Functional constipation is a widespread gastrointestinal ailment associated with infrequent defecation, unfavorably affecting quality of life. However, it has not been well studied worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the effects of black bean vinegar (black bean and black bean yeast) consumption in alleviating functional constipation. Methods: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study involving 70 adults with functional constipation was conducted in Peninsular Malaysia from May till July 2016. Subjects aged 18-60 years diagnosed with a score of more than 15 based on the Constipation Scoring System were included. A third-party-controller assigned black bean vinegar and placebo drinks to two groups with 1:1 ratio using randomisation software. Participants received once-daily doses of black bean vinegar (20 ml daily) or fruit-flavored squash placebo (20 ml daily) which contained vitamins, minerals, trace elements and carbohydrates, without black bean and black bean yeast, for four weeks. Analysis was conducted on an on-treatment basis (i.e., all randomised participants conformed to the study protocol by consuming 20 ml of drinks daily, with less than 10% leftover drinks at post-intervention assessment). Data were analysed using SPSS version 22. Results: Administration of black bean vinegar did not demonstrate statistically significant differences in any of the outcomes when compared with a placebo drink at α=5% level. However, black bean vinegar consumption significantly improved overall score at postintervention assessment compared to placebo group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Since the present study was only able to demonstrate the beneficial effects of black bean vinegar consumption in improving overall score at post-intervention assessment compared to placebo group, further randomised, controlled intervention studies are warranted to confirm whether conventional dietary intervention may play a role in improving functional constipation among Malaysian adults.

Introduction: This study aimed to ascertain the effects of a Facebook-based physical activity intervention on improvements in step counts and metabolic syndrome. Methods: Government employees with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned by cluster to the Facebook group (n = 44) or the control group (n = 103). All participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires at baseline, after the first and second phases. Data from anthropometric (weight, body mass index, fat mass, body fat percentage, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio), biochemical (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and fasting glucose) and clinical examinations (systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure) were collected. The number of steps per day was determined by a Lifecorder e- STEP accelerometer. Results: A significant difference in the number of steps per day between the baseline and the first phase (p<0.001) was observed in both the Facebook and control groups. A significant group main effect (p<0.001) was found for the number of steps per day; the Facebook group had a significantly greater increase in the number of steps per day than the control group. Overall, a significant strong to very strong correlation was found between the changes in the number of steps per day and the changes in the other variables. Conclusion: The Facebook-based intervention approach has the potential to increase physical activity among government employees with metabolic syndrome.