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Galchenko A, Rizzo G, Sidorova E, Skliar E, Baroni L, Visaggi P, Guidi G, de Bortoli N. Bone mineral density parameters and related nutritional factors in vegans, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and omnivores: a cross-sectional study. Front Nutr 2024; 11:1390773. [PMID: 38919395 PMCID: PMC11196821 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1390773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The growing prevalence of vegetarianism determines the need for comprehensive study of the impact of these diets on health and particularly on bone metabolism. We hypothesized that significant dietary differences between vegans, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and omnivores also cause significant differences in their nutrient status, which may affect bone health. Methods The study assessed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry parameters in lumbar spine and femoral neck, average nutrient intake, serum nutrient concentrations, serum PTH levels, and urinary pH among 46 vegans, 38 lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and 44 omnivores. Results There were no differences in bone mineral density (BMD) between the groups. However, the parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were still higher in vegans compared to omnivores, despite the same prevalence of hyperparathyroidism in all groups. These findings may probably be explained by the fact that each group had its own "strengths and weaknesses." Thus, vegans and, to a lesser extent, lacto-ovo-vegetarians consumed much more potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, and vitamins B6, B9, and C. At the same time, the diet of omnivores contained more protein and vitamins D and B12. All the subjects consumed less vitamin D than recommended. More than half of vegans and omnivores had insufficiency or even deficiency of vitamin D in the blood. Low serum concentrations of manganese with its quite adequate intake are also noteworthy: its deficiency was observed in 57% of vegans, 79% of lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and 63% of omnivores. Discussion Currently, it is no longer possible to conclude that lacto-ovo-vegetarians have lower BMD than omnivores, as our research supported. Vegans in our study also did not demonstrate lower BMD values, only higher PTH blood concentrations, compared to omnivores, however, a large number of studies, including recent, show the opposite view. In this regard, further large-scale research is required. Vegans and lacto-ovo-vegetarians now have a variety of foods fortified with vitamins D and B12, as well as calcium. There is also a great diversity of ethically sourced dietary supplements. The found low concentrations of manganese require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Galchenko
- Scientific Society for Vegetarian Nutrition, Venice, Italy
- Earth Philosophical Society “Melodia Vitae”, International, Toronto, CA, Canada
| | | | | | - Elena Skliar
- Earth Philosophical Society “Melodia Vitae”, International, Toronto, CA, Canada
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Luciana Baroni
- Scientific Society for Vegetarian Nutrition, Venice, Italy
| | - Pierfrancesco Visaggi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giada Guidi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola de Bortoli
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- NUTRAFOOD, Interdepartmental Center for Nutraceutical Research and Nutrition for Health, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Eveleigh ER, Coneyworth L, Welham SJM. Systematic review and meta-analysis of iodine nutrition in modern vegan and vegetarian diets. Br J Nutr 2023; 130:1580-1594. [PMID: 36912094 PMCID: PMC10551477 DOI: 10.1017/s000711452300051x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Vegan and vegetarian diets are widely supported and adopted, but individuals following such diets remain at greater risk of iodine deficiency. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the iodine intake and status in adults following a vegan or vegetarian diet in the modern day. A systematic review and quality assessment were conducted from October 2020 to December 2022 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidance. Studies were identified in Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Eleven articles were eligible for review containing 4421 adults (aged ≥ 18 years). Vegan groups had the lowest median urinary iodine concentration (mUIC) (12·2/l). None of the dietary groups had mUIC within the optimal range for iodine status (100-200 µg/l) (WHO). Vegan diets had the poorest iodine intake (17·3 µg/d) and were strongly associated with lower iodine intake (P = < 0·001) compared with omnivorous diets. Lower intake in vegan diets was influenced by sex (P = 0·007), the presence of voluntary or absence of Universal Salt Iodisation (USI) programmes (P = 0·01 & P = < 0·001), and living in a country with adequate iodine nutrition (P = < 0·001). Vegetarians and particularly vegans living in countries with no current USI programme continue to have increased risk of low iodine status, iodine deficiency and inadequate iodine intake. Further research into the usefulness of mandatory fortification of vegan appropriate foods is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Rose Eveleigh
- Division of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton BoningtonLE12 5RD, UK
| | - Lisa Coneyworth
- Division of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton BoningtonLE12 5RD, UK
| | - Simon J. M. Welham
- Division of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton BoningtonLE12 5RD, UK
