Previous studies on the association between fruit juice consumption and type 2 diabetes remain controversial, which might be due to heterogeneity in the polygenic risk score (PRS) for type 2 diabetes. We examined the association between fruit juice and type 2 diabetes by PRS for type 2 diabetes. We investigated whether fruit juice influences type 2 diabetes risk differently among individuals with varying genetic risks. Data from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) study, a cross-sectional study of 13 769 Japanese individuals was used for our analysis. The primary exposure was the frequency of fruit juice, categorised as do not drink, less than 1 cup per day or more than 1 cup per day. We selected PGS002379, a PRS for type 2 diabetes developed using East Asian populations. The primary outcome was physician-diagnosed type 2 diabetes, reported by participants. The consumption of fruit juice was significantly inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in the group with a high PRS for type 2 diabetes (OR: 0·78, 95 % CI: 0·65, 0·93 for < 1 cup/d and OR: 0·54, 95 % CI: 0·30, 0·96 for > 1/d), but this association was not observed in the low PRS group. Fruit juice consumption was inversely associated with type 2 diabetes, especially in genetically high-risk populations for type 2 diabetes.

This study examined whether supplementation with collagen peptides (CP) affects appetite and post-exercise energy intake in healthy active females. In this randomised, double-blind cross-over study, fifteen healthy females (23 (sd 3) years) consumed 15 g/d of CP or a taste matched non-energy control (CON) for 7 d. On day 7, participants cycled for 45 min at ∼55 % Wmax, before consuming the final supplement. Sixty-min post supplementation an ad libitum meal was provided, and energy intake recorded. Subjective appetite sensations were measured daily for 6 d (pre- and 30 min post-supplement) and pre (0 min) to 280 min post-exercise on day 7. Blood glucose and hormone concentrations (total ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and peptide YY (PYY), cholecystokinin (CCK), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (sDPP-4), leptin, and insulin) were measured fasted at baseline (day 0), then pre-breakfast (0 min), post-exercise (100 min), post-supplement (115, 130, 145, 160 min) and post-meal (220, 280 min) on day 7. Ad libitum energy intake was ∼10 % (∼41 kcal) lower in the CP trial (P = 0·037). There was no difference in gastrointestinal symptoms or subjective appetite sensations throughout the trial (P ≥ 0·412). Total plasma GLP-1 (AUC, CON: 6369 (sd 2330); CP: 9064 (sd 3021) pmol/l; P < 0·001) and insulin (+80 % at peak) were higher after CP (P < 0·001). Plasma ghrelin and leptin were lower in CP (condition effect; P ≤ 0·032). PYY, CCK and glucose were not different between CP and placebo (P ≥ 0·100). CP supplementation following exercise increased GLP-1 and insulin concentrations and reduced ad libitum energy intake at a subsequent meal in physically active females.

TNF-α polymorphisms may influence dyslipidaemia, but their role remains unclear. This case–control study investigated associations between TNF-α gene polymorphisms (–1031T/C, −863C/A, −857C/T, −308G/A and −238G/A) and dyslipidaemia in 595 participants (162 cases, 433 controls) from the Chaoshan region of China. Anthropometric, biochemical and genetic data were analysed using χ2 tests and logistic regression, with the false discovery rate (FDR) method applied to correct for multiple comparisons. Results revealed that only the −1031T/C and −863C/A polymorphisms were significantly associated with dyslipidaemia. Carriers of the TC + CC genotype for −1031T/C (OR = 0·48; 95 % CI: 0·30, 0·78; PFDR = 0·006) and the CA + AA genotype for −863C/A (OR = 0·41; 95 % CI: 0·24, 0·70; PFDR = 0·004) had lower odds of dyslipidaemia. Protective effects were observed for the C allele at −1031T/C (OR = 0·58, PFDR = 0·012) and the A allele at −863C/A (OR = 0·47, PFDR = 0·004). Stratified analyses showed that these associations were significant in males but not females. Functional annotation linked these TNF-α gene polymorphisms to transcription factors (e.g. HNF-1A, STAT1β) in the adipogenesis pathway. This study reveals genetic associations between TNF-α polymorphisms and dyslipidaemia, particularly in males, and provides mechanistic insights into their role in transcriptional regulation.

