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The global adoption of predominantly plant-based, sustainable, healthy diets will help reduce the risk of obesity-and malnutrition-related noncommunicable diseases while protecting the future health of our planet. This review examines the benefits and limitations of different types of plant-based diets in terms of health and nutrition, affordability and accessibility, cultural (ethical and religious) acceptability, and the environment (i.e., the 4 pillars underlying sustainable healthy diets). Results suggest that, without professional supervision, traditional plant-based diets (vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets) can increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies among infants, children/adolescents, women, pregnant/lactating women, and the elderly. In contrast, flexitarian diets and territorial diversified diets (TDDs; e.g., Mediterranean and New Nordic diets) that include large quantities of plant-sourced foods, low amounts of red meat, and moderate amounts of poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy can meet the energy and nutrition needs of different populations without the need for dietary education or supplementation. Compared with vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets, more diverse flexitarian diets and TDDs are associated with reduced volumes of food waste and may be more acceptable and easier to maintain for people who previously followed Western diets. Although flexitarian diets and TDDs have a greater impact on the environment than vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets, the negative effects are considerably reduced compared with Western diets, especially if diets include locally sourced seasonal foods. Further studies are required to define more precisely optimal sustainable healthy diets for different populations and to ensure that diets are affordable and accessible to people in all countries. © 2021 The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of different diets on lipid peroxidation, antioxidants, proliferation and vasculogenesis in liver tissue. BALBC female rats (21) were divided as the group fed with standard chow (SC), the group fed with a ketogenic diet (KD) and the group fed with western diet (WD). The rats were fed with tap water and a rat diet specially prepared according to the determined diets for four weeks. Liver tissue oxidative damage, proliferation and vasculogenesis were evaluated using spectrophotometric and immunohistopathological methods. At the end of the experiment, it was found that the highest weight gain was in the WD group and the least weight gain was in the KD group. The mean body weight of the WD group was statistically significantly higher compared to the SC and KD groups (p0.05). These results revealed that ketogenic diet prevents tissue damage by decreasing lipid peroxidation in liver tissue as well as inducing cellular proliferation and vasculogenesis. © 2021 Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi. All rights reserved.

Western diets are net acid-producing, based on their general characteristics of containing excessive amounts of grains in relation to their content of fruits and vegetables. The continuous consumption of acid-producing diets is countered by the renal excretion of the excess acid. However, when renal excretion is not adequate, as is the case in many older adults with mildly and moderately impaired renal function, other adaptations are employed to preserve neutrality. In adults who are unable to excrete the daily dietary acid load, the excess acid is buffered by bone. The mechanisms by which hydrogen ions affect bone have been well defined. Current evidence also indicates a role for muscle in preserving neutrality; however, the mechanism(s) by which this occurs have not been directly demonstrated. The evidence supporting the role of bone and muscle in defending against the development of frank metabolic acidosis are reviewed herein. This evidence stems from observational studies and randomized, controlled clinical trials. Gaps in the evidence that would be useful to fill are also indicated.

The consumption of large amounts of meat is associated with a high environmental burden and a negative impact on human health. A reduction in meat consumption in Western diets is needed. Consumers differ in their attitudes, norms and behaviours related to meat. The aim of the current study is to improve our understanding of meat consumption and reduction. Segments of meat consumers are identified and shifts in these segments, their attitudes and norms in the 2010 decade are examined. Two online surveys have been conducted among Dutch adults, one in 2011 (N=1253) and one in 2019 (N=1979). In both years, similar consumer segments were identified: two meat-oriented segments (compulsive meat eaters and meat lovers) and three segments of meat reducers (unconscious, potential and conscious flexitarians). The segments differed in their attitudes, norms and motives towards meat reduction, their meat consumption and intentions and in their socio-demographic and psychological profile. A comparison over the years showed minor, though positive changes. We conclude that meat consumers can be classified into several groups that form a continuum from strong meat attachment to significant meat moderation. Targeted approaches should be developed to stimulate these groups towards shifting their diet into more flexitarian directions. The development of flexitarianism in the Netherlands during the 2010s suggests that there is still a long way to go to a predominantly plant-based flexitarian diet.

Increased intake of Western diets and ultra-processed foods is accompanied by increased intake of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs can be generated exogenously in the thermal processing of food and endogenously in the human body, which associated with various chronic diseases. In food, AGEs can be divided into free and bound forms, which differ in their bioavailability, digestion, absorption, gut microbial interactions and untargeted metabolites. We summarized the measurements and contents of free and bound AGE in foods. Moreover, the ingestion, digestion, absorption, excretion, gut microbiota interactions, and metabolites and metabolic pathways between free and bound AGEs based on animal and human studies were compared. Bound AGEs were predominant in most of the selected foods, while beer and soy sauce were rich in free AGEs. Only 10%–30% of AGEs were absorbed into the systemic circulation when orally administered. The excretion of ingested free and bound AGEs was approximately 90% and 60%, respectively. Dietary free CML has a detrimental effect on gut microbiota composition, while bound AGEs have both detrimental and beneficial impacts. Free and bound dietary AGEs changed amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. And besides, bound dietary AGEs altered vitamin metabolism, and glycerolipid metabolism.

