Prebiotic fibre represents a promising and efficacious treatment to manage pre-diabetes, acting via complementary pathways involving the gut microbiome and viscosity-related properties. In this study, we evaluated the effect of using a diverse prebiotic fibre supplement on glycaemic, lipid and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with pre-diabetes. Sixty-six patients diagnosed with pre-diabetes (yet not receiving glucose-lowering medications) were randomised into treatment (thirty-three) and placebo (thirty-three) interventions. Participants in the treatment arm consumed 20 g/d of a diverse prebiotic fibre supplement, and participants in the placebo arm consumed 2 g/d of cellulose for 24 weeks. A total of fifty-one and forty-eight participants completed the week 16 and week 24 visits, respectively. The intervention was well tolerated, with a high average adherence rate across groups. Our results extend upon previous work, showing a significant change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in the treatment group but only in participants with lower baseline HbA1c levels (< 6 % HbA1c) (P = 0·05; treatment –0·17 ± 0·27 v. placebo 0·07 ± 0·29, mean ± sd). Within the whole cohort, we showed significant improvements in insulin sensitivity (P = 0·03; treatment 1·62 ± 5·79 v. placebo –0·77 ± 2·11) and C-reactive protein (PFWE = 0·03; treatment –2·02 ± 6·42 v. placebo 0·94 ± 2·28) in the treatment group compared with the placebo. Together, our results support the use of a diverse prebiotic fibre supplement for physiologically relevant biomarkers in pre-diabetes.

Despite the urgent need for plant-based dietary shifts, few studies have examined current diet trajectories using longitudinal data. This study analyzed dietary transitions of French adults over 8 years (2014-2022), assessing diet quality and the role of various socio-economic factors. Consumption data from 17 187 NutriNet-Santé cohort participants, weighted for the French Census, were collected via FFQ in 2014, 2018 and 2022. Adopting a gender-specific approach, consumption changes in twenty-three food groups were assessed over time. Diet quality was evaluated using the Comprehensive Diet Quality Index score, categorising foods into ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’. Socio-economic analysis targeted four food groups (red meat (including fresh beef, pork, offal and lamb), processed meat (e.g. sausages, ham and bacon), legumes and whole-grain products), strongly linked to mortality risk and recognised as significant markers of the sustainable diet transition. All analyses were conducted using multi-adjusted mixed-effects models. Consumption of some healthy plant-based foods (nuts +59 %, legumes +22 %, whole-grain products +7 %) significantly increased over time, while consumption of some unhealthy foods (red meat −19 %, refined cereals −18 %, sweetened drinks −15 %) decreased. Conversely, consumption of prepared and mixed dishes (+16 %) and processed meat (+35 %) increased. These changes differed in magnitude between genders and translated into an improved diet quality score (Comprehensive Diet Quality Index). Occupational status was linked to longitudinal changes in food consumption, showing increased consumption of plant-based foods among students and higher socio-professional categories. Our findings provide accurate data on trends and factors for targeted initiatives, guiding strategic interventions for a sustainable dietary transition.

Depression is highly prevalent in haemodialysis patients, and diet might play an important role. Therefore, we conducted this cross-sectional study to determine the association between dietary fatty acids (FA) consumption and the prevalence of depression in maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated FFQ between December 2021 and January 2022. The daily intake of dietary FA was categorised into three groups, and the lowest tertile was used as the reference category. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were applied to assess the relationship between dietary FA intake and the prevalence of depression. As a result, after adjustment for potential confounders, a higher intake of total FA [odds ratio (OR)T3 vs. T1 = 1·59, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1·04, 2·46] and saturated fatty acids (SFA) (ORT3 vs. T1 = 1·83, 95 % CI = 1·19, 2·84) was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms. Significant positive linear trends were also observed (P < 0·05) except for SFA intake. Similarly, the prevalence of depression in MHD patients increased by 20% (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.01–1.43) for each standard deviation increment in SFA intake. RCS analysis indicated an inverse U-shaped correlation between SFA and depression (Pnonlinear > 0·05). Additionally, the sensitivity analysis produced similar results. Furthermore, no statistically significant association was observed in the subgroup analysis with significant interaction. In conclusion, higher total dietary FA and SFA were positively associated with depressive symptoms among MHD patients. These findings inform future research exploring potential mechanism underlying the association between dietary FA and depressive symptoms in MHD patients.

