Association between carbohydrate intake and fatty acids in the de novo lipogenic pathway in serum phospholipids and adipose tissue in a population of Swedish men.

PURPOSE: Fatty acid composition in blood and adipose tissue (AT) is a useful biomarker of dietary fat quality. However, circulating saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) have been proposed to also reflect carbohydrate-induced de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity. We aimed to test the hypothesis that high carbohydrate intake is related to SFA and MUFA in serum or AT in a Swedish population. METHODS: Fatty acid composition was measured in serum phospholipids (PL) and AT by gas chromatography in 63-year-old men (n = 299). Carbohydrate and alcohol intake was assessed (validated 7-day food records) in relation to total SFA, 16:0 (palmitate), 16:1 (palmitoleate), and estimated SCD activity (16:1n-7/16:0-ratio) in serum PL and in AT, respectively. RESULTS: Total carbohydrate intake was inversely associated with 16:0 in PL (P = 0.005), independently of BMI. Disaccharides were non-linearly (restricted cubic splines) and weakly associated with 16:1 and SCD activity in PL (nonlinear trend, P ≤ 0.02) but not AT. Carbohydrate intake and SCD expression were not associated (P ≥ 0.08, n = 81). Alcohol intake was, however, linearly associated with 16:0 in PL (P < 0.001), and with 16:1 (P < 0.001) and SCD activity (P ≤ 0.005) in both PL and AT. CONCLUSIONS: Higher carbohydrate intake from sugar-rich foods or beverages was not clearly reflected by higher SFA or SCD activity in serum PL or AT. Alcohol was, however, associated with higher SFA and MUFA.

Brazilian Front-of-Package Labeling: A Product Compliance Analysis 12 Months after Implementation of Regulations.

This study investigated the presence of front-of-package labeling on food products in major retailers in Brazil after its implementation in 2022. Carried out from May to October 2023, we analyzed 2145 products of brands present in five Brazilian states. A total of 541 products presented front-of-package warnings. The categories varied in their adherence to front-of-package labeling, highlighting a prevalence of combined warnings, such as high in added sugar and high in saturated fat on sweet biscuits and chocolates. Sausages showed a high prevalence of high in sodium and high in saturated fat warnings. Beverages stood out as high in added sugar, while fats, dairy products, frozen preparations, seasonings, and sauces presented diversity in the warnings. Other products, such as panettone, showed a high presence of alerts. The study demonstrated the widespread presence of front-of-package labeling on ultra-processed products highly consumed by the Brazilian population. Considering the alarming presence of these foods in the Brazilian diet, it is concluded that front-of-package nutrition labeling is crucial to inform and raise awareness among consumers, allowing healthier choices and potentially contributing to a reduction in chronic diseases and the costs associated with treatment in the health system.

Jellyfish as Food: A Narrative Review.

Studies toward a sustainable future conducted by international organizations uniformly agree about having to change some of our present consumer behaviors. Regarding food, suggestions include eating locally farmed, less industrialized and renewable food to promote health and circularity, and limiting waste. Jellyfish are frequently sorted and discarded after being caught with fish in fishing nets and gear. In contrast, we propose utilizing this by-catch as food. This review discusses the economic value and sustainability of jellyfish, the technologies used to prepare them for human consumption, their nutritional profile and health impacts and, finally, consumer acceptability and sensory evaluation of jellyfish food products. This discussion is critical for promoting jellyfish as an important aquatic resource to support blue and circular economies.

Salicornia bigelovii, S. brachiata and S. herbacea: Their Nutritional Characteristics and an Evaluation of Their Potential as Salt Substitutes.

Excessive sodium (salt) intake in our diet is a main contributor to hypertension and a major risk factor for cardiovascular illnesses. As a result, research has made great efforts to develop salt alternatives, and Salicornia spp. offers a very high potential in the food industry for its promising functional characteristics. This review focuses on the nutritional profile, health effects and commercial potential of three specific species of the Salicornia genus: S. bigelovii, S. brachiata and S. herbacea. It also addresses the methods that are used to produce them as salt substitutes. Owing to the antinutritional and anti-inflammatory effects of its bioactive compounds, Salicornia spp. can serve as an organic biological preservative in foods with better consumer appeal when compared with chemical preservatives that are common in the food industry. Overall, the commercial use of these underutilized species will help to improve food security.

Preparation and characterization of sequilhos-type biscuits added with almond flour of Acrocomia intumescens.

Acrocomia intumescens ("macaúba") is a species that during processing generates a large amount of waste. The use of this residue for the production of flour for incorporation into food products is a way to minimize the cost and nutritionally enrich the final product. This work aimed to develop and analyze, in terms of physico-chemical and microbiological properties, cookies with macaúba almond cake residual flour. Sequilhos formulations were obtained using three different proportions of flour (2, 4 and 6%). The analysis of the flour allowed to find 4.29% of moisture, 1.13% of acidity, 5.33 of pH, 44.46% of carbohydrates, 28.74% of lipids, 20.06% of proteins and 2.45% of ash. In the analysis of the sequilhos formulations, the following values were found: moisture (5.03 to 8.13%), acidity (0.10 to 0.14%), pH (5.52 to 5.93), carbohydrates (67.17 to 73.37%), lipids (18.77 to 31.77%), proteins (0.85 to 1.92%), ash (0.83 to 0.94%) and total energy value (137.57 to 172,50 Kcal/100g). In microbiological analyzes it was highlighted that the sequilhos presented adequate sanitary conditions. The results indicate almond flour as an ingredient to be incorporated in the preparation of sequilhos, which in turn, presented satisfactory physico-chemical properties and microbiological results.

Serum Fatty Acids, Desaturase Activities and Abdominal Obesity - A Population-Based Study of 60-Year Old Men and Women.

Abdominal obesity is a key contributor of metabolic disease. Recent trials suggest that dietary fat quality affects abdominal fat content, where palmitic acid and linoleic acid influence abdominal obesity differently, while effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are less studied. Also, fatty acid desaturation may be altered in abdominal obesity. We aimed to investigate cross-sectional associations of serum fatty acids and desaturases with abdominal obesity prevalence in a population-based cohort study. Serum cholesteryl ester fatty acids composition was measured by gas chromatography in 60-year old men (n = 1883) and women (n = 2015). Cross-sectional associations of fatty acids with abdominal obesity prevalence and anthropometric measures (e.g., sagittal abdominal diameter) were evaluated in multivariable-adjusted logistic and linear regression models, respectively. Similar models were employed to investigate relations between desaturase activities (estimated by fatty acid ratios) and abdominal obesity. In logistic regression analyses, palmitic acid, stearoyl-CoA-desaturase and Δ6-desaturase indices were associated with abdominal obesity; multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for highest versus lowest quartiles were 1.45 (1.19-1.76), 4.06 (3.27-5.05), and 3.07 (2.51-3.75), respectively. Linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, docohexaenoic acid, and Δ5-desaturase were inversely associated with abdominal obesity; multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals): 0.39 (0.32-0.48), 0.74 (0.61-0.89), 0.76 (0.62-0.93), and 0.40 (0.33-0.49), respectively. Eicosapentaenoic acid was not associated with abdominal obesity. Similar results were obtained from linear regression models evaluating associations with different anthropometric measures. Sex-specific and linear associations were mainly observed for n3-polyunsaturated fatty acids, while associations of the other exposures were generally non-linear and similar across sexes. In accordance with findings from short-term trials, abdominal obesity was more common among individuals with relatively high proportions of palmitic acid, whilst the contrary was true for linoleic acid. Further trials should examine the potential role of linoleic acid and its main dietary source, vegetable oils, in abdominal obesity prevention.