Effectiveness of mindfulness based cognitive therapy on weight loss, improvement of hypertension and attentional bias to eating cues in overweight people

Objectives:Prevalence rates of overweight and obesity are dramatically ever-increasing across the world.Therefore,this study was to evaluate the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy(MBCT)on weight loss,hypertension,and attentional bias towards food cues in a group of women affected with this condition.Methods:A total of 45 participants were selected out of women referring to the Nutrition and Diet Therapy Clinic affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences,Iran,and then randomized into three groups of 15.The first experimental group was subjected to an energy-restricted diet therapy together with MBCT during 8 sessions,the second group took the diet therapy alone,and the third group received no intervention.Body mass index(BMI),hypertension,and attentional bias towards food cues were correspondingly evaluated before,at the end,and four weeks after the completion of the interventions.Results:The results of this study revealed that MBCT,along with diet therapy,had been significantly more effective in weight loss,decrease in BMI,lower systolic blood pressure(SBP),and attentional bias towards food cues compared with the diet therapy alone(P≤0.01).MBCT had no significant impact on the decline in diastolic blood pressure(DBP)in participants in the follow-up phase.Conclusion:This study demonstrated that MBCT along with the conventional diet therapy was more effective in weight loss,decrease in BMI,hypertension control,as well as attentional bias towards food cues than the diet therapy alone.

Effect of date palm pollen supplementation on female sexual function in non-menopausal women:A double blind randomized clinical trial

Objective:Despite numerous experimental studies in the literature,there are few clinical trials regarding the effect of date palm pollen(DPP)supplementation on sexual function improvement.In the present study,we sought to evaluate the impact of DPP on female sexual function in Iranian non-menopausal women.Methods:Between October 2019 and December 2019,health centers in the city of Khalkhal,volunteers meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited in randomized clinical trials.Sixty-eight women were randomly stratified and assigned to one of the two study groups:placebo group(n=35)and palm pollen group(n=35),and received a starch or palm pollen capsule(300 mg per day),respectively,for 35 d.The Female Sexual Function Index(FSFI)instrument was used to assess female sexual function.Results:After DPP supplementation,the increase in desire,lubrication,and the overall score,was statistically significant compared to the placebo group(P=0.002,P=0.000,and P=0.042;respectively);Whilst there was no significant differences in the remaining domains(arousal:P=0.763;orgasm:P=0.370;satisfaction:P=0.474;pain:P=0.259).There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the coitus and preintervention levels of desire(r=0.298,P=0.038),arousal(r=0.328,P=0.021),lubrication(r=0.361,P=0.011),orgasm(r=0.320,P=0.025),satisfaction(r=0.327,P=0.022),and overall scores(r=0.338,P=0.018).Conclusion:This study suggests that DPP(300 mg supplementation for 35 d),given to non-menopausal women,could improve the lubrication and desire domains of FSFI.