The increasing demand for food and especially proteins leads to the search for alternative protein sources. Meat co-products, which are available but little used in human food, provide a potential solution to this challenge. The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional quality of two beef protein ingredients (greasy greaves recovered proteins (GGRP) and water recovered proteins (WRP)), both co-products of the fat rendering process. Their true ileal digestibility (TID), digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) and kinetics of plasma amino acids (AA) were measured in ten growing pigs, each fed the two co-products and a protein-free diet. Titanium dioxide was used as an indigestible marker. Digesta samples were collected for 9 h after meal ingestion, and blood samples were collected at ten time points during the same period. Total nitrogen (N) and AA contents were determined. Data were statistically analysed using linear mixed models. The TID of total N was not different between WRP and GGRP (81–84 %, P > 0·05). The first-limiting AA was Trp for both ingredients, with a DIAAS much higher for GGRP than for WRP (74 and 10 % for adults, respectively; P < 0·001). Postprandial plasma AA concentration peaked earlier for WRP (3 h) than for GGRP (5 h). Plasma concentrations of total and essential AA were higher (P < 0·001) with GGRP diet than WRP diet. Overall, GGRP has a nutritional quality suitable to meet the needs of adults for AA, while WRP needs to be supplemented with other protein sources to fulfil the dietary requirements.

The association between the frequency of eating ready-made meals (RMM) or eating out (EO) during pregnancy and postpartum depression remains unclear. We aimed to explore the association between the frequency of RMM or EO use during pregnancy and the incidence of postpartum depression. This study included 639 community-dwelling pregnant women who were recruited between 2019 and 2022. Data on the frequency of RMM and EO use, as well as sociodemographic, economic and lifestyle factors, were obtained using self-administered questionnaires. Data on dietary intake were obtained using a validated brief self-administered diet history questionnaire. Postpartum depression was assessed using the Japanese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The incidence of postpartum depression (EPDS score of ≥9) based on the frequency of RMM or EO use was analysed using multiple logistic regression analysis. After adjusting for potential confounders, there was limited evidence suggesting an association between consuming RMM 3 times/week or more and the likelihood of experiencing postpartum depression, with an adjusted OR (aOR) and 95 % CI (95 % CI) of 4·16 and 1·68–10·27 (Pfor trend = 0·017) compared with consuming RMM less than 1 time/week. There was no evidence for an association between consuming EO 3 times/week or more and postpartum depression (aOR: 1·20, 95 % CI: 0·14, 10·04 and Pfor trend = 0·283). Accordingly, the present study presented weak evidence of an association between RMM and postpartum depression. Further studies with large and diverse samples are needed to overcome any potential selection bias.

To investigate the associations between dietary patterns and biological ageing, identify the most recommended dietary pattern for ageing and explore the potential mediating role of gut microbiota in less-developed ethnic minority regions (LEMRs). This prospective cohort study included 8288 participants aged 30–79 years from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study. Anthropometric measurements and clinical biomarkers were utilised to construct biological age based on Klemera and Doubal’s method (KDM-BA) and KDM-BA acceleration (KDM-AA). Dietary information was obtained through the baseline FFQ. Six dietary patterns were constructed: plant-based diet index, healthful plant-based diet index, unhealthful plant-based diet index, healthy diet score, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and alternative Mediterranean diets. Follow-up adjusted for baseline analysis assessed the associations between dietary patterns and KDM-AA. Additionally, quantile G-computation identified significant beneficial and harmful food groups. In the subsample of 764 participants, we used causal mediation model to explore the mediating role of gut microbiota in these associations. The results showed that all dietary patterns were associated with KDM-AA, with DASH exhibiting the strongest negative association (β = −0·91, 95 % CI (–1·19, −0·63)). The component analyses revealed that beneficial food groups primarily included tea and soy products, whereas harmful groups mainly comprised salt and processed vegetables. In mediation analysis, the Synergistetes and Pyramidobacter possibly mediated the negative associations between plant-based diets and KDM-AA (5·61–9·19 %). Overall, healthy dietary patterns, especially DASH, are negatively associated with biological ageing in LEMRs, indicating that Synergistetes and Pyramidobacter may be potential mediators. Developing appropriate strategies may promote healthy ageing in LEMRs.

