The global diet quality score as an indicator of adequate nutrient intake and dietary quality - a nation-wide representative study.

BACKGROUND: The Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) was developed to be a simple, timely and cost-effective tool to track, simultaneously, nutritional deficiency and non-communicable disease risks from diet in diverse settings. The objective was to investigate the performance of GDQS as an indicator of adequate nutrient intake and dietary quality in a national-representative sample of the Brazilian population. METHODS: Nationally-representative data from 44,744 men and non-pregnant and non-lactating women aging ≥ 10 years, from the Brazilian National Dietary Survey were used. Dietary data were collected through two 24-h recalls (24HR). The GDQS was calculated and compared to a proxy indicator of nutrient adequate intake (the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women-MDD-W) and to an indicator of high-risk diet for non-communicable diseases (caloric contribution from ultra-processed foods-UPF). To estimate the odds for overall nutrient inadequacy across MDD-W and GDQS quintiles, a multiple logistic regression was applied, and the two metrics' performances were compared using Wald's post-test. RESULTS: The mean GDQS for Brazilians was 14.5 (0-49 possible range), and only 1% of the population had a low-risk diet (GDQS ≥ 23). The GDQS mean was higher in women, elderly individuals and in higher-income households. An inverse correlation was found between the GDQS and UPF (rho (95% CI) = -0.20(-0.21;-0.19)). The odds for nutrient inadequacy were lower as quintiles of GDQS and MDD-W were higher (p-trend < 0.001), and MDD-W had a slightly better performance than GDQS (p-diff < 0.001). Having a low-risk GDQS (≥ 23) lowered the odds for nutrient inadequacy by 74% (95% CI:63%-81%). CONCLUSION: The GDQS is a good indicator of overall nutrient adequacy, and correlates well with UPF in a nationally representative sample of Brazil. Future studies must investigate the relationship between the GDQS and clinical endpoints, strengthening the recommendation to use this metric to surveillance dietary risks.

Association between sedentary behavior, diet and nutritional status in adolescents: baseline results from the LONCAAFS Study.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between time spent engaged in sedentary behaviors, type of diet, and overweight in adolescents. A cross-sectional study using data from the Longitudinal Study on Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, Eating Habits, and Health of Adolescents - LONCAAFS Study. A total of 1,438 adolescents (10 to 14 years old) from public schools in the city of João Pessoa, Brazil, participated in the study. To evaluate the combined effects of excessive time in sedentary behavior and consumption from two food groups: Convenience and Prudent on overweight, we performed multiple logistic regression analyses, adjusted for energy, level of physical activity, sex, and age. Excessive time in sedentary behavior increased the chance of adolescents being overweight by 37% (OR = 1.37; 95%CI: 1.04-1.80). This chance increased to 43% when the adolescents were simultaneously engaged in excessive sedentary behavior and had high consumption of the Convenience food group (OR = 1.43; 95%CI: 1.05-1.94) and increased to 39% on those who engaged in excessive sedentary behavior and had low consumption of foods from the Prudent (OR = 1.39; 95%CI: 1.04-1.84). Excessive sedentary behavior is associated with being overweight and the chance increases with the consumption of convenient foods.

Plasma Levels of Magnesium, Calcium, Calcium to Magnesium Ratio, and Associations with Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors.

Magnesium and calcium are elements that have been associated with cardiometabolic risk factors related to metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, there are gaps in the knowledge regarding the impact of the calcium to magnesium (Ca/Mg) ratio in plasma. Thus, we aim to evaluate the associations between magnesium and calcium levels in plasma, and the Ca/Mg ratio in plasma with MetS components and other cardiometabolic risk factors. This cross-sectional study was carried out with 112 adults and older people, distributed into groups with (n = 60) and without MetS (n = 52). We evaluated sociodemographic, anthropometric, and biochemical data. Magnesium and calcium levels in plasma were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique (ICP-MS). There was a high frequency of MetS, with no significant differences in magnesium and calcium levels and Ca/Mg ratio in plasma observed between groups. There were no associations between magnesium and MetS components or other cardiometabolic risk factors (all p > 0.05). Calcium levels were associated with total cholesterol (ß = - 0.020; p = 0.000) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (ß = - 0.046; p = 0.005). The total cholesterol (ß = - 0.025; p = 0.000) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (ß = 0.017; p = 0.020) were preditors of the Ca/Mg ratio. These results indicate important associations of calcium and the Ca/Mg ratio in plasma with cardiometabolic risk factors related to MetS.

Dietary patterns and adiposity over time - analysis of the ELSA-Brasil.

