Fazakas Zita has completed her graduation from University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tirgu-Mures in 2011. She is currently working at Department of Biochemistry and Environment Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tirgu- Mures, Romania. Her area of expertise is around Dietetics and Nutrition. She is full time Teaching Member of Biochemistry Discipline and main Biochemistry Lecturer for 1st year students of specializations: (Romanian, Hungarian and English series), Dental Medicine, Medical Nursing, Nutrition and Diabetics and Physiokinetotherapy.

AbstractrnrnPurpose: The purpose of this study was to use as many nutrition tools as possible to calculate more dietary parameters from food questionnaire of patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases and obesity. The dietary assessment instruments (DAI) for research (DAIR) are tools that calculate dietary parameters such as daily nutrient recommendations. rnrnMaterial & Methods: The study group included patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) admitted to the cardiovascular rehabilitation clinic in Tirgu Mures and the subjects filled a questionnaire with the food consumption for the previous year, 2017. rnrnResults: The daily nutrient recommendations for a 55 years, 168 cm, 96 kg female patient calculated with DAI is 2308 kcal/day, 75 mg vitamin C, 1.5 mg vitamin B6, 8 mg zinc, 0.9 mg copper. The dietary parameters for this patient calculated with DAIR are healthy eating index (HEI)=60, alternate healthy eating index (AHEI)=40, dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) score=10, dietary inflammatory index (DII)=+1, dietary anti-inflammation index (D-AII)=-1, index inflammatory score of diet (ISD)=30 and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC)=5000. The dietary parameters calculated with FFQs is 1637 kcal/day, 230 mg vitamin C, 0.5 mg vitamin B6, 5 mg zinc, 0.6 mg copper, HEI=53, AHEI=47, DASH=7, DII=+1.86, A-AII=-1.86, ISD=22 and ORAC=5000. The average ORAC value for 37 patients with cardiovascular diseases was 3641 ORAC for women and 2601 ORAC for men. The difference between daily nutrient recommendations and daily nutrient intake of the patient represents a probability of inadequate nutrients of 30% due to the lack of daily nutrition of nuts, seeds and vegetable oils that have therapeutic properties of CVD patients. rnrnConclusions: Dietary assessment instruments for research could be a useful tool for nutritional counseling. In future web-based nutrition analysis software services should become popular among obese patients with cardiovascular disease.rn

Monica Tarcea is the Professor in the Department of community Nutrition and Food Safety in the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tirgu Mures and also Hygiene Discipline (between 1994-2012). She organized 20 Post-graduate courses for Physicians, Nurses, Chemists and Biologists, regarding nutrition, food safety, environment hazards, water and air quality, reproductive health and life style management. She is Member of Romanian Public Health Association and EUPHA, Romanian Society of Behavioral Medicine and ISBM, Healthy Nutrition Foundation, Romanian Nutrition and Dietetics Association (ARoND), Romanian Hygiene Society, Romanian Society for School Physicians, also in Editorial Committee of Hygiene and Public Health Journal and Journal of Obesity and Eating Disorders.

Objectives: The objective of the study is to estimate the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of Romanian population, and their knowledge towards dietary fibre intake, the information sources preferred and perception of obesity related health risks.\r\n\r\nMethods: We used a convenient cross-sectional survey, and the data were collected using a validated questionnaire, disseminated online. Six different Romanian counties with 57 cities were selected in 2016, with 670 participants, and we used the SPSS program 22.0 for statistical purpose. The same questionnaire was applied in other seven European countries, as part of an international project design.\r\n\r\nResults: The knowledge about dietary fibres intake was low in Romanian sample, also was the ingestion of foods rich in fibre (fruits, vegetables and cereals). Compared to men, women agree significantly more frequent that fibres in appropriate amounts can prevent or treat diseases (U=44607, z=-4.66, p<0.001, r=0.18) and separately related to specific diseases, that fibres can prevent and/or treat cardio-vascular diseases, cholesterol, bowel cancer, breast cancer, constipation, and diabetes, but with no differences regarding the deficiency of vitamins and minerals (p=0.774) or obesity (p=0.399). Regarding the differences observed by countries, the highest fruit consumption was found for Portugal (11.7 portions per week), while the lowest was for Hungary (7.4) and Latvia (7.1). Turkey, that had the highest interest for food labelling (4.0 points), contrarily to Macedonia (3.0) with the lowest value, and Hungary with 3.6 points. The in-depth analysis of factors that are able to influence European’s knowledge and attitudes towards food fibres, defined the social profile of the respondents with interest on dietary fibre intake, which is: young females, with at least high school education, that considers internet and television like main sources of information regarding fibres.\r\n\r\nConclusions: Based on our results, we can elaborate efficient community and school intervention programs, more focused on modern information technology and communication skills, fit to the consumer’s profile in order to promote a healthy nutrition behavior and proper knowledge.\r\n

Elena Mardale is a Bucharest based certified nutrition consultant and fitness diet nutrition specialist, certified by Asociatia Internationala Masterclass in 2014 and a student of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Targu Mures where she is currently completing the degree in Nutrition and Dietetics (graduation expected in 2019). She also holds a certification from Horeca School as a pastry chef. In the past two years she has been collaborating with UTA ARAD-Club Fotbal as nutritionist of the football team while running her individual freelance nutrition consultant activity. Her current research focuses on evaluation of the health status of professional athletes, with a particular interest to the role of antioxidants in their diets and overall health.

Background: Professional sports have a major impact onto athletes’ protein metabolism. An essential role for sports performance is played by balanced diets that help meet energy requirements of athletes. The amino acid panel is important for exploration of protein metabolism.\r\n \r\nObjective: The objective of this study was to explore protein metabolism profile among professional athletes through the measurement of amino acids levels of isoleucine, leucine, valine, arginine, and tryptophan.\r\n\r\nMaterials & Methods: Data was collected using quantum bioresonance equipment for measurement of amino acid levels, and a food frequency questionnaire was adapted for exploration of the nutritional status of athletes. Ninety nine (99) people took part in the study, 24 athletes from University of Medicine and Pharmacy Targu Mures aged 18-28 and 75 athletes from Transylvania University of Brasov between 19-46 years old. None of them were using protein supplements.\r\n\r\nResults: None of the subjects monitored has deficiencies in amino acid levels measured. In our sample, 36 athletes (36.36%) had a slightly high level of isoleucine, 46 (46.46%) a slightly high level of leucine, 34 (34.34%) a lower level of tryptophan, 30 athletes (30.30%) presented a moderately high level of tryptophan, and 2 (2.02%) a high level of tryptophan, also 45 (45.45%) a mild surplus of valine and 63 (63.64%) a mild surplus of arginine. Based on our questionnaire data, 64.64% of athletes were identified as having a higher animal protein intake than recommended, especially young male athletes.\r\n\r\nConclusion: The variations in athletes’ protein metabolism, indicated by the discrepancies in the amino acids panel, point out the need to implement a well-organized and balanced diet for professional athletes that would help improve their performance and their weight during and after sport life. \r\n\r\nKeywords: amino acids, protein metabolism, athletes, sports performance.