British Journal of Nutrition最新文献

Family meals are positively associated with healthier diets among children and parents. We aimed to deepen the understanding of these relationships by exploring the associations between shared meals and dietary quality among children, fathers and mothers. A subset of parent-child dyads (296 children aged 3-6 years, 103 fathers, 293 mothers) from the DAGIS Intervention baseline assessment was included in this cross-sectional study. The parents reported how often they shared meals with the child and filled in a food frequency questionnaire assessing their child's and their own food consumption. A Healthy Food Intake Index (HFII) describing dietary quality was calculated for all family members. We used linear regression to investigate the associations between shared meals and the HFII of the children, fathers and mothers. Models were adjusted for child's age and gender, parent's age and educational level and number of children in the household. Children whose fathers reported less frequently sharing a weekend lunch with the child had a lower HFII (B estimate -1·58, 95 % CI -2·66, -0·50). The association remained close to statistical significance with adjustments (B estimate -0·99, 95 % CI -2·17, 0·19). A less frequently shared weekend lunch was also borderline significantly associated with lower HFII among the fathers (adjusted model, B estimate -1·13, 95 % CI -2·30, 0·04). Fathers should be encouraged to share meals with their family, since it might have a role in the dietary quality of both children and fathers. Future studies should recognise fathers as important contributors to a healthy home food environment.

Dieting is a global emerging trend in recent years as more people strive to adhere to food restriction plans for weight management in obese people and to achieve desired slim body. This strategy may have unforeseen repercussions in females that may affect reproductive potential. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of dietary stress on reproductive hormone levels, histoarchitecture of the ovary, autophagy and apoptosis markers in the rat ovary. Data suggest that dietary stress caused due to food deprivation decreased body weight and ovary weight, luteinising hormone, follicular-stimulating hormone and estradiol-17β levels. The dietary stress reduced the number of primary follicles, altered the histoarchitecture of the ovary, increased number of fragmented and irregularly shaped oocytes. Dietary stress induced autophagy signalling by inhibiting mammalian target of rapamycin and increasing Lamp-1, LC-3 and Beclin-1 in the ovarian follicles. In addition, dietary stress induced proapoptotic signalling pathway by decreasing Bcl-2 and increasing Bax as well as cytochrome-c expressions in the ovary. Taken together, these findings suggest that dietary stress caused due to food deprivation reduced reproductive hormones levels, induced autophagy and apoptotic signalling pathways that affected histoarchitecture of the ovary, ovarian function, oocyte quality and thereby reproductive potential.

This study evaluated the effect of different medium-chain to long-chain fatty acid (MCFA:LCFA, M:L) ratios on growth performance, intestinal function, antioxidant capacity and gut microbiota in piglets. A total of 250 piglets were randomly assigned to five groups with five replicates, each containing ten pigs. The diets, containing varying amounts of MCFA-rich coconut oil and LCFA-rich soyabean oil, resulted in M:L ratios of 0, 2·1, 4·2, 8·8 and 33·8 %. Results showed that both final body weight and average daily weight gain increased as the M:L ratio increased (P < 0·05), while the 8·8 % M:L ratio diet exhibited the lowest feed:gain ratio (P < 0·05). As the M:L ratio increased, the contents of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were increased, and MDA was decreased in serum (P < 0·05). The 8·8 and 33·8 % M:L diets improved ileal and jejunal morphology (P < 0·05), as indicated by greater villus height and villus height:crypt depth ratios. Furthermore, increasing M:L ratios from 0 to 33·8 % increased expression of tight junction proteins occludin and ZO-1 in the jejunum (P < 0·05). The 33·8 % M:L ratio reduced microbial α-diversity (P < 0·05), while 8·8 % M:L diet significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria (e.g. Lactobacilli, Prevotella) and decreased harmful bacteria (e.g. Escherichia-Shigella, Enterococcus) in the cecum (P < 0·05). In summary, our study found that 8·8 % of dietary M:L ratios significantly improved growth performance, likely through modulating intestinal function, antioxidant activity and gut microbial composition.

