Context: Many people around the world strive to achieve younger-looking skin. This is often promised by topical treatments. Oral treatments for skin ageing have been unsuccessful due to their constituents being broken down by acid and enzymes in the gut; however several studies have shown that hydrolyzed collagen is absorbed in the gut and then delivered to skin and joints through the blood stream. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine whether an oral nutritional supplement drink containing hydrolyzed collagen and other specific ingredients reported to have antiageing properties, would have a positive effect on skin wrinkling, elasticity and hydration. Materials and Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial was conducted on healthy subjects to assess whether this oral supplement could improve certain specific skin properties of post-menopausal women, namely depth of facial wrinkles, skin elasticity and hydration. Results: The evidence provided here proves that the combination of specific ingredients present in this nutritional drink acts to significantly reduce the depth of facial wrinkles and increase skin elasticity and hydration. Conclusions: This study shows that the oral nutritional supplement consisting of hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, and essential vitamins and minerals, leads to a significant improvement in wrinkle depth. It is also able to induce noticeable improvement in elasticity and hydration of the skin.

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Thyroid gland is located in the neck and synthesize thyroid hormones, which have an indispensable role in the metabolic functions of the body. Iodine is an essential compound for the synthesis of thyroid hormones and is mostly derived from the environment. Other important nutrients for the thyroid function include selenium, iron, Zinc and vitamin A. Dietary alterations of the micronutrients lead to structural and functional alterations in thyroid function. The alternative medical practitioners and nutritionists advocate plenty of dietary modifications without a scientific rationale. In this article, we review the role of dietary micronutrients in thyroid physiology and dispel few myths surrounding the same topic.

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India is gaining weight. Traditionally known for malnutrition, Indians now report more and more frequently with overweight, obesity, and their consequences. Indians exhibit unique features of obesity: Excess body fat, abdominal adiposity, increased subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat, and deposition of fat in ectopic sites (such as liver, muscle, and others). Obesity is a major driver for the widely prevalent metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although this phenomenon is a global one, India is unique in that it has to grapple with both over- and undernutrition at the same time. This article reviews the weight of the problem of obesity in India.

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Prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is rapidly rising throughout the globe at an alarming rate, where India leads with largest number of diabetics and became "diabetes capital of the world." Currently available conventional options for diabetes have certain limitations; considering which options from alternative resources are being searched to meet the need. Ayurveda, the traditional system of Indian subcontinent hold huge number of remedies that can be useful in the treatment of diabetes and associated complications. To revalidate the actual efficacy of these formulations in DM (~Madhumeha); many studies have been carried out at different research centers of India. The current attempt is aimed to compile such works done at two Post Graduate institutes of Gujarat Ayurved University during 2000-2013. These studies aimed at establishing the impact of various Ayurvedic treatment modalities viz. Shodhana (purification/cleansing procedures) and Shamana (pacifying medicinal treatment) etc., in DM. These therapies were found to increase quality of life, significantly effective and clinically safe as no adverse drug reactions were reported during the treatment period.

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Murraya koenigii is a culinary important plant of Indian origin, and also been a component of many formulations used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine since many centuries. A scrutiny of literature reveals some notable pharmacological activities of the plant. Carbazole alkaloids which are abundantly present in the leaves, fruits, roots and bark of this plant, have been reported for their antidiabetic, anticancer, antibacterial, anti-nociceptive and antioxidant activities. Besides these activities, the plant is described to have a wide array of therapeutic activities. Phytochemistry and pharmacology of this plant necessitates a comprehensive review of its prospects as an important therapeutic agent for the management of numerous diseases commonly affecting humans. The current review provides a detailed report of the phytochemical, pharmacological, clinical and pre-clinical works carried out on this culinary plant and also throws light on its therapeutic prospects.

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Malnutrition is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Assessment of nutritional status is mandatory for all CKD patients. Many tools are available for assessing the nutritional status. Patients with CKD need to follow a healthy diet plan to maintain normal protein stores and to avoid metabolic complications. This article deals with the practical aspects of nutrition in patients with CKD.

