Food co-consumption network as a new approach to dietary pattern in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Dietary patterns strongly correlate with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a leading cause of chronic liver disease in developed societies. In this study, we introduce a new definition, the co-consumption network (CCN), which depicts the common consumption patterns of food groups through network analysis. We then examine the relationship between dietary patterns and NAFLD by analyzing this network. We selected 1500 individuals living in Tehran, Iran, cross-sectionally. They completed a food frequency questionnaire and underwent scanning via the FibroScan for liver stiffness, using the CAP score. The food items were categorized into 40 food groups. We reconstructed the CCN using the Spearman correlation-based connection. We then created healthy and unhealthy clusters using the label propagation algorithm. Participants were assigned to two clusters using the hypergeometric distribution. Finally, we classified participants into two healthy NAFLD networks, and reconstructed the gender and disease differential CCNs. We found that the sweet food group was the hub of the proposed CCN, with the largest cliques of size 5 associated with the unhealthy cluster. The unhealthy module members had a significantly higher CAP score (253.7 ± 47.8) compared to the healthy module members (218.0 ± 46.4) (P < 0.001). The disease differential CCN showed that in the case of NAFLD, processed meat had been co-consumed with mayonnaise and soft drinks, in contrast to the healthy participants, who had co-consumed fruits with green leafy and yellow vegetables. The CCN is a powerful method for presenting food groups, their consumption quantity, and their interactions efficiently. Moreover, it facilitates the examination of the relationship between dietary patterns and NAFLD.

COVID-19 Induces Body Composition and Metabolic Alterations.

Background Individuals with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are highly susceptible to disease-related metabolic dysregulation given the hyperinflammatory immune response of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These changes are remarkably involved in multiple steps in adipogenesis and lipolysis. This study aimed to elaborate on the significant relations of COVID-19 infection with body fat distribution, changes in serum insulin, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels before and after the infection. Methods In this follow-up study, from July 2021 to September 2021, persons referred to a university-affiliated Nutrition Counselling Clinic were randomly selected for the study samples. Validated food frequency (FFQ) and physical activity questionnaires were completed. Body composition was assessed in this investigation. On the second visit, those who reported mild to moderate COVID-19 infection (without hospitalization) were selected as the case group and the asymptomatic individuals as the control group. All measurements were re-measured in the second visit. Results In a total of 441 patients, the mean age was 38.82±4.63 years. There were 224 (50.79%) male subjects, and 217 (49.20%) were females. There was a statistically significant difference in the longitudinal change in total fat percentage between subjects with and without COVID-19. Also, the difference in HOMA-IR before and after COVID-19 in case groups (both males and females) was statistically significant (P-value < 0.001). Moreover, serum insulin levels were significantly increased in all cases (P-value < 0.001), while remaining stable in control groups. When compared to their initial visit, COVID-19 patients' total fat percentage rose significantly (almost 2%) following a hypocaloric diet. Participants who were not infected with COVID-19 had a lower total fat percentage than those who were. Serum insulin and HOMA-IR levels increased significantly after infection compared to the primary measurements. Conclusion Individuals with COVID-19 infection may require tailored medical nutrition therapy to improve short and long-term COVID-19 outcomes such as muscle loss and fat accommodation.

Assessment of the association between body composition and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as the condition of fat accumulation in the liver. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between body composition and fatty liver and determine of cut-off point for predicting NAFLD. Samples were selected from the nutrition clinic from 2016 to 2017 in Tehran, Iran. The liver steatosis was calculated using the CAP score through the FiroScan™ and body composition was measured using the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan method. A total of 2160 patients participated in this study, 745 (34.5%) subjects had NAFLD. We found that fat-free tissue was inversely and fat tissue was directly correlated with the risk of NAFLD in almost all factors and the risk of developing NAFLD increases if the total fat exceeds 32.23% and 26.73% in women and men and abdominal fat exceeds 21.42% and 13.76% in women and men, respectively. Finally, we realized that the total fat percent had the highest AUC (0.932 for men and 0.917 for women) to predict the risk of NAFLD. Overall, the likelihood of NAFLD development rose significantly with increasing the amount of total fat and abdominal fat from the cut-off point level.

The association of vitamin D levels and insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVE: Vitamin D deficiency and insulin resistance have great prevalence in society. The latest studies indicate an inverse association between Vitamin D levels, insulin resistance, and Type 2 diabetes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin D status on insulin resistance. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 2160 participants were randomly recruited from a nutrition clinic in Tehran, Iran, 1057 (48.9%) were female and 1103 (51.1%) male. Information was gathered by a questionnaire. Following 12-h fasting, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and insulin levels, as well as 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels were measured. 2-H glucose and insulin levels measured after consumption of 75 g glucose, HOMA2-IR, and HOMA-ß indices were then calculated. RESULTS: The average serum Vitamin D was 22.3 + 8.9 nmol/L and the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency was 100%. There was an inverse relationship between Vitamin D levels and age, BMI, waist circumference, and all metabolic parameters (p < 0.001 in all) and a direct association with levels of exercise. Two logistic regression models were used to adjust for confounding variables; firstly, for age, gender, and smoking and secondly, additionally for BMI and energy intake. Both models showed a significant inverse relationship between Vitamin D levels and FPG and insulin levels, 2-h glucose and insulin levels, and HOMA2-IR. The optimum cut point for vitamin D was calculated at about 25 nmol/L for preventing insulin resistance. CONCLUSION: This study illustrated that there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between Vitamin D levels and insulin resistance.