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Chouraqui JP. Vegetarian diets and diets which restrict animal-source foods during childhood in high-income countries. Paediatr Int Child Health 2023; 43:57-82. [PMID: 37649436 DOI: 10.1080/20469047.2023.2245186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Increasing numbers of populations in the West are restricting their intake of meat and other animal products for reasons relating to health or ethics; in many countries, these restrictions are already common for cultural, religious, or socio-economic reasons. By following their parent's diet, children are exposed in parallel. This narrative review aims at assessing current data regarding vegetarian diets in children from birth to 18 years of age, which include, by increasing degree of restriction, flexitarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan and macrobiotic diets. The 202 references include 45 studies in children. The more restrictive the diet and the younger the child, the greater the risk of nutritional deficiency. Of particular concern are vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and protein and energy intake, especially in pregnant and nursing women, infants and young children. Providing an adequate lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is relatively easy, whereas the maintenance of more restrictive diets may be challenging. The benefits and risks of vegetarian diets in adults are relatively well documented, but data for children are scarce. Vegan and macrobiotic diets should be discouraged in pregnant and lactating mothers as well as in young children, who, otherwise, should pay careful attention to ensuring nutritional adequacy, blood testing and appropriate supplementation. The health consequences of a chosen diet should be discussed with parents and adolescents to ensure the best possible adherence to advice and prescriptions. There is a need for well conducted studies in children but also for better knowledge of nutrition in healthcare professionals.Abbreviations: ALA: α-linolenic acid; ARA: arachidonic acid; ASF: animal source foods; BMC: bone mineral content; BMD: bone mineral density; DHA: docosahexaenoic acid; DRV: dietary reference value; EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid; FLD: flexitarian diet; LA: linoleic acid; LC-PUFA: long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; LOVD: lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet; LVD: lacto-vegetarian diet; MAD: macrobiotic diet; OMD: omnivorous diet; PSF: plant-source foods; SFA: saturated fatty acids; VGD: vegetarian diets; VND: vegan diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Chouraqui
- Paediatric Division of Nutrition and Gastro-Enterology, Department of Paediatric, Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital (CHUGA), Grenoble, France
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Vasiloglou MF, Elortegui Pascual P, Scuccimarra EA, Plestina R, Mainardi F, Mak TN, Ronga F, Drewnowski A. Assessing the Quality of Simulated Food Patterns with Reduced Animal Protein Using Meal Data from NHANES 2017-2018. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15112572. [PMID: 37299536 DOI: 10.3390/nu15112572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The nutritional consequences of progressively replacing meat products with plant-based foods need to be systematically evaluated. Modeling analyses provide insights into the predicted food consumption and nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets. We developed a novel methodology to simulate food patterns and evaluate diet quality. Meal data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 was used to create 100 7-day meal plans subject to various nutrient and food group optimization criteria. Omnivore (reference diet), flexitarian, pescatarian, and vegetarian food patterns were modeled using mixed integer linear programming. The modeled food patterns used the 25th and 75th percentiles of the US Usual Dietary Intakes to set the optimization constraints. The diet quality was determined using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015). The modeled vegetarian, pescatarian, and flexitarian food patterns outperformed the omnivore diet on the HEI-2015, with the vegetarian pattern achieving the highest score (82 for females, 78 for males). Modeled flexitarian patterns, with a 25 to 75% reduction in animal protein, offer viable options for those seeking to reduce but not eliminate their animal protein intake while supporting the transition from omnivore to fully plant-based diets. This methodology could be applied to evaluate the nutrient and diet quality of different dietary patterns with various constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria F Vasiloglou
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Eric A Scuccimarra
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roko Plestina
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabio Mainardi
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tsz-Ning Mak
- Nestlé Institute of Health Science Singapore Hub, 29 Quality Road, Singapore 618802, Singapore
| | - Frédéric Ronga
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, 1000 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Adam Drewnowski
- Center for Public Health Nutrition, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Food-Evoked Emotions and Optimal Portion Sizes of Meat and Vegetables for Men and Women across Five Familiar Dutch Meals: An Online Study. Foods 2023; 12:foods12061259. [PMID: 36981185 PMCID: PMC10048550 DOI: 10.3390/foods12061259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Portion size manipulation is well known to be effective in increasing vegetable intake in adults, whereas less is known about the effects of portion size manipulation on reducing meat intake. This online study investigated the effects of recommended and regularly consumed portion sizes of vegetables and meat in five familiar Dutch meals. Participants evaluated 60 food pictures of five meals and used a 100 mm VAS to measure expected liking, satiety, food-evoked emotions, and the perceived normal portion size. The results show that both regular and recommended portions scored above 55 on the 100 mm VAS on expected liking and satiety. Similarly, both portion sizes scored high (55–70 on the 100 mm VAS) in positive emotions (i.e., happy, relaxed, and satisfied). Regarding the perceived amount of meat, men consistently preferred larger portions of meat than women. However, the optimal portion sizes of vegetables were similar for men and women. Furthermore, the recommended portion sizes led to positive food-evoked emotions, implying that the effective implementation of portion size strategies for increasing vegetable and limiting meat intake requires a careful, holistic approach focusing on the sensory characteristics of food products as well as the emotions evoked by the total food experience.
