Correction: Nutrikinetics and urinary excretion of phenolic compounds after a 16-week supplementation with a flavanone-rich ingredient.

Correction for 'Nutrikinetics and urinary excretion of phenolic compounds after a 16-week supplementation with a flavanone-rich ingredient' by Jananee Muralidharan et al., Food Funct., 2023, 14, 10506-10519, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3FO02820H.

Nutritional quality and level of processing of food items broadcasted on Italian television in advertisements targeted to children.

This study evaluates the nutritional quality and level of processing of food and beverage products advertised on television channels most watched by children, in Italy. Data were collected over 20 non-consecutive days from the five top channels in Italy. A total of 209 food items were analysed using the Nutri-Score and the NOVA classification. Additionally, compliance with nutritional criteria established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU-PLEDGE was assessed. Results indicate a high proportion of energy-dense and low nutritional quality foods, with 68% falling into less favourable Nutri-Score categories (C, D, and E), and 61% classified as ultra-processed by NOVA classification. When applying WHO and PLEDGE criteria, 71% and 56% of products, respectively, did not meet nutritional standards. This study underscores the low prevalence of nutritionally adequate products in food advertisements targeting children on Italian television, despite differences found based on methodological variations.

Salt content of prepacked cereal-based products and their potential contribution to salt intake of the Italian adult population: Results from a simulation study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: High sodium intake is one of the main risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, and its consumption should be reduced. This study aimed to simulate changes in the daily salt intake of the Italian adult population based on consumption scenarios of prepacked cereal-based foods sold in Italy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Information on food packages was retrieved from 2893 cereal-based products. Potential changes in salt intake were simulated based on food consumption scenarios that consider the daily consumption of cereal-based products suggested in the Italian Dietary Guidelines and their current daily consumption by Italian adults. The highest salt content was retrieved in bread (median, 25th-75th percentile: 1.3, 1.1-1.4 g/100 g) and bread substitutes (1.8, 1.0-2.2 g/100 g). If the suggested daily amounts were consumed, bread would contribute to 44% of the 5 g salt/day target, whereas bread substitutes, breakfast cereals, biscuits and sweet snacks would marginally contribute (1-2%). Compared to bread with median salt content, a -44% and +10% salt intake would be observed if products within the first and the last quartile of salt content were chosen, respectively. However, considering the actual intake of Italian consumers, bread would cover 25% and bread substitutes 7% of the daily salt target. CONCLUSION: Food labels have a pivotal role and efforts are required to encourage consumers to use them to make healthy choices. Moreover, these results may contribute to setting sodium benchmarks in cereal-based products and encourage the food industry to reduce the salt content in the products.

Nutrikinetics and urinary excretion of phenolic compounds after a 16-week supplementation with a flavanone-rich ingredient.

Background: Polyphenols are a broad group of compounds with a complex metabolic fate. Flavanones and their metabolites provide cardiovascular protection and assistance in long-term body composition management. Objective: This study evaluates the nutrikinetics and the bioavailability of phenolic compounds after both acute and chronic supplementation with a flavanone-rich product, namely Sinetrol® Xpur, in healthy overweight and obese volunteers. Design: An open-label study including 20 volunteers was conducted for 16 weeks. Participants received Sinetrol® Xpur, either a low dose (900 mg per day) or a high dose (1800 mg per day), in capsules during breakfast and lunch. They were advised to follow an individualized isocaloric diet and avoid a list of polyphenol-rich foods 48 hours before and during the pharmacokinetic measurements. Results: Over 20 phase II and colonic metabolites were measured in the plasma. Two peaks were observed at 1 h and 7h-10 h after the first capsule ingestion. No significant differences in the AUC were observed in circulating metabolites between both doses. In urine excretion, 53 metabolites were monitored, including human phase II and colonic metabolites, at weeks 1 and 16. Cumulative urine excretion was higher after the high dose than after the low dose in both acute and chronic studies. Total urinary metabolites were significantly lower in week 16 compared to week 1. Conclusion: Although the urinary excreted metabolites reduced significantly over 16 weeks, the circulating metabolites did not decrease significantly. This study suggests that chronic intake might not offer the same bioavailability as in the acute study, and this effect does not seem to be dose-dependent. The clinical trial registry number is NCT03823196.

Edible insects and legumes exert an antioxidant effect on human colon mucosal cells stressed with 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane)-dihydrochloride.

