Journal of Nutritional Science最新文献

Monocrotaline (MCT) induces lung injury and pulmonary hypertension (PH) by a mechanism that is in part due to oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to determine how MCT affected nutrient antioxidants retinol and alpha-tocopherol in a rat lung and liver. Rats were fed a purified diet (AIN-93G) one-week prior to a subcutaneous injection of MCT (60 mg/kg) and remained on the diet throughout the study. Three weeks after injection, the animals were euthanized, and the lungs and livers were analyzed for retinol, alpha-tocopherol, phospholipid (PL), and cholesterol content. Lung retinol concentrations were significantly lower in MCT-treated rats, 2.0 ± 1.2 (nmol/g lung) vs. vehicle control (VEH), 5.8 ± 1.4 (P < 0.01). However, liver retinol concentrations were not significantly different, 3.3 ± 1.3 vs. 2.5 ± 0.9 nmol/g liver. Alpha-tocopherol was significantly greater in MCT-treated rats in the lung, 145 ± 24 vs. 99 ± 13 nmol/g lung (P < 0.001), and liver, 107 ± 30 vs. 47.7 ± 4.8 nmol/g liver (P < 0.001). Phospholipid and cholesterol were significantly lower in the lung of the MCT-treated group, but not significantly different in the liver. In conclusion, retinol along with phospholipid, and cholesterol were decreased in the lungs whereas alpha-tocopherol was elevated in the lungs and liver in response to MCT. These findings along with others suggest a novel mechanistic link between MCT-induced oxidative stress, lung vitamin A depletion, inflammation and the impairment of alveolar cell proliferation and repair. Pulmonary retinol is important in the pathogenesis of MCT-induced lung injury.

Responsive feeding characterised by recognising and appropriately addressing children's hunger and satiety signals, plays a key role in health. Despite children's innate ability to self-regulate food intake, caregivers can override these cues, especially in child care settings. The study determined the effects of a 6-month coaching intervention on the responsive feeding environments of child care centres. CELEBRATE Feeding was a 6-month, coaching, pre-post intervention design conducted in eight child care centres across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada. Child care centres' feeding environments and educator practices were observed using a modified Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation tool at baseline and follow-up in two rooms per centre (n = 16). Twenty-one responsive feeding components were scored from 0-3 (3 as best practice). The average centre scores were summed for an overall score ranging from 0-63 at each time point. Paired samples t-tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were conducted to assess the impact of the intervention on overall rooms' and individual responsive feeding components' scores. There was an increase in scores from baseline (M = 38.16, SD = 6.55) to follow-up (M = 45.75, SD = 5.87), t (15) = 4.91, P < 0.001. All but one score improved, where 3 of the 21 scores were significantly more responsive after the intervention after applying a Bonferroni correction (P < 0.002). The score with the greatest positive change was 'Educators provide gentle comments or nudges towards feeding', with a mean difference of 1.33, P < 0.001. The CELEBRATE Feeding coaching intervention was successful in improving responsive feeding practices and environments in child care settings.

The objective of this study was to develop and validate an educational comic book designed to promote healthy eating among caregivers of young children. The study was conducted in four phases: (1) literature review and script development; (2) creation of the initial version of the comic book, including illustrations, layout and design, and calculation of the Flesch Readability Index (FI); (3) expert validation of the initial version and calculation of the Content Validity Index (CVI); and (4) adaptation of the comic book based on expert suggestions, recalculation of the FI, and pilot testing (CVI) with a lay population. A total of 64 volunteers participated in the validation process, including 14 expert judges and 50 caregivers responsible for feeding children aged 0 to 5 years. Statistical analysis included descriptive measures and inferential testing using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The FI score for the initial version was 85.0%, indicating a reading level classified as "easy to understand." After expert evaluation, the CVI reached 94%, reflecting high agreement among participants. In the revised version, the FI remained high at 84.7%, reinforcing the "easy to understand" reading level, while the CVI increased to 98% following the pilot test, demonstrating strong consensus among participants. A significant improvement in knowledge regarding healthy eating was observed after reading the comic book (p < 0.05). The comic book was validated for appearance, content and readability, showing a positive impact on caregivers' knowledge about healthy eating practices. It represents an accessible and effective resource that can be integrated into community-based nutrition education programmes.

Ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) are widely used to treat severe acute malnutrition (SAM) by improving key anthropometric outcomes; however, optimisation of RUTF formulations remains important to support sustained recovery. Rice bran, a novel nutrient-dense, prebiotic food ingredient, can support healthy growth. This two-arm, double-blinded, randomised controlled trial, compared the effectiveness of a locally produced RUTF with rice bran to the same RUTF without rice bran for the treatment of uncomplicated acute malnutrition in Jember, Indonesia. 200 children aged 6-59 months with SAM (WHZ < -3.0 and/or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 115 mm or having bilateral pitting oedema +/++) or approaching SAM (WHZ < -2.5) were enrolled in the study. Primary outcomes were weight, MUAC, and anthropometric z-scores. Linear mixed models were applied across all ages, and split by age groups (6-23 months and 24-59 months) at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 for intention-to-treat (ITT) and per protocol analysis (PP). Children in two age groups were expected to respond differently to treatment based on their microbiome maturity. At week 4, the PP analysis revealed RUTF+rice bran treatment had significantly greater weight gain velocity (p = 0.02; p = 0.008) and MUAC velocity (p = 0.004, p = 0.03) when compared to RUTF at all ages and in the 24-59 months age group, respectively. There were no significant differences between treatment groups at time points in the other anthropometric outcomes. This investigation shows promising impact of stabilised rice bran as a prebiotic and nutrient-dense ingredient for inclusion into RUTFs that can improve child growth outcomes.

Dietary magnesium (Mg) is a potentially modifiable factor in preventing dementia, but current evidence supporting this remains insufficient and inconclusive. This study aimed to determine whether dietary Mg is associated with the risk of dementia among middle-aged and older people. Participants of this 8-year cohort study were 13,032 community-dwelling individuals aged 40-74 years. Dietary data were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire in 2011-2013. Mg intake was adjusted for energy intake using the residual method. The outcome was newly diagnosed dementia determined using Japan's long-term care insurance database. Covariates included demographic characteristics, body size, lifestyles, and disease histories. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). The mean age of participants was 59.0 years. Dementia occurred in 148 males and 138 females. Lower quartiles of energy-adjusted Mg intake were associated with a higher risk of dementia (P for trend = 0.0410) in males, with the lowest quartile (Q1) having an elevated risk of dementia (HR = 1.73, 95% CI:1.07-2.83) compared to the highest quartile (Q4, reference); however, this association was not found in females. In a subgroup analysis by disease history in males, the HR of Q1 was attenuated in both subgroups; HR was 1.52 (95% CI:0.74-3.11) in those with a disease history and 1.40 (95% CI:0.73-2.69) in those without. In conclusion, low dietary Mg intake is associated with increased dementia risk in middle-aged and older Japanese males. However, this association may be partly attributable to underlying disease history.

In the USA and Japan, body mass index (BMI) has increased over the last several decades, whereas energy intake (EI) has decreased. However, self-reported EI data may show systematic errors. Using the calibration approach for attenuating the systematic error of self-reported EI, we aimed to compare trends in BMI and EI with and without calibration in adults from the USA and Japan. This cross-sectional study included 38,370 Americans evaluated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2018, and 200,629 Japanese evaluated in national nutrition surveys in Japan 1995-2019. EI was estimated using at least 1 day of 24-h diet recalls for Americans and 1 day of household-based dietary records for Japanese. The calibrated EI was calculated using a previously developed equation based on total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by doubly labelled water method. Using data from a review, uncalibrated EI was -20.2% and calibrated EI was -4.1% compared to the TEE; the calibration approach attenuated EI underestimation. In the USA, uncalibrated EI decreased (annual percentage change [APC]: -0.24%), but calibrated EI and BMI increased (calibrated EI, APC: 0.04%; BMI, APC: 0.32%). In Japan, the decrease was smaller for the calibrated EI than for the uncalibrated EI (uncalibrated EI, APC: -0.23%; calibrated EI, APC: -0.04%). Uncalibrated EI decreased and BMI increased in the USA and Japan, and calibrated EI increased in the USA and decreased slowly in Japan. Calibration may attenuate systematic bias in dietary assessments and facilitate the effective use of dietary data.

This study investigates the associations between social determinants of health (SDOH) and hypertension prevalence across Wisconsin communities, with particular attention to food environments, economic factors, and transportation patterns. Using data from the 2019-2020 Wisconsin State Inpatient Database (387,047 patients) and the 2020 AHRQ SDOH database, we employed spatial analysis and logistic regression models to examine relationships between hypertension prevalence and neighbourhood characteristics across 597 ZIP codes. Lower-income areas exhibited significantly higher hypertension prevalence (EE = 1.233, 95% CI: 1.128-1.347 for incomes under $14,999), neighbourhoods with greater food resource density showed protective associations (EE = 0.549, 95% CI: 0.474-0.636 for supermarket access). Active transportation patterns were associated with lower hypertension rates (EE = 0.879, 95% CI: 0.829-0.933 for walking). We observed a 'Hispanic paradox' in Milwaukee County, where Hispanic populations demonstrated lower hypertension prevalence despite socioeconomic disadvantages, whereas African American populations with similar disadvantages exhibited higher prevalence. Our proposed 'Food Environment Synergy Model' helps frame these findings by conceptualising food environments through three interacting dimensions: physical access, economic accessibility, and cultural dietary patterns. This integrated approach highlights how these dimensions collectively relate to unique risk and resilience profiles within communities, challenging conventional binary classifications of 'food deserts' versus 'food secure' areas. These findings indicate that addressing food access disparities, promoting walkable neighbourhoods, and preserving beneficial cultural dietary traditions may be related to lower hypertension prevalence and advance health equity in diverse communities. However, the analysis is cross-sectional, causality cannot be inferred; further longitudinal studies are needed to establish causal relationships.

