The components in our food are known as one of the important risk factors for the development of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. A balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, and free of fat, sugar, and salt, might protect people from the consequences of H. pylori infection. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) intake and the risk of H. pylori infection. The case-control study was conducted to assess the intake of UPFs in patients with H. pylori infection compared with healthy individuals. The dietary data of the contributors were collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). To estimate the UPFs intake, the classification of the NOVA food group was utilized. The associations of intake UPFs with H. pylori infection were assessed using binary logistic regression. Finally, dietary data of 150 cases and 302 controls (mean age: 39.5 ± 10.95 years) were analyzed. UPFs intake was associated with higher risk of H. pylori infection (odds ratio (OR) = 1.71; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05, 2.79). The association remained constant after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), sex, energy intake, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol status (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.22, 3.86). Our data declare that UPFs consumption could have a role in increasing the likelihood of the risk of H. pylori infection. To confirm the current findings, prospective studies are suggested.

BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia is a well-documented adverse effect of oxcarbazepine treatment, but no clinical trial has yet been conducted to explore any intervention for reducing the incidence of hyponatremia.
METHODS: This open-label trial evaluated the efficacy of add-on daily oral sodium chloride supplementation of 1-2 g/day for 12 weeks in reducing the incidence of hyponatremia in children receiving oxcarbazepine monotherapy aged 1-18 years. Apart from comparing the incidence of symptomatic and severe hyponatremia, serum and urine sodium levels, serum and urine osmolality, changes in behavior and cognition, and the number of participants with recurrence of seizures and requiring additional antiseizure medication (ASM) were also compared.
RESULTS: A total of 120 children (60 in each group) were enrolled. The serum sodium level at 12 weeks in the intervention group was higher than that of the control group (136.5 ± 2.6 vs 135.4 ± 2.5 mEq/L, p = 0.01). The number of patients with hyponatremia was significantly lower in the intervention group (4/60vs14/60, p = 0.01). However, the incidence of symptomatic and severe hyponatremia (0/60vs1/60, p = 0.67 for both), changes in social quotient and child behavior checklist total score (0.6 ± 0.8 vs 0.7 ± 0.5, p = 0.41 and 0.9 ± 1.2 vs 1.1 ± 0.9, p = 0.30 respectively), the number of patients with breakthrough seizures (9/60vs10/60, p = 0.89), and the number of patients requiring additional ASMs (8/60vs10/60, p = 0.79) were comparable in both groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Daily oral sodium chloride supplementation is safe and efficacious in reducing the incidence of hyponatremia in children with epilepsy receiving oxcarbazepine monotherapy. However, sodium chloride supplementation does not significantly reduce more clinically meaningful outcome measures like symptomatic and severe hyponatremia. Trial registry No. CTRI/2021/12/038388.

Indonesia\'s vast archipelago offers abundant seawater resources, holding the potential for salt production. Salt, a vital commodity in human life, typically contains sodium chloride and impurities like Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42-, and K+. Pharmaceutical salt is an industrial category adhering to pharmacopoeial standards regarding sodium chloride levels and impurity content, ensuring quality for drug preparations in Indonesia. Prior research indicates that recrystallisation, specifically evaporation crystallisation, enhances salt quality by increasing NaCl content. Chemical precipitating agents like NaOH and Na2CO3 can be introduced to improve salt purity further. This study aims to identify optimal conditions for pharmaceutical salt production from processed salt raw materials, considering crystallisation time, stirring speed, chemical additives (NaOH and Na2CO3), and double crystallisation stages. The method commences with pre-treatment, involving salt dissolution in distilled water to saturation, with the addition of precipitating agents as per designated variables. Precipitates formed from precipitating agents (NaOH and Na2CO3) are isolated through filtration. The filtrate undergoes evaporation crystallisation at 103 °C, varying between single and double crystallisation. Salt crystals are separated, dried, and weighed to calculate yield. Pharmaceutical salt is analysed for water content, NaCl, and impurities (Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42-, and K+). The optimal conditions for pharmaceutical salt production were double crystallisation with a 20 % excess of chemicals (NaOH and Na2CO3), 100 min of crystallisation time, and a stirring speed of 600 rpm. This yielded a 15 % NaCl content of 99.87 %, Mg2+ at 0 ppm, Ca2+ at 69.6 ppm, SO42- at 366 ppm, K+ at 370 ppm, and water content at 0.166 %. Notably, the pharmaceutical salt production process generates no waste, as byproducts like Mg(OH)2 and CaCO3 can be recycled and hold commercial value. However, it is essential to re-evaluate raw materials and technologies to address the market\'s high cost and competitiveness issues.

