Martin Smollich

Background: Nutrition during pregnancy affects the health of both the mother and the child with potential long-term consequences. Consequently, educating pregnant women about recommended nutritional practices is essential. This cross-sectional study examined dietary information sources used by pregnant women in Germany and evaluated their adherence to clinical guidelines. Methods: Pregnant women (≥ 6th week of gestation) were recruited nationwide via social media (January–June 2022), and completed an online questionnaire assessing sources and content of their nutritional information. The data were subsequently analyzed for their alignment with guidelines provided by the Germany-wide Healthy Start Network of the Federal Center for Nutrition and the German Nutrition Society. Chi-square and t-tests were used to explore associations, and multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify significant predictors of supplement use and dietary practices, considering sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Results: Of 3,363 participants, 68.66% reported dietary changes during pregnancy, yet 82.76% received limited or no counseling from healthcare providers. Most women (77.70%) sought information online. While 89.03% took dietary supplements, this percentage was significantly higher among pregnant women with higher income (OR = 1.55, CI 1.18–2.03, p < 0.001) and higher educational levels (OR = 1.47, CI 1.15–1.88, p = 0.001). Although most of the women (87.87%) supplemented with folic acid, only 66.10% supplemented with iodine. However, when considering dosage and supplementation period, at least 37.08% of women for folic acid and 46.06% for iodine did not meet recommendations or did not supplement at all. Conclusions: While recommendations to avoid specific foods and to take a folic acid supplement are widely recognized, the dietary practices of pregnant women frequently deviate from professional guidelines. These results emphasize the importance of targeted education and standardized counseling by qualified professionals to ensure optimal nutrition during pregnancy and reduce potential risks to both mother and child. Future research should identify strategies to effectively address these problems.

Zusammenfassung: Soziale Medien (SoMe) sind für viele Menschen eine wichtige Quelle für Informationen über Nahrungsergänzungsmittel (NEM); gleichzeitig werden hier potenziell gesundheitsgefährdende Fehl- und Desinformationen verbreitet. Inhalte zu NEM sind in der Regel ökonomisch motiviert, ohne dass dies für die Nutzer*innen transparent erkennbar wäre. Hinsichtlich des gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutzes ist diese Situation sehr problematisch. Andererseits bieten SoMe sehr gute Möglichkeiten für die evidenzbasierte Aufklärung breiter Bevölkerungsgruppen über NEM-bezogene Nutzen und Risiken. Während die Auswirkungen von SoMe auf Gesundheitsverhalten, Gesundheit und Ernährung der Nutzer*innen bereits gut untersucht sind, liegen zu NEM bisher nur sehr wenige spezifische Daten vor. Deshalb werden im vorliegenden Beitrag die Datenlage zu NEM-bezogenen Informationen in den SoMe zusammengefasst sowie spezifische Risiken und Chancen aus der Perspektive des gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutzes identifiziert. Auf dieser Grundlage werden konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen abgeleitet, um NEM-spezifische Strukturen im Kontext von SoMe so zu gestalten, dass dies sowohl den Verbraucher*innen als auch den seriösen Herstellern von NEM zugutekommt.

Background/Objectives: Although there is an increasing interest among athletes in adopting plant-based diets, there is insufficient research available to determine how a vegan diet affects soccer performance. Methods: This interventional pilot study examined the effect of an 8-week vegan diet (VEG, n = 10) on nutritional status and athletic performance in semi-professional soccer players compared to controls (CON, n = 8). The study employed a controlled, non-randomized, longitudinal pilot study design during the season to compare the two groups. Results: Both groups displayed overall differences in nutrient intake, including insufficient energy and carbohydrates (t2: 46.2 [40.3–52.2] En% (VEG) vs. 37.6 [34.1–41.1] En% (CON); p = 0.036, Cohen’s d = 1.321). Notably, biochemical parameters 25(OH)D and ferritin levels fell within the normal ranges for both groups. The VEG group exhibited favorable changes in total and LDL cholesterol levels. Both groups had increased performances on the treadmill over the entire course of the study (VEG: +0.87 km/h (6.6%); CON: +0.96 km/h (7%); p > 0.05). The initial relative VO_2max at t0 was comparable between the groups. Primarily due to the significant weight loss in the VEG group (−1.94 kg, p = 0.007) rather than a change in absolute VO_2max values, we found an increased relative VO_2max in the VEG group, which was significantly different from that of the CON group (57.0 [53.7–60.3] mL/kg/min (VEG) vs. 51.6 [48.1–55.0] mL/kg/min (CON); p = 0.041, Cohen’s d = 1.675). Conclusions: These findings suggest that a short-term vegan diet does not adversely affect training-induced performance improvements and may be suitable for semi-professional soccer players.

Hochverarbeitete Lebensmittel (Ultra-Processed Foods, UPF) haben – unabhängig vom Nährstoff- und Kaloriengehalt – einen schlechten Ruf. Dieser Beitrag betrachtet die zugrundeliegende NOVA-Klassifikation kritisch und gibt einen differenzierten Überblick über die postulierten Mechanismen und die aktuelle Studienlage.