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Voll A, Jost L, Jansen P. Heartfulness in Vegans, Vegetarians, and Omnivores. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4943. [PMID: 36981851 PMCID: PMC10049544 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relation between the choice of a vegan or vegetarian diet as a criterion of sustainability and the aspect of heartfulness. We also analyzed which demographic, diet-related, and mindfulness practice-related variables could predict the different facets of heartfulness. METHODS In total, 419 persons participated. After providing demographic, diet-related, and mindfulness practice-related information, participants completed a gratitude questionnaire, a self-compassion scale, a compassion scale, and an equanimity scale. RESULTS The results show that vegans and vegetarians indicated higher scores than omnivores in some aspects of heartfulness, such as both self-compassion scales. These effects could not be shown for the two equanimity scales and for the gratitude questionnaire. Most aspects of heartfulness could either be predicted by demographic or diet-related variables. The best predictors of the elements of heartfulness were the ecological, ethical, or health-related reasons for choosing their diet stated by the participants, as well as the importance the participants attached to nutrition. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that vegans and vegetarians scored higher in several aspects of heartfulness. Vegans tended to score even higher than vegetarians. Both demographic and diet-related variables could predict heartfulness.
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Kohl J, Hohberg V, Hauff P, Lang C, Faude O, Gollhofer A, König D. Development of a metric Healthy Eating Index-2015 and comparison with the Healthy Eating Index-2015 for the evaluation of dietary quality. Front Nutr 2022; 9:952223. [PMID: 36082033 PMCID: PMC9448016 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.952223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Diet quality indices can provide important information about relationships between diet and health independent of energy balance. The Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) is widely used and has been extensively evaluated. However, due to imperial units the HEI-2015 is difficult to apply in countries with metric systems. Our objective was to develop a metric version of the HEI-2015 and compare it to the original. The metric Healthy Eating Index-2015 (mHEI-2015) is intended to simplify the application of a dietary quality index in countries using the metric system. Methods We developed a metric database logic following the methodology of the HEI-2015, which allows the application to metric databases and was applied to Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED). The HEI-2015 was calculated for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 and the scoring standards for each component of the mHEI-2015 was calibrated against it. For the assessment of agreement between indices, HEI-2015 and mHEI-2015 were calculated for NHANES 2015-2016 and a Bland–Altman plot was created. Results Healthy Eating Index-2015 and mHEI-2015 for the NHANES 2015-2016 averaged 52.5 ± 13.5 and 52.6 ± 13.2, respectively. The total scores as well as component scores of the indices were strongly correlated. The Bland–Altman plot revealed a high agreement of the total scores. An illustrated analysis of six different menu plans showed only minor differences between the HEI-2015 and mHEI-2015 component scores. Conclusion The mHEI-2015 allows for superior analysis of metric dietary data to better examine the relationship between chronic diseases and diet. The streamlined metric methodology enables straightforward application to metric food databases and thus the development of country-specific indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kohl
- Department of Sport and Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- *Correspondence: Jan Kohl,
| | - Vivien Hohberg
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Hauff
- Department of Sport and Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Céline Lang
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Faude
- Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Albert Gollhofer
- Department of Sport and Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Daniel König
- Department of Sport and Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Department of Sport Science, Institute for Nutrition, Exercise and Health, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Institute for Nutrition, Exercise and Health, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Kaiser B, Stelzl T, Finglas P, Gedrich K. The Assessment of a Personalized Nutrition Tool (eNutri) in Germany: Pilot Study on Usability Metrics and Users’ Experiences. JMIR Form Res 2022; 6:e34497. [PMID: 35925664 PMCID: PMC9389388 DOI: 10.2196/34497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
To address the epidemic burden of diet-related diseases, adequate dietary intake assessments are needed to determine the actual nutrition intake of a population. In this context, the eNutri web app has been developed, providing online automated personalized dietary advice, based on nutritional information recorded via an integrated and validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Originally developed for a British population and their dietary habits, the eNutri tool has specifically been adapted to the German population, taking into account national eating habits and dietary recommendations.
