Background: Over two billion Muslims across the world practice Ramadan fasting, which involves refraining from food and drink from dawn to sunset. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Ramadan fasting on mental health (depression, anxiety, stress), body composition, physical activity, and sleep quality among Jordanian university students. Methods: This study utilized a quasi-experimental, pre–post-intervention design. It was conducted between March and April 2024 and included 77 students from the University of Petra (UOP) in Amman, Jordan. Bivariate analysis was performed to compare the variables pre–post Ramadan fasting. A linear mixed-effects model assessed the association between Ramadan fasting and each outcome. Results: The results indicated that Ramadan fasting was not associated with a change in the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21 score). Ramadan fasting led to a decrease in sleep quality, indicated by an increase in the PSQI score (β = 0.92; p-value = 0.0419). Component analysis revealed statistically significant changes in subjective sleep quality (p-value = 0.0009), sleep duration (p-value < 0.0001), and sleep disturbances (p-value = 0.025). Body composition: Ramadan fasting was significantly associated with a decrease in the number of fat components, such as weight (β = −1.20; p-value = 0.0116), body mass index (β = −0.55), waist circumference (β = −1.79; p-value = 0.0029), fat mass index (β = −0.43; p-value = 0.0279), visceral fat area (β = −6.86; p-value = 0.0383), and body adiposity index (β = −0.45; p-value = 0.0068) (all p-value < 0.05). No substantial alterations to the body’s water-related properties were noted. Physical Activity: A marked decrease was noted in moderate- to high-intensity activity levels (p-value < 0.0001). Conclusion: In conclusion, Ramadan fasting can positively affect body composition through a reduction in weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and other parameters of fat, emphasizing its potential role in body composition improvement. However, fasting was also accompanied by poorer sleep quality, including, specifically, poorer subjective sleep quality and sleep duration and greater disturbance. The associated impairments to sleep revealed in these findings demand strategies to mitigate sleep impairments, alongside, where possible, potential beneficial effects of fasting on body composition.

This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the relationship between food insecurity (FI) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with celiac disease (CD) and assess whether this relationship is mediated or moderated by adherence to the gluten-free diet (GFD). The results of 1162 samples of patients diagnosed with CD showed that 8.3% of individuals who have a combined score of less than 13 exhibited excellent or very good adherence to the GFD. Furthermore, moderate and fair to poor adherence to the GFD was demonstrated, respectively and 71.9% of the patients had poor HRQoL levels. A significant and moderate positive correlation between FI and GFD adherence (r = 0.489) was found, indicating that 24% of the variance in FI is shared with GFD adherence. The patients’ gender, marital status, and monthly income made statistically significant contributions to the prediction (p < 0.05). Females had significantly lower HRQoL scores than males (B = −4.619, 95% CL: −6.08, −3.16) after holding all other variables constant. In conclusion, FI is mediated by GFD adherence to HRQoL. Moreover, a significant total effect relation was found between HRQoL and both FI and GFD adherence, suggesting that lowering symptoms and complications associated with CD may reduce the impact of FI on HRQoL.

This narrative review summarizes the main findings of observational studies (case-control and cohort) as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the role of nutrients and dietary patterns on pancreatic cancer (PC) risk and elucidates possible mechanisms for the association between nutrients or specific food components and the risk of PC. A literature search of MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Scopus was performed. An extensive search of related articles published in the English language from 1985 to 2022 was carried out. Our search included macro- and micronutrient intake as well as dietary patterns associated with PC. In conclusion, the consumption of a diet high in nutrients such as sugar, fats, and red and processed meats can increase the risk of PC. Conversely, a high dietary intake of fresh fruit and vegetables and their associated nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, and polyphenols may prevent PC. Dietary patterns loaded with red and processed meats were also linked to an increased risk of PC, whereas dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes were associated with a reduced risk of PC. Dietary fiber, fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins, and minerals might also play a protective role against PC.

Introduction: Tobacco smokers are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Lockdown was a chosen strategy to deal with the spread of infectious diseases; nonetheless, it influenced people’s eating and smoking behaviors. The main objective of this study is to determine the impact of the...

Immunocompromised pediatric populations (children with inborn errors of immunity, HIV infection, and cancer, as well as those undergoing hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation) have severe nutritional challenges, with malnutrition depending on the underlying condition. Camel milk (CM) represents a culturally accessible, high-quality nutritional parameter and functional food naturally enriched with particular immunological components such as heavy-chain antibodies that represent 75% of total immunoglobulins (IGs) and lactoferrin (LF) at a concentration 3–5 times higher than bovine milk (BM). However, there is a critical processing paradox: the thermal treatments required for the microbiological safety of immunosuppressed children who show a 20-fold greater susceptibility to foodborne pathogens degrade the therapeutic bioactive proteins. This comprehensive review provides a systematic evaluation of processing-induced modifications of CM IGs and LF, which involve thermal and non-thermal technologies, and their effects on the molecular structure and biological function. Emerging alternatives such as high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields, and strategic fermentation show promising bioactivity retention without compromising safety. Critical knowledge gaps remain in the structure–function relationships of processed CM proteins, necessitating evidence-based optimization strategies to balance microbiological safety with clinically relevant immunomodulatory functions for vulnerable pediatric populations.

Background: Turkish coffee (TC), a traditional unfiltered coffee preparation method, contains unique bioactive compounds due to its specific brewing process. While TC’s cultural significance is well-documented, its acute physiological and psychological effects remain understudied. Objectives: This randomized, controlled crossover trial investigated the acute effects of a standardized TC dose (3 mg caffeine/kg body weight) on metabolic and psychological parameters in healthy female university students (n = 52, age: 20.25 ± 1.20 years). Methods: TC was prepared with a 1:1 ratio of medium and dark roasted Arabica beans. The chemical analysis showed the caffeine content to be 2.8 ± 0.3 mg/mL and the chlorogenic acid content to be 1.9 ± 0.2 mg/ml. Participants were randomized to receive either TC or water control, with a washout period of 8 weeks between treatments. Cardiovascular parameters, metabolic markers, and validated visual analog scales (VAS) were assessed at baseline, 60-, 90-, and 120-min post-consumption. Results: Heart rate showed significant time-dependent reductions in both groups (control: p < 0.05; TC: p-value < 0.01 at 60, 90, and 120 min vs. baseline). Heart rate dropped significantly in the Turkish coffee group, from 78.0 ± 10.2 bpm at baseline to 71.5 ± 9.5 bpm after 90 min (p-value = 0.002). Sleep scores also declined, from 4.38 ± 2.91 at baseline to 1.88 ± 1.45 after 120 min (p < 0.05), indicating a stimulating effect of caffeine. TC consumption significantly affected appetite sensations (p < 0.05) and sleep scores (F = 3.174, p-value = 0.029), with the TC group showing progressive reductions in sleep scores from baseline (4.38 ± 2.91) to 60 min (2.58 ± 2.04), and further decreases at 90 and 120 min. Conclusions: These findings suggest that TC exerts significant acute effects on cardiovascular function and psychophysiological parameters in healthy young females, potentially due to its unique phytochemical profile and preparation method.