A Cross-Sectional Audit of Nutrition and Health Claims on Dairy Yoghurts in Supermarkets of the Illawarra Region of New South Wales, Australia.

Health and nutrition claims are used by consumers to guide purchasing decisions. In consequence, monitoring and evaluation of such claims to ensure they are accurate and transparent is required. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of nutrition and health claims on dairy-yoghurt products within select Australian supermarkets and assess their compliance with the revised Food Standards Code (FSC). Nutrition, health, and related claims on yoghurt products were assessed in a cross-sectional audit of five supermarkets in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Claim prevalence, type, and compliance were assessed and products were compared against current rating measures. A total of n = 340 dairy yoghurt products were identified. Most products (97.9%) carried at least one nutrition and/or health claim, with nutrition-content claims (93.9%) the most prevalent. Most products (n = 277) met the nutrient profiling scoring criterion; while 87.9% of products did not carry the health star rating. Almost all claims surveyed (97.4%) were compliant with the FSC. Health and nutrition claims are highly prevalent across yoghurt categories, with the majority of these compliant with regulations. The ambiguity surrounding the wording and context of claims challenges researchers to investigate consumers' interpretations of health messaging within the food environment.

Effects of a Portfolio-Mediterranean Diet and a Mediterranean Diet with or without a Sterol-Enriched Yogurt in Individuals with Hypercholesterolemia.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of functional foods have been proposed to reduce cholesterol levels and the Portfolio Diet, which includes a combination of plant sterols, fibres, nuts, and soy protein, reduces low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from 20% to 30% in individuals with hyperlipidaemia. In this pilot study, the aim was to investigate whether a Mediterranean Diet incorporating a new and simple combination of cholesterol-lowering foods, excluding soy and nuts (namely the Portfolio-Mediterranean Diet), would reduce LDL-C levels, in the short-term, better than a Mediterranean Diet plus a sterol-enriched yogurt or a Mediterranean Diet alone. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 24 individuals on a Portfolio-Mediterranean Diet and 48 matched individuals on a Mediterranean Diet with or without a sterol-enriched yogurt (24 each groups) as controls. RESULTS: At follow-up (after 48±12 days), we observed an LDL reduction of 21±4, 23±4, and 44±4 mg/dL in the Mediterranean Diet alone, Mediterranean Diet plus yogurt and Portfolio-Mediterranean Diet respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: A Portfolio-Mediterranean Diet, incorporating a new combination of functional foods such as oats or barley, plant sterols, chitosan, and green tea but not soy and nuts, may reduce LDL of 25% in the short term in individuals with hypercholesterolemia.

The relationship between yogurt consumption, body weight, and metabolic profiles in youth with a familial predisposition to obesity.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship between yogurt consumption, family history of obesity (FHO), and health determinants. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Youth (n = 198; mean age: 20 ± 0.5 years) from the Québec Family Study were first classified based on their FHO, defined as the presence or absence of at least one obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) parent [with FHO (FHO+; n = 112) or without FHO (FHO-; n = 86)] and then on their yogurt consumption [yogurt consumers (YC+) n = 61 or non-consumers (YC-) n = 137]. A two-factor mixed ANOVA was performed to evaluate the association between FHO, YC, and their interaction with health determinant such as weight and body composition, metabolic and behavioral profiles. RESULTS: There was a main effect of FHO, but not YC, for weight and body composition, but no interaction between YC and FHO for these measures. However, a significant interaction between YC and FHO was observed for fasting insulin (P = 0.02), insulin area under the curve (AUC) (P = 0.02), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; P = 0.03) after adjustment for studied covariates. Specifically, lower fasting plasma insulin, insulin AUC, and HOMA-IR were observed in FHO+ and YC+ youth compared to YC- youth of the same group while no differences were found between the FHO- sub-groups. CONCLUSIONS: Consuming yogurt may protect against insulin resistance more specifically among youth at risk of obesity, and this relationship appears to be independent of body composition and lifestyle factors measured in this study.

Consumption of dairy products in relation to the presence of clinical knee osteoarthritis: The Maastricht Study.