Persistent malnutrition is associated with poor clinical outcomes in cancer. However, assessing its reversibility can be challenging. The present study aimed to utilise machine learning (ML) to predict reversible malnutrition (RM) in patients with cancer. A multicentre cohort study including hospitalised oncology patients. Malnutrition was diagnosed using an international consensus. RM was defined as a positive diagnosis of malnutrition upon patient admission which turned negative one month later. Time-series data on body weight and skeletal muscle were modelled using a long short-term memory architecture to predict RM. The model was named as WAL-net, and its performance, explainability, clinical relevance and generalisability were evaluated. We investigated 4254 patients with cancer-associated malnutrition (discovery set = 2977, test set = 1277). There were 2783 men and 1471 women (median age = 61 years). RM was identified in 754 (17·7 %) patients. RM/non-RM groups showed distinct patterns of weight and muscle dynamics, and RM was negatively correlated to the progressive stages of cancer cachexia (r = –0·340, P < 0·001). WAL-net was the state-of-the-art model among all ML algorithms evaluated, demonstrating favourable performance to predict RM in the test set (AUC = 0·924, 95 % CI = 0·904, 0·944) and an external validation set (n 798, AUC = 0·909, 95 % CI = 0·876, 0·943). Model-predicted RM using baseline information was associated with lower future risks of underweight, sarcopenia, performance status decline and progression of malnutrition (all P < 0·05). This study presents an explainable deep learning model, the WAL-net, for early identification of RM in patients with cancer. These findings might help the management of cancer-associated malnutrition to optimise patient outcomes in multidisciplinary cancer care.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) incidence has been steadily increasing over the past few decades. Several studies have evaluated the effect of plant-based, vegetarian or vegan diets on the risk of T2D, although their potential benefits need to be confirmed and characterised. We performed a literature search up to 10 July 2025, using the terms/keywords related to plant-based index (PDI), vegetarian/vegan diets and T2D. We included observational non-experimental studies evaluating adherence to such diets in adult subjects assessing T2D risk. We specifically considered overall PDI and related healthy PDI (hPDI) and unhealthy PDI (uPDI), assessing intake of different food groups. We included 36 studies published between 1999 and 2025. We found an inverse association between adherence to vegetarian/plant-based dietary patterns and T2D risk. This association was stronger, though statistically imprecise, for the vegan diet (RR = 0·65, 95 % CI 0·42, 1·00) and for lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet (RR = 0·68, 0·57, 0·82). For studies using plant-based indices, the RR were 0·82 (0·69, 0·82), 0·76 (0·69, 0·82) and 1·13 (0·98, 1·30) for overall PDI, hPDI and uPDI, respectively. In the dose–response meta-analysis, overall PDI and hPDI showed an inverse and almost linear association with T2D risk. Conversely, adherence to uPDI directly correlated with T2D risk. Overall, adherence to vegan/vegetarian diets may reduce T2D risk, while an unhealthy plant-based diet appears to linearly increase disease risk, indicating caution in the consumption of such unhealthy foods even if of plant origin. The beneficial association between vegetarian and healthy plant-based diets may have major public health implications.

Previous observational studies suggested that vitamin D may control the absorption of iron (Fe) by inhibition of hepcidin, but the causal relevance of these associations is uncertain. Using placebo-controlled randomisation, we assessed the effects of supplementation with vitamin D on biochemical markers of Fe status and erythropoiesis in community-dwelling older people living in the UK. The BEST-D trial, designed to establish the optimum dose of vitamin D3 for future trials, had 305 participants, aged 65 years or older, randomly allocated to 4000 IU vitamin D3 (n 102), 2000 IU vitamin D3 (n 102) or matching placebo (n 101). We estimated the effect of vitamin D allocation on plasma levels of hepcidin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), ferritin, Fe, transferrin, saturated transferrin (TSAT%) and the sTfR–ferritin index. Despite increases in 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, neither dose had significant effects on biochemical markers of Fe status or erythropoiesis. Geometric mean concentrations were similar in vitamin D3 arms v. placebo for hepcidin (20·7 [se 0·90] v. 20·5 [1·21] ng/ml), sTfR (0·69 [0·010] v. 0·70 [0·015] µg/ml), ferritin (97·1 [2·81] v. 97·8 [4·10] µg/l) and sTfR–ferritin ratio (0·36 [0·006] v. 0·36 [0·009]), respectively, while arithmetic mean levels were similar for Fe (16·7 [0·38] v. 17·3 [0·54] µmol/l), transferrin (2·56 [0·014] v. 2·60 [0·021] g/dl) and TSAT% (26·5 [0·60] v. 27·5 [0·85]). The proportions of participants with ferritin < 15 µg/l and TSAT < 16 % were unaltered by vitamin D3 suggesting that 12 months of daily supplementation with moderately high doses of vitamin D3 are unlikely to alter the Fe status of older adults.

