Sugars, Salt, Saturated Fat and Fibre Purchased through Packaged Food and Soft Drinks in Europe 2015-2018: Are We Making Progress?

The availability, purchase and consumption of foods high in fat, sugars and salt and low in fibre are linked to the high health and economic burden of noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, in Europe. Therefore, assessing the quality of the food offer is key as feedback to decision makers, as well as to identify good practices and areas of the food supply still requiring urgent action. We combined detailed market share and sales data with nutrition composition data to evaluate the nutritional quality of 14 packaged food and soft drinks categories sold across 22 European countries over the 2015-2018 period. Our analysis shows great variability of the nutritional composition within and among packaged food and soft drinks categories across European countries. Our estimates of the market-share weighted mean, a measure that integrates possible changes in nutrient content with the amount of a product sold to consumers, as well as daily per capita nutrient sale estimates, suggest a small but statistically significant progress in certain food categories only. Overall, the amounts of sugars, saturated fat, salt and fibre being sold to European citizens through these products is not improving to an extent to meet public health objectives.

Association between Sugar Intake and Intima Media Thickness as a Marker for Atherosclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (Sweden).

It has been suggested that sugar intake may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis. However, studies on this matter are lacking. Intima media thickness (IMT) is a well-established measurement of subclinical atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the cross-sectional association between sugar intake (i.e., added, free and total sugar and sugar-rich foods and beverages) and IMT. Our study comprised 5269 individuals (45-73 years, 40% men) of the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, a population-based cohort conducted in Sweden with data collected from 1991 to 1994. Measurements of IMT were performed with B-mode ultrasound at the right common carotid artery (IMTcca) and the bifurcation of the carotids (IMTbif). Dietary intake was estimated using a combination of a 7-day food record, diet questionnaire and interview. After adjusting for methodological, lifestyle and dietary confounders, no statistically significant associations were observed for any of the sugar intake variables and IMT. For example, added sugar intake presented no significant linear association with IMTcca or IMTbif (Ptrends: IMTcca 0.81 for men and 0.98 for women and IMTbif 0.20 for men and 0.40 for women). In conclusion, we found no clear association between sugar intake and IMT measurements in this study.

Chemical constituents of fresh-cut potato as affected by cultivar, age, storage, and cooking.

Certain changes in phenolics and sugars can occur during the storage of potatoes, where particularly amounts of sugars represent the critical factor as they are involved in potentially harmful acrylamide (AA) formation during frying. This research investigates the impact of cultivars (Birgit and Lady Claire), tuber's age (1, 5, and 9 months), and storage duration (1, 5, and 8 days at 10 °C) on the content of phenolics and sugars in raw, boiled, and fried fresh-cut potato (FCP). The influence of these factors on the formation of AA in fried FCP was also assessed. Significant differences in phenolics and sugars were observed between cultivars (cv. Birgit contained 5.77 mg of phenolics 100 g-1 of dry weight (DW) and 1.75 g of sugars 100 g-1 DW, while cv. Lady Claire contained 10.13 mg of phenolics 100 g-1 DW and 0.65 g of sugars 100 g-1 DW). The content of phenolics significantly decreased, while sugars increased during tubers' aging. FCP storage time had no significant influence on the content of phenolics and sugars. The phenolics and sugars were the highest in the raw samples and the lowest in the boiled ones. Although the AA level in fried samples was significantly influenced by cultivar (Birgit > Lady Claire) and it increased with FCP storage time, it was below European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regulation's approved maximum value (750 µg kg-1 FW) in both cultivars. Therefore, cvs. Birgit and Lady Claire could be considered as promising FCP cultivars and for frying purposes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results of this research reveal that quantitative changes of chemical constituents occurring during storage and cooking of fresh-cut slices of potato cultivars Birgit and Lady Claire are not a concern. This is of particular importance to fresh-cut producers and customers. Phenolics were reduced during storage, but they were still present in all cooked samples independently of the cooking method. The analysis of sugars showed that tubers as old as 9 months could be used for fresh-cut potato processing, providing safe frying without critical levels of acrylamide.

