Which components of the Mediterranean diet are associated with dementia? A UK Biobank cohort study.

Cohort studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet is associated with better global cognition in older adults, slower cognitive decline and lower risk of dementia. However, little is known about the relative contribution of each component of the Mediterranean diet to dementia risk or whether the diet's effects are due to one or more specific food components. We aimed to examine whether Mediterranean diet components are associated with all-cause dementia risk in the UK BioBank cohort. Participants joined the UK Biobank study from 2006 to 2010 and were followed until December 2020. 249,511 participants, who were at least 55 years old, without dementia at baseline were included. We used self-reported consumption of food groups, considered part of the Mediterranean diet including fruit, vegetables, processed meat, unprocessed red meat and unprocessed poultry, fish, cheese, wholegrains. Incident dementia was ascertained through electronic linkage to primary care records, hospital and mortality records or self-report. In this study with a total follow-up of 2,868,824 person-years (median 11.4), after adjusting for all covariates and other food groups, moderate fish consumption of between 2.0 and 3.9 times a week was associated with decreased risk of dementia (HR 0.84, 95%CI 0.71-0.98) compared to no consumption. Additionally, fruit consumption of between 1.0 and 1.9 servings a day was associated with reduced dementia risk (HR 0.85, 95%CI 0.74-0.99) compared to no consumption. No other Mediterranean diet components were associated with dementia risk suggesting that fish consumption may drive the beneficial effects seen from the Mediterranean diet. Further study of potential mechanisms and diet-based intervention trials are needed to establish this.

Impact of COVID-19 on fish consumption and nutrition intake—An empirical study

This study investigates the effects of COVID-19 on fish consumption and nutrition intake based on a random survey of 247 fish consumers in Bangladesh. The Propensity Score Matching technique is used to compare fish consumption and fish-sourced nutrition intake between two groups of consumers before and during COVID-19. The result shows that 38% overall reduction in fish consumption for the low-income group compared to lower-middle, upper-middle- and high-income groups. Furthermore, per capita consumption of culture and capture fish species decreased significantly for low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income groups of consumers. It indicates that nutrition and mineral intake have reduced sharply as well Higher energy and K reduction are observed for Pangasius hypophthalmus among different culture fish species while energy and Ca reduction were higher for Wallago attu and Mystus vittatus respectively. Therefore, the government might place a greater emphasis on excluding the food supply chain from lockdown restrictions during a COVID-19-like pandemic. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of World Aquaculture Society.

Impact of COVID-19 on inflammatory bowel disease: course and outcome

Introduction. Coronavirus infection is an acute viral disease with a primary lesion of the upper respiratory tract, caused by an RNA-virus of the Betacoronavirus genus of the Coronaviridae family. The course of a viral infection varies from asymptomatic to a wide range of clinical manifestations, including fever, chills, gastrointestinal manifestations, pneumonia, respiratory distress, and death. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are chronic immune-mediated diseases with intestinal and systemic symptoms, which are based on an impairment of the intestinal microbiota and dysregulation of the immune system in genetically predisposed individuals. In the Kazakh population, risk factors also include irregular food intake (p=0.043;OR=3.61 [95% CI: 1.04-12.51]), consumption of fish and seafood (p=0.000;OR= 15.77 [95% CI: 4.56-54.59]), consumption of frozen processed foods (p = 0.018;OR = 4.62 [95% CI: 1.3-16.4]), diet based on meat dishes (p=0.029;OR=3.2 [95% CI: 1.13-9.2]), use of NSAIDs other than aspirin (p=0.031;OR=3.79 [1.13-12.69]) and smoking (p=0.008;OR=4.93 [95% CI: 1.52-15.98]) [26]. The suppression of the immune response is associated with the risk of infection with viral or bacterial pathogens, including potentially the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On the other hand, SARS-CoV-2 infection as a potential trigger factor for de novo occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease is currently being discussed [22, 25]. The aim of this study was to assess the characteristics of the course of COVID-19 during the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), risk factors and outcomes of COVID-19, as well as the activity of IBD before and after a coronavirus infection. Materials and methods. A longitudinal descriptive study included 158 patients with IBD who applied on an outpatient basis (including via remote consultation) or inpatient with SARS-Cov2 or COVID-19 infection in the academic centers of Almaty (Kazakhstan) n=54 and St. Petersburg (Russia), n= 104. The observation period was from May 2020 to May 2022. The median and interquartile range were used to describe quantitative data (age), and absolute frequencies and percentages were used for qualitative data. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for intergroup comparison of quantitative data (age), for the remaining indicators, the likelihood ratio test (Likehood ratio test), and in the case of 2X2 tables, Fisher's exact test. Results. There was no association between IBD type/activity or drugs taken and the severity of COVID-19. However, the severity of COVID-19 affected the activity of IBD. We've identified the same risk factors for the development of a more severe course of COVID-19 were as in the world literature: cardiovascular pathology, arterial hypertension and chronic liver pathology. Conclusion. Thus, inflammatory bowel disease and current therapy do not affect the risk of SARS-Cov-2 infection and/or the severity of COVID-19, while infection associated with severe COVID-19 affects the activity or outcomes of IBD.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect food environment, food purchase, and fish consumption among low-income urban households in Bangladesh-A path analysis.

