European Journal of Nutrition最新文献

Objective: To investigate the level of dietary choline intake among pregnant women during late pregnancy and its association with the early neurobehavioral development of their offspring.

Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit pregnant women hospitalized in the Obstetrics Department of the Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University from November 2023 to December 2024. The semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary choline intake and other nutrient intakes among pregnant women during late pregnancy. The infants were evaluated at 1, 3 and 6 months of age using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Revised in Chinese Cities (BSID-CR). In addition, the potential relationship between maternal dietary choline intake and infants' intelligence score, motor score, Mental Development Index (MDI), and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) were analyzed by generalized estimating equations.

Results: A total of 256 mother-infant pairs were included in the analysis. Maternal dietary choline intake during late pregnancy was 343.35 (332.20, 354.73) mg/d, with only 1.56% of the pregnant women meeting the Adequate Intake (AI). Mothers and infants were categorized into four groups (Q1 to Q4) based on the quartiles of energy-adjusted dietary choline intake, ranging from low to high. Generalized estimating equations indicated that the four groups exhibited statistically significant differences in the changes in infants' intelligence scores (Waldχ² = 12.842, P = 0.005), motor scores (Waldχ² = 8.981, P = 0.030), MDI (Waldχ² = 13.447, P = 0.004), and PDI (Waldχ² = 12.209, P = 0.007). After adjustment for confounding factors, the four groups showed statistically significant differences in the changes in intelligence scores (Waldχ² = 11.873, P = 0.008), MDI (Waldχ² = 11.710, P = 0.008), and PDI (Waldχ² = 10.318, P = 0.016), while no significant differences were found in the changes in motor scores (Waldχ² = 6.609, P = 0.085).

Conclusions: Maternal dietary choline intake was significantly associated with intelligence scores, MDI and PDI in infants. Additionally, the dietary choline intake of pregnant women in late pregnancy was notably insufficient. It is recommended that medical staff should pay attention to the choline intake of pregnant women and develop nutrient intervention programs to enhance the health of both mothers and infants. However, no causal inferences can be made from this study.

Background: The comparative effects of energy-matched low-carbohydrate (LC) versus high-carbohydrate (HC) diets on metabolic and anthropometric outcomes in healthy adults remain unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of LC diets (≤ 44% of total daily caloric intake [TDCI] from carbohydrate) versus HC diets (≥ 45% TDCI) on fasting glycaemia, insulinaemia, blood lipids, and body composition in non-medicated, disease-free adults under energy-matched conditions.

Methods: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were identified through systematic searches of PubMed and secondary sources up to April 2025. Eligible studies compared energy-matched dietary interventions and reported pre- and post-intervention data for fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), blood lipids (total cholesterol [TC], HDL-cholesterol [HDL-C], LDL-cholesterol [LDL-C], triglycerides [TAG]), and/or body composition. Pooled effect sizes (Hedges' g) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model.

Results: Eighteen RCTs involving 905 participants met the inclusion criteria. LC diets produced greater reductions in FBG (g = - 0.364; 95% CI - 0.709 to - 0.019; P < 0.001) and FINS (g = - 0.190; 95% CI - 0.361 to - 0.014; P = 0.034) compared with HC. TAG decreased (g = - 0.379; 95% CI - 0.540 to - 0.219; P < 0.001), and HDL-C increased (g = 0.389; 95% CI 0.229 to 0.550; P < 0.001) under LC diets. HC diets led to a greater reduction in LDL-C (g = -  0.225; 95% CI - 0.406 to - 0.043; P = 0.009). No significant effects were found for TC. LC diets also reduced body mass (g = - 0.183; 95% CI - 0.349 to - 0.017; P = 0.031) and fat mass (g = - 0.304; 95% CI -  0.548 to - 0.059; P = 0.015) to a greater extent than HC, with no effect on fat-free mass.

Conclusion: Under energy-matched conditions, LC confers modest advantages for glycaemia, HDL-C, and TAG, whereas HC better lowers LDL-C. Most effects do not depend on exercise status, offering evidence to guide carbohydrate intake recommendations in diets where total caloric intake remains unchanged.