PURPOSE: Combining different statistical methods to identify dietary patterns (DP) may provide new insights on how diet is associated with adiposity. This study investigated the association of DP derived from three data-driven methods and adiposity indicators over time. METHODS: This study used data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). DP were identified at baseline applying three statistical methods: Factor Analysis (FA), Treelet Transform (TT), and Reduced Rank Regression (RRR). The association between DP and adiposity indicators (weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage and fat mass index) over the period of 8.2 years of follow-up was assessed by linear mixed-models. RESULTS: Convenience DP, marked by unhealthy food groups, was associated with higher adiposity over the follow-up period, regardless of the method applied. The DP identified by TT and marked by high consumption of rice and beans was associated with lower adiposity, whereas the similar DP identified by FA, but additionally characterised by consumption of poultry and red meat was associated with higher adiposity. Prudent DP, marked by plant-based food groups and fish, identified by FA was associated with lower adiposity across the median follow-up time. CONCLUSION: Applying different methods to identify DP showed that a convenience DP was associated with higher adiposity independent of the method applied. We also identified the nuances within adherence to a Brazilian traditional dietary pattern characterised by the consumption of rice and beans, that only when combined with reduced consumption of animal protein and unhealthy foods was associated with lower adiposity over time.

Could the Wheel of Cardiovascular Health Diet Be a Tool for Diet Quality in Nutritional Counseling? Comparison with Healthy Eating Index-2020.

OBJECTIVE: The Wheel of Cardiovascular Health Diet was recently elaborated based on current nutritional recommendations for healthy eating and was made for person-centered nutritional counseling, thus it may be an interesting tool to improve food awareness. However, its validity is yet to be tested. We hypothesized that the self-perception of patients diagnosed with chronic diseases, evaluated by the Wheel of Cardiovascular Health Diet, is satisfactory in assessing the quality of their diets, compared with the Healthy Eating Index-2020. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional analysis of adults with uncontrolled hypertension or type 2 diabetes. The patients answered the Wheel of Cardiovascular Health Diet, and then, based on the food frequency questionnaire, we analyzed the Healthy Eating Index-2020. RESULTS: A total of 330 patients were included in the study: 91.5% had hypertension, 58.5% had type 2 diabetes, and the median age was 58 (50-65) years. The mean difference observed between the percentage of the graphic area assessed by the patients' self-perception from the Wheel of Cardiovascular Health Diet and Healthy Eating Index-2020 was -10.0% (95%CI -35.3 to 15.3), and a moderate correlation was observed. Linear Regression models showed that a 10-point increase in patients' self-perception in the Wheel of Cardiovascular Health Diet is associated with a 2.9% increase (95%CI 2.08 to 3.70) in the diet quality by the Healthy Eating Index-2020 and is associated with lower BMI values: ß = -0.42 kg/m2 (95%CI -0.83 to -0.01). CONCLUSION: The Wheel of Cardiovascular Health Diet performed satisfactorily regarding validity and reliability by BMI and was associated with higher overall dietary quality, with the Healthy Eating Index-2020 as a relative reference.

Dietary acid load and the risk of events of mortality and kidney replacement therapy in people with chronic kidney disease: the Progredir Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The association between dietary acid load (DAL) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression remains controversial. Also, there is a gap in the literature on the association between DAL and mortality. In this study, we evaluated the association between NEAP (net endogenous acid production) and PRAL (potential renal acid load) and the risk of events of all-cause mortality and kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in people with CKD. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We included 442 patients (250 diabetics) from the Progredir Cohort Study, based in São Paulo, Brazil. We estimated NEAP and PRAL from dietary intake. Events of death before KRT and KRT were ascertained after a median follow-up of 5.8 and 5.1 years, respectively. Cox proportional hazards regression, Weibull regression, and competing risk models were performed. RESULTS: Median NEAP and PRAL were 49.5 and 4.8 mEq/d. There were 200 deaths and 75 KRT events. Neither NEAP nor PRAL were associated with mortality or KRT when all participants were analyzed. After stratification for diabetes, both estimates were positively related to the risk of KRT even after adjustment for age, sex, weight status, glomerular filtration rate, serum bicarbonate, and intakes of protein, phosphorus, and energy (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.07, 1.60 for NEAP, and HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.04, 1.57 for every 10 mEq/d increments). Competing risk analyses confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS: DAL estimates were associated with the risk of KRT in people with CKD and diabetes but not in non-diabetics. There was no association between all-cause mortality and DAL.

Flexitarians in Brazil: Who are they, what do they eat, and why?

In this study, we conducted the first scientific investigation focusing on Brazilian flexitarians, aiming to characterize their socio-economic and demographic profiles, motivations for adopting flexitarianism, the frequency of animal-based meat consumption, and the primary meat substitutes they consume. To accomplish this, we distributed an online questionnaire with the assistance of university students and researchers from various regions of the country. Data were collected from 1029 individuals in Brazil who self-identified as flexitarians. Our findings reveal that the flexitarian dietary model is primarily adopted by women, constituting 76% of the sample (n = 786). Their motivations include concerns about the environmental impact of meat consumption (n = 361, 35%), personal health (n = 344, 33%), and animal welfare (n = 219, 21%). Flexitarians exhibit varying consumption patterns, which can be categorized into three groups: light flexitarians (consuming meat 36 times a week), medium flexitarians (consuming meat 7 times a week), and heavy flexitarians (consuming meat 4 times a week). The flexitarian dietary pattern is characterized by reduced beef consumption (less than 2 times per week) and higher consumption of chicken (3 times per week). It is complemented by plant-based protein sources and eggs as the primary meat substitutes. The recognition of legumes as the principal meat substitutes opens avenues for an expanded discussion on sustainable food systems and alternative meat products in Brazil. This provides opportunities to enhance the availability and accessibility of these foods and to develop nutritional interventions that prioritize plant-based proteins.