Energy, Sugars, Iron, and Vitamin B12 Content of Commercial Infant Food Pouches and Other Commercial Infant Foods on the New Zealand Market.

There has been an important shift in the New Zealand infant food market over the past decade, with the majority of complementary foods now sold in "pouches". Along with the increasing market share of commercial infant food pouches internationally, there have been growing concerns about their nutritional quality. However, research examining the nutritional quality of these pouches compared to other forms of commercial infant foods in New Zealand has not been undertaken. Nor have any studies reported the free sugars or added sugars content of these foods. To address this knowledge gap, a cross-sectional survey of infant foods sold in New Zealand supermarkets was conducted in 2019-2020. Recipes and nutrient lines were developed for the 266 foods identified (133 food pouches). The energy, iron, vitamin B12, total sugars, free sugars, and added sugars content of infant food pouches and other forms of commercial infant foods per 100 g were compared, both within food groups and by age group. Infant food pouches contained similar median amounts of energy, iron, and vitamin B12 to other forms of commercial infant foods but contained considerably more total sugars (8.4 g/100 g vs. 2.3 g/100 g). However, median free sugars and added sugars content was very low across all food groups except for "dairy" and "sweet snacks". All "dry cereals" were fortified with iron whereas none of the infant food pouches were. Therefore, consuming food pouches to the exclusion of other commercial infant foods may place infants at risk of iron deficiency if they do not receive sufficient iron from other sources.

Signs of Warning: Do Health Warning Messages on Sweets Affect the Neural Prefrontal Cortex Activity?

In the global attempt to combat rising obesity rates, the introduction of health warning messages on food products is discussed as one possible approach. However, the perception of graphical health warning messages in the food context and the possible impact that they may have, in particular at the neuronal level, have hardly been studied. Therefore, the aim of this explorative study was to examine consumers' reactions (measured as neuronal activity and subjective reporting) of two different types of graphical health warning messages on sweets compared to sweets without warning messages. One type used the red road traffic stop sign as graphical information ("Stop"), while the other one used shocking pictures ("Shock"), an approach similar to the images on cigarette packages. The neural response of 78 participants was examined with the neuroimaging technique functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Different hemodynamic responses in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the frontopolar cortex (FOC), and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) were observed, regions which are associated with reward evaluation, social behavior consequences, and self-control. Further, the health warning messages were actively and emotionally remembered by the participants. These findings point to an interesting health information strategy, which should be explored and discussed further.

Comparison of Various Methods to Determine Added Sugars Intake to Assess the Association of Added Sugars Intake and Micronutrient Adequacy.

Different methods for determining the effect of added sugars intake among children and adults on meeting recommended nutrient intakes were compared using 24 h dietary recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014. Four methods were used to determine deciles of added sugars intake (as the percentage of total calories): 1 day intake, 2 day average intake, and individual usual intake (UI) determined with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the multivariate Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. Percentages of the population below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for calcium and vitamin D/above the Adequate Intake (AI) for potassium and dietary fiber for each decile of added sugars intake were assessed with the NCI method. Using regression analyses, added sugars intake deciles (by any method) in children were inversely associated (p < 0.001) with percentages below the EAR/above the AI of vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and fiber. In adults, added sugars intake deciles were inversely associated with meeting recommendations for vitamin D, potassium, and fiber. There were no significant between-method differences for regression coefficients for any nutrients investigated. Overall, these methods showed a similar association of added sugars intake with nutrient inadequacy/adequacy; therefore, method preference may depend more on practical reasons.

Phytochemical, nutritional and antioxidant characteristics of whitebeam (Sorbus aria) fruits.

