Search

In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms associated with the stabilizing effects of whey protein concentrate-80 (WPC80) and L-ascorbyl 6-palmitate (LAP) on folic acid (FA). Multispectral techniques show that WPC80 binds to FA and LAP mainly through hydrophobic interactions, and that energy is transferred from WPC80 to FA and LAP in a nonradiative form (FA/LAP); The combination of FA/LAP resulted in a change in the conformation and secondary structure content of WPC80, an increase in the absolute zeta potential of the system, and a shift in the particle size distribution towards smaller sizes. The compound system exhibits strengthened antioxidant properties and favorable binding properties. Besides, WPC80 improves the storage stability of FA under different conditions. These results demonstrated that the ternary complex formed by FA co-binding with WPC80 and LAP is an effective way to improve the stability against of FA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The recommended amino acid requirements of the infant are based on the amino acid composition of mature human breast milk. The amino acid composition of breast milk is usually determined following either acid or alkaline (for tryptophan) hydrolysis. For accuracy, however, the known effect of hydrolysis time on amino acid composition should be accounted for. Also, ideally the amino acid composition of breast milk should be given in units of digested (assumed to be absorbed) amino acids. A review of the literature is presented which gives mean total amino acid concentrations in mature human milk ( n  = 26 studies), mean hydrolysis correction factors ( n  = 3 studies) and mean true ileal amino acid digestibility coefficients ( n  = 3 studies, suckling piglet). There were differences between the estimates of amino acid concentration corrected for hydrolysis time and digestibility, and current FAO (2013) recommendations that were not corrected for these factors. The values based on the published literature up until 2023 (mg/g true protein) corrected for hydrolysis time and digestibility gave higher values (more than 16% higher) for leucine, lysine and threonine, and considerably higher values (greater than 30%) for histidine and tryptophan. Current recommendations may need revision., Competing Interests: YY, SD, and IS were employed by Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd. PW was employed by Oceania Dairy Limited. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Moughan, Deglaire, Yan, Wescombe, Lim, Stroebinger, Duan, Szeto and Hodgkinson.)

The impact of milk on bone health in rural preschoolers is under-researched. This study, through a clinical trial and a meta-analysis, finds that milk supplementation enhances forearm and calcaneus bone acquisition in children, supporting the benefits of daily milk consumption., Purpose: This study evaluated the impact of dairy supplementation on bone acquisition in children's limbs through a cluster-randomized controlled trial and a meta-analysis., Methods: The trial involved 315 children (4-6 year) from Northwest China, randomized to receive either 390 ml of milk daily (n = 215) or 20-30 g of bread (n = 100) over 12 months. We primarily assessed bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) changes at the limbs, alongside bone-related biomarkers, measured at baseline, the 6th and 12th months. The meta-analysis aggregated BMD or BMC changes in the forearm/legs/calcaneus from published randomized trials involving children aged 3-18 years supplemented with dairy foods (vs. control group)., Results: Of 278 completed the trial, intention-to-treat analysis revealed significant increases in BMD (4.05% and 7.31%) and BMC (4.69% and 7.34%) in the left forearm at the 6th and 12th months in the milk group compared to controls (P < 0.001). The calcaneus showed notable improvements in BMD (2.01%) and BMC (1.87%) at 6 months but not at 12 months. Additionally, milk supplementation was associated with beneficial changes in bone resorption markers, parathyroid hormone (- 12.70%), insulin-like growth factor 1 (6.69%), and the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (2.22%) (all P < 0.05). The meta-analysis, encompassing 894 children, indicated that dairy supplementation significantly increased BMD (SMD, 0.629; 95%CI: 0.275, 0.983) and BMC (SMD, 0.616; 95%CI: 0.380, 0.851) (P < 0.05) in the arms, but not in the legs (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Milk supplementation significantly improves bone health in children's forearms, underscoring its potential as a strategic dietary intervention for bone development. Trial registration NCT05074836., (© 2024. International Osteoporosis Foundation and Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation.)

Despite the widely recommended usage of partially hydrolyzed formula (PHF) or extensively hydrolyzed formula (EHF) of milk protein for preventing allergic diseases (ADs), clinical studies have been inconclusive regarding their efficacy compared with that of cow's milk formula (CMF) or breast milk (BM). We aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of PHF or EHF compared with those of CMF or BM on risk of ADs (cow's milk allergy, allergic rhinitis, eczema, asthma, wheeze, food allergy, and sensitization) in children. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for clinical trials published from inception to 21 October, 2022. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to grade the strength of evidence. Overall, 24 trials (10,950 infants) were included, 17 of which specifically included high-risk infants. GRADE was low for the evidence that, compared with CMF, infants early fed with EHF had lower risk of cow's milk allergy at age 0-2 y [relative risk (RR): 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.99]. Moderate evidence supported that PHF and EHF reduced risk of eczema in children aged younger or older than 2 y, respectively (RR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.96; and RR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.94, respectively). We also identified moderate systematic evidence indicating that PHF reduced risk of wheeze at age 0-2 y compared with CMF (RR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.85), but PHF and EHF increased the risk compared with BM (RR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.11, 2.31; and RR: 1.64; 95% CI: 1.26, 2.14). Neither PHF nor EHF had significant effects on other ADs in children of any age. In conclusion, compared with CMF, PHF, or EHF had different preventive effect on cow's milk allergy, eczema, and wheeze. Compared with BM, both PHF and EHF may increase risk of wheeze but not other ADs. Given that most trials included only high-risk infants, more research on non-high-risk infants is warranted before any generalization is attempted. This protocol was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42022320787., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest TH, SD, GF, FL, and IM-YS are employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, Yili Maternal and Infant Nutrition Institute (YMINI), Beijing. WY and BL are employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, Hohhot. All other authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) are essential in the development of infants. ARA and DHA from breast milk or infant formula are the main sources of access for infants to meet their physiological and metabolic needs. The ratio of ARA to DHA in breast milk varies among regions and different lactation stages. Different ratios of ARA and DHA mainly from algal oil, animal fat, fish oil, and microbial oil, are added to infant formula in different regions and infant age ranges. Supplementing with appropriate ratios of ARA and DHA during infancy promotes brain, neural, visual, and other development aspects. In this review, we first introduced the current intake status of ARA and DHA in different locations, lactation stages, and age ranges in breast milk and infant formula. Finally, we discussed the effect of different ratios of ARA and DHA on infant development. This review provided a comprehensive research basis for the nutritional research of infants who consume different ratios of ARA and DHA.