In this paper, we reviewed the role of dairy products in dietary zinc absorption. Dairy products can have a reasonable contribution for dietary zinc intake in Western diets, where dairy consumption is high. However, the co-ingestion of dairy products can also improve zinc absorption from other food products. Such improvements have been observed when dairy products (e.g., milk or yoghurt) were ingested together with food such as rice, tortillas or bread products, all of which are considered to be high-phytate foods with low inherent zinc absorption. For foods low in phytate, the co-ingestion of dairy products did not improve zinc absorption. Improved zinc absorption of zinc from high-phytate foods following co-ingestion with dairy products may be related to the beneficial effects of the citrate and phosphopeptides present in dairy products. Considering that the main dietary zinc sources in areas in the world where zinc deficiency is most prevalent are typically high in phytate, the inclusion of dairy products in meals may be a viable dietary strategy to improve zinc absorption.

Circadian rhythms govern our daily physiological processes. However, disruption of circadian rhythms, as can occur with ad libitum Western diets, disrupt these processes leading to cardiometabolic diseases. Our lab and others have shown that Th17 cells, which produce interleukin 17A (IL-17A), are implicated in the development of cardiovascular and renal end-organ damage associated with high fat and/or high salt diets. Th17 cell differentiation and trafficking is regulated by the circadian clock and influenced by light-dark cycles. However, whether feeding-fasting rhythms influence Th17 cell responses is poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that limiting food intake to the 12-hr active period (time-restricted feeding, TRF) mitigates high fat and high salt (HF/HS) diet induced T cell IL-17A production and target organ damage. Beginning at 8 weeks of age, male C57Bl/6J mice were placed on either a normal chow/normal salt (NC/NS) or a HF/HS diet for 20 weeks, with TRF intervention occurring during the last two weeks in the HF/HS + TRF group. Body weight was similarly significantly increased in the HF/HS and HF/HS + TRF groups in comparison to the NC/NS group. Th17 cells were significantly increased (2.6-fold increase, p = 0.02) in the Peyer’s patches (lymphoid aggregates found in the small intestines) of mice on HF/HS diet in comparison to those on NC/NS. Importantly, TRF abolished this increase. Renal CD4 + T cell IL-17A production, as measured by flow cytometry, was increased by HF/HS diet compared to NC/NS (3-fold increase, p = 0.02). Similarly, TRF abolished this increase. This study highlights how Western diets exacerbate intestinal and renal IL-17A production and the potential beneficial impact of a behavioral intervention, TRF, to mitigate the Th17 mediated inflammation associated with diet-induced obesity.

The transition of Sub-Saharan Africans from rural settings and traditional plant-rich diets to urban settings and calorie-dense Westernized diets has led to specific shifts in serum metabolites and activates a heightened proinflammatory state in immune cells.

Perubahan gaya hidup antara lain pola makan menyebabkan pola makan tradisional bergeser ke pola makan barat seperti fast food yang banyak mengandung kalori, lemak dan kolesterol. Salah satu tumbuhan yang sering digunakan masyarakat sebagai obat yaitu gedi (Abelmoschus Manihot (L.) Medik). Daun gedi (Abelmoschus Manihot (L.) Medik) secara empiris digunakan untuk mengobati sakit ginjal, menurunkan kolesterol, dan maag. Daun gedi (Abelmoschus Manihot (L.) Medik) mengandung senyawa berkhasiat flavonoid yang dapat digunakan sebagai penurun kolesterol. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan aktivitas antikolesterol ekstrak etanol daun gedi (Abelmoschus Manihot (L.) Medik) secara in vitro serta menentukan nilai EC50. Sampel diekstraksi dengan metode maserasi menggunakan pelarut etanol 96% dengan % rendamen ekstrak yang diperoleh 9.149%. Ekstrak yang diperoleh dianalisis aktivitas antikolesterol dengan metode Lieberman-Burchard pereaksi asam asetat anhidrat dan asam sulfat pekat dengan menggunakan pengukuran spektrofotometer UV-Vis dengan panjang gelombang maksimum 666.97 nm. Ekstrak etanol daun gedi (Abelmoschus Manihot (L.) Medik) memiliki aktivitas antikolesterol secara in vitro. Nilai EC50 ekstrak etanol daun gedi (Abelmoschus Manihot (L.) Medik) yaitu sebesar 5007.5 ppm. Kesimpulan penelitian bahwa pada konsentrasi 5007.5 ppm dapat menurunkan 50% dari kolesterol awal. Disarankan menggunakan ekstrak etanol daun gedi sebagai terapi medis.

