The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in late December 2019 in China, which later developed into a pandemic, has forced different countries to implement strict sanitary regimes and social distancing measures. Globally, at least four billion people were under lockdown, working remotely, homeschooling children, and facing challenges coping with quarantine and the stressful events. The present cross-sectional online survey of adult Poles (n = 1097), conducted during a nationwide quarantine, aimed to assess whether nutritional and consumer habits have been affected under these conditions. Over 43.0% and nearly 52% reported eating and snacking more, respectively, and these tendencies were more frequent in overweight and obese individuals. Almost 30% and over 18% experienced weight gain (mean ± SD 3.0 ± 1.6 kg) and loss (−2.9 ± 1.5 kg), respectively. Overweight, obese, and older subjects (aged 36–45 and >45) tended to gain weight more frequently, whereas those with underweight tended to lose it further. Increased BMI was associated with less frequent consumption of vegetables, fruit, and legumes during quarantine, and higher adherence to meat, dairy, and fast-foods. An increase in alcohol consumption was seen in 14.6%, with a higher tendency to drink more found among alcohol addicts. Over 45% of smokers experienced a rise in smoking frequency during the quarantine. The study highlights that lockdown imposed to contain an infectious agent may affect eating behaviors and dietary habits, and advocates for organized nutritional support during future epidemic-related quarantines, particularly for the most vulnerable groups, including overweight and obese subjects.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the healthcare system, including dentistry. However, it is not entirely clear whether affected patients’ willingness for regular dental visits and preventive behaviors with regards oral hygiene and diet. This is essential to understanding the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the acceleration of dental issues in the future. It was aimed at checking the level of dental visit avoidance, self-reported oral health needs, and dietary changes. This cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted in Poland (n = 2574; mean age 44.4 ± 15.6; female 56.3%) assessed nutritional habits and dental care changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. As demonstrated, nearly half of the responders (47.1%) avoided regular dental visits, while only 0.5% used online consultations. Fears related to potential cross-contamination in dental offices dropped from 25% to 11.4% and were associated with increased BMI and age (p < 0.05). Sweet snacking/drinking confirmed 19.1%/33.2% subjects. Self-reported oral health care needs (tooth stain, calculus, gingivitis, loss of fillings) were related to frequent snacking and poor oral hygiene (p < 0.05). The study highlights that pandemic periods are covered by eating and drinking changes combined with inadequate hygiene and dental care impose health complaints in the oral cavity. This can magnify both nutritional and interrelated oral health issues, highlighting the need to implement preventive and mitigation measures.

Introduction Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of disorders that are manifested primarily by difficulties in interpersonal contact. Moreover, children with ASD have specific food habits, which can disturb their proper development. Nowadays, it is suggested that appropriate dietary interventions could help in the treatment of ASD. We will consider how effective a diet could be in this role. Aim This review aims to estimate the effectiveness of dietary interventions used in children with ASD based on scientific research. Material and method This article was created on the basis of a systematic review. Articles were searched using PubMed. The applied terms were: ‘diet in ASD’, ‘dietary interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder’, ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’, ‘therapies in ASD’. We searched for studies that were published in less than the last 5 years, but older references were also obtained from analyzed articles. Results We received a total of 227 results. After selection, It was decided to use 21 studies with dietetic interventions. Conclusions The most commonly performed interventions are the ketogenic diet, the gluten-free caseinfree diet, and probiotic supplementation. Most studies do not have enough evidence that would allow drawing definite conclusions. Currently, modifying the diet does not appear to have a significant impact on ASD symptoms.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is currently the most common cause of death in the world. Diet plays a significant role in the treatment of CHD. The purpose of this review is to present the current knowledge on natural products, including soybeans, garlic, black coffee, tea, and monounsaturated fatty acids, as well as components of the Mediterranean diet and Portfolio diet in supporting the treatment of CHD. A literature search was carried out in a scientific search engine database. Combinations of the following terms were used: “coronary heart disease”, “ischemic heart disease”, and “natural preparation of CHD”. Scientific publications were systematically examined to identify both direct and indirect evidence that met the aims of this review. Only articles that considered human subjects were included. After the selection process, a total of 28 articles were included in the review. The main findings were as follows: Garlic ameliorates the function of the endothelium, blood pressure parameters, and lipid profiles. Coffee improves glucose metabolism and shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Tea ameliorates the lipid profile. Monounsaturated fatty acids show antioxidant properties. The Mediterranean diet has antihypertensive and antioxidant properties and reduces inflammation. The Portfolio diet shows lipid-lowering and antioxidant properties. Diet in CHD is an extremely important factor supporting treatment and can significantly modify the parameters of cardiovascular risk. However, there is still a need for more research on the properties of natural products and their health effects.