This study aimed to compare the bioaccessibility of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in naturally and artificially enriched milk and investigate the potential mechanisms involved. The results indicated that the DHA in naturally enriched milk (NEM) had a higher bioaccessibility (76.9 %) and a lower digestive loss rate (18.1 %) compared to artificially enriched milk (ArEM). Moreover, NEM contained a higher proportion of DHA-containing glycerophospholipids and sn-2 DHA, with fewer long-chain fatty acids and more saturated fatty acids adjacent to DHA in the same lipid molecule. During simulated intestinal digestion, NEM had a higher free fatty acid release and lipid digestion rate than ArEM. These findings suggested that the bioaccessibility of endogenous DHA in milk was superior to that of externally added DHA due to its more easily digestible and absorbable chemical binding form and lower digestive loss rate. The easy digestibility of milk lipids in NEM also contributed to its high DHA bioaccessibility., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) contained in breast milk play a key role in infant growth, affecting metabolism and enhancing intestinal immunity by regulating inflammation., Methods: In order to examine the associations between the microbiota and SCFA levels in breast milk, and explore the roles of SCFAs in regulating the infant gut microbiota, we enrolled 50 paired mothers and infants and collected both breast milk and infant fecal samples. Breast milk SCFA contents were determined by UPLC-MS, and whole genome shotgun sequencing was applied to determine the microbial composition of breast milk and infant feces. The SCFA levels in breast milk were grouped into tertiles as high, medium, or low, and the differences of intestinal microbiota and KEGG pathways were compared among groups., Results: The results demonstrated that breast milk butyric acid (C4) is significantly associated with Clostridium leptum richness in breastmilk. Additionally, the specific Bifidobacterium may have an interactive symbiosis with the main species of C4-producing bacteria in human milk. Women with a low breast milk C4 tertile are associated with a high abundance of Salmonella and Salmonella enterica in their infants' feces. KEGG pathway analysis further showed that the content of C4 in breast milk is significantly correlated with the infants' metabolic pathways of lysine and arginine biosynthesis., Discussion: This study suggests that interactive symbiosis of the microbiota exists in breast milk. Certain breast milk microbes could be beneficial by producing C4 and further influence the abundance of certain gut microbes in infants, playing an important role in early immune and metabolic development., Competing Interests: YY, SD, TL, and IS were employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. and Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Xi, Yan, Duan, Li, Szeto and Zhao.)

The immune system of infants is partly weak and immature, and supplementation of infant formula can be of vital importance to boost the development of the immune system. Lactoferrin (LF) and osteopontin (OPN) are essential proteins in human milk with immunoregulation function. An increasing number of studies indicate that proteins have interactions with each other in milk, and our previous study found that a ratio of LF : OPN at 1 : 5 (w/w, denoted as LOP) had a synergistic effect on intestinal barrier protection. It remains unknown whether LOP can also exert a stronger effect on immunoregulation. Hence, we used an in vitro model of LPS-induced macrophage inflammation and in vivo models of LPS-induced intestinal inflammation and early life development. We showed that LOP increased the secretion of the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (132%), stem cell factor (167%) and interleukin-3 (176%) in bone marrow cells, as well as thymosin (155%) and interleukin-10 (161%) in the thymus, more than LF or OPN alone during development, and inhibited changes in immune cells and cytokines during the LPS challenge. In addition, analysis of the components of digested proteins in vitro revealed that differentially expressed peptides may provide immunoregulation. Lastly, LOP increased the abundance of Rikenellaceae , Muribaculum , Faecalibaculum , and Elisenbergiella in the cecum content. These results imply that LOP is a potential immunomodifier for infants and offers a new theoretical basis for infant formula innovation.

Human milk is universally regarded as the gold standard to fulfill nutrition needs of infants. Lactoferrin (LF) is a major multiple bioactive glycoprotein in human milk but little is presented in infant formula. LF can resist digestion in the infant gastrointestinal tract and is absorbed into the bloodstream in an intact form to perform physiological functions. Evidence suggest that LF prevents pathogen infection, promotes immune system development, intestinal development, brain development and bone health, as well as ameliorates iron deficiency anemia. However, more clinical studies of LF need to be further elucidated to determine an appropriate dosage for application in infant formula. LF is sensitive to denaturation induced by processing of infant formula such as heat treatments and spay drying. Thus, further studies should be focus on maximizing the retention of LF activity in the infant formula process. This review summarizes the structural features of LF. Then the digestion, absorption and metabolism of LF in infants are discussed, followed by the function of LF for infants. Further, we summarize LF in infant formula and effects of processing of infant formula on bioactivities of LF, as well as future perspectives of LF research.

Several studies indicate that the disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier can lead to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Recent evidence has increasingly demonstrated that lactoferrin (LF) and osteopontin (OPN) can alleviate intestinal barrier injury. However, the potential synergistic effects of these two proteins and the mechanisms underlying their effects remain unclear. To address this question, we developed a lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal barrier injury model in C57BL/6 N mice. Our findings demonstrated that the combination of LF and OPN at a 1:5 ratio exerts the strongest protective effect on the intestinal barrier, and it is more effective than LF or OPN alone. This protection is evidenced by the decrease in serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity (1.66-fold decrease) and D-lactic content (1.51-fold decrease) and the reduced rate of FITC-labeled glucan transport across the jejunum (3.18-fold decrease). Moreover, the protein combination significantly promoted villi length (1.66-fold increase) and crypt depth (1.57-fold increase), improved tight junction protein structure and expression, and boosted the number of absorptive cells (4.34-fold increase) in the intestinal epithelium. Furthermore, the combination promoted crypt cell proliferation and differentiation via Notch signaling. In summary, our findings provide scientific evidence supporting the use of dietary intervention strategies for preventing IBD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The amino acid (AA) composition of human milk is used to define the AA requirements of the infant. Thus, it is important that estimates of composition be as complete and accurate as possible. When determining AA composition using standard hydrolysis methods, some AAs are progressively destroyed while others are incompletely released. For accuracy, AA composition needs to be determined using multiple hydrolysis times. The true ileal digestibility of AAs also needs to be taken into consideration., Objective: The objective was to bring together AA compositional (determined using multiple hydrolysis intervals) and digestibility data determined using the piglet to give an estimate of the absorbed AA profile of human milk with reference in particular to Asian females., Methods: Mature milk was collected from Chinese females. AA analysis using multiple hydrolysis intervals and a nonlinear regression model was used to accurately estimate AA composition. Human milk, as well as a protein-free diet, were fed to piglets (n = 6), and ileal digesta were collected (piglet age, 21 d) to determine the true ileal AA digestibility of AAs in human milk., Results: True ileal AA digestibility coefficients ranged from (mean ± standard error of the mean) 0.61 ± 0.081 for tyrosine to 1.01 ± 0.030 for tryptophan, with a digestibility for total nitrogen of 0.90 ± 0.013. Convergence criteria were met for the modeling for each AA, and the model had a level of significance of P < 0.0001 for each AA. The amount of available AAs (total AA content as per the model prediction multiplied by the true ileal AA digestibility coefficient determined in the piglet) are reported., Conclusions: An estimate of the absorbed AA profile of mature milk collected from Chinese females is provided. For the first time, data is presented for cysteine., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Both epidemiological and preclinical studies have shown the benefits of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) on dementia and cognitive impairment, yet the results of clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) performed to date are conflicting. The difference in the baseline omega-3 index (O3i) of subjects is a potential cause for this disparity, yet this is usually ignored. The present meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) on cognitive function in the elderly and the role of baseline O3i. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to June 27th, 2023. The mean changes in the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score were calculated as weighted mean differences by using a fixed-effects model. Fifteen random controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis showed that n-3 PUFA supplementation did not significantly improve the MMSE score (WMD = 0.04, [-0.08, 0.16]; Z = 0.62, P = 0.53; I 2 = 0.00%, P ( I 2 ) = 0.49). Out of the 15 studies included in the meta-analysis, only 7 reported O3i at baseline and outcome, so only these 7 articles were used for subgroup analysis. Subgroup analysis showed that the MMSE score was significantly improved in the higher baseline O3i subgroup (WMD = 0.553, [0.01, 1.095]; I 2 = 0.00%, P ( I 2 ) = 0.556) and higher O3i increment subgroup (WMD = 0.525, [0.023, 1.026]; I 2 = 0.00%, P ( I 2 ) = 0.545). The overall effect demonstrated that n-3 PUFA supplementation exerted no improvement on global cognitive function. However, a higher baseline O3i and higher O3i increment were associated with an improvement in cognitive function in the elderly.