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Malnutrition is a serious issue in Pakistani society. During the past few years, many nutritional programmes have been initiated by the governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Some of these programmes focus on raising awareness among the masses while others focus on either directly supplying nutrients to the people or fortification of dietary components. However, the root of the problem-illiteracy, poverty, and socioeconomic deprivation-is still being neglected. These programmes have not yet been able to take control of the situation and Pakistan is still far behind other countries when it comes to nutrition. This article reviews the nutritional programmes in place in Pakistan, analyses their limitations and suggests a way forward.

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Vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of childhood mortality and morbidity in India and other developing countries. The ocular manifestations of vitamin A are collectively called xerophthalmia and range from conjunctival xerosis to severe blinding complications such as keratomalacia. Vitamin A deficiency exists as a major public health nutrition problem among preschool-aged children, especially in the South East Asian region, as well as among the pregnant and lactating women. Deficiency can be diagnosed by the ocular manifestations such as Bitot's spots, serum retinol levels, and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC). Improving vitamin A status in the diet or by periodic administration of vitamin A to children can reduce both mortality and blindness. This review is an attempt to highlight the ocular manifestations of vitamin A deficiency, its prevalence, treatment, and preventive strategies.

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Nutritional issues in critical care are very important for the better prognosis of patients. These concerns are further heightened if critically ill patients are admitted with co-morbidities and deranged physiology. A similar scenario is encountered when patients with burns are admitted in Intensive Care Units (ICU) for one indication or the other. Their short and long-term prognosis mainly depends on prevention of infection and maintenance of optimal nutritional status. The aim of the current manuscript is to review some of the challenging aspects in critically ill-patients admitted in ICU with history of burns.

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Despite the diversity, an Indian meal would invariably contain a dish made of milk products. Milk and milk products are considered as wholesome food (pathya) or rejuvenator (rasayana), which can be correlated to modern probiotics and prebiotics that increases the life force (ojas). Ayurveda explains a physiological component/process called " agni", - responsible for digestion and metabolism. Fermented milk products are known to normalize " agni". Ayurvedic treatises dedicate chapters to describe types of milk, preparation of various fermented milk products, and their medicinal uses, which are not known to modern world. Use of fermented milk has been indicated as treatment/diet in many gastrointestinal diseases. The word "probiotics" per se and the microorganisms involved have not been mentioned in the ancient texts, but Indian medicine was certainly aware about the specific uses of dairy products for health benefits and was well-documented. This calls for a closer scientific scrutiny.

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Obesity leads to chronic, excessive adipose tissue expansion resulting in an increase in the risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and other metabolic abnormalities. This is primarily thought to stem from the low-grade, systemic inflammatory response syndrome that characterizes adipose tissue in obesity. With a global increase in the prevalence of obesity, nutrition and exercise play a key role in its prevention and treatment. Natural product (nutraceutical) interventions are currently being investigated on a large-scale basis as potential treatments for obesity and weight management. Apart from taking care of the imbalance between energy intake and energy output, nutraceuticals should have the potential to ameliorate the development of oxidative stress and inflammation in obesity, thereby limiting the onset of obesity complications. The current article aims to examine current research on nutraceuticals and their role in the management of obesity and body composition.

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Acute and chronic neurological diseases are associated with a high incidence of malnutrition due to the stress response created by them. Early recognition of nutritional deficiency by careful assessment of nutritional status by various means is essential. These patients may have decreased intake, disease related changes in resting energy expenditure, and effect of drug therapy on food intake, all of which predisposes for undernutrition. Enteral route of nutrition is the preferred route for supplementation of nutrition in these patients however, parenteral route also can be utilised if the enteral route is contraindicated. A close monitoring of the patient on nutrition supplementation is required to prevent complications of nutrition. A reassessment of nutritional status is required in the chronic phase of these neurological diseases as diseases related reduction in resting energy expenditure and requirements may lead to overnutrition and obesity.

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Under nutrition is still a major problem in India and at the same time overweight and obesity are also beginning to affect a substantial proportion of the population. Macro and micronutrient deficiencies affect a significant proportion of the population. Children, pregnant, and lactating women are the most affected with the retardation of cognitive and physical growth, increased susceptibility to infections which ultimately affects productivity of the country. Hence, the Government has devised several national programs like Integrated Child development services (ICDS), National Iron + initiative, National Iodine deficiency disorder control program (NIDDCP) etc., The activities under each program have been listed and its impact as assessed by various evaluation programs has also been mentioned. The determinants of under nutrition are a result of a complex interaction between various factors articulated by UNICEF as immediate, underlying, and fundamental determinants. The fact remains that inspite of all the programs, household food security is determined by a more complex array of factors. Concerted effort and a convergence by all the programs are required with particular emphasis on gender equity. More attention is required in rural areas, scheduled caste and tribe people, very young children between 0-2 years, and the girl child.