Association between adherence to the EAT-Lancet sustainable reference diet and cardiovascular health among European adolescents: the HELENA study.

BACKGROUND: The EAT-Lancet Commission proposed a global reference diet to promote healthy diets within planetary boundaries. Studies evaluating the associations between the reference diet with health outcomes among adolescents are scarce. Thus, our aim was to assess the association between adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet and cardiovascular health among European adolescents. METHODS: Data from the HELENA study were used. Usual dietary intake was assessed using two 24-h dietary recalls and adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet was assessed using the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), a 16-component index that ranges from 0 to 150 points. Cardiovascular health was assessed through the seven-component Ideal Cardiovascular Health (ICH) score: never smoked, eutrophic body mass index, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, healthy dietary pattern, low blood pressure, low fasting plasma glucose, and low total cholesterol. Total ICH score was categorized into ideal (5-7) and non-ideal (0-4). RESULTS: A 10-point increment in the PHDI was associated with a lower probability of a non-ideal ICH status (OR 0.84, [95% CI: 0.75, 0.94]) among European adolescents, after adjusting for age, sex, socio-economic status, and total energy intake. Furthermore, a 10-point increment in the PHDI was associated with lower probability of high blood pressure (OR: 0.87 [0.79, 0.96]) and a lower probability of high blood cholesterol (OR: 0.88 [0.78, 0.99]). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that a higher PHDI may be associated with a better cardiovascular health status among European adolescents.

Adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet and its relation with food insecurity and income in a Brazilian population-based sample. / Adesão à dieta EAT-Lancet e sua relação com insegurança alimentar e renda em uma amostra de base populacional brasileira.

This study aimed to investigate the relation of adherence to the planetary diet with food and nutrition security status and per capita household income in a study with a representative sample of the Brazilian population. Among the data from the 2017-2018 Brazilian Household Budgets Survey (POF), the inequality indicators selected for the analysis were data on per capita household income and food and nutrition security. We also considered data on the individual food consumption of 46,164 Brazilians aged ≥ 10 years, obtained through 24-hour dietary recalls, in the National Food Survey, conducted with the POF 2017-2018. The Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) was used to measure adherence to the planetary diet. Sociodemographic data were expressed as frequency (%), with analysis of the mean and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) of the PHDI score. The relation of food and nutrition security and income with the PHDI score was tested in multiple linear regression models. The calculations were performed in the Stata software, adopting a 5% significance. Lower PHDI means were observed among food insecure individuals, male, < 20 years old, mixed-race and indigenous, with income < 0.5 minimum wage, residing in rural areas and in the North and Northeast regions. In the multiple linear regression, food insecurity was inversely related to PHDI score (ꞵ = -0.56; 95%CI: -1.06; -0.06), with the lowest scores associated with severe food insecurity (ß = -1.31; 95%CI: -2.19; -0.55). Income categories were not independently associated to PHDI score (p-trend = 0.900). Therefore, food insecurity has been shown to negatively affect Brazilians' adherence to the planetary diet.

O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a relação entre a adesão à dieta planetária com a situação de segurança alimentar e nutricional e renda familiar per capita, utilizando amostra representativa da população brasileira. Entre os dados da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF) de 2017-2018, os indicadores de desigualdade selecionados para a análise foram as informações sobre renda familiar per capita e segurança alimentar e nutricional. Também foram considerados dados de consumo alimentar individual de 46.164 brasileiros com idade ≥ 10 anos, obtidos por meio de recordatórios alimentares de 24 horas, no Inquérito Nacional de Alimentação, conduzido junto à POF 2017-2018. O Índice de Dieta Planetária (PHDI) foi empregado para mensurar a adesão à dieta planetária. Dados sociodemográficos foram expressos como frequência (%), com análise da média e intervalo de 95% de confiança (IC95%) do escore do PHDI. A relação entre segurança alimentar e nutricional e renda com o escore do PHDI foi testada em modelos de regressão linear múltipla. Os cálculos foram executados no software Stata, adotando uma significância de 5%. Menores médias do PHDI foram observadas entre indivíduos em insegurança alimentar, do sexo masculino, < 20 anos, pardos e indígenas, com renda < 0,5 salário mínimo, domiciliados na zona rural e das regiões Norte e Nordeste. Na regressão linear múltipla, a insegurança alimentar foi inversamente relacionada ao escore do PHDI (ꞵ = -0,56; IC95%: -1,06; -0,06), sendo as menores pontuações associadas à insegurança alimentar grave (ß = -1,31; IC95%: -2,19; -0,55). As categorias de renda não foram independentemente associadas com o escore PHDI (p de tendência = 0,900). Portanto, a insegurança alimentar demonstrou afetar negativamente a adesão dos brasileiros à dieta planetária.