Increasing serum osmolality has recently been linked with acute stress responses, which over time can lead to increased risk for obesity, hypertension, and other chronic diseases. Salt and fructose are two major stimuli that can induce acute changes in serum osmolality. Here we investigate the early metabolic effects of sodium and fructose consumption and determine whether the effects of sodium or fructose loading can be mitigated by blocking the change in osmolality with hydration. Forty-four healthy subjects without disease and medication were recruited into four groups. After overnight fasting, subjects in Group 1 drank 500 mL of salty soup, while those in Group 2 drank 500 mL of soup without salt for 15 min. Subjects in Group 3 drank 500 mL of 100% apple juice in 5 min, while subjects in Group 4 drank 500 mL of 100% apple juice and 500 mL of water in 5 min. Blood pressure (BP), plasma sodium, and glucose levels were measured every 15 min in the first 2 h. Serum and urine osmolarity, serum uric acid, cortisol, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), aldosterone, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and plasma renin activity (PRA) were measured at the baseline and 2 h. Both acute intake of salt or fructose increased serum osmolality (maximum ∼4 mOsm/L peaking at 75 min) associated with a rise in systolic and diastolic BP, PRA, aldosterone, ACTH, cortisol, plasma glucose, uric acid, and FGF21. Salt tended to cause greater activation of the renin-angiotensin-system (RAS), while fructose caused a greater rise in glucose and FGF21. In both cases, hydration could prevent the osmolality and largely block the acute stress response. Acute changes in serum osmolality can induce remarkable activation of the ACTH-cortisol, RAS, glucose metabolism, and uric acid axis that is responsive to hydration. In addition to classic dehydration, salt, and fructose-containing sugars can activate these responses. Staying well hydrated may provide benefits despite exposure to sugar and salt. More studies are needed to investigate whether hydration can block the chronic effects of sugar and salt on disease.

UNASSIGNED: Hypertension is highly prevalent in India; however, little is known about the dietary intakes of those living with hypertension, particularly in rural areas. The primary aim was to assess the dietary intakes of individuals living in rural India with self-reported history of hypertension. As secondary analyses, we explored the dietary impact of a salt substitute in this population group.
UNASSIGNED: This study used data from a large randomised controlled trial conducted in seven villages across rural India. Participants received either regular salt (100% sodium chloride) or the salt substitute (70% sodium chloride/30% potassium chloride) to replace all home salt use. Dietary intake at baseline and end-of-trial was assessed using 24-h dietary recalls. A range of dietary outcomes were assessed including energy intake, macronutrient intake and overall diet quality according to the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI).
UNASSIGNED: A total of 454 participants were included in the analysis. At baseline, mean (SE) energy intakes in regular salt group and salt substitute group were similar at 5240 (110) kJ/day and 5120 (106) kJ/day, respectively. This was largely attributable to intakes of carbohydrates (74.4% of total energy intakes for regular salt group vs 75.4% for the salt substitute group) followed by total fat (15.8% vs 15.4%) and protein (10.4% vs 10.3%). Both groups also had similar AHEI scores at baseline, with mean (SE) total scores equating to 33.0 (0.4) (out of a total 90) for the regular salt group and 32.7 (0.4) for the salt substitute group. Both groups received lowest AHEI scores across the following components: vegetables, fruit and wholegrains. At baseline, the mean (SE) intakes of sodium across the regular salt and salt substitute groups were similar at 2349 (67) mg/day and 2396 (64) mg/day, respectively. In the salt substitute group, there was a significant reduction in total sodium intakes over time (-264 mg/day, 95% CI, -442 to -85), driven by the use of the salt substitute.
UNASSIGNED: This study found individuals with hypertension living in rural India had poor dietary intakes, including low intakes of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, and high intakes of sodium. Salt substitutes may be an effective strategy for reducing sodium intake in this population group.