Objective
The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the system usability and users’ experience and feedback on the eNutri app in a small-scale preliminary study. The secondary aim is to investigate the efficacy of personalized nutrition (PN) recommendations versus general dietary advice in altering eating habits.
Methods
The app was piloted for 4 weeks by 106 participants from across Germany divided into a PN group and a control group. The groups differed according to the degree of personalization of dietary recommendations obtained.
Results
An overall System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 78.4 (SD 12.2) was yielded, indicating an above average user experience. Mean completion time of the FFQ was 26.7 minutes (SD 10.6 minutes). Across subgroups (age, sex, device screen sizes) no differences in SUS or completion time were found, indicating an equal performance for all users independent of the assigned experimental group. Participants’ feedback highlighted the need for more personalized dietary advice for controls, while personalized nutritional recommendations improved the awareness of healthy eating behavior. Further improvements to the eNutri app were suggested by the app users.
Conclusions
In total, the eNutri app has proven to be a suitable instrument to capture the dietary habits of a German population sample. Regarding functionality, system usability, and handling, direct user feedback was quite positive. Nutritional advice given was rated ambivalent, pointing to several weaknesses in the eNutri app, minimizing the system’s full potential. A higher level of personalization within nutritional advice subjectively improved the app’s usability. The insights gained will be used as a basis to further develop and improve this digital diet assessment tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Kaiser
- Research Group Public Health Nutrition, ZIEL - Institute for Food & Health, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Tamara Stelzl
- Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Paul Finglas
- Quadram Bioscience Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Kurt Gedrich
- Research Group Public Health Nutrition, ZIEL - Institute for Food & Health, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
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Bruns A, Mueller M, Schneider I, Hahn A. Application of a Modified Healthy Eating Index (HEI-Flex) to Compare the Diet Quality of Flexitarians, Vegans and Omnivores in Germany. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14153038. [PMID: 35893892 PMCID: PMC9330316 DOI: 10.3390/nu14153038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Interest in plant-based nutrition has steadily increased in the western world in the recent years. The number of people following a meat-reduced, flexitarian diet is growing continuously. However, little is known about the diet quality of flexitarians compared to vegans or omnivores. Therefore, in this cross-sectional study, the food intake of 94 participants aged between 25–45 years was recorded via a validated food frequency questionnaire and 28 self-designed questions about the consumption of plant-based alternatives. An adapted Healthy Eating Index, HEI-flex, was developed to evaluate the diet quality of flexitarians, vegans and omnivores. Higher score points (SP) of the HEI-flex are associated with higher compliance with the official diet recommendations (Vmax = 100 SP). Finally, flexitarians scored significantly more highly when compared to omnivores (54 ± 8 vs. 47 ± 9 SP; p = 0.008) but lower than vegans (54 ± 8 vs. 61 ± 10 SP; p = 0.010). The results showed that the HEI-flex is a useful tool for assessing and comparing the diet quality of flexitarians, vegans and omnivores. Despite the consumption of highly processed plant-based alternatives, reduction in meat and meat products seems to be accompanied by increased overall diet quality.
