Turkish adaptation, validation and reliability of the US Adult Food Security Survey Module in university students.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the US Adult Food Security Survey Module (AFSSM). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study collected data from 117 university students. The AFSSM questionnaire was completed by all participants. Psychometric evaluation for scale, content, construct, and convergent validity and reliability of the scale was tested. The construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on data collected from university students. Cronbach's α (internal consistency) and composite reliability were used to assess the reliability (P < 0·05). SETTING: Students were recruited from the university. PARTICIPANTS: This research was conducted with volunteer university students with a mean age of 22·74 ± 4·19 years. RESULTS: Three factors were extracted from eight items through EFA: (1) inadequate nutrition, (2) economic concern and (3) hunger. These factors accounted for 77·4 % of the total variance, and factor loadings ranged from 0·755 to 0·953. Cronbach's α was 0·769. The results of the CFA suggested the fit indices were acceptable (χ2/sd = 0·235, root mean error of approximation: 0·034, goodness-of-fit index: 0·994, comparative fit index: 0·992 and normed fit index: 0·986). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study that validates and reports the Turkish version of AFSSM in university students, and the results of our study show that the Turkish AFSSM is a valid and reliable tool for determining food security in university students. AFSSM can be used by researchers to examine the food security of university students.

Roles of citrus fruits on energy expenditure, body weight management, and metabolic biomarkers: a comprehensive review.

Citrus fruits are widely consumed for their nutritional and health benefits. They belong to the Rutaceae and have many varieties, such as sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), which is the most popular. Citrus fruits are rich in water (>80%), dietary fiber, and vitamins. They also contain bioactive components, which may modulate energy metabolism and lipid oxidation through various mechanisms. These mechanisms include stimulating ß3-adrenergic receptors, increasing mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenesis, activating AMP kinase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α pathways, inhibiting lipogenesis and lipid accumulation, and inducing browning of white adipose tissue. This review summarizes the mechanisms and outcomes of citrus fruits and their metabolites on energy metabolism and body weight in different experimental models. The literature was searched for in vitro and in vivo animal and human studies that investigated the effects of citrus consumption on energy expenditure, thermogenesis, adipogenesis, and lipid accumulation. Citrus fruits and their metabolites have shown promising effects on energy metabolism and lipid oxidation in in vitro and in vivo animal studies. However, the evidence from human studies is limited and inconsistent. Possible reasons for the discrepancy are briefly discussed, and knowledge gaps and research needs are identified for future studies. Citrus fruits may have beneficial effects on energy metabolism and body weight, but more rigorous and well-designed human trials are needed to confirm their efficacy and safety.

A Little Pepper-Upper? Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Studies on Capsaicinoids, Capsinoids, and Exercise Performance.

Capsaicinoids and capsinoids are bioactive compounds mostly found in peppers. Although preclinical studies have reported that these compounds can improve exercise performance due to transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1)-mediated thermogenesis, sympathetic modulation, and releasing calcium, it is still unclear how they affect exercise performance in humans as ergogenic supplements. Conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guide 2020, this systematic review examined the ergogenic effect of capsaicinoids and capsinoids on exercise performance in healthy adults. A total of 19 randomized placebo-controlled trials were included in the study. Studies were accessed by searching five databases (PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library). The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool. According to the study results, 10 studies examining the effect of capsaicinoid and capsinoid supplements on exercise performance reported positive effects. Also, the effect of capsaicinoids and capsinoids on exercise performance is more pronounced in resistance training. This difference, which varies according to the type of exercise, may be due to the correlation between capsaicin transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 and insulin-like growth factor-1.