Intake of fried foods is associated with obesity in the cohort of Spanish adults from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

Fried food consumption, genetic risk, and incident obesity: a prospective study

Background and aims: Genetic and dietary factors contribute to adiposity risk, but little evidence supports genetic personalization of fried food intake recommendations for the management of obesity. This study aimed to assess the associations between fried food consumption and adiposity incidence and whether the associations were modified by an individual's genotype. Methods: We included 27 427 participants who had dietary data assessed by a validated 24 h dietary recall and available anthropometric information from the UK Biobank study. The genetic risk score (GRS) was calculated using 940 BMI associated variants. Results: With an average of 8.1 years of follow-up, 1472 and 2893 participants were defined as having overall obesity and abdominal obesity, respectively. Individuals in the highest categories of fried food consumption were positively associated with the risk of obesity (HR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.10-1.56) and abdominal obesity (HR = 1.27; 95% CI 1.12-1.45) compared with the lowest categories. Moreover, fried food consumption had a significant interatction with obesity GRS for abdominal obesity risk (P interaction = 0.016). Fried food intake was associated with a higher abdominal obesity risk (HR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.25-2.00) among participants with a lower genetic risk. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that fried food consumption had a higher abdominal obesity risk among individuals with a lower genetic risk, suggesting the restriction of fried food intake for this group of people.

Potential Mechanisms of Precision Nutrition-Based Interventions for Managing Obesity

Precision nutrition (PN) considers multiple individual-level and environmental characteristics or variables to better inform dietary strategies and interventions for optimizing health, including managing obesity and metabolic disorders. Here, we review the evidence on potential mechanisms-including ones to identify individuals most likely to respond-that can be leveraged in the development of PN interventions addressing obesity. We conducted a review of the literature and included laboratory, animal, and human studies evaluating biochemical and genetic data, completed and ongoing clinical trials, and public programs in this review. Our analysis describes the potential mechanisms related to 6 domains including genetic predisposition, circadian rhythms, physical activity and sedentary behavior, metabolomics, the gut microbiome, and behavioral and socioeconomic characteristics, i.e., the factors that can be leveraged to design PN-based interventions to prevent and treat obesity-related outcomes such as weight loss or metabolic health as laid out by the NIH 2030 Strategic Plan for Nutrition Research. For example, single nucleotide polymorphisms can modify responses to certain dietary interventions, and epigenetic modulation of obesity risk via physical activity patterns and macronutrient intake have also been demonstrated. Additionally, we identified limitations including questions of equitable implementation across a limited number of clinical trials. These include the limited ability of current PN interventions to address systemic influences such as supply chains and food distribution, healthcare systems, racial or cultural inequities, and economic disparities, particularly when designing and implementing PN interventions in low- and middle-income communities. PN has the potential to help manage obesity by addressing intra- and inter-individual variation as well as context, as opposed to "one-size fits all" approaches though there is limited clinical trial evidence to date.

Influencia de los hábitos y los conocimientos sobre alimentación en la sobrecarga ponderal según el ámbito de residencia: estudio transversal

OBJETIVO

comprobar la influencia de los conocimientos y los hábitos alimenticios en la sobrecarga ponderal según el ámbito de residencia (urbano o rural).

MÉTODO

se administró un cuestionario a 451 personas, residentes en la zona básica de salud de Villaviciosa (Asturias, España), entre 35 y 65 años, distribuidas en zona rural y urbana, formulario compuesto por preguntas sobre datos sociodemográficos, hábitos y conocimientos nutricionales. Se calcularon frecuencias relativas (%) para las variables cualitativas, y medias aritméticas (desviaciones estándar) para las cuantitativas. Se empleó la correlación de Pearson para comprobar o descartar la relación entre la puntuación en el cuestionario de conocimientos sobre nutrición y el índice de masa corporal (IMC). Para estudiar la relación entre cada pregunta del cuestionario de hábitos y el ámbito de residencia se empleó la prueba chi-cuadrado. Para comparar las medias del IMC por ámbito se aplicó la prueba t para muestras independientes. Se realizaron regresiones logísticas para calcular las odds ratio (OR) entre la variable dependiente (sobrecarga ponderal) y las variables sociodemográficas.

RESULTADOS

la edad media de los encuestados fue de 49.96 años y el IMC promedio de 26.87 kg/m2, presentando sobrecarga ponderal el 57.6 % total. No leer las etiquetas nutricionales aumenta el riesgo de tener sobrecarga ponderal (OR = 2.2; p = 0.001); quienes consideran que comen en exceso muchas veces presentan mayor probabilidad de sobrecarga ponderal (OR = 8.6; p < 0.001); comer fuera de casa varias veces por semana (OR = 11.6; p = 0.019), así como el consumo de refrescos o zumos procesados (OR = 3.3; p = 0.013) y alcohol de baja graduación (OR = 2.8; p = 0.003) durante las comidas aumentan la probabilidad de sobrecarga ponderal.

CONCLUSIONES

los hábitos alimenticios y los patrones de actividad física son los principales responsables de sobrecarga ponderal. El adecuado conocimiento en la población puede ayudar a la elaboración de un plan preventivo que permita frenar el crecimiento del sobrepeso y la obesidad.

Influence of diet quality on nutritional status of school-aged children and adolescents in Zanzibar, Tanzania

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition among young children and adolescents poses a serious health challenge in developing countries which results in many health problems during adulthood. Poor diet quality is known as the root cause of malnutrition which is caused by unhealthy food choices and bad eating habits among young children and adolescents. However, limited evidence is available on diet quality and its association with nutrition status among young children and adolescents in Zanzibar. This study examined the diet quality and its relationship with the nutritional status of school-aged children and adolescents in Zanzibar.

METHODS

Data for this study was obtained from the cross-sectional survey of School Health and Nutrition (SHN) conducted in Zanzibar. The survey recruited children aged 5-19 years from 93 schools in Zanzibar. A seven-day food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary intake. Prime Dietary Quality Score (PDQS) consisted of 21 food groups was then constructed to assess the diet quality of school-aged children and adolescents. Body mass index (BMI-for-age Z-score) was used as the indicator of nutrition status. Both linear and logistic regression analysis techniques were used to determine the associations between BMI and PDQS.

RESULTS

A total data of 2,556 children were enrolled in the survey. The prevalence of thinness was 8.1%, normal 82.1%, overweight 7.2% and obesity 2.6%. The mean (SD) PDQS score was 18.8 (3.2) which ranged from 8 to 33. Consumptions of green leafy vegetables (49.3%), yellow or red fruits (37.8%), legumes (38.3%), fish (36.3%), and vegetable oil (31.5%) were up to three times per week, whereas consumptions of white vegetables (77.3%), cooked vegetables (32.6%), citrus fruits (66.8%), other types of fruits (66.2%), nuts (46.4%), poultry (49.6%), whole grains (61%) and eggs (67.8%) were less than once per week. In terms of unhealthy foods, eating fried foods was reported by 26.3% up to three times per week, and 31.5% reported consuming sweets and ice cream up to three times in the past week. High PDQS was significantly associated with a reduction in BMI of children (p< 0.005). For each unit increase in the consumption of unhealthy foods such as fried foods, cooked vegetables and refined grains there is a significant increase in BMI. The odds of being obese decrease significantly as diet quality increases from the first to third quintile of PDQS (AOR = 0.2, 0.04-0.89 95% CI, p = 0.035).

CONCLUSION

Consumption of high quality diet was found to be associated with a reduction in excessive weight among school-aged children and adolescents in Zanzibar. There is a need for interventions targeting to reduce unhealthy food consumption in school environment. Further research should be conducted to assess diet quality using PDQS among young children and adolescents.

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.

Bi-Directional Associations of Affective States and Diet among Low-Income Hispanic Pregnant Women Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

Affective states play a role in dietary behaviors. Yet, little research has studied within-subjects associations between affect and diet during pregnancy. We examined the acute bidirectional relationships between affect and food intake and moderation by pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) in low-income, Hispanic pregnant women using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Women (N = 57) completed four days of EMA during their first trimester. Women responded to five random prompts per day about their current affect and past two-hour food intake. Higher positive affect (PA) or lower negative affect (NA) predicted greater likelihood of fruit/vegetable consumption in the next two hours in women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI and lower likelihood in women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI. Higher PA predicted less likelihood of fast food consumption in the next two hours in women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI and slightly higher likelihood in women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI. Women with lower pre-pregnancy BMI had higher PA when they reported consuming chips/fries in the past two hours, and women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI had lower PA when they reported consumption of chips/fries in the past two hours. Results showed differential relationships between affect and food intake as a function of pre-pregnancy BMI.

Socioeconomic determinants of nutritional behaviors of households in Fars Province, Iran, 2018

Introduction

Households' dietary habits are affected by their environment and socioeconomic status (SES). This study aims to investigate eating behaviors and determine the factors affecting nutritional status in households in Fars Province in 2018.

Method

In this cross-sectional study, urban and rural households were selected using the multistage sampling method. A questionnaire was employed to interview the mother or householder to record the demographic, SES, and dietary habits of the family for major food items commonly used. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the data. The p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

In total, 6,429 households participated in the study. The majority of households use traditional flatbread, low-fat milk, and liquid/cooking oil. Frying was the most prevalent method of cooking. Parents' level of education and SES were associated with type of consumed bread, milk and dairy, methods of food preparation, adding salt at the table, eating out, and fast-food usage. Parents' higher level of education was significantly associated with salt storage in optimal conditions and not using salt before tasting the meal.

Conclusion

Most of the households had healthy practices, especially in consumption of certain oils and methods of preparing their food as well as keeping salt in an optimal condition and using iodized salt. The most important unhealthy nutritional behavior was high consumption of fast food and outdoor food, especially in urban regions. Unhealthy dietary habits were more prevalent in households with low household and regional SES. Both households and regions with higher SES had better dietary habits.

Fried food consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer: A large prospective multicenter study

Background and aims

Whether fried food consumption is associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer remains elusive. We aimed to examine this association in a US population.

Methods

A population-based cohort of 101,729 US adults was identified. Fried food consumption was assessed with a validated food frequency questionnaire. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Explanatory analyses were conducted to identify main contributor(s) to the observed association.

Results

During an average follow-up of 8.86 years (900871.2 person-years), 402 pancreatic cancer cases occurred. High consumption of total fried foods (deep-fried plus pan-fried foods; HRquartile4 vs. 1 0.71, 95% CI 0.51-0.99, P trend = 0.047) and deep-fried foods (HRquartile 4 vs. 1 0.64, 95% CI 0.47-0.88, P trend = 0.011), but not pan-fried foods (HRquartile 4 vs. 1 0.98, 95% CI 0.73-1.32; P trend = 0.815), was found to be associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer in a non-linear dose-response manner, which was not modified by predefined stratification factors and persisted in sensitivity analyses. In explanatory analyses, only chip consumption was found to be inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer; consistently, the initial significant associations between total fried food and deep-fried food consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer changed to be non-significant after omitting or further adjusting for chip consumption.

Conclusion

Consumption of deep-fried foods, but not pan-fried foods, is inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer in this US population. The role of deep-fried foods in reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer appears to be mainly attributable to chips. More studies are needed to confirm our findings in other populations and settings.

Association between dietary behaviors and depression in adolescent girls

Background

The growing prevalence of depression has become a major public health problem. There is limited evidence regarding the relationship between dietary behaviors and depression. The present study was designed to evaluate the association between dietary behaviors and depression score.

Methods

A total of 933 Iranian adolescent girls aged 12 to 18 years were included in this cross-sectional study. Depression severity score was assessed using a validated Persian version of Beck’s depression inventory. Dietary behaviors were pre-defined and assessed in ten domains using a standard questionnaire. To investigate the association between dietary behaviors and depression score, the linear regression analysis in crude and adjusted models was used.

Results

67.7% of participants had no or minimal depression symptoms and 32.3% of participants were categorized with mild-to-severe depression symptoms. There were significant inverse relationships between main meal consumption (Beta: -0.141; 95% CI: − 3.644 to − 1.000; P = 0.001), snack consumption (Beta: -0.100; 95% CI: − 2.400 to − 0.317; P = 0.002), regular meal consumption (Beta: 0.23; 95% CI: 0.13–0.42; P = 0.001) and food chewing (Beta: -0.152; 95% CI: − 2.279 to − 0.753; P = 0.03) with depression score. These associations remained significant after adjustment for confounding variables. In addition, frequency of intra-meal fluid intake (Beta: 0.096; 95% CI: 0.288 to 1.535; P = 0.004) and spicy foods consumption (Beta: 0.076; 95% CI: 0.098 to 1.508; P = 0.02) were directly associated with depression score in the crude model. These significant relations were disappeared in full adjusted model. No significant association was found between breakfast consumption, intake of fried foods, chewing ability, and tooth loss with depression score (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Significant associations were observed between specific eating behaviors with depression score. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Changes in the Global Diet Quality Score, Weight, and Waist Circumference in Mexican Women

BACKGROUND

Evidence on concurrent changes in overall diet quality and weight and waist circumference in women of reproductive age from low- and middle-income countries is limited.

OBJECTIVES

We examined the associations of changes in the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) and each GDQS food group with concurrent weight and waist circumference change in Mexican women.

METHODS

We followed prospectively 8967 nonpregnant nonlactating women aged 25-49 y in the Mexican Teachers' Cohort between 2006 and 2008. We assessed diet using an FFQ of the previous year and anthropometric measures were self-reported. Regression models were used to examine 2-y changes in the GDQS and each food group (servings/d) with weight and waist circumference changes within the same period, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors.

RESULTS

Compared with those with little change in the GDQS (-2 to 2 points), women with the largest increase in the GDQS (>5 points) had less weight (β: -0.81 kg/2 y; 95% CI: -1.11, -0.51 kg/2 y) and waist circumference gain (β: -1.05 cm/2 y; 95% CI: -1.62, -0.48 cm/2 y); likewise, women with the largest decrease in the GDQS (<-5 points) had more weight (β: 0.36 kg/2 y; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.66 kg/2 y) and waist circumference gain (β: 0.71 cm/2 y; 95% CI: 0.09, 1.32 cm/2 y). Increased intake of dark green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, deep orange vegetables, citrus fruits, and fish and shellfish was associated with less weight gain. In addition, deep orange vegetables, low fat and high fat dairy, whole grains, and fish were associated with less waist circumference gain within the 2-y period.

CONCLUSIONS

Improvements in diet quality over a 2-y period reflected by an increase in the GDQS and changes in consumption of specific components of the GDQS were associated with less weight and waist circumference gain in Mexican women.

