This study evaluated the association between maternal magnesium intake (MMI) and childhood wheezing incidence in 3-year-old offspring. We hypothesised that higher MMI imparts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that decrease childhood wheezing incidence in offspring. Data of 79 907 women (singleton pregnancy, ≥ 22 weeks) from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (enrolled between 2011 and 2014) were analysed. Participants were categorised into quintiles of MMI (< 148·00, 148·00–187·99, 188·00–228·99, 229·00–289·99 and ≥ 290·00 mg/d), quintiles of adjusted MMI for daily energy intake (aMMI) (< 0·107, 0·107–0·119, 0·120–0·132, 0·133–0·149 and ≥ 0·150 mg/kcal) and MMI levels either below or above the ideal value (< 310·00 or ≥ 310·00 mg/d). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate OR for the incidence of childhood wheezing in offspring among participants in each MMI category, with the lowest MMI group considered the reference group. Maternal demographic, socio-economic, medical and other nutrient intake backgrounds were considered potential confounding factors. The adjusted OR (aOR) for childhood wheezing in the offspring of women with the highest MMI was 1·09 (95 % CI, 1·00, 1·20), whereas that calculated based on aMMI categories and offspring of women with above-ideal MMI levels remained unchanged. The highest MMI was associated with slightly increased childhood wheezing incidence in the offspring. MMI during pregnancy had an insignificant clinical impact on this incidence; moreover, modifying MMI would not significantly improve childhood wheezing incidence in offspring. Therefore, further studies should clarify the association between other prenatal factors and childhood wheezing incidence in offspring.

Periconceptional maternal ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption impairs embryonic growth. Impacts of exposure to UPF on distinct components of fetal growth in late pregnancy are unknown. We investigated the influence of frequency of UPF consumption during pregnancy on fetal head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur length (FL). This study included 417 live-born singleton pregnancies prospectively followed-up since the antenatal period in the MINA-Brazil Study, with an available ultrasound scan at >24 gestational weeks. Frequency of food groups consumption in the previous month was categorised as no/monthly, weekly or daily. Ultrasound scans were conducted at 27·8 (sd: 1·7) gestational weeks. HC, AC and FL z-scores were calculated for gestational age using the INTERGROWTH-21st Project standards. Simultaneous-quantile regression models were fitted at the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles of the distribution of each ultrasound parameter according to UPF consumption, with adjustment for potential confounders. Participants were aged on average 24·7 (sd: 6·5) years, 44·8 % were primiparous, and 26·9 % and 24·9 %, respectively, had weekly and daily UPF consumption. Compared with no/monthly intake, daily UPF consumption impaired HC across its distribution, with significant effect sizes varying from –0·24 to –0·40 z-score. Weekly UPF consumption decreased HC at the 90th percentile by –0·39 z-score (95 % CI: –0·78, –0·01) and FL at the 50th percentile by –0·32 z-score (95 % CI: –0·60, –0·04). No association was noted with AC. Frequency of UPF consumption was negatively associated with skeletal components of fetal growth in late pregnancy. Infant body composition may benefit from healthy food practices since pregnancy.

Iodine is an essential nutrient that may change the occurrence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). Apoptosis and DNA methylation participate in the pathogenesis and destructive mechanism of AIT. We detected the methylation and the expression of mRNA of intrinsic apoptosis-associated genes (YWHAG, ING4, BRSK2 and GJA1) to identify the potential interactions between the levels of methylation in these genes and different levels of iodine. 176 adult patients with AIT in Shandong Province, China, were included. The MethylTargetTM assay was used to verify the levels of methylation. We used PCR to detect the mRNA levels of the candidate genes. Interactions between methylation levels of the candidate genes and iodine levels were evaluated with multiplicative and addictive interaction models and GMDR. In the AIT group, YWHAG_1 and six CpG sites and BRSK2_1 and eight CpG sites were hypermethylated, whereas ING4_1 and one CpG site were hypomethylated. A negative correlation was found between methylation levels of YWHAG and mRNA expression. The combination of iodine fortification, YWHAG_1 hypermethylation and BRSK2_1 hypermethylation was significantly associated with elevated AIT risk. A four-locus model (YWHAG_1 × ING4_1 × BRSK2_1 × iodine level) was found to be the best model of the gene–environment interactions. We identified abnormal changes in the methylation status of YWHAG, ING4 and BRSK2 in patients with AIT in different iodine levels. Iodine fortification not only affected the methylation levels of YWHAG and BRSK2 but also interacted with the methylation levels of these genes and may ultimately increase the risk of AIT.

