Dietary patterns interfere with gut microbiota to combat obesity.

Obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders are global epidemics that occur when there is chronic energy intake exceeding energy expenditure. Growing evidence suggests that healthy dietary patterns not only decrease the risk of obesity but also influence the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Numerous studies manifest that the development of obesity is associated with gut microbiota. One promising supplementation strategy is modulating gut microbiota composition by dietary patterns to combat obesity. In this review, we discuss the changes of gut microbiota in obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders, with a particular emphasis on the impact of dietary components on gut microbiota and how common food patterns can intervene in gut microbiota to prevent obesity. While there is promise in intervening with the gut microbiota to combat obesity through the regulation of dietary patterns, numerous key questions remain unanswered. In this review, we critically review the associations between dietary patterns, gut microbes, and obesity, aiming to contribute to the further development and application of dietary patterns against obesity in humans.

Antiaging effects of dietary supplements and natural products.

Aging is an inevitable process influenced by genetics, lifestyles, and environments. With the rapid social and economic development in recent decades, the proportion of the elderly has increased rapidly worldwide, and many aging-related diseases have shown an upward trend, including nervous system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancer. The rising burden of aging-related diseases has become an urgent global health challenge and requires immediate attention and solutions. Natural products have been used for a long time to treat various human diseases. The primary cellular pathways that mediate the longevity-extending effects of natural products involve nutrient-sensing pathways. Among them, the sirtuin, AMP-activated protein kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin, p53, and insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathways are most widely studied. Several studies have reviewed the effects of individual natural compounds on aging and aging-related diseases along with the underlying mechanisms. Natural products from food sources, such as polyphenols, saponins, alkaloids, and polysaccharides, are classified as antiaging compounds that promote health and prolong life via various mechanisms. In this article, we have reviewed several recently identified natural products with potential antiaging properties and have highlighted their cellular and molecular mechanisms. The discovery and use of dietary supplements and natural products that can prevent and treat multiple aging-related diseases in humans will be beneficial. Thus, this review provides theoretical background for existing dietary supplements and natural products as potential antiaging agents.