There is growing evidence that soy protein improves the blood lipid profiles of animals and humans. We compared the effects of fish protein hydrolysate (FPH), soy protein, and casein (control) on lipid metabolism in Wistar rats and genetically obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats. In Zucker rats, FPH treatment affected the fatty acid composition in liver, plasma, and triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins. The mRNA levels of Delta 5 and Delta 6 desaturases were reduced by FPH and soy protein feeding compared with casein feeding. In Zucker rats both FPH and soy protein treatment reduced the plasma cholesterol level. Furthermore, the HDL cholesterol:total cholesterol ratio was greater in these rats and in the Wistar rats fed FPH and soy protein compared with those fed casein. Although fecal total bile acids were greater in soy protein-fed Zucker rats than in casein-fed controls, those fed FPH did not differ from the controls. However, the acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity was reduced in Zucker rats fed FPH and tended to be lower (P = 0.13) in those fed soy protein compared with those fed casein. Low ratios of methionine to glycine and lysine to arginine in the FPH and soy protein diets, compared with the casein diet, may be involved in lowering the plasma cholesterol concentration. Our results indicate that the effects of FPH and soy protein on fatty acid metabolism are similar in many respects, but the hypocholesterolemic effects of FPH and soy protein appear to be due to different mechanisms. FPH may have a role as a cardioprotective nutrient.

BackgroundIt has been suggested that vitamin D status or supplementation is important for maintaining or improving muscle strength and mobility in older adults. The study results, however, do not provide consistent results. We therefore aimed to summarise the available evidence systematically, including only studies conducted in community‐dwelling older persons.MethodsA systematic search of the literature was performed in April of 2016. The systematic review includes studies that used vitamin D with or without calcium supplementation as the exposure variable and various measurements of muscle strength and mobility. The meta‐analysis was limited to studies using hand grip strength (HGS) and timed‐up‐and‐go test as the outcome variables.ResultsA total of 15 studies out of 2408 articles from the literature search were included in the systematic review, providing 2866 participants above the age of 65 years. In the majority of studies, no improvement in muscle strength and mobility was observed after administration of vitamin D with or without calcium supplements. In the meta‐analysis, we observed a nonsignificant change in HGS [+0.2 kg (95% confidence interval = −0.25 to 0.7 kg; seven studies)] and a small, significant increase in the timed‐up‐and‐go test [0.3 s (95% confidence interval = 0.1 to 0.5 s; five studies)] after vitamin D supplementation. The meta‐analyses showed a high degree of heterogeneity between the studies.ConclusionsIn conclusion, we observed no improvement in muscle strength after the administration of vitamin D with or without calcium supplements. We did find a small but significant deterioration of mobility. However, this is based on a limited number of studies and participants.

These results demonstrate that acute clozapine exposure affects SREBP-regulated lipid biosynthesis as well as other lipid homeostasis pathways. We suggest that such drug-induced effects on lipid metabolism in peripheral tissues are relevant for the metabolic adverse effects associated with clozapine and possibly other APDs.

The popularity of high-protein diets for weight reduction is immense. However, the potential benefits from altering the source of dietary protein rather than the amount is scarcely investigated. In the present study, we examined the effects of fish protein supplement on glucose and lipid metabolism in overweight adults. A total of thirty-four overweight adults were randomised to 8 weeks' supplementation with fish protein or placebo tablets (controls). The intake of fish protein supplement was 3 g/d for the first 4 weeks and 6 g/d for the last 4 weeks. In this study, 8 weeks of fish protein supplementation resulted in lower values of fasting glucose (P,0·05), 2 h postprandial glucose (P, 0·05) and glucose-area under the curve (AUC) (five measurements over 2 h, P, 0·05) after fish protein supplementation compared to controls. Glucose-AUC was decreased after 8 weeks with fish protein supplement compared to baseline (P, 0·05), concomitant with increased 30 min and decreased 90 min and 2 h insulin C-peptide level (P,0·05), and reduced LDL-cholesterol (P,0·05). Body muscle % was increased (P,0·05) and body fat % was reduced (P, 0·05) after 4 weeks' supplementation. Physical activity and energy and macronutrients intake did not change during the course of the study. In conclusion, short-term daily supplementation with a low dose of fish protein may have beneficial effects on blood levels of glucose and LDL-cholesterol as well as glucose tolerance and body composition in overweight adults. The long-term effects of fish protein supplementation is of interest in the context of using more fish as a protein source in the diet, and the effects of inclusion of fish in the diet of individuals with low glucose tolerance should be evaluated.