Nutrients

The last several years have witnessed a remarkable growth in research directed at nutrition and behavior, with increased interest in the field of nutritional criminology. It is becoming clear that dietary patterns and specific nutrients play an important role in cognition and behavior, including those related to aggression, violence, and antisocial activity. Included in this expanding knowledge base is the recognition that folate, through multiple pathways, including enzymatic reactions and gut microbiome ecology, plays a critical role in central nervous system functioning...

BACKGROUND: This secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated how the maternal gut, breast milk, and infant gut microbiomes may contribute to the effects of a relaxation intervention, which reduced maternal stress and promoted infant weight gain. METHODS: An RCT was undertaken in healthy Chinese primiparous mother-infant pairs (340/7 -376/7 gestation weeks). Mothers were randomly allocated to either the intervention group (IG, listening to relaxation meditation) or the control group (CG)...

In industry 4.0, where the automation and digitalization of entities and processes are fundamental, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a pivotal tool offering innovative solutions in various domains. In this context, nutrition, a critical aspect of public health, is no exception to the fields influenced by the integration of AI technology. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the current landscape of AI in nutrition, providing a deep understanding of the potential of AI, machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) in nutrition sciences and highlighting eventual challenges and futuristic directions...

High levels of food processing can have detrimental health effects independent of nutrient content. Experts and advocates have proposed adding information about food processing status to front-of-package labeling schemes, which currently exclusively focus on nutrient content. How consumers would perceive "ultraprocessed" labels has not yet been examined. To address this gap, we conducted a within-subjects online experiment with a convenience sample of 600 US adults. Participants viewed a product under three labeling conditions (control, "ultraprocessed" label, and "ultraprocessed" plus "high in sugar" label) in random order for a single product...

Obesity remains a significant global health challenge, with bariatric surgery remaining as one of the most effective treatments for severe obesity and its related comorbidities. This review highlights the multifaceted impact of bariatric surgery beyond mere physical restriction or nutrient malabsorption, underscoring the importance of the gut microbiome and neurohormonal signals in mediating the profound effects on weight loss and behavior modification. The various bariatric surgery procedures, such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG), act through distinct mechanisms to alter the gut microbiome, subsequently impacting metabolic health, energy balance, and food reward behaviors...

BACKGROUND: The equilibrium between gut microbiota (GM) and the host plays a pivotal role in maintaining overall health, influencing various physiological and metabolic functions. Emerging research suggests that exercise modulates the abundance and functionality of gut bacteria, yet the comprehensive effects on GM diversity remain to be synthesized. OBJECTIVES AND DESIGN: The study aims to quantitatively examine the effect of exercise on the diversity of gut microbiota of adults using a systemic review and meta-analysis approach...

Hip fracture is a common condition in older adults, leading to disability and mortality. Several studies have demonstrated the association between nutritional status and the risk of a negative health outcome after fractures. In this systematic review, we evaluated the association between malnutrition and mortality, changes in mobility/living arrangements, and postoperative complications, such as delirium, in older patients with hip fractures. A literature search on the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, up to September 2023, was conducted to identify all studies involving older subjects that reported an association between MNA/GNRI/PNI/CONUT and health outcome after hip fracture...

Estimating the habitual food and nutrient intakes of a population is based on dietary assessment methods that collect detailed information on food consumption. Establishing the list of foods to be used for collecting data in dietary surveys is central to standardizing data collection. Comparing foods across different data sources is always challenging. Nomenclatures, detail, and classification into broad food groups and sub-groups can vary considerably. The use of a common system for classifying and describing foods is an important prerequisite for analyzing data from different sources...

This study aimed to examine the potential predictors of improvement in mental health outcomes following participation in an intensive non-surgical outpatient weight management program (WMP) in an Australian public hospital. This was a retrospective cohort study of all adults with Class 3 obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 ) who enrolled in the WMP from March 2018 to June 2021. The participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short Version (EDE-QS), Kessler-10 Psychological Distress Scale, and 36-Item Short-Form Survey (SF-36) at baseline and 12-month follow-up...

In the aging process, physiological decline occurs, posing a substantial threat to the physical and mental well-being of the elderly and contributing to the onset of age-related diseases. While traditional perspectives considered the maintenance of life as influenced by a myriad of factors, including environmental, genetic, epigenetic, and lifestyle elements such as exercise and diet, the pivotal role of symbiotic microorganisms had been understated. Presently, it is acknowledged that the intestinal microbiota plays a profound role in overall health by signaling to both the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as other distant organs...

