MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of lipid metabolism. Recent studies have suggested synbiotics may modulate miRNA expression and lipid metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the effects of synbiotic supplementation on circulating miR-27a, miR-33a and lipid parameters in patients with dyslipidaemia. Fifty-six eligible participants were randomly allocated to receive either synbiotic or placebo sachets twice a day for 12 weeks. Each synbiotic sachet contained 3 × 1010 colony forming unit six species of probiotic microorganisms and 5 g of inulin and fructooligosaccharide as prebiotics. Serum miR-27a and miR-33a expression levels, serum lipids and apolipoproteins, the fecal concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla were assessed before and after the study. Real-time PCR was used to determine the relative expression levels of miRNAs. The results showed synbiotic supplementation significantly downregulated the expression levels of miR-27a and miR-33a compared with the placebo group (P = 0·008 and P = 0·001, respectively). Furthermore, the intervention group exhibited significant improvements in serum HDL-cholesterol, small dense LDL (sdLDL-cholesterol), apoA-I and apoB-100 (P = 0·008, P = 0·006, P = 0·003, P = 0·001, respectively). The results showed a significant negative correlation between miR-33a expression levels with HDL-cholesterol, butyrate, propionate and a significant positive correlation with total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and sdLDL-cholesterol in the intervention group. Fecal bacteria and SCFA were significantly increased in the intervention group. This study provides evidence that synbiotic supplementation can modulate miR-27a and miR-33a expression and improve lipid metabolism in patients with dyslipidaemia.

The UK government launched a two-component sugar-reduction programme in 2016, one component is the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages, the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, and the second is a voluntary sugar reduction programme for products contributing most to children’s sugar intakes. These policies provided incentives both for industry to change the products they sell and for people to change their food and beverage choices through a ‘signalling’ effect that has raised awareness of excess sugar intakes in the population. In this study, we aimed to identify the relative contributions of the supply- and demand-side drivers of changes in the sugar density of food and beverages purchased in Great Britain. While we found that both supply- and demand-side drivers contributed to decreasing the sugar density of beverage purchases (reformulation led to a 19 % reduction, product renewal 14 %, and consumer switching between products 8 %), for food products it was mostly supply-side drivers (reformulation and product renewal). Reformulation contributed consistently to a decrease in the sugar density of purchases across households, whereas changes in consumer choices were generally in the opposite direction, offsetting benefits of reformulation. We studied the social gradient of sugar density reduction for breakfast cereals, achieved mostly by reformulation, and found increased reductions in sugar purchased by households of lower socio-economic status. Conversely, there was no social gradient for soft drinks. We conclude that taxes and reformulation incentives are complementary and combining them in a programme to improve the nutritional quality of foods increases the probability of improvements in diet quality.

A randomised parallel intervention study was conducted with male patients diagnosed with CHD. Participants were assigned to three groups: Group A abstained from alcohol (n 20), Group B consumed red wine (n 21) and Group C (n 16) consumed an alcoholic beverage without wine micro-constituents. Biological samples were collected at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks. Enzyme activities of acetyl-CoA:lyso-platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetyltransferase, cytidine 5’-diphospho (CDP)-choline:1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol cholinephosphotransferase (PAF-cholinephosphotransferase), PAF-acetylhydrolase in leukocyte homogenates, serum lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 and plasma markers of thrombosis were measured. PAF-, ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation was measured in human platelet-rich plasma. Red wine consumption led to a 15·3 % reduction in LysoPAF-acetyltransferase activity at 4 weeks (P= 0·008) compared with baseline and Group A (P= 0·01). PAF-cholinephosphotransferase activity was reduced by 11·1 % at 8 weeks (P= 0·04) compared with baseline and by 24·9 % compared with Group C (P= 0·02). PAF-acetylhydrolase activity was reduced by 36·2 % at 8 weeks compared with baseline (P= 0·001) and compared with Group A (P< 0·000) and Group C (P= 0·009). Fibrinogen levels in Group B reduced by 6–9 % at 4 (P= 0·04) and 8 weeks (P= 0·01) compared with baseline while D-dimer in Group C increased by 16·1 % at 8 weeks (P= 0·005) compared with baseline. Platelet aggregation against PAF and collagen was reduced in Group B (82·6 and 35·4 %, respectively), and in Group C (158·4 and 37·1 %, respectively) compared with baseline and Group A (P< 0·05). In conclusion, moderate wine consumption improved the activity of PAF-metabolism enzymes regardless of ethanol and reduced platelet aggregation, probably through mechanisms different from those of ethanol.