El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la relación entre la adherencia a la dieta planetaria con la situación de seguridad alimentaria y nutricional y el ingreso familiar per cápita en un estudio con una muestra representativa de la población brasileña. Entre los datos de la Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares (POF) 2017-2018, los indicadores de desigualdad seleccionados para el análisis fueron la información sobre el ingreso familiar per cápita y la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional. También se utilizaron los datos de consumo alimentario individual de 46.164 brasileños ≥ 10 años, obtenidos mediante registros de alimentos de 24 horas, en la Encuesta Nacional Alimentaria, realizada con POF 2017-2018. Se utilizó el Índice de Dieta Planetaria (PHDI) para medir la adherencia a la dieta planetaria. Los datos sociodemográficos se expresaron como frecuencia (%), con análisis de la media e intervalo de 95% de confianza (IC95%) de la puntuación del PHDI. La relación entre el seguridad alimentaria y nutricional y los ingresos con la puntuación del PHDI se probó en modelos de regresión lineal múltiple. Los cálculos se realizaron en el software Stata, con el nivel de significación del 5%. Se observaron medias más bajas del PHDI entre individuos con inseguridad alimentaria, hombres, < 20 años, pardos e indígenas, con ingresos < 0,5 salario mínimo, residentes en zonas rurales y en las regiones Norte y Nordeste de Brasil. En la regresión lineal múltiple, la inseguridad alimentaria se relacionó inversamente con la puntuación del PHDI (ꞵ = -0,56; IC95%: -1,06; -0,06), y las puntuaciones más bajas estaban asociadas con la inseguridad alimentaria grave (ß = -1,31; IC95%: -2,19; -0,55). Las categorías de ingresos no se asociaron de forma independiente con la puntuación PHDI (p de tendencia = 0,900). Por lo tanto, la inseguridad alimentaria afecta negativamente la adherencia de los brasileños a la dieta planetaria.

Indices for measurement of sustainable diets: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: The current food system is associated with negative impacts on health, food insecurity and environmental harm. Sustainable diets have attracted increasing interest and novel proposals with a global scope have emerged. This scoping review aims to give an overview of the analysis of all the available evidence related to the sustainable diet indices that have been developed based on the EAT-Lancet Commission. METHODS: Searches were conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and Science Direct databases. This review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The target population were studies addressed the use of an index or metric for assessing sustainable diets based on the EAT-Lancet Commission Summary Report were included. PCC acronym was used in the design of the study to describe eligibility criteria: P (Population)-Indexes; C (Concept)-Sustainable diets; C (Context)-Knowledge on the structure and applicability of measurement indices of sustainable diets based on EAT-Lancet recommendations available in the literature. Study eligibility criteria were restricted to papers published in English, from January 2019 through October 2022, with no population restriction. RESULTS: A total of 1,458 papers were retrieved, 14 of which were included in the review. Seven measures of sustainable diets were identified as follow: EAT-Lancet diet score (ELD-I), New EAT-Lancet diet score (EAT), Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), Sustainable Diet Index (SDI), Sustainable-HEalthy-Diet (SHED), novel Nutrient-Based EAT index (NB-EAT) and World Index for Sustainability and Health (WISH). Most studies were conducted in developed countries, where greater adherence to this type of diet was found. Estimated greenhouse gas emissions was the most reported indicator of sustainability, followed by diet quality and the benefits of sustainable diets with regards to health outcomes. DISCUSSION: We identified barriers that hinder progress towards sustainable diets, including the difficulty of comparing different indices and the tendency to neglect social aspects and the lack of common definitions and metrics. Despite being challenge, we highlight the importance of using indices that assess sustainable diets that harmonize various indicators, as recommended by the EAT-Lancet Commission, in order to promote positive changes towards a more sustainable future.

