We conclude that an elevation in homocysteine concentration is associated with an acute impairment of vascular endothelial function that can be prevented by pretreatment with vitamin C in healthy subjects. Our results support the hypothesis that the adverse effects of homocysteine on vascular endothelial cells are mediated through oxidative stress mechanisms.

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The aim of this review was to highlight the current situation of nutrition-related diseases in the Arab countries, and factors associated with prevalence of these diseases. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for data relating to such nutrition-related diseases published between January 1990 and May 2011. The picture of nutritional status in the Arab countries has changed drastically over the past 30 years as a result of changes in the social and economic situation. Two contrasting nutrition-related diseases exist, those associated with inadequate intake of nutrients and unhealthy dietary habits such as growth retardation among young children and micronutrient deficiencies; and those associated with changes in lifestyle such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity (diet-related non-communicable diseases). Factors contributing to nutritional problems vary from country to country, depending on socio-economic status. In general, unsound dietary habits, poor sanitation, poverty, ignorance and lack of access to safe water and health services are mainly responsible for under-nutrition. Changes in lifestyle and dietary habits as well as inactivity are associated with the occurrence of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Programs to prevent and control nutrition-related diseases are insufficient and ineffective, due mainly to a focus on curative care at the expense of preventive health care services, lack of epidemiological studies, lack of nutritional surveillance, inadequate nutrition information and lack of assessment of the cost-effectiveness of nutrition intervention programs.

Abstract-We hypothesized that physiological increments in plasma homocysteine after low-dose oral methionine or dietary animal protein induce vascular endothelial dysfunction and that there is a graded, inverse relationship between homocysteine concentration and endothelial function. We studied 18 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 59 years. Brachial artery flow-mediated and glyceryltrinitrate-induced dilatation were measured after 1) oral L-methionine (10, 25, and 100 mg/kg), 2) dietary animal protein (lean chicken 551Ϯ30 g, comprising 3.2Ϯ0.2 g methionine), and 3) methionine-free amino acid mix (100 mg/kg). Methionine (10, 25, and 100 mg/kg) induced a dose-related increase in homocysteine (9.4Ϯ1.3 to 12.2Ϯ2.1, 17.6Ϯ2.6, and 26.1Ϯ4.2 mol/L, respectively; PϽ0.001) and a reduction in flow-mediated dilatation (4.1Ϯ0.8 to 2.1Ϯ0.8, 0.3Ϯ0.8, and Ϫ0.7Ϯ0.8%, respectively; PϽ0.001) at 4 hours. Compared with usual meal, animal protein increased plasma homocysteine (9.6Ϯ0.8 to 11.2Ϯ0.9 mol/L, Pϭ0.005) and reduced flow-mediated dilatation (4.5Ϯ0.7% to 0.9Ϯ0.6%, Pϭ0.003). Methionine-free amino acid mix did not induce any changes. Glyceryltrinitrate-induced dilatation was unchanged throughout. In this study, small physiological increments in plasma homocysteine after low-dose methionine and dietary animal protein induced vascular endothelial dysfunction. We propose that protein intake-induced increments in plasma homocysteine may have deleterious effects on vascular function and contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis. (Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis. 1999;19:2922

Zinc, copper, and selenium statuses were reported to be linked to the development of chronic diseases, especially coronary heart disease (CHD). Metabolic syndrome, a known CHD risk factor, was found to be highly prevalent in Lebanon. Nevertheless, no data are available on the statuses of plasma zinc, copper, and selenium, especially in terms of their relation to the components of the metabolic syndrome. A sample of 398 men and women aged 18-65 years was drawn from 23 health centers across Lebanon; anthropometric measurements and biochemical analyses of fasting plasma samples were performed. Subjects were found to have normal plasma statuses of copper and selenium but were at elevated risk of zinc deficiency. Plasma selenium levels correlated positively with all the components of the metabolic syndromes, while that of copper correlated only with total, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Plasma zinc did not correlate with any of the metabolic syndrome components.

Background In the past infectious diseases affected the quality of lifestyle during home confinement. The study conducted examines the influence of home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak on lifestyle, mental wellbeing, nutritional status, and sleeping pattern. Method An online multicategorical questionnaire was distributed to collect demographic information combined with the following tools: Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), WHO-5 wellbeing score, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A snowball non-discriminate sampling procedure was conducted to collect data from people attending or working at higher institutions from March 1, 2020 to April 24, 2020. A total of 1723 completed responses (917 males, 37.4 ±13.4 years old and 806 females 32.2 ± 11.5 years old) were collected. Results The female participants had significantly lower mental health scores than males (53.9% vs. 46.1%). The mental wellbeing scores were higher among participants with medium and high physical activity (PA) levels (p < 0.00). Additionally, the mental wellbeing scores were significantly improved by dietary quality and it’s sleeping score (p < 0.001). However, PA was by far the major determinant of the mental health scores. Conclusion Factors such as PA, diet, and sleeping patterns were associated with mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 confinement among Arab participants.

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