A summary of meat intakes and health burdens

A blended face-to-face and eHealth lifestyle intervention on physical activity, diet, and health outcomes in Hong Kong community-dwelling older adults: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Aging individuals are vulnerable to various Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). Different behaviors are closely related to a decreased risk of suffering from NCDs: sufficient Physical Activity (PA) (e.g., at least 150 mins Moderate-to-vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) per week) and a healthy daily diet (e.g., at least five portions of Fruit and Vegetable Intake (FVI), 5-6 taels (189.0-226.8 g) Meat, Fish, Egg and Alternatives (MFEA)). Traditional face-to-face interventions were effective in behavior change. However, it was revealed to be resource-intensive and limited transfer due to poor self-regulation skills outside of face-to-face sessions. Thus, eHealth could be a supplement for older adults outside traditional face-to-face settings. The blended approach combining these two interventions might optimize the intervention effects on lifestyle behavior initiation and maintenance, but little research can be found among Hong Kong older adults. Therefore, the study aims to test a blended intervention to promote PA, diet, and health outcomes among Hong Kong community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

This study will adopt a 10-week three-arm randomized controlled trial. The blended group will receive weekly (1) two 60-min face-to-face sessions with one for PA and one for diet, and (2) two web-based sessions with one for PA and one for diet. The face-to-face group will receive the same intervention content as the face-to-face sessions in the blended group. The control condition will receive a biweekly telephone call. The outcomes will include MVPA (minutes/week), FVI (portions/day), MFEA consumption (taels/day), social-cognitive factors (self-efficacy, planning, social support, action control), physical health outcomes (clinical indicators, senior physical fitness), mental health outcomes (depression, loneliness) and health-related quality of life. Data collection will be implemented at the pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up test.

Discussion

This is the first study evaluating a blended intervention promoting multiple health behaviors among Hong Kong community-dwelling older adults. If the effect of the blended intervention is superior to the traditional face-to-face group and the control group, it will enrich lifestyle intervention approaches and can be applied to older adults, helping them obtain health benefits. Furthermore, a better understanding of mechanisms will also have implications for theory-building.

Clinical trial registration

https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN32329348, ISRCTN32329348.

Satiating Capacity of Plant-Based Meat in Realistic Meal Contexts at Home

Plant-based meat substitutes replacing animal meat can potentially support the transition towards more sustainable diets. To enable the required transition, consumer acceptance of plant-based meat is essential. An important aspect of this is the feeling of satiety or being full after eating. This study determined the satiating capacity of both plant-based meat and animal meat in 60 adults under real-life in-home conditions. Participants consumed four fixed ready-to eat meals for lunch at home once per week. Two types of Indian curry with 'chicken' were investigated as well as two types of pasta Bolognese with 'minced meat'. The two 'chicken' dishes and the two 'minced meat' dishes had the same recipe except for a gram-for-gram swap (125 g each) of either animal meat (chicken breast and minced meat) or plant-based (soy) meat. Results showed no difference in the satiating power of an animal meat dish and a plant-based meat dish when these were eaten as part of a full lunch meal at home. In addition, the meals did not result in energy nor macronutrient compensation during the rest of the day after consuming the meals. This occurred despite the caloric differences of the meals as a result of the real-life conditions (i.e., a lower energy content of the pasta with plant-based meat compared to the other meals). We conclude that meals with plant-based meat can be as satiating as meals with animal meat.

Global burden of ischemic heart disease associated with high red and processed meat consumption: an analysis of 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019

BACKGROUND

Multiple studies have indicated an association between red and processed meat consumption and the incidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD). In this study, we aimed to assess the burden of IHD caused by a diet high in red and processed meat in 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019, using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019.

METHODS

We extracted data from the GBD 2019, which included the number of deaths, age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized DALYs rates (ASDR) attributed to IHD caused by a diet high in red and processed meat. We then calculated the burden of IHD attributable to a high intake of red and processed meat in each country and territory, stratified by age, sex, and socio-demographic index (SDI).