Associação entre insegurança e consumo alimentar em universitários brasileiros durante a pandemia de COVID-19 / Association between food insecurity and consumption in Brazilian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introdução. A COVID-19 impactou a garantia de uma alimentação adequada e saudável, inclusive entre universitários, que parecem constituir um grupo suscetível à Insegurança Alimentar (IA). Objetivo. Verificar a associação entre IA e marcadores de consumo alimentar em universitários durante a pandemia de COVID-19. Materiais e métodos. Estudo transversal com 5407 estudantes de instituições de ensino superior de todas as regiões do Brasil. Os dados foram coletados entre agosto/2020 e fevereiro/2021. O consumo alimentar foi avaliado por marcadores de alimentação saudável utilizados num inquérito nacional de saúde (VIGITEL). Os níveis de IA foram classificados pela Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar em Segurança Alimentar (SA) e IA leve, moderada e grave. A associação entre IA e marcadores de consumo foi avaliada por meio de regressão logística, considerando frequência semanal de consumo < 3 dias e ≥ 3 dias. Resultados. 37% dos universitários estavam em algum grau de IA. Verificou-se maior chance de baixa frequência de consumo de feijão (OR 1,81), verduras e legumes (OR 4,76), frutas (OR 3,99), lácteos (OR 3,98) e carnes (OR 3,41), e maiores chances de maior consumo de frango (OR 1,14) e ovos (OR 2,04) entre aqueles em IA (p<0,05). Em sua maioria, os valores foram mais expressivos quanto maior o grau de IA. Conclusões. Maiores níveis de IA mostraram-se associados a uma menor chance de consumo alimentar saudável por universitários. Instituições de ensino superior podem executar papéis importantes no combate e assistência à IA nessa população(AU)

Introduction. COVID-19 has impacted access to an adequate and healthy diet, including university students, who seem to constitute a group susceptible to Food Insecurity (FI). Objective. To verify the association between FI and food consumption markers in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods. We conducted a cross- sectional study with 5407 students from higher education institutions from all regions of Brazil. Data were collected between August/2020 and February/2021. We evaluated food consumption using the healthy eating markers from a Brazilian national health survey (VIGITEL). We classified the FI levels according to the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale into Food Security (FS) and mild, moderate, and severe FI. We evaluated the association between FI and consumption markers using logistic regression, considering the weekly frequency of consumption of < 3 days and ≥ 3 days. Results. 37% of the university students had in some degree of FI. We found a greater chance of lower frequency of consumption of beans (OR 1.81), vegetables (OR 4.76), fruits (OR 3.99), dairy products (OR 3.98), and meat (OR 3. 41), and greater chances of increased consumption of chicken (OR 1.14) and eggs (OR 2.04) among those in FI (p<0.05). Overall, the values were more expressive the higher the degree of FI. Conclusions. Higher FI levels were associated with a lower chance of healthy food consumption in university students. Higher education institutions can play a relevant role in addressing and administering the FI in this population(AU)

Biochemical phenotyping of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria reveals solute carriers and ß-oxidation deficiencies.

INTRODUCTION: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a clonal disease of hematopoietic cells with a variable clinical spectrum characterized by intravascular hemolysis, high risk of thrombosis, and cytopenias. To understand the biochemical shifts underlying PNH, this study aimed to search for the dysfunctional pathways involved in PNH physiopathology by comparing the systemic metabolic profiles of affected patients to healthy controls and the metabolomic profiles before and after the administration of eculizumab in PNH patients undergoing treatment. METHODS: Plasma metabolic profiles, comprising 186 specific annotated metabolites, were quantified using targeted quantitative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in 23 PNH patients and 166 population-based controls. In addition, samples from 12 PNH patients on regular eculizumab maintenance therapy collected before and 24 hours after eculizumab infusion were also analyzed. RESULTS: In the PNH group, levels of the long-chain acylcarnitines metabolites were significantly higher as compared to the controls, while levels of histidine, taurine, glutamate, glutamine, aspartate and phosphatidylcholines were significantly lower in the PNH group. These differences suggest altered acylcarnitine balance, reduction in the amino acids participating in the glycogenesis pathway and impaired glutaminolysis. In 12 PNH patients who were receiving regular eculizumab therapy, the concentrations of acylcarnitine C6:1, the C14:1/C6 ratio (reflecting the impaired action of the medium-chain acyl-Co A dehydrogenase), and the C4/C6 ratio (reflecting the impaired action of short-chain acyl-Co A dehydrogenase) were significantly reduced immediately before eculizumab infusion, revealing impairments in the Acyl CoA metabolism, and reached levels similar to those in the healthy controls 24 hours after infusion. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated significant differences in the metabolomes of the PNH patients compared to healthy controls. Eculizumab infusion seemed to improve deficiencies in the acyl CoA metabolism and may have a role in the mitochondrial oxidative process of long and medium-chain fatty acids, reducing oxidative stress, and inflammation.

A novel web-based 24-h dietary recall tool in line with the Nova food processing classification: description and evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the first web-based self-completed 24-h recall designed to categorise food intake according to Nova groups - Nova24h - and its agreement with a reference tool in estimating the dietary relative contribution of the four Nova food groups (% of total energy intake). DESIGN: Comparisons of estimates of dietary relative contributions of Nova groups obtained by Nova24h and one standard interviewer-led 24-h recall. SETTING: Nationwide adult cohort study in Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were 186 participants of the NutriNet Brasil Cohort Study (n 186). RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed between the Nova24h and the reference tool mean contributions of unprocessed or minimally processed foods (52·3 % v. 52·6 %), processed culinary ingredients (11·6 % v. 11·9 %), processed foods (17·1 % v. 14·7 %) and ultra-processed foods (19·0 % v. 20·9 %). Intraclass correlation coefficients between individual estimates obtained for each Nova group showed moderate to good agreement (0·54-0·78). Substantial or almost perfect agreement between the tools was seen regarding the ability to rank participants according to quintiles of contribution of each Nova group (PABAK 0·69-0·81). CONCLUSIONS: Nova24h is a suitable tool for estimating the dietary relative energy contribution of Nova food groups in the NutriNet Brasil cohort. New studies are necessary to verify its adequacy in other populations.

