The goal of this review was to assess the effectiveness of ketogenic diets on the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases. The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate and fat-rich diet. Its implementation has a fasting-like effect, which brings the body into a state of ketosis. The ketogenic diet has, for almost 100 years, been used in the therapy of drug-resistant epilepsy, but current studies indicate possible neuroprotective effects. Thus far, only a few studies have evaluated the role of the ketogenic diet in the prevention of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Single studies with human participants have demonstrated a reduction of disease symptoms after application. The application of the ketogenic diet to elderly people, however, raises certain concerns. Persons with neurodegenerative diseases are at risk of malnutrition, while food intake reduction is associated with disease symptoms. In turn, the ketogenic diet leads to a reduced appetite; it is not attractive from an organoleptic point of view, and may be accompanied by side effects of the gastrointestinal system. All this may lead to further lowering of consumed food portions by elderly persons with neurodegenerative diseases and, in consequence, to further reduction in the supply of nutrients provided by the diet. Neither data on the long-term application of the ketogenic diet in patients with neurodegenerative disease or data on its effects on disease symptoms are available. Further research is needed to evaluate the suitability of the ketogenic diet in the therapy of AD- or PD-affected persons.

Due to inadequate intake of Vitamin D, identification of individuals characterised by the highest risk of deficiencies is one of the more crucial tasks for public health. The aim of the presented study was to assess the validity and reproducibility of the designed Vitamin D dietary intake questionnaire based on food frequency assessment—VIDEO-FFQ (VItamin D Estimation Only—Food Frequency Questionnaire) in a group of Polish women aged 20–30 years. Seventy-five participants kept a three-day dietary record and filled out the VIDEO-FFQ twice (immediately after the three-day dietary record and after six weeks). The assessment of validity and reproducibility was conducted by verifying standard errors of estimation, median differences, and percentages of individuals classified into tertiles, correlations and Bland-Altman plots. The Vitamin D intake for the majority of the surveyed women was inadequate as over 85% of them were characterised by values of intake lower than 5.0 μg per day. The results allowed concluding that a high accuracy of the VIDEO-FFQ was achieved. The required Bland-Altman index values lower than 5.0% were obtained, confirming satisfactory validity and reproducibility. The VIDEO-FFQ may be deemed a convenient practical tool for the estimation of Vitamin D intake in young women.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the energy expenditure and fulfillment of nutritional needs of female soccer players. Participants in this research were 41 professional soccer players from the three Polish female soccer league levels: Ekstraleague, I League and II League. The participants had their height and body mass measured. Total Energy Expenditure was measured by means of a SenseWear Pro3 Armband device. Data related to the food-intake energy values and the consumption of macro- and micronutrients were obtained through systematic recording of results, which was conducted over a three-day-long period at the start of the competitive season. The average age of the participants was 21 ± 5 years, the average height was 167.5 ± 5 cm, and the average body mass was 62.53 ± 9.8 kg. The average energy expenditure of the participants was 2811 ± 493 kcal/day, and their average energy intake was 1476 ± 434 kcal/day. The average consumption of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins was 199 ± 20.6, 47.3 ± 20.7, and 72.3 ± 24.2 g/day, respectively. There was a prevalence of inadequate intake of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine, vitamins D, E and B1, and folate in the diet of the examined group. The remaining micronutrients were consumed in the prescribed amounts by at least 50% of the examined group. The participants demonstrated low energy intakes, and consequently, low consumption of macronutrients and a large number of micronutrients.

Objective: The incidence of osteoporosis increases with age and is most frequently observed in postmenopausal women. The objective of the present populationbased cohort study was to assess the influence of Ca intake from dairy sources on hip bone mineral density and hip fracture incidence in a group of Polish women over 55 years of age. Design: The main outcome measures included: bone mineral density, the number of previous fractures and the reported Ca intake from dairy sources, assessed by a diet questionnaire. Setting: The RAC-OST-POL Study was conducted in the District of Raciborz in the south of Poland. Subjects: The study was carried out in a group of 625 women, randomly recruited from the general population of women aged .55 years. Results: Median Ca intake from dairy products was lower in the group of women with femoral neck T-score #-2?5 than in the group with T-score .-2?5 (275 v. 383 mg/d; P 5 0?0019). For total hip score, the difference was close to borderline significance (P 5 0?0698). Median Ca intake from dairy products was lower in the group of women with previous fractures than in those without fracture history (336 v. 395 mg/d; P 5 0?0254). The main dairy source of Ca in the analysed group included milk drinks, rennet cheese and milk. Conclusions: Higher dairy Ca intake is recommended, since a number of the women analysed were unable to satisfy their Ca requirement exclusively from their diet.