Investigating the relationship between insulin resistance and adipose tissue in a randomized Tehrani population.

OBJECTIVES: Insulin resistance is the most common metabolic change associated with obesity. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between insulin resistance and body composition especially adipose tissue in a randomized Tehrani population. METHODS: This study used data of 2,160 individuals registered in a cross-sectional study on were randomly selected from among subjects who were referred to nutrition counseling clinic in Tehran, from April 2016 to September 2017. Insulin resistance was calculated by homeostasis model assessment formula. The odds ratio (95% CI) was calculated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The mean age of the men was 39 (±10) and women were 41 (±11) (the age ranged from 20 to 50 years). The risk of increased HOMA-IR was 1.03 (95% CI: 1.01-1.04) for an increase in one percent of Body fat, and 1.03 (95% CI: 1.00-1.05) for an increase in one percent of Trunk fat. Moreover, the odds ratio of FBS for an increase in one unit of Body fat percent and Trunk fat percent increased by 1.05 (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI: 1.03, 1.06]) and 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.08). Also, the risk of increased Fasting Insulin was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.03-1.07) for an increase in one unit of Body fat percent, and 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02-1.08) for an increase in one unit of Trunk fat percent. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study showed that there was a significant relationship between HOMA-IR, Fasting blood sugar, Fasting Insulin, and 2 h Insulin with percent of Body fat, percent of Trunk fat.

Association between dietary patterns with insulin resistance in an Iranian population.

AIM: To assess the association between dietary patterns no single food or group, and risk of insulin resistance (Fasting blood sugar (FBS), Fasting insulin, 2h-glucose, 2h-insulin and HOMA-IR). METHODS: In a cross-sectional, population-based study in Tehran, Iran, 2016-2017. Adults (n = 1500, 38% men) mean age 43.72 ± 14.9 years. Dietary intake was collected by semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and insulin resistance was evaluated by Fasting blood sugar (FBS), Fasting insulin, 2h glucose, 2h insulin and HOMA-IR. Associations were assessed by using correlation and multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: After controlling of the confounding factor or possible underlying such as gender, age, menopausal, BMI, physical activity and the amount of daily energy intake, unhealthy dietary pattern had a positive relationship with all indexes of insulin resistance except 2h glucose and HOMA-IR, healthy dietary pattern had negative and significant relationship with indexes of insulin resistance but apart from 2h glucose. CONCLUSIONS: It can be figured out that receiving diet rich in healthy foods might reduce the risk of creating insulin resistance.

Waist circumference is a mediator of dietary pattern in Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an example of pathological fat accumulation in the liver and one of the major health conditions in the world. This study aimed to examine the independent role of dietary patterns in the development of NAFLD. In a cross-sectional study, 1500 individuals referred to a nutrition clinic were randomly selected, their demographic, anthropometric and blood metabolic indices were obtained, and food frequency questionnaires were completed for them. Liver stiffness was calculated using the NAFLD score formula and fibroscan. The two dominant dietary patterns identified were the "healthy" and "unhealthy dietary patterns". A significant percentage of those with NAFLD (45%) were in the upper quartile of the unhealthy model; however, only 10% had the healthy pattern (p < 0.001). In this study, 32.9 and 13.9% of the healthy and unhealthy participants were in the upper quartile of the healthy diet pattern. Also, it was shown that waist circumference is a strong mediator of dietary patterns and NAFLD relationship, and the indirect effect of diet through abdominal circumference is 28 times greater than the direct effect on NAFLD. The results suggested that healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns are respectively associated with lower- and higher-risk of NAFLD but the role of waist circumference as a mediator deserves more consideration.

Metabolic effects of vitamin D supplementation in vitamin D deficient patients (a double-blind clinical trial).

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D has recently been given a lot of attention for its role in controlling insulin secretion. Many studies have spoken of its role in weight management, blood sugar control and many other metabolic variables. PATIENT AND METHODS: In a randomized double-blind clinical trial, 210 people with vitamin D deficiency were randomly allocated into two groups receiving vitamin D (50,000 units per week) or placebo for 8 weeks. RESULTS: Vitamin D levels were significantly increased in the group receiving vitamin D supplementation (13.7±5.2 unit increase versus 0.8±2.8). The increased levels of vitamin D lead to significant changes in fasting insulin levels (6.8±8.1 unit reduction versus 2.3±3.7), a 2-h insulin (31.1±34.9 unit reduction versus 4.5±24.6) and Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) indices. CONCLUSION: Correction of vitamin D deficiency leads to increased insulin sensitivity that was significantly able to maintain glucose in the normal range with lower levels of insulin.