Background: Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of an infant’s life is an important factor for their optimal growth and health. Breastfeeding also has maternal benefits and can assist with postpartum weight loss. As shown by previous studies, postpartum weight retention can contribute to obesity. Objective: To quantify the human milk and evaluate the effect of breastfeeding on maternal weight loss during the 12 months postpartum. Method: This study included 70-mother–baby pairs. Infants’ intake of human milk and water from other sources, as well as the body composition of the mothers, were measured at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th month postpartum by using the deuterium oxide dose-to-mother technique. Results: There was a significant change in the mothers’ body composition between the first and twelfth months in exclusive breastfeeding women compared to not-exclusive ones. Similarly, the difference between the quantities of human milk intake was highly significant in exclusive breastfeeding women compared to women who were not exclusively breastfeeding. Conclusion: Our results showed that exclusive breastfeeding for twelve months has a significant effect on postpartum weight loss among Moroccan women and that it is an effective way to control overweight and obesity among lactating women.

Background: Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) affects nearly 1.9 million people worldwide. Iodine deficiency (ID) remains a public health concern not only for pregnant women, but for women of reproductive age (WRA) as well. This study was planned to evaluate the iodine status and the prevalence of iodine deficiency in a nationally representative sample of Moroccan WRA according to their socio-economic data and living areas. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional national survey conducted on 1652 WRA aged between 18 and 49 years. Iodine status was assessed by the evaluation of the urinary iodine concentration (UIC) on spot urinary samples, using the Sandell-Kolthoff reaction, and by the estimation of iodine-rich food consumption, using a food frequency questionnaire. The World Health Organization cutoff of a median UIC of < 100 μg/l was used to define ID in the population. Results: The median UIC [20th- 80th] was 71.3 μg/l [37.5–123.1] and 71% of participants had UIC < 100 μg/L, indicating insufficient iodine status and mild iodine deficiency. WRA from urban and rural areas showed an UIC median of 75.94 μg/l [41.16–129.97] and 63.40 μg/l [33.81–111.68], respectively. Furthermore, ID prevalence was significantly higher in rural areas (75.6%) as compared to urban areas (67.9%) (p < 0.05). Food frequency questionnaires analyses highlighted that dairy products are the most commonly consumed iodine-rich food, reported to be consumed daily by 43.1% of WRA. Of particular interest, 83.5% of WRA reported a weekly consumption of fish. Conclusion: ID is still a public health problem in Morocco highlighting the necessity to implement effective national program, including efficient salt iodization, effective nutritional education and awareness, to control iodine deficiency and prevent IDD development.

Historically, mountainous areas of Morocco have been affected by endemic goiter and severe iodine deficiency. In 1995, Morocco legislated salt iodization to reduce iodine deficiency. There has been no national survey of iodine nutrition in school-age children for nearly 3 decades. Our aim was to assess iodine nutrition in a national sample of 6–12-year-old children in Morocco to inform the national salt iodization strategy. In this cross-sectional household-based survey, we randomly recruited healthy 6–12-year-old children from 180 clusters in four geographic zones (north and east, central, north and south) covering the 12 regions of Morocco. A questionnaire was completed, including socio-economic status and parental level of education. In addition, anthropometric measurements were taken to assess nutrition status, and a spot urine sample was collected to measure urinary iodine concentration (UIC). A total of 3118 households were surveyed, and 1043 eligible children were recruited, 56% from urban areas and 44% from rural areas. At the national level, the percentage of surveyed samples with UIC < 50 μg/L was 21.6% (19.2%; 24.2%), which exceeds the WHO suggestion of no more than 20% of samples below 50 μg/L, despite an adequate level of median urinary iodine concentration (mUIC) at 117.4 µg/L (110.2; 123.3). There were no statistically significant differences in mUIC comparing urban vs. rural areas and socio-economic status. However, the mUIC was significantly lower in the central (high-altitude non-coastal) zone (p < 0.004), where the mUIC (95% CI) was deficient at 89.2 µg/L (80.8; 102.9). There was also a significant difference in the mUIC by head of household education level (p = 0.008). The mUIC in Moroccan children >100 µg/L indicates iodine sufficiency at the national level. However, the percentage of surveyed samples with UIC < 50 μg/L above suggests that a significant proportion of children remain at risk for iodine deficiency, and it appears those at greatest risk are residing in the central (high altitude non-coastal) zone. A national level mUIC value may conceal discrepancies in iodine intake among different sub-groups, including those defined by geographic region.

