Toward a science-based classification of processed foods to support meaningful research and effective health policies.

Processed foods have been part of the American diet for decades, with key roles in providing a safe, available, affordable, and nutritious food supply. The USDA Food Guides beginning in 1916 and the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) since 1980 have included various types of commonly consumed processed foods (e.g.

Ready-to-eat cereal consumption is associated with improved nutrient intakes and diet quality in Canadian adults and children across income levels.

Background: Results from observational studies suggest ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) consumption is associated with higher diet quality. In the United States, studies have shown that RTEC is an important contributor to nutrient intakes across income levels. However, it is unknown if this association varies by income level in the Canadian population.

The Role of Dietary Ingredients in Mental Energy - A Scoping Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Low mental energy can contribute to decreased productivity, altered life balance, decreased physical performance, and ultimately affect quality of life. As such, there is a great demand for food and beverage products that positively impact mental energy. Numerous products claim to alter mental energy making continued review of the scientific evidence critical.

The Relationship of Ready-to-Eat Cereal Intake and Body Weight in Adults: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies and Controlled Trials.

Results from observational studies indicate that consumption of ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) is associated with higher diet quality and lower incidence of overweight and obesity in adults compared with other breakfasts or skipping breakfast. However, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have had inconsistent results regarding effects of RTEC consumption on body weight and composition. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of RTEC intake on body weight outcomes in observational studies and RCTs in adults.

The Impact of Ready-to-Eat Cereal Intake on Body Weight and Body Composition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies and Controlled Trials.

Results from observational studies suggest that children and adolescents consuming ready-to-eat cereals (RTECs) have a healthier BMI and lower odds of overweight and obesity than consumers of other breakfasts or breakfast skippers. However, randomized controlled trials in children and adolescents are few and have been inconsistent in demonstrating a causal relationship between RTEC intake and body weight or body composition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of RTEC intake on body weight and body composition outcomes in children and adolescents.

Ready-to-eat cereal is an affordable breakfast option associated with better nutrient intake and diet quality in the US population.

Background: Results from observational studies have reported ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) consumers have higher dietary quality and nutrient intake compared to consumers of non-RTEC breakfasts or those who do not eat breakfast. Yet, there have been few investigations on the relationship of RTEC to meal costs at breakfast and across the day, which may be one reason some consumers choose to not consume breakfast.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the contribution of RTEC consumed at breakfast to nutrient intake and adequacy, diet quality and meal costs in a nationally representative sample of children and adults in the US.

Validation of a Mobile App-Based Visual Analog Scale for Appetite Measurement in the Real World: A Randomized Digital Clinical Trial.

There has been no validated digital tool for measuring appetite with a visual analog scale (VAS) through a mobile app using participants' smart phones for data collection in virtual settings. To fill the gap, we developed a digital VAS and conducted a digital cross-over clinical trial by comparing appetite responses measured by this digital tool versus paper-based VAS in 102 participants in a free-living environment. Participants consumed either a 230 or 460 kcal breakfast in randomized order in two virtual sessions, and their appetite was measured over the next 4 h using both tools.

Effect of increasing plant protein intake on protein quality and nutrient intake of US adults.

Three cycles of NHANES (2013-2018) were used to assess protein intake, protein quality (protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score; PDCAAS), protein cost, and nutrient intakes across quartiles of plant protein intake (Q1: <28.2%; Q2: 28.2% to <32.

Precision nutrition: Maintaining scientific integrity while realizing market potential.

Precision Nutrition (PN) is an approach to developing comprehensive and dynamic nutritional recommendations based on individual variables, including genetics, microbiome, metabolic profile, health status, physical activity, dietary pattern, food environment as well as socioeconomic and psychosocial characteristics. PN can help answer the question "What should I eat to be healthy?", recognizing that what is healthful for one individual may not be the same for another, and understanding that health and responses to diet change over time. The growth of the PN market has been driven by increasing consumer interest in individualized products and services coupled with advances in technology, analytics, and omic sciences.

A Slight Adjustment of the Nutri-Score Nutrient Profiling System Could Help to Better Reflect the European Dietary Guidelines Regarding Nuts.

The consumption of nuts remains low among European populations despite widespread inclusion as a recommended food group across European dietary guidelines. Front-of-Pack nutrition labelling systems are designed to support consumers make healthier choices and to stimulate product improvement, thus representing a pivotal opportunity to reduce the gap between intakes and recommendations. This study examined how the Nutri-Score algorithm treats nuts and nut-containing products and tested whether slight adjustments could better recognise and motivate nut inclusion in foods and diets.

Associations of Ready-to-Eat Cereal Consumption and Income With Dietary Outcomes: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2018.

Background: Ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal has been associated with higher diet quality but it is not known if this association differs by income.

Objective: To investigate the association of RTE cereal with dietary outcomes in a US population stratified by income [measured using the poverty-to-income ratio (PIR)].

Methods: Data from children 2-18 years ( = 5,028) and adults 19 years and older ( = 9,813) with 24-h dietary recalls from the cross-sectional, US nationally-representative 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) were used in a multivariable linear model that included cereal eating status (based on day 1 24 h dietary recall), PIR category (Low-PIR <1.

Consensus, Global Definitions of Whole Grain as a Food Ingredient and of Whole-Grain Foods Presented on Behalf of the Whole Grain Initiative.

