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The purpose of this paper was to investigate the impact of specific carbohydrate restriction (polysaccharides and disaccharides) in the form of the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) in treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

A female patient diagnosed with diarrhea predominant IBS was assigned to the SCD for six months. The diet occurred in phases and was advanced based on the individual’s tolerance level under the guidance of a registered dietitian. Quality of life was measured by a pre- and post-IBS severity score questionnaire. Gastrointestinal symptoms were measured by self-assessment of IBS symptoms using a seven-point Likert-like scale, with −3 = substantially worse to +3 = substantially better. Probiotics were consumed throughout the duration of the study.

The quality of life severity score significantly improved from a severity of 315 (with 500 being the most severe) to 15. The initial symptoms from the first day on the diet compared to the total period for bloating, abdominal pain/discomfort, flatulence/wind, diarrhea, bowel urgency, stool consistency, stool frequency, energy levels, incomplete evacuation and abdominal rumbling were improved significantly (p < 0.0005). The SCD diet significantly improved the quality of life and IBS symptoms in a female patient with IBS-diarrhea.

This study is the first of its kind to evaluate the efficacy of the SCD to treat IBS. The SCD should be considered a therapeutic option to treating IBS after fermentable carbohydrate restriction.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. GDM is defined as glucose intolerance of variable severity with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. The purpose of this paper is to produce information on prevalence, screening and diagnosis, pathophysiology and dietary, medical and lifestyle management of GDM.

This literature review aimed to document and record the results of the most updated studies published dealing with dietary, medical and lifestyle factors in managing GDM.

The prevalence of GDM differs worldwide based on population characteristics, race/ethnicity and diagnostic criteria. The pathophysiology of GDM is multifactorial and it is likely that genetic and environmental factors are associated with the occurrence of GDM. Medical nutritional therapy remains the mainstay of GDM management and aerobic and resistance physical activities are helpful adjunctive therapy when euglycemia is not attained by the medical nutritional therapy alone. When diet and exercise fail to achieve glycemic control, pharmacological agents such as insulin therapy and oral hypoglycemic medications are prescribed. Plasma glucose measurement is an essential part of glycemic control during pregnancy, as well as glycemic control can be evaluated using indicators of glycemic control such as hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), glycated albumin and fructosamine.

This review is a comprehensive review that illustrates the effect of healthy diet, medical therapy and lifestyle change on improving GDM condition.

This study aims to evaluate the carbohydrate content, ingredient profile and degree of processing of supposedly “low-carb” foods in the Brazilian market.

Information was collected from physical supermarkets in Divinópolis, Minas Gerais and on websites throughout Brazil between July and September/2020. The carbohydrate content was assessed in g/100 g, and ingredient lists were investigated for the presence of carbohydrate-rich ingredients. The degree of processing of the products was evaluated by NOVA classification to determine whether the term “low carb” had been translated into Portuguese.

This study evaluated a total number of 164 products, the most frequent were bakery products (34.7%), granola and cereal bars (19.5%) and candies and desserts (14.0%). This claim was also found in low-carb foods such as cheese and chicken. Most food products evaluated (56.0%) were classified as ultra-processed, with the group having the highest carbohydrate content (20.0; 3.0–47.5g/100g), compared to products classified as processed foods (p < 0.01). The ingredient lists showed items rich in carbohydrates, such as cassava and corn derivatives. In 162 products, a low-carb claim was displayed without translation into Portuguese. These data demonstrate that most of these products are ultra-processed and have a high glycidic content.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study was a pioneer investigation of the ingredients of “low-carb” foods, their carbohydrate composition and their degree of processing based on the NOVA classification.

This Food Standards Committee Report has been with us long enough to have received careful appraisal at the hand of the most interested parties — food law enforcement agencies and the meat trade. The purposes of the review was to consider the need for specific controls over the composition and descriptive labelling of minced meat products, but the main factor was the fat content, particularly the maximum suggested by the Associaton of Public Analysts, viz., a one‐quarter (25%) of the total product. For some years now, the courts have been asked to accept 25% fat as the maximum, based on a series of national surveys; above that level, the product was to be considered as not of the substance or quality demanded by the purchaser; a contention which has been upheld on appeal to the Divisional Court.

