The first months of life are a special time for the health development and protection of infants. Breastfeeding is the natural and best way of feeding an infant, and positively influences their development and health. Breast milk provides the ideal balance of nutrients for the infant and contains countless bioactive ingredients such as immunoglobulins, hormones, oligosaccharides and others. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a very important and interesting constituent of human milk, and are the third most abundant solid component after lactose and lipids. They are a structurally and biologically diverse group of complex indigestible sugars. This article will discuss the mechanisms of action of HMOs in infants, such as their anti-adhesive properties, properties modulating the immune system, and impact on bacterial flora development. Many health benefits result from consuming HMOs. They also may decrease the risk of infection by their interactions with viruses, bacteria or protozoa. The commercial use of HMOs in infant formula, future directions, and research on the use of HMOs as a therapy will be discussed.

Intermittent fasting is a form of time restricted eating (typically 16 h fasting and 8 h eating), which has gained popularity in recent years and shows promise as a possible new paradigm in the approach to weight loss and the reduction of inflammation, and has many potential long term health benefits. In this review, the authors will incorporate many aspects of fasting, mainly focusing on its effects on the cardiovascular system, involving atherosclerosis progression, benefits for diabetes mellitus type 2, lowering of blood pressure, and exploring other cardiovascular risk factors (such as lipid profile and inflammation).

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 400 million people are obese, and over 1.6 billion adults are overweight worldwide. Annually, over 2.8 million people die from obesity-related diseases. The incidence of overweight and obesity is steadily increasing, and this phenomenon is referred to as a 21st-century pandemic. The main reason for this phenomenon is an easy access to high-energy, processed foods, and a low-activity lifestyle. These changes lead to an energy imbalance and, as a consequence, to the development of body fat. Weight gain contributes to the development of heart diseases, skeletal system disorders, metabolic disorders such as diabetes, and certain types of cancer. In recent years, there have been many works linking obesity with intestinal microbiota. Experiments on germ-free animals (GFs) have provided much evidence for the contribution of bacteria to obesity. The composition of the gut microbiota (GM) changes in obese people. These changes affect the degree of energy obtained from food, the composition and secretory functions of adipose tissue, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism in the liver, and the activity of centers in the brain. The study aimed to present the current state of knowledge about the role of intestinal microbiota in the development of obesity and the impact of supplementation with probiotic bacteria on the health of overweight and obese patients.

Migraine is a chronic disorder, and caffeine has been linked with migraine for many years, on the one hand as a trigger, and on the other hand as a cure. As most of the population, including migraineurs, consume a considerable amount of caffeine daily, a question arises as to whether it influences their headaches. Indeed, drinking coffee before a migraine attack may not be a real headache trigger, but a consequence of premonitory symptoms, including yawning, diminished energy levels, and sleepiness that may herald a headache. Here, we aim to summarize the available evidence on the relationship between caffeine and migraines. Articles concerning this topic published up to June 2020 were retrieved by searching clinical databases, and all types of studies were included. We identified 21 studies investigating the prevalence of caffeine/caffeine withdrawal as a migraine trigger and 7 studies evaluating caffeine in acute migraine treatment. Among them, in 17 studies, caffeine/caffeine withdrawal was found to be a migraine trigger in a small percentage of participants (ranging from 2% to 30%), while all treatment studies found caffeine to be safe and effective in acute migraine treatment, mostly in combination with other analgesics. Overall, based on our review of the current literature, there is insufficient evidence to recommend caffeine cessation to all migraine patients, but it should be highlighted that caffeine overuse may lead to migraine chronification, and sudden caffeine withdrawal may trigger migraine attacks. Migraine sufferers should be aware of the amount of caffeine they consume and not exceed 200 mg daily. If they wish to continue drinking caffeinated beverages, they should keep their daily intake as consistent as possible to avoid withdrawal headache.

Sirtuins are a family of proteins with enzymatic activity. There are seven mammalian sirtuins (SIRT1-SIRT7) that are found in different cellular compartments. They are a part of crucial cellular pathways and are regulated by many factors, such as chemicals, environmental stress, and phytochemicals. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have presented their involvement in anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic processes. Recent findings imply that phytochemicals such as resveratrol, curcumin, quercetin, fisetin, berberine, and kaempferol may regulate the activity of sirtuins. Resveratrol mainly activates SIRT1 and indirectly activates AMPK. Curcumin influences mainly SIRT1 and SIRT3, but its activity is broad, and many pathways in different cells are affected. Quercetin mainly modulates SIRT1, which triggers antioxidant and antiapoptotic responses. Fisetin, through SIRT1 regulation, modifies lipid metabolism and anti-inflammatory processes. Berberine has a wide spectrum of effects and a significant impact on SIRT1 signaling pathways. Finally, kaempferol triggers anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects through SIRT1 induction. This review aims to summarize recent findings on the properties of phytochemicals in the modulation of sirtuin activity, with a particular focus on biochemical aspects.

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are oral anti-hyperglycemic agents approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Some reports suggest their presence in the central nervous system and possible neuroprotective properties. SGLT2 inhibition by empagliflozin has shown to reduce amyloid burden in cortical regions of APP/PS1xd/db mice. The same effect was noticed regarding tau pathology and brain atrophy volume. Empagliflozin presented beneficial effect on cognitive function, which may be connected to an increase in cerebral brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Canagliflozin and dapagliflozin may possess acetylcholinesterase inhibiting activity, resembling in this matter Alzheimer’s disease-registered therapies. SGLT2 inhibitors may prove to impact risk factors of atherosclerosis and pathways participating both in acute and late stage of stroke. Their mechanism of action can be related to induction in hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, and proinflammatory factors limitation. Empagliflozin may have a positive effect on preservation of neurovascular unit in diabetic mice, preventing its aberrant remodeling. Canagliflozin seems to present some cytostatic properties by limiting both human and mice endothelial cells proliferation. The paper presents potential mechanisms of SGLT-2 inhibitors in conditions connected with neuronal damage, with special emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral ischemia.