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Background and Objectives: To determine the effect of a low carbohydrate diet and standard carbohydrate counting on glycaemic control, glucose excursions and daily insulin use compared with standard carbohydrate counting in participants with type 1 diabetes. Methods and Study Design: Participants (n=10) with type 1 diabetes using a basal; bolus insulin regimen, who attended a secondary care clinic, were randomly allocated (1:1) to either a standard carbohydrate counting course or the same course with added information on following a carbohydrate restricted diet (75 g per day). Participants attended visits at baseline and 12 weeks for measurements of weight, height, blood pressure, HbA1c, lipid profile and creatinine. They also completed a 3-day food diary and had 3 days of continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring. Results: The carbohydrate restricted group had significant reductions in HbA1c (63 to 55 mmol/mol (8.9-8.2%), p<0.05) and daily insulin use (64.4 to 44.2 units/day, p<0.05) and non-significant reductions in body weight (83.2 to 78.0 kg). There were no changes in blood pressure, creatinine or lipid profile and all outcomes in the carbohydrate counting group were unchanged. There was no change in glycaemic variability as measured by the mean amplitude of glycaemic excursion in either group. Conclusions: A low carbohydrate diet is a feasible option for people with type 1 diabetes, and may be of benefit in reducing insulin doses and improving glycaemic control, particularly for those wishing to lose weight.

Compares the effectiveness of a single 1mg intramuscular hydroxocobalamin injection with a 3-month course of 1mg/ day sublingual methylcobalamin supplements on serum vitamin B12 concentrations in participants with type 2 diabetes treated with metformin. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.

AimsTo evaluate the effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and/or cereal enriched with oat-derived beta-glucan (OBG) on metabolic and mental health outcomes when administered to adults with pre-diabetes.Design2×2 factorial design randomised, parallel-groups placebo-controlled; double-blinded for probiotic, single-blinded for cereals.ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling adults aged 18–80 years with pre-diabetes: glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 41–49 mmol/mol.InterventionsCapsules containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus (HN001) (6×109 colony-forming units/day), or placebo capsules; and cereal containing 4 g/day OBG or calorie-matched control cereal, taken daily, for 6 months. Study groups were: (A) HN001 capsules+OBG cereal; (B) HN001 capsules+control cereal; (C) placebo capsules+OBG cereal and (D) placebo capsules+control cereal.Outcome measuresPrimary outcome: HbA1c at 6 months. Secondary outcomes: fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, fasting lipids, blood pressure, body weight, waist circumference, body mass index and mental well-being.Results153 participants were randomised. There was complete HbA1c outcome data available for 129 participants. At 6 months the mean (SD) HbA1c was 45.9 (4.4) mmol/mol, n=66 for HN001, and 46.7 (4.3) mmol/mol, n=63 for placebo capsules; 46.5 (4.0) mmol/mol, n=67 for OBG and 46.0 (4.6) mmol/mol n=62 for control cereal. The estimated difference between HN001-placebo capsules was −0.83, 95% CI −1.93 to 0.27 mmol/mol, p=0.63, and between OBG-control cereals −0.17, 95% CI −1.28 to 0.94 mmol/mol, p=0.76. There was no significant interaction between treatments p=0.79. There were no differences between groups or significant interactions between treatments for any of the secondary outcomes.ConclusionsThis study found no evidence of clinical benefit from the supplementation with either HN001 and/or cereal containing 4 g OBG on HbA1c and all secondary outcomes relevant to adults with pre-diabetes.Trial registration numberAustralian New Zealand Clincial Trials Registry number ACTRN12617000990325

Māori, the Indigenous population of Aotearoa New Zealand, face a substantial burden of nutrition-related diseases, especially obesity and type 2 diabetes. Weight loss, through dietary change, is a central component of obesity and diabetes prevention and management; however, most approaches have not been designed with or evaluated specifically for Māori. The aim of this study was to review literature on the enablers and barriers to dietary change, for Māori. Relevant literature published from January 2000 to May 2024 was identified by searches in Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Scopus, Indigenous health (informit), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science and NZResearch. Studies included Māori and reflected enablers and barriers to dietary change for individuals/whānau (families). Data identifying the aims, methods, interventions, location, population studied and identified enablers and barriers to dietary change and responsiveness to Māori were extracted. Enablers and barriers to dietary change were mapped to a New Zealand Indigenous health framework, the Meihana model. Settings included studies based in Aotearoa New Zealand, where participants were free living and able to determine their dietary intake. Studies included at least 30 % Māori participants. Twenty-two of the seventy-seven identified records met the inclusion criteria. Records included a diverse range of research approaches. Using a relevant Indigenous model, this study highlights that multiple and diverse enablers and barriers to dietary change exist for Māori and the critical importance of developing interventions, in close partnership with Indigenous communities, grounded in Indigenous understandings of health.

