The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Pinus cembra L. (Pinaceae)

The Swiss pine (Pinus cembra) is a montane tree in Central Europe and, therefore, known for its hardiness against severe winter colds. The seeds are harvested and eaten as pine nuts. We assembled and characterized the complete chloroplast genome of P. cembra to serve as a valuable resource in future genetic studies. The complete plastome […]

Effect of Sleep Deprivation and Exercise on Reaction Threshold in Adults With Peanut Allergy: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background: Peanut allergy causes severe and fatal reactions. Current food allergen labeling does not address these risks adequately against the burden of restricting food choice for allergic patients because of limited data on thresholds of reactivity and the influence of everyday factors. Objective: We estimated peanut threshold doses for a United Kingdom population with peanut allergy and examined […]

Is Eating Raisins Healthy?

Raisins are dried grapes consumed worldwide that contain beneficial components for human health. They are rich in fiber and phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds. Despite a 60% sugar content, several studies have reported health-promoting properties for raisins and this review compiles the intervention studies, as well as the cell line and animal model studies carried […]

Evaluation of Microwave and Ozone Disinfections on the Color Characteristics of Iranian Export Raisins through an Image Processing Technique.

Raisins are one of the most important Iranian export products but are threatened by various storage pests. Because of the disadvantages of fumigants, we evaluated alternative microwave and ozone methods for their disinfection and the side effects on raisin qualities. To perform microwave disinfection, the studied raisin samples were exposed to microwave powers of 450, […]

Longitudinal association of changes in diet with changes in body weight and waist circumference in subjects at high cardiovascular risk: the PREDIMED trial.

Background: Consumption of certain foods is associated with long-term weight gains and abdominal fat accumulation in healthy, middle-aged and young, non-obese participants. Whether the same foods might be associated with changes in adiposity in elderly population at high cardiovascular risk is less known. Objective: Using yearly repeated measurements of both food habits and adiposity parameters, […]

Almond-supplemented diet improves sexual functions beyond Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibition in diabetic male rats.

Hyperglycemia, an important feature of diabetes, can cause oxidative stress, which is associated with varieties of diabetic complications including erectile dysfunction. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the effect of almond-supplemented diet on some biochemical indices relevant to erection in diabetic male rats. Forty-two male rats were divided into two groups: A (n = 6) […]

A Pilot Randomized Crossover Trial Assessing the Safety and Short-Term Effects of Walnut Consumption by Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

The aim of this study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is to assess the safety of daily consumption of walnuts on the physiological levels of phosphorous, potassium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and to assess the short-term benefits of this intervention on risk factors associated with cardiovascular events. This […]

Walnuts and Vegetable Oils Containing Oleic Acid Differentially Affect the Gut Microbiota and Associations with Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Follow-up of a Randomized, Controlled, Feeding Trial in Adults at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: It is unclear whether the favorable effects of walnuts on the gut microbiota are attributable to the fatty acids, including α-linolenic acid (ALA), and/or the bioactive compounds and fiber. Objective: This study examined between-diet gut bacterial differences in individuals at increased cardiovascular risk following diets that replace SFAs with walnuts or vegetable oils. Methods: […]