Dietary total antioxidant capacity and the risk of breast cancer: a case-control study

There is growing evidence that dietary antioxidants may have favourable effects in reducing cancer risk. In a case-control study we investigated the association of dietary total antioxidant capacity [TAC] and risk of breast cancer. Sociodemographic data, medical history and anthropometric measurements were collected from 275 women [100 breast cancer cases and 175 controls]. Participants' usual dietary intake was measured using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and their dietary TAC was estimated. An inverse, but non-significant, association was observed between dietary TAC and breast cancer risk. Multiple logistic regression models based on TAC of individual food groups showed that consumption of fruits and vegetables with higher TAC [micro molTE/100 g] was associated with a significantly decreased risk of breast cancer. Our study supports a protective effect of dietary antioxidants in relation to breast cancer risk. Food selection based on TAC of foods may be an effective strategy to modify the risk of cancer

[ relationship between dietary patterns, body image, and anxiety in adolescents' male students]

Introduction: Dietary patterns and psychological health have strong relationship. People with unfit body may experience few mental problems. The present study examined the association between dietary patterns and anxiety in middle school students

Methods: The research is descriptive and correlational. The study population included guidance school students who were studying in the academic year 2013-14 in the Baharestan city, in Tehran province. The population sample of 220 students from schools was chosen by multi-stage cluster sampling method. Research measurements including, Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, and food-frequency questionnaire [FFQ] were utilized. The Data were analyzed using inferential statistics factor analysis, logistic regression, and Spearman correlation coefficients

Results: Factor analysis showed that both healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns among subjects had the highest dispersion Justifying 34.11 percent of the total Variance of consumption. Spearman correlation showed a significant positive correlation between anxiety and unhealthy eating patterns [P<0.0005]. Logistic regression analysis showed that most students with unhealthy eating patterns are more likely to suffer from anxiety [P<0.0005]. The other part of the logistic regression model showed that students who show unhealthier dietary pattern have a worse body image

Conclusion: the present results indicated that there is a relationship between dietary patterns, body image, and anxiety. Furthermore, people with unhealthy food patterns have a poorer body image and are more anxious

Oral health behaviours in relation to caries and gingivitis in primary-school children in Tehran, 2008

The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence of caries, severe caries and gingivitis in Tehran primary-school children and to analyse the relationship between children's oral hygiene habits and prevalence of these oral health diseases. Data were collected on the oral hygiene habits of 1271 Tehran schoolchildren [637 boys, 634 girls] aged 9-13 years. Clinical examinations were performed to determine the decayed, missed and filled teeth [DMFT] and the presence of gingivitis. Total DMFT >/= 1 was observed in 83.3% of children; 55.5% had tDMFT >/= 4 and 87.7% had >/= 1 site affected by gingivitis. Dental visits of 48.2% of children were limited to toothache occasions and parents' lack of belief in the importance of oral health was the most commonly cited reason [P

[Association between nuts consumption and abdominal obesity, overweight and obesity in female adolescents: an epidemiological study]

Nuts are one of the most healthy food groups, but due to their fat content and high energy density their consumption is mostly restricted for weight control. The aim of this study was to assess the association between nuts consumption and abdominal obesity, overweight and obesity. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected on 550 female adolescents, aged 15-18 years, selected by multistage cluster random sampling from Najafabad high schools. Anthropometric measurements were obtained using standard methods. Intakes of nuts and other food groups were evaluated by a semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire [IPAQ] questionnaire. Other required variables were collected by general questionnaires. Abdominal obesity was defined on basis of the 75[th] Waist circumference percentiles for Iranian children and adolescents. Overweight and obesity were defined on the basis of International Obesity Task Force [IOTF] cut-points. The prevalence of abdominal obesity and overweight or obesity were 48.9 and 25.7 percent respectively. Mean and median intakes of nuts in this community were 22.36 and 10.35 gr/day respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, the subjects in the top quartile of nut consumption were less likely to have overweight and obesity [odds ratio [OR]:0.25; 95% Cl: 0.11-0.54] and abdominal obesity [OR: 0.54; 95% Cl, 0.28-1.03], compared to those in the lowest quartile. Consumption of nuts was associated with lower risk of abdominal obesity, overweight and obesity. The results of this study suggest that incorporating nuts into diets might help weight control

[Association between folate intake and breast cancer risk among Tehrani women: a case-control study]