The fundamental aim of any set of dietary guidelines or recommendations is to improve the health of the target group. At first sight the production of dietary recommendations for diabetics may appear unnecessary; since it is recognised that implementation of a suitably modified diet coupled with sympathetic medication is the key to achieving acceptable diabetic control. However, for some time it has become increasingly apparent that the traditional dietary regime recommended to the diabetic population was opposed to the stated aims of the dietary guidelines recommended for the general population by the majority of health experts in the Western world.

Excess weight and poor quality diets are known to be major and manageable causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) but the optimal diet for the prevention and reduction of CVD risk is not known. The purpose of this paper is to compare the effects of low‐fat and low‐GI diets on weight loss, liver function and CVD risk factors.

In total, 18 overweight/obese females were randomly assigned to eight weeks of either isocalorie (1,200 kcal day) low‐fat (<20 per cent energy intake as fat) or low‐GI (≤40 per cent energy intake as carbohydrate) diet. Participants kept a one week food and drink intake diary prior to starting the prescribed diet (week 0) and during weeks 4 and 8 of the diet. BMI, blood pressure, serum lipids, AST and ALT concentrations were measured at specific time intervals.

The low‐fat group reported more adequate micronutrient intake than the low‐GI group. Mean weight, BMI and systolic blood pressure reduced significantly in each group but there was no significant difference between groups. There was no significant change in mean LDL, HDL and total cholesterol concentration within and between groups. Mean triglyceride reduced significantly (33 per cent) in the low‐GI group but there was no significant change in the low‐fat group. The low‐GI diet significantly reduced ALT concentration by 16 per cent after four weeks but there was no significant change for the low‐fat group.

The paper shows that a low‐GI diet may be more effective at reducing CVD risk and improving liver function than a low‐fat diet. This extends data on a previous studies that compared low‐fat and low‐GI diets.

To gain a better and more comprehensive understanding, this study aims to investigate the literature to explore the two popular diets’ health benefits and concerns. Google Scholar and PubMed were used to search for available and relevant nutrition and health articles that pertain to the benefits and concerns of plantogenic and ketogenic diets. Search terms like low carbohydrate, diet, ketogenic, vegetarian and chronic diseases were used. Information was obtained from review articles and original research articles and checked for accuracy. Ketogenic diets have been used for a long time for convulsion in children and now reappeared for weight loss purposes.

Ketogenic and plantogenic (plant-based) diets have been adopted today by many professionals and the public.

Ketogenic diets have been used for a long time for convulsion in children and now reappeared for weight loss purposes. Plantogenic diets also have been practiced for many years for religious, health and environmental reasons. Compared to plantogenic diets, ketogenic diets lack long-term evidence of its potential benefits and harm.

Maybe Lacto-ovo vegetarian and pesco-vegetarian (eat fish but not meats) diets are OK. However, for strict plantogenic diets (total plantogenic/vegan diet), the risk of mineral or vitamin deficiency is present (Melina et al., 2016). Of particular concern is dietary vitamin B12, which is obtained mostly from animal sources (Melina et al., 2016). A long-term deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to macrocytic anemia and cause neuro and psychological effects (Obeid et al., 2019). Also, omega-3 fatty acids may be deficient in such a diet and probably need to be supplemented on those who follow the total plantogenic diet (Melina et al., 2016). Other deficiencies of concern would be zinc, iron, calcium, vitamin D and iodine (Melina et al., 2016). Another disadvantage is that many junk foods could be easily classified within the plantogenic diet, such as sugar, cakes, French fries, white bread and rice, sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets in general. These items are related to higher weight gain and, consequently, to a higher incidence of diabetes and other chronic diseases (Schulze et al., 2004; Malik et al., 2006; Fung et al., 2009).