The aim of the study was to analyse a designed brief iron dietary intake questionnaire based on a food frequency assessment (IRONIC-FFQ—IRON Intake Calculation-Food Frequency Questionnaire), including the assessment of validity and reproducibility in a group of 75 Polish women aged 20–30 years. Participants conducted 3-day dietary records and filled in the IRONIC-FFQ twice (FFQ1—directly after the dietary record and FFQ2—6 weeks later). The analysis included an assessment of validity (comparison with the results of the 3-day dietary record) and of reproducibility (comparison of the results obtained twice—FFQ1 and FFQ2). In the analysis of validity, the share of individuals correctly classified into tertiles was over 50% (weighted κ of 0.36), while analysis of correlation revealed correlation coefficients of almost 0.5. In the assessment of reproducibility, almost 80% of individuals were correctly classified and less than 3% were misclassified (weighted κ of 0.73), while a correlation coefficient higher than 0.85 was obtained. Both in the assessment of validity and of reproducibility, a Bland–Altman index of 6.7% was recorded (93.3% of compared pairs of results were in the acceptable range, attributed to differences within ± 2SD limit). Validation of the IRONIC-FFQ revealed a satisfactory level of validity and positively validated reproducibility.

Due to the constantly increasing number of cases, prostate cancer has become one of the most important health problems of modern societies. This review presents the current knowledge regarding the role of nutrients and foodstuff consumption in the etiology and development of prostate malignancies, including the potential mechanisms of action. The results of several in vivo and in vitro laboratory experiments as well as those reported by the clinical and epidemiological research studies carried out around the world were analyzed. The outcomes of these studies clearly show the influence of both nutrients and food products on the etiology and prevention of prostate cancer. Consumption of certain nutrients (saturated and trans fatty acids) and food products (e.g., processed meat products) leads to the disruption of prostate hormonal regulation, induction of oxidative stress and inflammation, and alteration of growth factor signaling and lipid metabolism, which all contribute to prostate carcinogenesis. On the other hand, a high consumption of vegetables, fruits, fish, and whole grain products exerts protective and/or therapeutic effects. Special bioactive functions are assigned to compounds such as flavonoids, stilbenes, and lycopene. Since the influence of nutrients and dietary pattern is a modifiable risk factor in the development and prevention of prostate cancer, awareness of the beneficial and harmful effects of individual food ingredients is of great importance in the global strategy against prostate cancer.

Background: The main symptom of ulcerative colitis is diarrhoea, which is often accompanied by painful tenesmus and faecal blood and mucus. It sometimes co-occurs with abdominal pain, fever, feeling of fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss. Some dietary factors have been indicated as important in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The aim of the study was to analyse the association between retinoid intake (total vitamin A, retinol, β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin) and ulcerative colitis symptoms (abdominal pain, faecal blood, faecal mucus, faecal pus) in individuals with ulcerative colitis in remission. Methods: Assessment of diet was based on self-reported data from each patient’s dietary records taken over a period of three typical, random days (2 weekdays and 1 day of the weekend). Results: A total of 56 individuals with ulcerative colitis in remission (19 males and 37 females) were recruited for the study. One in every four individuals with ulcerative colitis in remission was characterised as having inadequate vitamin A intake. Higher lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin intakes in individuals with ulcerative colitis in remission were associated with lower faecal blood, mucus and pus but not with lower incidence of abdominal pain. Higher carotene intake in individuals with ulcerative colitis in remission may contribute to higher incidence of faecal mucus. Conclusions: Optimising intake of specific retinoids may enhance disease control in individuals with ulcerative colitis. Prospective studies, including patient reported and objective outcomes, are required to confirm this.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a number of changes in social life around the world. In response to the growing number of infections, some countries have introduced restrictions that may have resulted in the change of the lifestyle. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the lockdown on body weight, physical activity and some eating habits of the society. The survey involving 183 people was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire. The mean age of the study participants was 33 ± 11 and mean height 169 ± 8 cm. An average increase in body weight was observed in 49.18% by 0.63 ± 3.7 kg which was the result of a decrease in physical activity and an increase in food consumption. We also observed a decrease in PAL from 1.64 ± 0.15 to 1.58 ± 0.13 and changes in the amount of food and individual groups of products consumption, including alcohol. Among the study participants who did not lose body mass, there was an average weight gain of 2.25 ± 2.5 kg. In conclusion, an increase of weight was shown in about half of the respondents in the study group which was associated with a decrease in physical activity and an increase in the consumption of total food and high energy density products.