Western diets are poor in healthy n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid. Since microalga Aurantiochytrium sp. is rich in docosahexaenoic acid, a functional food based on lean yogurt and this microalga was tested. This study entailed characterizing the lipid fraction and determining the fatty acid bioaccessibility. The tested yogurts (control and 2% w/w, Aurantiochytrium sp.) had differences. Docosahexaenoic acid was not detected in the control product, but it was the second most important fatty acid in Aurantiochytrium sp. and Aurantiochytrium yogurt, 29.7 ± 0.4% and 18.7 ± 2.0%, respectively. Based on the fatty acid profile only, an amount of 158.7 g of Aurantiochytrium yogurt in wet weight terms would be required to ensure an appropriate intake of healthy fatty acids. Generally, the fatty acid bioaccessibility was not high, remaining below 60-70% in almost all cases. Considering the docosahexaenoic acid bioaccessibility (44 ± 3%), an amount of 360.7 g of Aurantiochytrium yogurt would be advisable. A reasonable dietary prescription would be a daily consumption of 125 ml of Aurantiochytrium yogurt.

Today, awareness has been raised regarding high consumption of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in western diets. A comprehensive analysis of total and individual postprandial fatty acids profiles would provide insights into metabolic turnover and related health effects. After an overnight fast, 9 healthy adults consumed a mixed meal comprising 97 g carbohydrate and 45 g fat, of which 26.4 g was linoleic acid (LA). Nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), phospholipid fatty acids (PL-FA) and triacylglycerol fatty acids (TG-FA) were monitored in plasma samples, at baseline and hourly over a 7-h postprandial period. Total TG-FA concentration peaked at 2 h after the meal and steadily decreased thereafter. LA from TG18:2n-6 and behenic acid from TG22:0 showed the highest response among TG-FA, with a biphasic response detected for the former. PL-FA exhibited no change. Total NEFA initially decreased to nadir at 1 h, then increased to peak at 7 h. The individual NEFA showed the same response curve except LA and some very-long-chain saturated fatty acids (VLCSFA, ≥20 carbon chain length) that markedly increased shortly after the meal intake. The similarities and dissimilarities in lipid profiles between study subjects at different time points were visualized using nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling. Overall, the results indicate that postprandial levels of LA and VLCSFA, either as NEFA or TG, were most affected by the test meal, which might provide an explanation for the health effects of this dietary lifestyle characterized by high intake of mixed meals rich in n-6 PUFA.

Objective:To compare the dietary habits of children living in northern villages and in the capital of Greenland, given the reported transition from traditional to westernised diet in adults over recent decades, and to explore the association between consumption of marine mammals and fish (MMF) and the children’s metabolic profile and vitamin D status.Design:Children answered an FFQ encompassing sixty-four individual food types pooled into six food categories. Their pubertal stage, body fat, fitness level, metabolic profile (non-HDL-cholesterol, glycated Hb, insulin, glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) as well as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration were evaluated.Setting:Siorapaluk and Qaanaaq (north of Greenland) and Nuuk (west).Participants:Children aged 6–18 years (n 177).Results:MMF were most frequently eaten by children from Siorapaluk (mean (sd): 73·4 (14·1) times/month), followed by children from Qaanaaq (37·0 (25·0) times/month), and least often eaten by children from Nuuk (23·7 (24·6) times/month; P < 0·001). Children from Qaanaaq consumed ‘junk food’ more frequently (P < 0·001) and fruits and vegetables less frequently (P < 0·01) than children from Nuuk. MMF consumption was positively associated with serum 25(OH)D concentration (P < 0·05), but the overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was high (18 %). No association was found between MMF consumption and metabolic parameters.Conclusions:The dietary transition and influence of western diets have spread to the north of Greenland and only the most remote place consumed a traditional diet highly based on MMF. We found no strong associations of MMF consumption with metabolic health, but a positive association with vitamin D status.

Elucidating the mechanism underlying the transmission of metabolic disease to subsequent generations requires robust preclinical mouse breeding strategies. Western diets rich in fat and carbohydrates are contributing factors in the rise of diabetes and obesity rates worldwide. Therefore, determining the impact of Western diets consumed by parents on offspring and future generations is critical for understanding the perpetuation of these diseases. Specifically, epigenetic regulation and transgenerational inheritance of metabolic disease is an emerging field of study requiring robust murine models. However, a major challenge to transgenerational studies is offspring mortality, exacerbated by maternal stress during pregnancy. Here, we describe a challenge experienced in our metabolic research in Western diet-fed female mice leading to the loss of litters via pup mortality and cannibalism by the mother. Furthermore, our study evaluates various breeding schemes with pregnancy efficiency and refined husbandry techniques to overcome pup mortality and infanticide, to characterize dams’ and pups’ metabolic characteristics, and to determine the impact on physiology of dams under detailed breeding schemes.

Human-associated microbial communities have adapted to environmental pressures. Doses of antibiotics select for a community with increased antibiotic resistance, inflammation is accompanied by expansion of community members equipped to flourish in the presence of immune effectors and Western diets shift the microbiota away from fibre degraders in favour of species that thrive on mucus. Recent data suggest that the microbiota of industrialized societies differs substantially from the recent ancestral microbiota of humans. Rapid modernization, including medical practices and dietary changes, is causing progressive deterioration of the microbiota, and we hypothesize that this may contribute to various diseases prevalent in industrialized societies. In this Opinion article, we explore whether individuals in the industrialized world may be harbouring a microbial community that, while compatible with our environment, is now incompatible with our human biology. In this Opinion article, Sonnenburg and Sonnenburg explore whether individuals in the industrialized world may be harbouring a microbial community that is now incompatible with human biology, and they hypothesize that the modern, industrial lifestyle has contributed to alterations in the microbiota that may be linked to the deterioration of human health.