This study explored whether lifestyle therapy that promoted adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet as a treatment for depression led to environmental co-benefits. Participants (n 75 complete case) were Australian adults in the Curbing Anxiety and Depression using Lifestyle Medicine non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial, which showed that lifestyle therapy was non-inferior to psychotherapy in reducing depressive symptoms, when delivered in group format via video conferencing over an 8-week treatment period. In this secondary analysis, we hypothesised that the lifestyle arm would be superior to the psychotherapy arm in reducing the environmental impact of self-reported diet over time. Dietary intake derived from FFQ at baseline and 8 weeks was transformed into environmental impact scores by calculating global warming potential (GWP)*. GWP* was calculated for total dietary intake and distinct food groups (Australian Dietary Guidelines and NOVA classifications). Within-arm changes in GWP* over time were calculated using the median difference. Neither arm showed significant changes. Between-arm differences in percentage change in GWP* scores over time were analysed using generalised estimating equations models. No between-arm difference for total GWP* score was found (β = 11·06 (–7·04, 29·15)). When examining distinct food groups, results were mixed. These novel findings contribute to the sparse evidence base that has measured the environmental impact of diets in a clinical trial context. Whilst lifestyle therapy that reduced depressive symptoms did not have clear environmental benefits relative to psychotherapy, nutritional counselling that focuses on the environmental impact of food choices may drive more pronounced planetary co-benefits.

L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea, and caffeine, found in tea and coffee, are claimed to enhance attention. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced, two-way crossover trial to determine the acute effects of a high-dose L-theanine–caffeine combination on neurobehavioural (reaction time) and neurophysiological (P3b cognitive event-related potential (ERP)) measures of selective attention in acutely sleep-deprived healthy adults. Thirty-seven overnight sleep-deprived healthy adults (aged 22–30 years, twenty-one men) completed a computerised traffic-scene-related visual stimulus discrimination task before and 50 min after ingesting 200 mg L-theanine–160 mg caffeine combination or a placebo. The task involved selectively responding to imminent accident scenes (20 % probability) while ignoring randomly intermixed, more frequent safe scenes (80 % probability). A 32-channel electroencephalogram was recorded concurrently to derive ERP. The L-theanine–caffeine combination significantly improved the hit rate (P = 0·02) and target-distractor discriminability (P = 0·047), compared with the placebo. Although both L-theanine–caffeine combination (△ = 52·08 ms, P < 0·0001) and placebo (△ = 13·97 ms, P = 0·024) improved reaction time to accident scenes, the pre-post-dose reaction time improvement of the L-theanine–caffeine combination was significantly greater than that of placebo (△ = 38·1 ms, P = 0·003). Compared with the placebo, the L-theanine–caffeine combination significantly increased the amplitudes and reduced the latencies of P3b ERP component. Our findings suggest that L-theanine–caffeine combination improves the accuracy and speed of deploying selective attention to traffic scenarios in sleep-deprived individuals. This improvement is brought about by greater and faster neural resource allocation in the attentional networks of the brain.