Acridines are a class of bioactive agents which exhibit high biological stability and the ability to intercalate with DNA; they have a wide range of applications. Pyridine derivatives have a wide range of biological activities. To enhance the properties of acridine and 2-amino-3-methylpyridine as the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), 4-nitrobenzoic acid was chosen as a coformer. In the present study, a mixture of acridine and 4-nitrobenzoic acid forms the salt acridinium 4-nitrobenzoate, C13H10N+·C7H4NO4- (I), whereas a mixture of 2-amino-3-methylpyridine and 4-nitrobenzoic acid forms the salt 2-amino-3-methylpyridinium 4-nitrobenzoate, C6H9N2+·C7H4NO4- (II). In both salts, protonation takes place at the ring N atom. The crystal structure of both salts is predominantly governed by hydrogen-bond interactions. In salt I, C-H...O and N-H...O interactions form an infinite chain in the crystal, whereas in salt II, intermolecular N-H...O interactions form an eight-membered R22(8) ring motif. A theoretical charge-density analysis reveals the charge-density distribution of the inter- and intramolecular interactions of both salts. An in-silico ADME analysis predicts the druglikeness properties of both salts and the results confirm that both salts are potential drug candidates with good bioavailability scores and there is no violation of the Lipinski rules, which supports the druglikeness properties of both salts. However, although both salts exhibit drug-like properties, salt I has higher gastrointestinal absorption than salt II and hence it may be considered a potential drug candidate.

Although the subject of numerous studies, the associations between dietary sodium, potassium, and the ratio of dietary sodium to potassium with blood pressure are not clear-cut. In addition, there is a paucity of research on these relationships in prospective cohort studies with representation from diverse Hispanic/Latino adults.
To evaluate the associations between dietary intake of sodium, potassium, and the ratio of dietary sodium to potassium and blood pressure in a diverse sample of Hispanics living in the United States.
This analysis included 11,429 Hispanic/Latino participants of the prospective cohort Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos recruited between 2008 and 2011 in visit 1 who participated in a follow-up visit in 2014-2017. Dietary sodium and potassium intakes were averaged from 2 interviewer-administered 24-h diet recalls collected at visit 1. At both visits, blood pressure was measured 3 times in a seated position and averaged. We assessed the relationship between dietary sodium, potassium, and the sodium-to-potassium ratio with changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure using survey-weighted multivariable-adjusted regression models.
At visit 1, the mean age was 41 y, and the mean sodium intake was 3203 mg/d. Each 500 mg/d sodium increment in intake was associated with an increase in systolic blood pressure (β: 0.35 [mmHg]; 95% confidence interval: 0.06, 0.63) and diastolic blood pressure (β: 0.45 [mmHg]; 95% confidence interval: 0.08, 0.82). Dietary potassium and the molar ratio of dietary sodium to potassium were not associated with changes in systolic or diastolic blood pressure.
Among a large sample of diverse United States Hispanic/Latino adults, higher sodium intake was associated with small increases in systolic blood pressure over 6 y. This research underscores the importance of dietary sodium reduction in maintaining lower blood pressure.