BACKGROUND: Common whitebeam, Sorbus aria (L.) Crantz is an European and Near-Eastern deciduous tree with small red fruits. However, the edible use of this forest fruit is currently not widespread. Also, its nutritional and antioxidative properties remained undiscovered. In this study, the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of common whitebeam fruit were investigated. METHODS: The fruit were collected from Golo Bardo Mountain in Bulgaria. The phytochemical (carotenoids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids), nutritional (moisture, ash, titrable acidity, lipids, proteins, pectin, carbohydrates) and antioxidant activity were evaluated by four assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC). RESULTS: Sugar analysis demonstrated that only fructose and glucose were detected in the fruit. Pectin content did not exceed 1.30%. Moreover, the fruit had a low lipid content (0.80%). The whitebeam fruit were also characterized as a source of carotenoids (1.69 mg/100 g fresh weight, fw), phenolic compounds (32.42 mg GAE/100 g fw), and flavonoids (20.08 mg QE/100 g fw). Among phenolic acids, only 2,4-dihydrohybenzoic, caffeic, p-coumaric, and sinapic acid were detected. The antioxidant potential of the fruit was from 168.52 mM TE/100 g fw (FRAP) to 244.81 mM TE/100 g fw (CUPRAC assay). CONCLUSIONS: The current research enriched the available information about the nutritional potential and chemical composition of common whitebeam fruit and their low sugar content. The absence of sucrose, together with its high phenolic content, demonstrated the potential of this fruit for future application in food products and supplements.

Association between Heat-Induced Chemical Markers and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Case Study on Breakfast Cereals.

Nutritional composition and neo-formed contaminant content in ultra-processed foods, amongst other factors, may contribute to increasing overall risk of non-communicable diseases and cancer. Commercial breakfast cereals (n = 53) were classified according to the NOVA approach as un-/minimally processed (NOVA-1, 11%), processed (NOVA-3, 30%), and ultra-processed (NOVA-4, 59%) foods. Acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content as heat-induced chemical markers was taken from our research team database. The NutriScore was used as the nutritional profiling system. Samples were distributed between groups A (19%), B (13%), C (38%), and D (30%). No statistically significant differences in acrylamide and HMF were found across the NutriScore groups. Sugar content was the only nutritional descriptor found to be significantly different between processed (11.6 g/100 g) and ultra-processed (23.1 g/100 g) breakfast cereal groups. Sugar content correlated with acrylamide (p < 0.001) and HMF (p < 0.0001). Acrylamide and HMF contents were not significantly higher in the NOVA-4 group when compared with the NOVA-3 group. However, trends towards higher acrylamide and HMF content are observed, amounting to a change of 75 µg/kg and 13.3 mg/kg in processed breakfast cereals, and 142 µg/kg and 32.1 mg/kg in ultra-processed breakfast cereals, respectively. Thus, the NOVA classification may not reflect the extent of the thermal treatment applied to the breakfast cereal but the type and amount of ingredients incorporated. Ultra-processed breakfast cereal does not predict significantly higher toxicological concern based on acrylamide content than processed breakfast cereals; a clear trend is seen whose contributing factors should be further studied.

Sugar Content in Processed Foods in Spain and a Comparison of Mandatory Nutrition Labelling and Laboratory Values.

To reduce the sugar content of processed foods through reformulation, the first step is to determine the content of the largest sources of sugars in each country's diet. The aim of this work was to describe the sugar content in the most commonly consumed processed foods in Spain and to compare that sugar's labelling and laboratory analysis values (LVs and AVs, respectively) to confirm its adequacy. A sample of the 1173 most commonly consumed processed foods in Spain (28 groups; 77 subcategories) was collected. For each product, the total sugar content was compared according to its AV and LV. The median (25th -75th percentiles, interquartile range) sugar content by group was calculated for the total sample, and the groups were classified as "high sugar content" when this value was above 22.5 g/100g of product. The adequacy of the LV, according to the European Union (EU) tolerance requirements, was then evaluated, and each subcategory median was compared with the AV to determine its appropriateness via a median test for independent samples (p < 0.05). In total, 10 out of 28 groups presented high sugar content. Moreover, 98.4% of the products met the EU tolerance ranges. Finally, only one subcategory ("cured ham") presented significant differences between the AV and LV median values (0.4 g vs. 0.1 g sugar/100g, p < 0.05). The groups of food products whose sugar content reduction could have the greatest impact on public health were identified. In addition, our study showed the high adequacy of LV with the EU labeling tolerance requirements, as well as the LV's appropriateness as a tool to implement actions aimed at reducing sugar consumption.