Blood carotenoid concentration measurement is considered the gold standard for fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake estimation; however, this method is invasive and expensive. Recently, skin carotenoid status (SCS) measured by optical sensors has been evaluated as a promising parameter for F&V intake estimation. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to validate the utility of resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS)-assessed SCS as a biomarker of F&V intake in Korean adults. We used data from 108 participants aged 20–69 years who completed SCS measurements, blood collection and 3-d dietary recordings. Serum carotenoid concentrations were quantified using HPLC, and dietary carotenoid and F&V intakes were estimated via 3-d dietary records using a carotenoid database for common Korean foods. The correlations of the SCS with serum carotenoid concentrations, dietary carotenoid intake and F&V intake were examined to assess SCS validity. SCS was positively correlated with total serum carotenoid concentration (r = 0·52, 95 % CI = 0·36, 0·64, P < 0·001), serum β-carotene concentration (r = 0·60, 95 % CI = 0·47, 0·71, P < 0·001), total carotenoid intake (r = 0·20, 95 % CI = 0·01, 0·37, P = 0·04), β-carotene intake (r = 0·30, 95 % CI = 0·11, 0·46, P = 0·002) and F&V intake (r = 0·40, 95 % CI = 0·23, 0·55, P < 0·001). These results suggest that SCS can be a valid biomarker of F&V intake in Korean adults.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary n-3 very-long-chain PUFA (n-3 VLC-PUFA) on the maturation and development of skin tissue in juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in vivo, as well as their effects on skin keratocyte and human skin fibroblast cell migration in vitro. Atlantic salmon were fed different dietary levels of n-3 VLC-PUFA from an initial weight of 6 g to a final weight of 11 g. Changes in skin morphology were analysed at two time points during the experiment, and the effects on skin tissue fatty acid composition were determined. Additionally, in vitro experiments using human dermal fibroblasts and primary Atlantic salmon keratocytes were conducted to investigate the effect of VLC-PUFA on the migration capacity of the cells. The results demonstrated that increased dietary levels of n-3 VLC-PUFA led to an increased epidermis thickness and more rapid scale maturation in Atlantic salmon skin in vivo, leading to a more mature skin morphology, and possibly more robust skin, at an earlier life stage. Additionally, human skin fibroblasts and salmon skin keratocytes supplemented with n-3 VLC-PUFA in vitro showed more rapid migration, indicating potentially beneficial effects of VLC-PUFA in wound healing. In conclusion, VLC-PUFA may have beneficial effects on skin tissue development, function and integrity.

People with severe mental illness (SMI), including schizophrenia and related psychoses and bipolar disorder, are at greater risk for obesity compared with people without mental illness. An altered resting metabolic rate (RMR) may be a key driving factor; however, published studies have not been systematically reviewed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether the RMR of people with SMI assessed by indirect calorimetry differs from (i) controls, (ii) predictive equations and (iii) after administration of antipsychotic medications. Five databases were searched from database inception to March 2022. Thirteen studies providing nineteen relevant datasets were included. Study quality was mixed (62 % considered low quality). In the primary analysis, RMR in people with SMI did not differ from matched controls (n 2, standardised mean difference (SMD) = 0·58, 95 % CI −1·01, 2·16, P = 0·48, I 2 = 92 %). Most predictive equations overestimated RMR. The Mifflin–St. Jeor equation appeared to be most accurate (n 5, SMD = −0·29, 95 % CI −0·73, 0·14, P = 0·19, I 2 = 85 %). There were no significant changes in RMR after antipsychotic administration (n 4, SMD = 0·17, 95 % CI −0·21, 0·55, P = 0·38, I 2 = 0 %). There is little evidence to suggest there is a difference in RMR between people with SMI and people without when matched for age, sex, BMI and body mass, or that commencement of antipsychotic medication alters RMR.

Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) has received attention as a postoperative patient-reported outcome measure. Preoperative nutritional status has negative effects on postoperative outcomes; however, these associations have not yet been investigated. We included inpatients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent elective abdominal cancer surgery under general anaesthesia between 1 June 2021 and 7 April 2022 at our hospital. Preoperative nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF), and patients with an MNA-SF score ≤ 11 were categorised into the poor nutritional group. The outcomes in this study were the QoR-15 scores at 2 d, 4 d and 7 d after surgery, which were compared between groups by unpaired t test. Multiple regression analysis was applied to assess the effects of poor preoperative nutritional status on the QoR-15 score on postoperative day 2 (POD 2). Of the 230 included patients, 33·9 % (78/230) were categorised into the poor nutritional status group. The mean QoR-15 value was significantly lower in the poor nutritional group than in the normal nutritional group at all postoperative time points (POD 2:117 v. 99, P = 0·002; POD 4:124 v. 113, P < 0·001; POD 7:133 v. 115, P < 0·001). Multiple analyses showed that poor preoperative nutritional status was associated with the QoR-15 score on POD 2 (adjusted partial regression coefficient, −7·8; 95 % CI −14·9, −0·72). We conclude that patients with a poor preoperative nutritional status were more likely to have a lower QoR-15 score after abdominal cancer surgery.

With the recent growing interest in improving fruit and vegetable intake for better health and limited research resources in many settings, simple-to-administer and low-priced indicators are essential tools for monitoring fruit and vegetable intake at the population level. A potential candidate indicator is the fruit and vegetable component of the Global Dietary Recommendation score (FV-GDR) based on data collected using the Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ). We investigated the relative validity of FV-GDR collected with the DQQ to measure fruit and vegetable intake by comparison with a 24-h recall (24hR) as a reference collected from 620 Vietnamese and 630 Nigerian adults in 2021. We found proportional differences in the prevalence of intake of vitamin A-rich vegetables, other vegetables and other fruits in Vietnam and all vegetable food groups in Nigeria. In both countries, we found a small difference in the total FV-GDR from DQQ compared with the 24hR, and the percentage of agreement between the two methods was quite high for the majority of the food groups. The FV-GDR calculated from the DQQ correlated with the actual intake, although less strongly than the FV-GDR from 24hR. The DQQ is a promising low-burden, low-cost and simple tool to calculate FV-GDR and to monitor fruit and vegetable consumption at the population level. This provides the possibility of evaluating an important aspect of diet quality in low-resource settings.

Menaquinone-7 (MK-7), a multipotent vitamin K2, possesses a wide range of biological activities, a precise curative effect and excellent safety. A simple and rapid LC-APCI-MS/MS method for the determination of MK-7 in human plasma with single liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) extraction and 4·5-min analysis time has been developed and validated. Four per cent bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as surrogate matrix for standard curves and endogenous baseline subtraction. This method was reproducible and reliable and was used to analyse of MK-7 in human plasma. The endogenous circadian rhythm and bioavailability of MK-7 were investigated in two randomised single-dose, open, one-way clinical trials (Study I and Study II). A total of five healthy male subjects were enrolled in Study I and 12 healthy male subjects in Study II. Single-dose (1 mg) of MK-7 was given to each subject under fasting condition, and all eligible subjects were given a restricting VK2 diet for 4 d prior to drug administration and during the trial. The experiment results of Study I demonstrated that endogenous MK-7 has no circadian rhythm in individuals. Both studies showed MK-7 are absorbed with peak plasma concentrations at about 6 h after intake and has a very long half-life time.

