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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. 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). 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. Causality cannot be inferred. Results should be generalized carefully. Depression was evaluated by a screening tool rather than clinical interviews. 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. • This is the first study to examine the direct and indirect effects between sleep quality and self-harm ideation among gravidas in urban China. • We found alarmingly high prevalence of self-harm ideation, depressive symptoms and poor sleep quality in pregnant Chinese women. • Poor sleep quality was associated with self-harm thoughts among women in the second trimester, after adjustment for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.)

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.)

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: 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.)

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.

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.