Free and Added Sugar Consumption and Adherence to Guidelines: The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014/15-2015/16).

Monitoring dietary intake of sugars in the population's diet has great importance in evaluating the efficiency of national sugar reduction programmes. The study objective was to provide a comprehensive assessment of dietary sources of added and free sugars to assess adherence to public health recommendations in the UK population and to consider the impact of different sugar definitions on monitoring. The terms "added sugar" and "free sugar" are different sugar definitions which include different sugar components and may result in different sugar intakes depending on the definition. Dietary intake of added sugars, free sugars and seven individual sugar components (sugar from table sugar; other sugars; honey; fruit juice; fruit puree; dried fruit; and stewed fruit) of 2138 males and females (1.5-64 years) from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) 2014-2016, collected using a 4 day estimated food diary, were studied. Added and free sugar intake accounted for 7% to 13% of total energy intake respectively. Major sources of free sugar intake were "cereals and cereal products", "non-alcoholic beverages", and "sugars, preserves, confectionery". Differences between added and free sugar intake were significantly large, and thus use of free sugar versus added sugar definitions need careful consideration for standardised monitoring of sugar intake in relation to public health.

Total, added and free sugar intakes, dietary sources and determinants of consumption in Portugal: the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015-2016).

OBJECTIVE: To assess total sugar (TS), added sugar (AS) and free sugar (FS) intakes, dietary sources, adherence to recommendations and determinants of consumption, in a Portuguese national sample. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Dietary assessment was obtained by two food diaries in children aged <10 years and two non-consecutive 24 h recalls for other age groups. TS, AS and FS intakes were estimated by using SPADE software. TS content in food was estimated at the ingredient level. AS content in food was assessed through a systematic methodology and FS was based on the WHO definition. SETTING: National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015-2016), Portugal. PARTICIPANTS: Representative sample from the Portuguese population, aged from 3 months to 84 years (n 5811). RESULTS: Mean daily intake and contribution to total energy intake (E%) were 84·3 g/d (18·5 E%) for TS, 32·1 g/d (6·8 E%) for AS and 35·3 g/d (7·5 E%) for FS. Of the population, 76 % adhered to the FS recommendation (FS < 10 E%). The lowest adherence was in children (51·6 %) and adolescents (51·3 %). The main dietary source of TS was fruit across all ages, except in adolescents which was soft drinks. In children, the main dietary sources of FS were yoghurts and sweets, soft drinks in adolescents and table sugar in adults/elderly. FS intake was lower in children with more educated parents and in adults who practised physical activity regularly, and higher among smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions ought to be planned towards decreasing intakes of added and free sugars considering population-specific characteristics.

A Dietary Pattern with High Sugar Content Is Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in the Pomak Population.

The present study describes the geographically isolated Pomak population and its particular dietary patterns in relationship to cardiovascular risk factors. We collected a population-based cohort in a cross-sectional study, with detailed anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and lifestyle parameter information. Dietary patterns were derived through principal component analysis based on a validated food-frequency questionnaire, administered to 1702 adult inhabitants of the Pomak villages on the Rhodope mountain range in Greece. A total of 69.9% of the participants were female with a population mean age of 44.9 years; 67% of the population were overweight or obese with a significantly different prevalence for obesity between men and women (17.5% vs. 37.5%, respectively, p < 0.001). Smoking was more prevalent in men (45.8% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.001), as 97.3% of women had never smoked. Four dietary patterns emerged as characteristic of the population, and were termed "high in sugars", "quick choices", "balanced", and "homemade". Higher adherence to the "high in sugars" dietary pattern was associated with increased glucose levels (p < 0.001) and increased risk of hypertension (OR (95% CI) 2.61 (1.55, 4.39), p < 0.001) and nominally associated with high blood glucose levels (OR (95% CI) 1.85 (1.11, 3.08), p = 0.018), compared to lower adherence. Overall, we characterize the dietary patterns of the Pomak population and describe associations with cardiovascular risk factors.

