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Soy may be a suitable food for anti-obesity efforts because of its high protein and isoflavone content. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate potential effects of soy and soy isoflavones on weight, waist circumference, and fat mass. PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched. Twenty-four trials with soy and 17 trials with isoflavones passed the eligibility stage. According to the results, soy showed no overall statistically significant effect on weight, waist circumference, or fat mass, but a significant increasing effect on weight was observed in some circumstances: for instance, in obese subjects [mean difference (MD): 0.80 kg; 95% CI: 0.15, 1.45 kg; = 0.02], with ingestions of ≥40 g soy protein/d (MD: 0.94 kg; 95% CI: 0.11, 1.77 kg; = 0.03), with short-term applications (1-3 mo) (MD: 0.45 kg; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.86 kg; = 0.03), and when soy was compared with meat (MD: 0.36 kg; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.64 kg; = 0.03) and whey protein (MD: 1.53 kg; 95% CI: 0.10, 2.96 kg; = 0.04). In contrast to the effects of soy on weight, soy significantly decreased waist circumference in older ages (MD: -0.36 cm; 95% CI: -0.71, -0.01 cm; = 0.04), in women (MD: -0.32 cm; 95% CI: -0.57, -0.08 cm; = 0.01), and at doses of<40 g soy protein/d (MD: -0.31 cm; 95% CI: -0.57, -0.05 cm; = 0.02). Isoflavone studies, conducted only in women, showed that isoflavones may reduce body mass index (BMI; in kg/m) (MD: -0.26; 95% CI: -0.55, 0.04; = 0.085), especially in dosages<100 mg/d (MD: -0.48; 95% CI: -0.90, -0.06; = 0.02) and in intervention periods of 2-6 mo (MD: -0.28; 95% CI: -0.56, 0.00; = 0.053), but no effect was observed in higher doses or longer intervention periods. Also, a trend for reduced BMI after consumption of isoflavones was observed in Caucasians (MD: -0.35; 95% CI: -0.74, 0.04; = 0.08). Overall, results showed that, although soy is the major source of isoflavones, soy and isoflavones may have different impacts on weight status.

Background The development of effective nutritional supports for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) is still challenging. This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of daily consumption of fortified whey on inflammation, muscle mass, functionality, and quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Methods A single-blind, randomized trial study was performed on patients with COPD ( n = 46). Participants in the intervention group ( n = 23) daily received 250 ml of whey beverage fortified with magnesium and vitamin C for 8 weeks. Any changes in inflammatory cytokines (including interleukin- 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNFα)) were the primary outcomes and the secondary outcomes were fat-free mass, handgrip strength, malnutrition, glutathione and malondialdehyde serum concentrations, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Body composition and muscle strength were measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) and hydraulic hand dynamometer, respectively. Fat-free mass index (FFMI) was also calculated. Results At the end of the study, 44 patients were analyzed. There were significant decreases in IL-6 concentrations in the intervention group compared to the control group. Also, FFMI, body protein, and handgrip strength increased significantly in the intervention group with significant changes between two groups. Moreover, improvement in health-related quality of life was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group. There were no significant changes in other study variables. Conclusions This novel nutritional intervention decreased inflammatory cytokines levels, improved indices of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength, and ultimately, increased HRQoL in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Thus, it is suggested to do further studies to assess the effects of nutrition intervention on COPD progression. Trial registration IR.SUMS.REC.1396.85 ( https://www.irct.ir/ ).

Probiotics are considered as -immunomodulatory agents; their efficacy as an adjunct therapy option for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however, remains controversial. The main aim of the present meta-analysis, therefore, was to compare available data from the published randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) recruiting adults with RA which compared probiotics with placebo. The English literature search was performed using Ovid version of Medline, EmBase, Web of Science, and the Central Cochrane library through October 2016 and supplemented by hand searching reference lists. Among 240 citations identified, 4 RCTs (153 participants; 89% female) were included. All data were pooled using a standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% CI. Compared to the placebo, probiotics did not change the inflammatory parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12) and oxidative stress indices (total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde) significantly. The borderline significant reduction as a result of probiotic administration was only determined in C-reactive protein [SDM - 0.32 (95% CI - 0.65 to 0.00)]. Among disease activity indices (disease activity score [DAS], tender joint count, and swollen joint count), DAS showed a significant improvement following probiotic treatment with a SMD (95% CI) of - 0.58 (- 0.97 to - 0.19). The number of trials was too small to determine if a strain-, dose-, or duration-response effect was present. Probiotics seem to be less effective in RA; however, to reach a firm conclusion, we need further evidence.

To investigate the impact of antioxidants in sperm parameters and reduction in reactive oxygen species production during the freeze‐thaw process. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane central library were systematically searched. Of the 1583 articles, 23 studies were selected for data extraction. Our results show that antioxidants improved sperm progressive motility (standardised mean difference (SMD) = 1; 95% CI: 0.62, 1.38; p < .001) and viability (SMD = 1.20; 95% CI: 0.50, 1.91; p = .001) and reduced sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production, but there was no significant improvement in total sperm motility after thawing. Acetyl‐l‐carnitine/l‐carnitine, melatonin and catalase had a significant positive impact on progressive motility. The role of tempol and melatonin in improving viability was significant compared to other antioxidants. Moreover, a significant reduction in SDF was observed after addition of butylated hydroxytoluene, tempol and vitamin E. However, the prevention of H2O2 production was significant only after the addition of tempol. Our overall results displayed the positive impact of antioxidants on progressive sperm motility, viability and reduction in SDF and H2O2 production, but no significant impact of antioxidants on total sperm motility was seen during the freeze‐thaw process.

Nutrition has a crucial role in maintaining body health. Eating and drinking has a special place in Islamic doctrine and traditional Persian medicine. Traditional Persian medicine is a holistic medicine and provides great attention to the spiritual aspects of life as well as somatic aspects to maintain human health. In this view, people are not going to eat and drink for pleasure but to maintain a good life and physical health, due to daily tasks, as well as observing moral aspects of a human life and spiritual satisfaction.