Moringa oleifera (MO) is a multipurpose plant consumed as food and known for its medicinal uses, among others. Leaves, seeds and pods are the main parts used as food or food supplements. Nutritionally rich and with a high polyphenol content in the form of phenolic acids, flavonoids and glucosinolates, MO has been shown to exert numerous in vitro activities and in vivo effects, including hypoglycemic activity. A systematic search was carried out in the PubMed database and reference lists on the effects of MO on glucose metabolism. Thirty-three animal studies and eight human studies were included. Water and organic solvent extracts of leaves and, secondly, seeds, have been extensively assayed in animal models, showing the hypoglycemic effect, both under acute conditions and in long-term administrations and also prevention of other metabolic changes and complications associated to the hyperglycemic status. In humans, clinical trials are scarce, with variable designs and testing mainly dry leaf powder alone or mixed with other foods or MO aqueous preparations. Although the reported results are encouraging, especially those from postprandial studies, more human studies are certainly needed with more stringent inclusion criteria and a sufficient number of diabetic or prediabetic subjects. Moreover, trying to quantify the bioactive substances administered with the experimental material tested would facilitate comparison between studies.

The consumption of a healthy diet is essential during the preconception period, pregnancy and lactation to guarantee maternal-fetal and newborn health. It is important to take into account when configuring the maternal diet that inadequate intakes of vitamins and minerals, as well as a high consumption of foods or beverages with refined sugar increase the incidence of low birth weight infants, while the adequate consumption of micronutrients and carbohydrates (mainly integral) can decrease it. Prenatal consumption of fish is also associated with less intrauterine growth retardation. Maternal nutritional deficits that lead to intrauterine growth retardation can alter the expression of some genes, causing abnormal programming in organ and tissue development. In response, the fetus adapts to this situation of scarcity and may have difficulties adapting to an abundant consumption of food after birth, increasing its propensity to suffer from cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in adult life. After delivery, the nutrition of the infant must be guaranteed through breast milk. There is a relationship between the nutritional status of the mother and the composition of the mother's milk and, therefore, in the supply of nutrients to the infant, which may condition their health. Despite the great importance of an adequate maternal nutritional state, serum deficiencies in vitamins A, E, C, B-2, B-1, calcium and zinc are observed in pregnant mothers and breast milk, being important to identify and prevent these imbalances before conception and during pregnancy and lactation.

Iron is a key nutrient for cognitive function. During periods of high academic demand, brain and cognitive activity increase, potentially affecting iron intake and reserves. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of iron levels on cognitive function in a university sample, considering the influence of gender. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 132 university students (18–29 years) from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). A dietary record was formed through a questionnaire to analyze iron consumption, and blood and anthropometric parameters were measured. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV was used to determine the Intelligence Quotient (IQ), as well as the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Working Memory Index (WMI), Processing Speed Index (PSI), and Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), to assess cognitive abilities. Among women, the prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) was 21% and 4.2%, respectively. No ID or IDA was found in men. The impact of iron intake on IQ and cognitive abilities was mainly associated with the female population, where a positive association between iron intake, serum ferritin, and total IQ was revealed. In conclusion, low iron intake is related to poorer intellectual ability, suggesting that an iron-rich diet is necessary to maintain the academic level of university students.

El embarazo representa un desafío desde el punto de vista nutricional, debido a que las necesidades de nutrientes están aumentadas y una alteración en su ingesta puede afectar la salud materno-fetal. Estados deficitarios en micronutrientes están relacionados con preeclampsia, retraso del crecimiento intrauterino, aborto y anomalías congénitas. Actualmente, la dieta de muchas madres gestantes es insuficiente en micronutrientes, siendo necesaria su suplementación. Se recomienda la suplementación con ácido fólico en dosis de 400 μg/día, y de 5 mg en embarazadas de riesgo, debiendo comenzar al menos 1 mes antes de la concepción y durante las primeras 12 semanas de gestación, y prolongarla durante todo el embarazo en madres con riesgo nutricional. Es importante vigilar la dosis adecuada de ácido fólico para prevenir los posibles efectos adversos derivados de su acumulación plasmática no metabolizada. Un elevado porcentaje de gestantes presenta anemia ferropénica, estando recomendado el uso intermitente de suplementos con hierro (menor alteración gastrointestinal y estrés oxidativo); no recomendándose en madres no anémicas (con hemoglobina > 13,5 g/L). Dado que la absorción de calcio está aumentada hasta un 40% en gestación, no se recomienda su suplementación en madres con ingestas adecuadas (3 lácteos/día), debiéndose reservar su uso a madres con ingestas insuficientes y/o que tengan alto riesgo de preeclampsia. Respecto al iodo, existen posicionamientos contradictorios por parte de distintos grupos de trabajo, estableciéndose la suplementación con yoduro potásico en mujeres que no alcanzan las ingestas recomendadas con su dieta (3 raciones de leche y derivados lácteos + 2 g de sal yodada). Dado que la vitamina A y D pueden ser tóxicas para la madre y el feto, no está recomendada su suplementación excepto en casos de deficiencia. Aunque la administración de suplementos con varios micronutrientes puede repercutir favorablemente en el resultado del embarazo, es necesaria una mayor evidencia científica para establecer el reemplazo de hierro y ácido fólico con un suplemento de micronutrientes múltiple.

Revista oficial de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición Parenteral y de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición. Está dedicada al estudio y divulgación de temas relacionados con la nutrición.

Obesity is one of the major health problems and a determining factor in the prevalence of diseases such as metabolic syndrome, asthma, sleep apnea, infertility and various types of cancer. Its origin is multifactorial, involving genetic, socioeconomic and environmental factors. These last ones contribute mostly to explain the current epidemic growth of this disease. The sedentary lifestyle, inadequate diet, lack of sleep, alterations in intestinal microbiota and stress are factors related to its development. Since Barker presented his hypothesis about the "fetal origin of adult diseases", there are increasing number of studies that show the influence of an inadequate nutritional status and maternal weight in the development of chronic diseases, as obesity in offspring. The nutritional deficiencies of the pregnant mother cause epigenetic modifications and abnormal programming of the development oforgans and devices, adapting the fetus to this situation of deficiency and being able to adapt to an obesogenic environment after birth, increasing its propensity to obesity. Also, poor maternal nutritional status is related to intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight infants, with a higher risk of childhood and adult central obesity. Currently, deficient intake of micronutrients and overweight or maternal obesity tend to overlap, and this combination may exacerbate the increase in obesity in the offspring. It is important to identify pregnant mothers at risk of suffering nutritional alterations and establish their improvement as a primary prevention strategy for overweight and obesity.