Fish Consumption and Cardiovascular Health: A Systematic Review

Studies evaluating fish consumption and cardiovascular disease events have shown inconsistent results. We performed a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications from an extensive query of Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to September 2020 for observational studies that reported the association between fish consumption and cardiovascular disease events. We identified and reviewed 24 studies related to fish consumption and the effect on cardiovascular outcomes. The study population included a total of 714,526 individuals and multiple cohorts from several countries. We found that nonfried fish consumption is probably associated with a reduced risk of overall cardiovascular disease events and myocardial infarction risk. In contrast, fried fish consumption is probably associated with an increased risk of overall cardiovascular disease events and myocardial infarction risk. No studies to date have shown any significant association between fish consumption and stroke. Our analysis suggests that fish consumption may reduce cardiovascular disease events, but fried fish consumption was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Fried-food consumption and risk of overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension in adults: a meta-analysis of observational studies

Recent studies have reported conflicting associations of fried-food consumption and risk of overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension, and a meta-analysis is not available. We aimed to explore the association between fried-food consumption and risk of overweight/obesity, T2DM and hypertension in adults through a meta-analysis. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for studies published up to 17 June 2020. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by random-effects models. In comparing the highest to lowest fried-food intake, the pooled RRs (95% CIs) were 1.16 (1.07-1.25; I² = 71.0%, P_{heterogeneity} < 0.001) for overweight/obesity (cohort: 1.19 [0.97-1.47], n = 2; cross-sectional: 1.14 [1.03-1.27], n = 9), 1.07 (0.90-1.27; 84.7%) for T2DM (cohort: 1.01 [0.89-1.15], n = 9; case-control: 2.33 [1.80-3.01], n = 1), and 1.20 (1.05-1.38; I²=91.8%) for hypertension (cohort: 1.06 [0.98-1.15], n = 8; cross-sectional: 2.16 [0.59-7.87], n = 3). Our meta-analysis indicates fried-food consumption is associated with increased risk of overweight/obesity and hypertension but not T2DM in adults, but the findings should be interpreted with caution due to high heterogeneity and unstable subgroup analyses of this meta-analysis. More studies are warranted to investigate the total fried-food consumption and these health outcomes.

Association of Cooking Patterns with Inflammatory and Cardio-Metabolic Risk Biomarkers

Diet has been clearly associated with cardiovascular disease, but few studies focus on the influence of cooking and food preservation methods on health. The aim of this study was to describe cooking and food preservation patterns, as well as to examine their association with inflammatory and cardio-metabolic biomarkers in the Spanish adult population. A cross-sectional study of 10,010 individuals, representative of the Spanish population, aged 18 years or over was performed using data from the ENRICA study. Food consumption data were collected through a face-to-face dietary history. Cooking and food preservation patterns were identified by factor analysis with varimax rotation. Linear regression models adjusted for main confounders were built. Four cooking and food preservation patterns were identified. The Spanish traditional pattern (positively correlated with boiling and sautéing, brining, and light frying) tends to be cardio-metabolically beneficial (with a reduction in C-reactive protein (−7.69%)), except for high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), insulin levels, and anthropometrics. The health-conscious pattern (negatively correlated with battering, frying, and stewing) tends to improve renal function (with a reduction in urine albumin (−9.60%) and the urine albumin/creatinine ratio (−4.82%)). The youth-style pattern (positively correlated with soft drinks and distilled alcoholic drinks and negatively with raw food consumption) tends to be associated with good cardio-metabolic health except, for lower HDL-c (−6.12%), higher insulin (+6.35%), and higher urine albumin (+27.8%) levels. The social business pattern (positively correlated with the consumption of fermented alcoholic drinks, food cured with salt or smoke, and cured cheese) tends to be detrimental for the lipid profile (except HDL-c), renal function (urine albumin +8.04%), diastolic blood pressure (+2.48%), and anthropometrics. Cooking and food preservation patterns showed a relationship with inflammatory and cardio-metabolic health biomarkers. The Spanish traditional pattern and the health-conscious pattern were associated with beneficial effects on health and should be promoted. The youth-style pattern calls attention to some concerns, and the social business pattern was the most detrimental one. These findings support the influence of cooking and preservation patterns on health.

Fried-food consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of observational studies

OBJECTIVE

We performed a meta-analysis, including dose-response analysis, to quantitatively determine the association of fried-food consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in the general adult population.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for all articles before 11 April 2020. Random-effects models were used to estimate the summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

In comparing the highest with lowest fried-food intake, summary RRs (95% CIs) were 1.28 (1.15 to 1.43; n=17, I²=82.0%) for major cardiovascular events (prospective: 1.24 (1.12 to 1.38), n=13, I²=75.7%; case-control: 1.91 (1.15 to 3.17), n=4, I²=92.1%); 1.22 (1.07 to 1.40; n=11, I²=77.9%) for coronary heart disease (prospective: 1.16 (1.05 to 1.29), n=8, I²=44.6%; case-control: 1.91 (1.05 to 3.47), n=3, I²=93.9%); 1.37 (0.97 to 1.94; n=4, I²=80.7%) for stroke (cohort: 1.21 (0.87 to 1.69), n=3, I²=77.3%; case-control: 2.01 (1.27 to 3.19), n=1); 1.37 (1.07 to 1.75; n=4, I²=80.0%) for heart failure; 1.02 (0.93 to 1.14; n=3, I²=27.3%) for cardiovascular mortality; and 1.03 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.12; n=6, I²=38.0%) for all-cause mortality. The association was linear for major cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease and heart failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Fried-food consumption may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and presents a linear dose-response relation. However, the high heterogeneity and potential recall and misclassification biases for fried-food consumption from the original studies should be considered.

Evaluation of public knowledge and beliefs of adverse health effects of unhealthy food and knowledge and beliefs based inequalities among various socio-demographic groups in Lithuania

OBJECTIVES

The availability of information on healthy products does not ensure the empowerment of people with the knowledge on how to choose or avoid food products or dishes depending on unhealthy factors. Public knowledge and beliefs of unhealthy food effects on health needs to be evaluated so that appropriate measures can be taken to properly inform people and relevant socio-demographic groups.

METHODS

The original survey questionnaire containing questions about specific food groups and various health effects was compiled. A total of 1,007 respondents, Lithuanian residents aged 18-75 years, were surveyed in March 2019. Multilevel stratified probability sampling method was used for data representativeness.

RESULTS

Almost half of respondents (46.2%) knew that deep-fried food could cause cancer. The majority of respondents (68.4%) were aware that sugar causes obesity and 61.7% were aware that sugar increases the risk of diabetes mellitus; 41.6% (more often those living in non-rural areas) know that grilled meat may cause cancer. More than half of respondents (57.2%) (more likely those living in non-rural areas and those with a university degree) were aware that smoked meat products may cause cancer. Only 46.4% were aware of the fact that salt raises blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

CONCLUSION

Only about half of Lithuanian residents aged 18-75 were aware of the scientifically proven harmful effects of unhealthy food groups. Socio-demographic factors influence the knowledge and beliefs of the population.

Fried-Food Consumption Does Not Increase the Risk of Stroke in the Spanish Cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study

BACKGROUND

The nutritional determinants of stroke and, more specifically, the association of frying with the risk of incident stroke have rarely been studied.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to evaluate prospectively the association between the consumption of fried food and the risk of incident stroke in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study using the Spanish cohort.

METHODS

Participants included 40,328 healthy adults (62% women) aged 29-69 y at study entry who were enrolled between 1992 and 1996. Participants were followed up until 31 December, 2017, at which time incident stroke (the main outcome) was measured. The main exposure measure was the percentage of energy obtained from fried-food consumption. Sex-specific quintiles were calculated.

RESULTS

During a follow-up period of 23.5 y, 975 cases of stroke occurred (750 ischemic, 185 hemorrhagic, and 40 undetermined). Compared with those in the first (lowest) quintile of fried-food consumption, the multivariate HRs (95% CIs) of incident stroke in the consecutive quintiles were 1.05 (0.86, 1.30), 1.11 (0.90, 1.36), 1.05 (0.84, 1.31), and 0.91 (0.72, 1.15; P-trend = 0.45). There were no differences identified when subtypes of stroke were considered.

CONCLUSIONS

In this Spanish cohort, whose participants mainly used olive oil or sunflower oil when frying, the consumption of fried food was not associated with an increased risk of incident stroke.

Leading dietary determinants identified using machine learning techniques and a healthy diet score for changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in children: a longitudinal analysis

BACKGROUND

Identifying leading dietary determinants for cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors is urgent for prioritizing interventions in children. We aimed to identify leading dietary determinants for the change in CMR and create a healthy diet score (HDS) to predict CMR in children.

METHODS

We included 5676 children aged 6-13 years in the final analysis with physical examinations, blood tests, and diets assessed at baseline and one year later. CMR score (CMRS) was computed by summing Z-scores of waist circumference, an average of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, multiplying by - 1), and triglycerides. Machine learning was used to identify leading dietary determinants for CMR and an HDS was then computed.

RESULTS

The nine leading predictors for CMRS were refined grains, seafood, fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, wheat, red meat other than pork, rice, fungi and algae, and roots and tubers with the contribution ranging from 3.9 to 19.6% of the total variance. Diets high in seafood, rice, and red meat other than pork but low in other six food groups were associated with a favorable change in CMRS. The HDS was computed based on these nine dietary factors. Children with HDS ≥8 had a higher decrease in CMRS (β (95% CI): - 1.02 (- 1.31, - 0.73)), BMI (- 0.08 (- 0.16, - 0.00)), SBP (- 0.46 (- 0.58, - 0.34)), DBP (- 0.46 (- 0.58, - 0.34)), mean arterial pressure (- 0.50 (- 0.62, - 0.38)), fasting glucose (- 0.22 (- 0.32, - 0.11)), insulin (- 0.52 (- 0.71, - 0.32)), and HOMA-IR (- 0.55 (- 0.73, - 0.36)) compared to those with HDS ≦3. Improved HDS during follow-up was associated with favorable changes in CMRS, BMI, percent body fat, SBP, DBP, mean arterial pressure, HDL-C, fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR.

CONCLUSION

Diets high in seafood, rice, and red meat other than pork and low in refined grains, fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and wheat are leading healthy dietary factors for metabolic health in children. HDS is strongly predictive of CMR factors.

Consumption of food fried in olive oil and unhealthy aging in a Mediterranean country

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Fried food has usually shown neutral or detrimental effects on many chronic diseases, possibly depending on the type of food fried and the frying oil, but its relationship with unhealthy aging is unknown. We examined how changes in fried food consumption over a 3-year period were linked to unhealthy aging over 3 and 6 years.

METHODS

Prospective cohort study in Spain with 2043 individuals aged ≥60 years, recruited in 2008-2010 and followed-up to 2012 and 2015. Fried food consumption was ascertained with a validated diet history, and unhealthy aging was measured with a 52-item health deficit accumulation index.

RESULTS

Compared with participants who reduced fried food consumption, those who increased it showed less deficit accumulation over 3 years (multivariable β [95% confidence interval]: -1.45 [-2.30, -0.61]), but not over 6 years of follow-up. More 3-year deficit accumulation was observed when replacing 100 g/day of fried food with an equal amount of non-fried food (1.48 [0.59, 2.37]); corresponding values in substitution analyses were 2.03 [1.03, 3.03] for fried protein-rich food, 10.76 [5.20, 16.33] for fried eggs, and 2.06 [0.68, 3.43] for fried fish. Also, increased olive oil intake was significantly associated with less 3-year deficit accumulation (total olive oil: -1.14 [-2.07, -0.21], and olive oil with non-fried food: -0.99 [-1.89, -0.08]).

CONCLUSIONS

In a Mediterranean country, where olive oil is the most common frying medium, increased fried food consumption was associated with delayed unhealthy aging over 3 years of follow-up; consumption of olive oil and fried protein-rich food (especially eggs and fish) were its main drivers. However, these associations did not generally remain after 6 years.

Changes in Dietary Behaviours during the COVID-19 Outbreak Confinement in the Spanish COVIDiet Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether dietary behaviours of the Spanish adult population were changed during the COVID-19 outbreak confinement. For that purpose, an online questionnaire, based on 44 items including socio-demographic data, Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) Adherence Screener (MEDAS) as a reference of a healthy diet, processed foods intake, changes in their usual food choices and weight gain was distributed using social media and snowball sampling. A total of 7514 participants (37% aged below 35 years, 70.6% female, 77.9% university-level education or higher) from all the Spanish territory completed the questionnaire. Results outlined healthier dietary behaviours during the confinement when compared to previous habits. Overall, the MEDAS score (ranging from 0 to 14, whereby higher a scoring reflects greater adherence to the MedDiet) increased significantly from 6.53 ± 2 to 7.34 ± 1.93 during the confinement. Multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted for age, gender, region and other variables, showed a statistically significant higher likelihood of changing the adherence to the MedDiet (towards an increase in adherence) in those persons who decreased the intake of fried foods, snacks, fast foods, red meat, pastries or sweet beverages, but increased MedDiet-related foods such as olive oil, vegetables, fruits or legumes during the confinement. COVID-19 confinement in Spain has led to the adoption of healthier dietary habits/behaviours in the studied population, as reflected by a higher adherence to the MedDiet. This improvement, if sustained in the long-term, could have a positive impact on the prevention of chronic diseases and COVID-19-related complications.

Dietary habits, lipoprotein metabolism and cardiovascular disease: From individual foods to dietary patterns

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the first cause of mortality in Western countries. Among cardiometabolic risk factors, dyslipidemia, and especially high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations, have been extensively linked to the development and progression of atherosclerosis and to CVD events. Recent evidence has shown that the prevention of unhealthy dietary habits and sedentarism is crucial in the management of dyslipidemia. In this sense, a number of scientific societies recommend the adherence to certain healthy dietary patterns (DPs), such as the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Portfolio diet, the Vegetarian diet, the Nordic diet and low-carbohydrate diets, as well as increased physical activity between others. This nutritional and lifestyle advice could be adopted by government bodies and implemented in different health programs as a reliable way of providing health-care professionals with efficient tools to manage cardiometabolic risk factors and thus, prevent CVD. In this narrative review, we will discuss recent data about the effects of nutrition on dyslipidemia, mainly focusing on high LDL-C concentrations and other lipid particles related to atherogenic dyslipidemia such as triglycerides (TG) and non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), that are related to CVD. On the other hand, we also comment on other cardiometabolic risk factors such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), high blood pressure (HBP), inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. This review includes food groups as well as different healthy DPs.

Gender Analyses of Brazilian Parental Eating and Activity With Their Adolescents' Eating Habits

OBJECTIVE

To explore the associations between the eating habits of sons and daughters and the eating habits, sedentary behavior, and physical activity of their fathers and mothers.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey of adolescents.

SETTING

The 6 largest schools in Londrina, Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 842 adolescents, 842 mothers, and 842 fathers participated in this study.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Eating habits of adolescents and sedentary behavior, physical activity, and eating habits of their fathers and mothers, measured by questionnaire.

ANALYSIS

The associations were identified by binary logistic regression, adjusted by adolescent's age, family's socioeconomic status, parents' educational level, and the other parental behavior.

RESULTS

Independent of educational level and socioeconomic condition, mothers' eating behaviors seem to be more closely related to their adolescent children's eating behavior (vegetables, fruits, fried foods, soft drinks, and sweets [P = .001]) than fathers' behaviors (fried foods and sweets [P = .01], soft drinks [P = .001]). In addition, the behaviors of mothers were more associated to the behaviors of daughters than to the behaviors of sons (7 vs 5 associated behaviors), while behaviors of fathers were more associated with the behaviors of sons than to the behaviors of daughters (4 vs 2 associated behaviors). No associations were noted for sedentary and physical activity behavior and eating behaviors between adolescents and their parents.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Many eating habits of adolescents were associated with eating habits of both fathers and mothers, emphasizing the importance of family-focused health promotion actions. Future research is needed incorporating into the analyses, among others, the nutritional statuses and the clustering of healthy and unhealthy behaviors of parents and their children.

Association of long-term consumption of repeatedly heated mix vegetable oils in different doses and hepatic toxicity through fat accumulation

BACKGROUND

Hepatic diseases are one of the chief reasons for worldwide morbidity and mortality. The increased incidence in Asian countries is driving researchers to explore preventive ways from nature. It is more practical to go with healthy routine edibles like vegetable oils to avoid environmental and chemical hepatic injuries. With the use of thermally oxidized oils overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with overwhelmed cellular antioxidants defense system results in oxidative stress, the known cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. Little is investigated about the effect of daily used oxidized cooking oils on hepatic function changes with oxidative stress especially in the animal model that mimics the human situation.

METHODS

In this study, healthy adult male rabbits of local strain were divided into 4 groups (n = 12). First, two sets of rabbits were treated with 1 and 2 ml/kg/day of repeatedly heated mix vegetable oils (RHMVO) respectively. The third set of rabbits was given 1 ml/kg/day of single time heated mix vegetable oils (STHMVO) and the fourth set of rabbits served as controls and fed with normal rabbit diet to for 16 weeks. Serum liver function markers including total-protein, albumin, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) along with the activity of hepatic antioxidant-enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) for lipid peroxidation were compared among different groups of rabbits. Histopathological examination was performed for all four groups.

RESULTS

Significantly (p < 0.05) elevated hepatic enzymes and MDA levels, with lower total protein, serum albumin, GPx, SOD and CAT levels were found in high and low doses RHMVO treated groups, in comparison to control. In the STHMVO group, all mentioned markers were insignificantly changed. Accumulation of liver fat in low and high dose oil-treated groups was further confirmed under the microscopic examination of liver tissues, presented significant fat accumulation in liver tissues, in addition, 40-60% increased oxidative stress compared to control, in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONS

These results conclude that consumption of thermally oxidized mix vegetable oils for longer duration can impair the liver function and destroy its histological structure significantly through fat accumulation and oxidative stress both in high as well as low doses.

Dietary preferences and diabetic risk in China: A large-scale nationwide Internet data-based study

BACKGROUND

Unhealthy diet is one of the important risk factors of diabetes, which is one of the major public health problems in China. The Internet tools provide large-scale passively collected data that show people's dietary preferences and their relationship with diabetes risk.

METHODS

212 341 708 individuals' dietary preference labels were created based on Internet data from online search and shopping software. Metabolic data obtained from the 2010 China Noncommunicable Disease Surveillance, which had 98 658 participants, was used to estimate the relation between dietary preferences geographical distribution and diabetes risk.

RESULTS

Chinese dietary preferences had different geographical distribution, which is related to the local climate and consumption level. Fried food preference proportion distribution was significantly positively correlated with diabetes prevalence, hypertension prevalence and body mass index (BMI). Similarly, grilled food preference proportion distribution had significantly positive correlation with the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. In contrast, spicy food preference proportion distribution was negatively correlated with diabetes prevalence. Sweet food preference proportion distribution was positively related to diabetes prevalence. Using dietary preferences data to predict regional prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and BMI, the average values of error (95% CI) between the three paired predicted and observed values were 9.8% (6.9%-12.7%), 7.5% (5.0%-10.0%) and 1.6% (1.2%-2.0%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Fried food, grilled food, and sweet food preferences were positively related to diabetes risk whereas spicy food preference was negatively correlated with diabetes risk. Dietary preferences based on passively collected Internet data could be used to predict regional prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and BMI and showed good value for public health monitoring.

Exposure of Human Gastric Cells to Oxidized Lipids Stimulates Pathways of Amino Acid Biosynthesis on a Genomic and Metabolomic Level

The Western diet is characterized by a high consumption of heat-treated fats and oils. During deep-frying processes, vegetable oils are subjected to high temperatures which result in the formation of lipid peroxidation products. Dietary intake of oxidized vegetable oils has been associated with various biological effects, whereas knowledge about the effects of structurally-characterized lipid peroxidation products and their possible absorption into the body is scarce. This study investigates the impact of linoleic acid, one of the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acids in vegetable oils, and its primary and secondary peroxidation products, 13-HpODE and hexanal, on genomic and metabolomic pathways in human gastric cells (HGT-1) in culture. The genomic and metabolomic approach was preceded by an up-to-six-hour exposure study applying 100 µM of each test compound to the apical compartment in order to quantitate the compounds’ recovery at the basolateral side. Exposure of HGT-1 cells to either 100 µM linoleic acid or 100 µM 13-HpODE resulted in the formation of approximately 1 µM of the corresponding hydroxy fatty acid, 13-HODE, in the basolateral compartment, whereas a mean concentration of 0.20 ± 0.13 µM hexanal was quantitated after an equivalent application of 100 µM hexanal. An integrated genomic and metabolomic pathway analysis revealed an impact of the linoleic acid peroxidation products, 13-HpODE and hexanal, primarily on pathways related to amino acid biosynthesis (p < 0.05), indicating that peroxidation of linoleic acid plays an important role in the regulation of intracellular amino acid biosynthesis.

Thermally Processed Oil Exaggerates Colonic Inflammation and Colitis-Associated Colon Tumorigenesis in Mice

Frying in vegetable oil is a popular cooking and food processing method worldwide; as a result, the oils used for frying are widely consumed by the general public and it is of practical importance to better understand their health impacts. To date, the effects of frying oil consumption on human health are inconclusive, making it difficult to establish dietary recommendations or guidelines. Here we show that dietary administration of frying oil, which was prepared under the conditions of good commercial practice, exaggerated dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis and azoxymethane (AOM)/DSS-induced colon tumorigenesis in mice. In addition, dietary administration of frying oil impaired intestinal barrier function, enhanced translocation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and bacteria from the gut into the systemic circulation, and increased tissue inflammation. Finally, to explore the potential compounds involved in the actions of the frying oil, we isolated polar compounds from the frying oil and found that administration of the polar compounds exacerbated DSS-induced colitis in mice. Together, our results showed that dietary administration of frying oil exaggerated development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and IBD-associated colon tumorigenesis in mice, and these effects could be mediated by the polar compounds in the frying oil.

A review of the putative causal mechanisms associated with lower macular pigment in diabetes mellitus

Macular pigment (MP) confers potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects at the macula, and may therefore protect retinal tissue from the oxidative stress and inflammation associated with ocular disease and ageing. There is a body of evidence implicating oxidative damage and inflammation as underlying pathological processes in diabetic retinopathy. MP has therefore become a focus of research in diabetes, with recent evidence suggesting that individuals with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes, have lower MP relative to healthy controls. The present review explores the currently available evidence to illuminate the metabolic perturbations that may possibly be involved in MP's depletion. Metabolic co-morbidities commonly associated with type 2 diabetes, such as overweight/obesity, dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance, may have related and independent relationships with MP. Increased adiposity and dyslipidaemia may adversely affect MP by compromising the availability, transport and assimilation of these dietary carotenoids in the retina. Furthermore, carotenoid intake may be compromised by the dietary deficiencies characteristic of type 2 diabetes, thereby further compromising redox homeostasis. Candidate causal mechanisms to explain the lower MP levels reported in diabetes include increased oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance, overweight/obesity and dyslipidaemia; factors that may negatively affect redox status, and the availability, transport and stabilisation of carotenoids in the retina. Further study in diabetic populations is warranted to fully elucidate these relationships.

Association of fried food consumption with all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the prospective association of total and individual fried food consumption with all cause and cause specific mortality in women in the United States.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Women's Health Initiative conducted in 40 clinical centers in the US.

PARTICIPANTS

106 966 postmenopausal women aged 50-79 at study entry who were enrolled between September 1993 and 1998 in the Women's Health Initiative and followed until February 2017.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

All cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cancer mortality.

RESULTS

31 558 deaths occurred during 1 914 691 person years of follow-up. For total fried food consumption, when comparing at least one serving per day with no consumption, the multivariable adjusted hazard ratio was 1.08 (95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.16) for all cause mortality and 1.08 (0.96 to 1.22) for cardiovascular mortality. When comparing at least one serving per week of fried chicken with no consumption, the hazard ratio was 1.13 (1.07 to 1.19) for all cause mortality and 1.12 (1.02 to 1.23) for cardiovascular mortality. For fried fish/shellfish, the corresponding hazard ratios were 1.07 (1.03 to 1.12) for all cause mortality and 1.13 (1.04 to 1.22) for cardiovascular mortality. Total or individual fried food consumption was not generally associated with cancer mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Frequent consumption of fried foods, especially fried chicken and fried fish/shellfish, was associated with a higher risk of all cause and cardiovascular mortality in women in the US.

An empirical investigation of the impact of smoking on body weight using an endogenous treatment effects model approach: the role of food consumption patterns

BACKGROUND

This study explored the influence of cigarette smoking and food consumption patterns on BMI after adjusting for various socio-demographic characteristics. Since weight-based stereotypes may have an impact on smoking behaviour and both obesity and smoking have been associated with detrimental health effects, an interdependency between them is quite possible.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were collected via a formal standardized questionnaire administered in personal interviews and two additional self-completion questionnaires from a random sample of 3471 German adults. The empirical framework considered potential endogeneity between smoking and body weight by employing an endogenous treatment effects model with an ordered outcome. The estimations derived from the endogenous treatment effects approach were also compared to the univariate ordered probit model results.

RESULTS

Our findings showed that ignoring potential endogeneity may affect both the statistical significance of the smoking estimate and the direction of the influence of smoking on BMI. Smoking was positively associated with BMI in both male (β = 1.236, p < 0.01) and female (β = 0.634, p < 0.10) participants. Smokers presented a 23.1% higher risk of obesity and a 24.3% lower likelihood of being within a healthy weight range. Male smokers also appeared to have a considerably augmented probability of being obese compared to their female counterparts (23.6% vs 15.1%). The relationship between smoking and BMI may be attributed to dietary practices, since smoking was correlated with poor dietary habits characterized by the frequent intake of more energy-dense foods (meat products and white-toasted bread) and less frequent consumption of healthy food items, such as whole-grain bread, vegetables and fruits. Concerning the impact of eating habits on body weight, frequent consumption of meat products and confectionery was found to have a direct association with BMI in both genders. Furthermore, white-toasted bread consumption was negatively linked with body weight in males (β = - 0.337, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings raised questions about the general belief that smoking is an effective weight control tool. Health interventions should be oriented toward a simultaneous decrease in smoking and obesity, since both behaviours seem to be interdependent. Nutrition programmes should also be designed according to the characteristics of different target groups in order to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Implementation of public health policies for healthy lifestyles promotion: what Brazil should tell us?

The objective of this work was to update Brazilian experiences on implementation research (IR)regarding promotion of healthy lifestyles to decrease the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD). Some Brazilian governmental activities for promotion of healthy lifestyles have been adopted around the world such as the case of the "World Physical Activity Day" and the"Walking for health program". Following the example of many other developing and developed countries, Brazilian government has been sponsored leisure-time physical activity and healthy eating programs which still were not capable of promoting massive participation, especially from workers, elderly and people from the less privileged socioeconomic classes. Although successful exercise promotion strategies have been done in Brazil, the implementation science on promotion of healthy lifestyles is still rising and more research is necessary to identify the settings, circumstances, and processes for effective and sustainable adoption of healthy dietary and exercise practices. Understanding problems, concerns and barriers for implementation of health promotion (HP) policies in Brazil could be useful for many other developing nations.

Roles of Sedentary Behaviors and Unhealthy Foods in Increasing the Obesity Risk in Adult Men and Women: A Cross-Sectional National Study

Sedentary behaviors and dietary intake are independently associated with obesity risk. In the literature, only a few studies have investigated gender differences for such associations. The present study aims to assess the association of sedentary behaviors and unhealthy foods intake with obesity in men and women in a comparative manner. The analysis presented in this study was based on the data from a population-based, cross-sectional, nationally representative survey (Indonesian Basic Health Research 2013/RISKESDAS 2013). In total, 222,650 men and 248,590 women aged 19–55 years were enrolled. A validated questionnaire, physical activity card, and food card were used for the assessments. The results showed that the prevalence of obesity (body mass index of ≥27.5 kg/m²) was higher in women (18.71%) than in men (8.67%). The mean body mass index in women tended to be higher than in men. After adjusting for age and education, the gender effect on obesity persisted in women and was more significant than in men. There was also a positive and significant effect on obesity of sedentary behaviors and unhealthy foods intake. Moreover, fatty and fried foods displayed a positive multiplicative interaction, increasing obesity risk in women more than in men and indicating a possible dietary risk in in women in relation to obesity. The study suggests that the implementation of educational programs on nutrition and physical activity is particularly important for promoting a healthy body weight among Indonesian women.

Peri-Urban, but Not Urban, Residence in Bolivia Is Associated with Higher Odds of Co-Occurrence of Overweight and Anemia among Young Children, and of Households with an Overweight Woman and Stunted Child

Background

Urban populations have grown globally alongside emerging simultaneous burdens of undernutrition and obesity. Yet, how heterogeneous urban environments are associated with this nutritional double burden is poorly understood.

Objective

We aimed to determine: 1) the prevalence of the nutritional double burden and its components in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas of Bolivia; and 2) the association of residence in these areas with the nutritional double burden and its components.

Design

We surveyed 3946 randomly selected households from 2 metropolitan regions of Bolivia. Census data and remotely sensed imagery were used to define urban, peri-urban, and rural districts along a transect in each region. We defined 5 nutritional double burdens: concurrent overweight and anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 y), and children (6-59 mo), respectively; concurrent overweight and stunting among children; and households with an overweight woman and, respectively, an anemic or stunted child. Capillary hemoglobin concentrations were measured to assess anemia (women: hemoglobin <120 g/L; children: hemoglobin <110 g/L), and overweight and stunting were calculated from height, weight, and age data.

Results

In multiple logistic regression models, peri-urban, but not urban residence, was associated with higher odds of concurrent overweight and anemia among children (OR: 1.8; 95% CI; 1.0, 3.2) and of households with an overweight woman and stunted child (1.8; 1.2, 2.7). Examining the components of the double burden, peri-urban women and children, respectively, had higher odds of overweight than rural residents [women (1.5; 1.2, 1.8); children (1.5; 1.0, 2.4)], and children from peri-urban regions had higher odds of stunting (1.5; 1.1, 2.2).