Tight regulation of K+balance is fundamental for normal physiology. Reduced dietary K+intake, which is common in Western diets, often leads to hypokalemia and associated cardiovascular- and kidney-related pathologies. The distal nephron, and, specifically, the collecting duct (CD), is the major site of controlled K+reabsorption via H+-K+-ATPase in the state of dietary K+deficiency. We (Mamenko MV, Boukelmoune N, Tomilin VN, Zaika OL, Jensen VB, O'Neil RG, Pochynyuk OM. Kidney Int 91: 1398–1409, 2017) have previously demonstrated that the transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) Ca2+channel, abundantly expressed in the CD, contributes to renal K+handling by promoting flow-induced K+secretion. Here, we investigated a potential role of TRPV4 in controlling H+-K+-ATPase-dependent K+reabsorption in the CD. Treatment with a K+-deficient diet (+) for 7 days reduced serum K+levels in wild-type (WT) mice from 4.3 ± 0.2 to 3.3 ± 0.2 mM but not in TRPV4−/−mice (4.3 ± 0.1 and 4.2 ± 0.3 mM, respectively). Furthermore, we detected a significant reduction in 24-h urinary K+levels in TRPV4−/−compared with WT mice upon switching to K+-deficient diet. TRPV4−/−animals also had significantly more acidic urine on a low-K+diet, but not on a regular (0.9% K+) or high-K+(5% K+) diet, which is consistent with increased H+-K+-ATPase activity. Moreover, we detected a greatly accelerated H+-K+-ATPase-dependent intracellular pH extrusion in freshly isolated CDs from TRPV4−/−compared with WT mice fed a K+-deficient diet. Overall, our results demonstrate a novel kaliuretic role of TRPV4 by inhibiting H+-K+-ATPase-dependent K+reabsorption in the CD. We propose that TRPV4 inhibition could be a novel strategy to manage certain hypokalemic states in clinical settings.

OBJECTIVES: Young adults tend to consume western diets with low microbe-accessible carbohydrates (MACs), which are fermentable carbohydrates that may reduce the risk of developing non-communicable diseases. The importance of dietary fiber (only one type of MAC) in the prevention of chronic diseases led to recommendations for increasing fiber intake. However, a reference to other MACs such as resistant starches, non-starch polysaccharides, polyols (lactitol, sorbitol, etc.), and oligosaccharides (fructo-oligosaccharides, etc.) is still lacking and their relationship with diet quality is far less understood. The healthy eating index (HEI) score is a measure of diet quality, independent of quantity, and is useful to assess compliance with U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The primary aim of this study was to determine the MACs consumption in healthy US college students and their association with dietary quality as indicated by the HEI-2015. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, data were collected from consenting students (≥ 18years old) in an introductory nutrition course (n = 592, age (mean ± standard deviation) 19.5 ± 3.5; 83.7% white; 78.4% female). Dietary intake was measured via a web-based dietary history questionnaire (DHQ-II), which is able to quantify the consumption of MAC's and subclasses such as polyols and soluble dietary fibers. DHQ website provided step by step instructions to calculate HEI in SAS (SAS enterprise guide 7.4). Linear regression was run to determine the association between the average daily intake of MACs and the HEI-2015 score. RESULTS: Average MAC intake was 7.7 ± 4.4 grams with most of the amounts coming from soluble dietary fibers (6.6 ± 3.8). The mean HEI-score of this population was 64.9 ± 10.8. Average daily consumption of MAC was significantly associated with HEI score, F(1,590) = 65.22, P = 0.000, accounting for 10% of the variation in HEI-score with adjusted R(2) = 9.8%, a medium-size effect according to Cohen (1988). An extra gram of daily average intake of MAC led to a 0.78 (95% CI, 0.59 to 0.97) increase in HEI-score. CONCLUSIONS: MAC intake was associated with an increase in HEI-2015 score; however, the total MAC intake was low in this population of college students. Therefore, more efforts are needed to increase the consumption of MACs not just dietary fibers in college students. FUNDING SOURCES: None.

Oat represents an important agricultural resource whose potential use in the bakery industry is insufficiently exploited. The investigation of this potential starts from the transformation of oat kernel into flour and ends with obtaining the wheat-oat mixtures bakery products. Oat flour contains no gluten but provides significant amounts of lipids and fibers with important nutritional value. β-Glucans from oat lower blood cholesterol and decrease blood glucose level. The lack of gluten and the fibers intake limit the oat flour potential for use in bakery, the products obtained exclusively from oat, being characterized by an unacceptable volume and texture. However, using conventional technologies and addition of whole oat flour up to 30% to wheat flour (WF), bakery products with good sensory characteristics accepted by consumers can be obtained. These products are characterized by a higher nutritional profile than those obtained exclusively from WF and contribute to the diversification of Western diets.