We aimed to identify temporal patterns of energy intake and investigate their association with adiposity. We performed a cross-sectional study of 775 adults in Iran. Information about eating occasions across the day was collected by three 24-h dietary recalls. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify temporal eating patterns based on whether or not an eating occasion occurred within each hour of the day. We applied binary logistic regression to estimate the OR and 95 % CI of overweight and obesity (defined as BMI of 25–29·9 and ≥ 30 kg/m2, respectively) across temporal eating patterns while controlling for potential confounders. LCA grouped participants into three exclusive sub-groups named ‘Conventional’, ‘Earlier breakfast’ and ‘Later lunch’. The ‘Conventional’ class was characterised by high probability of eating occasions at conventional meal times. ‘Earlier breakfast’ class was characterised by high probability of a breakfast eating occasion 1 h before the conventional pattern and a dinner eating occasion 1 h after the conventional pattern, and the ‘Later lunch’ class was characterised by a high probability of a lunch eating occasion 1 h after the conventional pattern. Participants in the ‘Earlier breakfast’ pattern had a lower likelihood of obesity (adjusted OR: 0·56, 95 % CI: 0·35, 0·95) as compared with the ‘Conventional’ pattern. There was no difference in the prevalence of obesity or overweight between participants in the ‘Later lunch’ and the ‘Conventional’ patterns. We found an inverse association between earlier eating pattern and the likelihood of obesity, but reverse causation may be a plausible explanation.

Consumption of traditional foods is decreasing amid a lifestyle transition in Greenland as incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases. In homozygous carriers of a TBC1D4 variant, conferring postprandial insulin resistance, the risk of T2D is markedly higher. We investigated the effects of traditional marine diets on glucose homoeostasis and cardio-metabolic health in Greenlandic Inuit carriers and non-carriers of the variant in a randomised crossover study consisting of two 4-week dietary interventions: Traditional (marine-based, low-carbohydrate) and Western (high in imported meats and carbohydrates). Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT, 2-h), 14-d continuous glucose and cardio-metabolic markers were assessed to investigate the effect of diet and genotype. Compared with the Western diet, the Traditional diet reduced mean and maximum daily blood glucose by 0·17 mmol/l (95 % CI 0·05, 0·29; P = 0·006) and 0·26 mmol/l (95 % CI 0·06, 0·46; P = 0·010), respectively, with dose-dependency. Furthermore, it gave rise to a weight loss of 0·5 kg (95 % CI; 0·09, 0·90; P = 0·016) relative to the Western diet and 4 % (95 % CI 1, 9; P = 0·018) lower LDL:HDL-cholesterol, which after adjustment for weight loss appeared to be driven by HDL elevation (0·09 mmol/l (0·03, 0·15), P = 0·006). A diet–gene interaction was indicated on insulin sensitivity in the OGTT (p = 0·093), which reflected a non-significant increase of 1·4 (–0·6, 3·5) mmol/l in carrier 2-h glucose. A Traditional diet marginally improved daily glycaemic control and plasma lipid profile compared with a Westernised diet in Greenlandic Inuit. Possible adverse effects on glucose tolerance in carriers of the TBC1D4 variant warrant further studies.

We evaluated the effects of two low-energy diets with different glycaemic loads on arterial stiffness in adults with excess weight. This was a 45-day parallel-group, randomised clinical trial including seventy-five participants (20–59 years; BMI 32 kg/m2). They were assigned to two similar low-energy diets (reduction of ∼750 kcal.d−1) with macronutrient composition (55 % carbohydrates, 20 % proteins and 25 % lipids) but different glycaemic loads: high-glycaemic load (HGL 171 g.d−1; n 36) or low-glycaemic load (LGL 67 g.d−1; n 39). We evaluated: arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity, PWV); augmentation index (AIx@75); reflection coefficient; fasting blood glucose; fasting lipid profile; blood pressure and body composition. We found no improvements in PWV (P = 0·690) and AIx@75 (P = 0·083) in both diet groups, but there was a decrease in the reflection coefficient in the LGL group (P = 0·003) compared with baseline. The LGL diet group showed reductions in body weight (Δ –4·9 kg; P = 0·001), BMI (Δ –1·6 kg/m2; P = 0·001), waist circumference (Δ –3·1 cm; P = 0·001), body fat (Δ –1·8 %; P = 0·034), as well as TAG (Δ –14·7 mg/dl; P = 0·016) and VLDL (Δ –2·8 mg/dl; P = 0·020). The HGL diet group showed a reduction in total cholesterol (Δ –14·6 mg/dl; P = 0·001), LDL (Δ –9·3 mg/dl; P = 0·029) but a reduction in HDL (Δ –3·7 mg/dl; P = 0·002). In conclusion, a 45-day intervention with low-energy HGL or LGL diets in adults with excess weight was not effective to improve arterial stiffness. However, the LGL diet intervention was associated with a reduction of reflection coefficient and improvements in body composition, TAG and VLDL levels.

