• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.479-485
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Gelidium amansii (GA) contains plenty of agars and various biological substances, which make them a popular functional food to control body weight in previous studies. Unlike previous studies focused on agar in GA, objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of agar-free GA extract (AfGAE) on preventive and treatment models by using diets-induced obese (DIO) C57BL/6J mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: AfGAE were used to test their effects on the prevention (Exp-1) and treatment (Exp-2) against obesity after pilot study in DIO mice. The weight changes of the body and fat tissues and protein expression related to lipid metabolism and inflammation as well as plasma lipid profile and insulin were detected. RESULTS: Although AfGAE did not prevent long-term DIO, it did increase the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine production and lipolysis protein. We further evaluated various doses of AfGAE in preventive and treatment models. As a result, our findings suggested that an AfGAE administration as a preventive model might be a better approach to achieve its anti-inflammatory and lipolysis-promoting effects in DIO mice. CONCLUSION: Although future studies to investigate the target materials such as polyphenols in AfGAE are required, the result suggests that GA without agar might be a therapeutic tool to improve health conditions related to inflammation.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.42-53
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• 2020

The relationship of abdominal obesity ("AO") with co-morbidity and mortality is well established. This study assessed the factors associated with AO, which was defined as a waist circumference ≥90 cm for men and ≥85 cm for women, in the group aged over 65 years. A total of 1,435 subjects were analyzed among the participants of the 2014 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Statistical methods for a complex sample were applied by using a SPSS program (ver. 25.0). AO was more frequently found in females. The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that heavy drinking (OR: 1.53), no weight training (OR: 0.68), stressful mental status (OR: 0.61), bad health-related quality of life (by EQ_5D, OR: 1.45), hypertension (OR: 2.18), prediabetes (OR: 1.94), diabetes (OR: 1.63), low HDL-cholesterol (OR: 1.86), anemia (OR: 0.55), and heavy energy intake (OR: 1.41) were significantly related with the prevalence of AO after adjustment for gender. Heavy drinking (OR: 1.89), bad self-rating of health status (OR: 1.72), low HDL-cholesterol (OR: 1.85), heavy energy intake (OR: 1.79), low intake of riboflavin (OR: 1.60) were still significantly related with the prevalence of AO after adjustment for gender and body mass index (BMI), this study suggests that certain characteristics of health habits, mental health status, and chronic diseases may be associated with AO. This study did not establish the existence of relationship between nutrient intakes, except for riboflavin, and risk of AO, but this study suggests that prospective research is needed to establish causal connections among those factors.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.81-98
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the trends in research and development projects related to herbal medicine and natural products in the field of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) over the past 20 years. Methods : Research projects were identified using "Korean medicine" as the subject heading in the National Science and Technology Information Service. The included projects investigated Korean medicine, natural products, or were related to the TKM industry. Data pre-processing and network analysis were performed using Python and Networkx package, and the network was visualized using the ForceAtlas2 visualization algorithm. Results : 1. Over the study period, 4,020 projects were conducted with a research budget of KRW 835.2 billion. Seven institutions performed over 100 projects each, accounting for 2.4% of all participating institutions, and the top 10 institutions accounted for 58.9% of total projects. 2. Obesity was the most frequently mentioned disease-related keyword. Chronic or age-related diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, dementia, parkinson's disease, cancer, inflammation, and asthma were also frequent research topics. Clinical research, safety, and standardization were also frequently mentioned. 3. Centrality analysis found that obesity was the only disease-related keyword identified, alongside TKM-related keywords. Standardization, safety, and clinical trials were identified as central keywords. Conclusions : The study found that research projects in TKM have focused on standardizing and ensuring the safety of herbal medicine, as well as on chronic and age-related diseases. Clinical studies aimed at verifying the effectiveness of herbal medicine were also frequent. These findings can guide future research and development in herbal medicine.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2019

