Sarah Egert

University of Bonn | Uni Bonn · Nutritional Physiology

Background: Vitamins A, D and E and beta-carotene may have a protective function for cognitive health, due to their antioxidant capacities. Methods: We analyzed data from 1334 non-demented participants (mean age 84 years) from the AgeCoDe study, a prospective multicenter-cohort of elderly general-practitioner patients in Germany, of whom n = 250...

Purpose Low-grade inflammation in obesity is associated with insulin resistance and other metabolic disturbances. In response to high-energy meal intake, blood concentrations of inflammatory markers, glucose and insulin rise. The aim of this study was to examine whether a basal inflammatory state influences postprandial responses. Methods A random...

Purpose The present work aimed to delineate (i) a revised protocol according to recent methodological developments in evidence generation, to (ii) describe its interpretation, the assessment of the overall certainty of evidence and to (iii) outline an Evidence to Decision framework for deriving an evidence-based guideline on quantitative and qualit...

Xanthohumol is the main prenylflavonoid in hops and has been associated with a wide range of health benefits, due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and cancer-preventive properties. Increasing evidence suggests that xanthohumol positively affects biomarkers associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This review s...

Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequent among patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Beyond weight reduction, dietary supplements like micronutrients or probiotics that modify insulin resistance and lipotoxicity can be used to prevent or delay the progression of liver disease. Objectives We evaluated the effect of a dietary...

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism impacts blood lipids and biomarkers of oxidation and inflammation, contributing to an isoform-dependent disease risk. We investigated the effect of the APOE genotype on postprandial metabolism after consumption of three different isoenergetic (4200 kJ) meals in older adults with a CVD risk phenotype. In a ra...

Consuming fat results in postprandial lipemia, which is defined as an increase in blood triglyceride (TG) concentration. According to current knowledge, an excessively elevated postprandial TG concentration increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is well known that meal-dependent (e.g., nutrient composition) as well as meal-independe...

Milk and dairy products, especially from cow’s milk, play a major role in the daily human diet. It is therefore hardly surprising that the subject of milk is being extensively researched and that many effects of individual milk components have been characterized as a result. With the wealth of results available today, the influence of milk on the d...

The present demographic changes toward an aging society caused a rise in the number of senior citizens and the incidence and burden of age-related diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases [CVD], cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD], diabetes mellitus, and dementia), of which nearly half is attributable to the population ≥60 years of ag...

Background: Omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may have different effects on cognitive health due to their anti- or pro-inflammatory properties. Methods: We aimed to prospectively examine the relationships between n-3 and n-6 PUFA contents in serum phospholipids with incident all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's di...

Diet has been hypothesized to be associated with neurodegenerative disorders. The aim was to conduct an umbrella review to summarize and evaluate the current evidence of prospective associations between any dietary factors and the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders. We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library...

Evidence is accumulating that vitamin D may have beneficial effects on respiratory tract, autoimmune, neuro-degenerative, and mental diseases. The present umbrella review of systematic reviews (SRs) of cohort studies and randomised controlled trials (RCTs), plus single Mendelian randomisation studies aims to update current knowledge on the potentia...

Scope The aim of this study was to investigate acute postprandial responses to intake of meals typical for Mediterranean and Western diets. Methods In a randomized crossover design, overweight and obese participants with a risk phenotype for cardiometabolic diseases consumed three different iso‐energetic meals: Western diet high‐fat (WDHF), Wester...

Following on from the previous publication (part 1) summarizing study results on the association between egg intake and risk of cardiovascular diseases, the aim of this article was to assess the association between egg intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the effect on cardiometa- bolic risk factors. Overall, study results from previo...

Although eggs are a valuable source of nutrients, the role of egg intake has been controversially discussed due to eggs´ high content of cholesterol. Currently there is no consensus in the recommendations of (inter)national nutrition and cardiological scientific bodies on egg and cholesterol intake. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews and recent coho...

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are major components of milk protein and important precursors for non-essential AA. Thus, the BCAA transport and break-down play a key role in the metabolic adaptation to the high nutrient demands in lactation. However, in monogastrics, increased BCAA levels have been linked with obesity and certain metabolic disor...

