BMC Nutrition最新文献

{"title":"Effect of zinc supplementation on atherogenic risk indices in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial.","authors":"Farzaneh Mohammadi, Mohammad Ali Mohsenpour, Seyed Mohammad Amin Rezaei, Mohammad Hassan Eftekhari","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01112-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01112-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Zinc (Zn) deficiency is common in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients, and this trace element plays an essential role in lipid profile control. The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), atherogenic coefficient (AC), Castelli risk index I, and Castelli risk index II predict atherogenic statuses. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zn supplementation on atherogenic indices in NAFLD patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this 8-week randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial 50 overweighed or obese individuals suffering from NAFLD were randomly allocated into 2 groups of 25. In addition to a balanced energy-restricted diet and physical activity recommendations, participants were assigned to receive either 30 mg/d Zn or a placebo in the intervention or control group, respectively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean differences for energy (P = 0.761), protein (P = 0.373), fiber (P = 0.799), and zinc (P = 0.653) intakes were not statistically significant. In contrast, the mean differences for daily carbohydrate consumption (P = 0.011) and fat intake (P < 0.001) were significantly different between groups. After the study, the between-group comparisons revealed that the reduction in Castelli risk index II (P = 0.034) was significant; however, no significant differences were found for AIP (P = 0.103), AC (P = 0.113), or Castelli risk index I (P = 0.113).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Based on the results, supplementation with 30 mg/d Zn for 8 weeks may significantly reduce the Castelli Risk Index II, a potential marker of cardiovascular risk, and decrease CVD risk, but further studies with larger sample sizes or longer intervention durations are suggested.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The trial was retrospectively registered at IRCT.ir as IRCT20191015045113N1 (December/8/2019).</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"119"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12226918/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The health outcomes of vitamin D supplementation in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Tariku Derese, Yibekal Manaye, Bereket Damtew, Muluken Yigezu, Tewodros Getnet, Abdu Omer","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01046-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01046-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vitamin D supplementation is essential for health, yet its full benefits and optimal use remain incompletely understood, particularly given the global prevalence of deficiency, which affects around 50% of the population, with higher rates in high-latitude regions and among individuals with darker skin. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the health outcomes of vitamin D supplementation in Africa, addressing gaps in regional and demographic-specific research.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Epistemonikos, and Google Scholar, limited to English-language publications without date restrictions. Two independent reviewers evaluated study eligibility, data quality, and risk of bias. The findings were reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, employing narrative synthesis and meta-analyses to compare the effects of vitamin D supplementation against control groups. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using Egger's regression and Q statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The review included 14 randomized controlled trials from 9 African countries, involving 11,259 participants. Half of the studies reported health benefits associated with vitamin D supplementation. Meta-analysis of seven studies demonstrated significant increases in serum vitamin D levels (odds ratio = 6.78, p < 0.001) and reduced viral load in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (odds ratio = 1.63, p = 0.033). However, supplementation did not significantly affect weight gain (odds ratio = 1.1, p = 0.18) or mortality rates in patients with tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus (odds ratio = 0.971, p = 0.638). Improvements in disease symptoms and biochemical markers were observed (odds ratio = 2.28, p = 0.028), with no significant heterogeneity or publication bias. Subgroup analysis was constrained by the diversity of diseases and insufficient studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Vitamin D supplementation showed significant benefits in half of the studies, elevating serum levels and reducing viral load in HIV patients. However, it did not affect weight gain or mortality in TB and HIV patients. While symptom and biomarker improvements were noted, further research is needed to explore subgroup effects and optimize strategies.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>PROSPERO registration number CRD42024620729.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"121"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary pattern and odds of lung cancer: a large case-control study in Iran.","authors":"Farimah Dehghani, Fatemeh Toorang, Saba Narmcheshm, Monireh Sadat Seyyedsalehi, Bahareh Sasanfar, Hamideh Rashidian, Maryam Hadji, Alireza Ansari-Moghaddam, Mahdieh Bakhshi, Paolo Boffetta, Kazem Zendehdel","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01092-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01092-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lung cancer is known as the second main fatal cancer in the world. Besides smoking, the effect of other lifestyle factors, especially dietary habits, on the risk of this cancer has not been established yet. The current study is designed to assess the association between various dietary patterns and the odds of lung cancer in Iran.