Curcumin is an antioxidant agent with both radiosensitizing and radioprotective properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of curcumin supplementation on oxidative status of patients with prostate cancer who undergo radiotherapy. Forty patients treated with radiotherapy for prostate cancer were randomized to the curcumin (CG, n = 20) or placebo group (PG, n = 20). They received curcumin (total 3 g/day) or placebo during external-beam radiation therapy of up to 74 Gy. Plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured at baseline and 3 mo after radiotherapy completion. Analysis of covariance was used to compare the variables between groups following the intervention. Serum PSA levels and MRI/MRS images were investigated. In CG, TAC significantly increased (P < 0.001) and the activity of SOD decreased (P = 0.018) after radiotherapy compared with those at baseline. In CG, however, the activity of SOD had a significant reduction (P = 0.026) and TAC had a significant increase (P = 0.014) compared with those in PG. PSA levels were reduced to below 0.2 ng/ml in both groups, 3 mo after treatment, however, no significant differences were observed between the 2 groups regarding treatment outcomes.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between total polyphenol intake, its subclasses (including flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes and lignans), and the metabolic syndrome (MetS). This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative of 2618 adults, aged 19 to 84 years. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire and intakes of total polyphenol and four main subclasses of polyphenol including flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes and lignans were determined. Higher consumption of flavonoid intakes was associated with lower odds of enlarged waist circumference, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol, hyperglycemia, hypertension and MetS. Subjects in the highest quartile of lignan intakes had higher odds of having hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia. Subjects in the highest quartile of stilbene intakes had higher odds of having hypertension. Intakes of selected subclasses of polyphenol such as flavonoids are associated with a lower prevalence of MetS among Tehranians.

Meat and meat products are highly prone to microbial deterioration since they are rich in essential nutrients and perishable in nature and if they are not properly preserved, public health problems may occur. Recently, in order to increase the microbial quality of meat and meat products, novel ingredient systems that ...

Background: Following the re-imposition of US sanctions against Iran in 2018, unprecedented inflation has occurred in Iran’s food market that will undoubtedly affect the food security of the Iranian people. The present study aims to determine the effects of the sanctions on food prices and food security of Iranian households. Methods: Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was applied to assess the effects of sanctions on the average retail price of food products in Iran. Household food security was estimated by calculating the share of household food expenditure. Costs of following a healthy diet based on the food pyramid were estimated. Results: The import dependency ratio of Iran’s food market was about 25%. After sanctions due to the limitations in international financial exchanges a significant increase in the prices of all food groups occurred in 2018, the year after the re-imposition of sanctions. The highest inflation rate was observed in vegetable, meat, and fruit groups. The percentage of urban and rural households in Iran that were prone to food insecurity increased from 8.84% and 25.17% to 11.2% and 29.2%, respectively, from 2017 to 2019. The annual average cost of a healthy diet for a sample Iranian family of 3.3, based on the current prices, is 341 866 008 IRR (US$2849) which is 3.6 times greater than the average amount Iranian families spent on food last year (94 505 000 IRR or US$788). Conclusion: After the re-imposition of US sanctions against Iran, food insecurity as a result of economic vulnerability, has increased and due to the current status of food prices and incomes, following a healthy diet has become more difficult for most Iranians. This makes the Iranian population more prone to chronic diseases in the near future and if this trend persists, it places the country in danger of food crisis and political instability.