Traditional studies examining caffeine intake and age-related eye diseases (ARED) have shown inconsistent results, potentially related to variations in caffeine assessment methods. This two-sample Mendelian randomisation study investigated associations between plasma caffeine and four ARED: senile cataract, diabetic retinopathy (DR) and glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Summary data on genetically predicted plasma caffeine came from a genome-wide association study of 9876 European-ancestry participants across six population-based studies. ARED data were extracted from FinnGen Consortium clinical records. We further examined causal effects on glaucoma subtypes: primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) and assessed intraocular pressure (IOP) as a potential mediator. Higher genetically predicted plasma caffeine levels were associated with reduced risk of senile cataract (OR 0·84, 95 % CI 0·78, 0·90, P < 0·001), DR (OR 0·81, 95 % CI 0·74, 0·88, P < 0·001), glaucoma (OR 0·83, 95 % CI 0·73, 0·95, P = 0·008) and PACG (OR 0·74, 95 % CI 0·54, 0·99, P = 0·046). No associations were observed with AMD or POAG. Mediation analysis suggested that 41 % (95 % CI −0·14, −0·01) of caffeine’s effect on glaucoma was mediated by IOP. Our findings indicate that elevated plasma caffeine may protect against senile cataract, DR and glaucoma, but not AMD. Effects differed by glaucoma subtype, with IOP partially explaining the overall association. This study provides genetic evidence supporting caffeine’s role in mitigating ARED risk, highlighting its potential therapeutic implications.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of caffeic acid (CA) on the inflammatory response induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in porcine small intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2 cells) and to elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms involved. Firstly, we treated IPEC-J2 cells with different concentrations of H₂O₂ to establish the inflammation model caused by oxidative stress. Subsequently, we treated IPEC-J2 cells with CA and/or H₂O₂ to investigate the effect of CA on the inflammatory response of IPEC-J2 cells induced by H₂O_2. In addition, IPEC-J2 cells were treated with a nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) inhibitor and a Nucleotide-binding Oligomerization Domain (NOD)-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inhibitor, so as to investigate the molecular mechanism by which CA alleviates H₂O₂-induced damage in porcine intestinal epithelial cells. The changes in cell morphology, intestinal epithelial cell damage and the expression of genes related to the NF-κB/NLRP3 signalling axis were examined. The results showed that CA attenuated H₂O₂-induced intestinal epithelial cell injury, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These findings were expected to provide a theoretical basis for more reasonable and effective application of CA, and provide new ideas for nutritional regulation measures to alleviate intestinal inflammation in piglets.

A diet low in fermentable carbohydrates, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) has been described as an effective nutritional approach in irritable bowel syndrome. There has been an increased demand for gluten- and lactose-free foodstuffs in the last few years, which are associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and are consumed by patients with gastrointestinal disease. This study aims to estimate the FODMAP content of industrial pre-packaged food products containing the ‘gluten-free’ and ‘lactose-free’ claims. The ingredient lists of the foodstuffs from a Portuguese food retail chain were verified and classified according to their estimated FODMAP content as ‘low’ and ‘high’, using as a reference the FODMAP cutoff values and the serving sizes established by the Monash University App. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson χ² test were applied. From the 436 eligible products identified, most were classified as ‘low’ (53·0 %, n 231), 24·3 % (n 106) were classified as ‘high’ and 22·7 % (n 99) were classified as having ‘unknown’ FODMAP content. ‘High FODMAP’ products accounted for 12·2 % of those with ‘lactose-free’ claims and 31·6 % of those with ‘gluten-free’ claims. The ‘ready meals’ and ‘sauces, dressings, creams and soups’ were the food categories with the highest proportion of products with high FODMAP sources. This study showed that approximately a quarter of pre-packaged industrial foods targeted to gastrointestinal pathologies are high in FODMAP. The nutritional information on the label should be more specific, enabling more accurate dosing of FODMAP contents in foodstuffs and the establishment of the recommended serving sizes.

Anaemia remains a significant public health concern in developing countries. This study estimated the proportion of childhood anaemia cases that could be potentially prevented in Togo using data from the 2017 National Malaria Indicator Survey. Maternal, child, and household data were collected through standardized face-to-face interviews. Haemoglobin (Hb) levels were measured in children and their mothers. A total of 2796 children were included in the analyses. The prevalence of anaemia was 75·0 % (95 % CI, CI: 72·5, 88·0). Factors associated with childhood anaemia were age ((adjusted prevalence ratio, aPR = 1·46 (CI: 1·37, 1·56) for 6-23 months and aPR = 1·23 (1·14, 1·32) for 24-42 months, ref: 43-59 months), a later birth order (≥ 4th position) (aPR = 1·11 (1·03, 1·19), ref: 1st-2nd position), malaria in children (aPR = 1·30 (1·22, 1·38)), maternal age ≤ 25 (aPR = 1·17 (1·08, 1·27), ref: ≥ 35 years), maternal anaemia (aPR = 1·13 (1·07, 1·19)), lack of maternal education (aPR = 1·10 (1·02, 1·18), ref: ≥ secondary), number of children under 5 in household (aPR = 1·07 (1·00, 1·14) for ≥ 3, ref: 0-1), unimproved sanitation facilities (aPR = 1·12 (1·02, 1·22)) and low/middle household incomes (aPR = 1·16 (1·04, 1·30) and aPR = 1·13 (1·01, 1·26), respectively, ref: high). The population-attributable fraction was estimated at 8·2 % (6·3, 10·1 %) for child-related modifiable factors, 11·1 % (5·7, 16·3 %) for maternal-related factors, 15·8 % (8·6, 22·5 %) for household-related factors and 30·9 % (24·0, 37·2 %) for the combination of all modifiable factors. This study highlighted a high prevalence of childhood anaemia in Togo and showed that a high proportion of this could be prevented.