Introduction: Proteins in breast milk play an important role in the growth and development of infants. This study aims to explore the correlation between functional proteins in breast milk and the infant gut microbiota., Methods: Twenty-three mothers and their infants were enrolled and breast milk samples and infant fecal samples were collected. Breast milk protein content was determined by UPLC-MS/MS, and 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to analyze the gut microbiota of infant., Results: The results indicated that the secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) content in breast milk was positively correlated with the abundance of Veillonella parvula . The κ-casein content was positively correlated with the abundance of Clostridium butyricum . The osteopontin (OPN) and lactalbumin contents were positively correlated with the abundance of Parabacteroides distasonis at 42 days. Functional pathway analysis showed that the OPN and κ-casein contents in breast milk were significantly correlated with amino acid, pyruvate, propionic acid, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid metabolic pathways in early life., Discussion: The results of this study suggest that specific proteins in breast milk can influence the abundance of certain gut microbes in infants, playing an important role in early immune and metabolic development., Competing Interests: YaY, SD, and IS were employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, Co. Ltd. YaY, SD, HL, and IS were employed by Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Xi, Liang, Yan, Duan, Leng, Yang, Shi, Na, Yang, Yang, Szeto and Zhao.)

Insufficient calcium intake during growth is a global public health concern. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary menaquinone-7 (MK-7) on bone accrual in growing Sprague-Dawley rats under calcium restriction. Following 13 weeks of treatment, various bone quality parameters, including microarchitecture, were measured. Fecal and cecal samples were subjected to microbiome (16S rRNA gene sequencing) analyses, while metabolomics analysis of the cecum and humerus samples was analyzed based on UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS. We found that calcium deficiency diminished the richness of the microbiome and disrupted microbiome composition, accompanied by an elevation in the relative abundance of Parasutterella . Furthermore, calcium insufficiency escalated the level of isovaleric acid and modified the metabolic profiles. MK-7 supplementation significantly increased the cortical thickness, cortical bone area, and the calcium content of the femur. Apart from improving bone calcium deposition and diminishing bone resorption, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of MK on bone quality also involve the modulation of the host's metabolic pathways and the composition of gut microbiota. The gut-bone axis holds promise as an efficacious target for ameliorating calcium deficiency in children's bone quality, and MK-7 is a promising dietary supplement from this perspective.

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an inflammatory marker that has been suggested as a predictor of cardiovascular diseases. High glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and overweight/obesity are independently associated with elevated hs-CRP; meanwhile, high HbA1c levels are frequently accompanied by overweight or obesity. However, their joint effect on elevated hs-CRP levels has not been well-established. Therefore, we evaluated whether overweight/obesity modified the association between high HbA1c levels and elevated hs-CRP., Methods: Based on cross-sectional data from the Chinese Urban Adults Diet and Health Study (CUADHS) in 2016, we included 1,630 adults aged 18-75 years (mean age 50.16 years and 33.6% male). Elevated hs-CRP was defined as serum hs-CRP ≥ 3 and <10 mg/L. The interactive effects of BMI and HbA1c levels on the risk of elevated hs-CRP levels were calculated by using multiple logistic regression models, followed by strata-specific analyses., Results: Individuals with elevated hs-CRP had a higher rate of HbA1c level than those without elevated (25.3 vs. 11.3%, P < 0.001), as well as a higher rate of overweight/obesity (67.1 vs. 43.5%, P < 0.001). Higher HbA1c levels were independently associated with an increased risk of elevated hs-CRP [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.47, 3.65], as well as overweight/obesity with the risk of elevated hs-CRP (aOR = .31, 95% confidenc-3.73). Furthermore, overweight/obesity showed a significant synergistic effect on high HbA1c levels with a higher aOR of 5.25 (2.77, 9.95) ( P interaction < 0.001). This synergistic effect was more prominent when stratified by age (in 18-44 years old, aOR, 95% CI = 30.90, 4.40-236.47 for interaction vs. 6.46, 1.38-30.23 for high HbA1c only) and gender (in women, aOR, 95% CI = 8.33, 3.80-18.23 for interaction vs. 2.46,1.38-4.40 for high HbA1c only)., Conclusion: There are synergistic effects of high HbA1c levels and overweight/obesity on the risk of elevated hs-CRP in Chinese adults, with more significant effects in adults aged 18-44 years or females. Intervention strategies for preventing high blood glucose levels and body weight simultaneously may be important for reducing hs-CRP-related diseases. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding in other populations, and its molecular mechanisms need to be elucidated., Competing Interests: TH, TL, and IS were employed by Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. TH and TL were employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. The authors declare that this study received funding from Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute. The funder had the following involvement in the study: study design and data collection., (Copyright © 2023 Shen, He, Li, Szeto, Mao, Zhong, Li, Jiang and Zhang.)

