Mainstreaming traditional fruits, vegetables and pulses for nutrition, income, and sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa: the case for Kenya and Ethiopia.

This study documented existing knowledge on traditional fruits, vegetables and pulses in Kenya and Ethiopia. The aim was to identify neglected and underutilized species with high potential for food security, for their economic value and contribution to sustainable agriculture, based on a literature review and confirmation of existing data by local experts. In order of priority, the top 5 fruit species in Kenya are , , , and for vegetables are spp.

Environmental impact and nutritional quality of adult diet in France based on fruit and vegetable intakes.

Purpose: To describe the nutritional quality and environmental impact of self-selected diets of adults in France in relation to their fruit and vegetable (FV) intakes.

Methods: Estimates of food and nutrient intakes were taken from the national INCA3 Survey on food intakes carried out in France in 2014-2015. The population (n = 2121 adults) was split into five quintiles of FV intakes, in g/d (Q1 representing the lowest intake, and Q5 the highest).

Sustainability analysis of the Mediterranean diet: results from the French NutriNet-Santé study.

The Mediterranean diet is often proposed as a sustainable diet model. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and sustainability domains in a cohort of French adults, using multiple criteria including nutritional quality, environmental pressures, monetary cost and dietary pesticide exposure. Food intakes of 29 210 NutriNet-Santé volunteers were assessed in 2014 using a semi-quantitative FFQ.

Changes in French purchases of pulses during an FAO awareness campaign.

Background: Pulses can play a key role in a well-balanced diet and are now recognized for their health and sustainability benefits. However, consumption remains quite low, motivating promotion efforts such as the "International Year of Pulses" declared by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2016. The present study aims to evaluate the changes in the purchase of pulses before and after the FAO's awareness campaign promoting the consumption of pulses in France and investigate the potential differences across sub-populations.

Horsemeat consumption in France: Determinants and sustainable market perspectives.

In France, the horsemeat market has been declining for about 50 years and has become a specialized market. Our study aims to understand this decline with regard to the drivers and practices of consumers and non-consumers of this meat, in order to estimate the potential for this market development. To study horsemeat consumption, we analyze two sets of data: two large-scale surveys carried out on the French general population, and one ad-hoc survey focusing more specifically on the representations of horses and horsemeat.

Intake Estimation of Phytochemicals in a French Well-Balanced Diet.

Phytochemicals contribute to the health benefits of plant-rich diets, notably through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, recommended daily amounts of the main dietary phytochemicals remain undetermined. We aimed to estimate the amounts of phytochemicals in a well-balanced diet.

Key Findings of the French BioNutriNet Project on Organic Food-Based Diets: Description, Determinants, and Relationships to Health and the Environment.

Few studies have investigated the relationships between organic food consumption, dietary patterns, monetary diet cost, health, and the environment. To address these issues, a consortium of French epidemiologists, nutritionists, economists, and toxicologists launched the BioNutriNet project in 2013. In 2014, an FFQ documented the usual organic and nonorganic (conventional) food consumption of approximately 35,000 NutriNet-Santé participants.

Demographic and socio-economic shifts partly explain the Martinican nutrition transition: an analysis of 10-year health and dietary changes (2003-2013) using decomposition models.

Objective: The Caribbean has seen a dramatic shift in the obesity and chronic disease prevalence over the past decades, suggesting a nutrition transition. Simultaneously, Martinique has faced a demographic transition marked by significant population ageing. We aimed to differentiate the contribution of changes in health status and dietary intakes due to shifts in demographic and socio-economic characteristics (DSEC) from that due to unobserved factors.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on microvascular reactivity in obese adolescents: A randomized controlled trial.

Background And Aim: Childhood obesity is associated with vitamin D (VD) deficiency and vascular dysfunction. Considering evidence indicates that VD may improve vascular function, this study, for the first time, assessed the effect of VD supplementation on microvascular reactivity in obese adolescents (OA).

Methods And Results: This randomized controlled trial included 26 OA, receiving fruit juice with (n = 13) or without VD (4000 IU/d; n = 13) over a 3-month lifestyle program, as well as 23 normal-weight adolescents (controls).

Caribbean nutrition transition: what can we learn from dietary patterns in the French West Indies?

Purpose: Despite the urgency regarding increasing rates of obesity and chronic diseases in the Caribbean, few studies described the nutrition transition. We aimed to provide such information by identifying dietary patterns in the French West Indies and their characteristics.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 1144 Guadeloupeans and Martinicans from a multistage sampling survey conducted on a representative sample.

Socioeconomic inequalities in metabolic syndrome in the French West Indies.

Background: Obesity and metabolic diseases represent a major health burden in the Caribbean, particularly since a large part of the population is disadvantaged. However, socioeconomic inequalities in chronic diseases are poorly explored in this region. We investigated the association between socioeconomic position and metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence and explored the contribution of diet quality to explain this association, among adults in the French West Indies.

