International Nutrition Achieving Millennium Goals And Beyond

The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in nutrition are at the core of this book, with special attention to young women and their children. The first part is dedicated to the overall analysis of the world nutrition situation as related to achieving the MDG. The chapters cover the global distribution of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in young women and infants, and the disease burden related to it. The second part reviews the measures taken to achieve the MDG and the potential contributions of nutrition-specific and disease control interventions (particularly with regard to reducing child and maternal mortality), as well as the possible role of sectors other than health. The last part looks into the future, scrutinizing the causes and consequences of non-communicable disease in both the developing and developed world, as well as reviewing the latest scientific evidence for underlying mechanisms and discussing the implications for public health and policy makers.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic debilitating disorder that occurs at any age and in populations around the world. Its pathogenesis is believed to involve a combination of genetic susceptibility, immune and external environmental factors, including the gut microbiota. Changing factors such as diet and the human gut microbiota may thus be a viable alternative to suppressing the innate and adaptive immune responses. The book at hand starts with a summary of the current understanding of the epidemiology and biologic underpinnings that manifest as IBD. Next, the gut microbiota, its function, and how it may interact with nutritional status in perpetuating IBD are looked at, followed by discussions on the potential for manipulation of the gut microbiota through the use of prebiotics, probiotics, antibiotics, and fecal transplantation. Chapters on the current role of and future prospects for nutritional interventions in the management of IBD complete the topics presented.

In recent years, consumers have become increasingly aware of the impact that food and diet can have on their health. This, together with the concern about the impact of animal food production on the environment, has promoted the demand for alternative food sources with health-promoting benefits and whose production is based on sustainable and environmentally friendly systems. Thus, the global market for plant-based foods with beneficial health properties is on an upward trend and is expected to continue in the coming years. Based on scientific evidence, this book shows the potential of traditional plant foods as alternative sources of bioactive compounds for reducing the incidence and prevalence of current chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, neurological, and metabolic disorders, and nutritional deficiencies.

Hidden hunger is not about providing enough calories, it is about a lack of micronutrients, which has life-long consequences for the children who are mostly affected. This begins with physical and cognitive developmental disorders and continues with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases and the occurrence of obesity. The book compiles the contributions of the Fourth Congress on Hidden Hunger 2019 as original articles. The focus of the congress was the problem of malnutrition and overweight, which can coexist and is termed a “double burden”. Part of the book deals with the causes of malnutrition and the challenge of achieving an agricultural system that is more focused on food quality. Another part discusses the causes and intervention approaches to tackling childhood obesity, especially in connection with malnutrition. All in all, this publication is a summary of important work by highly renowned authors on the topic of the congress: “Hidden Hunger and the Transformation of Food Systems: How to Combat the Double Burden of Malnutrition?” Like its two predecessors, the book fills an important gap by summarizing the essential aspects for science, applied research, and politics at a high level.

While disease is inevitable in humankind, the current century has been burdened with many chronic diseases, most of which are lifestyle mediated and, which in part can be controlled by consuming foods with specific functions. Functional foods are a special category of natural food or nutrient-derived pharmaceutical products containing beneficial biochemicals and phytochemicals beyond their basic nutritional functions. The first of two volumes, Applications of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals for Chronic Diseases collects information on the association between functional and chronic diseases. The burden of escalating chronic diseases is discussed in the first chapter, and the remaining fourteen chapters summarize the effect of functional foods on a range of chronic diseases. Key Features: Discusses the clinical application of functional foods for the management of a wide range of chronic diseases Covers chronic diseases including Obesity, Arthritis, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Endocrinal and Hormonal Diseases, among others. Explores beneficial effects of nutraceuticals on chronic diseases Contributors hail from different geographical locations around the world and have many years of research and scholarly experience in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and biology. The world’s leading wellness centers for chronic diseases are using functional foods and nutraceuticals in their practice and discovering their useful applications, and this book is a great reference for practitioners, scientists, and clinicians in the management of chronic diseases.

This book covers different physiological processes, tools, and their application in crop breeding. Each chapter emphasizes on a specific trait/physiological process and its importance in crop, their phenotyping information and how best it can be employed for crop improvement by projecting on success stories in different crops. It covers wide range of physiological topics including advances in field phenotyping, role of endophytic fungi, metabolomics, application of stable isotopes, high throughput phenomics, transpiration efficiency, root phenotyping and root exudates for improved resource use efficiency, cuticular wax and its application, advances in photosynthetic studies, leaf spectral reflectance and physiological breeding in hardy crops like millets. This book also covers the futuristic research areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning. This contributed volume compiles all application parts of physiological tools along with their advanced research in these areas, which is very much need of the hour for both academics and researchers for ready reference. This book will be of interest to teachers, researchers, climate change scientists, capacity builders, and policy makers. Also, the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, physiology, botany, ecology, and environmental sciences. National and international agricultural scientists will also find this a useful resource.

Low birthweight, caused by premature birth, poor intrauterine growth, or both, is known to be a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality risks in the first year of life and beyond. It has to be born in mind, though, that premature infants may need different clinical and nutritional interventions and are at risk for different morbidities than those small for gestational age. This publication focuses on three main subjects: Global epidemiology, catch-up growth, and feeding practices. These topics have been selected to provide a solid contextual basis for the nature and extent of the problem, highlighting changes in prevalence and risk across different healthcare settings: The available data strongly suggest that growth outcomes are dependent on a multitude of environmental factors that interact with nutrient intakes. Epidemiology, modern technology and the latest science are brought together to promote a better understanding of the short- and long-term needs and outcomes of low-birthweight babies, depending on whether they are born too small or too early.

M​icrobial biotechnology is an important area that promotes advanced research into using microbes for value-added products, human nutrition, and the overall wellbeing of society. This book presents the latest information on the use of microbes for sustainable development, and highlights state-of-the-art biotechnological techniques used to harness microbial biotechnological traits on a commercial scale. Gathering contributions from authoritative researchers in the field, it addresses recent advances in microbial biotechnological approaches that offer sustainable options for future generations. Exploring a broad range of microbial products and their uses, the book specifically places emphasis on the application of microorganisms in healthcare, the environment and industry. It also discusses various compound classes derived from microbial metabolites. Pursuing a holistic approach to recent advances in the utilization of various microbes as biotechnological tools, the book also covers traditional uses, and explores emerging strategies to harness their full potential. Accordingly, it offers a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students alike.