Dairy foods are crucial for adequate calcium intake in young children, but scarce data are available on the effects of formula milk on bone acquisition. This cluster-randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of the supplementation of formula milk on bone health in rural children accustomed to a low-calcium diet between September 2021 and September 2022. We recruited 196 healthy children aged 4-6 years from two kindergartens in Huining County, Northwest China. A class-based randomization was used to assign them to receive 60 g of formula milk powder containing 720 mg calcium and 4.5 µg vitamin D or 20-30 g of bread per day for 12 months, respectively. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) at the left forearm and calcaneus, bone biomarkers, bone-related hormones/growth factors, and body measures were determined at baseline, 6, and 12 months. A total of 174 children completed the trial and were included in the analysis. Compared with the control group, formula milk intervention showed significant extra increments in BMD (3.77% and 6.66%) and BMC (4.55% and 5.76%) at the left forearm at 6th and 12th months post-intervention (all p < 0.001), respectively. Similar trends were observed in BMD (2.83%) and BMC (2.38%) in the left calcaneus at 6 months ( p < 0.05). The milk intervention (vs. control) also showed significant changes in the serum concentrations of osteocalcin level (-7.59%, p = 0.012), 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D (+5.54%, p = 0.001), parathyroid hormone concentration (-15.22%, p = 0.003), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (+8.36%, p = 0.014). The percentage increases in height were 0.34%, 0.45%, and 0.42% higher in the milk group than in the control group after 3-, 6-, and 9-month intervention, respectively ( p < 0.05). In summary, formula milk supplementation enhances bone acquisition at the left forearm in young Chinese children.

Background: Previous literature has shown a significant association between sleep and depression, whereas limited studies have examined the association of sleep quality with self-harm ideation in pregnant Chinese women., Methods: A total of 898 pregnant women (first to third trimester) from the Young Investigation Study were enrolled in this study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire was used to assess sleep quality. Antepartum depression and self-harm ideation were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: In this sample, the prevalence of poor sleep quality and antepartum depression was 44.3 % and 24.4 %, respectively. Furthermore, 12.8 % of women were considered as having self-harm ideation. Individuals in different trimesters reported similar prevalence of self-harm thoughts. Women were more likely to report self-harm thoughts if they were categorized as poor sleep quality or antepartum depression. And women with moderate or severe depression had higher risk of self-harm ideation and poor sleep, compared with those with mild depression. Although sleep quality indirectly influenced self-harm thoughts through the mediation effect of depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality was still associated with a 2.62-fold increased odds of self-harm ideation among women in the second trimester (OR = 2.62; 95 % CI: 1.11-6.21), after adjustment for depression., Limitations: Causality cannot be inferred. Results should be generalized carefully. Depression was evaluated by a screening tool rather than clinical interviews., Conclusions: The prevalence of poor sleep quality, depressive symptoms and self-harm ideation in pregnant Chinese women were noteworthy and high. Besides, a direct effect was also found between sleep quality and self-harm thoughts among women in the second trimester. Our findings suggest the need to identify and intervene when sleep disturbances are observed in women during pregnancy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest Ignatius Man-Yau Szeto and Hanglian Lan are employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. This study received funding from Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. The funder had the following involvement with the study: conceptualization, investigation, methodology, and writing—review and editing. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The effects of casein-to-whey ratios (i.e., 4:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:1.5) in fermented milk on gastric emptying, proteolysis and intestinal peptidome were investigated using an in vitro dynamic stomach-intestine system mimicking preschool children digestion. The gastric emptying rate varied insignificantly among the milk samples. After 120 min digestion, the protein digestibility was found in the range of 73.3-93.5 %, with the highest extent of proteolysis observed at a casein-to-whey ratio of 2:1 due to the fewest gastric protein aggregates and relatively abundant caseins. Intestinal peptides derived from caseins or whey proteins showed a positive correlation with their parent protein content. The most abundant bioactive whey peptides were found at casein-to-whey ratio of 1:1.5 after intestinal digestion. These findings demonstrated the importance of protein compositions in fermented milk on the gastrointestinal proteolysis and peptide release in vitro. This will be meaningful for future development of milk products that are more suitable for children., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Sufang Duan reports financial support was provided by Huhhot Science & Technology Plan (No.2020-Ke Ji Xing Meng-National Innovation Center-4 project)., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) is one of the most common uncomfortable symptoms of women in early pregnancy. A total of 303 Chinese pregnant women from 10 urban cities in their first trimester were recruited in this study to collect their sociodemographic characteristics and their NVP occurrence. Their dietary nutrient and food intakes were also collected by a 24 h dietary recall and a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ). Using the univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis to estimate the correlation between NVP and dietary intake, we found that 255 (84.1%) pregnant women experienced NVP during their first trimester. The intake of energy, protein, fat, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc was lower in women with NVP than in those with no NVP. Additionally, women with NVP were more likely to have insufficient intake of protein, riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus and selenium. In terms of specific food groups, the average daily intake of mushrooms, algae, nuts and seeds, meat, eggs and dairy products in the NVP group was lower. Women in the severe NVP group even had insufficient gestational weight gain. We should pay more attention to women who experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and provide them with targeted nutritional support.