Conclusions

Peri-urban, but not urban, residence in Bolivia is associated with a higher risk of the nutritional double burden than rural areas. Understanding how heterogeneous urban environments influence nutrition outcomes could inform integrated policies that simultaneously address both undernutrition and obesity.

Fried food intake and risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction in the Costa Rica Heart Study

Economic development in middle-income countries has led to a noticeable rise in the availability of commercial deep fried foods and lifestyles that require eating meals “on the go” and outside of the home. Yet, data from these countries where fried foods were traditionally prepared at home are scarce, despite several studies showing the potential adverse effects of fried food consumption on risk for heart disease. We aimed to examine whether consumption of fried foods inside or outside of the home is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) among Hispanic/Latinos living in Costa Rica. Participants were incident cases of a first acute MI (n = 2,154) and randomly selected controls matched for age, sex, and residence (n = 2,154). After adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, including history of diabetes, history of hypertension, smoking, abdominal obesity, income, educational years, occupation, alcohol intake, dietary intakes of saturated fatty acid, fiber intake, and total energy intake, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR, 95% CI) for risk of MI were 1.00 (reference), 1.02 (0.86–1.21), 1.26 (0.81–1.95), and 1.58 (1.08–2.30) for intake of fried foods outside of the home <1/week, 1-3/week, 4-6/week, and 1/day, respectively (P trend = 0.02); and 1.00, 0.81 (0.65–1.00), 0.81 (0.61–1.09), and 0.93 (0.72–1.19), respectively (P for trend = 0.65) for intake of fried foods inside the home. The data suggest that consumption of fried foods outside of the home, a practice that has been associated with economic development, could have adverse effects on cardiovascular disease.

Maternal intake of fried foods and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE

We examined the relationship of maternal periconceptional (i.e., before conception and early pregnancy) intake of fried foods with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk.

METHODS

In a prospective birth cohort in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington State, USA, we assessed maternal periconceptional fried food intake using a food frequency questionnaire among 3414 participants. We used multivariable generalized linear regression models to derive estimates of relative risks (RRs; and 95% confidence intervals, 95% CIs) of GDM in relation to the intake of different types of fried foods (i.e., fried fish, fried chicken, fried potatoes, chips, and donuts).

RESULTS

A total of 169 GDM incident cases were identified in this cohort (4.96%). Compared with no fried fish intake, fried fish intake >1 servings/month was associated with 68% higher GDM risk (adjusted RR and 95% CI; 1.68 [1.16, 2.45]; P_trend = .019). After adjusting for confounders, the RRs (95% CI) of GDM relative to fried chicken intake were 1.0, 1.44 (0.98, 2.09), and 1.81 (1.22, 2.70) for none, ≤1 and > 1 servings/month intake of fried chicken, respectively (P_trend = .002). Dietary intake of fried potatoes, snack chips or donuts was not significantly associated with higher GDM risk. Limitations of our study include the lack of information about frying methods and the intake of fried foods at home and away from home.

CONCLUSIONS

Regular intake of fried fish and fried chicken are associated with elevated GDM risk.

Gene-Diet Interaction and Precision Nutrition in Obesity

The rapid rise of obesity during the past decades has coincided with a profound shift of our living environment, including unhealthy dietary patterns, a sedentary lifestyle, and physical inactivity. Genetic predisposition to obesity may have interacted with such an obesogenic environment in determining the obesity epidemic. Growing studies have found that changes in adiposity and metabolic response to low-calorie weight loss diets might be modified by genetic variants related to obesity, metabolic status and preference to nutrients. This review summarized data from recent studies of gene-diet interactions, and discussed integration of research of metabolomics and gut microbiome, as well as potential application of the findings in precision nutrition.

Diet quality is associated with obesity and hypertension in Australian adults: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

Poor diet, characterized by a low diet quality score, has been associated with greater prevelence of obesity and hypertension. However, the evidence is inconsistent across diet quality scores and by sex. The aim was to investigate the relationship between diet quality and obesity and hypertension.

METHODS

Adults (n = 4908; age 45.2 ± 0.24 years) were included from the cross-sectional Australian Health Survey 2011-2013. Two 24-h dietary recalls were used to derive the dietary guideline index (DGI) and recommended food score (RFS). Logistic regression investigated relationships between diet quality score and odds ratio of obesity, hypertension and obesity-associated hypertension.

RESULTS

In the highest tertile of DGI, but not RFS, individuals were less likely to be obese (men: OR 0.64, CI: 0.45, 0.92, P-trend = 0.014; women: 0.68, 0.48, 0.96, P-trend = 0.025) and to have central adiposity (men: 0.68, 0.48, 0.97, P-trend = 0.030; women: 0.53, 0.37, 0.77, P-trend = 0.001) compared with the lowest tertile. Men, but not women, in the highest tertile of DGI and RFS were less likely to be hypertensive (DGI: 0.56, 0.37, 0.85, P-trend = 0.006; RFS: 0.62, 0.41, 0.94, P-trend = 0.021) compared with the lowest tertile. In men with obesity, but not normal weight men or women, those in the highest tertile of DGI were less likely to be hypertensive (0.53, 0.36, 0.78, P-trend = 0.001) compared with the highest tertile.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher diet quality, as estimated using DGI, was associated with lower odds ratio of obesity in men and women. Odds ratio of hypertension was lower in men, but not women, with a high diet quality score compared with a low score, while obesity-associated hypertension was only associated with diet quality score in men with obesity. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate whether diet quality predicts risk of obesity and hypertension.

Urbanized South Asians' susceptibility to coronary heart disease: The high-heat food preparation hypothesis

OBJECTIVE

Known risk factors do not fully explain the comparatively high susceptibility to coronary heart disease (CHD) in South Asians (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan populations in South Asia and overseas). The search for explanatory hypotheses and cofactors that raise susceptibility of South Asians to CHD continues. The aim of this study was to propose "the high-heat food preparation hypothesis," where neo-formed contaminants (NFCs) such as trans-fatty acids (TFAs) and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are the cofactors.

METHODS

We reviewed the actions of AGEs and TFAs, the burden of these products in tissues and blood in South Asians, the relationship between these products and CHD, the effects of preparing food and reheating oils at high temperatures on NFCs, and the foods and mode of preparation in South Asian and Chinese cuisines.

RESULTS

Animal and human studies show NFCs increase the risk for CHD. Evidence on the consumption and body burden of these products across ethnic groups is not available, and comparable data on the NFC content of the cuisine of South Asians and potential comparison populations (e.g., the Chinese with lower CHD rates) are limited. South Asians' cuisine is dominated by frying and roasting techniques that use high temperatures. South Asian foods have high TFA content primarily through the use of partially hydrogenated fats, reheated oils, and high-heat cooking. Reheating oils greatly increases the TFA content. In comparison, Chinese cuisine involves mostly braising, steaming, and boiling rather than frying.

CONCLUSION

We hypothesize that South Asians' susceptibility to CHD is partly attributable to high-heat treated foods producing high NFCs. Research to accrue direct evidence is proposed.

Pre-pregnancy potato consumption and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: prospective cohort study

STUDY QUESTION

What is the association between potato consumption before pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)?

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 15,632 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2001). They had no previous GDM or chronic diseases before pregnancy. Consumption of potatoes and other foods was assessed every four years. Incident first time GDM was ascertained from self reports of a physician diagnosis of GDM, which was previously validated by medical records.