Plasma lipid metabolites as potential biomarkers for identifying individuals at risk of obesity-induced metabolic complications.

Lipidomics studies have indicated an association between obesity and lipid metabolism dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate and compare cardiometabolic risk factors, and the lipidomic profile in adults and older people. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 72 individuals, divided into two sex and age-matched groups: obese (body mass index-BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2; n = 36) and non-obese (BMI < 30 kg/m2; n = 36). The lipidomic profiles were evaluated in plasma using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy. Obese individuals had higher waist circumference (p < 0.001), visceral adiposity index (p = 0.029), homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.010), and triacylglycerols (TAG) levels (p = 0.018). 1H-NMR analysis identified higher amounts of saturated lipid metabolite fragments, lower levels of unsaturated lipids, and some phosphatidylcholine species in the obese group. Two powerful machine learning (ML) models-k-nearest neighbors (kNN) and XGBoost (XGB) were employed to characterize the lipidomic profile of obese individuals. The results revealed metabolic alterations associated with obesity in the NMR signals. The models achieved high accuracy of 86% and 81%, respectively. The feature importance analysis identified signal at 1.50-1.60 ppm (-CO-CH2-CH2-, Cholesterol and fatty acid in TAG, Phospholipids) to have the highest importance in the two models.

Diet quality and associated factors in Brazilian undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Diet quality is associated with psychobiological, psychological, biological, and physiological factors of individuals, and in the context of prolonged stress, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it can lead to a worsening of the quality of food for undergraduates. This study aimed to analyze diet quality and associated factors in Brazilian undergraduates. Methods: Data were collected from 4,799 undergraduate students from all Brazilian regions, from August 2020 to February 2021. The online questionnaire contained socioeconomic variables, the ESQUADA scale to assess diet quality, self-referred changes in weight, the Brazilian food insecurity scale (EBIA), sleep assessment and the perceived stress scale. Unconditional multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to study variables associated with poor and very poor diet quality. Results: Most of participants presented a good diet quality (51.7%), while 9.8% had a poor or very poor diet quality and only 1.1% had an excellent diet quality. 58.2% of undergraduates reported to have an increase in weight during the pandemic and 74.3% of the students presented elevated stress during the pandemic. Logistic regressions showed students who gained weight during the pandemic presented the highest AOR = 1.56 (95% CI = 1.12-2.20) for poor or very poor diet quality. The elevated perceived stress was also associated with a higher AOR = 2.85 (95% CI = 1.71-4.74) for poor or very poor diet quality. Conclusion: Most of the studied undergraduates presented a good diet quality. Nevertheless, poor/very poor diet quality was associated with higher perceived stress and weight gain. Our study indicated that policies should beaimed at the socioeconomically most vulnerable undergraduates, those in a situation of food and nutritional insecurity, high perceived stress, and who gained weight during the pandemic.

Relative validity of the Planetary Health Diet Index by comparison with usual nutrient intakes, plasma food consumption biomarkers, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet among European adolescents: the HELENA study.

PURPOSE: The EAT-Lancet Commission proposed an evidence-based global reference diet to improve human health within planetary boundaries. Recently, the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) was developed based on the EAT-Lancet recommendations and validated among Brazilian adults. However, the relative validity of the PHDI in adolescents has yet to be assessed. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the relative validity of the PHDI in European adolescents. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from 1804 adolescents (12.5-17.5 years) enrolled in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study. The PHDI (0-150 points) was calculated based on dietary intake data from two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls. Associations between the PHDI and usual nutrient intakes, plasma food consumption biomarkers, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet were evaluated using multivariable-adjusted mixed-effects linear regression models. RESULTS: Higher PHDI score was associated with greater intakes of nutrients predominantly from plant-source foods, such as vegetable protein, vitamin E, and folate and with lower intake of nutrients predominately from animal-source foods, such as total and saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein. Furthermore, a higher PHDI score was also positively associated with plasma ß-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin D, folate, and ferritin concentrations, while negatively associated with trans-fatty acids concentration. Moreover, higher PHDI was related to a greater adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern. CONCLUSIONS: The PHDI showed good relative validity among adolescents in the HELENA study. Hence, future research should assess adherence to the PHDI and long-term health outcomes.