RESULTS

Globally, a high intake of red meat was responsible for 351,200 (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 559,000-642,700) deaths from IHD in 2019, while a high intake of processed meat was associated with 171,700 (95% UI: 30,100-320,000) deaths from IHD. Between 1990 and 2019, while the corresponding age-standardized rates declined, the numbers of deaths and DALYs increased. China had the highest number of deaths [98,386.9 (95% UI: 14,999.3-189,812.7)] caused by a high intake of red meat, while United States of America [33,129.6 (95% UI: 7,150-59,593.8)] was associated with the highest number of deaths caused by high intake of processed meat for IHD in 2019. Males experienced a greater burden of IHD caused by a high intake of red and processed meat than females. The ASMR and ASDR of IHD attributed to a high intake of red meat decreased in countries with high SDI, high-middle SDI and low SDI, while the ASMR and ASDR of IHD attributed to a high intake of processed meat decreased only in countries with high SDI and high-middle SDI.

CONCLUSION

Although there is a decline in the ASMR and ASDR of IHD caused by a high intake of red and processed meat, there is also an increase in deaths and DALYs number globally. Additionally, there is a heterogeneous burden of IHD related to a high intake of red and processed meat across regions and countries, with males experiencing a greater burden than females. Implementing targeted policies and interventions is required to reduce the burden of IHD caused by a high intake of red and processed meat.

Changes in global food consumption increase GHG emissions despite efficiency gains along global supply chains

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to food consumption complement production-based or territorial accounts by capturing carbon leaked through trade. Here we evaluate global consumption-based food emissions between 2000 and 2019 and underlying drivers using a physical trade flow approach and structural decomposition analysis. In 2019, emissions throughout global food supply chains reached 30 ±9% of anthropogenic GHG emissions, largely triggered by beef and dairy consumption in rapidly developing countries-while per capita emissions in developed countries with a high percentage of animal-based food declined. Emissions outsourced through international food trade dominated by beef and oil crops increased by ~1 Gt CO₂ equivalent, mainly driven by increased imports by developing countries. Population growth and per capita demand increase were key drivers to the global emissions increase (+30% and +19%, respectively) while decreasing emissions intensity from land-use activities was the major factor to offset emissions growth (-39%). Climate change mitigation may depend on incentivizing consumer and producer choices to reduce emissions-intensive food products.

The associations of soya intakes with non-communicable diseases: a scoping review of meta-analyses

This scoping review aimed to identify published meta-analyses of the associations of dietary soya intakes with cardiovascular, cancer and diabetes II diseases and the best relative risk estimates. A published novel assessment process combining the well-validated Cochrane Review measures, the AMSTAR 2 checklist and a published algorithm specifically designed for conducting a scoping review of similar meta-analyses was employed. This scoping review identified and evaluated twenty-eight meta-analysis reports, published between 2000 and 2021, on the associations of soya intakes with cardiovascular, cancer and diabetes II diseases. It identified eighteen significantly negatively associated risk–disease pairs for total soya intakes, four significantly negatively associated risk–disease pairs for unfermented soya intakes and four significantly negatively associated risk–disease pairs for fermented soya intakes when compared high against low intakes. The largest significant risk decrease found was gastric cancer mortalities with relative risk (RR) 0·49 (95 % CI: 0·35, 0·68); followed by colorectal cancer mortalities RR 0·59 (95 % CI: 0·41, 0·84); ovarian cancer RR 0·52 (95 % CI: 0·42, 0·66) and endocrine-related gynaecological cancer RR 0·61 (95 % CI: 0·53, 0·72). The fermented soya intake and gastric cancer risk–disease pair were identified to be significantly positively associated, RR 1·22 (95 % CI: 1·02, 1·44) when compared high against low intakes. Four significantly negatively associated risk–disease dose–responses were also identified. Being the products with lower greenhouse gas emission intensities, soya products could be the better dietary alternatives to animal products for reducing cardiovascular, cancer and diabetes II diseases and helping combat climate change.

