Aim: To compare the effect of 3-hourly (3-h) versus 2-hourly (2-h) feeding schedules on time to reach full feeds in neonates weighing less than 1500 grams.

Materials and Methods: This was a randomized trial conducted in a level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, Surya Children’s Hospital Mumbai, India. We enrolled 120 preterm neonates with birth weights of 501 to 1500 g. The neonates were divided into 2 strata based on birth weight: 501 to 1000 g and 1001 to 1500 g. The neonates were randomized into 2 orogastric feeding schedules: 8 or 12 feeds (3-h or 2-h schedules, depending upon randomization), and a uniform feeding protocol was followed. Analysis was performed using the intention-to-treat principle. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test. Continuous measures between groups were compared using 2-sample t test or Mann Whitney U test as appropriate. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21 software. P <0.05 was considered significant. Primary outcome measures were time (in days) to reach full feeds (defined as tolerance of 150 mL/kg/d of feeds for at least 48 h). Secondary outcome measures were time (in days) to attain birth weight; time (in days) to discharge; weight, length, and head circumference at discharge; incidence of feed intolerance, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), Intravascular hemorrhage (IVH), screen-positive sepsis, culture-positive sepsis, hypoglycemia, apnea, jaundice and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), duration of total parental nutrition (TPN) and nursing; and mortality.

Results: A total of 215 neonates were assessed for eligibility, of which 95 were excluded. Hence, 120 neonates were enrolled in the trial. There was no significant difference in time (in days) to reach full feeds in the 2-h versus 3-h groups (9.53 ± 4.26 v/s 9.85 ± 5.48; P = 0.73). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in most of the secondary outcomes. However the total time spent per day in feeding was significantly lesser in the 3-h feeding schedule group (P = 0.04). Subgroup analysis revealed that among the neonates in the lower birth weight strata (501 to 1000 gms), those fed 2 hourly reached full feeds earlier compared with those fed 3-hourly (2-h group: 11.24 ± 2.88 d vs 3-h group: 14.14 ± 4.98 d; P = .041).

Conclusions: There was no significant difference in time to reach full feeds in all the neonates, irrespective of whether they were fed 2-h or 3-h. However, neonates < 1000 g reached full feeds earlier when fed more frequently (2-h feeding schedule).

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” was embraced 2500 years ago by Hippocrates, the father of medicine. However, this “food as medicine” philosophy fell into relative insignificance, unimportance and non recognition in the 19th century with the advent of modern drug therapy. During the first 50 years of the 20th century, scientific focus was on the identification of essential elements, particularly vitamins, and their role in the prevention of various dietary deficiency diseases. This emphasis on nutrient deficiencies or “undernutrition” shifted dramatically, however, during the 1970s when diseases linked to excess and “overnutrition” became a major public health concern. Recently, scientists began to identify physiologically active components in foods from both plants and animals that potentially could reduce risk for a variety of chronic degenerative diseases. The great majority of these components derive from plants; however, there are several classes of physiologically active functional food ingredients of animal or microbial origin. These events, coupled with an aging, health-conscious population, changes in food regulations, numerous technological advances and a marketplace ripe for the introduction of health-promoting products, coalesced in the 1990s to create the trend we now know as “functional foods.” With the emergence of functional foods, it is vital to explore how the Developed country and its regulations on health claims affect the functional food industry. According to the several definition by many institutions, the modern definition that classifies a functional food is as follows: “Natural or processed foods that contain known or unknown biologically-active compounds; which in defined, effective non-toxic amounts, provide a clinically proven and documented health benefit for the prevention, management, or treatment of chronic disease”. The opportunity to make statements on food labels related to the health benefits of functional foods, it is not surprising that major companies are interested in developing such foods for the health and wellness market. Although the size of the functional foods market is difficult to quantify because much of the data includes other types of health-related products The safety assessment of functional foods follows the same paradigm established for conventional foods consisting of an assessment of the intrinsic hazards associated with the food/food ingredient combined with knowledge about the expected exposure that will occur. Addressing safety concerns on single components is relatively straightforward. However, functional foods can be whole foods and/or may consist of multiple components with increasing complexity which results in a different strategy often being required depending on the type of food/food ingredient. The safety issues related to herbs are complex and the issue of herb-drug interaction has received increasing attention. We need to developed regulations or provided guidance to companies on the type of safety-related information that should be included on their labels for functional foods and dietary supplements. The absence of such safety information poses a significant safety risk to some consumers."

Nami (Dioscorea hispida Dennst) is an underutilized tuber because of its inherent high alkaloids and hydrogen cyanide composition, and low protein content. Due to the drawbacks and limitations of this tuber, this study aimed to utilize detoxified nami flour in cookie processing and fortified it with protein using different types of legume flour. A 2, 3 Simplex Lattice Design was used to determine the optimum combination of composite flour of soybean, mung bean, and white bean that would enrich the protein content of nami cookies.  The optimum protein-enriched nami cookie showed a level of 61.7% soybean flour, 25.53% white bean flour and 12.77% mung bean flour providing at least 12.1% protein at the price of ₱6.9/ 40g pack. Particularly, each 40-gram serving will also provide 13.2% of the total recommended energy intake (RENI) and 51% of the recommended protein requirement of children aged 4-6 years. Ultimately, consumer preference test showed that the optimum product can fairly compete in the market compared with non-altered ingredient cookies.

A nutraceutical is considered to be food or part of a food that has medical or health benefit, including the prevention and treatment of disease. It is essential to optimize formulations to provide the optimal benefit to humans. The present study deals with the development of suitable dosage forms for poorly water-soluble nutraceutical. Resveratrol (RES) is a poorly water-soluble drug and its oral bioavailability is very low. A new self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) has been successfully developed to improve the solubility and oral absorption of RES. Suitable compositions of SMEDDS formulation were screened via solubility studies of RES. The optimal formulation of SMEDDS was comprised of 1:2.3 ratio of oil (caprylic capric triglycerides) and surfactant (Cremorphor RH 40). The solubility of RES (47.5 mg/g) significantly increased in SMEDDS. The self-microemulsifying liquid containing RES was adsorbed into colloidal silicon dioxide, mixed with HPMC, gas generating agent (sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid), lactose and micro crystalline cellulose and transformed into tablets by direct compression. Theoptimized tablet formulation showed a controlled release of RES over and 12 h period.

The most powerful antioxidant in your body designed to protect you from over 100 chronic illnesses. Your body produces its own antioxidants, including Glutathione to combat free radicals. However, as you age, your body’s production of Glutathione begins to rapidly decrease starting in your mid-20’s. While popular theory suggests that you can consume supplements that contain Glutathione, this is much less effective since Glutathione, when consumed, is too easily oxidized in the digestive system and therefore, resistant to being absorbed. The most effective method to help the body kick start production of its own Glutathione from within is to deliver precursor amino acids in the optimal ratios that are needed as the key building blocks. Recognizing the significant benefits of these amino acids, Vísi has now created the product, Immunití, with the optimal ratio of the amino acids plus the vital phytonutrients in its Arctic Immunití Blend (AI Blend). The Problem: free radicals are the biggest enemy of your body Every day, your cells are being attacked by free radicals that naturally occur in our environment from such things as air pollution, first- and second-hand cigarette smoke, stress, exercise, alcohol, radiation, and more. These attacks make your cells susceptible to weakness and mutation. Science has shown that free radicals lead to inflammation which leads to virtually every chronic illness, premature aging, and a feeble immune system. The Solution: Immunití’s Glutathione builder and other phytonutrients found in Immunití, help protect your cells from damage and can actually reverse the harmful effects of free radicals.