Dietary folate intake and its association with longitudinal changes in cognition function.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Folate (vitamin B9) is an essential co-factor for one-carbon metabolism. Controversial evidence has emerged regarding the association between folate and cognitive performance. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between baseline dietary folate intake and cognitive decline in a population exposed to mandatory fortification during a median follow-up of 8 years. METHODS: Multicenter, prospective cohort study involving 15,105 public servants aged 35-74 years old, both sexes, from The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Baseline dietary intake was assessed by a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Six cognitive tests were performed in the three waves to assess memory, executive function and global cognition. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the association between dietary folate intake at baseline and changes in cognition over time. RESULTS: Data from 11,276 participants were analyzed. The mean (SD) age was 51.7 (9) years, 50% were women, 63% were overweight/obese, and 56% had graduated from college or more. Overall dietary folate intake was not associated with cognitive decline; neither vitamin B12 intake was a modifier of this association. General dietary supplements and specifically multivitamins use did not affect these findings. Natural food folate group was associated with a slower rate of global cognitive decline (ß (95% CI): 0.001 (0.000; 0.002), P = 0.015). There was no association between fortified food group and cognition scores. CONCLUSION: Overall dietary folate intake was not associated with cognitive function in this Brazilian population. However, folate naturally occurring in food sources may slow global cognitive decline.

Associação entre hipertensão arterial sistêmica e indicadores antropométricos em idosos do estudo brazuca / Association between systemic arterial hypertension and anthropometric indicators in the elderly in the brazuca study / Asociación entre hipertensión arterial sistémica y indicadores antropométricos en adultos mayores del estudio brazuca

Introdução:A Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica é uma doença crônica que acometea maior parte idosos brasileiros, sendo uma das principais causas de mortes prematuras e incapacidades funcionais que causam complicações cardiovasculares e cerebrais, as quais podem estar associadas a diversos fatores predisponentes como a obesidade.Objetivo:Avaliar a associação entre hipertensão arterial sistêmica e indicadores antropométricos em idosos do estudo BrazucaNatal.Metodologia: Estudo transversal de base populacional com 191 idosos do município Natal-RN. Foram coletados dados sociodemográficos, econômicos e antropométricos (peso, estatura, perímetro da cintura e perímetro do quadril) e cálculo do Índice de Massa Corporal, Razão Cintura-Estatura e Razão Cintura Quadril. A hipertensão arterial foi auto referida. Os dados foram analisados pelo software SPSS versão 20.0. Teste t de Student foi utilizado para avaliar as diferenças entre médias das variáveis de acordo com o sexo e presença de hipertensão arterial. A associação entre a presença da doença e as variáveisfoi realizadapela Regressão de Poisson, comas razões de prevalência brutas e ajustadas e seus intervalos de confiança (95%).Resultados:A maioria dos idosos eram do sexo feminino (55%), com média de idade 69,48 anos (DP=7,38) e índice de massa corporalde 28,46 (DP=5,25), 59,4% possuíamexcesso de peso e 60,1% hipertensão. Ao comparar os sexos, registramos maiores médias de índice de massa corporal, perímetro do quadrile relação cintura estaturanas mulheres (p<0,05). Observamos maiores médias de idadee indicadores antropométricos entre os idosos com hipertensão (p<0,05). Constatamos que a presença de hipertensão estava associada a perímetro da cintura e índice de massa corporal no modelo bruto, mantendo-se apenas o perímetro da cinturano modelo ajustado. Conclusões:Indicadores antropométricos de fácil aplicação e baixo custo como o perímetroda cintura podeser eficientes para a detecção precoce da hipertensão arterial em idosos (AU).

Introduction:SystemicArterial Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects most Brazilian older adults and is one of the main causes of premature deaths and functional disabilities that cause cardiovascular and brain complications. Obesityis among the several predisposing factorsassociatedwithhypertension. Objective:To evaluate the association between SAHand anthropometric indicators in older adultsof the Brazuca Natal study.Methodology: Cross-sectional population-based study with 191 older adults in the city of Natal-RN.Sociodemographic, economic and anthropometric data (weight, height, waist circumference,and hip circumference),Body Mass Index, Waist-Height Ratio and Waist-Hip Ratio were collected. Hypertension was self-reported. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software, version 20.0. The Student's t-test was used to compare themeans of the variables according to sexand presence of hypertension. The association between the presence of the disease and the variables wasperformed by Poisson regression, with crude and adjusted prevalence ratios and respectiveconfidence intervals (95%).Results:The majority of the elderly were female (55%), with a mean age of 69.48 years (SD = 7.38) andBody Mass Indexof 28.46 (SD = 5.25), 59.4% were overweight and 60.1% had hypertension. Mean Body Mass Index, hip circumference and Waist-Height Ratiovalues were higher in women (p<0.05). The age and anthropometric indicators values were higher among the older adults with hypertension (p<0.05). We found that the presence of hypertension was associated with body weight and Body Mass Index,in the crude model and only with body weight in the adjusted model. Conclusions:Anthropometric indicators of easy application and lowcost such as waist circumference can be efficient todetect hypertension in older adults (AU).

