-
Food allergy is an abnormal immunological reaction to food proteins, which causes
an adverse clinical reaction. It can occur as a consequence of conformational cross-
reactivity to respiratory allergens (oral allergy syndrome), or following sensitiza-
tion via gastrointestinal tract. Almost all known food allergens that sensitize via
gastrointestinal system belong to the prolamin and cupin protein superfamilies of
allergens. Those are mainly characterized by resistance to heat and digestion. The
discrepancy between the vast numbers of proteins we encounter and the limited
number of proteins that actually become allergens, have led scientists to investi-
gate what unique features make proteins destined to be allergens. The information
gained from these studies has led to an allergy assessment strategy that character-
izes the potential allergenicity of biotechnology products prior to their commercial-
ization. Beside allergen structure,
-
The immune system consists of a complex network of specialized cells which each
have precise roles. Immunity is generally divided into two parts determined by the
speed and specificity of the response: (i) innate and (ii) adaptive immunity. The
innate immune response is rapid, non-specific, non-anticipatory and non-clonal,
and utilizes germ-line-encoded receptors. In contrast, the adaptive (sometimes
referred to as acquired) immune response is specific, anticipatory and clonal and
uses receptors that have been generated by somatic DNA rearrangement. The
innate response uses an arsenal of cells, which includes phagocytic cells
(neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages), inflammatory cells (basophils, mast
cells and eosinophils) and natural killer cells. The molecular components of the
innate repertoire include complement, acute-phase proteins and cytokines
-
Food as medicine is an old concept. In many traditional cultures, food goes
beyond basic sustenance or pleasure as certain foods may be selected for specifi c
medicinal effect or used for general health benefi t. Both Traditional Chinese
Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine utilize diets as part of a comprehensive approach
to medical therapy.
-
An overwhelming body of literature supports the concept that what each of us does on a daily basis
significantly impacts both our short- and long-term health and quality of life. This influence may be
either positive or negative. Hundreds, if not thousands, of studies provide evidence that maintenance
of a healthy weight, regular physical activity, not smoking cigarettes, and following sound nutritional
and other health-promoting practices all profoundly impact health. Nutrition, in particular, plays a
prominent role in multiple aspects of positive lifestyle and good health.
-
Almost a century ago, ascorbic acid was identified
as the compound present in fruits and vegetables
that was responsible for the alleviation of scurvy,
a much-feared disease commonly experienced
during extended periods of poor nutrition. Prior
to its identification, it had already been known
as vitamin C—the “water-soluble C” factor that
was antiscorbutic. The hexuronic acid identified
by Albert Szent-Györgyi and colleagues in the
early 1930s was named ascorbic acid due to its
antiscurvy properties. Since that time, much has
been learned about the chemistry, biochemistry,
and biology of this compound, with more than
70,000 publications listed in the PubMed database.
Research and discussion have frequently focused
on determining and justifying the amount of
dietary vitamin C needed on a daily basis. This
topic is of relevance to the human condition, as we
are one of the few species that cannot synthesize
ascorbate and are therefore dependent on sufficient
dietary intake. Most countries have determined
the recommended daily intake based on the
amount required to avoid deficiency. However, as
outlined in many chapters, there is not a simple,
unequivocal answer to the question of optimal
daily intake of vitamin C. Rather, there are likely
to be multiple answers that are a reflection of both
intake and turnover under different clinical and
health circumstances
-
In this book the Editors aim to disseminate important material pertaining to the forti fi cation of foods
from strategic initiatives to public health applications. It covers (in two volumes) policy, preclinical
studies, clinical investigations, and the impact of forti fi cation on the individual and whole communities. The importance of food forti fi cation relates to the fact that optimal nutritional intake is an essential component of health and well-being. Unfortunately, situations arise on a local or national scale
when nutrient supply or intake is deemed to be suboptimal. As a consequence, ill health occurs, for
example, neural tube defects in the developing fetus, organ damage in adults, or increased rates of
premature deaths. In terms of public health, malnutrition due to micronutrient de fi ciency can be quite
profound, imposing economic and social burdens on individuals and whole communities. The complex inter-relationship between poor health outcomes and nutrient delivery can, however, be modulated by appropriate food forti fi cation. Thereafter issues arise as to the ef fi cacy of food forti fi cation,
what strategies should be employed and what nutrients to add. The food carrier is also important, as
well as its stability. Ethical issues also arise, and the concept of potential harm also needs to be
addressed in terms of cost-bene fi ts. All of these aspects, and many others, are covered in The Handbook
of Food Forti fi cation : From Concepts to Public Health Applications.