Introduction: Overweight and a lack of physical activity not only increase the risk of recurrence in breast cancer patients but also negatively impact overall and long-term survival, as well as quality of life. The results presented here are the first real-world data from the DiGA PINK! Coach examining the physical activity and BMI of app users. Based on the literature, an approximate weight gain of 10% over 6 months and a decrease in physical activity can be expected. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively investigate the effects of the PINK! Coach in a real-world setting on patients’ BMI and physical activity level during acute therapies. such as chemotherapy (CHT) and antihormone therapy (AHT). Material and Methods: The PINK! Coach app accompanies breast cancer patients during and after acute therapy to bring about a sustainable lifestyle change. The patients are encouraged to establish a healthy diet, become physically active, and make informed decisions. In this study, real-world data from the app were analyzed over 6 months from baseline to T1 (after 12 weeks) and T2 (after 24 weeks). The patients were under acute therapy or in follow-up care receiving either CHT or AHT. Results: The analyzed data indicate that all patients were able to maintain a consistent BMI over 6 months independent of pre-defined subgroups such as AHT, CHT, or BMI subgroups. In the subgroup of patients undergoing AHT, overweight patients were even able to significantly reduce their BMI by 1-score-point over 6 months (p < 0.01). The subgroup of patients undergoing CHT also showed an significant overall reduction in BMI (p = 0.01). All patients were also able to significantly increase their daily step count as well as their physical activity minutes per day. After the first 12 weeks, 41.4% of patients experienced weight gain, 33.4% were able to maintain their weight, and 24.2% reduced their weight. Conclusion: The presented data provides intriguing insights into the users of the PINK! Coach app and the impact of this usage in regards to BMI and physical activity. At the current time, there are only a few effective concepts for encouraging all breast cancer patients to engage in moderate physical activity and reduce body weight. Often, these concepts apply to selected patient groups. The data presented here include all age groups, tumor stages, and therapies, providing an initial insight into a comprehensive approach. Data over an even longer period would be one way to better contextualize the results in current research.

Worldwide, nearly 200 million children younger than 5 years old suffer from stunting and wasting, 2 different types of undernutrition. Moreover, 45% of deaths among children in that age group are associated with these conditions. Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) refers to children with a weight-for-height z score < −3, a midupper arm circumference < 115 mm, or the presence of bilateral edema, and is especially prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Undernutrition in children can have a major impact on both their physical and cognitive development. It can lead to infections and death if it remains undetected or untreated. The use of therapeutic feeds is an important component in the management of SAM, which remains a challenge in poorly resourced countries. The aim of this review was to assess the alternatives to the standard therapeutic foods used to treat SAM and to summarize their advantages and disadvantages, providing an overview of current research. A literature search was performed from September to November 2022 using PubMed, the Trip medical database, and the German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information (DIMDI). This review includes 13 randomized controlled trials testing alternatives to the standard therapeutic foods used to treat SAM by using alternative ingredients or a reduced dosage. The results show that, while a few alternative ready-to-use therapeutic food formulas lead to recovery rates similar to those seen with the standard protocol, many alternatives were less effective in the affected children. Thus, the evidence is not yet strong enough to change the World Health Organization’s guidelines. The review identifies promising results of treatment alternatives related to treatment outcomes and costs. Additional research should focus on the interventions that positively impact the recovery process of severely malnourished children to facilitate the treatment and enable greater treatment coverage worldwide.

(1) Background: Spermidine is a biogenic polyamine that plays a crucial role in mammalian metabolism. As spermidine levels decline with age, spermidine supplementation is suggested to prevent or delay age-related diseases. However, valid pharmacokinetic data regarding spermidine remains lacking. Therefore, for the first time, the present study investigated the pharmacokinetics of oral spermidine supplementation. (2) Methods: This study was designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blinded, two-armed crossover trial with two 5-day intervention phases separated by a washout phase of 9 days. In 12 healthy volunteers, 15 mg/d of spermidine was administered orally, and blood and saliva samples were taken. Spermidine, spermine, and putrescine were quantified by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The plasma metabolome was investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics. (3) Results: Compared with a placebo, spermidine supplementation significantly increased spermine levels in the plasma, but it did not affect spermidine or putrescine levels. No effect on salivary polyamine concentrations was observed. (4) Conclusions: This study’s results suggest that dietary spermidine is presystemically converted into spermine, which then enters systemic circulation. Presumably, the in vitro and clinical effects of spermidine are at least in part attributable to its metabolite, spermine. It is rather unlikely that spermidine supplements with doses <15 mg/d exert any short-term effects.

Für die Primärtherapie und Rezidivprävention des Mammakarzinoms sind der Ernährungsstatus und mögliche Effekte von Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln von großer klinischer Relevanz. Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war die Beantwortung der Frage, ob es eine Diskrepanz zwischen dem ernährungsmedizinischen Bedarf von Brustkrebspatientinnen und der realen Versorgungssituation gibt. Article published online: 28 February 2023 © 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

Für die Primärtherapie und Rezidivprävention des Mammakarzinoms sind der Ernährungsstatus und mögliche Effekte von Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln von großer klinischer Relevanz. Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war die Beantwortung der Frage, ob es eine Diskrepanz zwischen dem ernährungsmedizinischen Bedarf von Brustkrebspatientinnen und der realen Versorgungssituation gibt. Article published online: 11 January 2023 © 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany