The role of fats in the transition to sustainable diets

Trans fatty acids and saturated fatty acids in margarines and spreads in Kazakhstan: Study period 2015-2021

Oil and other fat rich products such as some processed foods can contain unhealthy amounts of trans fatty acids (TFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA). Diets rich in TFA have been linked to coronary artery disease. It is necessary to quantify and police the type of fat in foods to assess its risk. For the first time, this study quantifies the TFA content in margarines and spreads sold in the Kazakhstan markets in the period from 2015 to 2021. Fatty acid composition, and importantly TFA levels, were determined in 6 brands of margarines and 5 brands of spreads used in the food industry and by consumers directly in 2015-2017, and in 23 brands of margarines and 23 brands of spreads from 2018 to 2021. The study margarines and spreads had 20.0 ± 0.02 % TFA on average until 2018. In contrast, in the period 2018-2021, the TFA average content was 14.2 ± 0.06 % in margarines, and 10.6 ± 0.05 % in spreads, which is still 7.4 and 6 times higher than the regulatory requirements of the Customs Union (Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan) and the EU, respectively. The strong cause effect between TFA and cardiovascular diseases urges Kazakhstan and other countries to reduce TFA in commercial products. It also encourages research and implementation of technical measures to provide healthy food products that effectively comply with national and international regulations regarding TFA content. The aim of the study was to analyze changes in the quality of solid fat products produced in Kazakhstan over time, particularly after the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union came into effect on January 1, 2018.

Healthiness of Meat-Based Products in Comparison to Their Plant-Based Alternatives in the UK Market: A Packaging Evaluation

This study evaluated the healthiness of meat products (n = 62) and their plant-based (PB) counterparts (n = 62) available in the UK market. Back-of-pack (BoP) and front-of-pack (FoP) nutrition label information, nutrition and health claims, and nutrient profiling model scores were compared. BoP labels revealed that meat products had higher protein, fat, and saturated fat content (p = 0.029), whilst PB alternatives were higher in dietary fibre and carbohydrates (p < 0.001). Red colour coding (FoP) for fat and saturated fat ('high') was more prominent in meat products (23 and 35%, respectively), and the red meat category had the most products with high fat and saturated fat content. Only 15% of meat products made nutrition claims compared to 40% of PB alternatives, and none included health claims. Most red meat PB alternatives made a nutrition claim, all related to the protein content (34%). The nutrient profiling model indicated that 74% of the PB alternatives were 'healthy' compared to 60% of the meat products. No association was found between the product type (meat/PB) and healthiness, except for the red meat products, which showed a significant negative association (p = 0.005), suggesting that these products corresponded to less healthy options. Therefore, PB alternatives can be considered as healthier substitutes for meat products.

Maize genotypes with favourable dgat1-2 and fatb alleles possess stable high kernel oil and better fatty acid health and nutritive indices

Diverse uses of maize oil attracted various stakeholders, including food, feed, and bioenergy, highlighting the increased demand for sustainable production. Here, 48 diverse sub-tropical maize genotypes varying for dgat1-2 and fatb genes governing oil attributes, were evaluated in three diverse locations to assess trends of oil content, fatty acid (FA) profile, the effect of environment on oil attributes, the impact of different gene combinations and determine FA health and nutritional properties. The genotypes revealed wide variation in oil content (OC: 3.4-6.8 %) and FA compositional traits, namely palmitic (PA, 11.3-24.1 %), oleic (OA, 21.5-42.7 %), linoleic (LA, 36.6-61.7 %), and linolenic (ALA, 0.7-2.3 %) acids. Double-mutants with both favourable alleles (dd/ff) exhibited 51.6 % higher oil, 33.2 % higher OA, and 30.2 % reduced PA compared to wild-types (d+d+/f+f+) across locations. These double-mutants had lower saturated FA (12.2 %), and higher unsaturated FA (87.0 %), indicating reduced susceptibility to autooxidation, with lower atherogenicity (0.14), thrombogenicity (0.27) and peroxidisability (48.15), higher cholesterolemic index (7.16), optimum oxidability (5.27) and higher nutritive-value-index (3.35) compared to d+d+/f+f+, making them promising for significant health and nutritional benefits. Locally adapted stable novel double-mutants with high-oil and better FA properties identified here can expedite the maize breeding programs, meeting production demands and addressing long-standing challenges for breeders.

Feeding sows milk biofortified with n-6 and n-3 modulates immune status of sows and drives positive transgenerational effects

The risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammation, obesity, and autoimmune disease is linked to the quality of dietary fats, with lower intake of saturated and higher intake of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) considered beneficial to health. This study investigated the effect of supplementing sows' diets with cow's milk biofortified with n-6 or n-3 PUFA, at varying n-6/n-3 ratios (8.26, 7.92, and 2.72) during their growing phase and throughout gestation and lactation on their reproductive performance and immune-inflammatory status. Specifically, we analyzed circulating cholesterol and fatty acid profiles of serum, colostrum and milk, sow body weight, and neonate colostrum intake, Apgar scores, muscle composition, and embryo viability. Analysis of circulating immunoglobulins (Ig), interleukins, and eicosanoids and complement system hemolytic activity were used to evaluate inflammatory and immune responses of sows and piglets. Expression of lipolysis and lipogenic genes in the liver were investigated in sows and piglets, with additional investigation of hypothalamus genes regulating appetite in sows. Feeding sows milk biofortified with n-6 and n-3 PUFA altered serum fatty acid profiles, reduced triglycerides (TG), increased embryo total number, increased early gestation backfat, and reduced colostrum IgG. Piglets of biofortified sow had higher circulating IgA, IgM and TNF-α, and lower IL-10. Sows fed n-3 biofortified milk had higher very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and TNF-α in circulation. Offspring from sows fed n-6 versus n-3 biofortified milk had lower IL-10 and expression levels of SREBP-1. N-3 versus n-6 also lowered arachidonic acid (ARA) levels in sow's milk and piglet viability 1. Findings offer insights into the potential health benefits of dietary supplementation with biofortified milk in swine, which serve as good model of diet-nutrition studies of humans, and therefore can potentially be considered in dietary recommendations both human and animal populations.

Association of cooking oil and incident of frailty in older adults: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Studies examining the potential association between cooking oil and frailty risk in older adults have produced conflicting outcomes. Therefore, our objective was to explore the relationship between cooking oil (vegetable and animal fat oils), changes in oil usage, and the risk of frailty in older adults.

METHODS

We included 4,838 participants aged ≥ 65 years without frailty (frailty index < 0.25) from the 2011 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Follow-up occurred in the 2014 and 2018 waves. Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to examine the association between cooking oil and frailty. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of switching cooking oil on frailty during the follow-up period.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 3.0 (2.8-6.9) years, 1,348 individuals (27.9%) developed frailty. Compared to those using vegetable oil, users of animal fat oil had a lower risk of frailty (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.61-0.85). Participants who switched from vegetable oil to animal fat oil, as well as those consistently using animal fat oil, had lower risks of frailty with HRs of 0.70 (0.52-0.95) and 0.63 (0.51-0.77) respectively, compared to those who consistently used vegetable oil. Conversely, individuals who switched from animal fat oil to vegetable oil experienced an increased risk of frailty (HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.01-1.97).

CONCLUSIONS

The utilization of animal fat oil in cooking exhibited a reduced frailty risk among older adults. Conversely, transitioning from animal fat oil to vegetable oil may elevate the risk. These findings propose that substituting vegetable oil with animal fat oil in the diet may safeguard against frailty.

Multilocus functional characterization of indigenous and exotic inbreds for dgat1-2, fatb, ge2 and wri1a genes affecting kernel oil and fatty acid profile in maize

Demand for maize oil is progressively increasing due to its diverse industrial applications, aside from its primary role in human nutrition and animal feed. Oil content and composition are two crucial determinants of maize oil in the international market. As kernel oil in maize is a complex quantitative trait, improving this trait presents a challenge for plant breeders and biotechnologists. Here, we characterized a set of 292 diverse maize inbreds of both indigenous and exotic origin by exploiting functional polymorphism of the dgat1-2, fatb, ge2, and wri1a genes governing kernel oil in maize. Genotyping using gene-based functional markers revealed a lower frequencies of dgat1-2 (0.15) and fatb (0.12) mutant alleles and a higher frequencies of wild-type alleles (Dgat1-2: 0.85; fatB: 0.88). The favorable wri1a allele was conserved across genotypes, while its wild-type allele (WRI1a) was not detected. In contrast, none of the genotypes possessed the ge2 favorable allele. The frequency of favorable alleles of both dgat1-2 and fatb decreased to 0.03 when considered together. Furthermore, pairwise protein-protein interactions among target gene products were conducted to understand the effect of one protein on another and their responses to kernel oil through functional enrichments. Thus, the identified maize genotypes with dgat1-2, fatb, and wri1a favourable alleles, along with insights gained through the protein-protein association network, serve as prominent and unique genetic resources for high-oil maize breeding programs. This is the first comprehensive report on the functional characterization of diverse genotypes at the molecular and protein levels.

The Effects of Natural Product-Derived Extracts for Longitudinal Bone Growth: An Overview of In Vivo Experiments

Approximately 80% of children with short stature are classified as having Idiopathic Short Stature (ISS). While growth hormone (GH) treatment received FDA approval in the United States in 2003, its long-term impact on final height remains debated. Other treatments, like aromatase inhibitors, metformin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), have been explored, but there is no established standard treatment for ISS. In South Korea and other Asian countries, East Asian Traditional Medicine (EATM) is sometimes employed by parents to potentially enhance their children's height growth, often involving herbal medicines. One such product, Astragalus membranaceus extract mixture HT042, claims to promote height growth in children and has gained approval from the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). Research suggests that HT042 supplementation can increase height growth in children without skeletal maturation, possibly by elevating serum IGF-1 and IGF-binding protein-3 levels. Preclinical studies also indicate the potential benefits of natural products, including of EATM therapies for ISS. The purpose of this review is to offer an overview of bone growth factors related to ISS and to investigate the potential of natural products, including herbal preparations, as alternative treatments for managing ISS symptoms, based on their known efficacy in in vivo studies.

Recent progress in plant-derived polysaccharides with prebiotic potential for intestinal health by targeting gut microbiota: a review

Natural products of plant origin are of high interest and widely used, especially in the food industry, due to their low toxicity and wide range of bioactive properties. Compared to other plant components, the safety of polysaccharides has been generally recognized. As dietary fibers, plant-derived polysaccharides are mostly degraded in the intestine by polysaccharide-degrading enzymes secreted by gut microbiota, and have potential prebiotic activity in both non-disease and disease states, which should not be overlooked, especially in terms of their involvement in the treatment of intestinal diseases and the promotion of intestinal health. This review elucidates the regulatory effects of plant-derived polysaccharides on gut microbiota and summarizes the mechanisms involved in targeting gut microbiota for the treatment of intestinal diseases. Further, the structure-activity relationships between different structural types of plant-derived polysaccharides and the occurrence of their prebiotic activity are further explored. Finally, the practical applications of plant-derived polysaccharides in food production and food packaging are summarized and discussed, providing important references for expanding the application of plant-derived polysaccharides in the food industry or developing functional dietary supplements.

Bone fragility during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of macro- and micronutrients

Bone fragility is the susceptibility to fracture due to poor bone strength. This condition is usually associated with aging, comorbidities, disability, poor quality of life, and increased mortality. International guidelines for the management of patients with bone fragility include a nutritional approach, mainly aiming at optimal protein, calcium, and vitamin D intakes. Several biomechanical features of the skeleton, such as bone mineral density (BMD), trabecular and cortical microarchitecture, seem to be positively influenced by micro- and macronutrient intake. Patients with major fragility fractures are usually poor consumers of dairy products, fruit, and vegetables as well as of nutrients modulating gut microbiota. The COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated the health status of patients with skeletal fragility, also in terms of unhealthy dietary patterns that might adversely affect bone health. In this narrative review, we discuss the role of macro- and micronutrients in patients with bone fragility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dynamics of mitochondrial adaptation and energy metabolism in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in response to sustainable diet and temperature

Impacts of plant-based ingredients and temperatures on energy metabolism in rainbow trout was investigated. A total of 288 fish (mean body weight: 45.6 g) were fed four isocaloric, isolipidic, and isonitrogenous diets containing 40% protein and 20% lipid and formulated as 100% animal-based protein (AP) and a blend of 50% fish oil (FO) and 50% camelina oil (CO); 100% AP and100% CO; 100% plant-based protein (PP) and a blend of 50% FO and 50% CO or 100% PP and 100% CO at 14 or 18 °C for 150 d. Diet did not significantly affect weight gain (WG) (P = 0.1902), condition factor (CF) (P = 0.0833) or specific growth rate (SGR) (P = 0.1511), but diet significantly impacted both feed efficiency (FE) (P = 0.0076) and feed intake (FI) (P = 0.0076). Temperature did not significantly affect WG (P = 0.1231), FE (P = 0.0634), FI (P = 0.0879), CF (P = 0.8277), or SGR (P = 0.1232). The diet × temperature interaction did not significantly affect WG (P = 0.7203), FE (P = 0.4799), FI (P = 0.2783), CF (P = 0.5071), or SGR (P = 0.7429). Furthermore, temperature did not influence protein efficiency ratio (P = 0.0633), lipid efficiency ratio (P = 0.0630), protein productive value (P = 0.0756), energy productive value (P = 0.1048), and lipid productive value (P = 0.1386); however, diet had significant main effects on PER (P = 0.0076), LPV (P = 0.0075), and PPV (P = 0.0138). Temperature regimens induced increased activities of mitochondrial complexes I (P = 0.0120), II (P = 0.0008), III (P = 0.0010), IV (P < 0.0001), V (P < 0.0001), and citrate synthase (CS) (P < 0.0001) in the intestine; complexes I (P < 0.0001), II (P < 0.0001), and CS (P = 0.0122) in the muscle; and complexes I (P < 0.0001), II (P < 0.0001), and III (P < 0.0001) in the liver. Similarly, dietary composition significantly affected complexes I (P < 0.0001), II (P < 0.0001), IV (P < 0.0001), V (P < 0.0001), and CS (P < 0.0001) in the intestine; complexes I (P < 0.0001), II (P < 0.0001), III (P = 0.0002), IV (P < 0.0001), V (P = 0.0060), and CS (P < 0.0001) in the muscle; and complexes I (P < 0.0001), II (P < 0.0001), IV (P < 0.0001), V (P < 0.0001), and CS (P < 0.0001) in the liver activities except complex III activities in intestine (P = 0.0817) and liver (P = 0.4662). The diet × temperature interaction impacted CS activity in the intestine (P = 0.0010), complex II in the muscle (P = 0.0079), and complexes I (P = 0.0009) and II (P = 0.0348) in the liver. Overall, comparing partial to full dietary substitution of FO with CO, partial dietary replacement showed similar effects on complex activities.

Dietary approach for management of Type-2 diabetes: An overview of glycemic indices of commonly consumed foods in Nigeria

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus is on the increase, and Africa, particularly Nigeria is not left out. The management of the disease using a diabetes drug is often a hard choice to make for many. Information on the right food is inevitably important, as eating some type of food and avoiding or limiting some could help manage diabetes. Therefore, this study investigated glycemic indices of commonly consumed staples in Nigeria.

METHODS

Databases like PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google scholars, African journal online and Nigerian journal online was used to search for relevant information. Keywords like: nutritional management, diabetes in Nigeria, quality of life, prevalence, glycemic index, foods and diabetes, macronutrients and diabetes, were used separately or combined to obtain the relevant information.

RESULTS

Findings from literature search revealed that the glycemic indices of many staples such as Rice dough (Tuwo shinkafa), maize dough (tuwo masara), millet dough (tuwo gero), yam/cassava flour (amala), pounded fermented cassava (fufu, akpu), garri (eba), african salad (abacha), pounded yam (ema, iyan), rice (shinkafa, isesi), beans (wake, ewa, Agwa), and plantain (Ojoko, Ogbagba, Ogede) that are consumed in different parts of Nigeria are high (75.0%-97.0%). However, available information revealed that less commonly consumed foods like, Maize pudding (igbangwu), dried beef floss (dambu), Fonio (acha), bean pudding (moi-moi) and Tom Brownvita (Turnbrown) exhibit lower glycemic indices (14.1%-52.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the few among several local foods in Nigeria that are low in glycemic indices that could be useful in the management of Type-2 diabetes. However, these foods may require further certification by appropriate authorities and agencies to enable persons with diabetes, particularly in Nigeria make informed choices on the right food to consume.

Climate-friendly and nutrition-sensitive interventions can close the global dietary nutrient gap while reducing GHG emissions

Sustainable food systems require malnutrition and climate change to be addressed in parallel. Here, we estimate the non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions resulting from closing the world's dietary nutrient gap-that between country-level nutrient supply and population requirements-for energy, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and folate under five climate-friendly intervention scenarios in 2030. We show that improving crop and livestock productivity and halving food loss and waste can close the nutrient gap with up to 42% lower emissions (3.03 Gt CO2eq yr-1) compared with business-as-usual supply patterns with a persistent nutrient gap (5.48 Gt CO2eq yr-1). Increased production and trade of vegetables, eggs, and roots and tubers can close the nutrient gap with the lowest emissions in most countries-with ≤23% increase in total caloric production required for 2030 relative to 2015. We conclude that the world's nutrient gap could be closed without exceeding global climate targets and without drastic changes to national food baskets.

