Apart from its role as a digestive and absorptive organ, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a vital immune organ that encompasses roughly 70 % of the total immune cells of the body. As such, the physical, chemical and nutrient composition of the diet influences overall GI function, effectively as an immune organ. With the improvement in feed technology, agro-industrial co-products that are high in fibre have been widely used as a feed ingredient in the diets of pigs and poultry. Arabinoxylan (AX) and mannan are the most abundant hemicellulosic polysaccharides present in cereal grain and co-product ingredients used in the livestock industry. When monogastric animals consume diets containing high amounts of AX and mannans, stimulation of GI immune cells may occur. This involves the activation of several cellular and molecular pathways of the immune system and requires a considerable amount of energy and nutrients to be expended by the animal, which may ultimately influence overall health and growth performance of animals. Therefore, a better understanding of the role of AX and mannan in immune modulation will be helpful in modulating untoward GI immune responses, thereby minimising nutrient and energy expenditure toward this effort. This review will summarise pertinent research on the role of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides containing AX and mannans in immune modulation in order to preserve gut integrity.

Rodents with mutations in the leptin, or leptin receptor, genes have been extensively used to investigate the regulation of energy balance and the factors that underlie the development of obesity. The excess energy gain of these mutants has long been considered as being due in part to increased metabolic efficiency, consequent to reduced energy expenditure, but this view has recently been challenged. We argue, particularly though not exclusively, from data on ob/ob mice, that three lines of evidence support the proposition that reduced expenditure is important in the aetiology of obesity in leptin pathway mutants (irrespective of the genetic background): (i) milk intake is similar in suckling ob/ob and +/? mice; (ii) ob/ob mice deposit excess energy when pair-fed to the ad libitum food intake of lean siblings; (iii) in several studies mutant mice have been shown to exhibit a lower RMR ‘per animal’ at temperatures below thermoneutrality. When metabolic rate is expressed ‘per unit body weight’ (inappropriately, because of body composition differences), then it is invariably lower in the obese than the lean. It is important to differentiate the causes from the consequences of obesity. Hyperphagic, mature obese animals weighing 2–3 times their lean siblings may well have higher expenditure ‘per animal’, reflecting the costs of being larger and of enhanced obligatory diet-induced thermogenesis resulting from the increased food intake. This cannot, however, be used to inform the aetiology of their obesity.

Obese subjects have shown a preference for dietary lipids. A recent collection of evidence has proposed that a variant in the CD36 gene plays a significant role in this pathway. We assessed the association between the orosensory detection of a long-chain fatty acid, i.e. oleic acid (OA), and genetic polymorphism of the lipid taste sensor CD36 in obese and normal-weight subjects. Adult participants were recruited in the fasting condition. They were invited to fat taste perception sessions, using emulsions containing OA and according to the three-alternative forced-choice (3-AFC) method. Genomic DNA was used to determine the polymorphism (SNP rs 1761667) of the CD36 gene. Obese (n 50; BMI 34⋅97 (sd 4⋅02) kg/m2) exhibited a significantly higher oral detection threshold for OA (3⋅056 (sd 3⋅53) mmol/l) than did the normal-weight (n 50; BMI 22⋅16 (sd 1⋅81) kg/m2) participants (1⋅20 (sd 3⋅23) mmol/l; P = 0⋅007). There was a positive correlation between OA detection thresholds and BMI in all subjects; evenly with body fat percentage (BF%). AA genotype was more frequent in the obese group than normal-weight group. OA detection thresholds were much higher for AA and AG genotypes in obese subjects compared with normal-weight participants. Higher oral detection thresholds for fatty acid taste are related to BMI, BF% and not always to CD36 genotype.