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This large case-control study was conducted on 608 cases and 3397 controls enrolled in the IROPICAN study in Iran. Dietary intakes were reported using a 171-item validated food frequency questionnaire. Data on the participants' dietary consumption and demographic characteristics was collected by performing face-to-face interviews. Factor analysis was carried out to extract the main nutritional patterns. Multi-model adjusted logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the association between extracted dietary patterns and the risk of lung cancer.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three dietary patterns were derived. Significantly higher odds of small cell carcinoma were observed with higher adherence to the \"Pesco vegetarian\" dietary pattern, rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, olives and olive oil, honey, and fish (OR _{T3 vs. T1} = 1,81, 95% CI 1.05, 3.11, P = 0.04). We found no significant association between the odds of total or subtypes of lung cancer with the \"animal and sugar\" dietary pattern, full of red and processed meat, dairy, sugar, coffee, tea, and chicken, and the \"carbohydrate, fat, and egg\" dietary pattern, rich in grains, eggs, fat, coffee and tea, and salt, and poor in dairy and red meat.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While there was no association between dietary intake and the odds of lung cancer, adherence to the \"pesco vegetarian dietary pattern\" might be associated with an increase in the odds of small-cell carcinoma lung cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"125"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231937/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of an Indian-adapted anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet for coronary artery disease patients.","authors":"Suparna Ghosh-Jerath, Archna Singh, Megha Suresh, Anudeep P P, Sherry Price, Sabiha Khan, Kamar Ali, Neha Bakshi, James R Hebert, Ambuj Roy","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01102-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01102-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death in India. Diet is an important modifiable risk factor associated with CAD. The Mediterranean Diet (MD), with its anti-inflammatory properties, is protective against CAD. Traditional Indian diets have several anti-inflammatory ingredients similar to MD. However, current Indian dietary analysis reveals high consumption of cereals with low legume, nut, fruit, and vegetable intake. In this study, we aimed to develop an anti-inflammatory Indian Adapted Mediterranean Diet (IAMD) using locally available anti-inflammatory ingredients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We did a free listing of the foods that constitute a Mediterranean diet. Then, we matched Indian alternatives where specific Mediterranean foods could not be used due to non-availability or cultural acceptability. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) scores were calculated for the developed menu to assess its anti-inflammatory potential. We also reviewed the diets of CAD patients and calculated the DII of their diets to understand their dietary intake and potential for replacing anti-inflammatory Indian food ingredients in their usual diets.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The current DII of the diets consumed by CAD patients ranged from -1.8 to 3.8, with a median score of 1.1. After carefully compiling anti-inflammatory Indian food ingredients and incorporating them into routine diets, calorie- and nutrient-specific diet plans with a 7-day cyclic menu with North Indian recipes were developed, aligning with Mediterranean Diet principles. DII scores of the developed diet plans ranged from -7.8 to -8.4, with a median of -8.0, approaching the theoretical maximum anti-inflammatory score.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The IAMD developed with the lowest DII scores reported has the potential to be cardioprotective. However, this diet plan needs to be tested for acceptability and effectiveness in feasibility studies and clinical trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12228395/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"To smoothie or not to smoothie? A mixed-method approach of nutrition pilot intervention among individuals in opioid agonist treatment.","authors":"Siv-Elin Leirvaag Carlsen, Einar Furulund, Elaheh Javadi Arjmand, Karl Trygve Druckrey Fiskaaen, Jørn Henrik Vold, Tesfaye Madebo, Torgeir Gilje Lid, Lars T Fadnes","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01095-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01095-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patients with substance dependence typically have unhealthy diets and low degree of nutritional awareness. They frequently face nutritional deficiencies in both micro- and macronutrients, which can have a significant impact on their overall health. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into their diet has been associated with reduction in diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. This mixed-method study aims to gain insight into participants' experience and feasibility of a pilot intervention of receiving 250 ml/day of fruit smoothies for a six-week period.