Introduction: Edible insects have been recognized as a more sustainable source of nutrients and bio-active compounds than animal-based products, in line with classical vegetable sources such as legumes. In this study, we assessed the antioxidant properties of four edible insects (silkworms, grasshoppers, mealworms and giant worms) and four legume seeds (lentils, chickpeas, Roveja peas and grass peas). Methods: After the aqueous extraction or in vitro simulated digestion process, selected products were assessed for: (i) in vitro antioxidant capacity through Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay; (ii) the ability to reduce free radicals production induced by a pro-oxidant agent in cells of human colonic mucosa. Results: All the aqueous extracts and digesta of edible insects displayed significantly higher in vitro antioxidant activity than legumes. Moreover, edible insects at all tested concentrations were able to exert an antioxidant effect in the cellular model, while legumes were effective mainly at high concentrations. Discussion: Despite human trials are need to confirm and define these results in a physiological situation, here we suggest a role for edible insects in oxidative stress prevention. Since oxidative stress is strongly correlated with several intestinal pathologies, the results obtained could be interesting for the prevention and relief of the negative symptoms, offering new advantages to their already known ecological and nutritional properties.

Association of dietary flavan-3-ol intakes with plasma phenyl-γ-valerolactones: analysis from the TUDA cohort of healthy older adults.

BACKGROUND: Dietary polyphenols, including flavan-3-ols (F3O), are associated with better health outcomes. The relationship of plasma phenyl-γ-valerolactones (PVLs), the products of colonic bacterial metabolism of F3O, with dietary intakes is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether plasma PVLs are associated with self-reported intakes of total F3O and procyanidins+(epi)catechins. DESIGN: We measured 9 PVLs by uHPLC-MS-MS in plasma from adults (>60y) in the Trinity-Ulster-Department of Agriculture (TUDA study (2008 to 2012; n=5186) and a follow-up subset (2014 to 2018) with corresponding dietary data (n=557). Dietary (poly)phenols collected by FFQ were analyzed using Phenol-Explorer. RESULTS: Mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) intakes were estimated as 2283 (2213, 2352) mg/d for total (poly)phenols, 674 (648, 701) for total F3O, and 152 (146, 158) for procyanidins+(epi)catechins. Two PVL metabolites were detected in plasma from the majority of participants, 5-(hydroxyphenyl)-γ-VL-sulfate (PVL1) and 5-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-γ-VL-3'-glucuronide (PVL2). The 7 other PVLs were detectable only in 1-32% of samples. Self-reported intakes (mg/d) of F3O (r = 0.113, P = 0.017) and procyanidin+(epi)catechin (r = 0.122, P = 0.010) showed statistically significant correlations with the sum of PVL1 and PVL 2 (PVL1+2). With increasing intake quartiles (Q1-Q4), mean (95% CI) PVL1+2 increased; from 28.3 (20.8, 35.9) nmol/L in Q1 to 45.2 (37.2, 53.2) nmol/L in Q4; P = 0.025, for dietary F3O, and from 27.4 (19.1, 35.8) nmol/L in Q1 to 46.5 (38.2, 54.9) nmol/L in Q4; P = 0.020, for procyanidins+(epi)catechins. CONCLUSIONS: Of 9 PVL metabolites investigated, 2 were detected in most samples and were weakly associated with intakes of total F3O and procyanidins+(epi)catechins. Future controlled feeding studies are required to validate plasma PVLs as biomarkers of these dietary polyphenols.

Processing and Nutritional Quality of Breakfast Cereals Sold in Italy: Results from the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Study.

This study aimed to compare the level of processing (as assessed by the NOVA classification) and the nutritional quality (as assessed by nutrition values, Nutri-Score and NutrInform battery) of breakfast cereals currently on the Italian market. A total of 349 items were found, mostly belonging to the NOVA 4 group (66.5%) and to Nutri-Score C and A (40% and 30%, respectively). The NOVA 4 products showed the highest energy, total fat, saturates, and sugar content per 100 g and had the highest number of items with Nutri-Score C (49%) and D (22%). Conversely, NOVA 1 products had the highest content of fibre and protein, the lowest amounts of sugars and salt, and 82% of them were Nutri-Score A, while few Nutri-Score B and C were found. Differences were attenuated when products were compared for their NutrInform battery, with NOVA 4 items showing only slightly fuller batteries for saturated fats, sugar, and salt than NOVA 1 and NOVA 3 products. Overall, these results suggest that the NOVA classification partially overlaps with systems based on the nutritional quality of foods. The lower nutritional quality of NOVA 4 foods may at least partially explain the association found between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the risk of chronic diseases.

Sodium Content in Cereal-Based Products Sold in Italy: How Far Are We from the Global Benchmarks?

