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Effect of the intake of Omega-7 vs. placebo on the components of the lipid profile in patients with Metabolic Syndrome

During this week I finally concluded with my thesis, finding some very interesting results, so I'd like to talk a little about it.

Nowadays a huge number of scientific evidence is proving the benefits obtained on the control of blood lipids and cardiovascular diseases by the consumption Omega-3, but we don't have enough knowledge about the impact that could have other "healthy" fatty acids like Omega-7. 

In the above highlights the importance of analyzing the effect of Omega-7. Therefore we make a double-blind clinical trial, that included 60 patients from the Health Center East Zone in the state of Colima diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. They were randomly divided in two groups and subjected to a treatment protocol with Omega-7 or placebo. The protocol was carried out for a month and the lipid profile was evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the intervention.

Finding at the end of the study than the group that received Omega-7 showed a significant decrease in total cholesterol and c-no-HDL levels and a significant increase in levels of HDL-c. Anthropometric measurements showed a significant decrease in waist and hip in the same group.

Therefore we can consider the Omega-7 as part of the treatment of metabolic syndrome, because it acts on a par of the components of this syndrome.

Refresher Course: Nutritional Imbalance in Cancer Patients

On Monday and Tuesday was held at the State Cancer Institute, the first refresher course 'Nutritional Imbalance in Cancer Patients', which was full of very interesting lectures.

The course consisted of various topics, such as:

• Feeding tubes.
• Care and handling of the feeding tubes.
• Chemotherapy toxicity.
• Nutrition in children with stress.
• Toxicity of drugs in the pediatric area.
• Radiation toxicity.
• Immunonutrition in cancer patients.
• Oncological surgery and nutritional risk.
• Assessment of nutritional status in cancer patients.

For me the course was incredible, I liked all the topics, but the one that caught my attention was Immunonutrition.

This conference speaks of the use of various nutrients that can improve the health of patients with cancer and was also motivational for the area of nutrition. These nutrients include:

• Glutamine: It's the preferred energy substrate for cells with high proliferative capacity, such as intestinal epithelial cells, the immune system, the renal tubule and erythrocytes. Which they're damaged by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
• Arginine: It has cytotoxic effects (expels various pathogenic microorganisms), and cytostatic (inhibit the growth of microorganisms). And generates nitric oxide also has tumoricidal function may eliminate tumor cells.
• Omega 3: It has an anti-inflammatory effect and stimulates the immune system function.
• Probiotics: They favor the formation of intestinal microbiota and is a trophic stimulation of gastrointestinal mucosa.

The immunonutrients are added to a complete diet, and depending on the patient can be supplied enteral, parenteral or oral.

A complicated patient

Today at the State Cancer Institute became a a young patient (28 years old) diagnosed with testicular cancer and metastases in the central nervous system. 

The patient is undergoing chemotherapy and being evaluated by a doctor for radiotherapy, also he presented cachexia and weakness on the right side of the body, so it couldn't move or walk.

Therefore, we applied a medical history and nutritional value to determine his energy needs. We consider a nutritional support for the patient, because in this stage of the disease, he need a comfort diet more than a strict food plan.

We put on the patient diet plan foods that he likes and care that food consistencies were soft to avoid fatigue, in addition we recommended a protein module to prevent loss of strength and muscle mass.

I think it was a good decision because we're applying the principles of palliative care (palliative care is care given to improve the quality of life of patients who have a serious disease), which should start from the moment that the patient gets into the health unit (at any age and stage of disease) and not when he or she is in the final stage of the disease.

Also remember that palliative care should be provided by a specialized team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, psychologists, social workers and other specialists.

"Palliative care is given throughout a patient’s experience with cancer. It should begin at diagnosis and continue through treatment, follow-up care, and the end of life."

Hypothyroidism diet

Last Wednesday a patient went to the State Cancer Institute, she had a diagnosis of Birads IV and hypothyroidism. So I had to review the recommendations for patients with hypothyroidism again.

It is important to say that there is no same diet for each patient, even though they have the same condition characteristics are different.

The general recommendations are:

• Eating foods rich in fiber: They help control weight and reduce insulin levels, which are altered in patients.
• Eating foods rich in selenium: They help in hormonal control.
• Eating foods rich in iodine: They help in hormonal control and the proper functioning of the thyroid.

You should avoid certain foods known as goitrogens. These foods interfere with the absorption of iodine and thyroid function.

 Nutritional deficiencies

These weeks I have been studying for my exam, which I consider important to emphasize the role of vitamins and minerals in nutrition.

Nutritional deficiencies are the result of your body not getting enough of the nutrients it needs, mainly those from fruits and vegetables (they're rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and water that are important for development and preventing disease).

The lack of these nutrients our body manifests different signs and symptoms like problems of digestion, skin problems, damage to major organs and even neurological problems, that make our body doesn't look good. Children are more at risk for complications than adults.