PURPOSE: Observational studies showed inverse associations between milk consumption and knee osteoarthritis (knee OA). There is lack of information on the role of specific dairy product categories. We explored the association between dairy consumption and the presence of knee osteoarthritis in 3010 individuals aged 40-75 years participating in The Maastricht Study. METHODS: The presence of knee OA was defined according to a slightly modified version of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical classification criteria. Data on dairy consumption were appraised by a 253-item FFQ covering 47 dairy products with categorization on fat content, fermentation or dairy type. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), while correcting for relevant factors. RESULTS: 427 (14%) participants were classified as having knee OA. Significant inverse associations were observed between the presence of knee OA and intake of full-fat dairy and Dutch, primarily semi-hard, cheese, with OR for the highest compared to the lowest tertile of intake of 0.68 (95%CI 0.50-0.92) for full-fat dairy, and 0.75 (95%CI 0.56-0.99) for Dutch cheese. No significant associations were found for other dairy product categories. CONCLUSION: In this Dutch population, higher intake of full-fat dairy and Dutch cheese, but not milk, was cross-sectionally associated with the lower presence of knee OA. Prospective studies need to assess the relationship between dairy consumption, and in particular semi-hard cheeses, with incident knee OA.

Yogurt consumption during pregnancy and preterm delivery in Mexican women: A prospective analysis of interaction with maternal overweight status.

Preterm delivery is an important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, often precipitated by maternal infection or inflammation. Probiotic-containing foods, such as yogurt, may reduce systemic inflammatory responses. We sought to evaluate whether yogurt consumption during pregnancy is associated with decreased preterm delivery. We studied 965 women enrolled at midpregnancy into a clinical trial of prenatal docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in Mexico. Yogurt consumption during the previous 3 months was categorized as ≥5, 2-4, or <2 cups per week. Preterm delivery was defined as delivery of a live infant before 37 weeks gestation. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between prenatal yogurt consumption and preterm delivery and examined interaction with maternal overweight status. In this population, 25.4%, 34.2%, and 40.4% of women reported consuming ≥5, 2-4, and <2 cups of yogurt per week, respectively. The prevalence of preterm delivery was 8.9%. Differences in preterm delivery were non-significant across maternal yogurt consumption groups; compared with women reporting <2 cups of yogurt per week, those reporting 2-4 cups of yogurt per week had adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for preterm delivery of 0.81 (95% confidence interval, CI [.46, 1.41]), and those reporting ≥5 cups of yogurt per week had aOR of 0.94 (95% CI [.51, 1.72]). The association between maternal yogurt consumption and preterm delivery differed significantly for nonoverweight women compared with overweight women (p for interaction = .01). Compared with nonoverweight women who consumed <2 cups of yogurt per week, nonoverweight women who consumed ≥5 cups of yogurt per week had aOR for preterm delivery of 0.24 (95% CI [.07, .89]). Among overweight women, there was no significant association. In this population, there was no overall association between prenatal yogurt consumption and preterm delivery. However, there was significant interaction with maternal overweight status; among nonoverweight women, higher prenatal yogurt consumption was associated with reduced preterm delivery.

Yogurt supplemented with probiotics can protect the healthy elderly from respiratory infections: A randomized controlled open-label trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether yogurt supplemented with a probiotic strain could protect middle-aged and elderly people from acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) using a randomized, blank-controlled, parallel-group design. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and five volunteers aged ≥45 years were randomly divided into two groups. The subjects in the intervention group were orally administered 300 mL/d of yogurt supplemented with a probiotic strain, Lactobacillus paracasei N1115 (N1115), 3.6×107 CFU/mL for 12 weeks, while those in the control group retained their normal diet without any probiotic supplementation. The primary outcome was the incidence of URTI, and changes in serum protein, immunoglobulins, and the profiles of the T-lymphocyte subsets (total T-cells [CD3+], T-helper cells [CD4+], and T-cytotoxic-suppressor cells [CD8+]) during the intervention were the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the number of persons diagnosed with an acute URTI and the number of URTI events significantly decreased in the intervention group (P=0.038, P=0.030, respectively). The risk of URTI in the intervention group was evaluated as 55% of that in the control group (relative risk =0.55, 95% CI: 0.307-0.969). The change in the percentage of CD3+ cells in the intervention group was significantly higher than in the control group (P=0.038). However, no significant differences were observed in the total protein, albumin, globulin, and prealbumin levels in both groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The study suggested that yogurt with selected probiotic strains such as N1115 may reduce the risk of acute upper tract infections in the elderly. The enhancement of the T-cell-mediated natural immune defense might be one of the important underlying mechanisms for probiotics to express their anti-infective effects.

Dairy Products, Dietary Calcium, and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results From a European Prospective Cohort Investigation.