Dietary folate deficiency may contribute to tumorogenesis in many sorts of malignancies. By considering the increasing incidence rate of breast cancer in Iran, this study was conducted to investigate the association between dietary folate intake and breast cancer risk. In this case-control study, 177 patients with breast cancer and 169 control subjects with no family history of malignancy were recruited from hospitals affiliated to Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. Standard questionnaires were used to collect data on demographic characteristics, physical activity, and food frequency consumption for the previous year. Total daily energy and folate intakes were estimated using the Nutritionist IV software. No statistically significant correlation was observed between daily dietary intake of folate and breast cancer risk in the sample population. However, the results showed a significant inverse association between daily intake of dietary folate and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women [OR=0.17; 95%CI: 0.035-0.88]. Increases in the strata of daily folate intakes were associated with decreasing trends of ORs in postmenopausal breast cancer risk [P[for trend] =0.036], where the OR of folate intake at the 2[nd] tertile was 0.26 [95%CI: 0.05-1.22] and at the 3[rd] tertile was 0.17 [95%CI: 0.035-0.88]. Based on the findings, folate intake was not correlated with breast cancer risk in the total sample population, whereas higher intakes of folate was inversely associated with postmenopausal breast cancer risk

[Dietary patterns and breast Cancer among women]

Although breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women worldwide, only a few investigations have addressed the role of dietary patterns. Our main objective, was to identify the relationship of major dietary patterns and breast cancer. In this case-control study, 100 patients, 30-65 years old, with breast cancer, and 174 controls from the Shohada hospital in Tehran, were sampled. Dietary intake was measured with a food frequency questionnaire. Physical activity, demographic factors and health status were questioned. The questionnaires were completed by an interviewers. Factor analysis was used to identify major dietary patterns. The association between major dietary patterns and breast cancer risk were examined by logistic regression analysis. Two dietary patterns were identified. The healthy food pattern was characterized by the consumption of vegetables, fruits, low fat dairy, legumes, olive and liquid oils, Condiments, fish, organic meat, poultry, pickles, soya, and whole grains and the unhealthy food pattern was characterized by consumption of colas, sugar, tea, coffee, potato chips, fried potatoes, salt, sweets, desserts, hydrogenated fats, nuts, commercial fruit juice, refined grains, and red and processed meat. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, women in the highest tertile of the healthy dietary pattern scores, had a 66% decreased risk of breast cancer compared to those in the lowest [OR: 0.34 CI: 0.11-1.05]; the unhealthy dietary pattern significantly increased the risk of breast cancer [OR: 5.17 CI: 1.56-17.14]. The healthy dietary pattern was inversely, and the unhealthy dietary pattern was directly associated with breast cancer risk

[Effect of magnesium supplementation on calorie intake and weight loss of overweight or obese insomniac elderly subjects: a double-blind randomized clinical trial]

There is evidence suggesting an association between insomnia and obesity and probable beneficial effects of magnesium supplementation on insomnia. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary magnesium supplementation on the energy intake and weight reduction of insomniac overweight or obese elderly subjects. A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 46 overweight or obese subjects randomly allocated into the magnesium or the placebo group, receiving, daily for 8 weeks, either 500 mg magnesium or a placebo, respectively. Using appropriate questionnaires, data were collected on insomnia [insomnia severity index = ISI], physical activity, and sleep-log at baseline and at the end of the intervention period. In addition, information was obtained on anthropometric confounding factors and daily intakes of magnesium, calcium, potassium, caffeine, energy form carbohydrates, fat and protein, and total daily energy intake using the 24-hr dietary recall questionnaire for 3 days. The N4 and SPSS software version 16 were used for data analysis, the level of significance being a p-value < 0.05. No significant differences were observed in the assessed variables between the two groups at baseline. As compared to the placebo group, in the experimental group diatery magnesium supplementation brought about statistically significant increases in sleep duration and sleep efficiency, as well as significant decreases in the total energy intake and energy from carbohydrate and fat. The total length of time in bed, morning awakening time, energy from protein, serum magnesium concentration, or body weight were not different between the experimental and the placebo groups. In this study diatery magnesium supplementation resulted in improvements in sleep indices and a decrease in energy intake in elderly subjects. However, it had no beneficial effect on their body weight

[ association between dietary patterns and bone mineral density in a sample of postmenopausal women living in Tehran]

