CONTENTS
Dietary Therapy for
Preventing and Treating Coronary Artery Disease
Intestinal Mucosal Amino
Acid Catabolism
PREVIOUS ISSUES
TOP NUTRITION NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 1, NO 8, AUGUST 1998
Editorial
This is the eighth issue of TOP NUTRITION NEWSLETTER in 1998.In this issue, dietary phytoestrogens, immunonutrition, are updated for your interest.
Broadly defined, phytoestrogens include isoflavones, coumestans, and lignans. A number of these compounds have been identified in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains commonly consumed by humans. Soybeans, clover and alfalfa sprouts, and oilseeds (such as flaxseed) are the most significant dietary sources of isoflavones, coumestans, and lignans, respectively. In this review of " DIETARY PHYTOESTROGENS" in Annu. Rev. Nutr. 1997;17:353-381., various aspects of dietary phytoestrogens in prevention of menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease are reviewed. Although there currently are no dietary recommendations for individual phytoestrogens, there may be great benefit in increased consumption of plant foods.
The morbidity and mortality associated with coronary artery disease is strongly related to abnormal lipid levels, oxidation of lipids and intra-arterial clot formation. Nutrition powerfully influences each of these factors. There is growing evidence that patients can improve lipid levels and decrease the rate of cardiovascular events by "adding" specific foods to their diets and switching from saturated and polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fats and n-3 fatty acids. Appropriate dietary changes decrease arteriosclerotic plaque formation, improve endothelial vasomotor dynamics, reduce oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and enhance thrombolytic activity. Brief discussions between physicians and patients can influence patients' food choices. Changes in diet can reduce the premature mortality and morbidity associated with coronary artery disease.The review article in American Family Physician (1998:57:1299) entitled "Dietary Therapy for Preventing and Treating Coronary Artery Disease" is worth to be read.
Clinical enteral nutrition solutions, produced by mixing chemicals or defined nutrients, have repeatedly been shown to lack important ingredients; in the formulation of these solutions several key nutrients have simply been overlooked. The aim of this particular issue of the journal is to discuss some of these nutrients that were earlier neglected, but that today have proven to have key functions, especially in stress situations such as disease. The metabolism of the body is a complex system, one can not expect that supplying the body with one or a few chemicals, natural or synthetic, will lead to maximal health and performance. Most often an amalgam of substances is needed. Only natural food has the potential to supply most of the components needed, and thereby provide effective and successful nutrition. In stress situations such as premature life, disease, or aging, or extreme conditions such as exercise, eating normal food might not be enough; in these situations supplements will prove to be of the greatest value. In this special issue: IMMUNONUTRITION in NUTRITION (Volume 14, Number 7/8:1998) nutrition and the immune system of the gut, immunonutrition and role of biosurfactants, fiber, probiotics, carbohydrates, taurine, arginine, glutamine, omega-3 fatty acids will give you an enormous knowledge of this hot subject.Although only the abstracts are provided for your quick look, please do not hesitate to ask us the full text, if you are interested in full text of each topic.
The small intestine is not only responsible for terminal digestion and absorption of nutrients, but it also plays an important role in catabolism of arterial glutamine and dietary amino acids. Dietary amino acids are major fuels for the small intestinal mucosa and are essential precursors for intestinal synthesis of glutathione, nitric oxide, polyamines, purine and pyrimidine nucleotides, and amino acids (alanine, citrulline and proline), and are obligatory for maintaining intestinal mucosal mass and integrity. Because intestinal amino acid catabolism plays an important role in modulating dietary amino acid availability to extraintestinal tissues, it has important implications for the utilization efficiency of dietary protein and amino acids in animals and humans. The major objective of this review "Intestinal Mucosal Amino Acid Catabolism" by Guoyao Wu in August 1998 issue of Nutrition, is to examine current views of intestinal mucosal amino acid catabolism and its implications for protein and amino acid nutrition.
Wish you will enjoy updated information. I will try to update this important issue whenever I can. The information era is not "NO INFORMATION, BUT TOO MUCH INFORMATION". I have selected only the most reliable sources for you. If you have different opinions, please do not hesitate to e-mail [shwewin@thai-otsuka.co.th].
Best regards
Dr Shwe Win
Editor