The Potential Effectiveness of Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeling for Improving Population Diets.

Nutrition labeling on the front of food packages can support more healthful purchase decisions and encourage favorable reformulation. This systematic literature review applied Cochrane methods to synthesize and appraise the evidence on the effectiveness of front-of-pack labeling (FOPL) on diet-related outcomes and food reformulation to inform policy recommendations. The search was conducted on 11 academic and gray literature databases, from inception to July 2022. Evidence was synthesized using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation), vote counting, and meta-analyses, where appropriate. Overall, 221 articles were included in the review. The randomized controlled trial evidence suggested that, compared with when no FOPL was present, FOPL likely improved consumer understanding of the nutritional quality/content of foods (moderate certainty of evidence), and the healthfulness of food choices (moderate certainty) and purchases (moderate certainty). Interpretive FOPL had a greater effect on these outcomes compared with noninterpretive systems (moderate certainty). There was inconsistency in the best-performing interpretive FOPL system.

The Potential Effectiveness of Nutrient Declarations and Nutrition and Health Claims for Improving Population Diets.

Nutrition labeling supports healthier diets by aiding purchase decisions and stimulating reformulation. This systematic literature review applied Cochrane methods to synthesize and appraise evidence on the effectiveness of nutrient declarations and nutrition and health claims on diet-related outcomes. The search spanned 11 academic databases, from inception to July 2022. Evidence was synthesized using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) and vote counting. Data were available from 170 studies. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest that nutrient declarations likely improved consumer understanding of the nutritional quality/content of foods (moderate certainty) and may have improved the healthfulness of choices (low certainty) versus no label. RCT evidence also suggests that claims likely increased consumer perceptions of food healthfulness and increased choice and purchases of labeled foods (both moderate certainty), irrespective of nutritional quality. To improve label understanding and avoid misinterpretation, nutrient declarations may incorporate interpretive elements and claims can apply disqualifying conditions for their usage, on the basis of overall nutritional quality.

Intake of Added Sugar from Different Sources and Risk of All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Diseases: The Role of Body Mass Index.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown an ascending trend in global added sugar consumption. Evidence for the long-term consequences of added sugar from different sources on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remains limited. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the associations between added sugar from various sources and the risk of all-cause mortality and CVDs, and to determine whether genetic predisposition and body mass index (BMI, in kg/m2) influence or mediate these associations. METHODS: We included 196,414 UK Biobank participants who completed a 24-h food survey between 2009 and 2012. Sugar contents were collected from the Composition of Foods Integrated Data set (CoFID). The National Death Registries and hospital records provided data on death and the disease diagnosis. We employed a polygenic risk score (PRS) to assess the genetic predisposition. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the associations. RESULTS: Totally, 10,081 deaths, 38,563 hypertension cases, 12,306 ischemic heart diseases (IHD), and 5491 cerebrovascular diseases were documented. Compared with the lowest quartile group of added sugar intake, the hazard ratios for all-cause mortality in the highest quartile were 1.21 (95% CI: 1.14, 1.30) for total added sugar, 1.03 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.10) for solids, and 1.16 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.23) for beverages. For CVDs, significant associations were observed in total added sugar and beverage sources. These associations were not altered by PRS, and individuals at greatest risk showed higher PRS along with excessive added sugar consumption (Ptrend < 0.001). BMI was found to mediate the highest proportion of the association between added sugar and hypertension (19.10% for total; 36.95% for beverages). CONCLUSIONS: Higher intake of added sugar, especially from beverages, is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and CVDs. BMI mediates a proportion of these associations.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Height Loss in Adults: A Longitudinal Analysis in the EPIC-Norfolk Study.