Dietary strategies are fundamental in the management of diabetes. Historically, strict dietary control with a low carbohydrate diet was the only treatment option. With increasingly effective medications, the importance of dietary change decreased. Recommendations focused on reducing dietary fat to prevent atherosclerotic disease, with decreasing emphasis on the amount and quality of carbohydrate. As the prevalence of obesity and diabetes escalates, attention has returned to the macronutrient composition of the diet. Very low carbohydrate diets (VLCD's) have demonstrated effective initial weight loss and improvement in glycemic control, but difficult long-term acceptability and worsening lipid profile. Modifications to the very low carbohydrate (VLC) have included limiting saturated fat and increasing carbohydrate (CHO) and protein. Reducing saturated fat appears pivotal in reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and may mitigate adverse effects of traditional VLCD's. Increased dietary protein enhances satiety, reduces energy intake, and improves glycemic homeostasis, but without sustained improvements in glycemic control or cardiovascular risk over and above the effect of weight loss. Additionally, recent studies in type 1 diabetes mellitus suggest promising benefits to diabetes control with low carbohydrate diets, without concerning effects on ketosis or hypoglycemia. Dietary patterns may highlight pertinent associations. For example, Mediterranean-style and paleolithic-type diets, low in fat and carbohydrate, are associated with reduced body weight and improved glycemic and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A feature of these dietary patterns is low refined CHO and sugar and higher fiber, and it is possible that increasing sugar consumption is having a substantial effect on global escalations in obesity and T2DM. Dietary recommendations in type 1 diabetes and T2DM are changing. Dietary CHO is unquestionably important, but long-term acceptability of any diet is critical to sustain improvements in health benefits. Personalized dietary management, using a variety of dietary approaches, may be the key to optimal diabetes outcomes.

Objective We investigated the potential feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of a nutritional intervention that may alter human gut microbiota and support immune defence against respiratory tract infection in adults (Proposed Study). Methods In total, 125 healthy adults aged 18–64 participated in a 6‐month study that measured antibody response to the seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine. We assessed completion rates, procedure adherence rates and the influence of possible exclusion criteria on potential recruitment into the Proposed Study. We examined whether the gut microbiota could be categorised into enterotypes, and whether there was an association between enterotypes and the antibody response to the influenza vaccine. Results The participant completion rate was 97.6% (95% CI 93.1–99.5%). The proportions (95% CI) of participants who may be excluded for antibiotic or corticosteroid use in the 30 days prior to the study, or due to receiving the influenza vaccine in the previous two years were 9.6% (5.1–16.2), 8.0% (3.9–14.2) and 61.6% (52.5–70.2), respectively. All participants were stratified into four gut microbiota enterotypes. There was no association between these enterotypes and the antibody response to the influenza vaccine, although the study was not powered for this outcome. Conclusion This study design is suitable for the Proposed Study. The completion rate is likely to be high, although exclusion criteria should be selected with care. Further analyses of gut microbiota composition or function in association with antibody and immune responses are warranted to explore the role of host–microbiota interactions on protective immunity. We have designed a feasible structure for a randomised controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of a nutritional supplement on adult immune responsiveness to the seasonal influenza vaccine. Success will hinge on inclusion and exclusion criteria. We include epidemiological data relating to stool community types and HAI response to the influenza vaccine in New Zealand Adults, which can be used to inform power calculations in future studies.

The immune system plays a significant role in controlling systemic metabolism. Innate-like T (ILT) cells in particular, such as mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and γδ T cell receptor expressing cells, have been reported to promote metabolic homeostasis. However, these different ILT cell subsets have, to date, been generally studied in isolation. Here we conducted a pilot study assessing the phenotype and function of circulating MAIT, iNKT, and Vδ2 T cells in a small cohort of 10 people with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D), 10 people with obesity but no diabetes, and 12 healthy individuals. We conducted phenotypic analysis by flow cytometry , and then functional analysis after stimulation using either PMA/ionomycin or synthetic agonists, or precursors thereof, for each of the cell-types; use of the latter may provide important knowledge for the development of novel therapeutics aimed at activating human ILT cells. The results of our pilot study, conducted on circulating cells, show clear dysfunction of all three ILT cell subsets in obese and obese T2D patients, as compared to healthy controls. Importantly, while both iNKT and Vδ2 T cell dysfunctions were characterized by diminished IL-2 and interferon-γ production, the distinct dysfunctional state of MAIT cells was instead defined by skewed subset composition, heightened sensitivity to T cell receptor engagement and unchanged production of all measured cytokines.