Research suggests that attention, mood, and satiety can be influenced by meal composition and postprandial activity. The present study examined whether this hypothesis applies to persons with a risk phenotype for the development of cardiovascular/neurodegenerative diseases. A randomized crossover trial was conducted in subjects with metabolic syndr...

Hintergrund: Die begleitende Ernährungstherapie von Intensivpatienten stellt eine besondere Herausforderung in der klinischen Routine dar und erfordert die Implementation von leitlinienbasierten Handlungsanweisungen. Methoden: In einer retrospektiven Analyse wurde die Umsetzung der klinikinternen Handlungsanweisung zur Ernährung kritisch kranker Pa...

Branched-chain amino acid transporters (BCAAT) are crucial to sensing AA availability and regulating BCAA homeostasis, e.g., via interaction with the mechanistic target of rapamycin. Except for mammary gland and placenta, their abundance in metabolically active tissues in dairy cows is mostly unknown. Thus, we aimed to 1) compare the mRNA abundance...

Background: Research suggests that postprandial events, as risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), are influenced by meal composition and exercise. Objectives: We investigated the effect of walking versus rest on postprandial metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative events following the consumption of test meals reflecting 2 different die...

Purpose: Flavonoid consumption during adolescence could contribute to preventing adult onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. We investigated the prospective association between habitual intake of flavonoids from fruit and vegetables (FlavFV) during adolescence and risk markers of type 2 diabetes in early adulthood. Methods: This analysis included p...

Scope The nutrition societies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland are the joint editors of the ‘D‐A‐CH reference values for nutrient intake’, which are revised regularly. Methods and Results By reviewing and evaluating vitamin B12‐related biomarker studies, the reference values for vitamin B12 were revised in 2018. For adults, the estimated intake...

Branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex catalyzes the irreversible oxidative decarboxylation of branched-chain α-keto acids. This reaction is considered as the rate-limiting step in the overall branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolic pathway in mammals. For characterizing the potential enzymatic involvement of liver, skeletal mu...

Objectives: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and quercetin are characteristic compounds in plant-based diets. Cardioprotective effects have been described for both substances, although a possible benefit of combining ALA and quercetin has not, to our knowledge, been evaluated yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential independent and ad...

Zusammenfassung Die Auswertung der Prospective Urban Rural Epidemioloy (PURE)-Studie von Dehghan et al. sowie verschiedene, in diesem Zusammenhang veröffentlichte Schlagzeilen suggerierten, dass die Ergebnisse der Studie die gängigen Ernährungsempfehlungen widerlegen und die Empfehlungen dahingehend geändert werden müssten, die Kohlenhydratzufuhr z...

Background: The 'gold standard' test for the indirect determination of pancreatic function status in infants with cystic fibrosis (CF), the 72-hour faecal fat excretion test, is likely to become obsolete in the near future. Alternative indirect pancreatic function tests with sufficient sensitivity and specificity to determine pancreatic phenotype...

Introduction: Identifying circulating metabolites that are associated with cognition and dementia may improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of dementia and provide crucial readouts for preventive and therapeutic interventions. Methods: We studied 299 metabolites in relation to cognition (general cognitive ability) in two discovery cohort...

Objectives Plant-derived α-linolenic acid (ALA) may exert cardioprotective effects. Dietary ALA can undergo desaturation and elongation to form long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, but the extent to which this occurs in humans is unclear. The aim of the study was to examine the effects of an energy-restricted diet enriched with ALA on fatty...

Purpose Chronic low-level systemic and adipose tissue inflammation has been identified as a major etiologic factor in many chronic diseases, including hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Evidence from experimental studies suggests anti-inflammatory effects of dietary flavonols such as quercetin. Methods We investigated the effects of regular...

Background: Increased physical activity may be advantageous for weight loss. Objective: We investigated the effects of an energy-restricted diet with and without moderate walking on body weight, body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), and endocrine and cardiometabolic risk variables in overweight and obese participants. Methods: A 12-wk...

Increased dietary intake and tissue status of the long-chain n-3 PUFA, EPA and DHA, is associated with cardiovascular benefits. Epidemiological and animal studies suggest that concomitant nutritive intake of flavonoids may increase the conversion of ?-linolenic acid (ALA) to longer-chain n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. We investigated the effects of i...