Thyroglobulin (Tg) has been considered a measure of iodine status, but there is no global guidance. This analysis examines the relationship between serum Tg and spot urinary iodine concentration (UIC) data to identify Tg concentrations that correspond to current WHO thresholds for population iodine status. We analysed data from 730 non-pregnant Guatemalan women aged 15-49 years who had both UIC and Tg measurements. Correlations were examined. Bootstrap stratified finite sampling with replacement was used to generate cluster k-medians of UIC (mUIC) and Tg (mTg) that served as the population unit of analyses. Non-linear restricted cubic spline regression dose-response curve functions and ordinary differential equations were then used to derive the Tg threshold corresponding to WHO definitions for UIC. Mean age was 30·2 (sd 9·3) years. mTg was 10·4 ng/ml (9·9, 10·8), and mUIC was 148·7 μg/l (139·1, 161·0). Correlations between spot UIC and Tg were NS at the individual level, but correlations based on population k-medians were significant (Spearman r = -0·21 to -0·06, each P < 0·0001) and demonstrated a U-shaped relationship according to WHO categories. Derived mTg cutoffs were 14·2 ng/ml predictive of UIC insufficiency, 10·2 ng/ml for UIC adequacy, 8·5 ng/ml for UIC above adequate and 10·8 ng/ml for UIC excess. The significant and graded mUIC-mTg correlations suggest that Tg concentrations predictive of UIC categories are obtainable for non-pregnant Guatemalan women aged 15-49 years. The newly derived mTg cutoff may be more discriminant at a lower spectrum of UIC in terms of identifying iodine-deficient women, more so than in the UIC excess category.

An integrative approach addressing diet and other lifestyle factors is warranted in studying obesity and its related diseases. The objective of this study is to examine the associations of lifestyle patterns with overweight/obesity among children in the United Arab Emirates. Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of children aged 4-9 years living in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi (n 426). Dietary intake was collected using a 24-h dietary recall and evaluated with the Healthy Eating Index. The Youth Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed physical activity, while other lifestyle factors included the presence of a live-in household helper, number of electronic devices in the child's bedroom, eating while watching TV, family dinner frequency, fast-food and breakfast consumption and hours of sleep. Factor analysis was used to identify the lifestyle patterns. Two lifestyle patterns emerged: an unhealthy pattern marked by higher fast-food intake, eating while watching TV, having a live-in household helper and lower family dinners and a healthy pattern with higher physical activity, better Healthy Eating Index, more sleep, micronutrient supplements and breakfast consumption. The healthy lifestyle pattern was linked to a 30 % reduction in overweight/obesity odds (OR = 0·7, 95 % CI: 0·53, 0·93). A healthy lifestyle pattern, characterised by higher physical activity, better dietary quality, adequate sleep and breakfast consumption, is associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity among children in the United Arab Emirates. These findings highlight the importance of promoting comprehensive lifestyle interventions to effectively address childhood obesity in this population.

Increasing prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases in India is attributed to overconsumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor diets and ultra processed foods (UPF) may potentially contribute to this consumption pattern. Applying standard UPF definition and developing appropriate tools can better capture its consumption among Indians. This cross-sectional study aimed to validate the 'Nova-UPF Screener (for India)' and explore its potential to objectively capture UPF consumption among Indian adults. The screener, adapted in prior formative research study from a tool for Brazilian population, was subjected to content, face and concurrent criterion validation. Subject matter experts (n 74) participated in online consultations to determine its content validity. Adults (18-60 years) from different geographical regions of India were included for face (n 70) and concurrent criterion (n 304) validations. The screener comprised twenty-four UPF categories specific to Indian food environment. Critical inputs from experts on screener's appropriateness were incorporated to enhance its content. For face validation, overall percentage agreement of 99·4 % for all questions indicated a strong agreement for retaining screener attributes in each question. Half the participants (49·4 %) who were administered the finalised screener had Nova-UPF scores between 2 and 4 out of 24. There was almost perfect agreement (Pabak index = 0·85) between distribution of participants based on Nova-UPF scores and fifths of dietary share of UPF (as energy %) assessed by 24-h dietary recall. Nova-UPF Screener (for India) is a valid tool to capture UPF consumption in India that can be used for rapid assessment of UPF consumption and informing policies to improve Indian diets.