-
Nutrition
in Kidney
Disease
-
Food allergy is defi ned as an immunological reaction resulting from consumption or
other contact with food. It only affects susceptible people who are sensitive, or
‘sensitised’, to the specifi c food allergen, which would otherwise normally be well
tolerated by the rest of the population. For those affected by food allergy, consumption
of normally nutritious foodstuffs, even in small quantities, can produce life-threatening
adverse reactions. Food allergy is a type of food hypersensitivity. Defi nitions of food
allergy have recently been published by the European Academy of Allergy and
Clinical Immunology (Johansson et al ., 2001 ) and by the US National Institutes of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) (Boyce et al ., 2010 ). Figure 1.1 summarises
their defi nitions in an overview of different types of adverse reactions to food. Food
hypersensitivity can be divided in clinical terms into food allergy and non-allergic
food hypersensitivity such as lactose intolerance. Food allergy can then be further
subdivided into IgE-mediated food allergy to foods such as milk, egg or peanuts, and
non-IgE-mediated food allergy such as gluten intolerance (coeliac disease) and
systemic allergic contact dermatitis.
-
This book would not have been possible
without all of the coauthors who kindly shared
their knowledge and passion for the various
areas. Ms Lisa Eppich and Ms Catherine A. Van
Der Laan at Elsevier were integral in making
this book come to life
-
Large-scale institutional feeding has its roots in the workhouse, and although the
workhouse no longer exists, many people still rely on institutions for their food,
with hundreds of millions of meals being served annually.
-
Metabolomics has emerged as a science with the capacity to cause a major
paradigm shift in the way we approach all aspects of public health, including
nutrition, agriculture, and food production. Metabolomics biochemically describes
the total metabolism and metabolic interactions of cells, organisms, and
communities of organisms, to provide a framework on which to understand
cellular and organism function in a given environment. Incorporating metabolomics
into systems biology will allow a comprehensive understanding of the breadth of
health and disease by linking genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and
metabolomics at the organism and/or community level. This system- level
knowledge will be key to understanding the network and the communication
within the metabolic network that leads to overall health or disease. Moreover,
clarifying how the genome and transcriptome are ultimately related to the end
products of metabolism will enable a better assessment of the impact of
environment, pathogens, and genetic modifi cation on the nutritional and sensory
qualities of food. The goal of this book is to provide a working knowledge of
metabolomics in health and agriculture to researchers, students, and policy makers
by fi rst outlining the technology in detail, and how the wealth of information
generated is used to gain meaningful information. Secondly, this book provides
several chapters on how this type of research is being used in laboratories and
industries to solve important problems, and where this research will lead in the
future. This book will provide an invaluable reference tool on techniques and
methods in metabolomics, allowing the reader a greater understanding of this
rapidly expanding fi eld.
-
The idea of producing a book on the prevention of chronic diseases through exercise
and diet was intriguing for me when I was first approached with the idea. I had
been teaching nutrition, exercise, and health science courses with a focus on cellular
aspects of prevention for many years and had to develop all of my own materials
because very few books were available. And of those that were, they had a decided
clinical approach with very little discussion about the actual biochemistry or
molecular mechanisms involved in prevention. When I broached the concept with
several potential coauthors, the prevailing opinion was that books that covered
biochemical and molecular aspects of disease etiology also were in very short supply.