Purpose To determine whether postprandial metabolic and vascular responses induced by a high-fat and high-carbohydrate meal are attenuated by ingestion of the flavonol quercetin. Methods Twenty-two overweight-to-obese hypertensive patients participated in a randomized, double-blind, controlled, crossover meal study. They consumed a test meal (chall...

Hintergrund: Kritisch Kranke weisen erhebliche metabolische Veränderungen wie eine starke Proteinkatabolie, eine verminderte Verwertung von Glukose infolge einer Insulinresistenz sowie einen erhöhten Energieumsatz auf. Diese krankheitsbedingten Stoffwechselveränderungen bedürfen einer gezielten individuellen Ernährungstherapie. Methoden: Zur Analys...

Purpose: To investigate the plasma kinetics of quercetin derived from hard capsules filled with onion skin extract powder or quercetin dihydrate in humans. Methods: In a randomized, single-blind, diet-controlled crossover study, 12 healthy subjects (six men and six women) aged 21-33 years were administered a single oral supra-nutritional dose of...

Background Osteomalacia and cardiometabolic disorders are favored in morbidly obese patients due to an inadequate vitamin D (VD) status. Former trials supplementing orally VD (20–50 μg/day) in crystalline form after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) could not stabilize serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels at predefined concentrations (≥50 nmol/l). We hypot...

The objective of the four-way cross-over pilot study was the investigation of quercetin bioavailability after ingestion of apple quercetin incorporated in different matrices and quercetin dihydrate capsule. Six healthy volunteers were given a standard diet supplemented with 71 μmol quercetin equivalents from vacuum impregnated apple chips, apple pe...

The polyphenol quercetin may prevent CVD due to its antihypertensive and vasorelaxant properties. We investigated the effects of quercetin after regular intake on blood pressure (BP) in overweight-to-obese patients with pre-hypertension and stage I hypertension. In addition, the potential mechanisms responsible for the hypothesised effect of querce...

Besides carbohydrates, other nutrients, such as dietary protein and amino acids; the supply of fat, vitamin D, and vitamin K; and sodium intake seem to affect glucose homeostasis. Although their impact is less pronounced than that of the amount and composition of carbohydrates, it seems reasonable to consider how nutrient intake habits may be modif...

Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption and salt intake are known dietary influences on blood pressure (BP) in adults, but data on their long-term relevance during growth for later BP are rare. We aimed to examine the independent and concomitant influences of adolescent FV and salt intakes on BP in young adulthood. In total, 206 participants (108 male...

Plant-derived α-linolenic acid (ALA) may reduce the risk of CVD, possibly by decreasing systemic inflammation and improving endothelial function. In the present study, the effects of a hypoenergetic diet rich in ALA (3·4 g/d) on the biomarkers of systemic inflammation and vascular function were investigated in eighty-one overweight-to-obese patient...

Chronic low-grade inflammation represents a likely intermediary in the relation between carbohydrate nutrition and both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study assessed the prospective association between carbohydrate quantity and quality [dietary glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), and added sugar, fiber, and whole-grain intake...

We aimed to investigate the effects of increased intake of α-linolenic acid (ALA), EPA, or DHA incorporated into a food matrix on the fatty acid composition of erythrocytes and on biomarkers of oxidant/antioxidant status. To this end, a controlled dietary study was conducted in 74 healthy men and women. The participants were randomly assigned to 1...

ApoE is a key protein in lipid metabolism with three major isoforms. ApoE allele frequencies show non-random global distribution especially in Europe with high apoE ε3 frequency in the Mediterranean area, whereas the apoE ε4 genotype is enriched in Northern Europe. The apoE ε4 genotype is one of the most important genetic risk factors for age-depen...

Purpose: To investigate the influence of dietary proteins (casein, soy protein) and skimmed milk on the plasma kinetics of green tea (GT) catechins. Methods: In a randomized cross-over design with one-week intervals, 24 healthy normal-weight women consumed a test drink containing 1.75 g GT extract with or without the addition of different protei...

To provide a detailed lipid profile of a European adolescent population considering age, gender, biological maturity, body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM) and percentage body fat (BF). Within Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA), a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine fasting serum concentrations of lipids, l...

Epidemiological studies indicate that the consumption of milk and dairy products is inversely associated with a lower risk of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. In particular, whey protein seems to induce these effects because of bioactive compounds such as lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, glutamine and lactalbumin. In addition, it is an...