Plantogenic diets were concluded to have sustainable health benefits for humans and the environment over ketogenic diets, which could be used but under professional follow-up only.

This paper aims to evaluate macro- and micronutrient intake among Jordanian adults who have metabolic syndrome (MetS) and those MetS-free.

A total of 154 Jordanian adults aged 20-55 years were enrolled from The National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics in this case control study. In total, 77 newly diagnosed cases of MetS and 77 controls were recruited and matched by age and sex. Dietary data were collected by face-to-face interview using a validated food frequency questionnaire.

After adjustment of the energy intake and macronutrients, the cases reported significantly higher intake of the amount of protein (p < 0.001), carbohydrates (p < 0.001), fiber (p < 0.001), sugar (p < 0.001), fat (p < 0.001), saturated fat (p < 0.001), monounsaturated (p < 0.001), polyunsaturated (p < 0.001), trans-fat (p < 0.029), omega-3 (p < 0.001) and omega-6 (p < 0.001) as compared to the controls. The results also showed that the intake of some micronutrients was significantly higher among cases when compared to the controls. In this study, three dietary patterns have been itemized; “fast food dietary pattern”, “Mediterranean dietary pattern” and “high-protein dietary pattern”. Only a direct significant trend between MetS and fast food pattern was detected (p-trend = 0.001). Neither significant associations nor trends were detected in the Mediterranean and high-protein patterns with MetS risk.

The study findings highlighted the presence of associations between fast food dietary pattern, total energy and some macro- and micronutrients intake and the risk of MetS among population living in the Middle East. Even though the findings of this study bridge the gap between theory and practice, a large scale population-based study is warranted to confirm these findings.

This study aims to elucidate the relationship between nutritional status and various biochemical parameters and migraine symptoms.

The disability of individuals aged 19–64 years old with episodic migraine (n = 80, female n = 64, male n = 16) was assessed with the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale, and migraine severity was evaluated with the visual analog scale. The metabolic risks of individuals were determined by analyzing body composition, various biochemical parameters and anthropometric measurements. Nutrients and energy intake levels were measured using the food consumption recording form.

Body muscle mass percentage was correlated directly with migraine severity and inversely with the attack duration (r = 0.26, p = 0.01 and r = −0.29, p = 0.007, respectively). High bone mass was associated with low attack frequency (r = −0.23, p = 0.03), while high body fat percentage was associated with long attack duration (r = 0.28, p = 0.009). A significant direct correlation was found between total cholesterol level and migraine severity and attack duration (r = 0.25, p = 0.02) and between triglyceride level and attack duration (r = 0.26, p = 0.01). There was a direct correlation between serum thyroxine (T4) level and migraine attack severity (r = 0.23, p = 0.03). There was a significant direct correlation between energy and carbohydrate intake and migraine severity (r = 0.26, p = 0.02 and r = 0.30, p = 0.009, respectively), protein and vitamin B2 intake and attack frequency (r = 0.24, p = 0.03 and r = 0.23, p = 0.04, respectively) and an inverse correlation between monounsaturated fatty acid, fiber and vitamin C intake and migraine severity score (r = −0.35, p = 0.002; r = −0.25, p = 0.02; and r = −0.41, p = 0.001, respectively).

The findings confirm that nutritional status, body composition and some biochemical parameters can affect the course of migraine.

Reports the results of a survey of followers of the mostly raw, pure vegetarian, Hallelujah diet, which is promoted by the Hallelujah Acres Foundation in the USA. Seven‐day semi‐quantitative dietary records kept by 141 followers of the diet were collected and analyzed for nutrient intake. Claims self‐reported improvements in health and quality of life after adoption of the diet were significant (p < 1E‐07). Mean daily consumption of fruits and vegetables was 6.6 servings and 11.4 servings, respectively. Salads, fruits, carrot juice and grain products provided 60‐88 per cent of most nutrients. The mean energy intake was 1,460kcal/day for women and 1,830kcal/day for men. Claims that, with some modifications, this diet pattern allows people to adopt a low calorie diet sufficient in most nutrients.