Diet has a major influence on the composition and metabolic output of the gut microbiome. Higher-protein diets are often recommended for older consumers; however, the effect of high-protein diets on the gut microbiota and faecal volatile organic compounds (VOC) of elderly participants is unknown. The purpose of the study was to establish if the faecal microbiota composition and VOC in older men are different after a diet containing the recommended dietary intake (RDA) of protein compared with a diet containing twice the RDA (2RDA). Healthy males (74⋅2 (sd 3⋅6) years; n 28) were randomised to consume the RDA of protein (0⋅8 g protein/kg body weight per d) or 2RDA, for 10 weeks. Dietary protein was provided via whole foods rather than supplementation or fortification. The diets were matched for dietary fibre from fruit and vegetables. Faecal samples were collected pre- and post-intervention for microbiota profiling by 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing and VOC analysis by head space/solid-phase microextraction/GC-MS. After correcting for multiple comparisons, no significant differences in the abundance of faecal microbiota or VOC associated with protein fermentation were evident between the RDA and 2RDA diets. Therefore, in the present study, a twofold difference in dietary protein intake did not alter gut microbiota or VOC indicative of altered protein fermentation.

The present study assessed the associations of overweight, obesity and anaemia with selected lifestyle factors, total body fat and abdominal obesity among female university students in Dubai. A total of 251 female students from a national university in Dubai participated in the present study. Weight, height, waist circumference, Hb level and total body fat percentage were measured. Participants also completed a self-reported questionnaire that included items related to the factors of obesity, anaemia and lifestyle. The study was approved by the University Ethical Committee. Almost one-third of the participants were overweight/obese; 8⋅5 % had abdominal obesity while 18⋅1 % had anaemia. Out of the total, 71⋅7 % reported that they have irregular meals and the highest percentages were found among obese (89⋅3 %) and overweight (78⋅0 %) compared with normal-weight (65⋅4 %) students (P < 0⋅05). Overweight/obese students reported that they exercise more than those of normal weight (P = 0⋅05). Students with anaemia reported less exercise than students without anaemia (P = 0⋅05). Also, the percentage of total body fat was found to be the highest (38⋅9 %) among students with anaemia (P < 0⋅05). Overweight, obesity and anaemia are prevalent among female university students. Anaemia seems to be associated with the percentage of total body fat, lack of physical activity and junk food. Further studies are required to investigate the detailed dietary habits of overweight and obese young adult females with anaemia.

Litter size reduction can induce early overnourishment, being an attractive experimental model to study short- and long-term consequences of childhood obesity. Epidemiological data indicate sex differences regarding cardiometabolic disorders and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The present study aimed to describe biometric, nutritional and cardiovascular changes related to neonatal overweight promoted by litter size reduction in young and adult Wistar rats of both sexes. Litter adjustment to eight or four pups/mother (1:1 male-to-female ratio) gave, respectively, control and overweight groups. Body mass, food intake, haemodynamic and echocardiographic parameters and cardiorespiratory capacity were evaluated at postnatal days 30 and 150. Diminished litters were correlated with higher body mass and weight gain (12 %) during lactation, validating the experimental model of neonatal overweight. Soon after weaning male (16 %) and female (25 %) offspring of these litters presented a lower food intake than their respective control, without differences in body mass. Adult males from reduced litters presented higher abdominal circumference (7 %), systolic blood pressure (10 %), interventricular septum thickness (15 %) and relative wall thickness (15 %) compared with their respective control. Rats' performance on the maximal effort ergometer test was not affected by neonatal overweight. Data suggest the occurrence of catch-down growth and hypophagia in male and female rats submitted to neonatal overweight. However, only male rats presented haemodynamic and cardiac structural changes. These findings are crucial to personalised/gender medicine.

