Artificial intelligence in food science and nutrition: a narrative review.

In the late 2010s, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies became complementary to the research areas of food science and nutrition. This review aims to summarize these technological advances by systematically describing the following: the use of AI in other fields (eg, engineering, pharmacy, and medicine); the history of AI in relation to food science and nutrition; the AI technologies currently used in the agricultural and food industries; and some of the important applications of AI in areas such as immunity-boosting foods, dietary assessment, gut microbiome profile analysis, and toxicity prediction of food ingredients. These applications are likely to be in great demand in the near future. This review can provide a starting point for brainstorming and for generating new AI applications in food science and nutrition that have yet to be imagined.

Effect of chlorogenic acids on fatigue and sleep in healthy males: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are found in abundance in coffee beans and have numerous health benefits. This study investigated the effect of CGAs extracted from coffee beans on fatigue and sleep in healthy participants. This crossover study involved 16 men (aged 30-54 years) who were daytime workers with weekends off work. The participants were randomized into two groups: One group was given a placebo beverage, and the other was given an active beverage containing 300 mg of CGAs. The test beverages were consumed for 13 days starting on a Sunday. The evaluation criteria were feelings of fatigue and sleep quality, sleep-related indices recorded by an activity meter, and biomarkers. Feelings of fatigue and sleep-related indices during the first (first half of week 1) and second (second half of week 2) halves of the consumption periods were compared. Within the first half of week 1, no differences in feelings of fatigue were observed between the groups. However, during the second half of week 2, fatigue upon awakening and sleep quality in the active group were significantly improved compared with those in the placebo group. Sleep efficiency and total nocturnal awakening time were significantly deteriorated in the second half of week 2 compared with the first half of week 1 in the placebo group. Furthermore, significant differences in these indices were observed between the two groups in the second half of week 2. These results suggest that the daily consumption of CGA-containing beverages may improve fatigue upon awakening and sleep quality.

Effects of dietary supplementation with milk fat globule membrane on the physical performance of community-dwelling Japanese adults: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to elucidate the effects of dietary milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) on the physical performance of community-dwelling Japanese adults. For this 24-week study, 115 middle-aged subjects (range 50-70 years old) were invited, of whom 113 (seventy-two women, forty-one men) completed the trial. Participants were then divided into either the placebo control or MFGM group. Measurements of physical performance (without undertaking any mandatory exercise) examining muscle strength, agility and balance were tested every 6 weeks until 24 weeks. Analyses were performed using the intention-to-treat method for all participants. Although the effects of MFGM on muscle strength and agility were not significant, we noted that the parameter for balance (such as the ability to stand on one leg with eyes closed for longer durations) increased in the MFGM group (mean 10·1 (95 % CI 8·25, 12·4) s) compared with the placebo (mean 7·53 (95 % CI 6·11, 9·30) s) (P = 0·046). Similarly, application of the mixed-effect model for repeated measures under unstructured covariance also revealed that the effect of MFGM was significant when compared with the placebo (10·2 (95 % CI 8·33, 12·4) v. 7·61 (95 % CI 6·17, 9·30) s) (P = 0·045). In conclusion, we demonstrated that MFGM had an effect on the physical performance of community-dwelling Japanese adults despite mandatory exercise. However, studies using larger cohorts of individuals from different demographic backgrounds are required to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying these effects and to extend the application of MFGM.

Phytosterols dissolved in diacylglycerol oil reinforce the cholesterol-lowering effect of low-dose pravastatin treatment.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dietary therapy using phytosterols can reinforce statin treatment; however the value of a low-dose combination of those agents remains to be investigated. Plant sterols (PS), dissolved in diacylglycerol (DAG) oil, (PS/DAG) can be effective at a relatively low dose. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of PS/DAG oil on blood cholesterol concentrations in hypercholesterolemic outpatients on low-dose pravastatin (10 mg/day). METHODS AND RESULTS: The patients (n=61) were randomly assigned to one of three groups, who consumed TAG (control), DAG or PS/DAG oil. The average intake of PS from the PS/DAG oil during the test period was significantly higher than that for TAG and DAG oils (502 vs. 49 and 38 mg/day, P<0.05). Significant cholesterol-lowering effects from the baseline were observed in the case of the PS/DAG oil treatment alone. Changes in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were inversely correlated with baseline serum campesterol concentrations (r=-0.560, P<0.05), but not baseline LDL cholesterol concentrations. In addition, serum apolipoprotein B concentrations were reduced to a greater extent in subjects with high versus low levels of baseline campesterol (-13.2 mg/dL vs. -3.1 mg/dL, P<0.05). Furthermore, there was a mild, but significant reduction in serum lipoprotein (a) concentration from the baseline (-5.9 mg/dL), which was correlated with the reduction in serum apolipoprotein B concentration (r=0.596, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: A low-dose combination of PS/DAG oil and pravastatin may be a useful strategy for further ameliorating blood cholesterol and lipoprotein (a) concentrations for hypercholesterolemic patients with a low response to pravastatin.