Introducción:La Hipertensión Arterial Sistémica es una enfermedad crónica que afecta principalmente ancianos brasileños, siendo una de las principales causas de muertes prematuras ydiscapacidades funcionales que causan complicaciones cardiovasculares y cerebrales, las cuales pueden estar asociadas a diversos factores predisponentes como la obesidad. Objetivo:Evaluar la asociación entre la hipertensión arterial sistémica y los indicadores antropométricos en ancianos del estudio Brazuca Natal. Metodología:Estudio transversal de base poblacional con 191 ancianos del municipio Natal-RN. Se reconpilaron datos sociodemográficos, económicos y antropométricos (peso, estatura, perímetro de la cintura y perímetro de la cadera) y cálculo del Índice de Masa Corporal,Razón Cintura-Estatura y Razón Cintura Cadera. La hipertensión fue auto referida. Los datos fueron analizados por el software SPSSversión 20.0. Test t de Student fue realizado para evaluar las diferencias entre medias de las variables de acuerdo con el sexo y la presencia de hipertensión arterial. La asociación entre la presencia de la enfermedad y las variables fue realizada por la Regresión de Poisson, con las razones de prevalencia brutas y ayustadas y sus intervalos de confianza (95%). Resultados:La mayoría de los ancianos eran mujeres (55%), con una media de 69,48 años (DP= 7,38) y Índice de Masa Corporalde 28,46 (DP= 5,25), 59,4% poseían exceso de peso y 60,1% hipertensión. Observamos mayores medias de edady indicadores antropométricosentre los ancianos con hipertensión (p<0,05).Constatamos que la presencia de hipertensión estaba asociada al perímetro de la cinturae Índice de Masa Corporalen el modelo bruto, manteniendo solo el perímetro de la cinturaen el modelo ayustado. Conclusiones:Indicadores antropométricos de fácil aplicación y bajo costo como el perímetro de la cintura puede ser eficaz para la detección temprana de la hipertensión arterial en los ancianos (AU).

Association between dietary patterns and carotid intima-media thickness: cross-sectional analysis of ELSA-Brasil study.

PURPOSE: We aimed to perform a cross-sectional evaluation of the association between dietary patterns and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), using baseline data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health. METHODS: The participants with measurement of the cIMT were included (n = 9,624). cIMT was evaluated in a continuous way and categorized as < 75th and ≥ 75th and ≤ 0.9 mm and > 0.9 mm. Dietary patterns (DPs) were identified by principal component factor analysis. Linear and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between cIMT and DPs. RESULTS: Three DPs were derived. For each unit increase in the convenience DP score, the odds for cIMT ≥ 75th increased by 13% (OR 1.13; 95% CI 1.05: 1.22) and for cIMT > 0.9 mm increased by 14% (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.07: 1.22) in the fully adjusted model. In contrast, each unit increase in the prudent DP score decreased by 8% the odds of having cIMT ≥ 75th (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.86: 0.98) and by 11% of cIMT > 0.9 mm (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.84: 0.95). Furthermore, each increase in the convenience DP score was associated with increase in the cIMT (ß 0.01; 95% CI 0.01: 0.02), while each increase in the prudent DP score was associated with decrease in the cIMT (ß -0.01; -0.01; -0.01) in linear regression models. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that those individuals with adherence to the convenience dietary pattern are more likely to have high cIMT, while those with adherence to a prudent dietary pattern have lower odds for this characteristic.

Dietary iron intake over two post-fortification periods in Brazil: data from the National Dietary Surveys 2008-2009 and 2017-2018.

We aimed to assess the dietary Fe intake and the prevalence of inadequate Fe intake over two post-fortification periods in Brazil. The intake was analysed according to sex, life stage, geographic region and stratum of family income per capita. Excluding pregnant and lactating women, this population-based study included 32 749 and 44 744 participants aged ≥ 10 years from the National Dietary Survey-Brazilian Household Budget Surveys 2008-2009 and 2017-2018, respectively. The National Cancer Institute method was used to predict usual dietary Fe intakes. The prevalence of Fe intake inadequacy was estimated following a probabilistic approach for women of childbearing age or with the Estimated Average Requirement cut-off point method. Over an interval of 10 years, the mean Fe intake remained almost unchanged for most sex-age groups, except for women of childbearing age. In this specific group, the prevalence of Fe intake inadequacy was > 20 % in 2008-2009 and have increased to > 25 % in 2017-2018, with the highest reductions in mean Fe intake found in the highest income strata and richest Brazilian regions. Meanwhile, the highest prevalence of Fe intake inadequacy (> 40 %) occurred among the poorest women aged 31-50 years from the lowest family income stratum, irrespective of the study period. Beans were the main Fe source, while fortified breads, pastas, pizzas, cakes and cookies contributed approximately 40 % of the Fe intake. The results provide important insights into the long-standing dietary impacts of food fortification, which can guide future (re)formulation of effective public health strategies to combat Fe deficiency.