BACKGROUND: Height loss in aging has been recognized to reflect a decline in musculoskeletal health but not investigated in relation to dietary factors, such as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), the consumption of which may deteriorate musculoskeletal health. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal association of habitual consumption of total SSBs and its subtypes with height loss and examine effect-modification by age, sex, and anthropometry. METHODS: We evaluated 16,230 adults aged 40-79 y in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Norfolk cohort. At baseline (1993-1997), SSB consumption (soft drinks, squashes, sweetened milk beverages, sweetened coffee/tea, and sweetened alcoholic beverages) was assessed using 7-d food diaries. Height was objectively measured at the baseline, second (1997-2000), and third (2004-2011) health checks. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine baseline SSB consumption and the rate of height change over the follow-up. RESULTS: The median (IQR) height change was -1.07 (-2.09 to -0.28) cm/10 y. Adjusted for potential confounders including behavioral factors, medications, and baseline body mass index (BMI), total SSB consumption was associated with height loss (ß: -0.024; 95% CI: -0.046, -0.001 cm/10 y per 250 g/d of SSB), and similar results were seen for the individual beverages, except for sweetened milk beverages (ß: +0.07; 95% CI: -0.16, 0.30), with wide CIs. No effect-modification by prespecified factors was evident, except for baseline BMI (P-interaction = 0.037). Total SSB consumption was associated with height loss (-0.038; 95% CI: -0.073, -0.004) in participants with BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2 but not apparently in those with BMI > 25 kg/m2. CONCLUSIONS: SSB consumption was modestly associated with height loss, particularly in adults with normal weight status.

Isolation, identification, and technological characteristics analysis of yeast strains from Pyracantha fortuneana fruits fermentation liquid.

Pyracantha fortuneana (P. fortuneana), as a medicinal and edible plant resource, is rich in nutrients. In order to screen the high quality yeast used in Firebone fruit wine, 12 strains of yeast were isolated and purified from P. fortuneana fermentation broth by traditional pure culture method. They were identified by molecular biology as Pichia kudriavzevii (P. kudriavzevii) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae), respectively. Strain HJ-2 could grow normally at 30℃, alcohol content 15%, SO2 mass concentration 360 mg/L, pH 3.2, sucrose mass concentration 400 g/L and glucose mass concentration 250 g/L. Strain HJ-6 could grow normally at 30℃, alcohol content 3%, SO2 concentration 360 mg/L, pH 3.2, sucrose concentration 250 g/L, glucose concentration 300 g/L. Based on the technological characteristics of fruit wine, S. cerevisiae HJ-2 has the potential of brewing P. fortuneana fruit wine. P. kudriavzevii HJ-6 has a low tolerance to ethanol and is suitable for the production of fermented beverages such as low-alcohol wine or beer.

Multidisciplinary advances in kombucha fermentation, health efficacy, and market evolution.

Kombucha, a fermented tea beverage, has seen a significant rise in global popularity. This increase is attributed to its reported health benefits and extensive cultural heritage. The comprehensive review examines kombucha through microbiology, biochemistry, and health sciences, highlighting its therapeutic potential and commercial viability. Central to kombucha production is the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY), which regulates a complex fermentation process, resulting in a bioactive-rich elixir. The study examines the microbial dynamics of SCOBY, emphasizing the roles of various microorganisms. It focuses the contributions of acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and osmophilic yeasts, including genera such as Saccharomyces, Schizosaccharomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, Brettanomyces/Dekkera, and Pichia. These microorganisms play crucial roles in producing bioactive compounds, including organic acids, polyphenols, and vitamins. These bioactive compounds confer therapeutic properties to kombucha. These properties include antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, cancer prevention, hepatoprotective, and detoxifying effects. The review also explores the growing market for kombucha, driven by consumer demand for functional beverages and opportunities for innovative product development. It emphasizes the necessity of standardized production to ensure safety and validate health claims. Identifying research gaps, the review highlights the importance of clinical trials to verify therapeutic benefits. Ultimately, this study integrates traditional knowledge with scientific research, providing directions for future studies and commercial expansion, emphasizing the role of kombucha in health and wellness.

Optimizing the fermentation parameters in the Lactic Acid Fermentation of Legume-based Beverages- a statistically based fermentation.