In vitro, quercetin is a potent antioxidant, with anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities, and influences the expression of certain genes. However, many of these effects are only observed at concentrations that can hardly be reached in man. In addition, quercetin mainly occurs in vivo in the form of metabolites, with properties different...

The flavonoid quercetin is thought to help in preventing diseases linked to oxidative stress. Quercetin occurs in many foods of plant origin, in the form of various beta-glycosides. The daily intake is 10-20 mg. Quercetin glucosides can be hydrolysed in the small intestine by lactase. The released aglycone is taken up into the mucus membrane cells...

The flavonol quercetin, is one of the major flavonoids found in edible plants. The bioavailability of quercetin in humans may be influenced by the food matrix in which it is consumed as well as by its chemical and physical form. The objective of the present study was to investigate the biokinetics of quercetin from quercetin-enriched cereal bars an...

The allele ε4 of apolipoprotein E (APOE), which is a key regulator of lipid metabolism, represents a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and Alzheimer's disease. Despite its adverse effects, the allele is common and shows a nonrandom global distribution that is thought to be the result of evolutionary adaptation. One hypothesis proposes that th...

Dysfunction of the endothelium plays an integral role in atherogenesis. This review summarizes recent findings on the effects of marine [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] and plant [alpha-linolenic acids (ALA)] n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on endothelial function in healthy individuals and in patients with cardiova...

To study the effects of the dietary fat content on cardiovascular disease risk factors in humans when the fatty acid composition and types of carbohydrates are kept constant. A controlled dietary study in healthy volunteers with 2 dietary groups and a parallel design consisting of 2 dietary periods was conducted. First, participants received a 2-we...

There is recent epidemiological evidence that chocolate consumption may improve vascular health. Furthermore, several small-scale human intervention studies indicate that habitual chocolate intake enhances the production of vasodilative nitric oxide and may lower blood pressure. It is hypothesized that potential beneficial effects of chocolate on v...

There is increasing interest in the potential health benefits of dietary flavonoids. Fruits and vegetables, tea, and cocoa are rich natural sources of flavonoids. Epidemiological studies have indicated that consumption of these foods is likely to be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, but the etiology of this benefit is not ye...

Our objective was to investigate the effect of quercetin supplementation on fasting resting energy expenditure (REE) and respiratory quotient (RQ) in humans. Six healthy, normal-weight women (mean age 25.5 ± 1.6 years, body mass index 21.4 ± 1.5 kg/m(2)) participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded crossover study. Treatments we...

Quercetin has been described as having a wide range of beneficial effects in humans, ranging from anti-carcinogenic properties to reducing the risk of CVD. Nevertheless, underlying molecular mechanisms have been mostly investigated in vitro. Here, we tested whether a daily supplementation of quercetin leads to reproducible changes in human monocyte...

Our objective was to examine the effect of a quercetin supplementation on blood pressure, lipid metabolism, markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and body composition in an at-risk population of 93 overweight-obese volunteers aged 25-65 y with metabolic syndrome traits in relation to apolipoprotein (apo) E genotype. Participants were randomize...

There is increasing evidence that the HDL-associated enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) may have a protective function in the atherosclerotic process. An enhancement of PON1 activity by dietary factors including flavonoids is therefore of interest. Quercetin, a flavonol frequently present in fruits and vegetables has been shown to induce PON1 in cultured...

There is increasing evidence that the intracellular antioxidant enzyme paraoxonase 2 (PON2) may have a protective function in the prevention of atherogenesis. An enhancement of PON2 activity by dietary factors including flavonoids is therefore of interest. In the present study we determined the effect of quercetin on paraoxonase 2 levels in culture...

Regular consumption of flavonoids may reduce the risk for CVD. However, the effects of individual flavonoids, for example, quercetin, remain unclear. The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of quercetin supplementation on blood pressure, lipid metabolism, markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and body composition in an at-risk...

Our aim was to study the effects of increased dietary intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on serum lipids and LDL fatty acid compositions. To this end, a controlled parallel study was conducted in 74 healthy normolipidemic men and women aged 19-43 y. Participants were randomly assigned to...

To investigate the effects of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and purified eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on fasting concentrations of glucose, insulin, fructosamine, on glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and on insulin sensitivity. A randomized strictly controlled dietary study in 48 healthy volunteers (13 males, 35 females) of...