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Individuals undergoing opioid agonist treatment in Bergen and Stavanger, Norway, were recruited for this multi-center pilot study. This study had a pre- and post-intervention design where an explanatory sequential design was employed, integrating qualitative methods to delve into patients' experiences and perspectives. In addition, psychological distress (Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-10), fatigue (three-item Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS-3)), and nutrition status (folic acid) were measured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-four individuals with a mean age of 47 years (standard deviation: 8.6) participated. They expressed feeling more energetic and being more active, and some reported eating more meals than before and adding new food items to their diet. Oral health was a barrier to eating more vegetables and fruits while smoothies, on the other hand, were easy to consume even with poor dental status. There were no clear indications of changes in psychological distress (pre-test: 2.09 vs. post-test: 2.08) or fatigue (post-test: 4.19 vs. post-test: 4.43). Folic acid levels increased from 15.3 nmol/L at baseline to 17.0 nmol/L after the intervention.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Receiving fruit smoothies seems to have several benefits for patients undergoing opioid agonist treatment, including helping them reflect on their health and diet and expressing more awareness about nutrition. Providing smoothies alongside patients' opioid agonist treatment was seen as feasible and can be a door opener for clinicians to discuss nutritional issues in this population. To evaluate the effectiveness, a sufficiently powered randomized controlled trial is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"130"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12228150/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-strategy instructional intervention for healthy eating intention among school going adolescents: a quasi-experimental study.","authors":"Prashamsa Bhandari, Sandip Adhikari, Pratik Bhandari, Shiksha Adhikari, Chiranjivi Adhikari","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01105-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01105-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adolescence is a distinct stage of life characterized by significant physical, psychological, and cognitive development. Maintaining healthy eating behaviors during this period is crucial for preventing various forms of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. This study aimed to assess the effects of educational interventions based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on improving the healthy eating intention of adolescents in selected schools in Bardiya District.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A quasi-experimental study was conducted among eighth and ninth graders aged between 12 and 18 years from two public schools in Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality of Nepal, one as an intervention (IG) and the other as a control group (CG), selected randomly. A total of 167 students participated in the study, with 82 in the IG and 85 in the CG. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires at baseline and4 weeks after the intervention. The intervention package consisted of an interactive lecture, a group discussion, a poster, an educational video, and a song. In contrast, the control group followed the regular school curriculum without any additional nutrition education. The educational intervention for the IG consisted of 6 sessions, each lasting 60 min. Data were entered and analyzed in SPSS V22, using a chi-square test, paired t-test, and linear regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The educational intervention led to significant improvements in knowledge and TPB constructs, with these changes being statistically significant (p < 0.001). The adjusted mean score increases in TPB constructs because the interaction of time and intervention increased from 0.47 to 5.49. The highest gain (β = 5.49; p = 0.001) was observed in the perceived behavioural control score whereas, a minor improvement was seen in behaviour (β = 0.47; p = 0.112). After the intervention, a net increase in the healthy eating intention score was 14.8% compared with that of the control group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study concluded that multipronged educational intervention may be effective in improving adolescents' healthy eating intentions, mainly through perceived eating control and attitude. Model-based and construct-oriented health education can be used with caution in schools to promote healthy eating intentions.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"120"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12231700/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stakeholders influence to reduce vitamin A deficiency in children aged 15 to 23 months in Iran: an analysis of stakeholders and networking.","authors":"Golnaz Rajaeieh, Ahad Bakhtiari, Masoomeh Gholami, Fatemeh Mohammadi-Nasrabadi, Amirhossein Takian","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01098-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01098-y","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;AIME: Vitamin A deficiency remains a significant public health concern in developing countries, substantially contributing to morbidity and mortality among young children. In Iran, the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among children aged 15 to 23 months increased during the decade from 2002 to 2012, mostly due to socio-economic reasons. Given the complexity of managing this deficiency, multiple stakeholders are involved in its prevention and treatment. The objective of this study is to identify these stakeholders and assess their interests, influence, and interconnections to enhance coordinated efforts in addressing vitamin A deficiency.