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Diseases of the endocrine glands highlight the importance of hormonal and nutritional factors in the regulation of metabolism in human beings. The nutritional alterations affect each and every aspect of the functioning of the endocrine glands leading to serious disorders. The last century was marked by the classical deficiency disorders, such as goiter, cretinism, hypothyroidism, and rickets. Industrialization coupled with increased availability of junk food leads to the epidemic of different nutritional endocrine disorders, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Endocrine disruptors are the new kids on the block with a variety of implications ranging from obesity to pubertal disorders. We give a concise outlook on various nutritional endocrine disorders in this review.

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Nutritional needs in patients with chronic kidney disease are different from those of the normal population. As such, estimation of these nutritional requirements mandates a thorough understanding of the various physiologic and pathologic processes related to renal system. Many of these patients get admitted in intensive care and dialysis units at some stage of life for one indication or the other. Intensivists also have to update their knowledge when it comes to providing nutrition to these patients during their intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Majority of these patients are on chronic dialysis and this aspect has to be taken care of while they are treated in ICU. The assessment of nutritional needs and the various dietary modifications requires the services of a nephrologist on patient-to-patient basis depending upon the underlying co-morbid diseases. Majority of the studies involving patients with renal disease have been carried out in normal population, and as such, data is lacking from ICU and dialysis units. The present article is an attempt to discuss various aspects of patients with chronic kidney disease and their nutritional needs and the relevant dietary modifications and is an extrapolation of the present evidence of normal population to the patients admitted in ICU and dialysis units.

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The onset of menopause is considered to be one of the most important phases in the life span of a female. Associated with this stage is the fear of various ailments due to progressively diminishing functions of the ovaries. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been considered the traditional mainstay for achieving therapeutic relief of various menopausal symptoms. During the last few years, complimentary products and nutraceuticals have gained immense popularity when compared with HRT. The benefits of these prophylactic and therapeutic interventions have yet to be proven with certainty and these regimens are not absolutely free from side effects either. However, the these products have been researched extensively throughout the globe, and many studies are still in pipeline to prove their definite efficacy and benefits over HRT in relieving menopausal symptomatology. This article is an attempt to elaborate the various clinical facts associated with consumption of nutraceuticals during the menopause period.

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With the ever increasing epidemic of obesity, diabetes and hypertension among young adults, the risk of mortality and morbidity due to atherosclerotic heart disease is gradually increasing. Dyslipidemia is an additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Nutraceutical supplements can provide valid alternate to patients who are intolerant to statins or patients preferring alternative treatments. The combination of a lipid lowering diet and scientifically proven nutraceutical supplements can significantly reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, increase LDL particle size, decreased LDL particle number decreased triglycerides and increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. In addition, they address lipid induced vascular damage by suppressing inflammation, oxidative stress and immune response leading to additional antihypertension, antidiabetic properties. The current article reviews the evidence in support of different dietary supplements and their lipid lowering beneficial effects.

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Male sexual dysfunction (MSD) is a common and distressful condition which is often amenable to counseling and other non pharmacological therapy. These ALLIANCE guidelines are an exhaustive coverage of the counseling and related non-pharmacological methods used for management of MSD. The guidelines discuss various concepts of medical care, including the bio-psychosocial model, patient centered care, couple centered care, therapeutic patient education, shared decision making, minimizing the discomfort of change, and coping skills training, as related to MSD. They go on to describe the ideal environment and prerequisites in which a proper history should be elicited, and physical examination performed. Counseling related to investigations, physical activity and yoga is described. Specific examples of psychotherapy for various sexual disorders are presented to illustrate the usage of counseling. The guidelines discuss cognitive behavioral therapy, couple centered therapy, family therapy, and use of religion in detail. Counseling regarding pharmacological, device and invasive therapy is also covered. The guidelines conclude with a call to enhance community awareness of MSD