Background: Although vitamin D has been found to be associated with perinatal depression, the results are inconsistent. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between vitamin D and PND in Chinese pregnant women and lactating women., Methods: A total of 1773 participants were included, including 907 lactating women and 866 pregnant women. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to screen for PND, and those with scores ≥13 were considered to have PND. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were assessed with high-performance liquid chromatography., Results: The prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) and antenatal depression (AD) were 15.9 % and 9.8 %, respectively. Compared with individuals with sufficient vitamin D, those with vitamin D deficiency were associated with a higher prevalence of PPD in lactating women (OR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.01-2.88, p = 0.044). The serum 25(OH)D of lactating women was inversely associated with the scores of the factor "depressive mood" of the EPDS (ORper 5 ng/mL = -0.10, 95%CI: -0.19 to -0.01, p = 0.032). No significant association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and AD was observed., Limitations: First, this study is a cross-sectional design, which can only determine associations but not causality. Secondly, this study only included participants from urban areas. Thirdly, there are still some possible confounding factors that have not been considered., Conclusion: In conclusion, this study suggested a significant association between vitamin D status and PPD; however, the association between vitamin D status and AD was not significant., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Ignatius Man-Yau Szeto and Hanglian Lan are employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. This study received funding from Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. The funder had the following involvement with the study: conceptualization, investigation, methodology, and writing—review and editing. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Diet quality during reproduction is crucial to maternal and infant health. However, the association between dietary diversity and bone health of pregnant women remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the dietary quality of Chinese urban gravidas using the dietary diversity score (DDS), and to explore the relationship of the DDS with micronutrient adequacy and bone health. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 775 pregnant women aged 18 years or older in urban China. Dietary diversity was assessed using the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) indicator. A 24-h dietary recall was used to collect diet data and to calculate the MDD-W and the nutrient intake. Bone health was measured using quantitative ultrasound and assessed by the speed of sound (SOS). Pearson's correlation coefficients between the DDS and the nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) were calculated. A multivariable linear regression model was used to estimate the effect size of the DDS on the SOS. The mean DDS was 6.61 ± 1.53 points and 91.0% of participants reported the consumption of five or more food groups. Women in the diverse diet subgroup (DDS ≥ 7 points) were more likely to consume all kinds of food except starchy staples and had higher NARs. Pearson's correlation coefficients between the DDS and the NAR ranged from 0.161 to 0.484. For participants in the second trimester, those with a diverse diet had a higher SOS. A multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the DDS was positively and significantly associated with the SOS (β = 17.18, 95% CI = 5.97-28.39, p = 0.003), but this was not the case for women in the first and third trimesters. Urban Chinese women had good dietary diversity during pregnancy. A higher dietary diversity was associated with a higher NAR. From the point of view of bone, a diverse diet was positively correlated with better bone status, suggesting the importance of improving diet diversity for pregnant women, especially from mid-pregnancy.

Background: The findings of the association between maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels during pregnancy and offspring weight status are controversial. Furthermore, few studies have focused on Asian populations or used erythrocyte membranes as biological markers. We aimed to examine the associations between maternal erythrocyte PUFA and offspring weight status within the first 2 years among the Chinese population., Materials and Methods: A total of 607 mother-child pairs were recruited from a birth cohort. Maternal erythrocyte n-3 and n-6 PUFA during pregnancy were measured by gas chromatography, and the ratio of PUFA was calculated. Weight- and body mass index (BMI)-for-age z (WAZ and BAZ) scores were calculated for offspring at 1, 3, 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. The risk of overweight and obesity was defined by the WHO criterion. The Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model was carried out for repeated anthropometric data within 2 years of age., Results: Maternal erythrocyte docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, n-3) was inversely associated with offspring BAZ score [tertile 2 vs. tertile 1, β: -0.18 (-0.29, -0.00)]. Higher maternal erythrocyte arachidonic acid (AA) was inversely associated with lower offspring WAZ and BAZ [tertile 3 vs. tertile 1, β: -0.18 (-0.35, -0.02), -0.22 (-0.38, -0.06), respectively]. Furthermore, higher maternal erythrocyte AA [tertile 3 vs. tertile 1, odds ratio [OR]: 0.52 (0.36, 0.75), p trend < 0.001] and total n-6 PUFA [tertile 3 vs. tertile 1, OR: 0.56 (0.39, 0.81), p trend = 0.002] were associated with decreased risk of overweight and obesity in offspring. Maternal erythrocyte n-6/n-3 PUFA and AA/eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratios were not associated with offspring weight status., Conclusion: Maternal erythrocyte PUFA might influence offspring weight status within 2 years of age in the Chinese population. Further Asian studies are still needed., Competing Interests: Authors TH, GF, and IS were employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd. Authors TH, SD, and GF were employed by Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wu, Zhao, He, He, Duan, Feng, Chen, Wang, Szeto, Lin and Cai.)

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between daily screen time, picky eating, and consumption frequency of sugared foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Methods: The research data came from the Young Investigation (YI) study conducted in 10 cities in China. This study used sociodemographic information, feeding behavior, picky eating reported by parents, and the consumption frequency of sugared foods and SSBs of 879 toddlers aged 1−3 years. The relationship between daily screen time and picky eating behavior was assessed using logistic regression. The zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model was used to fit the consumption frequencies of sugared foods and SSBs. Results: In all, 13.1% (n = 115) of toddlers did not have sugared foods 1 month before the survey, while 73.3% (n = 644) of toddlers did not have SSBs 1 month before the survey. The consumption rate of sugared foods was relatively higher than SSBs (χ2 = 661.25, p < 0.001). After adjusting for social demographic information, no relationship was found between daily screen time and picky eating (OR = 1.437; 95% CI: 0.990,2.092). The ZINB model showed that, among children who ate sugared foods, children who were picky eaters ate them more often (IRR = 1.133; 95% CI: 1.095,1.172), but no association was found between picky eating and the chance of avoiding sugared foods (OR = 0.949; 95% CI: 0.613,1.471). Children who were picky eaters were less likely not to drink SSBs (OR = 0.664; 95% CI: 0.478,0.921). However, among children who consumed SSBs, picky eaters drank them less frequently (IRR = 0.599; 95% CI: 0.552,0.650). Children with a screen time of no less than 1 h/d ate sugared foods more frequently (IRR = 1.383; 95% CI: 1.164,1.644), and they were less likely to avoid sugared foods (OR = 0.223; 95% CI: 0.085,0.587). The longer the screen time per day was, the less likely children did not have SSBs (<1 h/d: OR = 0.272; 95% CI: 0.130, 0.569; ≥1 h/d: OR = 0.136; 95% CI: 0.057, 0.328). Conclusions: The consumption rate of sugared foods was higher than that of SSBs. Picky eating and daily screen time were related to the consumption frequency of added sugar among Chinese toddlers aged 1−3 years. Picky eaters consumed sugared foods more frequently and were more likely to drink SSBs. Children whose daily screen time reached 1 h/d were more likely to eat sugared foods and drink SSBs.

Conflicting results of Chinese traditional postpartum practices have aroused concerns over their health effects. The role of postpartum practices in postpartum depression (PPD) is still a matter of discussion, especially from a dietary practice point of view. The current study was designed to (1) explore the association between postpartum practices and PPD, (2) to identify the dietary pattern related to PPD, and (3) to identify the possible pathways among postpartum practices and PPD. This study is part of the YI Study, which was a cross-sectional study conducted in 10 cities in China. Data for 955 postpartum women were used in the current analysis. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS-10) was used to evaluate PPD with a cutoff value of 9. Postpartum practice was based on the participants' self-reported practices. Individual practices were recorded and categorized as dietary and non-dietary practices. The dietary pattern was identified based on the food intake frequencies of 25 food groups using the method of reduced rank regression. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the potential pathways between postpartum practices and PPD. The current study observed significant associations between postpartum practices and PPD (Adjusted OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.04-1.90). A similar trend was also found between dietary postpartum practices and PPD (Adjusted OR = 1.39, 95%CI: 1.03-1.88) but not for non-dietary practices and PPD (Adjusted OR = 1.26, 95%CI: 0.92-1.75). A PPD-related dietary pattern was identified with the characteristics of a high intake of meat and eggs and a lower intake of vegetables, mushrooms, and nuts. This dietary pattern was significantly associated with a higher chance of adhering to postpartum practice (Adjusted OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.10-1.44). Based on the pathway analysis, this study also observed the association between postpartum practices and PPD, and the association between dietary practices and PPD were both mediated by sleep quality. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that a substantial proportion of women in modern China experience traditional postpartum Chinese practices and that either overall or dietary-related postpartum practices are associated with a higher risk of PPD. The current dietary practices in postpartum rituals may play an important role in developing PPD. A culturally embedded, science-based dietary guideline is required to help women to achieve both physical and psychological health in the postpartum period.