Few studies have examined the association between dietary patterns and bone mineral density [BMD]. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between dietary patterns and BMD in a sample of postmenopausal women living in Tehran. A group of 160 postmenauposal women participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected on their general characteristics, physical activity, and food consumption frequency using questionnaires, and their lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were measured by dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis, and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio [OR] for having lower BMD [values less than the median] as related to dietary patterns. Six dietary patterns were identified. The first [high consumption of high-fat dairy products, organ meats, red and processed meats, and whole grains] and the second [high consumption of French fries, mayonnaise, sweets and desserts, and liquid oils] patterns were associated with a lower BMD. Analysis of the data, after adjustment for potential confounders, showed that women in the second median of the first or the second dietary pattern scores were more likely to have a lower BMD at lumbar spine [OR=2.29, 95% CI: 1.05-4.96, P=0.04] and femoral neck [OR=2.83, 95% CI: 1.31-6.09, P<0.01], respectively. Dietary patterns rich in foods with a high content of saturated fats [similar to the first pattern] or those with a low density of essential nutrients for bone health [similar to the second pattern] may be negatively associated with BMD in postmenopausal women living in Tehran

[Correlation between food intake and exam anxiety among female 3rd -grade high school students in educational zone 3 of Tehran, 2010]

Exam stress is an unpleasant emotional reaction to the process of assessment. It is considered as a serious and common educational problem. Exam stress causes eating disorders, including binge eating, which can lead to obesity and complications that usually accompany it. This study investigated the correlation between food intake and exam stress in 3rd-grade high school female students in Educational district 3 of Tehran, 2010. A cross-sectional study was conducted, in which 140 high school female students in the third grade of Educational District 3 of Tehran participated. Data was collected through interviews, one dietary recall and 3 food record questionnaires during a week. Exam stress was assessed by the Test Anxiety Inventory. Data on 10 students were excluded because of unriable/inappropriate responses. Therefore, data analysis was done on the data collected on 130 subjects, using the SPSS 16 program. There were no relationships between food intake and the 4 exam stress groups or stress scores. The food subgroups which were found to have a significant association with exam stress were bread [p=0.003], rice [p=0.035], processed meats [p=0.031], dairy products [p=0.029] and industrially produced fruit juices [p=0.049]. However, after adjustment for body mass index [BMI] and changes in food intake at stress time, the only food subgroup which had a significant positive relationship with stress scores was industrially produced fruit juices. The average intakes of energy, carbohydrate, and protein in the 4 stress groups differed significantly, but here again, after adjustment for BMI and changes in food intake at the time of stress, the differences disappeared. Consumption of industrially produced fruit juices increases with increases in exam anxiety. Since such juices have a high content of sugar, this observation can be said to confirm the hypothesis of existence of a positive association between anxiety and carbohydrate consumption

[ effect of daily consumption of Iranian yogurt drink doogh fortified with vitamin D or vitamin D plus calcium on the serum advanced glycation end products [AGEs] and oxidized LDL concentrations in type 2 diabetes patients: a randomized clinical trial]

High levels of advanced glycation end products [AGEs] and oxidative stress play a key role in development of complications in type 2 diabetes [T2D]. It has been reported that glycemic optimizing affects vitamin D in patients with T2D. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of daily consumption of vitamin D and vitamin D-calcium-fortified yogurt drink on serum levels of AGEs and ox-LDL in T2D patients. Sixty diabetic subjects aged 30-60 years were assigned randomly to one of the three groups: 1- plain yogurt drink; 2-yogurt drink fortified with 500IU cholecalciferol per 250 mL bottle; and 3- yogurt drink fortified with 500IU cholecalciferol and 250 mg calcium per 250 mL bottle. Participants were instructed to consume 2 bottles of the yogurt drink daily for 12 weeks. The anthropometric, dietary and laboratory assessments were done at baseline and at the end of intervention. Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D increased significantly from 40.6 +/- 30.1 to 76.8 +/- 32.6 nmol/L [p<0.001] in group 2 and from 45.1 +/- 38.7 to 72.7 +/- 35.3nmol/L in group 3. Fasting glucose [p=0.016 and p=0.040, respectively], insulin [p<0.001 and p=0.009, respectively], HbA1c [p=0.001 and p=0.003, respectively], HOMA-IR [p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively] and serum level of AGEs [p=0.029 and p=0.001, respectively] decreased significantly. There was no significant within and between group changes in ox-LDL serum levels. Our results showed that daily intake of 1000 IU vitamin D with or without calcium significantly increased serum levels of 25[OH] D, improved glycemic control and decreased serum levels of AGEs but had no effect on ox-LDL levels in diabetic patients

Folate and vitamin B12 intake and risk of squamous-cell carcinoma of the esophagus

