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Dietary Carbohydrates and Glucose Metabolism: Implications for Chronic Disease, Aging and Frailty

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Carbohydrates".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 17353

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Cristiano Capurso

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Guest Editor

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: cognitive decline; atherosclerosis; diet pattern; aging; frailty
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Compared to the early 1900s, the current average life expectancy at birth is well over 80 years. Such high longevity in many cases is associated with the onset of chronic diseases and frailty. Maintaining adequate nutrition status and lifestyle is important, both to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and to slow or delay the onset of frailty. The association between dietary carbohydrate intake, insulin metabolism and longevity are well known, i.e., between the intake of high glycemic index carbohydrates, insulin resistance, and the onset of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease. All these pathological states are characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation. Dietary patterns rich in complex carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, such as the Mediterranean Diet, have been shown to influence inflammatory processes and responses. This Special Issue of Nutrients, entitled “: Dietary Carbohydrates and Glucose metabolism: Implications for Obesity, Chronic Disease, Aging and Frailty”, has been developed to compile contemporary research studies on this important topic. We invite you and your collaborators to consider the submission of your original research, protocol development, and methodological studies, narrative or systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. To better understanding these complex relationships, we welcome all types of study designs in various populations, including large observational epidemiological studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, clinical and field trials, and qualitative investigations.

Dr. Cristiano Capurso
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Mediterranean Diet
dietary patterns
aging
geriatric syndromes
cognitive decline

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 195 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Increasing Our Understanding of How Dietary Components Can Affect Cellular Mechanisms That Regulate Aging and Slow the Onset of Frailty and Chronic Diseases

by Cristiano Capurso

Nutrients 2023, 15(12), 2687; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu15122687 - 09 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 772

Abstract

The current average life expectancy at birth is well over 80 years [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carbohydrates and Glucose Metabolism: Implications for Chronic Disease, Aging and Frailty)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

9 pages, 1221 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quality Specific Associations of Carbohydrate Consumption and Frailty Index

by Toshiko Tanaka, Maria Kafyra, Yichen Jin, Chee W. Chia, George V. Dedoussis, Sameera A. Talegawkar and Luigi Ferrucci

Nutrients 2022, 14(23), 5072; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14235072 - 29 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1884

Abstract

Background: The quality of carbohydrate consumed may influence the risk of frailty. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that indices of carbohydrate intake are associated with trajectories of frailty in participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). Methods: Cross sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted in 1024 BLSA participants to examine the association between usual intake of carbohydrate and frailty index. Seven measures of carbohydrate consumption were estimated using data derived from Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) and examined in association with a 43-item Frailty Index (FI). Results: In cross-sectional analyses, there was a significant, positive association between higher tertiles of total carbohydrate, glycemic load, and non-whole grains and FI. Conversely, higher tertiles of fiber-to-carbohydrate ratio was associated with lower FI. These differences persisted over the follow-up period of up to 13.8 years. Women in the highest tertile of the fiber-to-carbohydrate ratio showed a less steep increase in FI over time. Conclusions: Carbohydrate intake was positively associated with increased frailty risk in the BLSA participants, whereas a higher fiber-to-carbohydrate ratio was related to reduced risk for frailty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carbohydrates and Glucose Metabolism: Implications for Chronic Disease, Aging and Frailty)

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14 pages, 3385 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aging Increases Susceptibility to Develop Cardiac Hypertrophy following High Sugar Consumption

by Ana P. Valencia, Jeremy A. Whitson, Shari Wang, Leon Nguyen, Laura J. den Hartigh, Peter S. Rabinovitch and David J. Marcinek

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4645; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14214645 - 03 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2101

Abstract

Aging and poor diet are independent risk factors for heart disease, but the impact of high-sucrose (HS) consumption in the aging heart is understudied. Aging leads to impairments in mitochondrial function that result in muscle dysfunction (e.g., cardiac remodeling and sarcopenia). We tested whether HS diet (60%kcal sucrose) would accelerate muscle dysfunction in 24-month-old male CB6F1 mice. By week 1 on HS diet, mice developed significant cardiac hypertrophy compared to age-matched chow-fed controls. The increased weight of the heart persisted throughout the 4-week treatment, while body weight and strength declined more rapidly than controls. We then tested whether HS diet could worsen cardiac dysfunction in old mice and if the mitochondrial-targeted drug, elamipretide (ELAM), could prevent the diet-induced effect. Old and young mice were treated with either ELAM or saline as a control for 2 weeks, and provided with HS diet or chow on the last week. As demonstrated in the previous experiment, old mice had age-related cardiac hypertrophy that worsened after one week on HS and was prevented by ELAM treatment, while the HS diet had no detectable effect on hypertrophy in the young mice. As expected, mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were altered by age, but were not significantly affected by HS diet or ELAM. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of the aged heart to HS diet that can be prevented by systemic targeting of the mitochondria with ELAM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carbohydrates and Glucose Metabolism: Implications for Chronic Disease, Aging and Frailty)

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11 pages, 1257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Postprandial Glycemic Response to Whole Fruit versus Blended Fruit in Healthy, Young Adults

by Lisa T. Crummett and Riley J. Grosso

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4565; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14214565 - 30 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7060