Chickens adapt to P and Ca restriction during the very first days of life by improving P utilisation efficiency. The present study was built to identify the mechanisms underlying this adaptive capacity, and to identify the optimal window of application of the restriction (depletion). A total of 1600 Cobb 500TM male broilers were used. During each phase (from age 0 to 4 d, 5 to 8 d, 9 to 18 d and 19 to 33 d), the animals received either a control diet (H) or a restricted diet (L) with reduced levels of non-phytate P (nPP) and Ca (between −14 and −25 % for both) with four dietary sequences: HHHH, HLHL, LHHL and LLHL. None of the feeding strategies affected growth. Tibia ash content at day 4 and 8 was impaired when the L diet was fed from 0 to 4 and 5 to 8 d, respectively (P = 0⋅038 and P = 0⋅005). Whatever the early restriction period or length between 0 and 8 d of age, the mineralisation delay was compensated by day 18. This was accompanied by an increased mRNA expression of the Ca transporter, CALB1, and an increased apparent ileal digestibility of Ca at day 8 (P < 0⋅001). This adaptation was limited to the starter phase in restricted birds. No effect was seen on P transporters mRNA or protein expression. In conclusion, birds adapted to mineral restriction by increasing Ca and nPP utilisation efficiencies. Depletion−repletion strategies are promising in improving the sustainability of broiler production but need to be validated in phytase-supplemented diets.

Resistant maltodextrin (RMD) from various sources of starch has been extensively studied. However, studies which reported the effects of tapioca RMD (TRM) on glucose and insulin response are lacking. This study investigated the effect of TRM on postprandial plasma glucose and serum insulin in healthy subjects. Additionally, satiety and gastrointestinal tolerability were also evaluated. Sixteen healthy participants received five different treatments on five separate days. Participants received 50 g of either: glucose (GL), tapioca maltodextrin (TM), TRM, MIX15% (7⋅5 g TRM + 42⋅5 g TM) or MIX50% (25 g TRM + 25 g TM). Plasma glucose, serum insulin and subjective appetite responses were measured postprandially over 180 min. Gastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated by questionnaire before and after each test day. Results showed that at 30 min after treatment drinks, plasma glucose after TRM was significantly lowest (104⋅60 (sem 2⋅63 mg/dl) than after GL (135⋅87 (sem 4⋅88) mg/dl; P <0⋅001), TM (127⋅93 (sem 4⋅05) mg/dl; P = 0⋅001), MIX15% (124⋅67 (sem 5⋅73) mg/dl; P = 0⋅039) and MIX50% (129⋅33 (sem 5⋅23) mg/dl; P = 0⋅003) (1 mg/dl = 0⋅0555 mmol/l). In addition, TRM also significantly reduced serum insulin (13⋅01 (sem 2⋅12) μIU/ml) compared with GL (47⋅90 (sem 11⋅93) μIU/ml; P = 0⋅013), TM (52⋅96 (sem 17⋅68) μIU/ml; P = 0⋅002) and MIX50% (33⋅16 (sem 4⋅99) μIU/ml; P = 0⋅008). However, there were no significant differences in subjective appetite between treatments (P > 0⋅05). A single high dose of TRM (50 g) caused flatulence (P < 0⋅05). Tapioca resistant maltodextrin has low digestibility in the small intestine and, therefore, reduced incremental plasma glucose and serum insulin, without affecting satiety in healthy subjects over 180 min. Gastrointestinal tolerability of TRM should be considered when consumed in high doses.

Individuals with obesity tend to perform less well than their non-obese peers in tertiary education, but there is little evidence from non-Western countries and recent studies. The present study aimed to test whether academic attainment differed between female undergraduates with obesity (defined by body mass index (BMI)), and those who were non-obese in Kuwait, a country with very high obesity prevalence. In 400 female Kuwaiti first- and second-year Social Science students (mean age 18⋅0, sd 0⋅6 years), educational attainment was defined as the Grade Point Average (GPA) across all subjects (from 1⋅00 to 4⋅00). The mean GPA (2⋅51, sd 0⋅53) among students defined as obese by the BMI (n 163) was significantly lower than among the students defined as non-obese by the BMI (n 237; 2⋅80, sd 0⋅63; P < 0⋅001), and those defined as obese were more likely to be in the lowest quartile for the GPA (OR 3⋅03; 95% CI 1⋅90, 4⋅85), independent of socio-economic status. Similar differences were observed between students defined as having high versus normal body fatness. Female undergraduates in Kuwait with obesity have lower academic attainment than their non-obese peers, and universities should consider measures to mitigate reduced attainment among their female undergraduates.