BACKGROUND: The market for beverages is highly changing within the last years. Increasing consumer awareness towards healthier drinks led to the revival of traditional and the creation of innovative beverages. Various protein-rich legumes were used for milk analogues, which might be also valuable raw materials for refreshing, protein-rich beverages. However, no such applications have been marketed so far, which might be due to unpleasant organoleptic impressions like the legume-typical "beany" aroma. Lactic acid fermentation has already been proven to be a remedy to overcome this hindrance in consumer acceptance. RESULTS: In this study, a statistically based approach was used to elucidate the impact of the fermentation parameters temperature, inoculum cell concentration, and methionine addition on the fermentation of lupine- and faba bean-based substrates. A total of 39 models were found and verified. The majority of these models indicate a strong impact of the temperature on the reduction of aldehydes connected to the "beany" impression (e.g., hexanal) and on the production of pleasantly perceived aroma compounds (e.g., ß-damascenone). Positively, the addition of methionine had only minor impacts on the negatively associated sulfuric compounds methional, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide. Moreover, in further fermentations, the time was added as an additional parameter. It was shown that the strains grew well, strongly acidified the both substrates (pH ≤ 4.0) within 6.5 h, and reached cell counts of > 9 log10 CFU/mL after 24 h. Notably, most of the aldehydes (like hexanal) were reduced within the first 6-7 h, whereas pleasant compounds like ß-damascenone reached high concentrations especially in the later fermentation (approx. 24-48 h). CONCLUSIONS: Out of the fermentation parameters temperature, inoculum cell concentration, and methionine addition, the temperature had the highest influence on the observed aroma and taste active compounds. As the addition of methionine to compensate for the legume-typical deficit did not lead to an adverse effect, fortifying legume-based substrates with methionine should be considered to improve the bioavailability of the legume protein. Aldehydes, which are associated with the "beany" aroma impression, can be removed efficiently in fermentation. However, terminating the process prematurely would lead to an incomplete production of pleasant aroma compounds.

Evaluating the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages tax on overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes in an affluent Asian setting: A willingness-to-pay survey and simulation analysis.

BACKGROUND: The potential health effects of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been insufficiently examined in Asian contexts. This study aimed to assess the impact of SSB taxation on the prevalence of obesity/overweight and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Hong Kong using a willingness-to-pay (WTP) survey and simulation analysis. METHODS: A random telephone survey was conducted with 1000 adults from May to June 2020. We used a contingent valuation approach to assess individuals' WTP for SSBs under four tax payment scenarios (5%, 10%, 40%, and 50% of the current market price). Based on the WTP, a simulation analysis was conducted to project changes in SSB purchase and associated reductions in the prevalence of obesity/overweight and T2DM over a 10-year simulation period. FINDINGS: When 5% and 10% taxation rates were introduced, approximately one-third of the population were unwilling to maintain their SSB purchase. Our simulation demonstrated a gradual decline in the prevalence of obesity/overweight and diabetes with a more pronounced decrease when higher taxation rates were introduced. 10% taxation resulted in a mean reduction of 1532.7 cases of overweight/obesity per 100 thousand population at the sixth year, while T2DM prevalence decreased by 267.1 (0.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the effects of an SSB tax on purchase behaviors and health outcomes in an affluent Asia setting, with a more pronounced influence on adult population. These findings are expected to inform policymakers in making decisions regarding an effective and equitable tax rate on SSBs.

High Luminescent Carbon Dots Derived from Fermented Beverages for Sensitive Sensing of Tartrazine in Foods.

Highly luminescent carbon dots (CDs) derived from fermented beverages-kvass (K-CDs) were synthesized through a one-step hydrothermal method with ethylenediamine (EDA) as a surface passivation reagent. Purified K-CDs with a fluorescent quantum yield of 35.1% were obtained after a dialysis process. The K-CDs were characterized by TEM, FT-IR, XPS, fluorescence and UV-vis spectroscopy. The results indicated that K-CDs possess typical excitation wavelength-dependent blue fluorescence emission, and the strongest excitation and emission wavelengths are 350 nm and 440 nm, respectively. The great spectral overlap between the emission peak (440 nm) of K-CDs and the absorption peak (430 nm) of tartrazine (TAR) leads to an effective fluorescence quenching phenomenon by TAR through inner filter effect (IFE) and the calculated (lg(I0/I)) showed a linear response to TAR concentration in the range of 0.1-70 µM. The detection limit of the developed method is 23 nM for TAR, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) is 3.9% (c = 10 µM, n = 7). The fluorescent sensor for TAR based on K-CDs through the IFE mechanism possesses the characteristics of rapid, sensitive, and high selectivity. It has been successfully applied to detect of trace TAR in foods.

