Background: Micronutrients which include vitamins and minerals are present in small quantities in food and are essential in a healthy diet for disease prevention and well­ being. They enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances and provide a range of critical biological functions. Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify and compare the dietary intakes of 19 micronutrients to recommended micronutrient intakes, in order to identify inadequate/ excess micronutrient intakes among a sample of Lebanese adults. Subjects and methods: Dietary Intakes of individuals ...

Introduction: Eating disorders (ED) are one of the most common psychiatric illnesses that may lead to physical and psychosocial morbidity in children and young adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of eating disorders symptoms and its associated risk factors among children and young adolescents in Lebanese schools. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 253 students aged between 8-13 years old, living in Lebanon. Participants were recruited from private schools located in Mount Lebanon. Each student were interviewed to collect information related ...

Background: Olive Oil (00) is premium oil which plays an important part of the Mediterranean cuisine due to its nutritional and sensory characteristics. Studies highlight the nutritional benefits associated with the consumption of 00 including the low level of saturated fatty acids (SFA), the high level of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and the moderate level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) along with minor constituents including phenolic compounds. Studies highlight the importance of phenolic compounds as they are the major bioactive of 00 which contribute to its sensory, organoleptic ...

Background: Olive oil is a vital component in the Lebanese diet and Lebanon is known for its contribution to the global production of olive oil. During the process of olive oil extraction, a brownish black effluent is also produced called Olive mill waste water (OMWW). OMWW is disposed into the environment causing serious polluting problems harming the aquatic and terrestrial organisms and reaching the underground water as well. OMWW contains considerable amount of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. In Lebanon, no study did extract and assess the levels of these phenolic compounds ...

Background -- Olive oil (OO) has been widely known as a main source of lipid in the Mediterranean diet. Over the years, the interest in virgin olive oil (VOO) consumption boosted due to its sensory properties characterized by its unique taste, flavor and color; and its health properties exerted by its monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), tocopherols, and phenolic compounds. Phenols are minor compounds with antioxidant capacities that contribute positively to OO shelf life and stability to oxidation. Literature data have shown that several agro-industrial factors including harvesting time, ...

Background and objective: Glyphosate, a nonselective herbicide widely-used in crop production, persists in food products leading to residues. Research findings on the health effects of glyphosate are highly controversial due to a perceived conflict of interest by the majority of research funders who are glyphosate manufacturers themselves. Glyphosate residues are detected in various tested food products globally, but data about exposure in Lebanon is lacking. Bread is a stable food in the Lebanese diet and the extend of its contamination with glyphosate is unknown. This study aimed at determining ...

Insulin resistance plays a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of many chronic diseases including Type II diabetes, cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities. There is an increasing interest in assessing the association between insulin resistance and vitamin D status. Vitamin D deficiency predominates in the Middle East where more than half of the population is deficient. This cross-sectional study aims to explore the association between vitamin D status and insulin resistance among university employees. In September 2016, an email was sent to all the employees of Notre Dame University (NDU) ...

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health and food security. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of the pathogenic bacteria Salmonella spp. and E. coli in fresh and frozen red meat and meat organs collected from different supermarkets and butcher shops across Mount Lebanon and further evaluate their antimicrobial resistance. A total of 80 beef meat samples were collected from butchers and supermarkets in Mount Lebanon between February 2017 and December 2018. Bacterial isolation and biochemical identification were conducted using the API method. Using the ...

Recently, high levels of heavy metals in several Lebanese foods were reported, which has raised the issue that today, many Lebanese products could be contaminated with heavy metals and toxins. Knowing that no regulations, effective control or corrective actions from the Lebanese government are present, there is a need to assess the exposure of the Lebanese to those contaminants through its consumption. The objective of this study was to assess the exposure of the Lebanese population to heavy metals through the consumption of white pitta bread and to evaluate the health risks of its consumption ...

Wild edible plants have attracted an increasing interest from researchers as they represent important inexpensive sources of nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins, as well as natural treatments for diseases. The genus Scorzonera includes about 170 species distributed worldwide, many species of this genus are either consumed as raw vegetables or cooked. In addition to their edible properties, some of the species ha ve been used in traditional medicine for various purposes. Nine species of the genus Scorzonera are found in Lebanon, with one of the nine species, Scorzonera Pheopappa ...