The main objective of this study was to determine plasma levels of PS and to study SNVs rs41360247, rs4245791, rs4148217, and rs11887534 of ABCG8 and the r657152 SNV at the ABO blood group locus in a sample of a population treated at our hospital, and to determine whether these SNVs are related to plasma PS concentrations. The secondary objective was to establish the variables associated with plasma PS concentrations in adults. Participants completed a dietary habit questionnaire and a blood sample was collected to obtain the following variables: campesterol, sitosterol, sitostanol, lanosterol, stigmasterol, biochemical parameters, and the SNVs...

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that melatonin-containing food (FMT) consumption is associated with a better sleep schedule and cognitive and psychoemotional state in older adults. A cross-sectional study of 557 (79% females) older adults living in the community with a mean age of 68.9 ± 7.7, ranging from 50 to 90 years, was conducted. The study, conducted in May and September 2023 using a face-to-face interview, collected personal data and assessed FMT intake during the day (FMTday ) and for dinner (FMTdinner ), life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, depression severity, cognitive functions, and sleep characteristics...

Plant-based diets (PBDs) have been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim was to investigate the predicted 5-year and 10-year risk of developing CVD in individuals following PBDs compared to regular meat-eating diets. This cross-sectional study included n = 240 middle-aged adults habitually consuming dietary patterns for ≥6 months: vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV), pesco-vegetarian (PV), semi-vegetarian (SV) or regular meat-eater (RME) ( n = 48 per group). Predicted 5-year and 10-year CVD risks were quantified using the Framingham Risk Equation and the Australian Absolute CVD risk calculator, respectively...

The relationship between bile acids (BAs) and adverse cardiovascular events following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been little investigated. We aimed to examine the associations of BAs with the risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in ACS. We conducted a prospective study on 309 ACS patients who were followed for 10 years. Plasma BAs were quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Cox regression analyses with elastic net penalties were performed to associate BAs with MACE and all-cause mortality...

Fabry disease (FD) is caused by mutations in the galactosidase alpha (GLA) gene which lead to the accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb-3). Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and oral chaperone therapy are the current pharmacological treatments for this condition. However, in the literature, there is a growing emphasis on exploring non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies to improve the quality of life of patients with FD. In particular, the nutritional approach to FD has been marginally addressed in the scientific literature, although specific dietary interventions may be useful for the management of nephropathy and gastrointestinal complications, which are often present in patients with FD...

The causes and conditions of displacement often increase the vulnerability of migrant and refugee populations to food insecurity, alongside other material hardships. We aimed to examine the multidimensional aspects and patterns of food insecurity and other material hardships in a cross-sectional sample of 6221 Venezuelan refugees and migrants in urban Colombia using a latent class analysis. Using multinomial and logistic regression models, we investigated the demographic and migratory experiences associated with identified classes and how class membership is associated with multiple health outcomes among Venezuelan refugees and migrants, respectively...

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a common chronic pain disorder and often occurs as a concomitant disease in rheumatological diseases. Managing FMS takes a complex approach and often involves various non-pharmacological therapies. Fasting interventions have not been in the focus of research until recently, but preliminary data have shown effects on short- and medium-term pain as well as on physical and psychosomatic outcomes in different chronic pain disorders. This single-arm observational study investigated the effects of prolonged fasting (3-12 days, <600 kcal/d) embedded in a multimodal treatment setting on inpatients with FMS...

Reporting key dietary indicators from sales data can help us guide store decision makers in developing effective store policy to support healthier customer purchases. We aimed to develop a web-based reporting tool of key dietary indicators from sales data to support health-promoting policy and practice in stores in geographically remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Tool development included identifying key dietary indicators (informed by sales data from 31 stores), community consultation (19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander store directors and two store managers) and a web-build...

Mozambique has one of the highest child undernutrition rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to characterize the profile of children from 1 to 14 years old hospitalized for undernutrition and to explore associated risk factors. Clinical, demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental data were collected. Anthropometric measurements and stool samples were collected from a child and their caretaker. The wealth index was determined using Principal Components Analysis. A total of 449 children and their caretakers were enrolled...

We assessed the effect of a dietary pattern rich in unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), protein and fibers, without emphasizing energy restriction, on visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and cardiometabolic risk profile. Within the 36-months randomized controlled NutriAct trial, we randomly assigned 502 participants (50-80 years) to an intervention or control group (IG, CG). The dietary pattern of the IG includes high intake of mono-/polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFA/PUFA 15-20% E/10-15% E), predominantly plant protein (15-25% E) and fiber (≥30 g/day)...