Consumption responses to sweetened beverage taxes by household income in four U.S. cities.

Taxes on sweetened beverages have become an important policy response to growing obesity rates and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. and other nations. Since 2015, eight U.S. cities have implemented these taxes, but so far direct evidence of their impacts on household purchasing behavior is scarce. Of particular interest to many researchers and policy makers is the response of lower-income consumers to these taxes, both because they have higher sweetened beverage consumption on average and because of concerns that sweetened beverage taxes are regressive. This project investigates the income-stratified household response to SSB taxes using a data set containing the purchasing behavior of approximately 400 households in the cities of Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, and Philadelphia, all of which have recently introduced beverage taxes. Using doubly-robust estimation of dynamic and heterogeneous treatment effects relative to a propensity-matched set of households in three comparison cities, we find that households in taxed cities experience increased prices and reduce their purchases of those beverages, with no evidence of cross-border shopping. We further find differential tax impacts by income level, with lower-income households (households with income <200% of the federal poverty line for their size) reducing their purchases of taxed beverages by nearly 50% - more than double the 18% reduction found in higher-income households (households with income >400% of the federal poverty line for their size). Our finding that lower-income households decrease their consumption more than twice as much as higher-income households suggests that these taxes may reduce health disparities and promote population health.

The Beverage Quality Index and risk of cardiometabolic outcomes after a myocardial infarction: A prospective analysis in the Alpha Omega Cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Individual beverages have varying associations with cardiometabolic outcomes, but little is known about overall beverage quality and cardiometabolic risk after myocardial infarction (MI). We created the Beverage Quality Index (BQI) to assess beverage quality and examined its association with cardiometabolic outcomes after MI. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 4365 Dutch post-MI patients from the Alpha Omega Cohort, aged 60-80 years. Diet was assessed at baseline (2002-2006) with a 203-item FFQ. The BQI included eight components (coffee, tea, milk, juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol, added sugar to coffee and tea, and energy from beverages), and ranged from 0 to 80. Multivariable Cox models were used to estimate HRs for the BQI in relation to incident diabetes mellitus (DM), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and fatal CVD over 3.4 y of follow-up, with follow-up for fatal CVD extended through 2018 (12.4 y). The average BQI was 50.0 ± 12.5. During 3.4 y of follow-up, we identified 186 incident cases of DM, 601 of MACE, 310 of recurrent CVD and 140 of fatal CVD. In multivariable models, a higher BQI (T3 vs. T1) was associated with lower risk of MACE [HR: 0.73 (0.59-0.90)], and recurrent CVD [HR: 0.67 (0.50-0.91)], but not with DM or CVD mortality. After 12.4 y of follow-up, 903 CVD deaths occurred. A significant inverse association with CVD mortality during long-term follow-up was found [HR: 0.81 (0.68-0.96)]. CONCLUSION: Overall beverage intake quality, as assessed by the BQI, may represent an important target for the prevention of recurrent CVD.

Characterization and stabilization of GluLm and its application to deglycosylate dietary flavonoids and lignans.