The picture shows the damage that can cause deficiencies of vitamins and minerals in our body:

You can prevent nutritional deficiencies by making sure you get enough nutrients from your diet. Always remember that your plate of food should look like the image:

Enteral Nutrition

I had the opportunity to attend the 2nd. Congress of Clinical Gastronomy and Nutrition, there was a conference about some features that have been updated within nutrition, especially enteral nutrition.

First of all, it's important to define what is enteral nutrition?. Enteral nutrition or tube feeding refers to the delivery of a nutritionally complete feed (with food that contains protein, carbohydrate, fat, water, minerals and vitamins according to patient needs) directly into your stomach or small intestine.

Enteral nutrition can be given through different types of tubes. You can use different connections, devices and other materials. The main problem is that these tubes and materials could be mistaken for medical use, causing infections and health problems in the patient. So in the congress it mentioned that the new material for enteral nutrition will be in accordance with an international color code. The violet color should be used to avoid confusion in the hospital. I think this is a great initiative that gives nutrition the attention it truly deserves in the treatment of patients.

Intrathecal Chemotherapy

On Thursday at The State Institute of Cancer took place the application of intrathecal chemotherapy in 3 girls of 2, 4 and 17 years old. They suffer from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Intrathecal chemotherapy is used to treat cancers that have reached the central nervous system, such as leukemia and lymphoma. This treatment must be used because chemotherapy drugs don't pass through the blood-brain barrier and some cancer cells spread through the area.

There are 2 ways to make intrathecal chemotherapy. One way is to inject the drugs into the Ommaya reservoir (for which a device is implanted by surgery). The other way is to inject the drugs into the bottom of the spine.

In girls, anesthesiologist first had to administer general anesthesia and then the oncology pediatrician did antisepsis of the area where she will puncture, after that she inserted a long needle into the lumbar area of the child and waited to begin a clear liquid out of the needle. She took a small sample of the fluid and finally in the same needle injected a drug.

Homework

Probiotic yoghurt vs. Common yoghurt

These days I read some articles that talk about the benefits of yoghurt. The probiotic yoghurt is any yoghurt with live active bacteria (they're of various types like Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, which are considered beneficial to the body), which means that the more natural yoghurt is a probiotic food. All yoghurts contain a certain amount of bacteria, yoghurts sold as "probiotic yogurt" contain higher amounts of beneficial bacteria (It's because some companies select some bacteria that are more likely to survive digestion).

These bacteria have been shown to reduce the effects of some gastrointestinal problems, prevent colon cancer and can reduce lactose intolerance. In addition,  it's a natural immune system booster, so it's very common drink them to improve overall health and prevent certain diseases.

However, the yoghurt in some people can cause side effects such as gas, bloating and over-stimulation of the immune system.

The medical and scientific community mentions that products labeled as probiotic yogurt aren't necessarily better. So, you can select the yoghurt that you have on hand, but taking care that it doesn't have high levels of sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup or sugar.

Milk consumption and cancer

During this week I searched articles related to milk consumption in patients with cancer. I think that "milk" is a very controversial topic because there are articles that mention that milk is a food that prevents cancer and a rich source of energy, protein, calcium and vitamin D, which are essential nutrients for patients who already have cancer, other articles say that milk shouldn't be consumed because it generates metastasis, increases symptoms and can cause disease recurrence.

The main problem is that we now live in a highly industrialized world where cows are injected with hormones to increase milk production. Companies are using recombinant growth hormones in cows. This hormone can increase milk production by 20%. According to WHO, the injection of this hormone increases the concentration of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) in milk.

IGF-1 causes the cells divide and reproduce, but doesn't distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells. 

According to information, I would recommend consumption of organic milk to get all the nutrients that milk provides, but this type of milk isn't processed hygienically and the body of the patient with cancer is susceptible to disease, so it's better to wait during the treatment (surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy) of the disease without milk and choose coconut, soy, almond or rice milk and long after you can consume organic milk.

Several options to replace cow's milk.

Workshop: "El plato del bien comer"

This month my colleagues and I are organizing a workshop for hospitalized children and their parents to learn should be your dish as breakfast, lunch and dinner, in addition they can classify foods and so they see which are the healthiest options for them.

We got some food replicas that are sold in the supermarket for children and collect the boxes of some products such as biscuits, jelly, cereal and milk to make the dish didactically and so patients and their parents understand better.

In addition to the plate, we will make other material in which patients can classify fats and sugars and they realize that certain products aren't suitable to consume them.

The workshop starts this week, we hope to be successful and that people take something home to put it into practice.

Gastric cancer

This week I attended a patient with gastric cancer for the first time, so I had to research the topic to learn more.

Stomach (gastric) cancer is a cancer that starts in the stomach. Therefore, they are patients who need  nutritional care since your digestive system is compromised. The main causes or risk factors of this cancer are:

The condition that usually is associated with gastric cancer is the Dumping Syndrome, which is generated because food come faster and fill the intestine, causing inflammation and abdominal pain, diarrhea, sweating and palpitations in the patient.