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Murillo AG, Gómez G, Durán-Agüero S, Parra-Soto SL, Araneda J, Morales G, Ríos-Castillo I, Carpio-Arias V, Cavagnari BM, Nava-González EJ, Bejarano-Roncancio JJ, Núñez-Martínez B, Cordón-Arrivillaga K, Meza-Miranda ER, Mauricio-Alza S, Landaeta-Díaz L. Dietary Patterns and Dietary Recommendations Achievement From Latin American College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.836299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to compare the diet quality of different dietary patterns among college students from Latin American countries, including vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study was conducted including a non- probabilistic sample of university students from 10 countries. University students were invited to participate in the study through social network platforms. Participants were self-reported to have followed a specific dietary pattern; either the Prudent diet, Western diet, Ovo-dairy-vegetarian diet, Fish-vegetarian diet, Strict vegetarian diet (vegan) or other. The last three patterns (vegetarians and vegans) were grouped as following a plant-based diet. A self-assessment survey was used to evaluate healthy eating habits using a questionnaire with values between 1 (do not consume) and 5 (consume) for a total of 9–45 points (higher values represent better eating habits). Unhealthy habits were assessed with nine questions. A total of 4,809 students filled out the questionnaire, and the majority of them were females (73.7%). A high percentage have been in lockdown for more than 5 months and were in lockdown when the survey was released. 74.3% were self-reported to follow a prudent diet, while 11.4% reported following a western dietary pattern and 8.8% a plant-based diet. When compliance with healthy and unhealthy dietary habits was analyzed, although all groups had low compliance, the plant-based diet group (56.09 ± 6.11) performed better than the Western diet group (48.03 ± 5.99). The total diet quality score was significantly higher for plant-based diet followers, who also tended to better achieve the recommendations than omnivorous students, especially the ones following a western diet. These results present evidence that young adults such as college-aged students have unhealthy dietary habits. However, the ones who follow a plant-based diet such as vegetarians and vegans exhibit better scores and healthier dietary conducts.
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Fernández-Ríos A, Laso J, Campos C, Ruiz-Salmón I, Hoehn D, Cristóbal J, Batlle-Bayer L, Bala A, Fullana-I-Palmer P, Puig R, Aldaco R, Margallo M. Towards a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus index: A review of nutrient profile models as a fundamental pillar of food and nutrition security. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 789:147936. [PMID: 34082212 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus approach should be promoted as a tool for sustainable management of resources through the interconnection of these three fundamental pillars. Particularly, food security must ensure healthy and balanced diets for everyone, but selecting individual indicators to assess all slants covered by this element is not an easy task. Hence, the objective of this paper is two-fold, to review nutrient profiling (NP) models that allow to categorize foods and evaluate diets based on their nutritional quality, and to choose the most appropriate model to be used within a WEF nexus index. To address this issue, a total of 159 documents were assessed, appraising the geographic distribution, and time evolution of the publications, as well as the characteristics and potential applications of the NP systems. The review concludes that the NRF9.3. model is the most liable option to be used in a WEF nexus index, presenting the best characteristics by means of the definition of scores and thresholds, and the use of an 'across-the-board' criteria and a reference quantity of 100 kcal, alongside offering higher ability to assess diets and foods than the other competitive model (HEI) through the evaluation of nutrients to encourage instead of foods. A secondary outcome of the review is the identification of the NP models as a useful tool to enable institutions with information to establish policies in the field of public health and facilitating the decision-making process according to the current healthy claims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Fernández-Ríos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Av. de Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Jara Laso
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Av. de Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Cristina Campos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Av. de Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Israel Ruiz-Salmón
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Av. de Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Daniel Hoehn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Av. de Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Jorge Cristóbal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Av. de Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Laura Batlle-Bayer
- UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change ESCI-UPF, Pg. Pujades 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Bala
- UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change ESCI-UPF, Pg. Pujades 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pere Fullana-I-Palmer
- UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change ESCI-UPF, Pg. Pujades 1, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rita Puig
- Department of Computer Science and Industrial Engineering, University of Lleida (UdL), Pla de la Massa, 8, 08700 Igualada, Spain
| | - Rubén Aldaco
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Av. de Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain.
| | - María Margallo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Av. de Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
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