Background: Animal source foods, especially fish is the most commonly consumed and an important source of macro and micronutrients in the diet of the urban low-income residents. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the food environment in Bangladesh but little is known about how food access and food prices (affordability) have affected the purchase and consumption of fish. The objective of the study was to understand the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban food environment with a specific focus on fish consumption. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 586 homogeneous adults (288 females and 298 males) from separate households from five informal settlements in Dhaka city, Bangladesh during October-November 2020. Data were collected on: (1) food access and affordably; and (2) food purchase and fish consumption. The associations between food access, price, food purchase, and fish consumption were evaluated using path analysis. Results: The majority of respondents reported that food access was more difficult, food prices increased, and food purchase decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-COVID (84-89% of respondents). Fish and meat were more difficult to access, more expensive and purchased less compared to other foods (74-91% of respondents). Compared to pre-COVID period, households consumed less fish during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reported compromised the variety and quality of fish. In the path analysis, food access was associated with food purchase (b = 0.33, p < 0.001). Food purchase was associated with quantity, variety, and quality of fish consumed. Food price was inversely associated with the quality of fish consumed (b = -0.27, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the food environment, particularly food access, price (affordability), purchase, and consumption, especially of fish. Limited food access negatively affected the quantity, variety and quality of fish consumed. An increase in food prices directly affected the quality of fish consumed. Policy actions are essential to ensure equal access to nutritious foods, such as fish. These policies need to focus on diversity and quality along with preventing increases in food prices during emergencies to mitigate future threats to the nutrition and health of the urban low-income residents.

Study of consumer perceptions and preferences: consumption case study of fish and shellfish in mexicali, Baja California, Mexico

Background: The agri-food sector, which includes fishing and aquaculture, poses challenges in improving the food quality and restructure markets. Currently, we have the opportunity to understand the food crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and to promote a paradigm shift in food and markets, which leads to the changes generation in the food economic system, transformation of markets and rapprochement of producers with consumers. One of the ways to bring the producer and the consumer closer to each other, is precisely to know and characterize their consumption, by conducting market studies. A market study is a systematic investigation based on the information collection and data analysis related to the outstanding characteristics of the market to which a company or a sector is directed, which allows us to know and characterize the tastes and preferences in the population consumption.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fish consumption and household food security in Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

The effects of COVID-19 are continuing to increase around the world as the pandemic claims thousands of lives. Bangladesh is no exception and has been greatly affected by SARS-CoV-2. Apart from the number of people who are or have been directly getting infected with this disease, millions of people are directly or indirectly facing many challenges to their livelihoods and the security of their food and nutritional supply, along with other societal issues created by the pandemic. In this study, a hybrid approach of online and telephone questionnaire surveys was used to investigate the food security of Dhaka city's inhabitants at household level. Approximately 80% of the respondents reported reduced income, and a quarter of respondents lost their jobs between March and June 2020. The frequency of fish consumption, an essential component of Bangladeshi diets, significantly reduced during the pandemic. This was especially apparent in affluent segments of the community. Out of the respondents, 75% reported an increase in the price of fish in Dhaka city. A range of coping strategies were observed: including decreasing the frequency of grocery shopping, shifting to online shopping, reducing consumption of high price commodities, reducing junk food consumption, cleaning fish and meat with hot water and vinegar, and increasing the consumption of protein and vitamin C rich food items. Prior to COVID-19, 80% of the households surveyed bought fish from wet markets. This number dropped to 45% during the pandemic. Many households substituted fish and meat with poultry, eggs and dried fish. About half of the households stockpiled rice, lentils and potatoes during the peak of the pandemic. However, if the pandemic lasts for a prolonged period, those living on low incomes in urban areas will experience some level of food insecurity from a reduced income or loss of work. Because of this, a large-scale sustainability policy should be undertaken to secure the food and nutritional security of low-income and middle-class household.

Small-scale fishing households facing COVID-19: The case of Lake Victoria, Kenya.

Small-scale fisheries underpin the aquatic food supply, and are facing acute challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to examine how small-scale fishing households, including fishers and fish traders, are responding to COVID-19 and associated movement restrictions around Lake Victoria, Kenya. We conducted phone interviews with 88 households in three riparian communities around Lake Victoria to examine shifts in fish consumption, fishing activities, price changes, and coping strategies. We found that households are consuming less fish, perceiving high fish prices, and coping by more often selling than eating fish. Most fishers and traders reported spending less time fishing and trading, and concern about being infected with COVID-19 was high. Our findings suggest movement restrictions and COVID-19 concern, along with high lake levels in the region, may limit fishing activities and fish access. Controlling COVID-19 and supporting opportunities for fishers and traders to safely return to their livelihood activities will be paramount to the recovery of small-scale fishing communities today. Our findings can also support planning to mitigate the impacts of future crises on small-scale fishing communities.