Nausea and vomiting are the most common side effects of chemotherapy. They must be managed because they can increase the risk of malnutrition in patients, which can adversely affect treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginger supplementation as an adjuvant treatment for alleviating chemo We checked. therapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). This study searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to ginger supplement intake for CINV in three electronic databases (i.e., Medline (PubMed), Embase, and Web of Science). The search period ranged from each database’s first date of service to 5 November 2021. Two investigators independently performed abstract screenings, full-text screenings, data extraction, and risk of bias analyses (ROB). The Cochrane ROB tool was used for the assessment of ROB. This study systematically reviewed 23 RCTs. The effects of ginger supplementation were compared to those of placebo or antiemetic agents. This study conducted a meta-analysis after classifying the effects of ginger supplementation on acute and delayed CINV into subgroups due to the clinical heterogeneity between these RCTs. The results showed that the incidence of acute nausea (p = 0.53), the incidence of delayed nausea (p = 0.31), the incidence of acute vomiting (p = 0.09), and the incidence of delayed vomiting (p = 0.89) were not significantly different between the ginger supplement intake group and the control group. However, it was found that the ginger supplement intake group, which took not more than 1 g of ginger supplementation per day for above four days, had significantly less acute vomiting than the control group (OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.79; p = 0.02; I2 = 36%). Ginger supplementation may reduce the incidence of acute chemotherapy-induced vomiting. However, this study could not confirm the effects of ginger supplementation on the incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and delayed vomiting. Therefore, it will be necessary to conduct additional studies with sufficient sample sizes using high-quality RCTs to evaluate the effects of ginger supplementations based on the results of this study.

Like humans, weight control in overweight dogs is associated with a longer life expectancy and a healthier life. Dietary supplements are one of the best strategies for controlling obesity and obesity-associated diseases. This study was conducted to assess the potential of black ginseng (BG) and silkworm (SW) as supplements for weight control in diet-induced overweight beagle dogs. To investigate the changes that occur in dogs administered the supplements, different obesity-related parameters, such as body condition score (BCS), blood fatty acid profile, transcriptome, and microbiome, were assessed in high energy diet (HD) and HD with BG + SW supplementation (HDT) groups of test animals. After 12 weeks of BG + SW supplementation, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were reduced in the HDT group. In the transcriptome analysis, nine genes (NUGGC, EFR3B, RTP4, ACAN, HOXC4, IL17RB, SOX13, SLC18A2, and SOX4) that are known to be associated with obesity were found to be differentially expressed between the ND (normal diet) and HD groups as well as the HD and HDT groups. Significant changes in some taxa were observed between the HD and ND groups. These data suggest that the BG + SW supplement could be developed as dietary interventions against diet-induced obesity, and obesity-related differential genes could be important candidates in the mechanism of the anti-obesity effects of the BG + SW supplement.

Many individuals are suffering from depression, and various improvements are being proposed. This study was conducted on young people diagnosed with depression and aimed to assess the effects of flavonoid-rich orange juice on the major depressive disorder (MDD) using a randomized controlled trial. In all, 40 young men and women with MDD aged 18–29 years were randomly assigned to a flavonoid-rich orange juice group (FR group) and a flavonoid-low orange cordial group (FL group). The subjects drank the corresponding juice three times a day (190 mL per bottle) for 8 weeks. The blood BDNF, zonulin, and claudin-5 levels significantly increased (p < 0.0001, p < 0.01, and p < 0.05, respectively) in the FR group, and the fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) level was significantly decreased (p < 0.0001) in the FR group after the juice intervention. The FABP2, LPS, and valeric acid levels were negatively correlated with the abundance of Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum, which was higher in the FR group. Orange juice intake improved depressive symptoms in young adults with MDD in the FR group. This B. pullicaecorum can be a potential biomarker for clinical improvement in young adults with MDD patients.

Background: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is widely used throughout different industries, including the food industry, because it is resistant to heat and prevents water or oil from easily permeating into or contaminating materials coated by PFOA. Although many studies have reported an association between PFOA exposure and the risk of developing hepatic diseases, it is still in debate because they have shown conflicting results. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the relationship between PFOA exposure and hepatic diseases. Methods: This study searched studies related to hepatic diseases due to PFOA exposure until 31 December 2021, using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. This study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis through research question development, literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias evaluation. This study found 8280 studies after excluding duplicate literature and selected 5 studies in the final stage. Among them, two studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results: The results of the meta-analysis showed that the ALT of people exposed to PFOA was 117% higher than the ALT of those not exposed to PFOA, and it was significantly different (OR = 1.167; 95% CI, 1.086–1.254). Conclusion: However, since the number of studies included in the analysis was not large enough to conclude that PFOA exposure was associated with the development of hepatic diseases, more observational studies are needed to confirm its long-term effects.

Background: It has been hypothesized that Irvingia gabonensis can promote weight loss by increasing fatty acid breakdown and inhibiting fatty acid synthesis. Objective: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Irvingia gabonensis seed extract supplementation on weight-related health outcomes. Methods: Literature searches were conducted in 4 databases from January 2018 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of Irvingia gabonensis seed extract supplementation on anthropometric measures and cardiovascular biomarkers. Two investigators independently performed abstract screenings, full-text screenings, data extraction, and risk of bias (ROB) assessments. Random effects meta-analyses were performed when 3 or more RCTs reported the same outcome. Results: Five RCTs met the eligibility criteria for this systematic review. Four of the 5 RCTs were rated as having a high ROB, and only one RCT was rated as having a low ROB. Random-effects meta-analysis of the 5 RCTs showed that a significant decrease in body weight, body fat, and waist circumference was observed in relation to Irvingia gabonensis seed extract supplementation. However, the only one low-ROB trial did not have significantly different outcomes. Meta-analysis also showed beneficial effects of Irvingia gabonensis seed extract supplementation on total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides. Only the low-ROB trial showed a trend of increasing HDL-cholesterol levels (net percent change = 11.61%; 95% confidence interval (CI: −6.12%, 29.34%) and decreasing triglyceride levels (net percent change = −29%; 95% CI: −76%, 19%). The reported adverse events were minor in these 5 RCTs. Conclusions: Overall efficacy of Irvingia gabonensis seed extract supplementation on weight loss seems positive but is limited due to poor methodological quality and the insufficient reporting of the clinical trials. Further high quality RCTs are needed to determine the effectiveness of Irvingia gabonensis seed extract supplement on the weight-related health outcomes.

Lee J, et al. Nutr Res Pract. 2021 Dec;15(6):773-788. https://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2021.15.6.773