Differential relationship between physical activity and intake of added sugar and nutrient-dense foods: A cross-sectional analysis.

A curvilinear relationship exists between physical activity (PA) and dietary energy intake (EI), which is reduced in moderately active when compared to inactive and highly active individuals, but the impact of PA on eating patterns remains poorly understood. Our goal was to establish the relationship between PA and intake of foods with varying energy and nutrient density. Data from the 2009-2010 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to include a Dietary Screener Questionnaire for estimated intakes of added sugar, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fiber, and dairy. Participants (n = 4766; 49.7% women) were divided into sex-specific quintiles based on their habitual PA. After adjustment for age, body mass index, household income, and education, intakes were compared between PA quartiles, using the lowest activity quintile (Q1) as reference. Women in the second to fourth quintile (Q2-Q4) consumed less added sugar from sugary foods (+2 tsp/day) and from sweetened beverages (+2 tsp/day; all p < 0.05 vs. Q1). In men, added sugar intake was elevated in the highest activity quintile (Q5: +3 ± 1 tsp/day, p = 0.007 vs. Q1). Fruit and vegetable intake increased (women: Q1-Q4 +0.3 ± 0.1 cup eq/day; p < 0.001; men: Q1-Q3 +0.3 ± 0.1 cup eq/day, p = 0.002) and stagnated in higher quintiles. Dairy intake increased with PA only in men (Q5: +0.3 ± 0.1 cup eq/day, p < 0.001 vs. Q1). Results demonstrate a differential relationship between habitual PA and dietary intakes, whereby moderate but not necessarily highest PA levels are associated with reduced added sugar and increased nutrient-dense food consumption. Future research should examine specific mechanisms of food choices at various PA levels to ensure dietary behaviors (i.e., increased sugary food intake) do not negate positive effects of PA.

Persistent disparities over time in the distribution of sugar-sweetened beverage intake among children in the United States.

Background: Recent research suggests that sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has been declining among US children aged 2-18 y. However, most studies focused on changes in mean intake, ignore high SSB consumers and do not examine intake among vulnerable groups and, including adolescents, low-income households, and several racial/ethnic minorities. Objective: The aim was to estimate usual SSB intake from NHANES surveys from 2003-2004 to 2013-2014 to examine shifts at both the median and 90th percentile among US children, evaluating the extent to which intake disparities in total SSBs and subtypes have persisted. Design: Children 2-18 y from NHANES 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. SSBs were all non-diet beverages sweetened with sugars including revising all beverages to as consumed status and excluding soy and dairy based beverages. The NCI usual intake method was used to estimate usual intake from two 24-hour recalls. A 2-part correlated model accounted for nonconsumers. Quantile regression was then used to examine differences in SSB usual intakes at the 50th and 90th percentiles by race-ethnicity, and examine interactions indicating whether racial-ethnic disparities in intake were modified by income. Results: Despite considerable declines, children's SSB intake remains high, particularly among heavy consumers. Among adolescents, median SSB intake in 2013-2014 was on the order of 150-200 kcal/d, and heavy intake at the 90th percentile was on the order of 250-300 kcal/d. There were important disparities in intake that persisted over time. Although high household income was associated with lower SSB intake in non-Hispanic white (NHW) children, intakes of non-Hispanic black (NHB) and Mexican-American (MA) children from these households were similar to or higher than those from poor households. There were also large racial/ethnic differences in the types of SSBs consumed. The consumption of regular sodas by NHB children was somewhat lower than among MA and NHW children, whereas fruit drink intake was markedly higher. Conclusions: Overall, these findings suggest that, despite recent declines, strategies are needed to further reduce SSB consumption, and particularly heavy intake, especially among NHB children where fruit drinks also are key source of SSBs.

