Childhood undernutrition is a global public health challenge, affecting children unevenly within the same household. This study assessed the behavioural and genetic correlates of malnutrition among children aged 1–3 years in a district of the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. A cross-sectional study involving 262 child-caregiver pairs was conducted. Children were classified as wasted, stunted or healthy based on anthropometric indices. Feeding behaviours - including appetite, food refusal, force-feeding, and maternal feeding anxiety were assessed using the International Complementary Feeding Evaluation Tool. Saliva samples were used to genotype nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with appetite and energy regulation, and a polygenic risk score (PGRS) was generated. Wasted children had significantly lower appetite z-scores (Mean difference MD (Confidence interval CI)): -0.37 (-0.65, -0.09) and higher z-scores for food refusal (0.30 (0.03, 0.58)) and caregiver feeding anxiety (0.67 (0.39, 0.94)) compared to healthy children. Maternal feeding anxiety attenuated the association between appetite and WHZ while remaining a strong independent predictor. No associations were found between feeding behaviour and stunting. Although force-feeding was common (33% of children), it did not differ by nutritional status. The SNP rs2274333, showed a higher frequency of homozygosity for the AA genotype in wasted children. The PGRS was significantly associated with low appetite (p=0.046) but not with food refusal or nutritional status. Children with wasting had a lower appetite and a higher food refusal. This is associated with high levels of maternal feeding anxiety, but does not seem to have a strong genetic basis.

Maternal obesity delays mammary gland maturation, influencing milk composition and neonatal growth. This study investigated whether supplementation of obese rats with resveratrol (Res) improves mammary gland differentiation, milk composition, and offspring development. Female Wistar rats were fed either a high-fat diet, to induce maternal obesity (MO) or standard chow as control (C). One month before mating, and throughout gestation, half the rats received 20 mg/kg/day Res orally creating 2 additional experimental groups (CRes and MORes). Milk nutrients and fatty acids were analyzed at postnatal day 21 (PND21); maternal body composition, mammary gland weight, and fat pad weight were also obtained. Mammary gland morphology and indices of apoptosis were determined. Offspring metabolic parameters were studied at PND36. MO dams had increased adiposity, mammary gland weight and showed elevated glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels compared to controls. MORes reduced all these parameters except mammary gland weight. Mammary gland development was delayed, and apoptosis increased in MO vs C. Resveratrol improved mammary gland development in obese dams. Milk protein/fat ratio, milk, protein and DHA intake decreased in the MO group compared to C; whereas, fat, saturated fat, monosaturated fat and ω-6 fatty acid was increased in MO. Reveratrol treatment restored these parametes in obese dams and significantly reduced adiposity in their offspring. Triglycerides, insulin and HOMA-IR increased in MO offspring but was prevented by Res, which also increased milk intake in controls. Conclusion, preconceptional Resvertrol supplementation protects against the negative effects of maternal obesity on mammary gland differentiation, milk composition and offspring metabolism.

Ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) are widely used to treat severe acute malnutrition (SAM) by improving key anthropometric outcomes; however, optimisation of RUTF formulations remains important to support sustained recovery. Rice bran, a novel nutrient-dense, prebiotic food ingredient, can support healthy growth. This two-arm, double-blinded, randomised controlled trial, compared the effectiveness of a locally produced RUTF with rice bran to the same RUTF without rice bran for the treatment of uncomplicated acute malnutrition in Jember, Indonesia. 200 children aged 6–59 months with SAM (WHZ < −3.0 and/or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 115 mm or having bilateral pitting oedema +/++) or approaching SAM (WHZ < −2.5) were enrolled in the study. Primary outcomes were weight, MUAC, and anthropometric z-scores. Linear mixed models were applied across all ages, and split by age groups (6–23 months and 24–59 months) at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 for intention-to-treat (ITT) and per protocol analysis (PP). Children in two age groups were expected to respond differently to treatment based on their microbiome maturity. At week 4, the PP analysis revealed RUTF+rice bran treatment had significantly greater weight gain velocity (p = 0.02; p = 0.008) and MUAC velocity (p = 0.004, p = 0.03) when compared to RUTF at all ages and in the 24–59 months age group, respectively. There were no significant differences between treatment groups at time points in the other anthropometric outcomes. This investigation shows promising impact of stabilised rice bran as a prebiotic and nutrient-dense ingredient for inclusion into RUTFs that can improve child growth outcomes.