Would You Buy Plant-Based Beef Patties? A Survey on Product Attribute Preference and Willingness to Pay among Consumers in Liaoning Province, China

Carbon emissions from the production of beef account for the majority of carbon emissions from animal husbandry, and animal husbandry, in turn, is the main driver of global carbon emissions. At present, there are relatively few studies of consumer preferences for beef substitutes, especially in developing countries. However, plant-based meat is of great significance in solving the tense relationship between supply and demand, ensuring sustainable development, further improving food safety, and improving animal welfare. Based on survey data from 1146 consumers in Liaoning province, China, this paper adopts the choice experiment method to study consumer preferences and willingness to pay for four types of plant-based beef patty product attributes, traceability, safety certification, brand, and price, using the multivariate logit (MNL) model. The results show that consumers show greater preference and willingness to pay for plant-based beef patties with strong traceability, fully disclosed safety certification information, and mature production technology. Consumers generally have strong brand preferences, while there are some differences in preference for other product attributes. In addition, environmentally-focused consumers have a greater degree of preference for traceable products. This study explores the micro decision mechanism of the purchase of plant-based meat products in developing countries. The research conclusions of this paper have guiding significance for businesses engaged in plant-based meat production and processing because of the addition and use of attribute tags. This study also has reference significance for the regulatory standards of decision-making departments and government investment.

A taste of things to come: Effect of temporal order of information and product experience on evaluation of healthy and sustainable plant-based products

Current patterns of meat consumption are considered unsustainable. Plant-based products are presented as a solution. However, while some plant-based products thrive, others do not make the cut due to the information “framing” effect issues related to the way information is presented to the consumers. Information on the nutrition and health properties of food products are usually made available at the point of purchase, but their effect on consumer product evaluation and subsequent purchase intent can also occur later, during or after consumption. This research demonstrates that the effect of nutrition information on product evaluation and purchase intention depends on when such information is made available–before first tasting or after first tasting–and that the information interacts with the taste experience in its effect on product evaluation and subsequent purchase intent. Using three plant-based products as an example, we conducted a cross-cultural experimental sensory evaluation with temporal order of information as the main between-subject experimental condition (informed before taste vs. informed after taste vs. control condition), and product experience phase (expectation vs. experience vs. post-experience phase) and information content as within-subject conditions. Information content had two levels: lower vs. higher share of oat protein in the product (i.e., source of protein vs. high in protein). The results indicate that information generally increases consumers’ purchase intentions with information before tasting having a higher weight when compared to the condition when information was presented after tasting. Presenting the information before tasting also mitigates a drop in the evaluation of taste after tasting, observed in the two other conditions. Further, taste acts as a healthiness cue, but the direction of the inference depends on the availability of health-related information: tasting in the informed condition increased the healthiness perception, whereas tasting in the uninformed condition had the opposite effect. Giving the information before the first tasting also increased the weight of healthiness as compared to taste in the formation of purchase intentions. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the effect of temporal order of information and product tasting have on the consumers’ product evaluations of plant-based products from theoretical and managerial perspectives.

Modeling the Contribution of Meat to Global Nutrient Availability

An increasing global population requires increasing food and nutrient availability. Meat is recognized as a nutrient dense food, particularly notable for its high-quality protein content, B vitamin and mineral content. However, it is not known how important meat is currently in nourishing the global population. The DELTA Model was used to calculate the contribution of meat (defined as animal flesh, excluding fish and seafood) to the global availability of 29 nutrients. This model utilizes global food production and use data, coupled with data for food waste, food nutrient composition and nutrient bioavailability to calculate the total amount of each nutrient available for consumption by the global population. Around 333 million tons of meat were produced globally in 2018, 95% of which was available as food, constituting ~7% of total food mass. Meat's contribution to nutrient availability was disproportionately higher than this: meat provided 11% of global food energy availability, 29% of dietary fat and 21% of protein. For the micronutrients, meat provided high proportions of vitamins: A (24%), B1 and B2 (15% each), B5 (10%), B6 (13%), and B12 (56%). Meat also provided high proportions of several trace elements: zinc (19%), selenium (18%), iron (13%), phosphorous (11%), and copper (10%). Meat is a poor contributor to fiber, magnesium and vitamins C and E. Meat was responsible for 16% (cystine) to 32% (lysine) of global availability of the bioavailable indispensable amino acids included in the model, due partly to the high digestibility of these nutrients from meat (83–100%). Of the total meat mass available as food in 2018, 23% was ruminant meat, 34% poultry meat, 32% pig meat, 2% other meat, and 9% offal and fats. The disproportionate contribution of meat to the global availability of nutrients emphasizes its important place in delivering nutrition to the current global population.