Serum retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene levels are not altered by excess ingestion of diacylglycerol-containing plant sterol esters.

BACKGROUND: Diacylglycerol (DAG) suppresses the postprandial increase in serum triglycerides, and has antiobesity effects. On the other hand, plant sterol esters (PSE) lower serum cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemia. Thus, DAG-containing PSE (PSE/DAG) would be expected to maintain an appropriate serum cholesterol level and decrease the risk of arteriosclerotic disorders. Several recent studies, however, report negative effects of PSE on serum fat-soluble (pro)vitamin levels. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of PSE/DAG on serum retinol, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol levels using a threefold excess of the effective dose obtained in our previous study. METHODS: A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind parallel study was performed in healthy and mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects, in which the subjects ingested 1.2 g PSE/30 g DAG for 2 weeks in the form of mayonnaise-type products. Triacylglycerol (TAG) mayonnaise was used as a control. RESULT: There were no subjective adverse effects or changes in serum retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene levels, abdominal symptoms, hematologic values, or blood biochemical values. CONCLUSION: Ingestion of a threefold excess of PSE/DAG for 2 weeks had no adverse effects compared to ingestion of conventional TAG mayonnaise.

Dietary diacylglycerol in a typical meal suppresses postprandial increases in serum lipid levels compared with dietary triacylglycerol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to verify the effect of a dietary oil, consisting mainly of diacylglycerol (DAG) oil, in a typical meal on postprandial changes in serum triacylglycerol (TAG) and remnant-like particle cholesterol (RLP-C) compared with dietary triacylglycerol (TAG) oil. METHODS: In a double-blind, randomized, crossover design, 43 healthy Japanese men and women ingested test meals (2093 kJ of energy, 30 g of protein, 19 g of lipids, and 51 g of carbohydrates) containing 10 g of DAG oil (DAG meal) or TAG oil (TAG meal). Blood samples were collected in a fasting state (0 h) and at 2, 3, 4, and 6 h after ingestion of the meal. RESULTS: Postprandial TAG, RLP-C, and chylomicron TAG concentrations were significantly lower after the DAG meal compared with the TAG meal. In 29 subjects with fasting serum TAG levels of at least 1.13 mmol/L (100 mg/dL), differences in postprandial serum changes between meal types were even more remarkable and the incremental areas under the response curve (0 to 6 h) for serum TAG and RLP-C concentrations after the DAG meal were significantly smaller than those after the TAG meal. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DAG oil in the daily diet is useful for the prevention of postprandial hyperlipidemia and related disorders.

Dose-dependent cholesterol-lowering effect of a mayonnaise-type product with a main component of diacylglycerol-containing plant sterol esters.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effective dose of plant sterol ester (PSE)-enriched diacylglycerol (DAG) oil for healthy subjects with mild hypercholesterolemia. METHODS: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel study was performed in patients with mild hypercholesterolemia; 0.0, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 g of PSE was dissolved in 15 g of a DAG-containing mayonnaise-type product; and 15 g/d of the product was administered 4 wk. RESULTS: Total serum cholesterol levels were significantly decreased as a result of the ingestion of at least 0.4 g/d of PSE, and serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly decreased by the ingestion of at least 0.3 g/d of PSE. CONCLUSIONS: Daily ingestion of 15 g of DAG plus mayonnaise containing at least 0.4 g/d of PSE for 4 wk may significantly decrease cholesterol.

Effects of diacylglycerol on postprandial energy expenditure and respiratory quotient in healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of a diacylglycerol (DAG)-containing diet on postprandial energy expenditure and respiratory quotient. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study with a washout period was performed in 13 healthy male subjects. A 4240-kJ diet containing 30 g of triacylglycerol (TAG) or DAG (TAG meal or DAG meal, containing 34.5% lipids, 52.1% carbohydrates, and 14.1% proteins) was administered after a fasting period of 15 to 16 h. Breath and serum were analyzed for up to 5 h after ingestion of the meal. RESULTS: The amount of change in energy expenditure 3 h after loading with the DAG meal tended to be higher than that after loading with the TAG meal (P < 0.1). Changes in respiratory quotient 2 and 5 h after loading with the DAG meal were significantly lower than those after loading with the TAG meal, suggesting high lipid oxidation activity after the meal. The serum insulin level 0.5 h after loading with the DAG meal was significantly lower than that after loading with the TAG meal. This result suggests that there is a smaller stimulus in the direction of fat storage after loading with the DAG meal. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the TAG-containing meal, the DAG-containing meal tended to produce a higher postprandial energy expenditure and a significantly lower postprandial respiratory quotient. These results suggest that the DAG-containing meal has high postprandial lipid oxidation activity and a potential effect on high diet-induced thermogenesis.