Investigation of the 1-week effect of traffic light nutrition labeling on diet selection among Japanese university students: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The method of displaying nutrition information labels on the front of food packaging (FOP: Front of Pack) has been implemented worldwide to prevent lifestyle-related diseases. This study aimed to investigate whether the use of the UK's Traffic Light Food (TLF) label, known as the FOP label, influences the dietary choices of Japanese youth and promotes healthy dietary choices. METHODS: Diet selection was performed for one week each during the baseline and intervention periods. During the intervention period, TLF labels were displayed on meal images of the intervention group. Participants chose what they would like to have for dinner of the day from 15 images. Each meal was scored based on the color of the nutrition label, and a comparison between groups was made to determine whether TLF labeling influenced meal selection for dinner. The psychological stress caused by the presence or absence of nutrition labels and nutritional components when choosing meals was also evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 69 participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Dietary choice scores indicated that the TLF-labeled group made significantly healthier dietary choices than the unlabeled group. Additionally, the TLF-labeled group showed a significant increase in the percentage of people conscious of nutritional components when choosing meals. Furthermore, a significant increase in the number of people conscious of protein, a nutritional ingredient not indicated on the TLF label, was observed. During the test period, no difference in psychological stress caused by the presence and absence of the TLF labels was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The use of TLF labels also encouraged healthy dietary choices among Japanese university students. The use of FOP nutrition labels should be considered in Japan to prevent lifestyle-related diseases through healthy dietary choices. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry Number: UMIN000047268. Registered March 23, 2022.

Relieving psychological stress and improving sleep quality by bergamot essential oil use before bedtime and upon awakening: A randomized crossover trial.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic increased psychological stress and decreased sleep quality, especially among young people. Aromatherapy alleviates psychological stress, and bergamot essential oil helps improve depression. This study aimed to verify whether bergamot essential oil use alleviates psychological stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic and improves sleep quality and morning wakefulness. DESIGN: A placebo-controlled, randomized, open-label, two-arm, two-period crossover trial. INTERVENTIONS: Each intervention period was 1 week, with a 1-week washout period between the two periods. Participants used a bergamot or placebo spray before bedtime and upon awakening in each period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measures were sleep quality and morning wakefulness, assessed using the Ogri-Shirakawa-Azumi sleep inventory MA version (OSA-MA). The secondary outcome measures were depression, anxiety, and stress, assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). RESULTS: A total of 48 university students participated in the study. A significant improvement was observed in "sleepiness on rising," "refreshing on rising," and "sleep length" in the bergamot group. Additionally, a significant improvement was observed in depression, anxiety, and stress. CONCLUSION: Using bergamot essential oil before bedtime helps relax the mind and body and provides sound sleep. It also improves mood and wakefulness when used upon awakening. Using aromatic essential oils is expected to relieve psychological stress and improve sleep quality and morning wakefulness.

Effectiveness of Displaying Traffic Light Food Labels on the Front of Food Packages in Japanese University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Nutrition labeling on the front of food packages has been implemented worldwide to help improve public health awareness. In this randomized double-blind controlled trial, we used a Google Forms questionnaire to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition labeling on food packages in university students. The questionnaire, ultimately completed by 247 students, included 15 dietary images from which they were asked to choose what they wanted to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the following day. For the interventional (traffic light food [TLF]) group only, TLF labels were displayed on dietary images. This group had a significantly higher proportion of people conscious of healthy eating during all meals than the control group, and the effect of TLF labeling on choosing meals was the highest for lunch. In addition to the indicated nutritional components, the TLF group had a significantly higher proportion of people who were conscious of the ones of protein and dietary fiber that were not indicated on the label. The use of TLF labels resulted in an increase in the proportion of people choosing a healthy diet as well as being conscious of their nutritional components. Therefore, the use of TLF labels may help promote healthy dietary choices in Japan.