The objective was to investigate which predictive equations provide the best estimates of resting energy expenditure (REE) in postpartum women with overweight and obesity. Lactating women with overweight or obesity underwent REE measurement by indirect calorimetry, and fat-free mass (FFM) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at three postpartum stages. Predictive equations based on body weight and FFM were obtained from the literature. Performance of the predictive equations were analysed as the percentage of women whose REE was accurately predicted, defined as a predicted REE within ±10 % of measured REE. REE data were available for women at 10 weeks (n 71), 24 weeks (n 64) and 15 months (n 57) postpartum. Thirty-six predictive equations (twenty-five weight-based and eleven FFM-based) were validated. REE was accurately predicted in ≥80 % of women at all postpartum visits by six predictive equations (two weight-based and four FFM-based). The weight-based equation with the highest performance was that of Henry (weight, height, age 30–60 years) (HenryWH30−60), with an overall mean of 83 % accurate predictions. The HenryWH30−60 equation was highly suitable for predicting REE at all postpartum visits (irrespective of the women's actual age), and the performance was sustained across changes in weight and lactation status. No FFM-based equation was remarkably superior to HenryWH30−60 for the total postpartum period.

Across the globe, there has been a marked increase in longevity, but significant inequalities remain. These are exacerbated by inadequate access to proper nutrition and health care services and to reliable information to make the decisions related to nutrition and health care. Many in economically developing as well as developed societies are plagued with the double-burden of energy excess and undernutrition. This has resulted in mental and physical deterioration, increased non-communicable disease rates, lost productivity, increased medical costs and reduced quality of life. While adequate nutrition is fundamental to good health at all stages of the life course, the impact of diet on prolonging good quality of life during ageing remains unclear. For progress to continue, there is need for new and/or innovative approaches to promoting health as individuals age, as well as qualitative and quantitative biomarkers and other accepted tools that can measure improvements in physiological integrity throughout life. A framework for progress has been proposed by the World Health Organization in their Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health. Here, we focused on the impact of nutrition within this framework, which takes a broad, person-centred emphasis on healthy ageing, stressing the need to better understand each individual's intrinsic capacity, their functional abilities at various life stages, and the impact of their mental, and physical health, as well as the environments they inhabit.

Two promising strategies to manage eating behaviour are intuitive eating (IE; following hunger) and pinned eating (PE; ignoring hunger/eating at specific times of the day). This study compared IE and PE on behavioural markers. Participants (n 56) were randomly assigned to IE (n 28) or PE (n 28) and given instructions to follow for 1 week. Drive to eat, behaviour, behavioural intentions and self-efficacy were measured at baseline and follow-up. Participants also evaluated their specific intervention. Comparable changes over time were found for both conditions for many measures. Significant conditions by time interactions were found for healthy snacking, total self-efficacy and self-efficacy for weight loss: those following IE showed an increase in each of these outcomes compared to those following PE who showed no change. The IE group found their intervention more useful than those following PE. Further research is needed to build on these preliminary findings.

