http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10672 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:06:45 GMT 2026-04-08T21:06:45Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10703 Title: Association between Maternal Lead Exposure from Seafood Consumption and Neurodevelopment: A Systematic Review Authors: Balalian, Arin A; K Spil, Maureen; C Thoerig, Rachel; Trivedi, Rupal; Saha, Sanjoy; J Foste, Margaret; J MacFarlane, Amanda Abstract: ABSTRACT Despite the essential nutrients, maternal seafood consumption during pregnancy or lactation (PL) is also a potential source of toxins, including lead (Pb). The association between exposure to Pb from seafood during PL on children’s neurodevelopment is uncertain. This systematic review assessed the association of exposure to Pb from seafood during PL on children’s neurodevelopment. Embase, PubMed, CENTRAL, and PsycINFO were searched for English-language peer-reviewed articles. Two independent reviewers screened at title, abstract, and full-text levels. Experimental and observational studies comparing different levels of exposure to seafood and Pb were eligible if: 1) the exposed population included healthy pregnant or lactating individuals from high or very high human development index countries; 2) assessed neurodevelopment in children 18 y old; and 3) measured maternal seafood intake, Pb exposure and analyzed their relationship with each other and/or their association with child neurodevelopment. The Cochrane risk of bias in nonrandomized studies - of exposure (ROBINS-E) and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tools were used to assess the risk of bias and certainty of evidence. Four included articles from 3 prospective cohort studies in Asia examined cognition, motor development, and behavior in children 12–60 mo. Only 1 study reported an analysis between seafood intake and Pb concentrations during PL, which showed a weak, nonsignificant association. Pb concentrations were not associated with child cognitive development or behavioral problems, but a weak, negative association with child motor development was reported. The certainty of the evidence was very low due to the few included studies with some or a high risk of bias. Higher seafood intake in this evidence favored positive developmental outcomes from 1 prospective cohort study, though significance varied. Overall, evidence was not available to address a direct association between Pb exposure from seafood intake during PL and child neurodevelopment. Several other limitations resulted in a very low certainty of overall evidence. This systematic review was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42023494884. Keywords: lead, pregnancy and lactation, seafood, fish, neurodevelopment, cognition, Pb Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10703 2025-01-21T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10699 Title: Macronutrient Modulation in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease—the Molecular Role of Fatty Acids compared with Sugars in Human Metabolism and Disease Progression Authors: M Mullin, Sin ead; J Kelly, Aidan; B Ní Chathail, M eabh; Norris, Suzanne; E Shannon, Christopher; M Roch, Helen Abstract: ABSTRACT Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a significant public health concern, with its progression to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and fibrosis leading to severe outcomes including cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. Whereas obesity and excess energy intake are well-established contributors to the development and progression of MASLD, the distinct role of specific macronutrients is less clear. This review examines the mechanistic pathways through which dietary fatty acids and sugars contribute to the development of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, offering a nuanced understanding of their respective roles in MASLD progression. In terms of addressing potential therapeutic options, human intervention studies that investigate whether modifying the intake of dietary fats and carbohydrates affects MASLD progression are reviewed. By integrating this evidence, this review seeks to bridge the gap in the understanding between the mechanisms of macronutrient-driven MASLD progression and the effect of altering the intake of these nutrients in the clinical setting and presents a foundation for future research into targeted dietary strategies for the treatment of the disease. Keywords: MASLD, MASH, inflammation, fibrosis, fatty acids, carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, dietary intervention, precision nutrition Mon, 20 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10699 2025-01-20T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10696 Title: Promotion of Healthy Aging Through the Nexus of Gut Microbiota and Dietary Phytochemicals Authors: M Beaver, Laura; E Jamieson, , Paige; P Wong, Carmen; Hosseinikia, Mahak; Stevens, Jan F; Ho, Emily Abstract: ABSTRACT Aging is associated with the decline of tissue and cellular functions, which can promote the development of age-related diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and disorders of the musculoskeletal and immune systems. Healthspan is the length of time an individual is in good health and free from chronic diseases and disabilities associated with aging. Two modifiable factors that can influence healthspan, promote healthy aging, and prevent the development of age-related diseases, are diet and microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract (gut microbiota). This review will discuss how dietary phytochemicals and gut microbiota can work in concert to promote a healthy gut and healthy aging. First, an overview is provided of how the gut microbiota influences healthy aging through its impact on gut barrier integrity, immune function, mitochondria function, and oxidative stress. Next, the mechanisms by which phytochemicals effect gut health, inflammation, and nurture a diverse and healthy microbial composition are discussed. Lastly, we discuss how the gut microbiota can directly influence health by producing bioactive metabolites from phytochemicals in food like urolithin A, equol, hesperetin, and sulforaphane. These and other phytochemical-derived microbial metabolites that may promote healthspan are discussed. Importantly, an individual’s capacity to produce health-promoting microbial metabolites from cruciferous vegetables, berries, nuts, citrus, and soy products will be dependent on the specific bacteria present in the individual’s gut. Keywords: diet, dysbiosis, gut health, gut microbiome, healthspan, lifespan, microbial metabolite, phytochemicals Sun, 19 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10696 2025-01-19T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10693 Title: The Value of Integrating the Nutritional Ecology into the Nutrition Care Continuum—A Conceptual and Systems Approach Authors: J Raiten, Daniel; L Steiber, Alison; A Bremer, Andrew Abstract: ABSTRACT The domestic and global diet, nutrition, and health context is becoming increasingly complex. Our ability to effectively address the daunting challenges presented by malnutrition in all its forms—both clinically and from a public health perspective—is constrained by a number of issues that coalesce around our understanding of nutrition and the what, why, and how of its assessment. This complexity is further enhanced when screening, assessment, diagnosis, and care are often performed in different settings (hospital compared with school compared with home), across populations, and with a limited care team (e.g. certain care teams may only have a nurse or dietitian within a school district). In this perspective, we make the case that our ability to improve the precision of assessment, diagnosis, and intervention demands a view of nutrition as a biological variable: a complex system resulting from the interactions between our internal (biology, health status, developmental stage, genetics, etc.) and external (social determinants of health, home, community, physical) environments, i.e. a nutritional ecology. We offer both 1) a conceptual framework for more effectively integrating nutrition in medical assessment and etiologybased care; and 2) suggest solutions to overcome some of the systematic challenges in the clinical care continuum. Leveraging the concept of nutrition as a biological variable that emphasizes the integration of both internal and external variables into an assessment within the Nutrition Care Process model allows for both the identification of the nutrition problem and also the root cause (etiology) of the problem. Suggestions are offered for how to integrate this approach from both a clinical and public health perspective. Keywords: nutrition, malnutrition, dietetics, nutritional ecology, clinical care Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10693 2025-02-04T00:00:00Z