Thus this book was born: an attempt to collate the latest cellular- and molecularbased research on the etiology of chronic diseases with how these mechanisms of
cause are modified by various aspects of diet and exercise. Essentially, we have tried
to produce a text that translates molecular-based data on etiology and prevention into
a clinical prescription for the prevention of chronic disease.
-
For millennia the importance is known to mothers and critical for child growth and survival. With the
expansion of biomedical research in the late twentieth century fi ne details and speci fi c solutions to
prevention and treatment of childhood growth, diseases, and health can be de fi ned. The editors have
decades of research and interest in nutrition and health including editing a previous version of Nutrition
and Infancy a dozen years ago. With many advances in studies on the role of foods and nutrients in
childhood necessitated an updated version with expanded authors and topics in seven major areas as
part of a two volume set
-
For millennia the importance is known to mothers and critical for child growth and survival. With the
expansion of biomedical research in the late twentieth century fi ne details and speci fi c solutions to
prevention and treatment of childhood growth, diseases, and health can be de fi ned. The editors have
decades of research and interest in nutrition and health including editing a previous version of Nutrition
and Infancy a dozen years ago. With many advances in studies on the role of foods and nutrients in
childhood necessitated an updated version with expanded authors and topics in seven major areas as
part of a two volume set
-
Many studies carried out on animals and humans using nutritional interventions and/or
epidemiological observations have shown that many diseases are linked to poor nutri-
tion. In the past two decades, we have witnessed nutrition research moving from dis-
ease treatment to promotion of health and disease prevention. With this, there has been
an increased emphasis placed on nutritional recommendations. However, considering
the interindividual variability in response to food components, optimum levels of
physiological functions of individuals have to be determined to optimize recommen-
dations, the purpose being to reach personalized nutrition. The recent development of
high-throughput technologies (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) that
enable the generation of large-scale molecular-level measurements has increased
attention of scientists in medical, biological, and nutritional sciences as these tools
offer the possibility of characterizing global alterations associated with disease con-
ditions or nutritional exposure and subtle changes in metabolism due to a stimuli.
-
Karen P. Phillips describes the public’s perception of
environmental risks, especially those that affect the ability
to conceive and carry to birth. Diana Anderson, Thomas
Ernst Schmid, and Adolf Baumgartner focus on the wellknown role of mothers who use tobacco. This leads to
transgenerational damage in the offspring. Mehmet Y.
Oncel and Omer Erdeve review the role of tobacco smoking on after conception and its damage on fetal health, and
they describe a key mechanism – serum folate levels. S. D.
M. Valckx and J. L. M. R. Leroy approach this issue in another way by evaluating the effects of maternal metabolic
health. Then they evaluate the effects of maternal health
as well as diet on follicular fluid composition. Finally, they
review the consequences on the embryo as well as the oocyte. Gülcan Türker reviews heavy metals, such as mercury, which are well known major toxins. He describes their
actions on preterm mortality and morbidity. Jean D. Brender reviews common materials on foods, like bacon, and
known to cause cancer. They review nitrate and nitrite,
which are metabolites of foods that mothers consume, and
nitrosable drugs for their effects on congenital malformations. Giulia Scaravelli and Roberta Spoletini describe the
application of reproductive techniques on worldwide epidemiology phenomenon and treatment outcomes. Frank
H. Comhaire and W. A. E.
-
It is well known that nutritional well-being relates to the ingestion of specifi c
micro- and macronutrients. The optimum intakes of these nutrients are subjected
to national or international guidelines such as the Dietary Reference Values or
the Recommended Daily Allowances. However there is an increasing awareness
that well-being is also associated with the qualitative nature of diets
-
f you are reading this, then you have just taken a big
step towards improving your fitness. If you’re already an
accomplished athlete, this book will help you reach the
next level. If you’re new to fitness, then this book will give
you a head start and you’ll begin reaping the benefits
straight away.