A Retrospective Study on Dietary FODMAP Intake in Celiac Patients Following a Gluten-Free Diet.

Our aim was to evaluate the intake of foods containing fermentable oligo/di/mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAP) as a possible factor that induces gastrointestinal symptoms in treated celiac disease (CD) patients. We collected seven-day weighed food records for 104 CD patients and 91 healthy volunteers. All evaluated food items were from sources with high and low content of FODMAP, which were divided into cereals and sweets, sweeteners and soft drinks, fruits, dried fruits, and vegetables. Nutrient intake was calculated using the food database of the European Institute of Oncology. The symptoms reported were assessed by a Rome IV Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) diagnostic questionnaire and by specific questions for the evaluation of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). The 12% of CD patients met IBS symptoms criteria as opposed to 6% of controls (p = 0.09) and 27% of patients reported FGIDs symptoms vs. 22% of healthy controls (p = 0.42). The intake by CD patients was significantly higher than healthy volunteers for: sweeteners and sugars with low content of FODMAP (p = 0.0007), fruits, dried fruits, and vegetables high in FODMAP (p = 0.003) and low in FODMAP (p = 0.04) when compared to controls. CD patients had a lower intake of cereals and sweets with a high content of FODMAP (p = 0.00001). Healthy volunteers consumed significantly higher alcoholic beverages and fats high in FODMAP (both p < 0.044). The mean daily intake of other food categories did not differ between both groups. Even though CD patients had a low intake of gluten-free cereals high in FODMAP, they still consumed a significant amount of fruits and vegetables high in FODMAP. The clinical effect of a concomitant gluten-free diet and low-FODMAP diet should be prospectively evaluated as a supportive therapy in CD patients.

One-child policy, weight status, lifestyles and parental concerns in Chinese children: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: China's one-child policy has been in place for 35 years, yet its impact on the differences of weight status including thinness and overweight/obesity, lifestyles, and parental concerns between only children (OC) and non-only children (NOC) were seldom discussed. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 62,444 children aged 6-17 years were recruited in 2013. Thinness and overweight/obesity were calculated from anthropometric measurements. Information on dietary consumption, dietary behaviors, physical activities (PA)-related behaviors, and parental concerns were obtained via questionnaires. RESULTS: Overall, 68.6% of children were OC. The prevalence of thinness and overweight/obesity were 6.98% and 24.86% in OC, in contrast to 6.57% and 19.46% in NOC, respectively. In comparison with NOC, OC had more dietary intakes of vegetables, fruits, meat products, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). OC had better dietary behaviors including more regular breakfast, regular dairy products, less fried food, and less eating-out habits, but worse dietary behaviors including more SSBs and fast food intakes. Parents of OC showed more concerns toward their child's health, but the difference became nonsignificant after adjustment for parental education levels. Similar situations were also found in the differences of PA-related behaviors between OC and their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: More than two-thirds of the children were OC in this study. Notably, OC were more likely to have higher food intakes and behaved worse in certain dietary behaviors, and were at higher risks of overweight and obesity. There were no differences in the prevalence of thinness, PA-related behaviors, and parental concerns between groups.

