Sally M Vanegas

Tufts University | Tufts · Nutritional Immunology Research Laboratory

Background: Emerging evidence suggests novel roles for bacterially derived vitamin K forms known as menaquinones in health and disease, which may be attributable in part to anti-inflammatory effects. However, the relevance of menaquinones produced by gut bacteria to vitamin K requirements and inflammation is undetermined. Objective: This study aime...

Background: The effect of whole grains on the regulation of energy balance remains controversial. Objective: We aimed to determine the effects of substituting whole grains for refined grains, independent of body weight changes, on energy-metabolism metrics and glycemic control. Design: The study was a randomized, controlled, parallel-arm controlled...

Background: Observational studies suggest an inverse association between whole-grain (WG) consumption and inflammation. However, evidence from interventional studies is limited, and few studies have included measurements of cell-mediated immunity.Objective:We assessed the effects of diets rich in WGs compared with refined grains (RGs) on immune and...

Observational studies suggest an association between diets rich in whole grains (WG) and a decrease in inflammatory markers. Yet, this is not clearly supported by the conflicting or limited number of interventional studies, few of which have included markers of cell‐mediated immunity, which are important functional aspects of the immune system. Fur...

Several epidemiological studies reported an association between a diet rich in whole grains (WG) and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Diets rich in WG may decrease the risk of CVD through the effects of b‐glucan, which slows carbohydrate absorption and lowers LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol by reducing reabsorption of bile acids....

Whole grain‐rich diets are consistently associated with lower adiposity in observational studies. However, clinical trials have failed to substantiate this association or identify underlying mechanisms. The inconsistency has been suggested to be due to trial methodology including suboptimal dietary control and confounding due to body weight changes...

Abstract Observational studies suggest an association between diets rich in whole grains (WG) and a decrease in inflammatory markers. Yet, this is not clearly supported by the conflicting or limited number of interventional studies, few of which have included markers of cell-mediated immunity, which are important functional aspects of the immune sy...

Obesity is associated with low‐grade inflammation and impaired T cell‐mediated immune response. Caloric restriction (CR) is shown to reduce inflammatory response and enhance cell‐mediated immune function. Spice compound curcumin (C) is proposed to have anti‐obesity and anti‐inflammation properties while piperine (P) enhances its bioavailability and...

Background Obesity is associated with low-grade inflammation and impaired immune response. Caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to inhibit inflammatory response and enhance cell-mediated immune function. Curcumin, the bioactive phenolic component of turmeric spice, is proposed to have anti-obesity and anti-inflammation properties while piperine,...

Systemic chronic inflammation is linked to metabolic syndrome, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Gram negative microbial product, triggers inflammation through toll-like-receptor-4 (TLR-4) signaling. It has been reported that dietary fatty acids also modulate inflammation through TLR-4. We investigated whether fish oil...

Tooth extraction has been identified as an important risk factor for bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to determine the effects of alendronate on healing of the extraction socket and on interdental alveolar bone after tooth extraction in rats. Animals were injected subcutaneously with vehicl...

Diet rich in n‐3 fatty acid (NF) is linked to reduced inflammation. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Gram negative bacterial product, triggers inflammatory response through toll like receptor‐4 (TLR4) signaling. Objective of this study was to investigate whether diet rich NF in comparison with diet rich in saturated fatty acid (SF) would protect against...

Population attributable risk and population attributable risk percentage for methylmalonicacidemia in the post‐folic acid fortification period in the US Serum methylmalonic acid (MMA) is a sensitive marker of cobalamin status. We investigated population attributable risk (PAR) and population attributable risk percentage (PAR%) for high serum MMA (>...

bFGF stimulates osteo- and adipogenesis concurrently at skeletal sites with red but not with fatty marrow, whereas a PGE2 receptor subtype 4 agonist has bone anabolic effects at both skeletal sites and decreases adipose tissue within red and fatty marrow. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulates osteogenesis at skeletal sites with hematopoi...

The study was designed to compare the bone anabolic effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a selective agonist for prostaglandin E receptor subtype EP4, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in aged ovariectomized (OVX) rats with severe cancellous osteopenia. Groups of aged OVX rats were maintained untreated for 1 year postovariectomy (15 months...