Getting your nutrition right is perhaps more important
than the training you do if you want to maximise your
fitness. After all, performance starts with fuelling, not
training! Correct nutrition will enable you to train harder
and more effectively, recover quicker, miss fewer sessions
through illness, injury or fatigue, and gain a competitive
edge. Without it, you will not be making the most of your
training.
-
It is well known that nutritional well-being relates to the ingestion of specifi c
micro- and macronutrients. The optimum intakes of these nutrients are subjected to national or international guidelines such as the Dietary Reference
Values or the Recommended Daily Allowances. However there is an increasing
awareness that well-being is also associated with the qualitative nature of diets.
-
Perhaps because aging and I are becoming inseparable companions, I am
increasingly interested in anything that might slow or even prevent the
cognitive decline that often accompanies the aging brain. In a previous book,
I analyzed how activities such as systematic exercise, cognitive stimulation,
and even affectionate and social activities could lead to cognitive sharpening
and psychological resilience. I realized subsequently that the impact of
nutrition on delaying cognitive decline was at least as important as those
activities. Hence this book.
-
The scientifi c community has increasingly recog-
nized metabolic alterations as being critical com-
ponents or even drivers of human disease.
Metabolism of Human Diseases discusses the
metabolism and signaling pathways in tissues and
organs known to be relevant for common human
diseases. It thus bridges the existing gap between
biochemistry and physiology textbooks, on the one
hand, and pathology textbooks, on the other hand.
Metabolism of Human Diseases is directed at
advanced students, doctors, and scientists from
all categories of life sciences and medicine (e.g.,
biochemists, biologists, physiologists, pharma-
cologists, pharmacists, toxicologists, and physi-
cians) with an interest in the metabolism and
molecular mechanisms of human diseases, irre-
spective of their specialization.
-
It has often been pointed out that there is a near absence of nutrition education during medical school.
If this deficiency is corrected during postgraduate medical training, it often owes more to accident
than design, or the personal interests of individual physicians. As a result most physicians presently
in practice have gaping holes in their knowledge of nutrition [1, 2]. This book is intended to help cor-
rect this deficiency.
-
In the 5 years since publication of the first edition of the Handbook of Drug–
Nutrient Interactions, new perspectives have emerged and new data have been
generated on the subject matter. We have attempted to capture this in the current
chapters which have all been revised or are completely new to this edition.
This book is intended for use by physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, and
others whether in training, in clinical practice, in academia, or in research. The book
has retained the goals of the previous edition which include improving recognition
and management of drug–nutrient interactions. The topic of drug–nutrient interactions is significant for clinicians and researchers alike. For clinicians in particular,
the book offers a guide for understanding, identifying or predicting, and ultimately
preventing or managing drug–nutrient interactions to optimize patient care. The
book provides a scientific look behind many drug–nutrient interactions, examines
their relevance, offers recommendations, and suggests research questions to be
explored. Although not inclusive of every potential interaction, we hope that the
breadth and depth of the book will challenge readers to actively engage in improving the quantity and quality of data in the field. This will help increase the profile of
drug–nutrient interactions to that comparable with drug–drug interactions in the
care of patients.
-
Ever since Hippocrates stated “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” more than
two thousand years ago, it has been apparent to all that a healthy balanced diet is essential to good
health, with that benefit also extending to optimal reproductive function. This publication sets forth
to address the important issue of how nutrition, both diet and nutritional supplements, can influence
reproductive function in men and women, and the outcome of any resulting pregnancy.
-
In 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO) was fi rst in proposing a formal defi -
nition of the MetS [ 22 ]. Several organizations followed (Table 1.2 ) [ 24 – 30 ].
Nonetheless, despite this sequence starting 15 years ago, the MetS defi nition still
appears to be a work in progress and is seen rooted in controversy regarding its
clinical utility [ 23