Population group differences in subjective importance of meat in diet and red and processed meat consumption

Red and processed meat (RPM) consumption associates directly with several unfavorable health outcomes and with environmental impact of diet. RPM consumption differs between certain population groups, and moreover, encompasses various subjective meanings. Literature on determinants of subjective importance of meat in diet (SIM), however, is scarce. Aims of this study were to determine which sociodemographic and -economic characteristics associate with SIM and RPM consumption. The study was based on the FinHealth 2017 Study. The sample comprised 4671 participants aged 18-74 years. SIM was asked with a question including five response options from "not important at all" to "very important". Habitual dietary intake including RPM consumption was studied with a food frequency questionnaire. RPM consumption level grew in parallel with SIM categories. RPM consumption was high and SIM prevailing in men, those living in rural areas, and those with low education. Women living in household with children consumed more RPM than other women but did not find meat more important. Conversely, men living in household with children found meat more important but did not consume it more than other men. Domain analyses considering individuals within the highest RPM consumption quintile revealed that the oldest age group found meat significantly less important than the youngest group. In order to be able to lower RPM consumption at population level and to move towards healthier and climate-wiser diets, it is important to identify subgroups that consume much meat but also subgroups that find meat especially important. Such dietary transition may be especially challenging to subgroups that consume much meat and also consider it important. Actions to support the dietary transition in different population groups should be developed.

Animal and plant-sourced nutrition: complementary not competitive

Debate on the sustainability of the global food system often compares the environmental, economic and health impacts of plant- and animal-sourced foods. This distinction can mask the considerable variation in impacts across and within these food groups. Moreover, the nutritional benefits of these food groups are insufficiently discussed. In this review, we highlight the nutritional contribution to the current global food system of both plant- and animal-sourced foods and place their impacts on human health in the global context. We highlight how the comparison of the environmental impacts of foods via life cycle analyses can change on the basis of the functional unit used, particularly the use of mass as opposed to nutrient content or nutrient richness. We review the literature on the affordability of nutrient-adequate diets, demonstrating the presence of both plant- and animal-sourced foods in affordable nutritious diets. Finally, we address the potential of alternative food sources that are gaining momentum, to ask where they may fit in a sustainable food system. We conclude that there is a clear place for both plant- and animal-sourced foods in future sustainable food systems, and a requirement for both for sustainable global nutrition; as such, the two groups are complementary and not competitive.

Meat and Human Health-Current Knowledge and Research Gaps

Meat is highly nutritious and contributes with several essential nutrients which are difficult to obtain in the right amounts from other food sources. Industrially processed meat contains preservatives including salts, possibly exerting negative effects on health. During maturation, some processed meat products develop a specific microbiota, forming probiotic metabolites with physiological and biological effects yet unidentified, while the concentration of nutrients also increases. Meat is a source of saturated fatty acids, and current WHO nutrition recommendations advise limiting saturated fat to less than ten percent of total energy consumption. Recent meta-analyses of both observational and randomized controlled trials do not support any effect of saturated fat on cardiovascular disease or diabetes. The current evidence regarding the effect of meat consumption on health is potentially confounded, and there is a need for sufficiently powered high-quality trials assessing the health effects of meat consumption. Future studies should include biomarkers of meat intake, identify metabolic pathways and include detailed study of fermented and other processed meats and their potential of increasing nutrient availability and metabolic effects of compounds.

