living organisms from bacteria to higher vertebrates. They are responsible for organizing a variety of biochemical and physiological cellular functions with a rhythmic period of a day cycle (24 h, circadian, repeat cycle in a day) even without any timing indicators. Any disruption in synchronization of circadian rhythm (chronodistruption) causes a wide range of complications which can be referred to as metabolic syndrome, obesity or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Food intake can be stimulated because of its hedonic properties, although energy need is sufficiently provided. Addiction can be determined as excessive intake of either drug or food. Drug and food addiction shares some similar hedonic neuroadaptative properties in perception reward circuits. That could be as a result of childhood physical or psychological trauma by increasing neurotransmitter hypersensivity or dysregulation. Circadian clocks are key players of hormone synthesis and release, which cause cellular adaptations to the body environment. Ion channels are protein structured gate keepers located in the cell membrane, allowing charged ions to move across the membrane. They contribute and regulate many of cellular functions in the body. Ion channels act as an important player in circadian phases and also subsequent physiological functions by contributing in signaling pathway including homeostasis, gene expression, etc. Hence, this review focuses on the importance of chronobiology and its role on prevention of obesity, T2DM and regulation of the ion channels by circadian rhythm
Dietary Micronutrient Supplements and Epigenetic Regulation in Obesity
No full textNutritional factors such as micronutrients play major physiological roles in maintaining good health in the population globally. Recent studies indicate that intake of dietary nutrients can also impact metabolism and epigenetics. Food additives may interact, causing epigenetic changes in histone deacetylation, DNA methylation, and chromatin-transforming factors, thereby regulating gene expression and controlling the cell phenotype. These changes may contribute to gene reprogramming during development, even though most phenotypic changes occur during the perinatal period. Modern lifestyle habits and metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, atherosclerosis, obesity predisposition, and weight changes can result in the alteration of epigenetic styles, indicating the impact of certain diets, especially those with micronutrient deficiency, on human epigenetics throughout maturity and adulthood. Presently, the three important targets in epigenetic studies with regard to obesity include (1) a search for novel epigenetic biomarkers, (2) an understanding of the obesity-associated environmental factors and (3) identification of curative techniques based on either dietary or pharmacological proxies to regulate epigenetic marks. This review addresses many important aspects such as ascertaining the impact of dietary micronutrient supplements and their doses in modifying the epigenome, identifying those epigenetic marks that predispose people to nutritional exposures, evaluating the significance of obesity on epigenetic regulation, and describing genetic markers of weight-related issues
Bitter Melon in Combination with Diet Modification and Regular Exercise Can Prevent and Treat Obesity and Hypertension Cost-Effectively
No full texthronic diseases (CDs), including hypertension, obesity and diabetes, are responsible for a large number of global deaths annually. This is due to current life style habits, including sedentary life style, smoking, excess alcohol intake, sugar and fast-food consumption, genetic factors, stress and others. This study investigated the effect of daily consumption of bitter gourd/melon (Momordica charantia) combined with life style changes to reduce body weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SDBP), blood glucose and lipid levels in the body. The study recruited 32 obese male (16) and female (16) subjects with an average age of 42 years (±4.5 years) and the majority of them had secondary education. They were divided into four groups (4 men and 4 women per group). Group 1 (diet only) was asked to reduce daily food intake and avoided snaking or binging for 6 weeks. Group 2 (diet and bitter melon) did the same as group 1 but combined with the consumption of 20 g of bitter melon juice (vol/weight) daily for 6 weeks. Group 3 (diet, exercise and bitter melon) did the same as group 1 but combined with daily exercise involving walking, stretching or bicycle riding or a combination for 30 min plus the consumption of 20 g of bitter melon daily for 6 weeks. Group 4 (diet and exercise) did the same as group 1 plus daily exercise involving walking, stretching or bicycle riding or a combination for 30 min Initially, at week 1 the subjects were weighed and their height and SDBP taken. Blood samples were taken for the measurements of fasting blood glucose (FBG), HBA1c, total cholesterol and triglyceride. Their BMI and blood pressure were measured weekly over 6 weeks and another blood sample for each subject was taken at the end of week 6 for analysis as in week one for comparison. The results showed that all four interventions were associated with marked decreases in BMI but with little or no change in HBA1c and FBG compared week 1 with week 6. However, significant (p <0.05) decreases were observed in SDBP, total cholesterol and triglyceride comparing week 1 with week 6. It is concluded that life style changes including dieting, regular exercise and daily intake of bitter melon can help to reduce blood pressure and lipids and the weight of obese subjects leading to a better quality of life
Cellular and Molecular Effects of Obesity on the Heart
No full textObesity is a serious chronic disease that is responsible for a large number of deaths worldwide. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is widely used to provide definitions of overweight and obesity. A BMI of 20–24 is considered normal, a BMI of 25–29 is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 and over is considered obese. Overweight and obesity are attributed to a variety of risk factors including smoking, genetics, alcohol consumption, high level of stress, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet containing excessive amounts of fat and sugar, food snacking and binging, low calorie expenditure, socio-economic and psychological issues and some medications. Overweight and obesity are also associated with various illnesses including hormonal imbalance, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance (IR), polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome. Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes (diabesity) resulting in hyperglycemia which enhances the generation of reactive carbonyl species (RCS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the myocardium. Both ROS and RCS elicit insults to cardiac muscle which may result in apoptosis, fibrosis, hypertrophy, mitochondrial dysfunction, derangement in cellular calcium homeostasis and electrical signaling. In response to these insults the heart goes through a process of remodeling in order to maintain the demands of the body. Over time there may be development of cardiomyopathy, reduced ejection fraction and perhaps arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD). In general obesity is a preventable illness. This review describes the cellular and molecular effects of obesity on the heart leading to SCD
Plant-Based-Medicinal Micronutrients Can be Used Beneficially and Cost-Effectively to Treat Metabolic and Other Diseases
No full textMicronutrients are mainly vitamins, minerals and other related phytochemical molecules which are needed by the body in very small quantities. They are found in a variety of plant and animal foods and supplements which are consumed daily to maintain a healthy body. However, a deficiency in any of them can cause severe and even life-threatening health conditions. Micronutrients perform several physiological and biochemical functions enabling the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other regulatory substances needed for normal growth, development and good health. Deficiencies in some micronutrients, including iron, magnesium, several essential vitamins (A, C, D, E and B1), iodine and others, are the most common in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) globally, especially among children and pregnant women. In addition to abnormal health conditions and diseases, micronutrient deficiency results in reduced energy level in the body, severe mental health conditions and inability to think leading to reduced education outcomes and to perform efficiently resulting in reduced work productivity. The economic cost globally for deficiency in micronutrients is enormous. This study investigated the beneficial effects of the plant Momordica charantia or bitter melon (BM), both as food and plant-based phytomedicines in health and diseases. The results reveal that BM is rich in several essential micronutrients and phytochemical compounds which exert numerous cellular regulation processes in the body and maintaining normal growth, development and good health. The micronutrients and phytochemical compounds of BM can prevent and treat diseases as diabetes, obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, cancer, dementia, skin disorders and many others. It is concluded that BM should be consumed in physiological amounts daily to enjoy a better quality of healthy life
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