Reformulation of food products is one of the measures needed for reducing salt consumption. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently proposed global sodium benchmarks for different food categories to be used for setting national policies. Therefore, the sodium content of cereal-based products currently sold in Italy was compared with the WHO benchmarks, highlighting those categories primarily needing a reformulation. To this aim, the sodium content and several declarations (i.e., nutrition and health claims, organic or gluten free declaration) were retrieved from 2917 cereal-based products sold on the Italian market. All "minimally processed breakfast cereals" had a sodium content below the benchmark, while "flatbreads" and "leavened bread" had the highest percentage of items above the respective sodium benchmarks. Flatbreads and "crackers/savory biscuits" showed the highest median delta values from the respective benchmarks of 360 and 278 mg/100 g, respectively. Large variability in terms of percentage of products with sodium content above the benchmark was observed within the same categories, as well as among products with different declarations. A large number of food products currently sold on the Italian market have a sodium content above the benchmark. This result suggests the need to reformulate many food products currently on the market to achieve the WHO/United Nations (UN) objective of 30% global reduction in sodium intake by 2025.

Association between chronotype, sleep pattern, and eating behaviours in a group of Italian adults.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the possible relationship between chronotype, sleeping, and eating patterns in 74 Italian adults (71.6% women). Based on Morningness-Eveningness Questionnare (MEQ) score, participants were classified as morning (n = 24), intermediate (n = 25), and evening (n = 25) chronotypes. From analysis, no significant differences among chronotypes emerged for sleep habits. As to eating behaviours, the evening subjects showed a significant (p < 0.05) shift towards later hours of the day in the consumption of all meals, except dinner. In addition, the evening subjects had a later midpoint of energy intake (EI) of about 35 min and 1 h (p < 0.001), respectively, than the intermediate and morning subjects. Analysing the diet quality, morning subjects reported significantly (p = 0.030) lower consumption of sweets and sweeteners, and significantly (p = 0.035) lower intake of ultra-processed fats and seasonings. Evening subjects showed a significant delay in EI during the day, while morning subjects reported a better-quality diet.

Nutritional Quality of Meat Analogues: Results From the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Project.

Nowadays, the interest in meat substitutes is increasing, and consumers perceive their nutritional quality better than that of the animal products they intend to resemble. Therefore, this work aimed to investigate the overall nutritional quality of these new products. Regulated information [Regulation (EU) 1169/2011], the presence/absence of nutrition or health claim and organic declarations, the gluten-free indication, and the number of ingredients were collected from the food labels of 269 commercial meat analogues currently sold on the Italian market. Nutritional information of reference animal meat products was used to compare the nutrition profile. As an indicator of the nutritional quality, the Nutri-Score of meat analogues and counterparts was also determined. Plant-based steaks showed significantly higher protein, lower energy, fats and salt contents, and better Nutri-Scores than the other analogues. All the meat analogues showed a higher fibre content than meat products, while plant-based burgers and meatballs had lower protein contents than meat counterparts. Ready-sliced meat analogues showed a lower salt content than cured meats. Overall, all these plant-based products showed a longer list of ingredients than animal meat products. Results from this survey highlighted that plant-based steaks, cutlets, and cured meats have some favourable nutritional aspects compared to animal-based products. However, they cannot be considered a "tout-court" alternative to meat products from a nutritional point of view.

DIet and Health From reGIstered Trials on ClinicalTrials.gov: The DIGIT Study.

Background: Clinical trial registration has become a valuable tool that can be used to track the status and nature of trials conducted on a specific topic. This approach has been applied to many areas of research, but less is known about the characteristics and trends over time of clinical trials focused on diet and health. The aim of this study was to analyze diet-related clinical trials registered on the National Institute of Health "ClinicalTrials.gov" web platform in the last 10 years, to list and describe their characteristics, and to identify possible gaps to be filled in the future research. Methods: A search was performed on the ClinicalTrials.gov database. Intervention studies registered from January 2010 to December 2020, conducted on adults, with a follow-up of ≥2 weeks, evaluating the impact of different diets on all outcomes except those assessed with scales or questionnaires were considered. Results: At the end of the selection process, a total of 1,016 registered clinical trials were identified and included in the analysis. The most investigated dietary approaches were balanced diets (n = 381 trials), followed by those based on a modification of macronutrients (n = 288) and time-restricted feeding and intermittent fasting diets (n = 140). The main measured outcomes included anthropometric parameters and body composition (57.8%), glycemic control parameters (49.7%), lipid parameters (40.1%), inflammatory markers (29.1%), and blood pressure and/or heart rate (24.5%). A growing body of studies also focused on microbiota and host metabolism (17.8%). Most studies had a duration of less than 12 weeks (~60%), and more than 90% of studies enrolled volunteers with overweight/obesity or other diseases. Regarding aging, only 21 studies focused only on older adults. Conclusion: The number of studies investigating the relationship between diet and health has increased over the years. Despite the growing interest in the topic, there are some gaps, such as the limited duration of most trials, the underrepresentation of some population groups, and the limited number of studies for some diets that, although popular in the population, lack robust scientific evidence.