This study describes the characterization of the recombinant GH3 aryl-ß-glucosidase "GluLm" from Limosilactobacillus mucosae INIA P508, followed by its immobilization on an agarose support with the aim of developing an efficient application to increase the availability and concentration of flavonoid and lignan aglycones in a vegetal beverage. In previous studies, heterologous GluLm-producing strains demonstrated a great capacity to deglycosylate flavonoids. Nevertheless, the physicochemical properties and substrate spectrum of the enzyme remained unknown up to now. A high production of purified GluLm was achieved (14 mg L-1). GluLm exhibited optimal activity at broad ranges of pH (5.0-8.0) and temperature (25-60°C), as well as high affinity (Km of 0.10 mmol L-1) and specific constant (86554.0 mmol L-1 s-1) against p-nitrophenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside. Similar to other GH3 ß-glucosidases described in lactic acid bacteria, GluLm exhibited ß-xylosidase, ß-galactosidase, and ß-fucosidase activities. However, this study has revealed for the first time that a GH3 ß-glucosidase is capable to hydrolyze different families of glycosylated phenolics such as flavonoids and secoiridoids. Although it exhibited low thermal stability, immobilization of GluLm improved its thermostability and allowed the development of a beverage based on soybeans and flaxseed extract with high concentration of bioactive isoflavone (daidzein, genistein), lignan (secoisolariciresinol, pinoresinol, and matairesinol), and other flavonoid aglycones. KEY POINTS: • Limosilactobacillus mucosae INIA P508 GluLm was purified and biochemically characterized • Immobilized GluLm efficiently deglycosylated flavonoids and lignans from a vegetal beverage • A viable application to produce vegetal beverages with a high content of aglycones is described.

Effects of the active botanical blend "WKUP GT" on attention and cognitive functions after lunch in healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: "WKUP GT", a low caffeine beverage consisting of carob, Guarana, Green Tea and Elderberry extracts was studied on attention and cognitive functions post-lunch in a pilot randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. METHODS: Thirty healthy volunteers were included in a crossover design trial, presenting five beverages randomly assigned to the following groups: placebo, "WKUP GT" (single, double or triple doses), or "caffeine" as an active control. Hemodynamic measurements were assessed as safety outcomes. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), was used to evaluate the patients when beverages were consumed 30 and 120 min after lunch (respectively Delta30 and Delta120 considering baseline). RESULTS: Drinking "caffeine" or "WKUP GT" after lunch, showed significant improvement (p < 0.05) in rapid visual information processing compared to placebo (Delta120 of "caffeine", "WKUP" single and double). In addition, improvement in Multitasking Test (Delta30 for "WKUP" double, and Delta120 for "caffeine" and "WKUP" triple compared to placebo) was observed. "WKUP" triple also showed significant improvement for "memory" when compared to placebo (Delta120). Compared to "caffeine", WKUP GT did not increase systolic blood pressure. CONCLUSION: "WKUP GT" showed improvements for attention, memory, psychomotor and executive function tasks after lunch without increase in pulse rate.

Artificially sweetened beverage consumption and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: an updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) are consumed globally, but their impact on overall health remains uncertain. We summarized published associations between ASB intake with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases until August 2023. Random effect meta-analysis was conducted to calculate pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for highest versus lowest categories of ASB consumption in relation to all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Linear and non-linear dose-response analyses were also performed. RESULTS: Our systematic review and meta-analysis included 11 prospective cohort studies. During a median/mean follow-up period of 7.0 to 28.9 years, 235,609 deaths occurred among 2,196,503 participants. Intake of ASB was associated with higher risk of all-cause and CVD mortality with pooled RRs (95%CIs) of highest vs. lowest intake categories of 1.13 (1.06, 1.21) (I2 = 66.3%) for all-cause mortality and 1.26 (1.10, 1.44) (I2 = 52.0%) for CVD mortality. Dose-response analysis revealed a non-linear association of ASB with all-cause mortality (pnon-linearity = 0.01), but a linear positive association with CVD mortality (pnon-linearity = 0.54). No significant association was observed for ASB intake and cancer mortality. Moreover, a secondary meta-analysis demonstrated that replacing 1 serving/day of sugary sweetened beverages (SSB) with ASB was associated with 4-6% lower risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. Per NutriGrade, the evidence quality for associations between ASB intake with all-cause and CVD mortality was moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Higher intake of ASB was associated with higher risk of all-cause and CVD mortality, albeit a lower risk than for SSB. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022365701.