OBJECTIVE: To test the nutrition transition hypothesis of global dietary convergence to a ‘Western diet’. DESIGN: Consumer-waste-adjusted FAO Food Balance Sheets are used to construct for each country a Western Diet Similarity Index (WSI), expressed as a ratio of calories from animal-sourced foods, oils, fats and sweeteners to total per capita calories. β-Convergence and associated speed are estimated by growth regressions using 1992–2013 panel data. Speed of convergence, a non-linear function of income per capita, globalisation and urbanisation, determines the steady-state or long-term global WSI. The long-term global WSI is compared with the WSI of the group of countries with the highest population-weighted average WSI. The group, determined by K-means cluster analysis, consists of sixteen Western countries. SETTING: Worldwide. PARTICIPANTS: Not applicable. RESULTS: Strong evidence of global dietary convergence at a speed driven by income per capita, globalisation and urbanisation with a long-term WSI of 38 %. When compared with the WSI of Western countries (68 %), the hypothesis of global dietary convergence to a Western diet is rejected. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition transition is acting in two opposing directions. Some countries experienced positive and others negative WSI growth, slowing down the transition to a Western diet in the long run. Policies to further slowdown the transition by some countries to unhealthier dietary patterns are as important as policies to further speed up the transition by other countries to healthier ones.

Food additives such as titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxides and hydroxides (E172), silver (E174), and gold (E175) are highly used as colorants while silicon dioxide (E551) is generally used as anticaking in ultra-processed foodstuff highly used in the Western diets. These additives contain nanosized particles (1–100 nm) and there is a rising concern since these nanoparticles could exert major adverse effects due to they are not metabolized but are accumulated in several organs. Here, we analyze the evidence of gastrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and the impact of microbiota on gut-brain and gut-liver axis induced by E171, E172, E174, E175 and E551 and their non-food grade nanosized counterparts after oral consumption. Although, no studies using these food additives have been performed to evaluate neurotoxicity or alterations in animal behavior, their non-food grade nanosized counterparts have been associated with stress, depression, cognitive and eating disorders as signs of animal behavior alterations. We identified that these food additives induce gastrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and alterations in gut microbiota and most evidence points out oxidative stress as the main mechanism of toxicity, however, the role of oxidative stress as the main mechanism needs to be explored further.

Nutrition transition, defined as a shift in dietary patterns and energy expenditure, is a major concern worldwide and especially in low and middle-income countries. Nutrition transition is linked to an increased prevalence of metabolic disorders and non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In regions such as the sub-Saharan Africa, prevalence of overweight and obesity has steadily increased in the recent years despite the high prevalence of hunger and malnutrition. Factors that have contributed to nutrition transition include urbanization, socio-economic developments and technological advancements. Food consumption in some households has shifted to diets rich in fats and oils, calorie-based sweeteners, and animal-based products high in saturated fats (referred to as “western diets”), from traditional African diets based on legumes, whole grain products and traditional vegetables. Opportunities to slow down the effects of nutrition transition in Africa may exist through education and policy changes that are culturally sensitive.

Fructose is a major component of Western diets and is implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes. In response to an oral challenge, the majority of fructose is cleared during “first-pass” liver metabolism, primarily via phosphorylation by ketohexokinase (KHK). A rare benign genetic deficiency in KHK, called essential fructosuria (EF), leads to altered fructose metabolism. The only reported symptom of EF is the appearance of fructose in the urine following either oral or intravenous fructose administration. Here we develop and use a mathematical model to investigate the adaptations to altered fructose metabolism in people with EF. First, the model is calibrated to fit available data in normal healthy subjects. Then, to mathematically represent EF subjects, we systematically implement metabolic adaptations such that model simulations match available data for this phenotype. We hypothesize that these modifications represent the major metabolic adaptations present in these subjects. This modeling approach suggests that several other aspects of fructose metabolism, beyond hepatic KHK deficiency, are altered and contribute to the etiology of this benign condition. Specifically, we predict that fructose absorption into the portal vein is altered, peripheral metabolism is slowed, renal reabsorption of fructose is mostly ablated, and alternate pathways for hepatic metabolism of fructose are upregulated. Moreover, these findings have implications for drug discovery and development, suggesting that the therapeutic targeting of fructose metabolism could lead to unexpected metabolic adaptations, potentially due to a physiological response to high-fructose conditions.

The well-known health effects of the long-chain, marine omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids (FAs) has led to a growing interest in the prognostic value that blood levels of these FAs might have vis-à-vis cardiovascular and neurocognitive diseases. The measurement and expression of n-3 FA levels is not straight-forward, however, and a wide variety of means of expression of n-3 FA status have been used in research and clinical medicine. This has led to considerable confusion as to what "optimal" n-3 FA status is. The n-6:n-3 ratio has enjoyed relatively widespread use, but this apparently simple metric has both theoretical and practical difficulties that have contributed to misunderstandings in this field. Just as the once-popular polyunsaturated:saturated FA ratio has largely disappeared from the nutritional and medical literature, it may be time to replace the n-6:n-3 ratio with a newer metric that focuses on the primary deficiency in Western diets - the lack of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA). The Omega-3 Index (red blood cell EPA+DHA) has much to recommend it in this regard.