Increased consumption of pulses can support healthy and sustainable diets; however, consumption of pulses in Western populations is low. Adolescents are an often overlooked yet important target group as they develop attitudes and behaviours that influence food choices into adulthood. To understand patterns of consumption, this study aimed to analyse characteristics and consumption patterns of Australian adolescents who consume pulses. Secondary analysis of the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey data from 2011–2012 was carried out to identify adolescent (12–17 years, n 1007, nationally representative of n 101 130) pulse consumers, compare their nutritional and demographic characteristics with non-consumers and describe frequency, types and amounts of pulses consumed. Consumption of pulses amongst adolescents is low, with only 6 % of adolescents (48 % males) reporting consumption of pulses. Pulse consumption was associated with healthier weight and diet characteristics. After adjusting for age, sex and socio-economic index, overweight or obese adolescents were less likely to consume pulses than adolescents of a healthy weight or underweight (OR = 0·82; 95 % CI 0·69, 0·99; P = 0·043). Adolescent pulse consumers reported consuming more vegetables, dietary fibre and Fe and less discretionary foods, saturated fat and added sugars than non-consumers. Baked beans were the most commonly consumed type of pulses, followed by pulses as an ingredient in a vegetarian meal such as dahl. Future strategies are recommended to promote the consumption of pulses amongst adolescents due to the low consumption level, with consideration of familiar and appealing dishes to support adolescents in achieving healthier and sustainable diets.

The early years of life are crucial for developing cognitive abilities, such as intelligence. This period is marked by rapid brain development, in which nutrition is essential. This study aimed to characterise dietary patterns at age 2 and investigate their association with cognitive performance at ages 6–7. The study used data from the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort, Brazil (n 4275). Dietary intake was assessed using a habitual consumption questionnaire, and patterns were derived using principal component analysis. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (4th edition), providing intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. Associations were tested using linear regression models. The unhealthy dietary pattern (characterised by packaged snacks, instant noodles, sweet biscuits, sweets and candies, soft drinks, sausages and processed meats) was negatively associated with IQ (P < 0·001). Exploratory analyses suggest that early-life deficits (low weight, height or head circumference for age) may amplify the negative effect of unhealthy dietary pattern on IQ (interaction P = 0·020). Children with high adherence to this pattern and early-life deficits showed a 4·78-point IQ reduction (95 % CI: −7·06, −2·49), while those without deficits had a 2·24-point reduction (95 % CI: −3·35, −1·13), compared with those with low adherence, even after adjustments. No significant associations were found between the healthy dietary pattern (characterised by beans, baby foods, fruits, vegetables and natural fruit juices) and IQ scores. These findings suggest that an unhealthy diet in early childhood may impair cognitive performance, particularly among children with early-life deficits.

Research shows that understanding the nutritional status and eating habits of people with disabilities is essential for creating effective preventive healthcare strategies. Communication barriers in healthcare settings, low health literacy and socioeconomic inequities are among the challenges this community faces. These difficulties can lead to poor nutritional knowledge, food insecurity and chronic diseases. Deaf individuals also experience higher rates of undernutrition, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies, primarily due to limited access to linguistically appropriate nutrition education. This commentary aims to explore the nutritional problems in the Deaf community, their determinants and risks and to offer inclusive solutions and preventive strategies at the individual, community and policy levels to ensure equitable nutrition and health for all Deaf individuals.