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of blindness in premature infants. The condition is associated with DHA deficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effect of DHA supplementation on the occurrence of ROP in infants receiving oral oil drops. It is part of the Joinville DHA study, a non-parallel-group cohort study conducted from March 2020 to January 2023 at a public maternity hospital in Brazil. Infants born before 33 weeks of gestational age or with a birth weight ≤ 1500 g were recruited. Among 155 infants, 81 did not receive and 74 received DHA supplementation until complete vascularisation of the peripheral retina. There was a higher incidence of infants with ROP in the unsupplemented group (58·6 %) compared with the DHA group (41·4 %), but this difference was NS (P = 0·22). Unadjusted logistic regression analysis showed that patent ductus arteriosus and neonatal corticosteroids were significantly (P < 0·05) associated with ROP in both groups. In the DHA group, surfactant use was also associated with ROP (P = 0·003). After adjusting for important covariates, patent ductus arteriosus and neonatal corticosteroids continued to be significant for infants in the unsupplemented group (OR = 3·99; P = 0·022 and OR = 5·64; P = 0·019, respectively). In the DHA group, only surfactant use continued to be associated with ROP (OR = 4·84; P = 0·015). In summary, DHA supplementation was not associated with ROP. Further studies are necessary to better understand the relationship between DHA supplementation, ROP and associated comorbidities.

The UK population is living longer; therefore, promoting healthy ageing via positive nutrition could have widespread public health implications. Moreover, dietary fibre intake is associated with health benefits; however, intake is below UK recommendations (30 g/d). Utilising national dietary survey data can provide up-to-date information on a large representative cohort of UK older adults, so that tailored solutions can be developed in the future. This study used cross-sectional data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (years 2008–2009 to 2018–2019) for older adults’ (n 1863; 65–96 years) dietary fibre intake (three-to-four-day food diaries), top ten dietary fibre-rich foods, associated factors (demographics, dietary/lifestyle habits) and various health outcomes (anthropometric, blood and urine). Mean dietary fibre intake was 18·3 g/d (range: 2·9–55·1 g/d); therefore, below the UK dietary recommendations, with compliance at 5·7 %. In addition, there were five significant associations (P < 0·05) related to lower dietary fibre intake such as increasing age group, without own natural teeth, impaired chewing ability, lower education leaving age and poor general health. Older adults’ key foods containing dietary fibre were mainly based on convenience such as baked beans, bread and potatoes. Positively, higher dietary fibre consumption was significantly associated (P = 0·007) with reduced diastolic blood pressure. In summary, the benefits of dietary fibre consumption were identified in terms of health outcomes and oral health were key modulators of intake. Future work should focus on a life course approach and the role of food reformulation to help increase dietary fibre intake.

Red meat and processed meat intake has been linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes; however, evidence from Asia is limited and inconsistent. We prospectively examined the association of intake of total meat and its subtype with type 2 diabetes in a Japanese working population. Participants were 2709 workers aged 18–78 years who reported no history of diabetes when they responded to a health survey for the first time between 2012 and 2019. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated self-administered diet history questionnaire. The incidence of type 2 diabetes was assessed via annual health checkups from baseline through March 2023. Type 2 diabetes was defined as fasting blood glucose ≥ 126 mg/dl, casual blood glucose ≥ 200 mg/dl, HbA1c ≥ 6·5 %, self-report of diabetes or current use of anti-diabetic drugs. Hazard ratios according to tertile of meat intake were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. During 16 119 person-years of follow-up, 135 (5·0 %) workers developed type 2 diabetes. Intakes of total meat, red meat, processed meat and poultry were not associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for covariates, hazard ratios for the highest v. lowest tertile of meat intake were 1·01 (95 % CI 0·63, 1·62) for total meat, 1·02 (95 % CI 0·66, 1·58) for red meat, 0·99 (95 % CI 0·65, 1·49) for processed meat and 1·13 (95 % CI 0·71, 1·80) for poultry. Our findings suggest that meat intake is not associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes among Japanese workers.

Many improvements have been made to bring infant formula (IF) closer to human milk (HM) regarding its nutritional and biological properties. Nevertheless, the protein components of HM and IF are still different, which may affect their digestibility. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the protein digestibility of HM and IF using the infant INFOGEST digestion method. Pooled HM and a commercial IF were subjected to the infant INFOGEST method, which simulates the physiological digestion conditions of infants, with multiple directions, i.e. the curd state, gel images of SDS-PAGE, molecular weight distribution, free amino acid concentrations and in vitro protein digestion rate. HM underwent proteolysis before digestion and tended to have a higher protein digestion rate with finer curds during gastric digestion, than the IF. However, multifaceted analyses showed that the protein digestibility of HM and IF was not significantly different after gastrointestinal digestion. In conclusion, the infant INFOGEST method showed that the digestibility of HM and IF proteins differed to some extent before digestion and after gastric digestion, but not at the end of gastrointestinal digestion. The findings of this study will contribute to the refinement of IF with better protein digestibility in infant stomach.