Purpose: Iodine deficiency has several adverse effects on human growth and development and it is categorized collectively as iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs). Recent estimations showed that 29.8 per cent of school-age children have insufficient iodine intake. Salt iodization is widely accepted as the best method for increasing iodine intake. In 1995, Morocco adopted the universal salt iodization strategy to reduce iodine deficiency and consequently prevent and control IDDs. This study aims to determine the benefit of this strategy on schoolchildren and adolescent by assessing iodine intake and evaluating iodine deficiency. Design/methodology/approach: This transversal study was conducted on 131 children and adolescents. Iodine intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Iodine status was evaluated on 24-h urine samples and the creatinine excretion was used to validate completeness of urine collection. Findings: The medians of urinary iodine excretion and concentration were 77 µg/day and 96 µg/L, respectively. Overall, 72.5 per cent are deficient, so mild and moderate iodine deficiencies were reported in 58 per cent and 14.5 per cent, respectively, and no child exhibited severe deficiency. A significant difference was reported between iodine deficiency and, sex and age; iodine deficiency was more pronounced in boys and children under eight years. In this study, iodine status in deficient children does not change with the consumption pattern of dairy products and eggs, and results showed no significant association (p > 0.05). However, fish consumption was significantly associated to urinary iodine concentration = 100 µg/L (p = 0.044). Average UIC in school-aged children is still inadequate and consumption of foods high in iodine remains very insufficient. Therefore, additional efforts must focus on nutritional education of Moroccan school-aged children. Originality/value: In the author’s knowledge, this is the first study evaluating schoolchildren iodine status by 24-h iodine collection; the study reported association of iodine deficiency with dietary habit concerning sources of food rich on iodine.

Background: Obesity is a major global health concern growing in every region and affecting millions of people worldwide. It has become a pandemic. In 2022, 1 of 8 people in the world were living with obesity and more than half of the world’s population will be overweight or obese by 2035 leading to a total economic impact of US$ 4.32 trillion.Objective: This study aims to update data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity and the associated sociodemographic and economic factors in women of reproductive age (WRA) in Morocco.Material and Methods: A total of 2,172 women aged 18 to 49 years, representing all regions of Morocco, were enrolled. Socio-demographic and economic data as well as anthropometric measurements, specifically height, weight and waist circumference were collected.Results: Based on body mass index (BMI), 30.3% of women were classified as overweight and 27.8% as obese. However, based on specific predictive equation of body composition for Moroccan population, 61.6% of women showed excess of fat (mass fat ≥ 35%). Age and household-index were positively correlated to the prevalence of obesity and excess body fat, whereas education was inversely correlated to the prevalence of obesity and excess fat. In addition, urban area and being married seem to play a positive role in the increase of obesity rate.Conclusion: The prevalence of excess body fat is high among WRA in Morocco. This prevalence was impacted by age, education level, household-index, marital status and urban area. These factors highlight the complexity of addressing obesity and the need for comprehensive strategies that consider sociodemographic and economic factors.

Despite growing interest in the therapeutic use of Cannabis sativa L. following its legalization for medicinal purposes in 2021, the toxicity profile of its seeds remains largely underexplored in Morocco. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical profile and acute oral toxicity of a chloroform seed extract (C/S) from Moroccan Cannabis sativa L. C/S extract (yield: 4.27 ± 0.13%) was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Acute toxicity testing was performed according to OECD Test Guideline 425: female Swiss mice (n = 5/group) received a single 2,000 mg kg⁻¹ oral dose or vehicle control, followed by 14 d monitoring of clinical signs, body weight (BW), organ weight, and serum biochemistry (ASAT/ALAT, creatinine, urea, and lipid profile). GC-MS analysis revealed 16 compounds, with octacosane (6.80%), 2-methyloctadecane (5.75%), and cannabidiol (5.32%) as the major components. No treatment-related mortality was observed (LD₅₀ > 2,000 mg kg⁻¹), and only transient signs of hypoactivity/tachycardia were noted, which resolved spontaneously within a few hours. BW gain (p = 0.154), liver/BW (p = 0.103), and kidney/BW (p = 0.406) ratios showed no significant differences. Total cholesterol was lower in the C/S group than in controls (0.82 ± 0.06 g L⁻¹ vs. 2.13 ± 0.38 g L⁻¹, p = 0.014), whereas LDL-C was higher in the C/S group (0.07 ± 0.00 g L⁻¹ vs. 0.03 ± 0.01 g L⁻¹, p = 0.002). The C/S extract demonstrated low acute toxicity under the tested conditions, supporting further safety-oriented pharmaceutical investigation of Moroccan Cannabis sativa L. seeds.