Dietary fiber intake and fecal short-chain fatty acid concentrations are associated with lower plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and inflammation.

Consuming adequate dietary fiber is a promising strategy for reducing systemic inflammation. The objective was to evaluate relationships between dietary fiber intake, markers of metabolic endotoxemia, and systemic inflammation in adults. This was a cross-sectional study of 129 healthy participants (age 33.

Black Bean Pasta Meals with Varying Protein Concentrations Reduce Postprandial Glycemia and Insulinemia Similarly Compared to White Bread Control in Adults.

Postprandial glycemic and insulinemic effects of three black bean pastas were evaluated among eighteen normoglycemic adults (8 men, 10 women) in a randomized crossover trial. Black beans were milled into flour using a commercial Knife or compression/decompression mill (C/D mill). The C/D-mill-derived pastas had medium protein (Combo-MP) and low protein (Cyclone-LP) concentrations.

Avocado Consumption, Abdominal Adiposity, and Oral Glucose Tolerance Among Persons with Overweight and Obesity.

Background: Although intake of Hass avocado has been cross-sectionally linked to lower abdominal obesity, knowledge of the effects of avocado consumption on abdominal adiposity and glycemic outcomes remains limited.

Objective: The effects of avocado consumption on abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance, oral-glucose-tolerance test (OGTT), and estimated β-cell function were evaluated.

Methods: A total of 105 adults aged 25-45 y (61% female) with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to an intervention (N = 53) that received a daily meal with 1 fresh Hass avocado or a control (N = 52) that received an isocaloric meal with similar ingredients without avocado for 12 wk.

Systemic inflammation mediates the negative relationship between visceral adiposity and cognitive control.

Elevated visceral adipose tissue (VAT) has been associated with cardiometabolic risk factors including chronic systemic low-grade inflammation. Whereas the cognitive implications of inflammation have been extensively studied in preclinical models, the influence of inflammatory cytokines on cognitive function in humans is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relations among VAT, inflammatory cytokines, and cognitive control.

A Comparison of Safety, Health, and Well-Being Risk Factors Across Five Occupational Samples.

The aim of this study was to present safety, health and well-being profiles of workers within five occupations: call center work ( = 139), corrections ( = 85), construction ( = 348), homecare ( = 149), and parks and recreation ( = 178). Baseline data from the Data Repository of Oregon's Healthy Workforce Center were used. Measures were compared with clinical healthcare guidelines and national norms.

Dietary lutein plus zeaxanthin and choline intake is interactively associated with cognitive flexibility in middle-adulthood in adults with overweight and obesity.

Background: The xanthophyll carotenoids lutein+zeaxanthin and the dietary component choline have been linked to benefits in cognition. However, knowledge on the interactive influence of these dietary components on cognitive function is sparse.

Design: 80 middle-aged adults with overweight and obesity (Body Mass Index: (BMI) ≥25.

African-American Views of Food Choices and Use of Traditional Foods.

In this study, we describe dietary intakes and examine variation among African-American adults in the Southwest, and identify barriers to engaging in healthy dietary behaviors, and use of traditional African-American foods, including pulses. Using mixed-methods parallel analysis, 97 African Americans aged 25-60 years completed surveys on lifestyle and dietary habits prior to focus group discussions in 3 geographic regions of Arizona. We identified themes in the qualitative transcripts using an inductive approach informed by Grounded Theory.

Avocado Consumption Alters Gastrointestinal Bacteria Abundance and Microbial Metabolite Concentrations among Adults with Overweight or Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Avocados are rich in dietary fiber and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), nutrients that have been independently connected to metabolic health benefits and the gastrointestinal microbiota.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the impact of avocado consumption on the gastrointestinal microbiota and microbial metabolites, secondary outcomes of the Persea americana for Total Health (PATH) study, and conduct exploratory analyses to assess relations between the fecal microbiota, fecal metabolites, and health markers.

Methods: Adults [n = 163, 25-45 y, BMI (kg/m2) ≥ 25.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Related to Lipoprotein Metabolism Are Associated with Blood Lipid Changes following Regular Avocado Intake in a Randomized Control Trial among Adults with Overweight and Obesity.

Background: Avocados are rich in unsaturated fat and fiber; clinical trials have investigated their effects on metabolic disease. There is high variability in individual changes following avocado consumption, which may be in part due to individual genetic differences.

Objective: Secondary analyses of the Persea americana for Total Health (PATH) Study were used to examine how single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) impact blood lipid changes following a daily meal containing avocado compared with control.

Effects of 12-week avocado consumption on cognitive function among adults with overweight and obesity.

Objectives: Excess adiposity increases risk for cognitive impairment. Consumption of avocado, a highly bioavailable source of the xanthophyll lutein, has been shown to improve retinal lutein accumulation and cognitive function. Thus, we evaluated the influence of avocado consumption on cognitive function and lutein status among adults with overweight and obesity using a randomized-controlled trial with matching design for pertinent study outcomes.

Dietary choline is related to neural efficiency during a selective attention task among middle-aged adults with overweight and obesity.

Obesity is associated with poorer brain health and cognitive function. However, it is not clear whether specific dietary factors may provide neuroprotective effects among individuals with overweight and obesity. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of choline intake on neurophysiological markers of attentional control among young and middle-aged adults with overweight or obesity.

Serum Lutein is related to Relational Memory Performance.