STUDY ANSWER AND LIMITATIONS

Over the 10 year follow-up there were 854 incident cases of GDM among 21,693 singleton pregnancies. After adjustment for age, parity, and dietary and non-dietary factors, women who consumed more potatoes before pregnancy had higher rates of developing GDM. Substitution of two servings a week of total potatoes with other vegetables, legumes, and whole grain foods was significantly associated with a 9-12% lower risk of GDM. Consumption and diabetes were self reported, and severity of diabetes was unknown. More than 90% of women were white. A causal association cannot be assumed.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

Higher levels of potato consumption before pregnancy are associated with greater risk of GDM, and substitution of potatoes with other vegetables, legumes, or whole grain foods might lower the risk.

FUNDING, COMPETING INTERESTS, DATA SHARING

Funding was received from the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Diabetes Association (No 7-12-MN-34). The authors have no competing interests or additional data to share.

Fish consumption and frying of fish in relation to type 2 diabetes incidence: a prospective cohort study of Swedish men

Purpose

Epidemiological evidence on the association between fish consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes is heterogeneous across geographical regions. Differences related to fish consumption pattern could possibly help explain the discrepancy between the findings. We therefore aimed to investigate the association between fish consumption (total, fried, specific fish items) and type 2 diabetes incidence, taking exposure to contaminants present in fish (polychlorinated biphenyls and methyl mercury) into consideration.

Methods

The population-based Cohort of Swedish Men, including 35,583 men aged 45–79 years, was followed from 1998 to 2012. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

During 15 years of follow-up, 3624 incident cases were identified. Total fish consumption (≥4 servings/week vs. <1 serving/week) was not associated with type 2 diabetes in multivariable-adjusted analysis (HR 1.00; 95 % CI 0.85–1.18); however, a statistically non-significant inverse association was observed after adjustment for dietary contaminant exposures (HR 0.79; 95 % CI 0.60–1.04). Fried fish (≥6 servings/month vs. ≤1 servings/month) and shellfish consumption (≥1 serving/week vs. never/seldom) were associated with HRs of 1.14 (95 % CI 1.03–1.31) and 1.21 (95 % CI 1.07–1.36), respectively.

Conclusions

We observed no overall association between total fish consumption and type 2 diabetes. The results indicated that dietary contaminants in fish may influence the relationship. Fried fish and shellfish consumption were associated with higher type 2 diabetes incidence. These findings suggest that more specific advice on fish species sub-types (varying in contamination) and preparation methods may be warranted.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00394-015-1132-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Fat mass- and obesity-associated genotype, dietary intakes and anthropometric measures in European adults: the Food4Me study

The interplay between the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene variants and diet has been implicated in the development of obesity. The aim of the present analysis was to investigate associations between FTO genotype, dietary intakes and anthropometrics among European adults. Participants in the Food4Me randomised controlled trial were genotyped for FTO genotype (rs9939609) and their dietary intakes, and diet quality scores (Healthy Eating Index and PREDIMED-based Mediterranean diet score) were estimated from FFQ. Relationships between FTO genotype, diet and anthropometrics (weight, waist circumference (WC) and BMI) were evaluated at baseline. European adults with the FTO risk genotype had greater WC (AA v. TT: +1·4 cm; P=0·003) and BMI (+0·9 kg/m2; P=0·001) than individuals with no risk alleles. Subjects with the lowest fried food consumption and two copies of the FTO risk variant had on average 1·4 kg/m2 greater BMI (Ptrend=0·028) and 3·1 cm greater WC (Ptrend=0·045) compared with individuals with no copies of the risk allele and with the lowest fried food consumption. However, there was no evidence of interactions between FTO genotype and dietary intakes on BMI and WC, and thus further research is required to confirm or refute these findings.

Association between fried food consumption and hypertension in Korean adults

The present study explored the relationships between fried food consumption and metabolic risk factors and hypertension in Korean adults. The study was based on the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2010 and 2011. A total of 9221 Korean adults aged ≥19 years were studied. Fried food consumption was assessed using a validated FFQ. Metabolic risk factors such as waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), TAG, HDL-cholesterol and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were measured. Hypertension was defined as SBP≥140 mmHg, DBP≥90 mmHg or current use of antihypertensive medication. Adjusted OR for elevated blood pressure significantly increased in men (OR 1·62; 95 % CI 1·11, 2·37;Ptrend=0·0447) and women (OR 2·20; 95 % CI 1·21, 4·00;Ptrend=0·0403) with a greater than twice a week consumption of fried food compared with those who rarely consumed fried food. However, fried food consumption was not associated with other metabolic risk factors (abdominal obesity, high FPG, hypertriacylglycerolaemia, low HDL-cholesterol and the metabolic syndrome). The adjusted OR for hypertension increased by 2·4-fold in women (OR 2·37; 95 % CI 1·19, 4·72;Ptrend=0·0272) with a greater than twice a week fried food consumption compared with those who rarely consumed it. No significant association was found between fried food consumption and hypertension in men. This study suggests that frequent fried food consumption is associated with hypertension in Korean women. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of different types of fried foods on hypertension.

Fried Food Consumption and Cardiovascular Health: A Review of Current Evidence

Fried food consumption and its effects on cardiovascular disease are still subjects of debate. The objective of this review was to summarize current evidence on the association between fried food consumption and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity and to recommend directions for future research. We used PubMed, Google Scholar and Medline searches to retrieve pertinent publications. Most available data were based on questionnaires as a tool to capture fried food intakes, and study design was limited to case-control and cohort studies. While few studies have reported a positive association between frequencies of fried food intake and risk of coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes or hypertension, other investigators have failed to confirm such an association. There is strong evidence suggesting a higher risk of developing chronic disease when fried foods are consumed more frequently (i.e., four or more times per week). Major gaps in the current literature include a lack of detailed information on the type of oils used for frying foods, stratification of the different types of fried food, frying procedure (deep and pan frying), temperature and duration of frying, how often oils were reused and a lack of consideration of overall dietary patterns. Besides addressing these gaps, future research should also develop tools to better define fried food consumption at home versus away from home and to assess their effects on chronic diseases. In summary, the current review provides enough evidence to suggest adverse health effects with higher frequency of fried food consumption. While awaiting confirmation from future studies, it may be advisable to the public to consume fried foods in moderation while emphasizing an overall healthy diet.

Possible adverse effects of frying with vegetable oils

The question of whether heated fats in the diet may be detrimental to health is nowadays of the upmost concern, but finding an answer is not easy and requires careful consideration of different aspects of lipid oxidation. This review is divided into two sections. The first part deals with the nature of the new compounds formed at high temperature in the frying process as well as their occurrence in the diet while the second part focuses on their possible nutritional and physiological effects. Oxidation products present in abused frying fats and oils are the compounds most suspected of impairing the nutritional properties of the oils or involving adverse physiological effects. The recent studies on their health implications include those related to their fate and those focused on their effects in metabolic pathways and the most prevalent diseases.

Eating Habits and Lifestyles among a Sample of Obese Working Egyptian Women

BACKGROUND:

The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended.

AIM:

To figure out food habits and different lifestyle pattern among a sample of Egyptian females working at the National Research Centre.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional, descriptive study, including 138 overweight and obese Egyptian females (BMI ≥ 25 Kg/m²); working at the National Research Centre; was done. A specific questionnaire was used to gather information regarding lifestyle including dietary habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of overweight among the studied subjects was 27%, while that of obesity was 38%. Missing and or infrequent intake of breakfast at home, frequent consumption of snacks, low serving per day of fruits and vegetables with frequent consumption of sweets, fried food, eating while watching TV and sedentary behaviour were all predictors of obesity and overweight among the current sample.

CONCLUSION:

The present study identified several lifestyle factors and improper dietary habits associated with overweight and obesity among Egyptian females. There is a great need to change these habits to avoid the increasing risk of obesity. A national plan of action to overcome obesity is urgently needed to reduce its economic and health burden.