Self-reported measures for body mass index (BMI) are considered a limitation in research design, especially when they are a primary outcome. Studies have found some populations to be quite accurate when self-reporting BMI; however, there is mixed research on the accuracy of self-reported measurements in adolescents. The aim of this study is to examine the accuracy of self-reported BMI by comparing it with measured BMI in a sample of U.S. adolescents and to understand gender differences. This cross-sectional study collected self-reported height and weight measurements of students from five high schools in four states (Tennessee, South Dakota, Kansas and Florida). Trained researchers took height and weight of students for an objective measurement. BMI was calculated from both sources and categorized (underweight, normal, overweight and obese) using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's BMI-for-age percentiles. Participants (n 425; 51⋅0 % female) had a mean age of 16⋅3 years old, and the majority were White (47⋅5 %). Limits of agreement (LOA) analysis revealed that BMI and weight were underreported, and height was overreported in the overall sample, in females, and in males. LOA analysis was fair for BMI in all three groups. Overall agreement in BMI categorisation was considered substantial (Κ 0⋅71, P < 0⋅001). As BMI increased, more height and weight inaccuracies led to decreased accuracy in BMI categorisation, and the specificity of obese participants was low (50⋅0 %). This study's findings suggest that using self-reported values to categorize BMI is more accurate than using continuous BMI values when self-reported measures are used in health-related interventions.

Despite global efforts made to address anaemia, the prevalence remains high in most Sub-Saharan African countries. In Ethiopia, anaemia poses a very strong public health concern. The purpose of the present study was to examine the key risk factors related to anaemia among children aged 6–24 months (younger age group) and 25–59 months (older age group). We used the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data, collected from 11 023 mothers with under five children. Ordered logistic regression modelling was used for assessing risk factors of childhood anaemia. The results suggest that the prevalence of anaemia was 72 % in the younger and 49 % in the older age groups. The risk factors for anaemia in the younger age group were morbidity (odds ratio (OR) 1⋅77; CI 1⋅21, 2⋅60), having no piped water source (OR 1⋅76; CI 1⋅07, 3⋅01) and no toilet facility (OR 1⋅60; CI 1⋅07, 2⋅38). The key risk factors for anaemia in the older age group were no micronutrient intake (OR 1⋅69; CI 1⋅23, 2⋅31), having a young mother (15–24 years old) (OR 1⋅35; CI 0⋅84, 1⋅91) and a non-working mother (OR 1⋅50; CI 1⋅15, 1⋅96). Anaemia also varied by region, place of residence and economic factors. Multiple factors contributed to the high prevalence of anaemia. Given the structural problem that the country has intervention strategies should consider the unique characteristics of regions and rural residences where the prevalence of anaemia is above the national average.

The aim is to systematically assess the health impact of a low-inflammatory diet intervention (full-diet or supplement), compared to usual diet or other dietary interventions, on weight change, inflammatory biomarkers, joint symptoms, and quality of life in adults with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or seronegative arthropathy (psoriatic, reactive, ankylosing spondylitis or IBD-related), on outcomes assessed in prospective studies within 6 months of intervention commencement (PROSPERO CRD42019136567). Search of multiple electronic library databases from inception to July 2019, supplemented by grey literature searches, for randomised and prospective trials assessing the above objective. After exclusion of 446 ineligible studies, five randomised and two prospective trials involving 468 participants with either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis were included. GRADE assessment for all outcomes was very low. Meta-analyses produced the following standardised mean differences (SMD) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2–4 months following commencement of the diets favouring the low-inflammatory diet: weight SMD −0⋅45 (CI −0⋅71, −0⋅18); inflammatory biomarkers SMD −2⋅33 (CI −3⋅82, −0⋅84). No significant effects were found for physical function (SMD −0⋅62; CI −1⋅39, 0⋅14), general health (SMD 0⋅89; CI −0⋅39, 2⋅16) and joint pain (SMD −0⋅98; CI −2⋅90, 0⋅93). In most studies, the quality of dietary intervention (dietitian input, use of validated dietary compliance tool) could not be gauged. In conclusion, very low-level evidence suggests that low-inflammatory diets or supplements compared to usual diets are associated with greater weight loss and improvement in inflammatory biomarkers. More high-quality trials are needed to assess the health effects of a low-inflammatory diet more comprehensively and conclusively in arthritic conditions.