Dietary magnesium (Mg) is a potentially modifiable factor in preventing dementia, but current evidence supporting this remains insufficient and inconclusive. This study aimed to determine whether dietary Mg is associated with the risk of dementia among middle-aged and older people. Participants of this 8-year cohort study were 13,032 community-dwelling individuals aged 40–74 years. Dietary data were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire in 2011–2013. Mg intake was adjusted for energy intake using the residual method. The outcome was newly diagnosed dementia determined using Japan’s long-term care insurance database. Covariates included demographic characteristics, body size, lifestyles, and disease histories. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). The mean age of participants was 59.0 years. Dementia occurred in 148 males and 138 females. Lower quartiles of energy-adjusted Mg intake were associated with a higher risk of dementia (P for trend = 0.0410) in males, with the lowest quartile (Q1) having an elevated risk of dementia (HR = 1.73, 95% CI:1.07–2.83) compared to the highest quartile (Q4, reference); however, this association was not found in females. In a subgroup analysis by disease history in males, the HR of Q1 was attenuated in both subgroups; HR was 1.52 (95% CI:0.74–3.11) in those with a disease history and 1.40 (95% CI:0.73–2.69) in those without. In conclusion, low dietary Mg intake is associated with increased dementia risk in middle-aged and older Japanese males. However, this association may be partly attributable to underlying disease history.

It is increasingly acknowledged that the transition from animal- to plant-based proteins confers substantial benefits for both human health and environmental sustainability. This review provides a critical examination of the necessity to consider not only the degree of processing applied to plant protein-based foods, particularly those derived from legume seeds, but also the nutritional quality of the resulting products. While it is well established that plant proteins exhibit a lower environmental footprint compared with their animal-derived counterparts, their digestibility is often reduced, primarily due to the matrix composition of raw ingredients. To improve protein digestibility and reduce the antinutrient content in these raw materials, a variety of processing methods are used, encompassing thermal and biological treatments (e.g. extrusion and fermentation, respectively). However, processing methods may also introduce unintended adverse effects, including protein oxidation and formation of undesirable compounds. Therefore, this review explores the paradox of sustainable processing, where process conditions may simultaneously confer environmental advantages while compromising nutritional quality. In this context, food classification systems such as NOVA are critically examined, highlighting the absence of an evidence-based system that integrates both processing conditions and product formulation in the classification of plant-based foods. Current approaches categorizing plant-based options as ultra-processed foods without accounting for the nutritional quality of their ingredients, and their ultimate digestibility, may mislead consumers and discourage the consumption of nutritionally adequate plant-based alternatives. Finally, the review emphasizes the need for the adoption of processing technologies that address the sustainability challenge and the nutritional quality of plant protein-based foods.

In the USA and Japan, body mass index (BMI) has increased over the last several decades, whereas energy intake (EI) has decreased. However, self-reported EI data may show systematic errors. Using the calibration approach for attenuating the systematic error of self-reported EI, we aimed to compare trends in BMI and EI with and without calibration in adults from the USA and Japan. This cross-sectional study included 38,370 Americans evaluated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2018, and 200,629 Japanese evaluated in national nutrition surveys in Japan 1995–2019. EI was estimated using at least 1 day of 24-h diet recalls for Americans and 1 day of household-based dietary records for Japanese. The calibrated EI was calculated using a previously developed equation based on total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by doubly labelled water method. Using data from a review, uncalibrated EI was −20.2% and calibrated EI was −4.1% compared to the TEE; the calibration approach attenuated EI underestimation. In the USA, uncalibrated EI decreased (annual percentage change [APC]: −0.24%), but calibrated EI and BMI increased (calibrated EI, APC: 0.04%; BMI, APC: 0.32%). In Japan, the decrease was smaller for the calibrated EI than for the uncalibrated EI (uncalibrated EI, APC: −0.23%; calibrated EI, APC: −0.04%). Uncalibrated EI decreased and BMI increased in the USA and Japan, and calibrated EI increased in the USA and decreased slowly in Japan. Calibration may attenuate systematic bias in dietary assessments and facilitate the effective use of dietary data.