Mineral profile of weight loss related foods marketed in Spain

Measuring trace element fingerprinting for cereal bar authentication based on type and principal ingredient

This paper introduces a method for determining the authenticity of commercial cereal bars based on trace element fingerprints. In this regard, 120 cereal bars were prepared using microwave-assisted acid digestion and the concentrations of Al, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sn, Sr, V, and Zn were later measured by ICP-MS. Results confirmed the suitability of the analyzed samples for human consumption. Multielemental data underwent autoscaling preprocessing for then applying PCA, CART, and LDA to input data set. LDA model accomplished the highest classification modeling performance with a success rate of 92%, making it the suitable model for reliable cereal bar prediction. The proposed method demonstrates the potential of trace element fingerprints in distinguishing cereal bar samples according to their type (conventional and gluten-free) and principal ingredient (fruit, yogurt, chocolate), thereby contributing to global efforts for food authentication.

Effect of in vitro digestion and fermentation on antioxidant capacity of weight loss foods and Maillard reaction products content

Cereal snacks and meal replacement shakes are gaining popularity as part of a low-calorie diet. However, some concerns have been risen in relation to their nutrient content and industrial processing. Here we analyzed 74 products, including cereal bars, cereal cakes and meal replacement shakes. We measured furosine and 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF) due to their relation with industrial processing, mainly thermal treatment, as well as antioxidant capacity after in vitro digestion-fermentation. Most of the products reported a high sugar content, including also large concentrations of HMF and furosine. Small differences were found on antioxidant capacity, although chocolate addition tended to increase the antioxidant power of products. According to our results, antioxidant capacity released after fermentation is higher, which points out to the importance of gut microbes in releasing potentially bioactive compounds. Additionally, we have found alarmingly high concentrations of furosine and HMF, which calls to research into new technologies for food processing to minimize their generation.

Comparative Analysis of Traditional Oriental Herbal Fruits as Potential Sources of Polyphenols and Minerals for Nutritional Supplements

There are a plethora of plant species in India, which have been widely used in vegetable dishes, soups, desserts and herbal medicine. In addition to these traditional uses, today there is the extra possibility of also being able to use these plants in the nutritional supplements industry due to their favorable antioxidant and mineral composition. In this sense, thirteen vegetable species—Chanania lanzan, Ziziphus mauritiana, Nilumbo nucifera, Terminalia catappa, Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula, Lagenaria siceraria, Luffa aegyptiaca, Praecitrullus fistulosus, Benincasa hispida, Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus and Cucurbita maxima—have been analyzed. In this paper we discuss the distribution of polyphenols and minerals (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, P, S, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mo, As and Pb) in different seed parts (the rhizome, pericarp, carpel, seed coat and kernel) of the above species and their possible use in the nutritional supplements industry. The concentrations of total polyphenols, flavonoids and minerals ranged from 407 to 3144 mg rutin hydrate/100 g, 24 to 3070 mg quercetin/100 g and 1433 to 7928 mg/100 g, respectively. K, Ca, P and S were abundant in these herbal fruits. In two species of herbal fruits, Terminalia arjuna and Terminalia chebula, only part of the seed structure was suitable for use in nutritional supplements.

Profiles for identifying problematic dietary habits in a sample of recreational Spanish cyclists and triathletes

There is a lack of sufficient information on the dietary intake and nutritional supplementation of recreational endurance athletes throughout the year. The present observational study sought to assess the dietary intake and nutritional supplementation habits of recreational cyclists and triathletes from Spain. 4,037 cyclists and triathletes completed self-report measures. Nutritional profiles were developed and differences were examined according to sporting discipline and gender. Differences between groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U or chi-squared test. Next, micro- and macro-nutrients were grouped according to whether or not guideline intake amounts were met. The clustering of dietary habits was then examined via K-means cluster analysis. Triathletes took more supplements than cyclists (X2 = 36.489; p value = .000) and females took more supplements than males (X2 = 5.920; p value = .017). Females and triathletes reported greater protein and CHO consumption than males and cyclists, respectively. Triathletes also reported a higher consumption of total fat, MUFA, PUFA, EPA, DHA and fibre. Females and triathletes tended to consume more vitamins and minerals than males and cyclists, respectively. Two main dietary habit clusters emerged which may be used to inform nutritional interventions targeting recreational athletes not meeting nutritional requirements. There is an imbalance in the main nutrients making up the diet of recreational Spanish athletes, characterised by insufficient CHO and excessive protein.