Childhood stunting remains a global public health concern. Little has been documented on the effect of women's decision-making autonomy on child growth in settings where decision-making at the household and community levels is largely dominated by men. To assess the relationship between maternal autonomy and child growth, we analysed data from a cross-sectional study of 422 mothers and their youngest child aged 6–24 months in the Bawku West District of Ghana. The dimensions of women's autonomy measured were decision-making power, freedom of mobility and financial autonomy. We then compared how each dimension was associated with the likelihood of stunting and wasting. The important predictors of child growth and dietary intake as measured by the mean length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) and minimum acceptable (MAD) diet, respectively, were determined using multivariable regression models. The overall composite index of women autonomy (CIWA) showed that 52⋅8 % of women were of high autonomy and half of them had higher autonomy regarding their own and their children's health. After adjusting (multiple regression analysis) for potential confounders, the mean LAZ of children born to women of high autonomy was significantly higher than LAZ of children born to women of low autonomy (β = 0⋅132; 95 % CI 0⋅19, 0⋅95; P = 0⋅004). Similarly, high women's autonomy was a significant independent predictor of meeting MAD (AOR = 1⋅59; CI 1⋅09, 2⋅34). Of all, the dimensions of women's autonomy measured in this study, health care autonomy better predicted child growth and dietary intake. Based on the findings, nutrition policies and interventions that enhance women's decision-making autonomy could have a positive impact on child growth outcomes.

College students constitute a significant proportion of the young adult population in Norway. They are in their reproductive years, which is of interest regarding diet and preconception health. Our objective was to assess young college students’ diet and nutrient intake in relation to national dietary recommendations and assess the probability of inadequate micronutrient intake for both genders using the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, and also to evaluate its consequences on preconception health and create a groundwork for future interventions on this group. At the University of Agder (UiA), we enrolled 622 students aged 18–40 years for a cross-sectional study of student's diet, StudentKost. The students completed a food frequency questionnaire, including questions of supplement use, over the past 4 weeks. Intake of fruits, vegetables, oily fish, and whole grain was lower than recommended, as were mean intake of folate, iron, and iodine. Our main findings are that students have a somewhat suboptimal diet compared to the Norwegian dietary guidelines. Male students had generally lower diet quality than females. Compared to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR), we also saw a relatively high probability of inadequate intake of several micronutrients and a very high probability for some micronutrients in a significant portion of the sample. Public health effort should be directed towards improving students and young adults’ diet in general, and interventions towards improving preconception health should be explored. The low participation rate limits the generalizability of our findings. Our findings encourage further investigation into young adults’ diet.

In December 2019, in Wuhan, China, the novel coronavirus ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome 2’ (SARS-CoV-2) was discovered as the cause of a pneumonia-like illness and subsequently named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 spread and is now a global pandemic. With few exceptions, countries in the Northern hemisphere have higher mortality rates from COVID-19. This may be due to an increased prevalence of older people in Northern Europe at higher risk of having cardio-pulmonary and metabolic comorbidities as well as hypovitaminosis D. With increasing age, immunosenescence and ‘inflammaging’ lead to impaired and maladaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infections, contributing to the enhanced prevalence of severe COVID-19 in older patients. The association of ageing with increased vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and disease and worse prognosis in COVID-19 infection, is discussed. Considerable experimental evidence demonstrates the immuno-modulatory properties of vitamin D, in particular, its role in regulating and suppressing the inflammatory cytokine response to viral respiratory infections links the importance of vitamin D sufficiency as a potential protective factor in COVID-19. There is an urgent need for prospective randomised studies to examine whether hypovitaminosis D correlates with severity of COVID-19 disease and the actual benefit of repletion. Moreover, given what has been described as a ‘pandemic of vitamin D deficiency’, especially in Europe, and in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 contagion, the authors support the call for public health doctors and physicians, with support from Governments, to prioritise and strengthen recommendations on vitamin D intake and supplementation.