Extensive evidence has demonstrated that many antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids and polyphenols have protective effects in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), a chronic disease that is mediated by oxidative stress and inflammation. This review focuses on evidence from prospective cohort studies and clinical trials in regard to the associations between plasma/dietary antioxidants and cardiovascular events. Long-term, large-scale, population-based cohort studies have found that higher levels of serum albumin, bilirubin, glutathione, vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotenoids were associated with a lower risk of CVD. Evidence from the cohort studies in regard to dietary antioxidants also supported the protective effects of dietary vitamin E, vitamin C, carotenoids, and polyphenols on CVD risk. However, results from large randomized controlled trials did not support long-term use of single antioxidant supplements for CVD prevention due to their null or even adverse effects on major cardiovascular events or cancer. Diet quality indexes that consider overall diet quality rather than single nutrients have been drawing increasing attention. Cohort studies and intervention studies that focused on diet patterns such as high total antioxidant capacity have documented protective effects on CVD risk. This review provides a perspective for future studies that investigate antioxidant intake and risk of CVD.

Health benefits of Kochujang (KCJ) and its bioactive compounds have been reported in several in vitro and animal studies.

Elite adolescent female figure skaters compete in an aesthetic-based sport that values thin builds and lithe figures. To conform to the sport’s physical requirements, skaters may alter their eating patterns in unhealthful directions. This study assesses the eating attitudes and dietary intakes of elite adolescent female figure skaters to assess the potential nutritional risks among them.

Children enrolled in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs are at high risks of health problems. Although non-family child care providers play important roles on children’s health status as role models, educators, program deliverers, and information mediators, little is known about their nutritional health attitudes and behaviors, and weight status. Therefore, we investigated nutritional health attitudes and behaviors and their associations with overweight/obesity among child care providers in Michigan MSHS centers. A total of 307 child care providers aged ≥ 18 years working in 17 Michigan MSHS centers were included in this cross-sectional study conducted in 2013. An online survey questionnaire was used to collect data on nutritional health attitudes and behaviors of child care providers. Weight status was categorized into normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25 kg/m2), overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m2), and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) based on child care providers’ self-reported height and weight. Factor analysis was performed to investigate patterns of nutritional health attitudes and behaviors. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of overweight/obesity across tertiles of pattern scores taking the lowest tertile group as the reference group after adjustment for potential confounding variables. Three patterns of nutritional health attitudes and behaviors were identified: pattern 1) “weight loss practices with weight dissatisfaction”, pattern 2) “healthy eating behaviors”, and pattern 3) “better knowledge of nutrition and health”. The pattern 1 scores were positively associated with overweight/obesity (Tertile 2 vs. Tertile 1: OR = 5.81, 95 % CI = 2.81–12.05; Tertile 3 vs. Tertile 1: OR = 14.89, 95 % CI = 6.18–35.92). Within the pattern 2, the OR for overweight/obesity in individuals with the highest scores was 0.37 (95 % CI = 0.19–0.75) compared with those with the lowest scores. However, the pattern 3 was not associated with the risk of overweight/obesity. Our findings support that nutrition education or health interventions targeting MSHS child care providers are urgently necessary. These efforts might be an efficient and effective approach for improving the nutritional health status of young children enrolled in MSHS programs.

Increasing prevalence of asthma in children in the United States is a major public health issue. Children in the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) program are one of the most vulnerable populations in the United States, with high rates of health disparities. We examined health determinants of asthma among Hispanic/Latino children enrolled in the Michigan MSHS programs. This study was a secondary data analysis based on the 2012 to 2013 ChildPlus dataset collected by Michigan Telamon Corporation. Sociodemographic and health information of 905 children aged 0 to 5 years was obtained from the dataset. Data were collected through interviews with parents by Telamon's specialists at each of the 18 Michigan MSHS centers. To determine children having asthma, health specialists at each center asked parents if their child/children had ever received asthma treatment. Weight status of children was categorized into nonoverweight/obese, overweight, and obese according to age- and sex-specific World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth chart standards. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify asthma determinants. The overall prevalence of taking asthma treatment among Michigan MSHS children was 5.5%. Obese children had a higher odds ratio (OR) of asthma compared with nonoverweight/obese children (OR: 2.52; 95% confidence interval: 1.33–4.78). Children's age, health insurance status, and mothers' employment status were associated with asthma (p-values < 0.05). MSHS children are vulnerable to asthma, and their sociodemographic and obesity status are key determinants of having asthma. Identifying determinants of asthma might be helpful to design health policies and programs as well as implement health services for this population.