Dataset on potential environmental impacts of water deprivation and land use for food consumption in France and Tunisia.

The dataset concerns the environmental impacts of water consumption and land use caused by 1 kg of food item supplied to two Mediterranean countries: France and Tunisia. The dataset takes into account the food items available in France and Tunisia (identified in two national dietary surveys) and their origin. Water consumption and land use surfaces were extracted from existing databases and from national data for animal feed description.

Improvement of diet sustainability with increased level of organic food in the diet: findings from the BioNutriNet cohort.

Background: Organic food consumption has steadily increased over the past decade in westernized countries.

Objective: The aim of this study, based on observational data, was to compare some sustainability features of diets from consumers with varying levels of organic food.

Methods: The diet sustainability among 29,210 participants of the NutriNet-Santé study was estimated using databases developed within the BioNutriNet project.

Some Differences in Nutritional Biomarkers are Detected Between Consumers and Nonconsumers of Organic Foods: Findings from the BioNutriNet Project.

Background: Meta-analyses have compared the nutrient content of both organic and nonorganic foods. However, the impacts of such variations on human nutritional biomarkers still need to be assessed.

Objective: In a nested clinical study from the NutriNet-Santé study, we aimed to compare the nutritional status of "organic" and "nonorganic" food consumers matched on a propensity score.

Soaking and cooking modify the alpha-galacto-oligosaccharide and dietary fibre content in five Mediterranean legumes.

The effects of soaking and cooking on soluble sugars, alpha-galacto-oligosaccharides (α-GOS) and soluble dietary fibres (SDF) and insoluble dietary fibres (IDF) were assessed in five legumes (lentil, chickpea, fenugreek, faba bean and Egyptian faba bean). In raw seeds, total α-GOS content ranged from 2500 mg/100 g (chickpea) to over 4000 mg/100 g (fenugreek). Stachyose was predominant in fenugreek, lentil and chickpea, whereas verbascose was the main α-GOS in faba bean and Egyptian faba bean.

Nutritional Composition and Bioactive Content of Legumes: Characterization of Pulses Frequently Consumed in France and Effect of the Cooking Method.

Pulses display nutritional benefits and are recommended in sustainable diets. Indeed, they are rich in proteins and fibers, and can contain variable amounts of micronutrients. However, pulses also contain bioactive compounds such as phytates, saponins, or polyphenols/tannins that can exhibit ambivalent nutritional properties depending on their amount in the diet.

A "Fork-to-Farm" Multi-Scale Approach to Promote Sustainable Food Systems for Nutrition and Health: A Perspective for the Mediterranean Region.

Mediterranean countries are undergoing dietary and nutritional changes that affect their inhabitants' health, while facing massive environmental challenges. The increasing demand of water in agriculture, the capacity to maintain local food production, and the growing dependence on food imports are interconnected issues that must be addressed to ensure food security and nutrition in the Mediterranean region. Here, we present the conceptual framework and methodologies developed by the MEDINA-Study Group for rethinking food systems toward sustainable consumption and production modes.

Integrating nutrient bioavailability and co-production links when identifying sustainable diets: How low should we reduce meat consumption?

Background: Reducing the consumption of meat and other animal-based products is widely advocated to improve the sustainability of diets in high-income countries. However, such reduction may impair nutritional adequacy, since the bioavailability of key nutrients is higher when they come from animal- vs plant-based foods. Meat reduction may also affect the balance between foods co-produced within the same animal production system.

Effects of cooking and food matrix on estimated mineral bioavailability in Mloukhiya, a Mediterranean dish based on jute leaves and meat.

Traditional Mediterranean plant-based dishes could allow tackling malnutrition while preserving the cultural heritage. To determine the effect of the cooking method on mineral bioavailability, the content in minerals and chelators of Mloukhiya, a Mediterranean dish based on jute leaves (Corchorus olitorius) that contains also meat, was monitored during the whole cooking process. Mineral bioaccessibility was assessed by measuring in vitro dialyzability.

Involvement of bilitranslocase and beta-glucuronidase in the vascular protection by hydroxytyrosol and its glucuronide metabolites in oxidative stress conditions.

Olive oil vascular benefits have been attributed to hydroxytyrosol (HT). However, HT biological actions are still debated because it is extensively metabolized into glucuronides (GCs). The aim of this study was to test HT and GC vasculoprotective effects and the underlying mechanisms using aorta rings from 8-week-old male Wistar rats.

The bioavailability of iron, zinc, protein and vitamin A is highly variable in French individual diets: Impact on nutrient inadequacy assessment and relation with the animal-to-plant ratio of diets.

Nutritional adequacy depends on nutrient intakes and bioavailability which strongly varies with the plant- or animal-origin of foods. The aim was to estimate iron, zinc, protein and vitamin A bioavailability from individual diets, and investigate its relation with the animal-to-plant ratio (A/P) of diets. Bioavailability was estimated in 1899 French diets using diet-based algorithms or food-group specific conversion factors.