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. However, the association between tea and risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between tea consumption and risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and to explore their mediating effects. The two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis showed an inverse causal relationship between tea intake and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (OR: 0·111 (0·02, 0·85), P < 0·04). To examine the mediating effects, we explored the potential mechanisms by which tea intake reduces the risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Based on the oral bioavailability and drug-like properties in Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, we selected the main active ingredients of tea. We screened out the fifteen representative targeted genes by Pharmmapper database, and the gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that these targeted genes were related to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. The two-step MR analysis of results showed that only VEGF-D played a mediating role, with a mediation ratio of 0·230 (0·066, 0·394). In conclusion, the findings suggest that VEGF-D mediates the effect of tea intake on the risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Tea can improve the progression of some metabolic diseases through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but its impact on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still controversial. The aim of this paper is to identify the relationship between tea and NAFLD by Mendelian randomisation (MR) and complete clinical validation using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. MR used data from Genome Wide Association Study, with inverse-variance weighted (IVW) as principal analytical methods. The reliability of the results was verified by a series of sensitivity and heterogeneity tests. Subsequently, clinical validation was conducted using NHANES (2005–2018), involving 22 257 participants, grouped by the type of tea. Green tea drinkers were categorised into four groups (Q1–Q4) by quartiles of green tea intake, from lowest to highest (similar for black tea drinkers and other tea drinkers). Models were constructed by logistic regression to estimate the role of tea consumption (Q1–4) on NAFLD. Finally, using fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) to evaluate the severity of hepatic fibrosis, the effect of tea consumption (Q1–4) on the degree of hepatic fibrosis was investigated by linear regression. IVW method (OR = 0·43, 95 % CI: 0·21, 0·85, P = 0·01) and weighted median method (OR = 0·35, 95 % CI: 0·14, 0·91, P = 0·03) revealed there was a causal relationship between tea and NAFLD. An array of sensitivity analyses validated the reliability of results. Analysis of NHANES indicated tea drinker present a slightly lower prevalence of NAFLD than non-tea drinker (green tea drinkers: 47·6 %, black tea drinkers: 46·3 %, other tea drinker: 43·2 %, non-tea drinkers: 48·1 %, P < 0·05). After adjusting for confounders, compared with the lowest black tea consumption (Q1), the population with the highest black tea consumption (Q4) was independently related to lower presence of NAFLD (Q4: OR = 0·69, 95 % CI: 0·50, 0·93, P < 0·05), such association remained stable in the overweight subgroup. As further analysed, Q4 also displayed a significant negative correlation with the level of hepatic fibrosis in patients with NAFLD (β = –0·073, 95 % CI: –0·126, −0·020, P < 0·01).Tea reduces the morbidity of NAFLD and ameliorates hepatic fibrosis degree in those already suffering from the disease.

Prisoners experience a higher burden of poor health, aggressive behaviours and worsening mental health than the general population. This systematic review aimed to identify research that used nutrition-based interventions in prisons, focusing on outcomes of mental health and behaviours. The systematic review was registered with Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews on 26 January 2022: CRD42022293370. Inclusion criteria comprised of current prisoners with no limit on time, location, age, sex or ethnicity. Only quantitative research in the English language was included. PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched, retrieving 933 results, with 11 included for qualitative synthesis. Studies were checked for quality using the revised tool to assess risk of bias in randomised trials or risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions tool. Of the included studies, seven used nutritional supplements, three included diet changes, and one used education. Of the seven supplement-based studies, six included rule violations as an outcome, and only three demonstrated significant improvements. One study included mental health as an outcome; however, results did not reach significance. Of the three diet change studies, two investigated cognitive function as an outcome, with both reaching significance. Anxiety was included in one diet change study, which found a significant improvement through consuming oily fish. One study using diet education did not find a significant improvement in overall mental resilience. Overall, results are mixed, with the included studies presenting several limitations and heterogeneity. Future research should aim to consider increased homogeneity in research design, allowing for a higher quality of evidence to assess the role nutrition can play in improving the health of prisoners.