Increased consumer demand to reduce or replace animal-derived food products with more sustainable plant options has created new opportunities for pulse research. Pulses are important sources of proteins and fiber but widespread applications in Western diets have been limited due to the presence of off-flavours. Volatile and non-volatile off-flavour compounds contribute to beany and grassy aromas that are unacceptable to consumers. Research focused on studying off-flavours has primarily utilized high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography to help characterize these compounds. Recent reviews on pulses have summarized the development and classification of off-flavours in pulses, but to date no systematic reviews have focused on the analytical instruments used to evaluate off-flavours compounds in pulses and their by-products. In this review, the main chromatography approaches used to study off-flavour compounds present in pulses and their by-products will be discussed. Special emphasis will be paid to analytical instrument and method variation between studies. Complexities in the off-flavour analysis of pulses will also be addressed. Lastly, gaps in the literature and opportunities for future research will be suggested.

In the last years the production of functional food systems enriched with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) has gained great interest, not only because of the health benefits attributed especially to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; C20: 5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; C22:6 n-3), but also because the imbalanced intake ratio of omega-6/omega-3 in Western diets. However, ω-3 PUFAs are highly prone to lipid oxidation. This is a big drawback since it leads to the loss of their nutritional properties together with the appearance of odor/flavor active compounds and other toxic lipid oxidation products. In this regard, the development of efficient delivery systems (e.g. emulsions or encapsulates) which prevent ω-3 PUFAs oxidation when incorporated to complex food matrices is of great importance. This chapter aims to review the most important advances of the last decade regarding ω-3 PUFAs stabilization techniques, either by chemical means (e.g. addition of antioxidants), physical means (e.g. encapsulation) or both (e.g. ω-3 PUFAs encapsulation in presence of antioxidants) and subsequent addition to food matrices. In addition, the new trends in electrohydrodynamic processing (electrospraying and coaxial electrospraying) in order to produce ω-3 PUFAs-loaded encapsulates are also discussed.

Despite edible seaweeds being a source of protein, amino acids, minerals and vitamins and being part of some traditional cuisines, they are not widely consumed and are not normally included within western diets. Some studies have reported a growing interest in seaweeds among consumers in some European countries; furthermore, there have recently been initiatives in the field of gastronomy to open up new prospects for the future consumption of edible seaweed. Within this context, this study aims to explore Italian consumer attitudes and perceptions of edible seaweed and to profile them in clusters based on different characteristics. Data were collected from a sample of 257 Italian consumers by using a web-based survey. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to reduce the number of variables and a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the PCA scores. The study findings showed that 76% of the sample were willing to eat seaweed. This this may be due to a familiarity with some traditional Italian dishes that use seaweed or to the spread of Asian gastronomy in the country. This willingness to consume seaweed may indicate that consumers are becoming more receptive to novel foods, in particular those that are healthy options or are more sustainable food alternatives. However, only 57% of respondents had eaten seaweed once in the past. The profiling of the sample produced an optimal solution with seven clusters based on different food habits and attitudes towards edible seaweed. This could be useful for developing the sector and promoting seaweed consumption. In five out of seven clusters, ranging from those with a very good to a poor conception of seaweed, consumers consistently paid attention to the health characteristics of food. For several clusters, seaweed characteristics and seaweed availability were revealed as important drivers for influencing consumer attitudes. More information about the health and organoleptic characteristics of seaweed should be at the center of any marketing tools aimed at promoting consumer acceptance. Such tools should also address main factors that could lead consumption choices and policy action such as including edible seaweed within recommended dietary guidelines. Furthermore, the development of the culinary and gastronomic potential of seaweed could be useful for increasing consumption amongst present and future consumers in western countries. These opportunities should be seized in particular regard to those consumer profiles that have shown good disposition towards and willingness to consume seaweed.

Studies have shown that diet and nutrition play significant roles in the prevention of depression and its clinical treatment. The present review aims to provide a clear understanding of the associations between diet patterns, specific foods, nutrients such as antioxidants, and depression. As a result, balanced dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and certain foods such as fish, fresh vegetables, and fruits have been associated with a lower risk of depression or depressive symptoms, while high-fat Western diets and sugar-sweetened beverages have been associated with higher risk of depression or depressive symptoms. Dietary antioxidants such as green tea polyphenols or isoflavonoid intake have been negatively associated with depression or depressive symptoms. It is concluded that diet patterns, specific foods, and antioxidants play important roles in the prevention and clinical treatment of depression.

There is a push for Western diets to be more plant-based due to the negative environmental, food system, and health implications associated with the conventional meat-centric diet. One plant-forward strategy to maintain consumer acceptability is to modify dishes and desserts to have proportionately more plant-based ingredients and fewer animal-based ingredients. We tested four versions of a main course (bowl) in a natural consumption dining setting (n = 144) with a between-groups design (conventional spicy, conventional mild, plant-forward spicy and plant-forward mild), with two versions of a dessert afterwards. Here we show that plant-forward main course dishes and desserts are just as acceptable, satiating, and satisfying as conventional bowls. This demonstrates that these recipe modifications are a successful strategy in the plant-based diet movement. Of the two dessert options, more consumers selected the conventional dessert after consuming the plant-forward bowls, and more consumers selected the plant-forward dessert (increased fruit/reduced cake) after consuming the conventional bowls. This finding warrants further investigation.