Early Dinner Time and Caloric Restriction Lapse Contribute to the Longevity of Nonagenarians and Centenarians of the Italian Abruzzo Region: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Recent findings showed the role of late-night eating in metabolic disorders, highlighting the importance of meal timing for health. No evidence is available on the role of meal timing for longevity. The aim of this study was to survey, in a cross-sectional study, meal timing and dietary habits of 68 nonagenarians and centenarians of the Abruzzo region, Italy. Results showed an early dinner (7:13 p.m.) and a calorie restriction lapse of 17.5 h between dinner and the following lunch. The frequency of consumption was high for cereals, vegetables, fruits, and legumes; low for meat, processed meat, and eggs; and negligible for sweets. Subjects were physically active throughout life. Our results support the importance of a daily caloric restriction lapse, hampering nocturnal postprandial stress and optimizing metabolic response, associated with high consumption of plant-based foods and physical activity for the longevity of centenarians from Abruzzo.

Nutritional Quality of Wholegrain Cereal-Based Products Sold on the Italian Market: Data from the FLIP Study.

The consumption of wholegrains (WG) is encouraged worldwide, but the lack of a common legal definition of such products leads to an unclear classification and identification on the grocery store shelf. In Italy, several products are generally sold as WG, but it cannot be determined if they are made entirely with all WG cereal(s) or if they are partially produced with WG ingredients (PWG). The aims of this study were to (a) survey the number of cereal-based food items formulated with WG, PWG, or refined (RG) present on the Italian market; and (b) analyse the nutritional quality, intended as nutrition facts, of WG products in comparison to PWG and RG. Nutritional information and declarations were retrieved from packs of 3040 products belonging to five different categories: breakfast cereals, biscuits, sweet snacks, bread, and bread substitutes. A descriptive analysis of the products and comparison of energy, macronutrients, fibre and salt among RG, PWG and WG products within each category was performed. In all categories, a major portion of the products did not contain WG ingredients. Results showed that the nutritional quality of RG, PWG, and WG products varied in relation to the product category and that WG inclusion cannot be always considered a marker of the overall nutritional quality of foods. Instead, it is necessary to evaluate the global product characteristics, and it is important to pay attention to differences between WG and PWG products that can be perceived by consumers as equivalent.

Interaction Between Diet and Microbiota in the Pathophysiology of Alzheimer's Disease: Focus on Polyphenols and Dietary Fibers.

Animal studies increasingly indicate that the gut microbiota composition and function can be involved in the pathophysiology and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) at multiple levels. However, few studies have investigated this putative gut-brain axis in human beings, and none of them considered diet as a determinant of intestinal microbiota composition. Epidemiological studies highlight that a high intake of fruit and vegetables, such as that typical of the Mediterranean diet, can modulate AD progression. Thus, nutritional interventions are being increasingly studied as a possible non-pharmacological strategy to slow down the progression of AD. In particular, polyphenols and fibers represent the nutritional compounds with the higher potential of counterbalancing the pathophysiological mechanisms of dementia due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. These actions are mediated by the gut microbiota, that can transform polyphenols and fibers into biologically active compounds including, among others, phenyl-γ-valerolactones, urolithins, butyrate, and other short-chain fatty acids. In this review, the complex mechanisms linking nutrition, gut microbiota composition, and pathophysiology of cognitive decline in AD are discussed, with a particular focus on the role of polyphenols and fibers. The gaps between pre-clinical and clinical studies are particularly emphasized, as well as the urgent need for studies comprehensively evaluating the link between nutrition, microbiome, and clinical aspects of AD.

Effect of presence of gluten and spreads on the oral processing behavior of breads.

Little is known about the oral processing behavior of gluten-free (GF) products. This study investigated the oral processing behavior of one commercial GF bread and one gluten-containing (GC) equivalent with and without spreads. Oral processing parameters were determined through video recording and the predominant texture attributes were accessed using a check-all-that-apply test. The GF bread was perceived crumbly, dry and sandy and had a longer eating duration than the GC bread, which was perceived soft, spongy, pasty and sticky. Results suggest that the structure of the GF bread was easily fragmented during mastication and a longer period in the mouth was required to prepare a cohesive bolus for swallowing. The addition of spreads increased softness perception but did not affect chewing behavior. Oral processing behavior of GF products should be further investigated to understand how eating rate, satiation responses and food intake can be modulated in GF products.

