Shámila Ismael

• Universidade NOVA de Lisboa

Appetite, as the internal drive for food intake, is often dysregulated in a broad spectrum of conditions associated with over- and under-nutrition across the lifespan. Appetite regulation is a complex, integrative process comprising psychological and behavioral events, peripheral and metabolic inputs, and central neurotransmitter and metabolic inte...

Introduction Empowerment lifestyle programs are needed to reduce the risk of hypertension. Our study compared the effectiveness of two empowerment-based approaches toward blood pressure (BP) reduction: salt reduction-specific program vs. healthy lifestyle general program. Methods Three hundred and eleven adults (median age of 44 years, IQR 34–54 y...

Although elevated blood levels of trimethylamine N -oxide (TMAO) have been associated with atherosclerosis development in humans, the role of its gut microbiota-derived precursor, TMA, in this process has not been yet deciphered. Taking this into account, and the fact that increased intestinal fatty acid absorption contributes to atherosclerosis on...

Background and Aims Although gut inflammation and dysbiosis have been implicated in the pathophysiology of severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the role of intestinal anti-inflammatory enzymes, such as alkaline phosphatase, is still underexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare intestinal alkaline phosphatase (iALP)...

Background Subjects with obesity exhibit changes in gut microbiota composition and function (i.e. dysbiosis) that contribute to metabolic dysfunction, including appetite impairment. Although bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for obesity with a great impact on weight loss, some subjects show weight regain due to increased energy intake aft...

Background/objectives: Indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) is a tryptophan-derived microbial metabolite that has been associated with protective effects against inflammatory and metabolic diseases. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the effects of IPA under physiological conditions and at the intestinal level. Materials/methods: Human int...

Adipose tissue dysfunction is a key mechanism that leads to adiposity-based chronic disease. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of the adiponectin/leptin ratio (AdipoQ/Lep) as an adipose tissue and metabolic function biomarker in adults with obesity, without diabetes. Data were collected from a clinical trial conducted in 28 adults wit...

Gut microbiota modulation might constitute a mechanism mediating the effects of beer on health. In this randomized, double-blinded, two-arm parallel trial, 22 healthy men were recruited to drink 330 mL of nonalcoholic beer (0.0% v/v) or alcoholic beer (5.2% v/v) daily during a 4-week follow-up period. Blood and faecal samples were collected before...

Background & aims: Although intermittent energy restriction (IER) seems to be as effective as continuous energy restriction (CER) for weight loss, there is still a need to determine the putative effect of this strategy upon the metabolic-inflammatory status. This study aimed to compare the effects of IER versus CER on cardiometabolic and inflammat...

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IALP) has recently assumed a special relevance, being the subject of study in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases related to leaky gut. This brush border enzyme (ecto-enzyme) plays an important role in the maintenance of intestinal microbial homeostasis and intestinal barrier function through its abilit...

The FEEDMI Study (NCT03663556) evaluated the influence of infant feeding (mother’s own milk (MOM), donor human milk (DHM) and formula) on the fecal microbiota composition and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in extremely and very preterm infants (≤32 gestational weeks). In this observational study, preterm infants were recruited within the first...

The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been recommended for type 2 diabetes (T2D) treatment. The impact of diet in shaping the gut microbiota is well known, particularly for MD. However, the link between MD and diabetes outcome improvement is not completely clear. This study aims to evaluate the role of microbiota modulation by a nonpharmacological interv...

Objective Salt restriction and potassium (K) intake can lower blood pressure (BP) and reduce the risk for cardiovascular (CV) diseases. However, it is still unclear which approaches are most effective in changing diet behavior. We evaluated the impact of two education prevention programs in promoting healthy eating habits in the general population....