Purpose: Dietary patterns influence human and environmental health. Shifts toward convenience and ready-to-eat ultra-processed foods have contributed to the rising prevalence of malnutrition, chronic disease, and ecological harm. This study examined the associations between dietary patterns and diet sustainability among Portuguese adults.

Methods: Data from 2287 individuals aged 18-84 years were obtained from the last National Food, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Survey (2015-2016). Three dietary patterns were identified based on food composition and processing: Traditional, Diet Concerns, and Unhealthy; while four dietary patterns were categorized according to food preparation location: At home by themselves, At home by relatives or friends, By food retail, and By restaurants/canteens. Diet sustainability was assessed using the Diet Sustainability Score (DSS), encompassing health-related nutritional, environmental, economic, and sociocultural dimensions. Linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, education and energy intake were used to estimate associations between dietary patterns and DSS.

Results: Traditional (β = 1.27, p < 0.001) and Diet Concerns (β = 1.60, p < 0.001) patterns were significantly associated with higher DSS compared to the Unhealthy pattern. In terms of food preparation location, only the By restaurants/canteens pattern was significantly associated with lower DSS (β = - 0.76; p < 0.001) compared to the At home by themselves pattern. Younger, urban, and more educated individuals were more likely to follow the Unhealthy or the By restaurants/canteens patterns.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the need to consider what people eat, how and where food is prepared. Promoting traditional, minimally processed, and home-prepared meals may be essential to advancing sustainable diets, particularly among younger and urban populations.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of leucine-rich high protein supplementation on body composition, muscle function and gene expression among older adults with or at risk of sarcopenia residing in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Methods: A total of 47 participants were recruited into this 12-week double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Intervention group consumed 2 sachets of high protein supplement daily contributing to 50.6 g of protein/day and 6 g of leucine/day. Control group received placebo supplement. Body composition was assessed via anthropometry measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of left mid-thigh. Meanwhile, muscle function was assessed using short physical performance battery (SPPB). A total of 16 ml of full blood was collected pre- and post- study to assess participants' health profiling and changes in gene expression as determined by mitochondrial RNA activity derived from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The measurements were performed at 0, 6, and 12 weeks.

Results: Participants were mostly women (89.4%) with a mean age of 69.3 ± 7.1 years. Repeated measures ANOVA showed no significant intervention effect in body composition (anthropometry measurements and BIA) as well as muscle function (SPPB score). However, genes responsible for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production (GBA, MLYCD), cell proliferation (STAT5A) and DNA repair (BRCC3) were significantly up-regulated in intervention group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Leucine-rich high protein supplementation did not produce significant changes in body composition or muscle function in older adults with sarcopenia. However, it showed potential in improving gene expression. Further studies with a longer supplementation period and a larger sample size might be needed for noticeable changes, particularly for body composition.

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide. Previous studies have associated it with lifestyle factors, including diet, although findings on diet remain limited or inconsistent. In Morocco, research on the role of dietary factors in BC risk is particularly scarce. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the association between dietary patterns and BC risk among Moroccan women.

Methods: A total of 2.800 women from Morocco participated in this case control study. Data were collected using a validated FFQ adapted to the Moroccan context, and Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to identify dietary patterns. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess BC risk across quartiles of adherence to each identified dietary pattern.

Results: PCA revealed four distinct dietary patterns. After adjusting for potential confounders, the "Sugary and Refined Carbohydrate Diet" was positively associated with higher odds of BC (OR = 7.71; 95% CI (5.79-10.26); p < 0.001). In contrast, the "Plant-Based and Mediterranean Diet" was inversely associated with BC risk (OR = 0.26; 95% CI 0.20-0.34; p < 0.001). For the dairy-rich diet, higher adherence showed lower BC odds in mid-quartiles, but the highest quartile was associated with higher odds after adjustment (OR = 1.79; 95% CI 1.41-2.29; p < 0.001). No significant associations were found for the Animal protein rich diet in relation to BC risk.

Conclusion: This study highlights the potential risk of diets high in refined carbohydrates and the protective benefits of plant-based and Mediterranean diets in preventing BC.