Previous research has suggested a potential link between folic acid (FA) supplementary therapy and gastric ulcers (GU). To investigate this relationship further, we conducted a Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis using data from the UK Biobank. Our analysis primarily employed inverse-variance weighted (IVW) methods, including both fixed-effect and random-effect models. To ensure the robustness of our findings, additional methods such as the simple median, the weighted median and the penalised weighted median were also applied. The MR analysis aimed to explore the causal effect of FA supplementary therapy on GU. Seven SNP at genetic loci associated with FA supplementary therapy were identified. Both the random-effect and fixed-effect IVW models indicated that genetically predicted FA supplementary therapy significantly reduced the risk of GU (OR, 0·870; 95 % CI 0·826, 0·917, P < 0·001). This result was consistent across other methods, with similar outcomes observed using the simple median (OR, 0·835; 95 % CI 0·773, 0·901, P < 0·001), the weighted median (OR, 0·854; 95 % CI 0·794, 0·919, P < 0·001) and the penalised weighted median (OR, 0·849; 95 % CI 0·789, 0·914, P < 0·001). Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis confirmed that no individual SNP significantly drove the association between FA supplementary therapy and GU. This MR study provides genetic evidence that FA supplementary therapy may decrease the risk of GU.

The Mediterranean Region registers an increasing prevalence of obesity. The region lacks a diet screener to assess obesogenic nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the Modified Mediterranean Prime Screen (MMPS) in estimating obesogenic nutrients’ intake among women of reproductive age, as compared with a culturally validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), in Lebanon. We developed the MMPS consisting of thirty-two food/beverage items specific to the Lebanese Mediterranean culture. The MMPS and FFQ were administered in two visits (2 weeks–6 months apart), face to face and via telephone during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The reproducibility and validity of the MMPS were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Pearson’s correlations, respectively. The study included 143 women, aged 31·5 (sd 4·6) years, BMI 24·2 (sd 4·0) kg/m2, 87 % with university education and 91 % food secure. The reproducibility of the MMPS was moderate for energy and all assessed nutrients except for SFA (ICC = 0·428). The agreement of the MMPS with the reference FFQ was adequate for energy and obesogenic nutrients. Yet, the Pearson correlations for energy-adjusted nutrient intake were low for trans-fatty acids (0·294) and PUFA (0·377). The MMPS can be a time-efficient tool for dietary assessment of energy and many obesogenic nutrients. Future studies should validate the MMPS across the lifespan and re-evaluate it after updating the fatty acid profiles in the culturally specific food composition tables.

Analysing customer loyalty card data is a novel method for assessing nutritional quality and changes in a population’s food consumption. However, prior to its use, the thousands of grocery products available in stores must be reclassified from the retailer’s original hierarchical structure into a structure that is suitable for the use of nutrition and health research. We created LoCard Food Classification (LCFC) and examined how it reflects the nutritional quality of the grocery product groups. Nutritional quality was considered the main criterion guiding the reclassification of the 3574 grocery product groups. Information on the main ingredient of the product group, purpose of use and carbon footprint was also used at the more granular levels of LCFC. The main challenge in the reclassification was a lack of detailed information on the type of products included in each group, and some of the groups included products that have opposite health effects. The final LCFC has four hierarchical levels, and it is openly available online. After reclassification, the product groups were linked with the Finnish food composition database, and the nutrient profile was assessed by calculating the Nutrient-Rich Food Index (NRFI) for each product group. sd in NRFI decreased from 0·21 of the least granular level to 0·08 of the most granular level of LCFC indicating that the most granular level of LCFC has more homogeneous nutritional quality. Studies that apply LCFC to examine loyalty card data with health and environmental outcomes are needed to further demonstrate its validity.

This study aimed to assess hemoglobin concentration and its association with oral contraceptive (OC) use, food insecurity (FI) and dietary iron availability (DIA) in adult women of reproductive age (20–44 years). This is a population-based cross-sectional study that analysed 505 women living in favelas and urban communities in a capital city in northeastern Brazil. Hemoglobin concentration was determined using capillary blood samples. FI and DIA were assessed using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale and the 24-h food recall, respectively. Association analysis was carried out using logistic regression. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) was designed to illustrate the causal paths between hemoglobin concentration and DIA. A significance level of 5 % was adopted. Low hemoglobin concentrations (11·2 g/dl: (1·79)) and a high prevalence of anaemia (64·0 %) were observed; 28·7 % used OC (28·7 %) and 76·4 % were in FI. An average energetic intake of 1495 kcal/d (482·0) and 0·46 mg/d (0·27) of DIA were also observed. In the DAG-guided multivariable analysis, it was observed that hemoglobin concentrations ≥ 12 mg/dl were directly associated with higher DIA (OR: 1·67; 95 % CI (1. 08, 2·59)) and OC use (OR: 1·67; 95 % CI (1·10, 2·55)) and inversely associated with mild FI (OR: 0·60; 95 % CI (0·37, 0·96)) or severe FI (OR: 0·37; 95 % CI: (0·18, 0·76)). Women taking OC and with a higher DIA were less likely to have low hemoglobin concentrations, while those in the context of FI were in the opposite situation.