Feeding problems are biopsychosocial in nature and have a great influence on children's growth. The aim of this study was to profile the status and possible influencing factors of feeding difficulty among normal Chinese toddlers, and to investigate its association with health and development. This study is a part of the Young Investigation (YI study) conducted in 10 cities in China. Data from 924 children aged 1-3 years were analyzed. Data on socio-demographic factors, feeding behaviors, self-reported diseases, and anthropometry parameters were collected. Blood samples were drawn to determine hemoglobin levels. Feeding difficulty was evaluated by the Montreal Children's Hospital Feeding Scale (MCH-FS). Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) were used to assess developmental progress. Multivariable analyses were performed to explore the potential associations. The mean total score of the MCH-FS was 35.21 ± 12.90 and the highest scored item was "acting up/making a big fuss during mealtimes." Feeding difficulty occurred more often among children with picky eating behavior or whose caregivers once used the strategy of pre-mastication. Children with feeding difficulty had lower intakes of cereals, vegetables, and fruits, and were more likely to suffer from diarrhea ( OR , 2.04; 95%CI : 1.32, 3.11) or constipation ( OR , 2.04; 95%CI : 1.27, 3.24), but not anemia. Feeding difficulty was also negatively associated with weight, height, head circumference and mid-upper-arm circumference-related Z-scores ( P all < 0.05). In addition, it was related to poorer fine motor skills, personal and social skills, and total scores of ASQ-3 ( β , -9.00; 95%CI : -15.11, -2.89). Feeding difficulty assessed by MCH-FS showed a negative association with children's health and development, supporting the need for early identification., Competing Interests: IS and HL are employed by the Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. This study received funding from the Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. The funder had the following involvement with the study: study design, coordination, supervision, and review and revision of the manuscript. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ren, Lan, Szeto, Yang, Zhang, Li, Li, Wang, Zhang and Zhao.)

Background: Evidence on the effects of dietary quality on the risk of postpartum depression in the Chinese population is limited. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary quality and postpartum depression in Chinses lactating women. Methods: A total of 939 participants from 10 cities were included in this analysis. A one-time 24-h dietary recall was used to obtain the data on food consumption and dietary quality was assessed based on Diet Balance Index. The Edinburgh postnatal depression scale was considered at a cutoff point of 10 to detect postpartum depression. Poisson regression models were used to explore the association of dietary quality with postpartum depression. Results: Depressed women tended to have a more inadequate intake of vegetables and have more insufficient food variety. The median (25th, 75th) of the overall high bound score (HBS), low bound score (LBS), and diet quality distance (DQD) was 9 (5, 14), 30 (25, 37), and 40 (34, 47), respectively. Compared with subjects with the lowest quartile of LBS, those with the highest quartile of LBS had a higher risk of postpartum depression [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR), 1.08; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.01, 1.15; P for trend, 0.043]. We also observed a significant association between DQD and postpartum depression (Q4 vs. Q1: aPR, 1.07; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.14; P for trend, 0.036). Conclusion: Poor dietary quality was associated with postpartum depression in Chinese lactating women., Competing Interests: IS and HL are employed by Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. This study received funding from Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co. Ltd. The funder had the following involvement with the study: conceptualization, investigation, methodology, and writing—review and editing. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Yang, Zhao, Lan, Ren, Zhang, Szeto, Wang and Zhang.)