UNASSIGNED: Information on salt consumption patterns is needed to inform the need for and design of salt reduction strategies.
UNASSIGNED: In northern Ghana, this study aimed to estimate household consumption of salt, including salt from bouillon, and compare (estimated) women and children\'s salt intake to global recommendations; to estimate the proportion of salt consumed from bouillon; and to identify factors, including knowledge, attitudes, and practices, associated with household salt consumption.
UNASSIGNED: Employing mixed-methods methodology, we conducted a pilot survey (n = 369 households enrolled) and focus group discussions (FGDs; n = 20) in Tolon and Kumbungu districts (14 urban, 14 rural clusters) (clinicaltrials.gov registry: NCT04632771). Households reported purchases of discretionary salt (DS, \"table salt\") and bouillon cubes. DS and total salt (TS; DS+salt from bouillon) consumption for women (15-49 y) and children (2-5 y) were estimated using the Adult Male Equivalent method and compared with global recommendations (<5 g/d women; <3.75 g/d children). Women\'s salt intake was also predicted from urinary sodium excretion (INTERSALT equation). Associations between DS and TS consumption, as well as household and women\'s characteristics, were tested with minimally adjusted and multivariable linear mixed-effects models. Qualitative FGD themes were generated using the Framework Method.
UNASSIGNED: From household purchase data, estimated TS consumption exceeded global recommendations for 44% of children [median: 2.9 (IQR: 1.9, 5.2) g/d] and 60% of women [6.0 (4.0, 10.2) g/d]; 35% of children and 50% of women exceeded recommendations from DS alone. Bouillon contributed <25% of households\' TS consumption. Few characteristics were associated with DS or TS consumption. Salient qualitative themes that shaped salt consumption behaviors included salt\'s ubiquity as a seasoning, key household members\' influence on food procurement and preparation, and perceptions about health.
UNASSIGNED: Purchase data suggest salt consumption among women and children exceeds recommendations, even when excluding salt from bouillon; food prepared outside the home likely further contributes. Salt reduction interventions may be warranted in this context.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence is growing that high salt intake is an independent risk factor for obesity, but the mechanisms are unknown. Our novel working hypothesis is that high salt intake drives cortisol production, which in turn, drives obesity. The current study aimed to demonstrate an acute cortisol response following a single high salt meal.
METHODS: Eight participants (age 30.5 ± 9.8 years [mean ± SD], 50% female), consumed high salt (3.82 g; 1529 mg sodium) and low salt (0.02 g; 9 mg sodium) meals in a randomized cross-over design.
RESULTS: Urinary and salivary cortisol and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) demonstrated order effects. When high salt was given second, there was a peak above baseline for urinary cortisol (26.3%), salivary cortisol (9.4%) and plasma ACTH (4.1%) followed by a significant decline in each hormone (treatment*time, F[9, 18] = 2.641, p = 0.038, partial η2 = 0.569; treatment*time, F[12, 24] = 2.668, p = 0.020, partial η2 = 0.572; treatment*time, F[12, 24] = 2.580, p = 0.023, partial η2 = 0.563, respectively), but not when high salt was given first (p > 0.05 for all).
CONCLUSIONS: These intriguing findings provide partial support for our hypothesis and support a need for further research to elucidate the role of high salt intake in cortisol production and, in turn, in the aetiology of obesity.
BACKGROUND: ACTRN12623000490673; date of registration 12/05/2023; retrospectively registered.

Infant feeding guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations to support optimal infant health, growth, and development, and exploring adherence to guidelines is a useful way of assessing diet quality. The aim of this study was to determine adherence to the recently updated Ministry of Health \"Healthy Eating Guidelines for New Zealand Babies and Toddlers (0-2 years old)\". Data were obtained from First Foods New Zealand, a multicentre observational study of 625 infants aged 7.0-10.0 months. Caregivers completed two 24-h diet recalls and a demographic and feeding questionnaire. Nearly all caregivers (97.9%) initiated breastfeeding, 37.8% exclusively breastfed to around six months of age, and 66.2% were currently breastfeeding (mean age 8.4 months). Most caregivers met recommendations for solid food introduction, including appropriate age (75.4%), iron-rich foods (88.3%), puréed textures (80.3%), and spoon-feeding (74.1%). Infants consumed vegetables (63.2%) and fruit (53.9%) more frequently than grain foods (49.5%), milk and milk products (38.6%), and meat and protein-rich foods (31.8%). Most caregivers avoided inappropriate beverages (93.9%) and adding salt (76.5%) and sugar (90.6%). Our findings indicated that while most infants met the recommendations for the introduction of appropriate solid foods, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding could be improved, indicating that New Zealand families may need more support.