The relationship between diet and acne is highly controversial. Several studies during the last decade have led dermatologists to reflect on a potential link between diet and acne. This article presents the latest findings on a potential impact that diet can have on pathogenesis of acne vulgaris....

Background and aim: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of individualized nutritional intervention according to DASH principles (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) on the nutritional status, blood pressure, and selected biochemical parameters of obese /overweight patients with primary arterial hypertension. Methods: 131 participants were randomized to the DASH intervention group (DIG; n=69, 33 males) or the control group (CG; n=62, 32 males). A three month nutritional intervention was carried out in the DIG, while the control group received only standard recommendations. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, body composition, blood pressure, serum glucose, insulin and leptin concentrations were measured at the baseline and after the intervention. Results: 64 (92,8%) participants in the intervention and 62 (100%) in the control group completed the study. A significant decrease in body mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body fat content, fasting glucose, insulin and leptin concentrations along with respective anthropometric and biochemical indices was observed in the DIG group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The DASH dietary intervention provides significant benefits to overweight/obese patients with primary hypertension. Background and aim: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of individualized nutritional intervention according to DASH principles (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) on the nutritional status, blood pressure, and selected biochemical parameters of obese /overweight patients with primary arterial hypertension. Methods: 131 participants were randomized to the DASH intervention group (DIG; n=69, 33 males) or the control group (CG; n=62, 32 males). A three month nutritional intervention was carried out in the DIG, while the control group received only standard recommendations. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, body composition, blood pressure, serum glucose, insulin and leptin concentrations were measured at the baseline and after the intervention. Results: 64 (92,8%) participants in the intervention and 62 (100%) in the control group completed the study. A significant decrease in body mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body fat content, fasting glucose, insulin and leptin concentrations along with respective anthropometric and biochemical indices was observed in the DIG group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The DASH dietary intervention provides significant benefits to overweight/obese patients with primary hypertension.

Sarcopenia in the elderly population is a public health challenge, and there are few data on its prevalence in Europe. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly Polish population and its association with the level of obesity and co-existing diseases. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study involving 823 men and 1177 women aged 65 years and older, randomly selected from the population living in the territory of the Republic of Poland between 2017 and 2020. We analyzed the results of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Risk of sarcopenia was assessed with the simple questionnaire to rapidly diagnose sarcopenia (SARC-F), and sarcopenic obesity risk was defined as the combination of anthropometry and SARC-F results. In addition, we collected disease data with an author questionnaire. The prevalence of risk of sarcopenia was 18.6% (22.3% in women and 13.2% in men), and its incidence significantly increased with age in both sexes. The risk of sarcopenic obesity was more common in women than in men, and it was higher in the older age group, except for sarcopenic obesity diagnosed by the WHR criteria. The group of elderly with concomitant diseases had a higher risk of developing sarcopenia, which emphasizes the need to monitor sarcopenia when concomitant diseases are diagnosed. In both groups, risk of sarcopenia was associated with motor and respiratory system diseases, type 2 diabetes, and neurological diseases. This study highlights that the risk of sarcopenia in the elderly population affects women to a greater extent than men. It is important to identify the elderly at risk of sarcopenia in routine clinical practice to develop long-term prevention strategies.

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic exerts a negative influence on dietary behaviors, which may lead to health deterioration. Dietary behaviors may be determined by psychological characteristics, such as basic hope and resilience, which facilitate the effective adjustment to new difficult conditions. The professional literature includes no research on the role of basic hope and resilience in the context of undertaken dietary behaviors in the situations of mental load associated with pandemics. The study aimed at the description of the dietary behaviors of individuals with various intensities of the discussed psychological characteristics (basic hope and resilience); (2) The observational cross-sectional online questionnaire study was conducted with the participation of 1082 adult Polish inhabitants. Three psychological scales were used: PSS-10, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and BHI-12 questionnaire. The assessment of the adherence to dietary recommendations was performed with the present authors’ Dietary Guidelines Adherence Index (DGA Index); (3) Results: The value of DGA Index was variable depending on the psychological profile of study participants. The highest adherence to the principles of appropriate nutrition was observed in individuals characterized by the ability to cope with difficult situations and those who quickly adapted to new changing circumstances. The DGA Index values became poorer with the deterioration of the coping ability as regards stress and mental load; (4) Conclusions: Nutritional education during pandemics should encompass the psychological profile of the patients. It requires the implementation of a different psychodietetic approach which will facilitate a more effective introduction of a well-balanced diet.

Front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) systems, such as the Nutri-Score, play a crucial role in promoting healthy diets and raising consumer awareness. Our study aimed to gather the opinions of Polish experts on the Nutri-Score and its relation to an ideal information system. We conducted a Poland-wide expert opinion study using a cross-sectional design survey with 75 participants, who had an average of 18 ± 13 years of experience and were mainly employed at medical and agricultural universities. The data were collected with the CAWI method. The results showed that the most important features of an FOPL system were clarity, simplicity, consistency with healthy eating recommendations, and the ability to objectively compare products within the same group. While more than half of the respondents believed that the Nutri-Score provides an overall assessment of a product’s nutritional value and facilitates quick purchasing decisions, it falls short in helping consumers compose a balanced diet and cannot be applied to all product groups. The experts also expressed concerns about the system’s ability to account for a product’s degree of processing, full nutritional value and carbon footprint. In conclusion, Poland’s current labelling system needs expansion, but the Nutri-Score requires significant and detailed changes and validation against national guidelines and expert expectations before implementation.

Introduction: Effectively conducted nutrition education is one of the key elements of the therapy of type 1 diabetes. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of nutrition education. Material and methods: A noninvasive interventional randomized single-blind study included 151 patients (13.7±2.2 years old) with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes, treated with the use of insulin pumps. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (C) in which informative education methods were used (a lecture) and an experimental group (E) in which interactive methods (quiz and multimedia application) were additionally applied. The concentration of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were: standard deviation score-body mass index (SDS-BMI), standard deviation score-systolic blood pressure (SDS-SBP), standard deviation score-diastolic blood pressure (SDS-DBP), scores of Nutrition Knowledge Survey (NKS) and indices of healthy and unhealthy diet. Results: A marked reduction in HbA1c concentrations was observed after 3 months in group E [−0.47% (−0.77; −0.17), P<0.01; P=0.038 for the intergroup difference]. The positive effect was no longer present after 6 months. No significant changes regarding HbA1c were noted in group C at any stage of the study. After 6 months, both groups obtained better results in one part of NKS (“Blood glucose response to food”): group C [0.41 (0.15; 0.66), P<0.01], group E [0.80 (0.52; 1.08), P<0.001; P=0.042 for the intergroup difference]. No statistically significant differences between groups were noted as regards the remaining parameters. Conclusion: Interactive nutrition education is more effective in terms of improved levels of HbA1c in children and adolescents with poorly controlled diabetes. However, an intensification of training frequency is recommended due to the transient effect of education.