During the lactation period, healthy eating behavior is essential to maternal and child health. However, Chinese lactating women may have some traditional food restrictions. Our aims were to evaluate the fruit and vegetable consumption of Chinese lactating women and to examine the associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and serum vitamin A concentrations. A total of 885 participants were included. Dietary intakes were assessed during the same time frame as blood collection via a one-time 24-h dietary recall (24HDR) and a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ), respectively. Serum vitamin A concentrations were assessed with high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on 24HDR, 64.7% and 85.5% of lactating women did not consume the appropriate amount of fruits and vegetables, respectively. New mothers who adopt zuo yuezi behavior during the first month were negatively associated with fruit consumption. The median (25th to 75th) dietary vitamin A intake was 349.5 (202.5-591.4) μg RAE/day. Vegetable contributed 24.9% and fruit 4.8% of the dietary vitamin A intake. The median (25th to 75th) serum vitamin A concentration was 1.92 (1.61-2.30) μmol/L. 24HDR assessments of total fruit and vegetable consumption, and fruit consumption were positively associated with higher serum vitamin A concentrations, respectively (β = 0.200, 95%CI = 0.077, 0.323, p  = .001; β = 0.241, 95%CI = 0.008, 0.474, p  = .044). These positive associations were replicated in the SFFQ assessments (β = 0.102, 95%CI = 0.016, 0.188, p  = .020; β = 0.215, 95%CI = 0.088, 0.341, p  = .001). Chinese lactating women had inappropriate fruit and vegetable consumption. Fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with serum vitamin A concentrations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are important functional biomolecules in human breast milk. Understanding the factors influencing differences in HMO composition and changes in their concentration over lactation can help to design feeding strategies that are well-adapted to infant's needs. This review summarises the total and individual concentration of HMOs from data published from 1999 to 2019. Studies show that the HMO concentrations are highest in colostrum (average 9-22 g/L), followed by slightly lower concentrations in transitional milk (average 8-19 g/L), with a gradual decline in mature milk as lactation progresses, from 6-15 g/L in breast milk collected within one month of birth, to 4-6 g/L after 6 months. Significant differences in HMO composition have been described between countries. Different HMOs were shown to be predominant over the course of lactation, e.g., 3-fucosyllactose increased over lactation, whereas 2'-fucosyllactose decreased. Recent clinical studies on infant formula supplemented with 2'-fucosyllactose in combination with other oligosaccharides showed its limited beneficial effect on infant health.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the cross-sectional association of serum ferritin (SF) and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components among adults in eight cities in China., Methods: Subjects were recruited using a combination of systematic cluster random sampling and purposive sampling in eight cities in China. The sociodemographic characteristics, data of lifestyle factors, self-reported disease history, and 24-hr dietary intake were obtained using a validated questionnaire. Anthropometry was performed, and fasting blood was collected to test the SF, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), triglycerides (TG), and cholesterols. Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations, adjusting for age, city level, smoking, drinking, weekly moderate-to-vigorous activity, dietary factors, hs-CRP, and BMI., Results: Serum ferritin level is positively correlated with total cholesterol, TG, FBG, HOMA-IR, and hs-CRP after adjusting for age and BMI. The odds ratio (OR) for MetS in the highest quartile of SF was 2.23 (1.32, 3.77) after adjusting for men, compared with the lowest quartile. An elevated ferritin concentration was significantly related to hypertriglyceridemia ( p  < .001) and elevated glucose ( p  = .013) among men, but not among women. Furthermore, compared with Q1, the OR for insulin resistance in the ferritin Q4 group was 3.08 (1.50, 6.32) among men and 1.96 (1.19, 3.24) among women., Conclusion: A positive association between elevated SF and MetS and its components including hypertriglyceridemia and elevated glucose was found in multivariate analyses among men, and SF levels are independently associated with IR., Competing Interests: All the authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2020 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) discomforts are common in the elderly population; however, whether such discomforts are associated with dietary intake has not been studied., Aim: To evaluate GI discomforts in Chinese urban elders and the associated factors., Methods: The gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) was used to identify GI discomforts in 688 elders from eight cities of China. The semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and one time of 24 h dietary recall were used to access the food intake, identify dietary pattern, and calculate the nutrients intake., Results: About 83% of studied elders experienced at least one of GI discomforts in the past 6 mo; dyspepsia was the most commonly reported (66.7%), followed by reflux (44.8%), abdominal pain (35.9%), constipation (35.8%), and diarrhea (34.7%). Female gender, lower education level, and lower family income were associated with a higher GSRS score. Participants who were diagnosed with a GI-related disease had a higher score of constipation, but a lower score of reflux. Chronic diseases were positively associated with certain GI discomforts. Three dietary patterns were identified by the method of principal component analysis, which were characterized as high intake of salt and tea; more frequent intake of tubers, fruits, aquatic products, and soybeans; and high intake of cereal, vegetables, and meat, respectively. However, no associations between dietary patterns and GSRS score were found. The elders with a higher GSRS score had significantly lower intake of bean products. The elders whose GSRS score was ≥ 21 and 18-20 decreased their bean production intake by 7.2 (0.3, 14.3) g/d and 14.3 (1.2, 27.3) g/d, respectively, compared with those who had a GSRS score ≤ 17. There were no differences in other food categories, calories, or nutrients intake among elders with different GSRS scores., Conclusion: GI discomforts are common in Chinese urban elders. GI discomforts might be associated with the choice of food., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: There is no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Growing evidence has suggested that dietary modification is implicated with sleep alteration. Our study aimed to determine whether an association between diet in terms of diet quality, certain food consumption, and dietary nutrients intake and sleep quality existed in Chinese urban adults, which has been fully investigated. A cross-sectional study was conducted among urban adults from eight Chinese cities. Total of 1,548 participants remained in the final analysis. Sleep quality was evaluated by the Chinese version of the Pittsburg Sleep Questionnaire Index. Diet quality, evaluated by Chinese Healthy Diet Index, and dietary intake, including food groups and nutrients, were derived from a semiquantitative Food Intake Frequencies Questionnaire and a single 24-hr dietary recall. The relationship between dietary variables and sleep quality was examined using multivariable logistic regression models. Logistic regression analysis indicated that better diet quality, which features greater food diversity, higher ingestion of fruits and fish, along with higher seafood consumption, lower eggs consumption, and higher total energy intake, was significantly associated with lower risk of poor sleep quality in the crude model and the fully adjusted model with adjustment for gender, age, self-rated health condition, self-assessed mental stress, smoking, hypertension, and BMI. Therefore, we reached a conclusion that diet quality and certain food consumption were related to sleep quality. Although the associations observed in the cross-sectional study require further investigation in prospective studies, dietary intervention, such as enhancement in food diversity and consumption of fruits and seafood, might serve as a probable strategy for sleep improvement., Competing Interests: All the authors declare no conflict of interest. Transparency Declaration: The lead author affirms that this manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study being reported. The reporting of this work is compliant with STROBE guidelines. The lead author affirms that no important aspects of the study have been omitted and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained.

Increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) has become a global major public health problem. Chronic low-grade inflammation associated with diet was found to play an import role in the development of MetS, although further studies are needed. The main purpose of this study was to explore the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII), C-reactive protein (CRP) as a sign of inflammation status, and MetS. A total of 1712 participants from eight cities in China were included. Sociodemographic and health-related information was collected by a self-administrated questionnaire. Anthropometric information and fasting blood samples were collected for identification of MetS. DII scores were computed based on one time 24-h dietary recall. No significant association between MetS and DII was observed except for the blood pressure component of MetS (OR T3 versus T1 = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.89). A significant increased prevalence for MetS was observed for higher CRP (OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.26 to 2.18), as well as four out of five of MetS components. In stratified analyses by sex, the associations between DII/CRP and MetS among women, but not men, are comparable to the whole sample. In addition, Both the 2nd and 3rd tertile of the DII had a higher CRP level (&beta;-Coefficients T2 versus T1 = 0.086, 95% CI: 0.004 to 0.167; &beta;-Coefficients T3 versus T1 = 0.145, 95% CI: 0.045 to 0.245) among subjects with MetS. Participants with higher DII scores reported a higher degree of &ldquo; Shanghuo &rdquo; ( p = 0.007), which is a traditional concept characterized by &ldquo;redness, swelling, fever and pain&rdquo; in Chinese Medicine. This study suggested a close association between CRP and MetS, while the association between the DII and MetS was limited. DII was only specifically associated with CRP at a higher level among participants with MetS.

Hypertension is a serious public health threat worldwide. This study sought to explore gaps in urban Chinese adults' awareness and control of hypertension. A cross-sectional study was carried out in eight Chinese cities in 2016. Participants were organized into four groups on the basis of blood pressure (BP) and self-reported disease history: healthy group (63.0%), well-controlled BP group (9.1%), unaware hypertension group (14.0%), and poorly controlled BP group (13.9%). Multinomial logistic regression with the healthy group as the reference group showed that younger age and body mass index <24 kg/m 2 were negatively associated with lack of awareness of hypertension and poor control of BP. Lower salt intake, but not sodium intake, was associated with poor control of BP. Other factors associated with lack of awareness of hypertension included low fish and seafood intake. Low sodium intake contributed to good control of BP. In conclusion, there are gaps in urban Chinese adults' awareness and control of hypertension. A comprehensive strategy for enhancing awareness of hypertension and changing behaviors associated with the condition should be developed and implemented.