BACKGROUND: Dairy products may be involved in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease by modulating gut microbiota and immune responses, but data from epidemiological studies examining this relationship are limited. We investigated the association between prediagnostic intake of these foods and dietary calcium, and the subsequent development of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: In total, 401,326 participants were enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. At recruitment, consumption of total and specific dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese) and dietary calcium was measured using validated food frequency questionnaires. Cases developing incident CD (n = 110) or UC (n = 244) during follow-up were matched with 4 controls. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for total energy intake and smoking. RESULTS: Compared with the lowest quartile, the ORs for the highest quartile of total dairy products and dietary calcium intake were 0.61 (95% CI, 0.32-1.19, p trend = 0.19) and 0.63 (95% CI, 0.28-1.42, p trend = 0.23) for CD, and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.50-1.30, p trend = 0.40) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.49-1.34, p trend = 0.60) for UC, respectively. Compared with nonconsumers, individuals consuming milk had significantly reduced odds of CD (OR 0.30, 95% CI, 0.13-0.65) and nonsignificantly reduced odds of UC (OR 0.85, 95% CI, 0.49-1.47). CONCLUSIONS: Milk consumption may be associated with a decreased risk of developing CD, although a clear dose-response relationship was not established. Further studies are warranted to confirm this possible protective effect.

Erosive tooth wear among 12-year-old schoolchildren: a population-based cross-sectional study in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, extent, severity, intraoral distribution and risk indicators for erosive tooth wear (ETW) among 12-year-old schoolchildren from Montevideo, Uruguay. A population-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted using a representative sample of 1,136 12-year-old schoolchildren attending public and private schools. Parents answered questions on socioeconomic status and general health. Schoolchildren answered questions on dietary and oral hygiene habits. Two calibrated examiners recorded ETW on permanent teeth according to the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) score system. Logistic regression models were performed to assess the association between the predictor variables and the prevalence of ETW (overall and severe ETW). Odds ratios (OR) and the respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. The prevalence of ETW was 52.9%, being mild erosion (BEWE = 1) in the vast majority of cases (48.5%). Severe erosion (BEWE ≥2) was detected in 4.4% of schoolchildren. The overall prevalence of ETW differed significantly between categories of gender and socioeconomic status, but only between gender in the severe ETW analysis. The overall extent of ETW was significantly different between categories of gender, socioeconomic status, and swish before swallow. The extent of severe ETW differed between categories of swish before swallow and brushing frequency. In the logistic regression analysis, no association was found between the studied variables and the overall prevalence of ETW. Males were more likely to have severe ETW than females (OR = 3.22, 95% CI = 1.50-6.89). ETW may be considered a public health problem among 12-year-old-Uruguayan schoolchildren.

[Study of the influence of dietary yogurt in an allergic population]. / Estudio de la influencia del consumo de lácteos fermentados en una población de pacientes alérgicos.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of allergic diseases has been increased in last years; new alternative therapies have been employed. Beneficial effects of probiotics have been described in some pathologies such as tumors, diarrhea, and allergic disease. The aim of our work was to describe nutritional status and influence of probiotic consumption in allergic population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 44 allergic patients were selected, in all patients were recorded; sex, age, place of residence, anthropometric evaluation, dietary questionnaire and allergic variables (rush, blood levels of Ig E, and number of crisis in a year). RESULTS: 18 patients (40.9%) were females and 26 (59.1%) males with an average age of 24.5 (10.3) years. Most of patients (20.5%) are located in percentile P25-50, showing a good nutritional status. 16 patients consumed probiotics (27.1%), with an average of consumption per week 1.79 (3.16) and an average amount per week (mg-ml) (593.4 (461.9). The number of crisis year was 1.44 (1.8), average value of Ig E was 35.68 (31.93) UI/L and rush 10.09 (2.8) mm. Patients with a consumption of probiotics higher than 593 mg/week showed a IOW rush diameter (10.12(0.8) mm vs 8.85 (1.1) mm; p < 0.05), without statistical differences in other variables. CONCLUSION: Consumption of probiotics in allergic patients could be beneficial. Further studies with more patients and intervention designs will be necessary to analyze this relations.

Tratamiento dietético comparativo adn versus yogurt en la realimentación de niños desnutridos con diarrea prolongada / Comparative dietetic treatment of adn versus yogurt in malnourished children with diarrhea

En el presente trabajo se estudiará la recuperación nutricional en desnutridos con Diarrea Prolongada utilizando Yogurt, comparando con el ADN alimento dietético nutricional, alimento utilizado en el hospital Infantil Albina R. Patiño (HIAP) en la realimentación del desnutrido. Siendo la mal absorción de los carbohidratos y la intolerancia a la proteina de la leche de vaca las dos principales intolerancias identificadas en los niños con diarrea prolongada, la aternativa del yogurt como alimento de bajo costo, de facíl preparación y conservación, es importante por tres principales razones: la lactosa es mejor digerida en forma de yogurt en individuos que presentan deficiencia de lactasa, las proteinas de la leche son modificadas en la transformación de la leche a yogurt y puede ser facílmente producida en casa.