[Nutritional advices for postmenopausal woman. Postmenopausal women management: CNGOF and GEMVi clinical practice guidelines]

Menopause is a key period for health due to physiological changes, particularly of body composition (with decrease of lean mass and increase of fat mass) and of body fat distribution, leading to a higher risk for bone and muscular health and cardiometabolic health. Nutritional advices, associated to physical activity advices, may partially prevent these effects. The energy balance will be moderately negative if there is a weight gain, while the protein intake will be preserved and a regular physical activity will be increased. A Mediterranean style diet will be beneficial on cardiovascular health. Dairy products will be preserved, but restrictive and dietary exclusion will be avoided.

Inverse Association of Poultry, Fish, and Plant Protein Consumption with the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a major cause of death and disability worldwide and food intake plays an important role in its onset or prevention. It is also well known that consumption of red meat (processed and unprocessed) is associated with an increased incidence of CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and premature death. However, little is known about the association of consumption of poultry, fish, and plant protein with the incidence of CVD, CHD, and mortality. Several recent studies, reviews and meta-analyses have shown an inverse association of consumption of these foods with the incidence of CVD, CHD, and death. In order to get a better perspective about the current consumption of these foods, a focused Medline search of the English language literature was conducted between 2010 and 2020 using the terms poultry, fish, plant protein consumption, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, mortality; 28 papers with pertinent information were retrieved. The analysis of data from these papers suggest an inverse relationship between the consumption of these foods and the incidence of de novo CVD or worsening of preexisting CVD. They also demonstrate that the consumption of these foods is still low and that great effort should be made to inform the public about the benefits of switching from red meat to an increased consumption of poultry, fish, and plant protein. All the data from the retrieved papers regarding the consumption of these foods, together with collateral literature, will be discussed in this review.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice and human cancer: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies

Background: Several epidemiological studies have assessed the association of sugary drinks consumption with cancer, but the results remain controversial. Objective: We performed this analysis to evaluate possible causal relationship between sugary drinks consumption and cancer risk and mortality. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases in English. Observational studies evaluating the association of sugary drinks intake with cancer were included. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to calculate the risk estimates. Results: A total of 71 observational articles with 32 case-control and 39 cohort studies were included in the meta-analysis. 60 addressed cancer risk, and 11 reported cancer mortality. Compared with the lowest level, the highest level of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption showed an increased overall cancer risk (RR=1.12 95% CI: 1.06-1.19, P=0.000) and mortality (RR=1.07 95% CI: 1.01-1.14, P=0.029), and fruit juice intake showed a positive association with cancer risk in cohort studies (RR=1.06 95% CI: 1.01-1.11, P=0.013). Subgroup analyses based on cancer type indicated that risk of breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and prostatic cancer mortality had a positive association with SSB consumption. For dose-response analysis, evidence of a linear association was found between overall cancer risk and SSB or fruit juice consumption, and the risk increase by 4% for one servings/d increment in SSB intake and 14% in fruit juice. Conclusions: Our findings suggest the consumption of sugary beverages may increase the risk and mortality of cancer, especially risk of breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and prostatic cancer, and mortality of breast cancer, though the evidence was limited.

Effect of Cooking Methods on the Antioxidant Capacity of Foods of Animal Origin Submitted to In Vitro Digestion-Fermentation

The human body is exposed to oxidative damage to cells and though it has some endogenous antioxidant systems, we still need to take antioxidants from our diet. The main dietary source of antioxidants is vegetables due to their content of different bioactive molecules. However, there are usually other components of the diet, such as foods of animal origin, that are not often linked to antioxidant capacity. Still, these foods are bound to exert some antioxidant capacity thanks to molecules released during gastrointestinal digestion and gut microbial fermentation. In this work, the antioxidant capacity of 11 foods of animal origin has been studied, submitted to different culinary techniques and to an in vitro digestion and gut microbial fermentation. Results have shown how dairy products potentially provide the highest antioxidant capacity, contributing to 60% of the daily antioxidant capacity intake. On the other hand, most of the antioxidant capacity was released during gut microbial fermentation (90–98% of the total antioxidant capacity). Finally, it was found that the antioxidant capacity of the studied foods was much higher than that reported by other authors. A possible explanation is that digestion–fermentation pretreatment allows for a higher extraction of antioxidant compounds and their transformation by the gut microbiota. Therefore, although foods of animal origin cannot be compared to vegetables in the concentration of antioxidant molecules, the processes of digestion and fermentation can provide some, giving animal origin food some qualities that could have been previously unappreciated.