Some patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) present with cognitive dysfunctions. The pathophysiology underlying this complication is not well understood. Type 1 DM has been associated with a decrease in the speed of information processing, psychomotor efficiency, attention, mental flexibility, and visual perception. Longitudinal epidemiological studies of type 1 DM have indicated that chronic hyperglycemia and microvascular disease, rather than repeated severe hypoglycemia, are associated with the pathogenesis of DM-related cognitive dysfunction. However, severe hypoglycemic episodes may contribute to cognitive dysfunction in high-risk patients with DM. Type 2 DM has been associated with memory deficits, decreased psychomotor speed, and reduced frontal lobe/executive function. In type 2 DM, chronic hyperglycemia, long duration of DM, presence of vascular risk factors (e.g., hypertension and obesity), and microvascular and macrovascular complications are associated with the increased risk of developing cognitive dysfunction. The pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in individuals with DM include the following: (1) role of hyperglycemia, (2) role of vascular disease, (3) role of hypoglycemia, and (4) role of insulin resistance and amyloid. Recently, some investigators have proposed that type 3 DM is correlated to sporadic Alzheimer's disease. The molecular and biochemical consequences of insulin and insulin-like growth factor resistance in the brain compromise neuronal survival, energy production, gene expression, plasticity, and white matter integrity. If patients claim that their performance is worsening or if they ask about the effects of DM on functioning, screening and assessment are recommended.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2006

Disparities in health and disease between various population subgroups, such as racial and ethnic groups, are a major focus of public health research but also pose considerable challenges. Diet is a key contributor to disparities in many chronic diseases and conditions. Therefore, in order to understand and address racial and ethnic health disparities, it is important to characterize the dietary patterns of the populations of interest. African Americans are at higher risk for many diet-related chronic disease conditions, such as obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many cancers relative to other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. In this report, I describe the diet-related chronic disease profiles of African Americans, characterize their dietary patterns and food preferences, identify demographic, psychosocial, environmental, and cultural factors that may affect their dietary choices, and propose strategies for improving the dietary and health profiles of African Americans.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.158-170
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between milk intake and prevalence rates of chronic diseases using KNHANES data, and the significance of the relationship was tested based on meditators, socioeconomic status (income, education), dietary behaviors (smoking, alcohol drinking, breakfast, and eating out), and physical activity (walking, medium, and high). Methods: Using the 5th and 6th survey data of KNHANES, milk intake rates and presence of seven chronic diseases were summarized and analyzed by ANOVA for two groups of adult men and women as follows: hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, diabetes, abdominal obesity, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. The dependent variables for the presence of seven chronic diseases regressed with socioeconomic, dietary behavior, and physical activity variables according to Logistic models. The dependent variables for milk intake using predictor variables of socioeconomic, dietary behaviors and physical activity were analyzed according to Logistic models. Finally, the significant socioeconomic, dietary behavior, and physical activity variables in the above model along with milk intake as a control variable or mediator variable regressed with significant chronic diseases according to Logistic models. Results: Milk intake, socioeconomic status, dietary behaviors, and physical activity were significantly different among the two groups of adult men and women, which were also critical factors to the prevalence of chronic diseases. The dependent variable for prevalence of chronic diseases regressed with significant factors of socioeconomic status, dietary behavior, and physical activity variables according to chronic diseases using the control or mediator variable of milk intake and summarized as follows: For adult men, milk intake controlled the education effect on diabetes partly, alcohol on hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, breakfast on metabolic syndrome, eating out on obesity, and medium physical activity on hypertriglyceridemia. For adult women, household income on hypertriglyceridemia, diabetes, abdominal obesity, education level on hypertension, alcohol drinking, eating out, and walking activity on abdominal obesity, alcohol, breakfast, eating out, walking activity on low HDL-cholesterol, and medium physical activity on hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-cholesterol were partly controlled by milk intake. Other significant socioeconomic status, dietary behavior, and physical activity variables related to prevalence of chronic diseases were fully controlled or mediated by milk intake. Conclusion: This study shows that milk intake (daily more than 200 g) prevents chronic diseases such as hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, abdominal obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.685-695
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• 2017