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Background: Even after more than three decades of implementation, the success of Integrated Child Development Services program in tackling maternal and childhood problems still remains a matter of concern. The present study was conducted to evaluate nutritional and other activities at Anganwadi centers (AWCs) in different districts of Gujarat state, India. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 AWCs were selected including 46 AWCs from the rural area and 14 AWCs from the urban area during April 2012 to March 2013 from 12 districts of Gujarat. Five AWCs were selected from one district randomly. Detailed information about various nutritional activities including growth monitoring, information related to preschool education (PSE), and nutrition and health education (NHED) were collected. Results: Growth chart was present in 96.7% AWCs and accurately plotted by Anganwadi workers (AWWs) in 95.0% AWCs. Weight monitoring of children was done by using Salter scale/spring balance in 75.0% AWCs, followed by weighing pan (18.3%). Overall 18.5% moderately malnourished and 1.5% severely malnourished children were reported. PSE material was available only in 35.0% AWCs. Only in one-third AWCs, NHED training material was available in adequate quantity. Conclusion: There were gaps in the status of PSE activities in AWCs, which needs to be promptly addressed. The need for PSE should be emphasized to all AWWs. There was also a shortage of supply of PSE and NHED material at the AWCs suggesting need of regular supply of material.

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Among cations of biologic importance, Magnesium (Mg) is the forgotten member, often labeled as "fifth electrolyte" and sometimes even as the body's 'orphan ion', because of an apparent lack of a specific endocrine control. Magnesium is an important co-factor in many enzymatic reactions involving energy metabolism, protein and nucleic acid synthesis. Ionized Mg is the physiologically active form of the element. It has been mentioned in various epidemiological and correlation studies that low Magnesium status is widely prevalent. Data from many studies indicate that in about 60% of adults the Magnesium intakes from food do not meet the estimated average requirement. Recommended dietary allowance especially for Indians are still undefined.

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Objectives: To study the nutritional status of school going adolescent girls in Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in urban as well as rural schools of Lucknow district from October 2008 to September 2009. Multistage random sampling was used to select the requisite number of girls. A total of 847 school going adolescent girls between 10 and 19 years of age were interviewed and anthropometric measurements were recorded for assessing the nutritional status. Results and Conclusions: The mean weight in all age groups in both urban and rural schools showed significant difference with the ICMR mean weight for respective ages except in ages 18 and 19 years in urban school girl's and in ages 10 and 19 years in rural school girls. The mean height in all age groups in both urban and rural schools showed significant difference with the ICMR mean height for respective ages except in ages 18 and 19 years in urban schools and in ages 16, 17, 18, and 19 years in rural schools. Overall prevalence of thinness was found to be 17.0% and 11.4% (BMI <5th percentile according to NCHS-CDC reference) among urban and rural school going adolescent girls respectively. Overall prevalence of overweight was found to be 5.4% and 3.9% (BMI >85th percentile according to NCHS-CDC reference) among urban and rural school going adolescent girls, respectively.

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Aim: This study involves the effect of different household processing on nutritional and anti-nutritional factors in moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) and Sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench) seeds and with their product development. Methods: This study involves the effect of different homemade processing of moth and Sorghum on proximate composition and anti-nutritional factors and further development of certain products using processed moth and Sorghum flours. Results: During the process of soaking, the moisture content, and vitamin C contents were found to be increased; with a significant decrease in ash content, fat content, crude fiber content, protein content in both samples (except iron content). In moth bean, 72 h germination process resulted in a decrease in moisture content, fat content, crude fiber content, with an increase in ash content, protein content, iron content, and vitamin C contents whereas in Sorgum all the contents were decreased except moisture content, and vitamin C contents. Ash content, protein content, iron content and vitamin C content with a significant decrease in moisture content, fat content, and fiber content. After processing, the anti-nutritional factors were also decreased in both samples. The modified recipes with the processed moth bean, Sorghum, and blended flours were developed as thalpeeth and papri-chat and acceptability studies of products were carried out and compared with standard. It was found that all samples were acceptable to panel members making then quality for the potential usage as delivery vehicles for use gluten allergy, scurvy, and malnourished children. Conclusion: We can conclude that moth bean and Sorghum to our diet will help to improve the nutritional profile at low cost.

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