Non-beverage alcohol consumption in Russia: new evidence from Jewish Autonomous Oblast.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies in Izhevsk, Novosibirsk, and Kazan have found that non-beverage alcohol is a large part of alcohol consumption in Russia. Whereas those places are relatively high-income cities, there are no studies about such a problem in low-income regions of Russia. The aim of this study is to investigate correlates and factors associated with non-beverage alcohol consumption in eastern regions of Russia, e.g. the Jewish Autonomous Oblast and to assess effectiveness of implementing Russian policies to restrict consumption of non-beverage alcohol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey of adults in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast of Russia was performed on workdays to assess non-beverage drinking patterns in summer 2022. The questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic status and alcohol use, including non-beverage alcohol consumption and drinking patterns. We use logistic regression to identify risk factors of consuming non-beverages. RESULTS: First, ~30% of individuals suffering from alcohol problems drink non-beverage alcohol. Second, those who regularly consume non-beverage alcohol compared with those who chronically drink legal strong alcohol are on average more likely to experience the negative effects of alcohol consumption. Third, income and marriage are the main factors negatively associated with surrogate alcohol consumption. Besides, age shows a curvilinear relationship with that. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that a modified anti-surrogate policy to increase the minimum price of pharmacy alcohol and to enforce restrictions on the sale of non-beverage alcohol is needed in Russia. Such measures could prevent an increase in non-beverage alcohol consumption in Russia against the backdrop of declining real incomes of the population.

A comparative analysis of unhealthy food and beverage television advertising to children in Thailand, between 2014 and 2022.

BACKGROUND: Food marketing is a key factor that influences children's dietary behaviors. This study assessed the nature and extent of food and beverage advertising on television (TV) in 2014 and 2022 in Thailand. METHODS: TV was recorded for one week in March 2014 and in May 2022 from 7-9am and 3-7 pm on weekends, and 3-7 pm on weekdays across two channels (64 h recorded each year). The nutrient profile model from Bureau of Nutrition, Ministry of Public Health Thailand was used to classify food and non-alcoholic beverages as: Group A ('healthy'), Group B ('less unhealthy') or Group C ('unhealthy'). RESULTS: In 2014, 475 food advertisements were identified, with on average of 6.3 unhealthy food advertisements per hour. In 2022, 659 food advertisements were identified, with an average of 9.2 unhealthy food advertisement per hour. In both time periods, the most frequently advertised food products were non-alcoholic beverages. The rate of unhealthy food advertising per hour of broadcast was significantly higher than for other moderately unhealthy and healthy foods, and was also significantly higher in 2022 than in 2014. CONCLUSIONS: Food and beverage advertising on Thai television is predominantly promotes unhealthy foods and, in particular, sugar-sweetened beverages. Therefore, Thai Government should enact new legislation to protect children from food TV ads in order to control both the frequency and nature of unhealthy TV food marketing to protect the health of Thai children.

Addressing nutritional issues and eating behaviours among university students: a narrative review.

University life is a critical period for establishing healthy eating habits and attitudes. However, university students are at risk of developing poor eating habits due to various factors, including economic conditions, academic stress and lack of information about nutritional concepts. Poor diet quality leads to malnutrition or overnutrition, increasing the risk of preventable diseases. Food environments on university campuses also play a significant role in shaping the dietary habits of students, with the availability of and accessibility to healthy food options being important factors influencing food choices and overall diet quality. Disordered eating habits and body dissatisfaction are prevalent among university students and can lead to eating disorders. Income and living arrangements also influence dietary habits, with low household income and living alone being associated with unhealthy eating habits. This study is a narrative review that aimed to address nutritional issues and eating behaviours, specifically among university students. We investigated the eating behaviours of university students, including their dietary patterns, food choices and food environments. The objective of this review was to provide insights into the nutritional issues and eating behaviours of university students, with the aim of identifying target areas for intervention to improve the overall health and wellbeing among college students. University food environments need to be restructured to promote healthy eating, including the availability, accessibility, affordability and labelling of healthy foods, and policies to limit the availability of unhealthy foods and drinks on campus.

Determination of organic acids for predicting sourness intensity of tea beverage by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and chemometrics methods.

