Background: A proposed topic for the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) Scientific Advisory Committee to address is the relationship between dietary patterns with ultra-processed foods (UPF) and body composition and weight status. Implementing the NOVA system, the most commonly applied framework for determining whether a food is "ultra-processed," in dietary guidance could omit several nutrient-dense foods from recommended healthy diets in the DGA.
Objective: The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to determine the feasibility of building a menu that aligns with recommendations for a healthy dietary pattern from the 2020 DGA and includes ≥80% kcal from UPF as defined by NOVA.
Background: Live dietary microbes have been hypothesized to contribute to human health but direct evidence is lacking.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether the dietary consumption of live microbes is linked to improved health outcomes.
Methods: Data from the NHANES 2001-2018 were used to assess microbial intake and their adjusted associations with selected physiological parameters (e.
Human intestinal enzymes do not hydrolyze nondigestible carbohydrates (NDCs), and thus, they are not digested and absorbed in the small intestine. Instead, NDCs are partially to completely fermented by the intestinal microbiota. Select NDCs are associated with health benefits such as laxation and lowering of blood cholesterol and glucose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Consuming live microbes in foods may benefit human health. Live microbe estimates have not previously been associated with individual foods in dietary databases.
Objectives: We aimed to estimate intake of live microbes in US children (aged 2-18 y) and adults (≥19 y) (n = 74,466; 51.
Dietary fats are essential ingredients of a healthy diet. Their production, however, impacts the environment and its capacity to sustain us. Growing knowledge across multiple disciplines improves our understanding of links between food, health and sustainability, but increases apparent complexity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutritional ingredients, including various fibers, herbs, and botanicals, have been historically used for various ailments. Their enduring appeal is predicated on the desire both for more natural approaches to health and to mitigate potential side effects of more mainstream treatments. Their use in individuals experiencing upper gastrointestinal (GI) complaints is of particular interest in the scientific space as well as the consumer market but requires review to better understand their potential effectiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough dietary guidance recommends increasing consumption of whole grains and concurrently limiting consumption of refined and/or enriched grain foods, emerging research suggests that certain refined grains may be part of a healthy dietary pattern. A scientific expert panel was convened to review published data since the release of 2015 dietary guidance in defined areas of grain research, which included nutrient intakes, diet quality, enrichment/fortification, and associations with weight-related outcomes. Based on a 1-d roundtable discussion, the expert panel reached consensus that ) whole grains and refined grains can make meaningful nutrient contributions to dietary patterns, ) whole and refined grain foods contribute nutrient density, ) fortification and enrichment of grains remain vital in delivering nutrient adequacy in the American diet, ) there is inconclusive scientific evidence that refined grain foods are linked to overweight and obesity, and ) gaps exist in the scientific literature with regard to grain foods and health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this article is to review the definitions and regulations for dietary fiber and whole grains worldwide and to discuss barriers to meeting recommended intake levels. Plant foods, such as whole grains, that are rich in dietary fiber are universally recommended in dietary guidance. Foods rich in dietary fiber are recommended for all, but dietary recommendations for whole grains and dietary fiber depend on definitions and regulations.
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFWith a growing global population, the demand for high-quality food to meet nutritional needs continues to increase. Our ability to meet those needs is challenged by a changing environment that includes constraints on land and water resources and growing concerns about the impact of human activity including agricultural practices on the changing climate. Adaptations that meet food/nutritional demands while avoiding unintended consequences including negatively affecting the environment are needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSince their inception in 1980, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have promoted low- or fat-free dairy foods. Removing fat from dairy does not reduce putatively beneficial nutrients per serving, including calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. Additionally, links between saturated fat and dietary cholesterol intakes with cardiovascular disease risk have helped to sustain the view that low-fat dairy foods should be recommended.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDietary intake is a key determinant of gastrointestinal microbiota composition. Studies have considered the relationship between gut microbiota and dietary patterns. It is likely that certain plant foods that contain fiber and other bioactive matter may be more likely to drive microbial changes than others; however, study design and other factors can make interpretation of the literature difficult.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant-based diets, and more specifically plant-based proteins, have been the subject of growing interest from researchers and consumers because of their potential health benefits as well as their positive environmental impact. Of course, plant proteins are found in plant foods, and positive health benefits of plant foods are linked to dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. In epidemiological studies it is not possible to separate out the health benefits of plant foods in general as opposed to plant proteins specifically.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhole-grain (WG) consumption is known to have beneficial effects on human health. However, the influence of WGs on the microbiota is not well understood. To evaluate how WG intake modulates the gut microbiota composition, a literature review of human intervention studies was conducted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite initial enthusiasm, the relationship between glycemic index (GI) and glycemic response (GR) and disease prevention remains unclear. This review examines evidence from randomized, controlled trials and observational studies in humans for short-term (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 2-day workshop organized by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture included 16 presentations focused on the role of diet in alterations of the gastrointestinal microbiome, primarily that of the colon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrebiotic dietary fibers act as carbon sources for primary and secondary fermentation pathways in the colon, and support digestive health in many ways. Fructooligosaccharides, inulin, and galactooligosaccharides are universally agreed-upon prebiotics. The objective of this paper is to summarize the 8 most prominent health benefits of prebiotic dietary fibers that are due to their fermentability by colonic microbiota, as well as summarize the 8 categories of prebiotic dietary fibers that support these health benefits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiets rich in plant foods are increasingly recommended to lower the risk of cardiometabolic diseases because of strong evidence that fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds are protective. Although some animal products, such as unprocessed lean red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, are recommended in dietary patterns to prevent cardiometabolic diseases, many health professionals advocate for exclusively plant-based dietary patterns. The aim of this article was to review recent evidence on the relative contributions of plant-based foods and animal products to a healthy dietary pattern.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose Of Review: Dietary fiber may play a role in obesity prevention through reduction of body weight and control of appetite, however, not all fibers are created equally, and characteristics of fiber such as viscosity, fermentability and solubility may affect appetite differently.
Recent Findings: Although early studies supported that fructan fibers, including inulin, fructooligosaccharides, and oligofructose affected satiety, more recent studies are less supportive. We found that a higher dose of fiber such as oligofructose (16 g/day) is needed and for a longer duration (12-16 weeks) to detect differences in appetite and subsequent energy intake, whereas, practical amounts of fructooligosaccharides, less than 10 g/day, generally do not affect satiety or food intake.
Whether eating a "snack" is considered a beneficial or detrimental behavior is largely based on how "snack" is defined. The term "snack food" tends to connote energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods high in nutrients to limit (sugar, sodium, and/or saturated fat) like cakes, cookies, chips and other salty snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Eating a "snack food" is often conflated with eating a "snack," however, leading to an overall perception of snacks as a dietary negative.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResistant starches are non-digestible starches that are fermented in the colon by microbiota. These carbohydrates are prebiotic and can be beneficial to consumer health. Many types of resistant starch exist with varying physical properties that may result in differences in fermentability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrebiotic dietary fiber supplements are commonly consumed to help meet fiber recommendations and improve gastrointestinal health by stimulating beneficial bacteria and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), molecules beneficial to host health. The objective of this research project was to compare potential prebiotic effects and fermentability of five commonly consumed fibers using an in vitro fermentation system measuring changes in fecal microbiota, total gas production and formation of common SCFAs. Fecal donations were collected from three healthy volunteers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To quantify and compare the nutrient-density of commonly consumed snacks using two nutrient-density measures, Nutrient Rich Foods Indices 9.3 (NRF 9.3) and 15.
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