Obesity afflicts 36.5% of the US population and 600 million individuals world-wide. Thus, it is imperative to understand the risk factors underlying metabolic disease including diet, activity level, sleep, and genetics. Another key contributory factor is the gut microbiota given its widely reported role in the development of metabolic disease. The gut microbiota, particularly its structure and function, is heavily influenced by Western style diets rich in a complex mixture of fats and high in simple sugars. In this review, the profound impact of obesity and Western diets on the gut microbiota will be illustrated, and the following research questions will be addressed: 1) to what extent do high fat diets (HFDs) alter community membership and function and does this depend upon the amount or type of fat consumed?, 2) how rapidly do dietary shifts alter gut microbial communities?, 3) are these alterations sustained or can the microbiome recover from dietary stress?, 4) how does diet drive host-microbe interactions leading to obesity?, and 5) what can be done to restore the detrimental impact of HFD on the gut microbiota? The goal of this review is to address these questions by parsing out the effects and underlying mechanisms of how Western diets impact the gut microbiota and host. By doing so, potential avenues for further exploration and strategies for microbiome-based interventions to prevent or treat diet-induced obesity may become more apparent.

Selected subpopulations of hypothalamic neurons play important roles in the regulation of whole body energy homeostasis. Studies have shown that the saturated fats present in large amounts in western diets can activate an inflammatory response in the hypothalamus, affecting the capacity of such neurons to respond appropriately to satiety and adipostatic signals. In the first part of this review, we will explore the mechanisms behind saturated fatty acid-induced hypothalamic dysfunction. Next, we will present and discuss recent studies that have identified the mechanisms that mediate some of the anti-inflammatory actions of unsaturated fatty acids in the hypothalamus and the potential for exploring these mechanisms to prevent or treat obesity.

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is currently being increasingly researched for its usability and suitability in human nutrition. The inclusion of alternative protein sources, such as spirulina, in familiar products is a possible strategy to nudge consumers towards dietary change in Western societies. Filled pasta variants with three levels of spirulina-soy-extrudate in the filling (10%, 30% or 50%) were developed and investigated for their sensory characteristics and consumer liking. Recipe development was based on the concepts of flavor-flavor learning (beet-ginger or tomato) and masking (lemon-basil) to account for the musty and earthy notes of the alga. Consumer tests were conducted in Germany (n = 139), the Netherlands (n = 137) and France (n = 144), and conventional sensory profiling was accomplished with trained panelists (n = 12). Consumers preferred the lemon-basil flavor over tomato and beet-ginger flavored fillings. As expected, liking decreased with increased extrudate content, regardless of the flavor. For all flavors expected liking was higher than liking after product exposure; for the lemon-basil flavor the gap was the smallest. It was shown that low general food neophobia and familiarity with spirulina promoted consumer liking. The sensory profiling revealed that the spirulina-soy-extrudate content affected all sensory attributes identified across all flavors, but for the tomato flavor the most. Overall, this study confirms that it is important to consider differences in consumer motivation as well as the product’s conceptual and intrinsic sensory characteristics in new product development.

The biscuit industry has evolved in the last decades with the inclusion of alternative cereals, pseudo-cereals and other ingredients in traditional recipes, which allows current consumers’ needs to be met. The dough composition, thermal treatment applied during baking, low moisture, and high rate of consumption make biscuits important contributors to daily exposure to acrylamide in Western diets. Acrylamide was determined by LC-ESI-MS/MS in 80 commercial biscuits marketed in Spain. The mean acrylamide content was 343 μg kg−1 (from, This work was partially supported by the Comunidad of Madrid and European funding from FSE and FEDER programs (project S2018/BAA-4393, AVANSECAL-II-CM) and by the project CSIC-201770I025 (Spanish National Research Council)., We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)

The modern Paleolithic diet (MPD), featured by the consumption of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish and lean meat, while excluding grains, dairy products, salt and refined sugar, has gained substantial public attention in recent years because of its potential multiple health benefits. However, to date little is known about the actual impact of this dietary pattern on the gut microbiome (GM) and its implications for human health. In the current scenario where Western diets, low in fiber while rich in industrialized and processed foods, are considered one of the leading causes of maladaptive GM changes along human evolution, likely contributing to the increasing incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases, we hypothesize that the MPD could modulate the Western GM towards a more “ancestral” configuration. In an attempt to shed light on this, here we profiled the GM structure of urban Italian subjects adhering to the MPD, and compared data with other urban Italians following a Mediterranean Diet (MD), as well as worldwide traditional hunter-gatherer populations from previous publications. Notwithstanding a strong geography effect on the GM structure, our results show an unexpectedly high degree of biodiversity in MPD subjects, which well approximates that of traditional populations. The GM of MPD individuals also shows some peculiarities, including a high relative abundance of bile-tolerant and fat-loving microorganisms. The consumption of plant-based foods–albeit with the exclusion of grains and pulses–along with the minimization of the intake of processed foods, both hallmarks of the MPD, could therefore contribute to partially rewild the GM but caution should be taken in adhering to this dietary pattern in the long term.