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method: &lt;/strong&gt;In this qualitative study, we identified primary and secondary stakeholders through interviews with experts and key informants, as well as content analysis of relevant documents. To examine the interactions between stakeholders' power, interests, and positions, we utilized Policy-Maker software (Version 4). Additionally, we employed Gephi software (Version 0.9.2) for social network analysis, mapping stakeholder relationships to enhance our understanding of their interconnected dynamics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Our research identified 45 stakeholders, categorized as follows: 71% from the public sector, 4.5% international entities, 11.11% private organizations, and 13% from civil society groups. Additionally, 62% of stakeholders were associated with the executive domain, while 38% belonged to the education sector. Degree centrality ranged from 1 to 12, Closeness centrality scores ranged from 0.25 to 0.67, indicating moderate to high accessibility within the network. Athough the Ministry of Health and Medical Education was identified as the most influential stakeholder, and also it plays a key role in collaboration with other stakeholders, multiple stakeholders, including NGOs, universities, and international organizations such as UNICEF and FAO, also played significant roles in reducing Vitamin A deficiency. Network analysis metrics-including degree, closeness, betweenness, and eigenvector centralities-indicated that the highest degree value was attributed to the Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Health and Food Security (affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education), UNICEF, FAO, and the Deputy of Public Health within universities of medical sciences.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Addressing vitamin A deficiency among children aged 15-24 months in Iran requires a coordinated and strategic approach, with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education serving as the key stakeholder. While the ministry plays a central role in legislative efforts and collaboration, the relatively low to medium level of interest among other key stakeholders highlights the need for proactive engagement. Strengthening awareness through targeted advocacy, continuous negotiations, and deliberate outreach can enhance stakeholder involvement and ensure effective policy im","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"127"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12232006/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of single-parent versus dual-parent households on dietary intake and growth among under-five children in Rwanda: an analysis using directed acyclic graph.","authors":"Joyeuse Ukwishaka, Sekou Samadoulougou, Vincent Sezibera, Fati Kirakoya-Samadoulougou, Geneviève Lefebvre","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01084-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01084-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Poor childhood diet and malnutrition are global issues, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Adequate nutrition during the early years of life is crucial for optimal child growth. Household dynamics influence children's well-being, with single-parent households facing unique challenges that can affect dietary intake and growth. In Rwanda, stunting and being underweight are still prevalent, and the role of household structure has not been studied. This study assessed the relationship of single parent in comparison to dual parent households with children's dietary intake and growth together with the mediating role of wealth in these relationships.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the 2019/2020 Rwanda Demographics and Health Survey (DHS). The analysis included 3,531 children under five years of age from dual and single parent households at the time of the survey, with a specific focus on 2332 children aged 6-23 months for dietary assessment. To estimate the associations, we performed survey-weighted multivariate logistic regressions using binary outcomes, adjusting for confounders identified by a directed acyclic graph (DAG). Mediation analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) for continuous outcomes and generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) for binary outcomes to explore the mediating effect of wealth on the relationships among household structure, the minimum acceptable diet (MAD), and child growth. Both models accounted for the complex sampling design.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 3,531 participants, 26.9% lived in single-parent households.​​​​​​ Stunting was observed in 34% of the children, while 8.3% were underweight, 1% experienced wasting, and only 21.1% of the children aged 6-23 months met MAD. Single-parent households were significantly associated with stunting (OR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.01-1.46) and wasting (OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.11-3.99) but were not associated with underweight or MAD. Household structure indirectly influenced MAD (indirect effect (IE) = -0.007, p = 0.02), height-for-age (IE = -0.068, p < 0.001), and weight-for-age z scores (IE = -0.029, p = 0.001) through wealth, but no mediation effect was observed for height-for-weight z scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the influence of family structure on children's dietary intake and growth in Rwanda. To effectively combat malnutrition in Rwanda and similar settings, targeted interventions should address household structure, particularly that of single-parent households, and wealth disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"128"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12228249/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144565335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of the causal relationship of saturated fat acids on heart stroke: evidence from two-sample Mendelian randomization.","authors":"Danial Habibi, Iman Hamraz, Farshad Teymoori, Amir Hesam Saeidian, Hanifeh Mirtavoos-Mahyari, Qumars Kasnavi, Alireza Soleymani Taloubaghi, Homayoon Masoudi, Fereidoun Azizi, Maryam Sadat Daneshpour, Mehdi Hedayati, Mahdi