Background Ethnic disparities in diet quality, adiposity, and previously identified factors contribute to metabolic dysregulation and breast cancer risk. However, integrated evidence linking dietary patterns, metabolic markers, and lifestyle intervention outcomes across diverse populations remains limited. Methods This study presents findings from three complementary investigations conducted within a broader research program and examined within a structured conceptual and comparative framework. Studies 1 and 2 are cross-sectional analyses conducted in ethnically diverse women recruited from community sites in California and Michigan, and Study 3 is a 16-week whole food plant-based, water and fiber-rich dietary intervention conducted in a university lifestyle medicine setting. Study 1 included 80 women (30 Latina, 35 African American, 15 Asian), Study 2 included 41 African American women, and Study 3 enrolled 21 participants, of whom 12 completed the intervention. Dietary intake in Studies 1 and 2 was assessed using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire with energy adjustment. Related variables assessed across the investigations included body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and dietary measures, providing a basis for comparative interpretation. Study 3 outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Results Differences across ethnic groups were observed within the study populations in adiposity, alcohol consumption, and intake of carotenoids, fatty acids, and vitamin A. Within the study population, African American women exhibited higher obesity prevalence and lower intake of plant-derived antioxidant nutrients. Participants with metabolic syndrome reported higher intakes of fat, cholesterol, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and sodium. In the intervention analysis, significant reductions were observed in waist circumference (β = −2.38 inches, 95% CI [−3.38, −1.37], p < 0.001), BMI (β = −1.38 kg/m2, 95% CI [−2.55, −0.20], p = 0.024), and body fat percentage (β = −1.98%, 95% CI [−2.93, −1.04], p < 0.001). Conclusions Ethnic differences in dietary intake and adiposity were associated with differences in metabolic profiles previously linked to breast cancer risk. Whole food plant-based, fiber-rich dietary intervention improved body composition and adiposity-related factors examined. Findings are preliminary and further studies are warranted.
Background Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency is an underappreciated nutritional problem in Northeast India. Maternal deficiency during pregnancy compromises the neonatal thiamine reserve, placing exclusively breastfed infants at risk of fatal infantile beriberi. The cord blood erythrocyte transketolase activity coefficient (ETK-AC) at delivery provides a direct proxy of functional thiamine status at the maternal–fetal interface. Objectives To determine functional thiamine status in near-term gestational women delivering at a referral hospital in Northeast India using cord blood ETK-AC, and to identify factors associated with deficiency. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2023 at Makunda Christian Leprosy and General Hospital, Sribhumi (Karimganj), Assam. Thirty-two near-term pregnant women were enrolled. Cord blood was collected at delivery, and ETK-AC was categorised as sufficiency (≤1.15), moderate risk of deficiency (>1.15–≤1.25) or high risk of deficiency (>1.25). Results Mean age was 27.3 ± 5.2 years and mean cord blood haemoglobin 16.0 ± 1.7 g/dL. Among the 32 participants, an elevated ETK-AC (>1.15), indicating at least a moderate risk of thiamine deficiency, was present in 28% (25% moderate risk, 3% high risk; mean ETK-AC 1.102 ± 0.102); no value reached the beriberi-associated threshold of 1.4. Deficiency appeared highest in women aged >35 years (67%) and in their second pregnancy (50%), and multivitamin/B-vitamin supplementation was associated with a lower prevalence (14% vs 39%); however, none of these subgroup comparisons reached statistical significance. Cord blood haemoglobin correlated inversely with ETK-AC (r = −0.375, p = 0.035). Conclusions An elevated ETK-AC (>1.15) in 28% of participants at delivery — including 3% at high risk (>1.25) and none in the beriberi-associated range — identifies a subset of near-term mothers whose breastfed neonates face potential risk of infantile beriberi. Prenatal thiamine supplementation and targeted dietary counselling are urgently warranted in Northeast India.
Background Anthocyanins may reduce cardiovascular risk, but their mechanisms in coronary artery disease (CAD) remain unclear. This exploratory secondary analysis investigated the effects of anthocyanin-rich fruits on intracellular lipid regulation, gut-brain axis markers, and gut microbiota. Methods In a randomized controlled trial, CAD patients consuming anthocyanin-rich dried fruits plus medical therapy were compared with controls. Plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) were measured by ELISA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), ATP-binding cassette transporters A1 (ABCA1) and G1 (ABCG1) was analyzed by quantitative PCR, along with stool abundance of selected bacterial taxa (Bifidobacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., Enterobacteriaceae, and Bacteroidetes). Results The intervention group exhibited a significant decrease in PBMC SREBP-1c expression versus controls (p = 0.024); however, baseline SREBP-1c expression differed significantly between groups (p = 0.012). ABCA1 and ABCG1 expression remained unchanged. No significant between-group differences were observed for plasma BDNF, LBP, or the selected gut bacterial taxa. Conclusion In CAD patients receiving conventional therapy, daily consumption of anthocyanin-rich dried fruits was associated with lower PBMC SREBP-1c expression. However, since baseline SREBP-1c expression was higher in the anthocyanin group, regression to the mean cannot be excluded. As this exploratory analysis was not powered for these endpoints, and given the complex food matrix of the intervention, the observed effects cannot be unequivocally attributed to anthocyanins alone. The modest SREBP-1c reduced expression warrants further investigation but should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating. Trial registration NCT05995002, dated 08 August 2023 (prospectively registered).
Objective Insomnia may elevate the risk of overweight and obesity.However, the nature of their association remains debated, with unclear mediating metabolic pathways. This study aims to investigate the correlation between insomnia and the risk of overweight/obesity, examining the potential mediating role of the TyG index. Furthermore, we will employ Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the causal relationship. Methods This study conducted a cross-sectional analysis utilizing NHANES data from 2011 to 2018. Logistic regression models were employed to assess the impact of insomnia, TyG, and their interaction on the risk of overweight/obesity. Mediation analysis was performed to assess the potential mediating effect of TyG in the relationship between insomnia and overweight/obesity risk. We obtained relevant genetic variants from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and MR analysis to infer the causal relationship between insomnia and overweight/obesity. Results This study encompassed 9354 participants, revealing that insomnia status is associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that participants with TyG ≥ 75th percentile and comorbid insomnia exhibited the highest risk of overweight/obesity (OR=3.883; 95% CI:2.531-5.959). RCS analysis demonstrated a significant non-linear relationship between TyG levels and the risk of overweight/obesity (P<0.001). The TyG index exerted a significant mediating effect on the association between insomnia and overweight/obesity (Pindir<0.001).However, Mendelian randomization analysis did not support a causal relationship between insomnia and the risk of overweight/obesity. Conclusion This study provides evidence that insomnia may increase the risk of overweight and obesity, with TyG exhibiting a significant mediating effect in this association.
We examined whether the association between serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is non-linear and sex-stratified in U.S. adults. This cross-sectional study included 5219 participants from NHANES 2017–March 2020. MASLD was defined by vibration-controlled transient elastography (CAP ≥248 dB/m). Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were performed. No significant linear association between CPK and MASLD was observed in either sex. In spline analyses, males showed a non-linear pattern with a descriptive U-shaped association, whereas the association in females was flatter and not statistically significant. Although non-linear modelling improved relative model fit, it did not meaningfully improve discrimination or calibration. These findings suggest an exploratory, sex-stratified, non-linear pattern that warrants confirmation in prospective cohorts with repeated CPK measurements and direct muscle phenotyping.