Data on the distribution of iodine in the urine and breast milk of lactating women are limited. This study aimed to establish a formula to assess iodine status in lactating women by evaluating the fractional iodine excretion in urine and breast milk. A 3-d 24-h iodine metabolism survey in 2021–2023 was conducted on fifty-four pairs of lactating women and infants in Tianjin and Luoyang, China. We used the 24-h dietary record and salt weighing method to assess daily iodine intake (DII). Iodine excretion in breast milk and urine was measured. The median 24-h urinary iodine concentration and breast milk iodine concentration were 135·06 μg/L and 150·26 µg/L, respectively. When the DII was between 240 μg/d and 600 μg/d, the predicted value of fractional breast milk iodine excretion was 31·48 % (95 % CI: 27·16 %, 36·22 %). When the daily iodine excretion was between 258 μg/d and 476 μg/d, the fractional urine iodine excretion (59·09 %) and fractional breast milk iodine excretion (40·91 %) were stable. DII can be derived from the spot urinary iodine concentration as follows: urinary iodine concentration (μg/L) × (0·0009 L/h/kg × 24 h/d) × body weight (kg) ÷ 0·59 ÷ 0·94 = DII (μg/d). In conclusion, lactating women with adequate iodine delivered approximately 31·48 % of the DII to their infants. A stable proportion (59·09 %) of iodine excretion was discharged through urine, which was used to assess the iodine status based on the spot urinary iodine concentration of lactating women. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04492657).

This meta-analysis assesses the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). PubMed, Web of science, Ovid, Cochrane Library and Clinical Trials were used to systematically search from their inception until July 2024. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI were employed to assess the association between vitamin D supplementation and MACE. This analysis included five randomised controlled trials (RCT). Pooled results showed no significant difference in the incidence of MACE (HR: 0·96; P = 0·77) and expanded MACE (HR: 0·96; P = 0·77) between the vitamin D intervention group and the control group. Further, the vitamin D intervention group had a lower incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), but the difference was not statistically significant (HR: 0·88, 95 % CI: 0·77, 1·01; P = 0·061); nevertheless, vitamin D supplementation had no effect on the reduced incidence of stroke (P = 0·675) or cardiovascular death (P = 0·422). Among males (P = 0·109) and females (P = 0·468), vitamin D supplementation had no effect on the reduced incidence of MACE. For participants with a BMI < 25 kg/m2, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0·782); notably, the vitamin D intervention group had a lower incidence of MACE for those with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (HR: 0·91, 95 % CI: 0·83, 1·00; P = 0·055). Vitamin D supplementation did not significantly contribute to the risk reduction of MACE, stroke and cardiovascular death in the general population, but may be helpful for MI. Notably, the effect of vitamin D supplementation for MACE was influenced by BMI. Overweight/obese people should be advised to take vitamin D to reduce the incidence of MACE.

Adherence to healthy dietary patterns, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, is linked to improved health outcomes. However, limited research has explored this association in Latin American populations. This study aimed to investigate the association between adherence to a healthy eating score (unweighted and weighted) and all-cause mortality risk in a Chilean population. This longitudinal study included 5336 Chilean participants from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016 and 2017. Six healthy eating habits were considered to produce the healthy eating score (range: 0–12): consumption of seafood, whole grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and legumes. A weighted score was also developed. Participants were categorised into quartiles based on their final scores, with the healthiest quartile used as the reference group. Associations between healthy eating score and all-cause mortality were performed using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for confounders. After a median follow-up of 5·1 years, 276 (5·2 %) participants died. In the fully adjusted model, compared with participants in the healthiest quartile of the score (Q4), those in the unhealthiest quartile (Q1) had 1·61 (95 % CI: 1·14, 2·27) times higher all-cause mortality risk. A similar association was observed for the weighted healthy eating score (1·52 (95 % CI: 1·03, 2·23)). An inverse trend was observed for both scores (P < 0·05). Sensitivity analyses excluding participants who died within the first 2 years showed consistent results 1·63 (95 % CI: 1·09, 2·42). Individuals with the lowest healthy eating score (unweighted or weighted) had a higher mortality risk compared with their counterparts. A healthy eating score is associated with mortality risk in the Chilean population.

Diet in the first years of life is a key determinant of lifelong disease risk and is highly affected by socio-economic status (SES). However, the specific relation between SES and food consumption in toddlers and preschoolers is poorly understood. This study assesses SES-related differences in food consumption in 1- to 5-year-olds in Germany using weighed food records (3 + 1 d) of a subsample of 887 children from the cross-sectional Children’s Nutrition Survey to Record Food Consumption (KiESEL) undertaken between 2014 and 2017. Children were categorised as having a low, medium or high SES depending on parental income, education and occupation. A two-step generalised linear model corrected for age and sex was applied to assess differences in food consumption, using bootstrapping to address unequal group sizes. Differences between SES groups were found for unfavourable foods (and the subgroups sugar-sweetened beverages and confectionary/desserts), fruit, bread/cereals and fats/oils (PBoot < 0·05). Mean daily consumption in the low-SES group as compared with the high-SES group was 84 g lower for total fruit, 22 g lower for bread/cereals and 3 g lower for fats/oils, while being 123 g higher for sugar-sweetened beverages and 158 g higher for unfavourable foods in total (based on bootstrap 95 % CI). In conclusion, this study suggests a social gradient in the diet of German toddlers and preschoolers, with lower SES linked to lower diet quality. To prevent adverse health trajectories, public health measures to improve early life nutrition should address all children, prioritising those of lower SES.

Sessile serrated lesions (SSL) are recognised precursors to colorectal cancer. Little is known about risk factors for SSL due to their relatively recent clinical recognition as a cancer precursor and routine documentation of cases. Lifestyle and diet-related information were collected using validated questionnaires in a colonoscopy-based case–control study in Australia (257 SSL cases, 239 conventional adenoma (CA) cases, 180 polyp-free controls). A posteriori dietary patterns were derived from self-reported dietary intake in the past 12 months using principal component analysis. Multivariable-adjusted OR and 95 % CI were used to examine associations between lifestyle factors and dietary patterns on risk of SSL and CA v. polyp-free controls and SSL v. CA using logistic regression modelling. Use of anti-inflammatory medications was associated with reduced SSL risk (OR = 0·61; 95 % CI 0·38, 1·00), while current smoking was associated with increased SSL risk (OR = 1·96; 95 % CI 1·09, 3·53). Unlike CA, SSL risk was not increased by hormone replacement therapy use and current alcohol consumption but was increased by taller height. Higher adherence to a dietary pattern featuring processed meats, ready-made convenience foods and high-energy drinks was associated with increased SSL risk (OR = 2·13; 95 % CI 1·13, 4·00; Ptrend = 0·03) and CA (OR = 2·60; 95 % CI 1·32, 5·09; Ptrend = 0·005). Compared with CA, a dietary pattern featuring wholegrains, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds and oily fish was associated with reduced SSL risk (OR = 0·60; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·98; Ptrend = 0·04). This study supports a healthy diet as primary prevention for both SSL and CA and reinforces smoking as a risk factor for SSL.

This study compared red meat, white meat and vegetable consumption before, during and after COVID-19 pandemic among older adults in regional China. Data were collected from urban individuals aged 60+ years in Nanjing municipality in 2018, 2021 and 2023. Differences in food intake frequencies between participants and survey years were examined. Logistic regression models were employed to identify influencing factors of meat, and vegetable consumption. Totally, 13 792 participants were analysed, with 4355, 4622 and 4815 from 2018, 2021 and 2023 surveys, respectively. The mean weekly intake frequency (sd) in 2018, 2021 and 2023 was, separately, 3·85 (sd 2·83), 3·21 (sd 2·90) and 4·71 (sd 3·94) for red meat; 1·38 (sd 1·21), 2·08 (sd 1·90) and 2·73 (sd 2·55) for white meat; and 10·98 (sd 4·84), 10·00 (sd 5·04) and 10·34 (sd 5·04) for vegetable. Moreover, 23·2, 32·6 and 52·3 % of participants met the recommendation for meat intake, while 53·7, 46·8 and 49·6 % reached vegetable intake recommendation before, during and after COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. Meat intake was positively associated with education, marital status and drinking, but negatively associated with age. Additionally, education and marital status were in negative relation to vegetable consumption, while smoking and drinking were positively associated with vegetable intake. The older residents consumed less red meat and vegetable but more white meat during COVID-19 pandemic, and their consumption levels of meat and vegetable went up after the pandemic. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to support older adults’ dietary habits during emergency events.

