Chia seed (Salvia Hispanica L.) added yogurt reduces short-term food intake and increases satiety: randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Several studies have reported that consumption of Salvia Hispanica L.,commonly known as chia seed, may exert beneficial effects on health outcomes. The main purpose of this study was to examine the influence of chia seed consumption as a mid-morning snack on short-term satiety. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Subjects (n = 24) were tested using a randomized, cross-over design consisting of three mid-morning snacks. Yogurt with no chia seed, yogurt with 7 g chia seed, and yogurt with 14 g chia seed were given to subjects on different test days. After subjects were asked to report visual analog scale (VAS) scores on sensory outcomes, ad libitum lunch was served, and energy intake of individuals was measured. RESULTS: VAS scores indicated that participants reported significantly lower scores for hunger (P = 0.033), prospective food consumption (P = 0.031), amounts of food that could be consumed (P = 0.017), desire for sugary foods (P = 0.015), and higher scores for satiety (P = 0.031) on the test days with 7 g and 14 g chia seed. Energy intake of individuals during ad libitum lunch was significantly lower when they consumed yogurt with 7 g or 14 g chia seed (P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that chia seed consumption as a mid-morning snack may induce short-term satiety in healthy individuals.

Genetic Risk Factors for Psoriasis in Turkish Population: -1540 C/A, -1512 Ins18, and +405 C/G Polymorphisms within the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) as a potent mediator of angiogenesis and inflammation in psoriasis has revealed variations in this gene as surrogate markers of psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: VEGFA gene polymorphisms (-1540 C/A, -1512 Ins18, -460 T/C, and +405 C/G) in psoriasis susceptibility in Turkish population were investigated. METHODS: A total of 200 age, sex and ethnicity-matched psoriatic and healthy individuals were examined for clinical type, response to therapy, serum VEGFA and its receptor levels, genotypes and haplotypes. RESULTS: The +405 GG, +405 CG, -1540 CA, and -1512 +Ins18 genotypes conferred a significant risk for developing psoriasis. The C-InsTC haplotype in the controls and C+InsTG, A+InsTC, and A-InsTG haplotypes in psoriatic patients were observed to be significantly high. Increased serum levels of VEGFA were detected in psoriatic patients with the C-InsTC haplotype than that in the controls. The +405 GG genotype was significantly more frequent in psoriatic patients with a positive family history, and the moderate form of psoriasis was more frequent among C+InsTG haplotype carriers than that among the other patients. The +405 GG genotype was found to be more frequent in patients responding to oral retinoids. Serum VEGFR1/FLT1 and VEGFR2/KDR levels were not significantly different when psoriatic patients and controls were stratified based on the risk polymorphic variants. CONCLUSION: VEGFA gene +405 GG and CG, -1512+Ins18, and -1540 CA genotypes are associated with an increased risk of psoriasis in Turkish population. The G allele at +405 and an 18-bp insertion at -1512 are primarily the risk factors for psoriasis, and this risk is potentiated by the presence of the A allele at the -1540 locus.