Major dietary lipids in nutrition and health

In this chapter, an overview of the major lipids in the diet with emphasis in nutritional aspects is provided. Triacylglycerols, i.e., glycerol esterified with three fatty acids, are the predominant constituents in dietary lipids. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the nature and nutritional significance of the main fatty acids in the diet and their possible modifications during food processing and commercialization. The main fatty acids in dietary lipids are grouped into saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Nutritional implications, the latest intervention trials and health recommendations will be discussed. A brief description of the major sources of lipids in the diet is included, oils and fats standing out. Other food sources shortly commented are milk and dairy products, meat, poultry and eggs, fish, and structured lipids designed to improve functional and nutritional properties. Modifications of fatty acids as a result of processing and commercialization are discussed because of their great relevance for their health implications, especially oxidation compounds and trans fatty acids.

Agroecological practices in combination with healthy diets can help meet EU food system policy targets

Agroecology has been proposed as a strategy to improve food system sustainability, but has also been criticised for using land inefficiently. We compared five explorative storylines, developed in a stakeholder process, for future food systems in the EU to 2050. We modelled a range of biophysical (e.g., land use and food production), environmental (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions) and social indicators, and potential for regional food self-sufficiency, and investigated the economic policy needed to reach these futures by 2050. Two contrasting storylines for upscaling agroecological practices emerged. In one, agroecology was implemented to produce high-value products serving high-income consumers through trade but, despite 40% of agricultural area being under organic management, only two out of eight EU environmental policy targets were met. As diets followed current trends in this storyline, there were few improvements in environmental indicators compared with the current situation, despite large-scale implementation of agroecological farming practices. This suggests that large-scale implementation of agroecological practices without concurrent changes on the demand side could aggravate existing environmental pressures. However, our second agroecological storyline showed that if large-scale diffusion of agroecological farming practices were implemented alongside drastic dietary change and waste reductions, major improvements on environmental indicators could be achieved and all relevant EU policy targets met. An alternative storyline comprising sustainable intensification in combination with dietary change and waste reductions was efficient in meeting targets related to climate, biodiversity, ammonia emissions, and use of antibiotics, but did not meet targets for reductions in pesticide and fertiliser use. These results confirm the importance of dietary change for food system climate change mitigation. Economic modelling showed a need for drastic changes in consumer preferences towards more plant-based, agroecological and local foods, and for improvements in technology, for these storylines to be realised, as very high taxes and tariffs would otherwise be needed.

Dietary Fats, Human Nutrition and the Environment: Balance and Sustainability

Dietary fats are essential ingredients of a healthy diet. Their production, however, impacts the environment and its capacity to sustain us. Growing knowledge across multiple disciplines improves our understanding of links between food, health and sustainability, but increases apparent complexity. Whereas past dietary guidelines placed limits on total fat intake especially saturated fats, recent studies indicate more complex links with health. Guidelines differ between regions of general poverty and malnutrition and those where obesity is a growing problem. Optimization of production to benefit health and environmental outcomes is hindered by limited data and shared societal goals. We lack a detailed overview of where fats are being produced, and their environmental impacts. Furthermore, the yields of different crops, for producing oils or feeding animals, and the associated land needs for meeting oil demands, differ greatly. To illuminate these matters, we review current discourse about the nutritional aspects of edible fats, summarize the inferred environmental implications of their production and identify knowledge gaps.

The Role of Macronutrients, Micronutrients and Flavonoid Polyphenols in the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is considered an age-related disorder of the skeletal system, characterized primarily by decreased bone mineral density (BMD), microstructural quality and an elevated risk of fragility fractures. This silent disease is increasingly becoming a global epidemic due to an aging population and longer life expectancy. It is known that nutrition and physical activity play an important role in skeletal health, both in achieving the highest BMD and in maintaining bone health. In this review, the role of macronutrients (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates), micronutrients (minerals—calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, as well as vitamins—D, C, K) and flavonoid polyphenols (quercetin, rutin, luteolin, kaempferol, naringin) which appear to be essential for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, are characterized. Moreover, the importance of various naturally available nutrients, whether in the diet or in food supplements, is emphasized. In addition to pharmacotherapy, the basis of osteoporosis prevention is a healthy diet rich mainly in fruits, vegetables, seafood and fish oil supplements, specific dairy products, containing a sufficient amount of all aforementioned nutritional substances along with regular physical activity. The effect of diet alone in this context may depend on an individual’s genotype, gene-diet interactions or the composition and function of the gut microbiota.