STUDY QUESTION How common is the use of herbal supplements during pregnancy and does it adversely affect the pregnancy outcome? SUMMARY ANSWER The use of herbal products during pregnancy is very common and daily almond oil spreading is associated with preterm birth (PTB). WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Herbal drugs are often promoted as 'natural' and 'safe' and such claims attract p...

Blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) imaging in awake mice was used to identify differences in brain activity between wild-type, HETzQ175, and HOMzQ175 genotypes in response to the odor of almond. The study was designed to see how alterations in the huntingtin gene in a mouse model of Huntington's disease would affect the perception and processing of almond odor, an evolutionarily conserved stim...

Lingual lipase generates nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) from dietary fats during oral processing by lipolysis. Lingual lipase in rodents has strong lipolytic activity and plays a critical role in oral detection of fats. The functional activity of lingual lipase during oral processing of high-fat foods in humans remains poorly characterized. Five commonly consumed high-fat foods varying in phy...

Almond consumption is associated with ameliorations in obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. The hypothesis of this 12-week randomized crossover clinical trial was that almond consumption would improve glycemic control and decrease the risk for cardiovascular disease in 20 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (9 male, 11 female; 58 years old; body mass index...

Almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.), one of the most important nut crops, requires chilling during winter to develop fruiting buds. However, early spring chilling and late spring frost may damage the reproductive tissues leading to reduction in the rate of productivity. Despite the importance of transcriptional changes and regulation, little is known about the almond's transcriptome under the cold str...

I n addition to physical activity and healthy food choices, low-calorie sweetening agents, such as aspartame, are a recommended alternative to sugar for patients with type 2 diabetes in order to obtain a better control of carbohydrate intake and blood glucose levels (1–3). The safety of aspartame has been a controversial issue for quite some time now. This noncarbohydrate sweetener is currently...