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The global market for dietary supplements has advanced in recent years capitalizing on the growing awareness of healthy living worldwide. Supplements provide enhanced nutritional levels for daily competitive performance. However, there is a need to explore the quality of dietary supplements as there are few studies related to this area. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the microbiological quality of dietary supplements in the local markets of Saudi Arabia. The total bacterial count, coliform, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus were included in this analysis. The 80 most popular supplements were tested in this study. Our results showed that microbial contamination was present in only nine products. The microbial level ranged from 1.69-8.43 Log CFU/mL. The higher level of total count (8.43 Log CFU/mL) and S. aureus (8.39 Log CFU/mL) were found in supplement glutamine. Amino acids, dynamisan, glucosamine sulfate, glucosaiene, creatine monohydrate, whey protein, and folate acid also showed the presence of bacterial contamination. Our findings suggested that improvements are needed in these supplements which were tested for microbiological contamination. These findings highlight the fact that a review of product safety and quality is becoming increasingly important for consumer health. This will help to ensure safe products available for today's savvy, health-conscious consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to understand the usage patterns of dietary supplements among professional athletes in Saudi Arabia. The survey consisted of sixteen questions divided into four categories: use of supplements, reason for consumption of supplements, personal beliefs about supplements, and behavior. The questionnaires were given to the three teams residing in Riyadh: Al Hilal, Al Nasr, and Al-Shabab. Out of the 105 athletes surveyed, we found that only 98 are currently taking dietary supplements and the mean age and standard deviation were 25.74 ± 2.90.The survey results showed a high percentage of athletes (93.3%; n = 98) using different dietary supplements throughout the season, 43.8% (n = 43) reported using supplements for performance, and 32.6% (n = 32) believed in health benefits as a reason for using dietary supplements. Our results showed that a total of 87 (88.7%), 81 (82.6%), and 51 (52.0%) athletes are consuming sports drinks, vitamin C, and multivitamins, respectively. Meanwhile, those supplements ranking among the least used included omega 6 (18.6%), creatine (16.3%), and Ginkgo biloba (10.2%). A majority of athletes indicated that their use of supplements was for the purpose of improving their health and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A considerable body of research has demonstrated that reducing sitting time benefits health. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the prevalence of sedentary behavior (SB) and its patterns. Methods: A total of 6975 university students (49.1% female) were chosen randomly to participate in a face-to-face interview. The original English version of the sedentary behavior questionnaire (SBQ) was previously translated into Arabic. Then, the validated Arabic version of the SBQ was used to assess SB. The Arabic SBQ included 9 types of SB (watching television, playing computer/video games, sitting while listening to music, sitting and talking on the phone, doing paperwork or office work, sitting and reading, playing a musical instrument, doing arts and crafts, and sitting and driving/riding in a car, bus or train) on weekdays and weekends. Results: SBQ indicated that the total time of SB was considerably high (478.75 ± 256.60 and 535.86 ± 316.53 (min/day) during weekdays and weekends, respectively). On average, participants spent the most time during the day doing office/paperwork (item number 4) during weekdays (112.47 ± 111.11 min/day) and weekends (122.05 ± 113.49 min/day), followed by sitting time in transportation (item number 9) during weekdays (78.95 ± 83.25 min/day) and weekends (92.84 ± 100.19 min/day). The average total sitting time of the SBQ was 495.09 ± 247.38 (min/day) and 58.4% of the participants reported a high amount of sitting time (≥ 7 hours/day). Independent t-test showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between males and females in all types of SB except with doing office/paperwork (item number 4). The results also showed that male students have a longer daily sitting time (521.73 ± 236.53 min/day) than females (467.38 ± 255.28 min/day). Finally, 64.1% of the males reported a high amount of sitting time (≥ 7 hours/day) compared to females (52.3%). Conclusion: In conclusion, the total mean length of SB in minutes per day for male and female university students was considerably high. About 58% of the population appeared to spend ≥7 h/day sedentary. Male university students are likelier to sit longer than female students. Our findings also indicated that SB and physical activity interventions are needed to raise awareness of the importance of adopting an active lifestyle and reducing sitting time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A considerable body of research has demonstrated that reducing sitting time benefits health. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the prevalence of sedentary behavior (SB) and its patterns. Methods: A total of 6975 university students (49.1% female) were chosen randomly to participate in a face-to-face interview. The original English version of the sedentary behavior questionnaire (SBQ) was previously translated into Arabic. Then, the validated Arabic version of the SBQ was used to assess SB. The Arabic SBQ included 9 types of SB (watching television, playing computer/video games, sitting while listening to music, sitting and talking on the phone, doing paperwork or office work, sitting and reading, playing a musical instrument, doing arts and crafts, and sitting and driving/riding in a car, bus or train) on weekdays and weekends. Results: SBQ indicated that the total time of SB was considerably high (478.75 ± 256.60 and 535.86 ± 316.53 (min/day) during weekdays and weekends, respectively). On average, participants spent the most time during the day doing office/paperwork (item number 4) during weekdays (112.47 ± 111.11 min/day) and weekends (122.05 ± 113.49 min/day), followed by sitting time in transportation (item number 9) during weekdays (78.95 ± 83.25 min/day) and weekends (92.84 ± 100.19 min/day). The average total sitting time of the SBQ was 495.09 ± 247.38 (min/day) and 58.4% of the participants reported a high amount of sitting time (≥ 7 hours/day). Independent t-test showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between males and females in all types of SB except with doing office/paperwork (item number 4). The results also showed that male students have a longer daily sitting time (521.73 ± 236.53 min/day) than females (467.38 ± 255.28 min/day). Finally, 64.1% of the males reported a high amount of sitting time (≥ 7 hours/day) compared to females (52.3%). Conclusion: In conclusion, the total mean length of SB in minutes per day for male and female university students was considerably high. About 58% of the population appeared to spend ≥7 h/day sedentary. Male university students are likelier to sit longer than female students. Our findings also indicated that SB and physical activity interventions are needed to raise awareness of the importance of adopting an active lifestyle and reducing sitting time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Date fruit is an excellent source of nutritional and health benefits. The chemical composition of dates includes carbohydrates, dietary fibre, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins, enzymes, phenolic acid and carotenoids, all of which are directly linked to nutritional and health benefits for consumers. A number of studies have also confirmed the therapeutic effects of dates and their efficacy in the treatment of many disease conditions. As a result, a number of food products such as date syrup, date juice and date paste have been developed in order to harness the nutritional potential of dates. Adequate sources of nutrition are important for all consumers, especially for active lifestyle individuals such as athletes and sportspeople. As the goal of every athlete is to enhance athletic performance and prevent energy deficit, the use of dietary supplements has been highly recommended as a solution in this regard. For example, nutrition bars are one source of high energy and nutrients that can provide the required energy for enhanced athletic performance, and date fruits could be valorised into nutrition bars in order to help athletes to achieve their performance and nutritional goals. In this paper, we review the chemical composition and health benefits of date fruit, its food application and consequently its formulation in nutrition bars for athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bactericidal activity of copper (Cu, 10 ppm) and ascorbic acid (AA, 0.3% v/v) mixture against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) ATCC 25923 (methicillin-susceptible) and ATCC 700698 (methicillin-resistant) strains. Approximately 5.5 log 10 CFU/ml of each strain was individually inoculated into brain heart infusion (BHI) broth containing Cu, AA, and a Cu-AA mixture, and a time-kill assay was conducted to assess the bactericidal activity. In order to determine the efficacy of Cu-AA mixture as a surface decontaminating solution, the cells were first attached to glass slides (~6.5–7.5 log 10 CFU per slide) and treated with a Cu-AA mixture for 1 min. The inner membrane permeability of the S. aureus strains was determined by measuring β-Galactosidase activity. Similarly, changes in the protein profile of treated bacterial cells were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The time-kill study revealed >3.0 log 10 CFU/ml reduction in both strains within 24 h of incubation at 37 °C. Attached cells on glass slides were also reduced by > 3.0 log 10 CFU per slide after 1 min of exposure to the Cu-AA mixture. The results indicate that the Cu-AA mixture was bactericidal against S. aureus strains and the damage to the inner cell membrane could be attributed to this effect. Image 1 • The presence of Staphylococcus aureus on food contact surfaces is a potential hazard. • A mixture of copper (Cu) and ascorbic acid (AA) (vitamin C) kills 99.9% of S. aureus strains. • Cu-AA mixture could be a promising substitute for conventional antimicrobial wash solutions. • Cu-AA could be used as a novel disinfectant for decontamination of foods and food contact surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]