Dietary carotenoids, plant pigments with anti-oxidant properties, accumulate in neural tissue and are often found in lower concentrations among individuals with obesity. Given previous evidence of negative associations between excess adiposity and memory, it is possible that greater carotenoid status may confer neuroprotective effects among persons with overweight or obesity. This study aimed to elucidate relationships between carotenoids assessed in diet, serum, and the macula (macular pigment optical density (MPOD)) and relational memory among adults who are overweight or obese.

Dietary Fiber Is Independently Related to Blood Triglycerides Among Adults with Overweight and Obesity.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of visceral adiposity-related risk factors, affects approximately 35% of the United States population. Although improvement in diet quality is an important approach to reducing MetS risk, the role of particular dietary components remains unclear, especially among younger adults. Individual dietary components have been implicated in ameliorating or exacerbating MetS risk; however, the extent to which these factors contribute to MetS prevention has received little attention.

Macular Xanthophylls and Event-Related Brain Potentials among Overweight Adults and Those with Obesity.

Scope: Macular accumulation of xanthophyll carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin) is known to have neuroprotective potential, yet their influence on cognition among overweight adults and those with obesity remains limited. This study examines the impact of macular xanthophylls on attentional resource allocation and information processing speed among adults with BMI ≥ 25 kg m .

Methods And Results: Adults between 25 and 45 years (N = 101) complete heterochromatic flicker photometry to determine macular pigment optical density (MPOD).

Associations among diet, the gastrointestinal microbiota, and negative emotional states in adults.

Habitual diet impacts mood and the human gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota. Yet, studies infrequently control for diet when evaluating associations between mood and GI microbiota. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate relationships among diet, GI microbiota, and mood in adults without mood disorders by conducting a cross-sectional examination of dietary intake, subjective emotional state, and fecal microbial taxa abundances.

Retinal Morphometric Markers of Crystallized and Fluid Intelligence Among Adults With Overweight and Obesity.

To investigate the relationship between retinal morphometric measures and intellectual abilities among adults with overweight and obesity. Adults between 25 and 45 years ( = 55, 38 females) with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m) underwent an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan to assess retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) volume, ganglion cell layer (GCL) volume, macular volume, and central foveal thickness.

From Research-to-Practice: An Adaptation and Dissemination of the COMPASS Program for Home Care Workers.

The COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support (COMPASS) program was developed to prevent injuries and advance the health and well-being of home care workers. The program integrates elements of peer-led social support groups with scripted team-based programs to help workers learn together, solve problems, set goals, make changes, and enrich their supportive professional network. After a successful pilot study and randomized controlled trial, COMPASS was adapted for the Oregon Home Care Commission's training system for statewide dissemination.

Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behavioral and Neuroelectric Indices of Cognitive Flexibility in Individuals with Overweight and Obesity.

Impairment in cognitive flexibility is a trait characteristic among individuals with diagnosed eating disorders. However, the extent to which these relationships exist in individuals with overweight or obesity remains unclear. Furthermore, there is a lack of knowledge characterizing the neural underpinnings of these relationships.

Perceptions of Heart-Healthy Behaviors among African American Adults: A Mixed Methods Study.

African Americans have a disproportionately higher risk of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, and hypertension than other ethnic or racial groups. Data regarding CVD-related perceptions and beliefs among African Americans are limited, particularly in the Southwest US. Assessment of current views regarding health and health behaviors is needed to tailor interventions to meet the unique needs of specific populations.

Protecting workers in the home care industry: workers' experienced job demands, resource gaps, and benefits following a socially supportive intervention.

The Community of Practice and Safety Support (COMPASS) program is a peer-led group intervention for home care workers. In a randomized controlled trial, COMPASS significantly improved workers' professional support networks and safety and health behaviors. However, quantitative findings failed to capture workers' complex emotional, physical, and social experiences with job demands, resource limitations, and the intervention itself.

Macular Xanthophylls Are Related to Intellectual Ability among Adults with Overweight and Obesity.

Excess adiposity or obesity has been inversely related to cognitive function and macular xanthophyll status. However, whether the neuroprotective effects of macular xanthophylls on cognitive function are independent of excess adiposity is unclear. We investigated the relationship between macular xanthophylls and intellectual ability among adults ( = 114) between 25 and 45 years with overweight and obesity (≥25 kg/m²).

Linking the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) to the International Classification of Function.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to examine how comprehensively the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) addresses Activity and Participation components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).

Methods: Two raters individually linked the 276 items of the PEDI-CAT to the ICF using ICF linking rules, the PEDI-CAT manual, and the ICF browser. Agreement between reviewers was evaluated, and reliability of the linking process was assessed using Cohen's κ.

Arizona Registered Dietitians Show Gaps in Knowledge of Bean Health Benefits.

Registered Dietitians (RDs) promote nutrition practices and policies and can influence food consumption patterns to include nutrient dense foods such as beans. Although many evidence-based health benefits of bean consumption (e.g.

Effects of isolated soluble fiber supplementation on body weight, glycemia, and insulinemia in adults with overweight and obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

There is strong epidemiologic evidence that dietary fiber intake is protective against overweight and obesity; however, results of intervention studies have been mixed. Soluble fiber beneficially affects metabolism, and fiber supplementation may be a feasible approach to improve body composition and glycemia in adults with overweight and obesity. We evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of isolated soluble fiber supplementation in overweight and obese adults on outcomes related to weight management [body mass index (BMI; in kg/m), body weight, percentage of body fat, and waist circumference] and glucose and insulin metabolism (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and fasting insulin) through a systematic review and meta-analysis.