The nutritional therapy consists of:

• Consume only small amounts of simple carbohydrates (2 teaspoons) at each meal.
• Increase consumption of protein and fats to prevent weight loss and gastric emptying.
• Don't drink liquids with meals, consume only 30 - 60 minutes before or after.
• Eat every 2 - 3 hours, eat slowly!
• Keep regular mealtimes.
• Avoid extreme temperatures of food.

Exercise

In this vacations, all people expect to have a good body to go to the beach, and for this is necessary that you have a good nutrition and make a good exercise routine with dedication and discipline to tone the body.

Don't overdo it, because the body needs to take a break to recover, grow and toning. Our muscles need rest, because if they can enter a phase of overtraining, and we burned the muscle instead of growing.

So you should take a break from 48 to 72 hours between each area that you train. This means that one day train shoulder and back, the next day you train chest and arm, the third day you train leg, and the fourth day you can start again with shoulder and back and so on.

Remember that you shouldn't miss more than 72 hours without training one area of your body because it is like starting again.

A new fatty acid

This week I had to make progress on my thesis, so I think it's important to talk about the subject of my thesis.

I decided to do my research on omega 7 because in the Dr. Oz's program showed an article about this fatty acid. The article spoke about the protection offered by the Omega 7 to mucous membranes of the body, and then I continued investigating until I found other benefits. So, the title of my work is "Effect of omega 7 vs. placebo on the lipid profile in patients with metabolic syndrome." 

What is omega 7?

The omega-7 or palmitoleic acid is a mono-unsaturated fat found in a number of different foods, like nuts and fish. You can find in this chart:

Properties

• Anti-inflammatory. Improve the symptoms of certain skin conditions such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis, in addition it can act in gastrointestinal disease like gastric or peptic ulcers, and vaginal inflammation.
• Mild analgesic. It generates a decrease in pain caused by the conditions present in the skin or mucous membranes.
• Anti-oxidant. Fight free radicals.
• Lipid lowering. It can help reduce lipid profile and prevent atherosclerosis.
• Nourishing. It helps collagen production, and is useful in certain diseases such as cancer.

What is its effect on the lipid profile in metabolic syndrome?

Several studies have found that it can help reduce body weight, blood glucose and blood pressure, about its effect on the lipid profile you can see in the image:

Talking about 'thrombocytopenia'

On Tuesday some of my colleagues in the social service provided an exposition to parents of hospitalized pediatric patients at The State Institute of Oncology about thrombocytopenia.

It's any disorder in which there is a low amount of platelets (they're parts of the blood that help blood to clot). Which is a very common condition in patients with cancer, because it's a side effect of medications or treatments like chemotherapy. So they're patients who need special care in their nutrition to prevent bleeding and increase the number of platelets.

In the exhibition my colleagues showed nutritional recommendations and examples of foods to increase platelets.

The image shows some examples of foods. In addition, you should eat whole grains, meat and eggs.

But I also found that there are some foods that avoid clotting and therefore shouldn't be eaten, such as omega 3 (you can find it in fish and seeds. It generates decrease the connection between platelets), garlic (it improves blood flow which avoids that platelets forming clots), onion (it contains quercetin, which destroys free radicals in the body, but inhibits platelet production), ginger (it improves blood flow), kiwi (it improves blood flow, too) and milk.

Kary's résumé

Smart Skateboard

This week, my boyfriend decided to participate in The National Youth Award 2016 with the prototype of the smart skateboard "Lux Aeterna".

Importantly, his smart skateboard won third place in the III Meeting of Young Researchers hosted by the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), so I don't doubt that he can get the support of The National Youth Award 2016.

This device is equipped with a microcomputer, which through its recreational use will help reduce the digital divide, promote sports activities and support environmental sustainability to self-generate sufficient power for operation.

The microcomputer of skateboarding allows people to make/do tasks such as on a desktop PC or laptop, in addition people can have an Internet connection.

I think that it is useful for children and adults who can't sustain the cost of an electronic device, they haven't electricity and they need a transportation to go to the school, work and home, and also keep them healthy. 

You can watch a video

Palliative Care

This week I attended the session of "palliative care" it takes place every Wednesday at the State Institute of Oncology. Today's topic was management of pain in patients according to WHO. I learned about the different scales that exist for classifying the pain and what are the drugs that you can use in each of the levels of pain.

This is one of the scales of pain, it is known as Visual Analog Scale (VAS):

The drug used for pain management will be according to how the patient is classified on the scale. For this, there is the WHO's Pain Ladder for adults:

The information was given to the staff of the institution is very important because all cancer patients have pain. It is necessary that we know how to manage pain or even to report it to a doctor. So we will be helping to improve the quality of life for patients with cancer. It is useful for people, we don't criticize the famous paracetamol, because it is a first-line drug for pain relief with low cost.