The contents of organic acids (OAs) in tea beverage and their relationship with taste intensity have not been fully understood. In this work, a rapid (10 min for a single run) and sensitive (limits of quantification: 0.0044-0.4486 µg/mL) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 17 OAs in four types of tea, based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with multiple reaction monitoring mode. The contents of 17 OAs in 96 tea samples were measured at levels between 0.01 and 11.80 g/kg (dried weight). Quinic acid, citric acid, and malic acid were determined as the major OAs in green, black, and raw pu-erh teas, while oxalic acid and tartaric acid exhibited the highest contents in ripe pu-erh tea. Taking the OAs composition as input features, a partial least squares regression model was proposed to predict the sourness intensity of tea beverages. The model achieved a root-mean-square error of 0.58 and a coefficient of determination of 0.84 for the testing set. The proposed model provides a theoretical way to evaluate the sensory quality of tea infusion based on its chemical composition.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program issuance timing is associated with sugar-sweetened beverage marketing in the USA.

OBJECTIVE: Prior research has shown that there are more supermarket displays of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) during times when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are distributed ('issuance periods'). This may contribute to inequitable purchasing and consumption. This study examines whether SSB marketing in weekly supermarket circulars, which retailers use to advertise products, is more prevalent during issuance periods compared to non-issuance periods. DESIGN: We conducted longitudinal, difference-in-differences analyses of data extracted from weekly supermarket circulars of randomly selected SNAP-authorised retailers in six states. Analyses tested whether SSB advertisements ('ads') were more prevalent during SNAP issuance periods compared to non-issuance periods within states with distinct issuance periods (3, 5, 10 or 15 d), compared to one state with continuous benefit issuance (28 d; the 'control' state). SETTING: Weekly online supermarket circulars collected from August to September 2019 were analysed in 2021. PARTICIPANTS: The study sample included 5152 circulars from 563 SNAP-authorised retailers in the states California, Connecticut, Nebraska, New Jersey and Texas (distinct issuance period states) as well as Florida ('control' state). RESULTS: The estimated mean percentage of beverage ads classified as SSB ads during issuance days was 51·5 % compared to 48·4 % during non-issuance days (P < 0·001). In difference-in-differences analyses comparing to the 'control' state with continuous issuance, SSB ad counts were 2·9 % higher (95 % CI 1·9 %, 3·9 %) during SNAP issuance relative to non-issuance. CONCLUSIONS: SSB ads are slightly more prevalent in weekly supermarket circulars during SNAP issuance periods. Future research should explore the linkages between circular ads and SSB purchasing and consumption.

Associations of the Healthy Beverage Index (HBI) and the risk of Breast Cancer (BrCa): a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BrCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. There are several factors for getting BrCa, including some changeable factors related to lifestyle like unhealthy dietary patterns, so modifying them can prevent one third of the complications and deaths caused by BrCa. Therefore, we decided to investigate the relationship between Healthy Beverage Index (HBI) and the risk of BrCa. METHODS: In this hospital-based case-control study, 253 patients with BrCa and 267 non-BrCa controls were enrolled. Food consumption was recorded to calculate the HBI score using a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Additionally, by using binary logistic regression analysis with adjustment for confounders, the relationship between HBI and the risk of BrCa were assessed. HBI was established by Duffey et al. and is used to evaluate the overall quality of beverage intake and identify changes in consumption. RESULTS: Mean ± SD of age and BMI of the study participants were 47.92 ± 10.33 years and 29.43 ± 5.51 kg/m2, respectively. Patients with BrCa considerably outperformed controls in terms of waist circumference (WC), age at first pregnancy, history of abortion, and number of children(Pvalue < 0.05). Compared with those in the lowest quartile of HBI, subjects in the highest quartile had higher intake of energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, fiber, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, E, B9, fruits, vegetables, fish and nut as well as lower BMI and WC (Pvalue < 0.05). After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals in highest compared to lowest quartile of HBI had significantly lower risk of BrCa for total population (odds ratio (OR): 0.40; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.21-0.76, Pvalue < 0.05), premenopausal (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.16-0.92, Pvalue = 0.013), and postmenopausal (OR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.10-0.78, Pvalue = 0.023). CONCLUSION: Findings of this study suggested that higher HBI score decreased the risk of BrCa. However, further investigation is needed.