Abstract

While increased intake of dietary fiber is known to reduce postprandial glycemic response, it is less understood whether the disruption of dietary fiber, in a blender, alters the postprandial glycemic response. We compared the postprandial glycemic response in 20 young, healthy college students (12 female, 8 male) after consuming whole fruit vs. blended fruit. The fruit included gala apple, with the seeds removed, and blackberries. We used a repeated measures two-way ANOVA with fruit treatment as the within-subject variable, sex as the between-subjects factor, and glucose maximum, glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC), and 60 min glucose as dependent variables. Glucose maximum and glucose iAUC were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in blended fruit compared to whole fruit and 60 min glucose was marginally significantly lower (p = 0.057) in blended fruit compared to whole fruit. Sex was not a significant main effect and sex*treatment was not a significant interaction for any of the dependent variables. We hypothesize that a reduced glycemic response in blended apple and blackberries compared to whole apple and blackberries might be associated with the release of dietary fiber and nutritive components from ground blackberry seeds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carbohydrates and Glucose Metabolism: Implications for Chronic Disease, Aging and Frailty)

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13 pages, 899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Greater Protection of Lower Dietary Carbohydrate to Fiber Ratio (CFR) against Poor Blood Pressure Control in Patients with Essential Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Qingqing Dong, Lili Wang, Hanbing Hu, Lingling Cui, Anping Lu, Chunya Qian, Xiaohua Wang and Xiaojiao Du

Nutrients 2022, 14(21), 4443; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14214443 - 22 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1409

Abstract

(1) Background: Carbohydrate combined with dietary fiber (DF) applied as a surrogate marker of overall carbohydrate quality is a more essential determinant of cardiometabolic health. However, to date, no studies have applied this metric to analyze its associations with poor blood pressure control in hypertensive patients. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional design was implemented in one tertiary hospital and one community hospital in China. Using Feihua Nutrition Software to analyze participants’ two-day dietary log, the quantity of carbohydrate and fiber was obtained and the carbohydrate to fiber ratio (CFR) was calculated. The participants were divided into Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups by quartile method, from low to high according to CFR. The poor systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) controls were defined as ≥140 mmHg and ≥90 mmHg, respectively. (3) Results: A convenience sample of 459 participants was included and the mean CFR was 29.6. Taking Q1 as reference, after adjusting for covariates, the CFR in Q4 was associated with higher poor SBP-controlled rate (OR, 4.374; 95% CI, 2.236–8.559). Taking Q2 as reference, after adjusting for covariates, the CFRs in Q3 and Q4 were associated with higher poor DBP-controlled rates [(OR = 1.964, 95% CI: 1.016–3.795) and (OR = 4.219, 95% CI: 2.132–8.637), respectively]. The CFR was the stronger protective determinant of SBP and DBP than DF or carbohydrate alone. (4) Conclusions: A higher CFR is a stronger risk factor for blood pressure (BP) control, and low CFR foods or a combination of corresponding food components, should be recommended in the dietary management of hypertensive patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carbohydrates and Glucose Metabolism: Implications for Chronic Disease, Aging and Frailty)

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10 pages, 1105 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Time-Restricted Eating Regimen Differentially Affects Circulatory miRNA Expression in Older Overweight Adults

by Sunil K. Saini, Arashdeep Singh, Manisha Saini, Marta Gonzalez-Freire, Christiaan Leeuwenburgh and Stephen D. Anton

Nutrients 2022, 14(9), 1843; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu14091843 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3107

Abstract

Time-restricted eating (TRE), a popular form of intermittent fasting, has been demonstrated to provide multiple health benefits, including an extension of healthy lifespan in preclinical models. While the specific mechanisms remain elusive, emerging research indicates that one plausible mechanism through which TRE may confer health benefits is by influencing the expression of the epigenetic modulator circulatory miRNAs, which serve as intercellular communicators and are dysregulated in metabolic disorders, such as obesity. Therefore, the goal of this pilot study is to examine the effects of a 4-week TRE regimen on global circulatory miRNA from older (≥65 years) overweight participants. Pre- and post-TRE regimen serum samples from nine individuals who participated in the Time to Eat clinical trial (NCT03590847) and had a significant weight loss (2.6 kg, p < 0.01) were analyzed. The expressions of 2083 human miRNAs were quantified using HTG molecular whole transcriptome miRNA assay. In silico analyses were performed to determine the target genes and biological pathways associated with differentially expressed miRNAs to predict the metabolic effects of the TRE regimen. Fourteen miRNAs were differentially expressed pre- and post-TRE regimen. Specifically, downregulated miRNA targets suggested increased expression of transcripts, including PTEN, TSC1, and ULK1, and were related to cell growth and survival. Furthermore, the targets of downregulated miRNAs were associated with Ras signaling (cell growth and proliferation), mTOR signaling (cell growth and protein synthesis), insulin signaling (glucose uptake), and autophagy (cellular homeostasis and survival). In conclusion, the TRE regimen downregulated miRNA, which, in turn, could inhibit the pathways of cell growth and activate the pathways of cell survival and might promote healthy aging. Future mechanistic studies are required to understand the functional role of the miRNAs reported in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Carbohydrates and Glucose Metabolism: Implications for Chronic Disease, Aging and Frailty)

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