Dietary Intake of Red Meat, Processed Meat, and Poultry and Risk of Colorectal Cancer and All-Cause Mortality in the Context of Dietary Guideline Compliance

Meat intake has been linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and mortality. However, diet composition may affect the risks. We aimed to estimate associations between red and processed meat and poultry intake and risk of CRC and all-cause mortality and if they are modified by dietary quality using Cox regression analyses. Baseline dietary data were obtained from three survey rounds of the Danish National Survey on Diet and Physical Activity. Data on CRC and all-cause mortality were extracted from national registers. The cohort was followed from date of survey interview—or for CRC, from age 50 years, whichever came last, until 31 December 2017. Meat intake was analysed categorically and continuously, and stratified by dietary quality for 15–75-year-old Danes at baseline, n 6282 for CRC and n 9848 for mortality analyses. We found no significant association between red and processed meat intake and CRC risk. For poultry, increased CRC risk for high versus low intake (HR 1.62; 95%CI 1.13–2.31) was found, but not when examining risk change per 100 g increased intake. We showed no association between meat intake and all-cause mortality. The association between meat intake and CRC or mortality risk was not modified by dietary quality.

Association between diet-related greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient intake adequacy among Japanese adults

OBJECTIVES

A growing number of Western studies have been exploring sustainable and healthy dietary patterns that target to reduce diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and to achieve nutritional needs. However, research is limited among Asian populations, where food sources for diet-related GHGE differ from those in Western populations. This study aimed to investigate associations between diet-related GHGE and the prevalence of inadequate nutritional intake.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out among 392 healthy Japanese volunteers aged 20-69 years. Dietary intake was assessed by four-non-consecutive day diet record. Diet-related GHGE was estimated using the Global Link Input-Output model and adjusted for energy intake by residual method. Prevalence of inadequacy was defined as a percentage of participants with nutrient intake outside the Tentative Dietary Goal for Preventing Lifestyle-Related Disease or below the Estimated Average Requirement defined by the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for Japanese. The association between diet-related GHGE and the prevalence of inadequacy of the usual intake of each nutrient was examined using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Participants with higher diet-related GHGE had overall better adherence to the DRIs. Intakes of all selected nutrients were positively associated with diet-related GHGE, except for carbohydrate, total fat, and saturated fat. With increasing quartile of diet-related GHGE, the prevalence of inadequacy decreased for protein, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamins A, B-6, and C, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, while that for sodium increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Diets with lower diet-related GHGE did not have better adherence to the DRIs compared to diets with higher diet-related GHGE among Japanese adults. Drastic dietary change or other strategies such as improving the food system would be needed to achieve a sustainable and healthy diet among Japanese.

Analysis of Low Cancer Mortality Rates in the Wine Regions of Tokaj and Balaton in Hungary

The age-adjusted death rates (AADRs) due to cancers were investigated in two historical regions of white wines (Tokaj and Balaton) and in Hódmezővásárhely (HMV) as a control territory in Hungary between 2000 and 2010 evaluating 111,910 persons. The results of AADRs due to the eight most frequent types/gastrointestinal cancers were as follows: Tokaj 2120/664, Balaton: 2417/824, HMV: 2770/821, nationwide: 2773/887. The values found in Tokaj and Balaton regions were significantly less than those of HMV and nationwide. However, the least values were found in Tokaj. This Tokaj-related strong difference was not found among the regions in the case of young populations with hematological diseases but only in the older people who have been consuming their wines for decades. Supposedly, this wine-specific anti-cancer phenomenon could be related to the chemical differences existing in the two types of white wines, namely, to the pro-oxidant molecules of Tokaj wines derived from Botrytis cinerea. The roles of red meat consumption, hardness of drinking water, mineral content of soil, and socioeconomic status were negligible. It should be stressed that these data are valid only for these populations, for this period. Noteworthily, the different types of wines may have different effects on mortality rates during long-lasting consumptions.