Evaluación de la composición nutricional de alimentos procesados y ultraprocesados de acuerdo al perfil de alimentos de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud, con énfasis en nutrientes críticos / Evaluation of the nutritional composition of processed and ultraproced foods according to the food profile of the pan american health organization with emphasis on critical nutrients

La modernización alimentaria ha llevado a una mayor disponibilidad de alimentos industrializados, ricos en azúcares simples, grasas saturadas y altos en sodio; a ese patrón se le ha considerado la "dieta occidental", concomitante al incremento del sobrepeso y obesidad, y al aumento de la morbilidad y mortalidad por enfermedades crónico-degenerativas. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la adecuación de la composición nutricional de alimentos procesados y ultraprocesados de acuerdo al Perfil de Alimentos de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud respecto a los nutrientes críticos según lo declarado en el etiquetado nutricional. Estudio transversal, observacional y descriptivo en el que se analizaron 80 productos: 38 procesados y 42 ultraprocesados. Dentro de la categoría de ¨Cereales¨, en comparación con los criterios del Perfil de Nutrientes de la OPS, se ha encontrado que la razón sodio/Kcal supera la proporción 1:1. Además, los azúcares agregados superan el 10% del total de Kcal de los productos en un 24%. En la categoría de ¨Bebidas¨, los azúcares agregados sobrepasan las cantidades sugeridas por la OPS en un 15% del 10% permitido. En conclusión se encontraron que en los alimentos procesados muchos ingredientes sobrepasan lo permitido o recomendado por la OPS, por lo que el mejor consejo dietético es basar las dietas en alimentos frescos y mínimamente procesados, y la preparación de platos y comidas frescos(AU)

The nutritional and health attributes of kiwifruit: a review.

PURPOSE: To describe the nutritional and health attributes of kiwifruit and the benefits relating to improved nutritional status, digestive, immune and metabolic health. The review includes a brief history of green and gold varieties of kiwifruit from an ornamental curiosity from China in the 19th century to a crop of international economic importance in the 21st century; comparative data on their nutritional composition, particularly the high and distinctive amount of vitamin C; and an update on the latest available scientific evidence from well-designed and executed human studies on the multiple beneficial physiological effects. Of particular interest are the digestive benefits for healthy individuals as well as for those with constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders, including symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. The mechanisms of action behind the gastrointestinal effects, such as changes in faecal (stool) consistency, decrease in transit time and reduction of abdominal discomfort, relate to the water retention capacity of kiwifruit fibre, favourable changes in the human colonic microbial community and primary metabolites, as well as the naturally present proteolytic enzyme actinidin, which aids protein digestion both in the stomach and the small intestine. The effects of kiwifruit on metabolic markers of cardiovascular disease and diabetes are also investigated, including studies on glucose and insulin balance, bodyweight maintenance and energy homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS: The increased research data and growing consumer awareness of the health benefits of kiwifruit provide logical motivation for their regular consumption as part of a balanced diet. Kiwifruit should be considered as part of a natural and effective dietary strategy to tackle some of the major health and wellness concerns around the world.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drinks and risk of obesity-related cancers.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that more frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks would be associated with increased risk of obesity-related cancers. Associations for artificially sweetened soft drinks were assessed for comparison. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with cancers identified by linkage to cancer registries. At baseline, participants completed a 121-item FFQ including separate questions about the number of times in the past year they had consumed sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened soft drinks. Anthropometric measurements, including waist circumference, were taken and questions about smoking, leisure-time physical activity and intake of alcoholic beverages were completed. SETTING: The Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS) is a prospective cohort study which recruited 41 514 men and women aged 40-69 years between 1990 and 1994. A second wave of data collection occurred in 2003-2007. SUBJECTS: Data for 35 593 participants who developed 3283 incident obesity-related cancers were included in the main analysis. RESULTS: Increasing frequency of consumption of both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drinks was associated with greater waist circumference at baseline. For sugar-sweetened soft drinks, the hazard ratio (HR) for obesity-related cancers increased as frequency of consumption increased (HR for consumption >1/d v. 1/d v. <1/month=1·00; 95 % CI 0·79, 1·27; P-trend=0·61). CONCLUSIONS: Our results add to the justification to minimise intake of sugar-sweetened soft drinks.