Purpose The present study aimed to determine the effects of combined supplementation of Coenzyme Q10 with L-carnitine on mitochondrial metabolic disorders marker and migraine symptoms among migraine patients. Methods A total of 56 men and women, between 20–40 years of age with migraine headache, participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 30 mg/day Coenzyme Q10 and 500 mg/day L-carnitine at the same time and/or placebo tablets for 8 weeks. The measurements were completed at the beginning and end of the study. The primary outcome was severity of headache attacks. The secondary outcomes included duration, frequency of headache attacks, the headache diary results (HDR), and serum levels of lactate. Results A significant reduction was obtained in serum levels of lactate (−2.28 mg/dl, 95% CI: −3.65, −0.90; p = 0.002), severity (−3.03, 95% CI: −3.65, −2.40; p ≤ 0.001), duration (−7.67, 95% CI: −11.47, −3.90; p ≤ 0.001), frequency (−5.42, 95% CI: −7.31, −3.53; p ≤ 0.001) and HDR (−103.03, 95% CI: −145.76, −60.29; p ≤ 0.001) after 8 weeks. Conclusion This double-blind parallel study provides evidences supporting the beneficial effects of Coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine supplements on serum levels of lactate and migraine symptoms. Trial registration IRCT20121216011763N21.

This study provides evidence supporting the beneficial effects of whole-grain foods on biomarkers of systemic inflammation in obese children.

This meta-analysis of RCTs suggested that whole grains might affect health status via improving systematic inflammation. Key teaching points: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Whole grains consumption was associated with lower serum levels of hs-CRP and IL-6. Whole grains cannot significantly decrease serum levels of TNF-α. We could not found any source for heterogeneity. The effect of whole grains on serum inflammatory biomarkers was independent from duration.

Due to scarce epidemiologic data linking dietary protein intakes and metabolic syndrome (MetS), we aim to determine the longitudinal association of different types of dietary protein with the incidence of MetS among Iranians adults. The study was conducted in the framework of the Isfahan Cohort Study (ICS) on 6504 adults, aged ≥ 35 years, and free of MetS at baseline. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used for assessing usual dietary intakes. MetS was defined according to the Joint Scientific Statement. Mixed-effects logistic regression was applied to examine the associations between changes in weekly frequency consumption of protein and MetS status. After a median follow-up of 11.25 years, in multivariate-adjusted model, each additional frequency consumption of total protein intake (OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.81–0.85), animal protein (OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.77–0.83), plant protein (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.64–0.76), red meat (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.70–0.78), poultry (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.68–0.78), egg (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.72–0.88) and nuts and seeds (OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.71–0.84) was associated with reduced risk of MetS. No significant association was found for processed meat (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.87–1.01) and legumes and soy (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.86–1.07) with MetS. Our results suggest an independent inverse association between total protein, animal and plant protein and the risk of MetS. These associations did not differ by sex. Although our results can be considered to be a strategy to reduce MetS risk by dietary guidelines, randomized clinical trials are required to confirm our findings.

Objective: To identify ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contribution to daily energy and nutrient intake in Iranians and examine whether UPF intake is associated with nutrient profile and diet quality. Design: In this cross-sectional study, a validated food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate usual dietary intake over the preceding year. NOVA system was applied to categorize foods based on their levels of processing. Diet quality was evaluated using the nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF), and hybrid nutrient density. Setting: The LIPOKAP study, conducted in five cities of Iran (Isfahan, Birjand, Bandar Abbas, Kermanshah, and Shahrekord). Participants: A total of 1994 adults aged ≥18 years were recruited using stratified multistage random cluster sampling method. Results: UPFs were responsible for 8.5% of daily energy intake. In the adjusted model, UPF consumption was inversely associated with carbohydrate, protein, refined and whole grains, fiber, fruit and meat, but was positively linked to energy, total fat, saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol. Compared with those in the lowest tertile, individuals in the highest tertile of UPFs had smaller NAR for calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, thiamin, niacin, folate and vitamin C. Both NRF and hybrid nutrient density decreased when the share of daily energy intake from UPFs increased. Conclusion: The higher consumption of UPFs is associated with poorer diet quality and lower nutrient intake. It is recommended that UPFs be replaced with minimally processed foods to improve diet quality and nutrient profile.