Low Dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA Ratio Regulates Meat Quality, Reduces Triglyceride Content, and Improves Fatty Acid Composition of Meat in Heigai Pigs

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios on growth performance, meat quality, and fatty acid profile in Heigai pigs. A total of 54 Heigai finishing pigs (body weight: 71.59 ± 2.16 kg) were randomly divided into three treatments with six replications (three pigs per replication) and fed diets containing different n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios: 8:1, 5:1, and 3:1. Pigs fed the dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio of 8:1 had the highest feed to gain ratio (p < 0.01), carcass weight (p < 0.05), redness a* (p < 0.01), and yellowness b* (p < 0.01). Fatty acid compositions in longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were significantly changed (p < 0.01). Notably, the meat from the pigs fed with the low dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio had higher n-3 PUFA contents (p < 0.01) and lower n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (p < 0.01). The triglyceride and total cholesterol contents were significantly decreased in SAT from the pigs fed with dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios of 5:1 (p < 0.05) and 3:1 (p < 0.01). Reducing n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio upregulated the expression of HSL (p < 0.05), CPT1 (p < 0.01), and FABP4 (p < 0.01) but downregulated ATGL (p < 0.01) expression. These results demonstrate that the lower n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio regulates meat quality and enhances the deposition of n-3 PUFA in Heigai pigs.

Association of various dietary habits and risk of lung cancer: an updated comprehensive literature review

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women worldwide. Tobacco smoking remains the single most important factor. Recent research has focused on the role of nutrition and dietary habits on lung tumorigenesis. With many individual reports on separate dietary aspects, no single review is available in the literature that summarizes the updated studies. To our knowledge, this is the first review that comprehensively reviews the updated literature on the effect of dietary habits on lung cancer. This review was concluded in February 2019 and included all meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and literature reviews. Thirty studies were retrieved in total. Items in the diet that offer a protective effect on lung parenchyma are fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, soy, B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin C, and zinc. Changing dietary habits to decrease the risk of lung cancer can be performed in parallel with smoking cessation programs. There is a need for future studies with large sample sizes to accurately evaluate some aspects of nutrition and their effect on lung cancer risk. Physicians are encouraged to provide nutritional advice to their patients.

Characteristics of Selected Antioxidative and Bioactive Compounds in Meat and Animal Origin Products

Meat and meat products have a high nutritional value. Besides major components, meat is rich in bioactive components, primarily taurine, l-carnitine, choline, alpha-lipoic acid, conjugated linoleic acid, glutathione, creatine, coenzyme Q10 and bioactive peptides. Many studies have reported their antioxidant and health-promoting properties connected with their lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory activity and protecting the organism against oxidative stress. The antioxidant activity of meat components results, among others, from the capability of scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, forming complexes with metal ions and protecting cells against damage. This review is focused to gather accurate information about meat components with antioxidant and biological activity.

Assessment of Diet Quality in Chilean Urban Population through the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010: A Cross-Sectional Study

Most worldwide causes of disease and death are strongly associated with dietary factors and the application of eating indexes has proved to be a useful tool to determine diet quality in populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diet quality in Chile through the application of the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010). A representative sample (n = 879) of Chilean urban population aged 15–65 years old from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (Estudio Latinoamericano de Nutrición y Salud; ELANS) was used. Dietary intake data were obtained through two 24-hour food recalls and one beverage frequency questionnaire, which were used to calculate AHEI-2010 and its association with sociodemographic and anthropometric variables. In this Chilean sample, the AHEI-2010 score was 43.7 ± 7.8 points (mean ± SD). Trans fats and sodium intake were the highest scoring AHEI-2010 components whereas sugar-sweetened beverages and whole grains had the lowest score. Women, older subjects, and individuals in medium-high socioeconomic levels had significantly higher mean AHEI-2010 scores. No association was found between AHEI-2010 and body mass index (BMI), or nutritional status. Conclusions: Diet quality in the Chilean urban population aged 15–65 years old is far from optimal. Thus, there is room for significant improvement of diet quality in Chile through design and implementation of public health policies, particularly in high-risk groups for chronic diseases.