Objective: To assess the differences between anthropometric indices in predicting dyslipidemia in Chinese urban adult population and find optimal cut-off points., Methods: A total of 1615 subjects with information on key variables were enrolled by multistage stratified sampling process from March to July in 2016. Information on sociodemographic characteristics( age, gender, nationality, education and income), and health and disease history of subjects was collected. Height, weight, waist circumference( WC), hip circumference, body fat percentage( % Fat), and fasting lipid profiles were measured for each participant. The receiver operating characteristic( ROC) curve was used to compare the efficacy of the various anthropometric indices to discriminate those with and without dyslipidemia., Results: Waist-to-height ratio( WHtR) had the largest area under the ROC curve( AUC) for dyslipidemia in women( 0. 744). There weresignificant differences between AUC of WHtR and that of WC( P = 0. 008), body mass index( BMI, P = 0. 004), waist-to-hip ratio( WHR, P = 0. 005), and % Fat( P <0. 001) in pairwise comparisons. Cut-off point for WHtR was 0. 50 for dyslipidemia in urban adult women. Although the AUC for BMI was the highest for dyslipidemia in men, it did not differ significantly from other indices( P all > 0. 05). Cut-off point for BMI was24. 1 kg/m~2 for dyslipidemia in urban adult men., Conclusion: WHtR and BMI might be optimal indices for dyslipidemia for Chinese urban adult women and men, respectively. Regional and sexual differences should be considered when choosing proper indices.

Aims: Punicalagin (PU) is one of the major ellagitannins found in the pomegranate (Punica granatum), which is a popular fruit with several health benefits. So far, no studies have evaluated the effects of PU on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our work aims at studying the effect of PU-enriched pomegranate extract (PE) on high fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD., Results: PE administration at a dosage of 150 mg/kg/day significantly inhibited HFD-induced hyperlipidemia and hepatic lipid deposition. As major contributors to NAFLD, increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukins 1, 4, and 6 as well as augmented oxidative stress in hepatocytes followed by nuclear factor (erythroid-derived-2)-like 2 (Nrf2) activation were normalized through PE supplementation. In addition, PE treatment reduced uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) expression, restored ATP content, suppressed mitochondrial protein oxidation, and improved mitochondrial complex activity in the liver. In contrast, mitochondrial content was not affected despite increased peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and elevated expression of genes related to mitochondrial beta-oxidation after PE treatment. Finally, PU was identified as the predominant active component of PE with regard to the lowering of triglyceride and cholesterol content in HepG2 cells, and both PU- and PE-protected cells from palmitate induced mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance., Innovation: Our work presents the beneficial effects of PE on obesity-associated NAFLD and multiple risk factors. PU was proposed to be the major active component., Conclusions: By promoting mitochondrial function, eliminating oxidative stress and inflammation, PU may be a useful nutrient for the treatment of NAFLD.

Bitter gourd (BG) is a popular fruit in Asia with numerous well-known medicinal uses, including as an antidiabetic. In the current study, we aimed to explore the effects of BG on mitochondrial function during the development of obesity-associated fatty liver. C57BL/6 mice were divided into 4 experimental groups: mice fed a normal diet (control; included for reference only), mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), and mice fed an HFD supplemented with freeze-dried BG powder through daily gavage at doses of 0.5 (HFD+0.5BG) and 5 (HFD+5BG) g/kg, respectively. After 16 wk, mice in the HFD+5BG group showed less body and tissue weight gain and less hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia compared with those in the HFD group (P < 0.05). In both HFD+0.5BG and HFD+5BG groups, serum interleukin-6 concentration was lower than that in the HFD group (P < 0.02). The serum C-reactive protein concentration was lower in the HFD+5BG group compared with the HFD group (P < 0.04). An analysis of liver tissue revealed lower liver triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations in both HFD+0.5BG and HFD+5BG groups than in the HFD group (P < 0.01). The HFD+5BG group had less activation of the sterol regulatory element binding protein/fatty acid synthase (SREBP-1/FAS) pathway, greater superoxide dismutase activity, and less total protein and mitochondrial protein oxidation than did the HFD group (P < 0.05). Mitochondrial complex I, II, III, and V activity was greater in the HFD+0.5BG group than in the HFD group (P < 0.03). The HFD+5BG group only had greater complex V activity compared with the HFD group (P < 0.05). Mitochondrial dynamics regulators, including dynamin related protein 1 (DRP1) and mitofusin 1 (MFN1), as well as proapoptotic protein expression levels were restored by BG treatment (P < 0.02). Taken together, our results suggest that BG prevents inflammation and oxidative stress, modulates mitochondrial activity, suppresses apoptosis activation, and inhibits lipid accumulation during the development of fatty liver.

A Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil has profound influence on health outcomes including metabolic syndrome. However, the active compound and detailed mechanisms still remain unclear. Hydroxytyrosol (HT), a major polyphenolic compound in virgin olive oil, has received increased attention for its antioxidative activity and regulation of mitochondrial function. Here, we investigated whether HT is the active compound in olive oil exerting a protective effect against metabolic syndrome. In this study, we show that HT could prevent high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance in C57BL/6J mice after 17 weeks supplementation. Within liver and skeletal muscle tissues, HT could decrease HFD-induced lipid deposits through inhibition of the SREBP-1c/FAS pathway, ameliorate HFD-induced oxidative stress by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, normalize expression of mitochondrial complex subunits and mitochondrial fission marker Drp1, and eventually inhibit apoptosis activation. Moreover, in muscle tissue, the levels of mitochondrial carbonyl protein were decreased and mitochondrial complex activities were significantly improved by HT supplementation. In db/db mice, HT significantly decreased fasting glucose, similar to metformin. Notably, HT decreased serum lipid, at which metformin failed. Also, HT was more effective at decreasing the oxidation levels of lipids and proteins in both liver and muscle tissue. Similar to the results in the HFD model, HT decreased muscle mitochondrial carbonyl protein levels and improved mitochondrial complex activities in db/db mice. Our study links the olive oil component HT to diabetes and metabolic disease through changes that are not limited to decreases in oxidative stress, suggesting a potential pharmaceutical or clinical use of HT in metabolic syndrome treatment., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)