Designing a new physical activity calorie equivalent food label and comparing its effect on caloric choices to that of the traffic light label among mothers: a mixed-method study.

Objective: We designed a new type of 'physical activity calorie equivalent' (PACE) food label in Iran to compare its effect with that of the traffic light food label (TLL) on caloric choices. Design: Mixed-method study. Participants: Mothers of school children between the ages of 6-12 years. Setting: In the qualitative phase, 10 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with various groups of mothers, and two FGDs were conducted with food science and nutrition experts to design a new PACE label. In the quantitative phase, 496 mothers were randomly assigned to five groups: (1) no nutrition label, (2) current TLL, (3) current TLL + educational brochure, (4) PACE label, and (5) PACE label + brochure. Samples of dairy products, beverages, cakes, and biscuits were presented. ANOVA and multiple linear regressions were applied to examine the association between label types and calories of the selected products as our main outcome. Results: The mothers' perspectives were classified into two sub-themes, the PACE label's facilitators and barriers. The new PACE label's characteristics were divided into two subcategories: (a) appearance, and (b) nutritional information, including 14 codes. In the quantitative section, mean calories of the selected foods were lowest in the TLL + brochure group (831.77 kcal; 95% CI: 794.23-869.32), and highest in the PACE label group (971.61; 95% CI: 926.37-1016.84). Conclusion: The new PACE label was a combination of PACE, TLL, and warning labels. It did not significantly affect lower caloric choice, however, the TLL + brochure option was effective in choosing foods with fewer calories.Clinical trial registration: The study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials 23 (IRCT20181002041201N1).

Association between adherence to the MIND diet and overweight and obesity in children: An exploratory study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Childhood obesity is concerning as it is highly prevalent worldwide and has long-term health implications in adulthood. Recently, the MIND diet was created to encourage a brain-healthy diet and focuses on plant-based eating. The relationship between the MIND diet and childhood obesity is not well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between adherence to the MIND diet and overweight and obesity in children. METHODS: Data from a population-based cross-sectional study (n = 788 children aged 6 years) in Tehran, Iran was used. A 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate dietary intake. The MIND diet scores were calculated and anthropometric measurements were completed for all children. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overweight and obesity across tertiles of MIND diet scores were estimated using logistic regression analyses, adjusted for energy intake, socioeconomic status, and physical activity. RESULTS: The mean weight, height, BMI, and total energy intake of participants were 20.85 + 2.35 kg, 113.75 + 2.00 cm, 16.12 + 1.84 kg/m2, and 1014.74 + 259.16 (kcal/d), respectively. There was an inverse association between the MIND diet score and overweight (OR = 0.0.55, 95% CI: 0.38-0.81; P-trend = 0.002) and overweight/obesity (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.41-0.86; P-trend = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Higher adherence to the MIND diet may lower the risk of overweight and overweight/obesity in children. Future studies using prospective study designs are needed to confirm these findings.

The effects of probiotic and conventional yoghurt on lipid profile in women.

Many studies have been done on the hypocholesterolaemic effect of probiotic yoghurt. The results, however, are not conclusive. The aim of the present study was to test the effect of probiotic and conventional yoghurt on the lipid profile in women. In a randomised trial, ninety female volunteers aged 19-49 years were assigned to three groups. Subjects consumed daily 300 g probiotic yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 or 300 g conventional yoghurt or no yoghurt for 6 weeks. Fasting blood samples, 3 d dietary records and anthropometric measurements were collected at baseline (T1), end of week 3 (T2) and end of week 6 (T3). Lipid profile parameters were determined by enzymic methods. Results showed no significant difference in lipid profile within any group throughout the study. Comparing mean differences (T1 - T3) among the three groups showed: no difference in TAG and LDL-cholesterol, a decrease in cholesterol in both conventional (P < 0.05) and probiotic yoghurt groups (P < 0.005) compared with the control group, a decrease in total:HDL-cholesterol ratio for conventional (P < 0.05) and probiotic yoghurt groups (P < 0.001) compared with the control group, and an increase in HDL-cholesterol in the probiotic yoghurt group (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. Positive changes in lipid profile were observed in both yoghurt groups. Any added effect, therefore, is due to the consumption of fermented milk products.

Dietary intake of nutrients and its correlation with fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND: The role of nutrition in the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and related complications such as fatigue has been reported by several studies. The aim of this study is the assessment of nutritional status and its relationship with fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, in which 101 relapsing-remitting MS patients were enrolled. The fatigue status was determined using the validated Persian version of of the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Dietary intake was assessed using a 3-day food record questionnaire and compared to dietary reference intake (DRI) values. Association between variables was determined using Pearson Correlation Coefficient. RESULTS: In the preset study, 25 men and 76 women (total = 101) were enrolled. Analysis of dietary intake showed that daily intake of vitamin D, folate, calcium, and magnesium were significantly lower than DRI in all of patients. In men, zinc intake was significantly lower than DRI; while, in women, iron was significantly below the DRI level. After adjusting for energy, MFIS and its physical subscale were highly correlated with intake of folate and magnesium. CONCLUSION: Our findings support that lower magnesium and folate diets are correlated with higher fatigue scores in MS patients.