Obesity and the metabolic disorders that constitute metabolic syndrome are a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Nonetheless, the changes in the proteins and the underlying molecular pathways involved in the relevant pathogenesis are poorly understood. In this study a proteomic analysis of the visceral adipose tissue isolated from metabolically healthy and unhealthy obese patients was used to identify presence of altered pathway(s) leading to metabolic dysfunction. Samples were obtained from 18 obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and were subdivided into two groups based on the presence or absence of comorbidities as defined by the International Diabetes Federation. Two dimensional difference in-gel electrophoresis coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was carried out. A total of 28 proteins were identified with a statistically significant difference in abundance and a 1.5-fold change (ANOVA, $p{\leq}0.05$) between the groups. 11 proteins showed increased abundance while 17 proteins were decreased in the metabolically unhealthy obese compared to the healthy obese. The differentially expressed proteins belonged broadly to three functional categories: (i) protein and lipid metabolism (ii) cytoskeleton and (iii) regulation of other metabolic processes. Network analysis by Ingenuity pathway analysis identified the $NF{\kappa}B$, IRK/MAPK and PKC as the nodes with the highest connections within the connectivity map. The top network pathway identified in our protein data set related to cellular movement, hematological system development and function, and immune cell trafficking. The VAT proteome between the two groups differed substantially between the groups which could potentially be the reason for metabolic dysfunction.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.609-619
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• 2022

Obesity is a primary factor provoking various chronic disorders, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, and causes the death of 2.8 million individuals each year. Diet, physical activity, medications, and surgery are the main therapies for overweightness and obesity. During weight loss therapy, a decrease in energy stores activates appetite signaling pathways under the regulation of neuropeptides, including anorexigenic [corticotropin-releasing hormone, proopiomelanocortin (POMC), cholecystokinin (CCK), and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript] and orexigenic [agoutirelated protein (AgRP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and melanin-concentrating hormone] neuropeptides, which increase food intake and lead to failure in attaining weight loss goals. Ginseng and ginsenosides reverse these signaling pathways by suppressing orexigenic neuropeptides (NPY and AgRP) and provoking anorexigenic neuropeptides (CCK and POMC), which prevent the increase in food intake. Moreover, the results of network pharmacology analysis have revealed that constituents of ginseng radix, including campesterol, beta-elemene, ginsenoside Rb1, biotin, and pantothenic acid, are highly correlated with neuropeptide genes that regulate energy balance and food intake, including ADIPOQ, NAMPT, UBL5, NUCB2, LEP, CCK, GAST, IGF1, RLN1, PENK, PDYN, and POMC. Based on previous studies and network pharmacology analysis data, ginseng and its compounds may be a potent source for obesity treatment by regulating neuropeptides associated with appetite.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2023

Immune and metabolic systems are important factors in maintaining homeostasis. Immune response and metabolic regulation are highly associated, so, when the normal metabolism is disturbed, the immune response changed followed the metabolic diseases occur. Likewise, obesity is highly related to immune response. Obesity, which is caused by an imbalance in energy metabolism, is associated with metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver diseases, atherosclerosis and hypertension. As known, obesity is characterized in chronic low-grade inflammation. In obesity, the microenvironment of immune cells became inflammatory by the unique activation phenotypes of immune cells such as macrophage, natural killer cell, T cell. Also, the immune cells interact each other in cellular or cytokine mechanisms, which intensify the obesity-induced inflammatory response. This phenomenon suggests the possibility of regulating the activation of immune cells as a pharmacological therapeutic strategy for obesity in addition to the common pharmacological treatment of obesity which is aimed at inhibiting enzymes such as pancreatic lipase and α-amylase or inhibiting differentiation of preadipocytes. In this review, we summarize the activation phenotypes of macrophage, natural killer cell and T cell, and their aspects in obesity. We also summarize the pharmacological substances that alleviates obesity by regulating the activation of immune cells.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.129-143
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify prevalence and related factors of the elderly, who took health examination, with metabolic syndrome. Methods: The health examination and lifestyle survey were performed for 21,512 adults at 60 years of age or older who took health examination in H health promotion center during January-March 2009. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome for the subject was 24.0%. Of the subject with metabolic syndrome, the prevalence of the diseases was obesity 60%, abdominal obesity 78.5%, hypertension 82.6%, dyslipidemia 89.7% and diabetes 51.9%. In comparison of the relationship between metabolic syndrome and other diseases, the male subject with metabolic syndrome were significantly higher in BMI, waist circumference, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, AST, ALT, $\gamma$-GTP, TG, AC glucose, creatinine than normal male(p<0.001). In comparison of the relationship between metabolic syndrome and lifestyle, more drinking frequency and amount in male and more drinking frequency in female were associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome(p<0.01). Regardless of exercise intensity, practice of exercise contributed to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome(p<0.01). Conclusion: In conclusion, TLC program, focused on lifestyle behaviors which is strongly associated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, should be developed for the improvement of life quality in the elderly with metabolic syndrome.