Akbarzadeh, Marjan Mansourian","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01094-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01094-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/aim: </strong>We conducted the Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationship between serum saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and the risk of heart stroke (HS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The MRC-IEU Consortium provided summary statistics datasets related to SFAs, encompassing 64,979 individuals of European descent. Genetic variants associated with HF were identified using a GWAS dataset comprising 461,880 participants (cases = 7,055, controls = 454,825) of European descent from the UK Biobank. Generalized summary Mendelian Randomization (GSMR) assessed the potential association. Additionally, we performed a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (TSMR). The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was indicated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The GSMR results suggested no significant between SFA and HS [OR = 1.002, 95% CI: 0.995, 1.009; P-value = 0.752]. TSMR revealed [ORIVW = 1.005, 95% CI: 0.998, 1.012; P-value = 0.169]. MR Egger (Q = 6.14, Q_pvalue = 0.292), IVW (Q = 6.24, Q_pvalue = 0.396; I2 = 18.7%) for heterogeneity test, and Egger intercept = 1.14 × e-4, p-value = 0.792 for pleiotropy test were performed. These findings remained consistent across various Mendelian Randomization methods, including IVW [OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 0.99-1.01, p-value = 0.169], Simple median [OR = 1.009, 95% CI: 0.99-1.02, p-value = 0.08], MR-Egger [OR = 1.001, 95% CI: 0.97-1.03, p-value = 0.97], Robust Adjusted Profile Score [OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 0.99-1.01, p-value = 0.167], MR-Lasso [OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 0.99-1.01, p-value = 0.169], Constrained maximum likelihood (MR-cML) [OR = 1.006, 95% CI: 0.99-1.01, p-value = 0.168], Weighted mode [OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.99-1.02, p-value = 0.279], Maximum-likelihood method [OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 0.99-1.01, p-value = 0.158].</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our MR study did not yield convincing evidence supporting the association of SFAs with HF risk. Future studies should focus on alternative approaches to investigate this association.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"116"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12218826/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can kids identify unprocessed fruit as healthier than an ultra-processed sugar-sweetened beverage? Functional versus self-reported nutrition knowledge and dietary intake among youth from six countries: findings from the International Food Policy Study.","authors":"Liza Boyar, Christine M White, Lana Vanderlee, Jasmin Bhawra, David Hammond","doi":"10.1186/s40795-025-01109-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40795-025-01109-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a range of poor dietary and health outcomes. Although lower nutrition knowledge is associated with higher consumption of ultra-processed foods, few studies have directly compared nutrition knowledge among youth from countries with different food environments and nutrition policies. This study examined whether youth could identify differences in nutritional quality between a commonly consumed ultra-processed and unprocessed food.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional surveys were conducted with youth aged 10-17 (n = 12,489) from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, United Kingdom (UK), and United States (US) as part of the 2020 International Food Policy Study. Participants were shown images of two products in random order, corresponding to \"unprocessed or minimally processed\" (apple) and \"ultra-processed\" (apple fruit drink) foods under NOVA classification system, and asked to rate the healthiness of each. Respondents who rated the apple higher than the apple fruit drink were assigned a \"correct\" score. Regression models examined differences in \"correct\" responses by country, perceived nutrition knowledge, perceived diet healthiness, intake of fruits/vegetables, and intake of less healthy foods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mexican (96.5%) and Chilean (94.3%) youth were most likely to correctly identify the unprocessed apple as \"healthier\" than the ultra-processed apple fruit drink, whereas US youth were the least likely (79.6%, p < 0.001 for all). Perceived nutrition knowledge was inversely associated with correct scores (p < 0.001). Youth who reported the highest (AOR: 0.43, p < 0.001) and lowest (AOR: 0.57, p < 0.05) categories of perceived diet healthiness had the lowest odds of correct responses. Higher intake of both less healthy foods (AOR: 0.70, p < 0.001) and fruits/vegetables (AOR: 0.87, p < 0.001) were associated with lower odds of correct responses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Across countries, 5-20% of youth were unable to correctly identify an unprocessed fruit as 'healthier' than an ultra-processed fruit drink, with notable country differences. Further research is needed to examine differences for a broader range of foods and levels of processing. Education campaigns should ensure that young people have basic knowledge about the relative dietary quality of commonly consumed foods, particularly in the US. Discrepancies between perceived and objective nutrition knowledge additionally highlight the need for objective measures of knowledge to be included in assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":36422,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nutrition","volume":"11 1","pages":"115"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12220526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}