Esophageal cancer is one of the most common cancers in Iran and has a high mortality rate. The aim of this study was to assess the association between folate and vitamin B12 intake and risk of squamous-cell carcinoma of the esophagus cancer. In this case-control study, cases [n=47] were patients diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma of the esophagus [SCCE] in main hospital Kurdistan and controls [matched with cases by age and sex] were patients with acute non-cancer diseases at the same hospitals [n=96]. Demographic data and physical activity were collected using questionnaires. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire used for nutritional information and folate and vitamin B12 intake were calculated with Nutritionst IV [N4]. Thirty eight percent of cases and 40% of controls were males. Mean age of cases and controls were 58 +/- 18 and 58 +/- 17 years respectively. Mean folate intake among cases was 152.1 microg/day, which was less than in the controls. After adjustment for confounders, folate intake was inversely related with SCCE [OR=0.03, 95% Cl 0.00, 0.12]. The association between vitamin B[12] intake and SCCE was not significant [p=0.46]. Folate intake was inversely related with SCCE: however, there was not a significant association between vitamin 612 intake and SCCE

[ relation between overweight and obesity with some lifestyle factors in the 3[rd] - 5[th] grade primary schoolgirls in Tehran City 6[th] district]

The increasing trend in recent years of overweight and obesity in children, known to be associated with adult obesity and other physical and mental diseases, makes them one of the most important health and social problems today. Lifestyle is an effective factor in the etiology of child overweight and obesity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of overweight and obesity in primary schoolgirls in the 3[rd] -5[th] grades in the 6[th] district of Tehran with some lifestyle variables. This was a case-control study including 314 primary schoolgirls in the 3[rd] -5[th] grades, selected by simple cluster-sampling in the 6[th] district of Tehran. Data were collected on the following variables: body weight, height and body mass index [BMI]; pocket money; types of snacks usually consumed and the amount of money spent on them; duration of daily sedentary activities and snack consumption during these activities; sleeping hours; skipping main meals; type of snack taken in case of skipping breakfast; physical activity; and how the girls went to school [i.e., on foot, by bus, etc.]. The statistical tests used were Chi-square [or Fisher], Mann Whitney, one-way ANOVA, Turkey's HSD, and backward stepwise regression. The following variables were positively associated with overweight and obesity in the schoolgirls: media use [such as TV watching, electronic games, computer using] during weekdays and weekends, pocket money and the proportion of it spent on snacks, frequency and kinds of snacks during sedentary activities, meal skipping frequency and the kind of snack substituted for breakfast. Sleep duration, frequency of snacking, daily physical activity, and walking duration [between school and home] were inversely related to overweight and obesity. No associations were found between overweight and obesity on the one hand and after-dinner snack or homework duration on the other hand. Overweight and obesity among the 3[rd]-5[th] grade are related to schoolgirls' lifestyle variables, the most important of which are sleep duration, eating snacks when watching television or working with the computer, skipping breakfast or dinner, and pocket money and the proportion of it spent on snacks. Not all these associations are statistically significant

[ effect of "real oat bread" compared with "barley bread offered in tehran" on serum glucose and lipid profiles in dislipidemic and type 2 diabetic subjects]

This study compared the effects of oat and barley bread on lipid profiles and blood glucose of type 2 diabetic patients. In a double blind cross over trial, 36 type 2 diabetic patients were selected based on fasting blood sugar above 126 mg/dl and one lipidemic index that was not within the normal limits, and then randomly assigned into 2 bread groups. Patients were given 250gr oat or barley bread daily for 3 weeks. A 5cc sample of venous blood was taken before, after 10 days and at the end of the trial for assay. After a washout period for 3 weeks, each group was transferred into the opposite group and all underwent the previous phase of that group. A 3 day food recall questionnaire was completed on the 1[st], 10[th] and 21[st] days in both phases of the trial. Findings indicated that all metabolic and anthropometric indicators were improved in both groups except for WHR. The mean differences of serum fasting glucose in the barley and the oat bread groups were -32 +/- 2.7 and 6.2 +/- 9.2 mg/dL and for serum HDL in the barley and the oat bread groups were 9.2 +/- 1.8 and 1.34 +/- 0.2 mg/dL, respectively; however the differences in fasting glucose and HDL were significant between the two groups [P=0.001]. This study showed that both oat and barley bread are effective in improving of anthropometric and metabolic indicators, the effects of oat bread being more effective in reducing blood glucose and HDL cholesterol

Reporting of energy intake and its association with weight and lifestyle among 18-45 year old Tehranian women