Breakfast Cereals Carrying Fibre-Related Claims: Do They Have a Better Nutritional Composition Than Those without Such Claims? Results from the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Study.

Nutrition claims (NCs) on food packaging are, from one side, an informative tool about the nutritional characteristics of the product. From another side, they could bias the consumer in perceiving such products as healthier than those without claims. In order to investigate whether products with NCs have a better nutritional composition that those without claims, the present study aimed to compare the nutrition facts of 376 breakfast cereals, with and without fibre-related NCs, available in 13 Italian retailer online stores. Among these products, 73 items claimed to be a "source of fibre" and 109 "high in fibre". In addition to a higher fibre content, products "high in fibre" showed higher protein and fat contents but lower carbohydrate, sugar and salt contents compared to both "source of fibre" and without fibre-related NC items. Overall, a high variability in nutritional values was also observed within products with the same type of fibre-related NC. In conclusion, the results suggested that fibre-related NCs should not be considered as a marker of a better nutritional composition of breakfast cereals, and thus consumers should be educated to carefully read the entire nutritional information reported in the food labelling.

Effect of Coffee and Cocoa-Based Confectionery Containing Coffee on Markers of DNA Damage and Lipid Peroxidation Products: Results from a Human Intervention Study.

The effect of coffee and cocoa on oxidative damage to macromolecules has been investigated in several studies, often with controversial results. This study aimed to investigate the effect of one-month consumption of different doses of coffee or cocoa-based products containing coffee on markers of DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in young healthy volunteers. Twenty-one volunteers were randomly assigned into a three-arm, crossover, randomized trial. Subjects were assigned to consume one of the three following treatments: one cup of espresso coffee/day (1C), three cups of espresso coffee/day (3C), and one cup of espresso coffee plus two cocoa-based products containing coffee (PC) twice per day for 1 month. At the end of each treatment, blood samples were collected for the analysis of endogenous and H2O2-induced DNA damage and DNA oxidation catabolites, while urines were used for the analysis of oxylipins. On the whole, four DNA catabolites (cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), 8-OH-2'-deoxy-guanosine, 8-OH-guanine, and 8-NO2-cGMP) were detected in plasma samples following the one-month intervention. No significant modulation of DNA and lipid damage markers was documented among groups, apart from an effect of time for DNA strand breaks and some markers of lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, the consumption of coffee and cocoa-based confectionery containing coffee was apparently not able to affect oxidative stress markers. More studies are encouraged to better explain the findings obtained and to understand the impact of different dosages of these products on specific target groups.

Comparison of the Nutritional Quality of Branded and Private-Label Food Products Sold in Italy: Focus on the Cereal-Based Products Collected From the Food Labeling of Italian Products Study.

The packaged foods sold in food stores may be "private-label" products (PL), when branded by the supermarket, and "branded" products (BR). PL products are generally cheaper than the BR counterparts, and this can be perceived as a sign of general low quality by consumers, when items are compared with their branded counterparts. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare the nutrient content of BR and PL cereal-based foods, by evaluating the nutritional declaration reported on the food pack of products on the home-shopping website of major retailers present on the Italian market. A total of 3,775 items (~58% BR and ~42% PL), collected in the period from July 2018 to March 2019 and updated in March 2020, were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed by means of the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test for two independent samples for differences between BR and PL categories and types. Overall, BR products showed higher contents of total and saturates than PL items. When products were grouped for categories and types, items only differed for the content of total fats, saturates, total carbohydrates, proteins, and salt. No differences were instead found for energy and sugar contents among any of the categories. However, we did not find any consistency in the direction of results. These results could be useful for future education activities aimed to help consumers in making informed food choices.

Reproducibility and validity of a food-frequency questionnaire (NFFQ) to assess food consumption based on the NOVA classification in adults.

NOVA is a classification that divides foods into four groups according to processing. Since no questionnaires have been validated to assess the consumption of foods with different levels of processing in the general adult population, we tested the reliability and validity of a 94-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (NFFQ) designed to estimate the intake (g/day) and the weight ratio (%) of the NOVA food groups in Italian adults. Time reliability and validity were tested by administrating the NFFQ to 110 subjects on two different occasions and comparing it with a weighed dietary record (WDR). Strong correlations between NFFQs (r > 0.7, p < 0.001) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of 0.851-0.940 indicated good test-retest reliability. Moderate correlations between the NFFQ and the WDR (0.6