Malnutrition remains a major public health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa, with one-third of all malnourished children residing in the region. In Malawi, 37.1% of children under five are stunted, and 63% are anaemic. Poor diets and poverty contribute significantly. Legumes, being rich in protein, fibre, and micronutrients, offer a sustainable food-based approach to improve child nutrition and support local agriculture. This study aimed at assessing the association between legume consumption and nutritional status in children aged 6-59 months in rural Malawi. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Mzimba, Mchinji, and Mangochi districts, involving 1275 children. Data were collected on dietary intake, socioeconomic status, and anthropometry using semi-structured questionnaires. Nutritional status was determined using WHO Anthro, and associations were analysed using logistic regression in Stata. Prevalence of stunting was 42.8%, underweight 17.4%, and wasting 8.4%. Over half of the children did not consume legumes. Pigeon pea consumption significantly reduced odds of wasting (AOR = 0.14), and common beans were associated with lower odds of both wasting and stunting. Conversely, groundnut consumption was linked to increased underweight (AOR = 1.68). Animal food consumption was associated with lower underweight but higher odds of wasting. Legume consumption showed both protective and adverse associations with child malnutrition. In conclusion, this study has shown that promoting dietary diversity and appropriate legume use could enhance nutrition outcomes. Findings highlight the potential of legumes in addressing undernutrition but also the need for targeted nutrition education and interventions in rural Malawi.

Household food insecurity has previously been associated with psychological distress, and subsequently, poorer diet quality. Further understanding of this relationship is required to improve nutritional outcomes, with food-related concerns suggested as one potential mechanism. Therefore, the current pre-registered (https://osf.io/zd3ak) study conducted cross-sectional secondary analyses of Wave 6 (October 2022-January 2023) of the Food and You 2 survey administered in adults aged 16 years and over across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (N = 2315), to explore the differential prevalence of food-related concerns in people experiencing food insecurity. Exploratory analyses also identified characteristics of food support users (food bank or social supermarket; N = 467) and quantified associations between food support use and the same food-related concerns. People experiencing marginal (OR = 1.43, p = 0.02) and low food security (OR = 1.51, p = 0.02) (relative to high food security) were significantly more concerned about food prices, but this association was not seen in people experiencing very low food security. Both food bank and social supermarket use were predicted by very low food security (food bank OR = 6.05, p < 0.001; social supermarket OR = 2.40, p = 0.02) and having a long-term health condition (food bank OR = 3.91, p = 0.00; social supermarket OR = 3.17, p = 0.00). Food bank users were less concerned about healthy eating (OR = 0.33, p = 0.00) whereas social supermarket users were less concerned about food prices (relative to non-users) (OR = 0.40, p = 0.01). Food-related concerns, particularly regarding food prices, are differentially associated with food security status and food support use. Findings could support specific interventions to promote better diet quality and improve health and wellbeing in populations experiencing food insecurity.

Childhood obesity is an increasing concern in Indonesia, yet little is known about the content and sources of foods offered in Indonesian school food environments. This study aimed to examine the composition and preparation of foods sold in primary school canteens, and to identify potential modifications to address diet-related obesity risk. A cross-sectional survey of canteen vendors (n = 10) and structured observations of prepared foods (n = 112) sold in canteens were conducted across eight private and public primary schools in Central Java, Indonesia. Foods were categorized by food group, preparation method, and meal type, and associations with factors such as cost, location of sale, and the individual responsible for preparation were analysed using chi-square and t-test analyses. Among all prepared foods observed, 73.2% were classified as main meals and 26.8% as desserts, with parents often playing a central role in food preparation. Nearly half (47.3%) of non-beverage items were deep-fried, and the majority of dishes did not align with Indonesian Balanced Nutrition Guidelines. A compositional analysis of each main meal's ingredients revealed that 29.3% lacked protein and 90.2% did not contain vegetables. Foods that were not deep-fried were priced significantly higher than deep-fried foods (x̄ = Rp.1846 ($0.11) vs Rp.1406 ($0.09); p < 0.001). Overall, the majority of prepared foods available to schoolchildren were low in nutritional quality, with limited fruits and vegetables and heavy reliance on frying. These findings highlight the need for strategies that combine parent education on healthy food preparation with economic incentives to increase the accessibility of healthier food options within Indonesian school canteens.