Studying factors that contribute to our understanding of maintaining normal energy balance are of paramount significance following spinal cord injury (SCI). Accurate determination of energy needs is crucial for providing nutritional guidance and managing the increasing prevalence of malnutrition or obesity after SCI. BMR represents 75–80 % of the total energy expenditure in persons with SCI. Accurately measuring BMR is an important component for calculating total energetic needs in this population. Indirect calorimetry is considered the gold-standard technique for measuring BMR. However, technical challenges may limit its applications in large cohort studies and alternatively rely on prediction equations. Previous work has shown that BMR changes in response to disuse and exercise in the range of 15–120 %. Factors including sex, level of injury and type of assistive devices may influence BMR after SCI. RMR is erroneously used interchangeably for BMR, which may result in overestimation of energetic intake when developing nutritional plans. To address this concern, we comprehensively reviewed studies that conducted BMR (n=15) and RMR (n=22) in persons with SCI. The results indicated that RMR is 9 % greater than BMR in persons with SCI. Furthermore, the SCI-specific prediction equations that incorporated measures of fat-free mass appeared to accurately predict BMR. Overall, the current findings highlighted the significance of measuring BMR as well as encouraging the research and clinical community to effectively establish countermeasures to combat obesity after SCI.

Breast milk leptin plays a potential role in preventing childhood obesity. However, the associations of breast milk leptin with maternal metabolism in pregnancy and dietary patterns during lactation are still unclear. We aimed to explore associations of breast milk leptin with maternal metabolic profiles in pregnancy and dietary patterns during lactation. A total of 332 participants were recruited for this retrospective cohort study. Breast milk samples were collected at approximately 6 weeks postpartum. Breast milk leptin and twenty-three metabolic profiles in pregnancy were measured in this study. A semi-quantitative FFQ was used to gather dietary information during lactation. Both principal component analysis and the diet balance index were used to derive dietary patterns. Among twenty-three maternal metabolic profiles, maternal serum glucose (β = 1·61, P = 0·009), γ-glutamyl transferase (β = 0·32, P = 0·047) and albumin (β = −2·96, P = 0·044) in pregnancy were correlated with breast milk leptin. All dietary patterns were associated with breast milk leptin. Given the joint effects of maternal metabolism in pregnancy and dietary patterns during lactation, only diet quality distance was significantly associated with leptin concentrations in breast milk (low level v. almost no diet problem: β = −0·46, P = 0·011; moderate/high level v. almost no diet problem: β = −0·43, P = 0·035). In conclusion, both maternal metabolism in pregnancy and dietary patterns during lactation were associated with breast milk leptin. Maternal diet balance during lactation was helpful to improve breast milk leptin concentration.

In this study, the heavy metal (Al, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sn, Pb and Hg) concentrations were determined in a total of seventy-two infant formula samples manufactured by sixteen different brands in Türkiye. During the analyses, inductively coupled plasma MS was used in evaluating the nutritional profile and the toxicological risk associated with the consumption of these products. Given the analysis results, the highest Pb content was found in milk-based ‘beginner’ formulas (0–6 months, three samples) packed in metal containers. The highest concentration of Mn was found in powdered infant formula (Brand 3) that is suitable for 9–12-month-olds. Mn level was found to be above the limit values in nine samples (12·5 %). Cd level exceeded the limit values in two infant formula samples of Brand 3 (0·038 µg/g) and Brand 15 (0·023 µg/g). Therefore, the mean Cd concentration found here reaches the maximum limit set by the European Union commission legislation. Cu was detected in all infant formulas. The highest concentration was determined in Brand 1 (9–12 months, seven samples) and found to be 2·637 (sd 1·928) µg/g. This value is much higher than the reference values set in the national and international standards. Based on the results achieved here, the estimated daily intake (EDI) and target hazard quotient values for all the metals in infant formulas were found lower than < 1. These findings suggest that the baby foods examined would not pose any health risk. The daily intakes exceeding the baby nutrition values recommended by the WHO would pose health risk since they would exceed the EDI levels.