The Associations of Fruit and Vegetable Intakes with Burden of Diseases: A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses

BACKGROUND

Low fruit and vegetable intakes are recognized risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. This systematic review summarizes published meta-analyses of global burden of diseases attributable to low fruit and vegetable intakes, and the best relative risk estimates.

METHODS

A published novel assessment process combining Cochrane Review measures, Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews checklist, and Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale was employed.

RESULTS

Sixty-four reports investigating 98 risk-disease pairs were included in the systematic review. Fifty-six pairs from 39 reports were assessed as statistically significant, involving 29 burden of diseases. Dose responses were identified for 31 negative and two positive associations. High against low intake relative risks were identified for 22 negative and one positive association. The highest identified linear dose response for each 100 g/day increase in fruit intakes was 0.56 (95% CI 0.42 to 0.74) for esophageal cancer, followed by 0.72 (95% CI 0.59 to 0.87) for mouth, pharynx, and larynx cancer; nonlinear dose response for the first 100 g/day of fruit intakes were 0.86 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.88) for stroke, followed by 0.89 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.90) for all-cause mortality. The highest identified linear dose response for each 100 g/day increase in vegetable intakes was 0.88 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.95) for renal cell cancer, followed by 0.89 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.95) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma; nonlinear dose responses for the first 100 g/day of vegetable intake were 0.86 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.89) for coronary heart disease, followed by 0.87 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.90) for all-cause mortality. For nonlinear associations, clear increases in protective associations were observed with the first 200 g/day of intakes, whereas little further increase or even decrease in protective associations were reported beyond 300 g/day intakes. Canned fruit intakes were positively associated with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, and pickled vegetable intakes were positively associated with stomach cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review supports existing recommendations for fruit and vegetable intakes. Current comparative risk assessments might significantly underestimate the protective associations of fruit and vegetable intakes.

The Western Diet-Microbiome-Host Interaction and Its Role in Metabolic Disease

The dietary pattern that characterizes the Western diet is strongly associated with obesity and related metabolic diseases, but biological mechanisms supporting these associations remain largely unknown. We argue that the Western diet promotes inflammation that arises from both structural and behavioral changes in the resident microbiome. The environment created in the gut by ultra-processed foods, a hallmark of the Western diet, is an evolutionarily unique selection ground for microbes that can promote diverse forms of inflammatory disease. Recognizing the importance of the microbiome in the development of diet-related disease has implications for future research, public dietary advice as well as food production practices. Research into food patterns suggests that whole foods are a common denominator of diets associated with a low level of diet-related disease. Hence, by studying how ultra-processing changes the properties of whole foods and how these foods affect the gut microbiome, more useful dietary guidelines can be made. Innovations in food production should be focusing on enabling health in the super-organism of man and microbe, and stronger regulation of potentially hazardous components of food products is warranted.

Dietary Inflammatory Index and Cardiovascular Risk and Mortality-A Meta-Analysis

Diet and chronic inflammation have been suggested to be risk factors in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related mortality. The possible link between the inflammatory potential of diet measured through the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII^®) and CVD has been investigated in several populations across the world. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis on studies exploring this association. Data from 14 studies were eligible, of which two were case-control, eleven were cohort, and one was cross-sectional. Results from the random-effects meta-analysis showed a positive association between increasing DII, indicating a pro-inflammatory diet, and CVD. Individuals in the highest versus the lowest (reference) DII category showed a 36% increased risk of CVD incidence and mortality, with moderate evidence of heterogeneity (relative risk (RR) = 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19, 1.57; heterogeneity index I² = 69%, p < 0.001). When analyzed as a continuous variable, results showed an increased risk of CVD risk and mortality of 8% for each one-point increase in the DII score. Results remained unchanged when analyses were restricted to the prospective studies. Results of our meta-analysis support the importance of adopting a healthier anti-inflammatory diet for preventing CVD incidence and related mortality. In conclusion, a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with increased risk of CVD and CVD mortality. These results further substantiate the utility of DII as tool to characterize the inflammatory potential of diet and to predict CVD incidence and mortality.