This study, aimed to evaluate the ratio between Energy Intake and Resting metabolic Rate [EI/RMR] among female Tehranian adults, and to compare age and anthropometric and dietary characteristics between relatively under and over reporters. This cross-sectional study included 187 healthy women, aged 18 to 45 years. The EI/RMR ratio was used as an indicator of reporting accuracy, with EI/RMR<1.35 considered to represent under reporting, and EI/RMR >/= 2.4 as over-reporting of El. Data on age, antropometric and lifestyle variables were gathered by a second questionnaire designed for this survey. In addition dietary intake was assessed by a semi-quantitative 125 item food-frequency questionnaire. ANOVA was used for data analysis. EI/RMR was 1.6 +/- 0.6 [meantSD]. Thirty-five per cent of the subjects had EI/RMR <1.34, while 7% of the subjects showed EI/RMR>2.4. BMI correlated negatively [p=-0.199, P<0.01] with EI/RMR. Age, BMI, body weight, waist and RMR decreased significanlty with the increase in EI/RMR [P<0.01]. The oldest age group [>/= 40] had lower EI/RMR values than the youngest age group [30>] [1.5 vs.1.8]. Under-reporters consumed less fish, magarine, coffee, sweet and fat than did the other subjects. Under-reporting, rather than over-reporting of energy intake was predominant in this female population of Tehran. BMI was the most important factor affecting the reporting accuracy of energy intake

Effects of carrot juice enriched with beta carotene on serum levels of inflammatory indicators in type 2 diabetics

Background and Purpose: Variation and increase in the levels of inflammatory factors and glycemia are among the major problems of type 2 diabetics. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of beta carotene-enriched carrot juice on CRP inflammatory indexes, IL-6 and FBS glucose in diabetics

Methods and Materials: This randomized double blind clinical trial was conducted on 44 type 2 diabetics. Participants based on gender and BMI were assigned into two groups [Group A receiving 200 ml carrot juice enriched with 10 mg beta carotene and Group B receiving normal carrot juice] by randomized stratified sampling. Both groups received 200 ml carrot juice for 8 weeks for lunch [instead of cereals]. A 24-hour recall was obtained for 3 consecutive and 6 concomitant days at the beginning and end of the study duration. Also, CRP, IL-6, FBS glucose and serum beta carotene levels were measured in FBS blood sample at the beginning and end of the study duration. The consumption data were fed into Nutritionist IV, and analyzed in SPSS 11.5

Results: Each group consisted of 22 [11 male and 11 female diabetics] participants. There was a significant increase in the levels of beta carotene in group A [111.9 +/- 64.9 at the beginning and 72 +/- 43.9 at the end] [p=0.02]. However, the reduction of CRP in Group A [-996.9 +/- 2172.6 at the beginning and -537.3 +/- 1412.4 at the end] was not significant [p=0.098]. Also, IL-6 reduction in Group A [-0.8 +/- 2.1 at the beginning and -0.6 +/- 2.4 at the end] was not significant [p=0.085]. FBS glucose was also not examined in the present study

Conclusion: Daily consumption of carrot juice enriched with 10 mg beta carotene for eight weeks caused an improvement in the levels of serum antioxidants including beta carotene in type 2 diabetics, with no significant effects on serum glucose and inflammatory indexes

Association of overweight and obesity in first-year primary school children in Shiraz with breastfeeding pattern, birth weight, and family socio-economic status in school year 2008-09

The overweight and obesity epidemic in Iran started in about 2001. Obesity in the early decades of life is a strong predictor of adult obesity. Some of the most important risk factors of overweight and obesity in childhood are related to infant feeding pattern, parents obesity, family socioeconomic status, birth weight, physical activity, and diet. Breastfeeding is a good strategy for reducing childhood overweight and obesity. In this study the association between overweight and obesity with birth weight and breastfeeding pattern in 7 year-old children in Shiraz was investigated. This case-control study included a total of 400 Shirazin first-year primary school children [200 obese children as case and 200 normal-weight ones as control] selected by multistage sampling. The schools were selected by stratified random sampling and then all of the overweight and obese children [case group] were selected by cluster sampling. Overweight and obesity were defined as 85 /= 95 percentile of CDC 2000, respectively. For each case subject a control child was chosen matched for age, sex, school and grade. Data were collected by a nutritionist on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, breastfeeding pattern, birth weight, physical activity, and food consumption [24-hour diet recall] by interviewing mothers, using appropriate questionnaires. Weights and heights of the mothers were also measured. The SPSS software was used for data analysis. The length of breastfeeding, mothers' BMI, and obesity in first-degree family members were statistically significantly different between the case and control groups [P = 0.005]. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to the family socio-economic status. Further analysis of the data showed no association between birth weight and overweight and obesity in the case group. The results of this study show that overweight and obesity in 7- year old children in Shiraz city are related to breastfeeding pattern, although the relationship may not be an independent one