Influenza vaccination is an effective public health measure to reduce the risk of influenza illness, particularly when the vaccine is well matched to circulating strains. Notwithstanding, the efficacy of influenza vaccination varies greatly among vaccinees due to largely unknown immunological determinants, thereby dampening population-wide protection. Here, we report that dietary fibre may play a significant role in humoral vaccine responses. We found dietary fibre intake and the abundance of fibre-fermenting intestinal bacteria to be positively correlated with humoral influenza vaccine-specific immune responses in human vaccinees, albeit without reaching statistical significance. Importantly, this correlation was largely driven by first-time vaccinees; prior influenza vaccination negatively correlated with vaccine immunogenicity. In support of these observations, dietary fibre consumption significantly enhanced humoral influenza vaccine responses in mice, where the effect was mechanistically linked to short-chain fatty acids, the bacterial fermentation product of dietary fibre. Overall, these findings may bear significant importance for emerging infectious agents, such as COVID-19, and associated de novo vaccinations.

Aim To assess the feasibility of a family-based dietary intervention study using a meal kit home delivery service, in people at risk of cardio-metabolic disease. Methods A 12-week dietary intervention feasibility study of adults (termed the index participants) at increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease, enriched for Māori who are indigenous New Zealanders. The study sample also included the household/whānau members living with the index participant. All participants received a 12 week intervention using weekly home delivery of meal kits and groceries consistent with a Mediterranean dietary pattern. Outcomes were the metabolic syndrome severity score (MetSSS); feasibility and acceptability of the intervention; dietary intake; and other clinical and anthropometric measures. Results There were 29 index participants recruited and in addition, 50 household/whānau members took part in the feasibility study. The mean (SD) household/whānau size was 3.45 (1.4) people, and the mean (SD) number of people in each household/whānau who participated in the study was 2.84 (1.2). The feasibility of intervention to households/whānau was proven in this context. The mean (SD) change in MetSSS was 0.03 (0.33), N  = 27, P  = 0.69 and there was a statistically significant decrease in body weight of 1.37 kg (95% CI 0.11 to 2.62), p  = 0.034. The food deliveries were well received, the dinner kits more so than the grocery items. Conclusion It is feasible to recruit individuals and households/whānau to a family-based dietary intervention. Use of a meal kit home delivery service to provide food which is consistent with the intervention dietary pattern was well received. This feasibility study identified improvements to be made such as nutrition behaviour change support, more variety in food provided, more recipes, and better matching of food quantity to family size. Trial registration ANZCTR—ACTRN12621000856819p registered 2.JUN.2021 https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=382021&isReview=true

Background The rates of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus are increasing worldwide, producing significant burdens for individuals, families, and healthcare systems. In New Zealand, type 2 diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes disproportionally affect Māori, Pacific, and South Asian peoples. This research evaluates the efficacy, acceptability, and economic impact of a probiotic capsule and a prebiotic cereal intervention in adults with pre-diabetes on metabolic and mental health and well-being outcomes. Methods Eligible adults ( n  = 152) aged 18–80 years with pre-diabetes (glycated haemoglobin 41–49 mmol/mol) will be enrolled in a 2 × 2 factorial design, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial. Computer-generated block randomization will be performed independently. Interventions are capsulated Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 (6 × 10 9 colony-forming units/day) (A) and cereal containing 4 g β-glucan (B), placebo capsules (O 1 ), and calorie-matched control cereal (O 2 ). Eligible participants will receive 6 months intervention in the following groups: AB, AO 1 , BO 2 , and O 1 O 2 . The primary outcome is glycated haemoglobin after 6 months. Follow-up at 9 months will assess the durability of response. Secondary outcomes are glycated haemoglobin after 3 and 9 months, fasting glucose, insulin resistance, blood pressure, body weight, body mass index, and blood lipid levels. General well-being and quality of life will be measured by the Short-Form Health Survey 36 and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 at 6 and 9 months. Outcome assessors will be blind to capsule allocation. An accompanying qualitative study will include 24 face-to-face semistructured interviews with an ethnically balanced sample from the β-glucan arms at 2 months, participant focus groups at 6 months, and three health professional focus groups. These will explore how interventions are adopted, their acceptability, and elicit factors that may support the uptake of interventions. A simulation model of the pre-diabetic New Zealand population will be used to estimate the likely impact in quality-adjusted life years and health system costs of the interventions if rolled out in New Zealand. Discussion This study will examine the efficacy of interventions in a population with pre-diabetes. Qualitative components provide rich description of views on the interventions. When combined with the economic analysis, the study will provide insights into how to translate the interventions into practice. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12617000990325 . Prospectively registered on 10 July 2017.