Recent studies report that microbiota in the human intestine play an important role in host health and that both long- and short-term diets influence gut microbiota. These findings have fueled interest in the potential of food to promote health by shaping the intestinal microbiota. Despite the fact that large populations in Asia consume high quantities of carbohydrates, such diets have been ignored in comparison to the attention received by Western diets containing high quantities of fat and animal protein. We gathered data that suggest an association between imbalanced high-carbohydrate intake and gut microbiota and host health. In this review, we identify not only the effect of total carbohydrates on the intestinal microbiota specifically and the health of their hosts in general, but also how specific types of carbohydrates influence both factors.

open access journal Exposure of UFA-containing culinary frying oils (CFOs), especially PUFA-rich ones, to high temperature frying episodes produces substantial, highly toxicologically-significant concentrations of reactive aldehydes, together with additional lipid oxidation products (LOPs), via a complex series of oxidative recycling bursts. Migration of thermally-stressed, peroxidised frying oils into foods during standard frying practices renders such LOP toxins available for human consumption, and concentrations of trans-2-alkenals, trans,trans-alka-2,4-dienals and n-alkanals present in potato chips obtained from fast-food retailers and further food outlets are all much greater than those of acrylamide and monochloropropanediol adducts detectable, for which a verisimilitude of high level public health concerns have been repeatedly stressed in the scientific literature available. In view of our observations, such LOPs are likely to play pivotal roles regarding the development, progression and incidence of wide range of human non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which undoubtedly will promote rising healthcare costs worldwide. Indeed, 30-35% of human cancers arising from environmental sources are attributable to diet alone, and it is therefore highly conceivable that dietary LOPs may impact significantly on this incidence level. Hence, exacting efforts to limit the consumption of foods fried in CFOs with high LOP contents are required. Since CFOs rich in peroxidation-resistant MUFAs, and especially SFAs, produce lower and much lower levels of such LOP toxins during frying episodes respectively, they offer safer, health-friendly alternatives to those laden with PUFAs. However, the future consideration, establishment and ratification of currently-unavailable minimal human daily intakes for LOPs of known molecular identities also represent major demands for action. Consumer concerns regarding the nutritional and health properties of their foods strongly support such requirements.

The contents of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines (NAPEs), N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) and endocannabinoids (ECs) in 43 food products were assessed and daily intakes, based on consumption of Mediterranean, vegetarian and Western diets, were simulated. NAPEs and NAEs were more abundant in plant-based foods than in animal food products; NAPEs were in the ranges 0–4032 vs 4–398 µg/g dw and NAEs were in the ranges 0–35 vs 0.1–0.7 µg/g dw, respectively while ECs were in the range 0–0.1 vs 0–34 µg/g dw. Daily intakes of NAPEs and NAEs were higher from Mediterranean (263 and 0.25 mg/day) and vegetarian (242 and 0.28 mg/day) diets than the Western diet (163 and 0.08 mg/day). Conversely, ECs intakes were higher from Western and Mediterranean diets (0.17 mg/day) than the vegetarian diet (0.01 mg/day). Future studies will evaluate the physiological role of dietary NAPEs, NAEs and ECs in humans.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a man-made surfactant with a number of industrial applications. It has a long half-life environmentally and biologically. Past studies suggest a direct relationship between plasma cholesterol and PFOA serum concentrations in humans and an inverse one in rodents fed standard rodent chow, making it difficult to examine mechanisms responsible for the potential PFOA-induced hypercholesterolemia and altered sterol metabolism. To examine dietary modification of PFOA-induced effects, C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice were fed PFOA in a fat- and cholesterol-containing diet. When fed these high fat diets, PFOA ingestion resulted in marked hypercholesterolemia in male and female C57BL/6 mice and less robust hypercholesterolemia in male BALB/c mice. The PFOA-induced hypercholesterolemia appeared to be the result of increased liver masses and altered expression of genes associated with hepatic sterol output, specifically bile acid production. mRNA levels of genes associated with sterol input were reduced only in C57BL/6 females, the mice with the greatest increase in plasma cholesterol levels. Strain-specific PFOA-induced changes in cholesterol concentrations in mammary tissues and ovaries paralleled changes in plasma cholesterol levels. mRNA levels of sterol-related genes were reduced in ovaries of C57BL/6 but not in BALB/c mice and not in mammary tissues. Our data suggest that PFOA ingestion leads to hypercholesterolemia in mice fed fat and cholesterol and effects are dependent upon the genetic background and gender of the mice with C57BL/6 female mice being most responsive to PFOA. Keywords: Perfluorooctanoic acid, C8, PFC, PFAS, Cholesterol, Dietary fat

A recent article in Toxicology Reports by [26] reported increased plasma cholesterol levels (primarily as HDL) in C57BL/6 (male and female) and BALB/c (male only) mice given high fat (Westernized) diet which also contained PFOA. The authors concluded that PFOA ingestion leads to hypercholesterolemia and they stated these data were “consistent with human observational findings”. There are several key factors which have not been considered in their study and we offer this letter to identify this important information. In particular, we feel that this conclusion needs more balance, particularly with respect to the relevance and translatability of their findings to the human situation.