Effects of beta-carotene-fortified carrot juice on the lipid profile in type-2 diabetes patients

Hyperlipedemia is a health problem in type-2 diabetes patients. This study was designed to investigate the effects of carrot juice fortified with beta-carotene on the blood lipids in these patients. This controlled randomized double-blind clinical trial was performed on 44 patients with type 2 diabetes. They were randomly divided into two groups receiving, daily for 8 weeks, either 200 ml carrot juice fortified with 10 mg beta-carotene [group A] or 200 ml ordinary carrot juice [group B]. All the subjects would drink the juice [exchanged for one serving of bread] at lunch. Twenty-four hour dietary recalls were done on 3 consecutive days and 6 alternate days by a nutritionist at the beginning and the end of the period. Initial and final fasting blood glucose, beta-carotene, and lipids were also measured. The dietary data were analyzed using Nutritionist IV and statistical analysis was done using SPSS[11.5]. The serum level of beta-carotene increased and that of total cholesterol and triglyceride, as well as the LDL-C/HDL-C and TC/HDL-C ratios, decreased significantly in group A as compared to group B. The treatments did not affect HDL-C or glucose concentrations in either group. Daily consumption of both 200 ml carrot juice fortified with 10 mg beta-carotene and ordinary carrot juice for 8 weeks brings about desirable changes in some of the blood lipids in type-2 diabetic subjects without any change in the serum glucose level, although fortified carrot juice is more effective. Such an intervention may prevent hyperlipedemia in these patients

[Determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption in type 2 diabetics in Tehran]

The world is facing a dramatic rise in the prevalence of diabetes, most of which is occurring in the low-and middle-income countries. This is having a major impact on the quality of life of hundreds of millions of people and their families. Furthermore, nutrition, especially intakes of fruit and vegetable have important effects on glycemic control and prevention of diabetic complications. The present study was designed to assess the fruit and vegetable consumption in type 2 diabetic patients and their relationship with socio-demographic factors in Tehran. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 367 type 2 diabetic patients. Fruit and vegetable consumption was determined, using 169-item food frequency questionnaire. Information on demography and socio-economic factors was obtained from related questionnaires. Results: Vegetable consumption was significantly lower in retired or jobless patients [p=0.04], and higher in patients who had children [p=0.003]. Also, fruit consumption was significantly higher in patients with 3 or less children. No significant association was observed between fruit or vegetable consumption and education levels, parents' job levels, household size, ethnicity, family income, food expense and duration of living in Tehran. Based on logistic regression, employment was significantly related to the consumption of vegetable [p=0.012]

Association between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of renal cell carcinoma among 40-76 year old Swedish women

Results of epidemiologic studies on the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the renal cell carcinoma [RCC] risk have been inconsistent and inconclusive so far. This study was conducted to further explore the issue and throw more light on the subject. In a population-based prospective cohort study of Swedish women [Swedish Mammography Cohort] dietary information from 61, 000 women 40-76 years old was collected using a food-frequency questionnaire. A 13-year follow-up showed that 122 of the women developed RCC. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risks [RR] with 95% confidence interval [CI]. Women consuming 5 or more combined servings of fruit and vegetables daily had a relative risk of 0.59 [95% CI=0.26-1.34] in comparison with those consuming less than once serving. When fruits and vegetables were examined separately, those women who had consumed more than 75 servings of either fruits or vegetables per month had a multivariate relative risk of 0.59 [95% CI=0.27-1.25] and 0.60 [95% CI=0.31-1.17], respectively, compared with those consuming 11 or less servings per month. Within the fruit group, bananas showed the strongest inverse association [p=0.07 by Wald test], while of all the vegetables studied root vegetables proved to have the strongest inverse association [p = 0.03 by Wald test], with RCC. The risk of RCC decreased with an increase in the consumption frequency of white cabbage [p for trend=0.07]. The data also revealed that the consumption by women of salad vegetables [at least once per day] could reduce the RCC risk by 40% [RR= 0.60; 95% CI =0.30 -1.22], in comparison to those not consuming this type of vegetables. Our results suggest that a high consumption of fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of RCC in women