Understanding the interplay between adiposity and histopathological features of colorectal tumours is crucial for advancing strategies in disease management. We conducted a retrospective cohort study over an 8-year period (2007–2015), including patients who underwent surgical resection for colorectal cancer (CRC). Body composition was assessed via computed tomography (CT) at the level of the third lumbar vertebra, with visceral adipose tissue (VATd) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SATd) radiodensities stratified into tertiles. Systemic inflammatory status was evaluated using the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Logistic regression was employed to analyse the relationship between variables, using OR with 95 % CI. The Cox proportional hazards model assessed hazard ratios (HR) with 95 % CI. A total of 231 patients were included (48·9 % men, 51·1 % women), with 93·6 % in CRC stages II and III. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that CRC stages II and III (OR = 5·15, 95 % CI: 1·60, 16·62; OR = 5·16, 95 % CI: 1·59, 16·77) and low VATd (1st and 2nd tertiles; OR = 2·43, 95 % CI: 1·30, 4·53) were associated with the presence of desmoplasia. In the multivariate Cox analyses, only stage III disease (HR = 4·77, 95 % CI: 1·09, 20·89) and moderate to accentuated fibrous stroma (HR = 1·90, 95 % CI: 1·03, 3·46) were identified as predictors of reduced overall survival. These findings suggest that increased visceral adiposity may contribute to the development of a desmoplastic tumour microenvironment. Moreover, the presence of moderate to accentuated fibrous stroma is significantly associated with poorer long-term survival in patients with CRC.

A local food-based approach, including school lunch with multiple-micronutrient fortified biscuits (MMB) as supplementary snacks, may enhance dietary adequacy, although current evidence remains limited. This study assessed nutrient inadequacies and developed food-based dietary recommendations (FBR) incorporating school lunch from the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) and MMB. Data from 292 girls aged 10–17 years, enrolled in the Ten2Twenty-Ghana study was analysed. Dietary intake was assessed via a quantitative 24-h dietary recall. Usual intakes were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. Linear programming with Optifood was used to develop FBRs based on commonly consumed foods (≥5% of participants) and their median serving sizes, intake frequency, nutrient content, and cost per 100 g. Constraints included estimated energy needs and harmonised average nutrient requirements. The mean usual energy intake was 2351 (sd 66) kcal/d. Ca (99·8 %), vitamin B12 (99·8 %), riboflavin (96·2 %), vitamin A (91·5 %), vitamin C (87·6 %), Fe (73·7 %), folate (49·3 %) and Zn (8·5 %) inadequacies were prevalent. Optimised diets achieved adequacy for protein and most micronutrients, except Ca and vitamin B12, besides vitamin A for 15–17-year-old girls. School lunch from the GSFP did not enhance micronutrient levels when added to the daily diet. Adding MMB to the daily diet ensured adequacy for vitamin C, riboflavin and Fe, although marginal for Fe. Ca and vitamin A improved substantially with MMB for girls aged 15–17 but remained below the harmonised average requirements. Integrating regular school lunch with specialised fortified foods may be a cost-effective strategy to enhance dietary adequacy for adolescent girls in rural areas.

To address limited data on whole grain (WG) consumption in the UK, we investigated trends and socio-demographic patterns of WG consumption from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey from 2008/2012 to 2016/2019 and examined the relationship between WG and dietary intakes. We analysed 15 655 individuals aged ≥ 1·5 years who completed a 4-day food diary. WG consumption was quantified by estimating the WG content of individual foods using publicly available ingredient information. Survey-weighted mean WG consumption over time and by population sub-group was calculated. Survey-weighted trend tests and Wald tests were used. Total WG intake in the general population did not change from 2008/2012 to 2016/2019. WG from high-fibre cereals and bread declined by 16·2 % (11·1–9·3 g/d) and 19·4 % (12·4–10 g/d), respectively, while other cereals (e.g. rice/pasta) increased by 72·5 % (4·0–6·9 g/d), but contributed considerably less than other categories. In the most recent data (2016–2019), older adults (65+ years) had the highest energy-adjusted WG consumption, followed by children 1·5–3 years. Individuals with lower incomes, adolescents and current smokers consumed the least WG. Whole grain intake was associated with generally higher quality diets, specifically consuming more fibre, potassium, Ca, Fe, Mg, fruits/vegetables, pulses/nuts and oily fish and consuming less free sugars, total fat, saturated fat, Na and red/processed meat (Ptrend < 0·001 for all). Despite some dietary improvements in the UK, WG intake appears unchanged from 2008/2012 to 2016/2019.