Proposed global definitions of whole grain as an ingredient and whole grain food are presented by the authors on behalf of the Whole Grain Initiative. Whole grains are an important pillar of healthy and sustainable diets. Internationally accepted credible definitions of whole grains as food ingredients and whole-grain foods are necessary to ensure that all global stakeholders have shared standards, and that consumers find them clear, credible, and useful.

Whole grain intake, compared to refined grain, improves postprandial glycemia and insulinemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Whole grain (WG) intake has been associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and may protect against T2D by lowering postprandial glycemia and insulinemia and improving insulin sensitivity. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of WG intake, compared to refined grain (RG) intake, on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia and markers of glycemic control and insulin resistance in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults. A search of PubMed and Scopus yielded 80 relevant RCTs.

Associations between frequency of yogurt consumption and nutrient intake and diet quality in the United Kingdom.

Little is known on the association between frequency of yogurt consumption and dietary intake in the United Kingdom (UK). The aim of the present study was to examine associations between frequency of yogurt consumption and dietary outcomes in children ( 1912, age 9⋅6 ± 0⋅1 years, 51 % boys) and adults ( 2064, age 48⋅7 ± 0⋅5 years, 49 % men) using cross-sectional data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme year 7 to year 9 (2014/15-2016/17). The frequency of yogurt consumption was determined by the number of days with yogurt reported in 4-d food diaries and participants were classified as non-eaters, occasional eaters (1-2 d of consumption) or regular eaters (3-4 d of consumption).

Effectiveness of workplace wellness programmes for dietary habits, overweight, and cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The workplace offers a unique opportunity for effective health promotion. We aimed to comprehensively study the effectiveness of multicomponent worksite wellness programmes for improving diet and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Methods: We did a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, following PRISMA guidelines.

Role of Food Industry in Promoting Healthy and Sustainable Diets.

Sustainable food systems are often defined by greenhouse gases, land use, effects on biodiversity, and water use. However, this approach does not recognize the reason food is produced-the provision of nutrients. Recently, the relationship between diets and sustainability has been recognized.

Association between whole grain food intake in Canada and nutrient intake, food group intake and diet quality: Findings from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey.

Whole grains have been associated with numerous beneficial health outcomes and are recommended in Canada's Food Guide; however, there is little research on whole grains specific to Canada. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the association between Canadians' WG intake and nutrients, food groups and diet quality and to understand top sources of WG in the diets of Canadians. We used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2015: a cross-sectional survey that collected information on diet (using a 24-hour recall) and health from 20,487 Canadians 1 year and older.

Shaping the Future of Probiotics and Prebiotics.

Recent and ongoing developments in microbiome science are enabling new frontiers of research for probiotics and prebiotics. Novel types, mechanisms, and applications currently under study have the potential to change scientific understanding as well as nutritional and healthcare applications of these interventions. The expansion of related fields of microbiome-targeted interventions, and an evolving landscape for implementation across regulatory, policy, prescriber, and consumer spheres, portends an era of significant change.

Correction: Breakfast in Canada: Prevalence of Consumption, Contribution to Nutrient and Food Group Intakes, and Variability across Tertiles of Daily Diet Quality. A Study from the International Breakfast Research Initiative. 2018, , 985.

The authors wish to make a correction to the published version of their paper [...

Time, location and frequency of snack consumption in different age groups of Canadians.

Background: The location and time of snack consumption may influence the composition, nutrient content and portion sizes of snacks. In this study, we aimed to determine and compare the time, location and frequency of snack consumption among different age groups of Canadians.

Methods: Nationally representative dietary data from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) were used (19,677 participants aged ≥2 years).

Effect of chicory inulin-type fructan-containing snack bars on the human gut microbiota in low dietary fiber consumers in a randomized crossover trial.

Background: The low intake of dietary fiber compared to recommended amounts has been referred to as the dietary fiber gap. The addition of fiber to snack foods could favorably alter gut microbiota and help individuals meet intake recommendations.

Objectives: Our objective was to examine the effect of low- and moderate-dose fiber-containing snack bars, comprising mainly chicory root inulin-type fructans (ITF), on gut microbiota in healthy adults with habitual low dietary fiber intake using 16S ribosomal RNA-based approaches.

Effect of fructans, prebiotics and fibres on the human gut microbiome assessed by 16S rRNA-based approaches: a review.

The inherent and diverse capacity of dietary fibres, nondigestible oligosaccharides (NDOs) and prebiotics to modify the gut microbiota and markedly influence health status of the host has attracted rising interest. Research and collective initiatives to determine the composition and diversity of the human gut microbiota have increased over the past decade due to great advances in high-throughput technologies, particularly the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing. Here we reviewed the application of 16S rRNA-based molecular technologies, both community wide (sequencing and phylogenetic microarrays) and targeted methodologies (quantitative PCR, fluorescent hybridisation) to study the effect of chicory inulin-type fructans, NDOs and specific added fibres, such as resistant starches, on the human intestinal microbiota.

Ready-to-eat cereal fortification: a modelling study on the impact of changing ready-to-eat cereal fortification levels on population intake of nutrients.

Objective: Ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal is an important source of nutrients in the American diet. Recent regulatory changes to labelling requirements may impact the fortification of RTE cereal. We used an evidence-based approach to optimize the fortification of RTE cereal considering current dietary patterns and nutrition policy.