by Esther E. Odungide  , Loveth A. Emokpae  , Orobosa Aikoriogie  , Grace E. Obasuyi  , Elizabeth M. Babatunde  and Mathias A. Emokpae

Received: 21 January 2026;  Published: 24 June 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2602011

During pregnancy, the increased demand for elemental iron makes pregnant women particularly susceptible to iron deficiency anemia. The management of iron homeostasis and erythropoiesis is controlled by hepcidin and erythropoietin. A comprehensive assessment that incorporates the stimulus, the regulatory gatekeeper (hepcidin), and the resulting iron status provides a robust, mechanistic framework for comprehending the initial disruptions in iron metabolism during pregnancy. This study aims to evaluate alterations in [...]

by David Goldman  and Matthew Nagra

Received: 11 January 2026;  Published: 22 June 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2602010

Traditional public health messaging prioritizes disease prevention, whereas individual motivations for dietary change frequently focus on appearance and social outcomes. Physical attractiveness functions as a multimodal signal, combining facial appearance, body odor, and body composition. Evolutionary models posit that such cues communicate fitness-relevant information regarding health status. This narrative review integrates empirical evidence linking plant-forward dietary patterns to facial attractiveness, body o [...]

by Jozélio Freire de Carvalho  and Rosangela Passos de Jesus

Received: 28 January 2026;  Published: 16 June 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2602009

Plant-based diets have attracted increasing interest in the context of rheumatic diseases due to their potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects. However, there is an important conceptual distinction between a vegan diet, which completely excludes animal-derived products, and a plant-based diet, which prioritizes plant foods but may include small amounts of animal-derived foods. This differentiation is essential to understand the variability in clinical outcomes reported across studies. [...]

by Ashok Chakraborty  and Smita Guha

Received: 19 January 2026;  Published: 12 June 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2602008

Neuro degenerative diseases involve protein aggregation that causes neural cell death or loss of neural communication that affects body balance, movement, talking, breathing, and heart function. Aggregation of proteins, like α-synuclein, are found in Parkinson’s disease (PD), while tau, amyloid-β42 and TDP-43, are aggregated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Besides, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB); dystrophic neuritis (DN); corticobasal degeneration (CBD); argyrophilic grain disease [...]

by Diwakar Singh  and Anita Singh

Received: 06 February 2026;  Published: 09 June 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2602007

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale, lipid-bilayer carriers that mediate intercellular communication by transporting proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, thereby influencing physiological and pathological processes. This review integrates current knowledge on milk-derived and human extracellular vesicles, highlighting their multifunctional roles in therapy, diagnostics, and regenerative medicine. Milk-derived EVs (MEVs), small EVs (sEVs), and human milk EVs (hMEVs) demonstrate unique stability, biocompatibil [...]

by Raquel Ricci  , Luana Romão Nogueira  , Priscila Maximino  , William Cabral de Miranda  , Karina Rizzardo Sella  , Nathalia Gioia de Paula  and Mauro Fisberg

Received: 18 December 2025;  Published: 29 May 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2602006

This study descriptively investigates the food acceptance patterns and dietary profiles of neurotypical infants, children, and adolescents with Feeding Difficulties (FD) at a Brazilian pediatric reference center. It further examines whether a broader food repertoire translates into improved nutritional quality. The research, an observational, analytical cross-sectional study, analyzed data from 237 patients aged 10 to 204 months with FD. Findings revealed a discrepancy between family perceptions and professional as [...]

by Alessandro Menotti  and Paolo Emilio Puddu

Received: 12 December 2025;  Published: 26 May 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2602005

To study the relationship of dietary score versus age at death (AD) in an extinct cohort at 61 years of follow-up, based on an “inverse” procedure. Data from the Italian Rural Areas (IRA) of the Seven Countries Study of Cardiovascular Diseases, made up of 1712 middle-aged men followed for 61 years, were used. The “direct” approach means applying a dietary score to each subject of a cohort and, by means of a model, estimating the probabilities of events for different dietary score levels. The “inverse” approach, ins [...]

by Bashiri Iddy Muzzo  and Frederick D. Provenza

Received: 10 December 2025;  Published: 03 April 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2602004

Food-system by-products (FSBP), including agricultural by-products, agro-industrial co-products, and food-processing residues, represent an underused source of nutrients and plant secondary compounds with significant potential in ruminant feeding systems. This review synthesized 96 peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025 on phytochemically rich FSBP in ruminant diets, focusing on composition, rumen fermentation, animal health and performance, product quality, and environmental outcomes. Across the stu [...]

by Jozélio Freire de Carvalho  and Rosangela Passos de Jesus

Received: 03 November 2025;  Published: 23 February 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2601003

Dietary factors influence chronic inflammation and immune regulation, potentially affecting the onset and activity of rheumatic disease. Red meat, a major source of protein, heme iron, and saturated fat, has been linked to metabolic and inflammatory disorders, yet its role in rheumatic diseases remains unclear. To comprehensively evaluate the relationship between red-meat consumption and major rheumatic diseases—including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and other inflammatory or [...]

by Jozélio Freire de Carvalho  and Rosangela Passos de Jesus

Received: 27 October 2025;  Published: 13 February 2026;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2601002

Selenium (Se) is a key micronutrient integrated into selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidases (GPx), which are responsible for crucial antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Oxidative stress contributes to the immunopathogenesis and chronic joint damage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), supporting interest in selenium supplementation as an adjunct therapeutic strategy. This review was based on a structured literature search of major biomedical databases and evaluated six controlled clinical trials involvin [...]