This study elucidated the impacts of coenzyme Q10 (COQ10) supplementation in a high-fat diet (HFD) on growth, lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function in spotted seabass (Lateolabrax maculatus). Totally five diets were formulated: a diet with normal fat content (11 % lipid, NFD), a HFD (17 % lipid) and three additional diets by supplementing 5, 20 or 80 mg/kg of COQ10 to the HFD. After an 8-week culture period, samples were collected and analysed. The results demonstrated that COQ10 inclusion prevented the HFD-induced deterioration of growth performance and feed utilisation. COQ10 alleviated the deposition of saturated fatty acids following HFD intake and promoted the assimilation of n-3 and n-6 PUFA. Moreover, COQ10 administration inhibited the surge in serum transaminase activity and reduced hepatic lipid content following HFD ingestion, which was consistent with the results of oil red O staining. In addition, HFD feeding led to reduced hepatic citrate synthase and succinate dehydrogenase activities and decreased ATP content. Notably, COQ10 administration improved these indices and up-regulated the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis-related genes (pgc-1α, pgc-1β, nrf-1, tfam) and autophagy-related genes (pink1, mul1, atg5). In summary, supplementing 20–80 mg/kg of COQ10 in the HFD promoted growth performance, alleviated hepatic fat accumulation and enhanced liver mitochondrial function in spotted seabass.

Low iron (Fe) stores at birth may adversely influence child cognitive and motor development. The aims of this study were to assess cord blood Fe levels and explore maternal and neonatal factors associated with Fe status. Cord blood specimens (n 46) were obtained from the BC Children’s Hospital BioBank in Vancouver, Canada. The primary outcome was cord plasma ferritin, measured using sandwich-ELISA. Predictors of interest included maternal age, gestational age, gravidity, infant sex, birth weight and delivery method. Median (interquartile range (IQR)) maternal age and gestational age at delivery was 33·5 (29·3–35·8) years and 36·5 (30·0–39·0) weeks, respectively, and 44 % of infants were female. Median (IQR) cord ferritin was 100·4 (75·7–128·9) µg/l, and 26 % had low Fe status (ferritin <76 µg/l). Among preterm deliveries, a 1-week increase in gestational age was associated with a 6·22 (95 % CI (1·10, 9·52)) µg/l increase in median cord ferritin. However, among term deliveries, a negative trend was observed (–2·38 µg/l per week of gestation (95 % CI (–34·8, 0·78))), indicating a potential non-linear relationship between gestational age and cord ferritin. Female term infants had higher cord ferritin compared with males (β (95 % CI): 30·3 (18·4, 57·9) µg/l), suggesting sex-specific differences in Fe transfer, acquisition and utilisation. Cord ferritin was higher with vaginal deliveries compared with caesarean sections (β (95 % CI): 39·1 (29·0, 51·5) µg/l). Low Fe status may be a concern among infants in Canada; however, further research is needed to inform appropriate thresholds to define optimal Fe status in cord blood.

Propolis, as a by-product of honey production, has shown several beneficial effects on cardiovascular risks in past randomised controlled trials, although the findings are not conclusive. In this review, we intend to evaluate the effects of propolis consumption on cardiovascular risk factors by conducting a meta-analysis. The Web of Science, Medline and Scopus databases were comprehensively searched until September 2023. Eligible studies were identified by screening, and their data were extracted. Weighted mean differences with a 95 % CI for each outcome were estimated using the random-effects model. This meta-analysis revealed that propolis consumption led to a significant decrease in the levels of TAG (weighted mean differences (WMD): –10·44 mg/dl 95 % CI: –16·58, –4·31; P = 0·001), LDL-cholesterol (WMD: –9·31 mg/dl; 95 % CI: –13·50, –5·12 mg; P < 0·001), fasting blood glucose (WMD: –7·30 mg/dl; 95 % CI: –11·58, –3·02; P = 0·001), HbA1c (WMD: –0·32 %; 95 % CI: –0·60, –0·05; P = 0·01), insulin (WMD: –1·36 μU/ml; 95 % CI: –2·36, –0·36; P = 0·007), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (WMD: –0·39; 95 % CI: –0·74, –0·03; P = 0·020) and systolic blood pressure (WMD: –2·24 mmHg 95 % CI: –4·08, –0·39; P = 0·010), compared with the control groups. Furthermore, propolis consumption had a significant increasing effect on HDL-cholesterol levels (WMD: 2·03 mg/dl; 95 % CI: 0·24, 3·83; P = 0·020). In contrast, the consumption of propolis had no significant effect on total cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure levels. This systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis suggested that propolis intake may be effective in cardiometabolic improvement in adults. Further, well-designed studies are required to confirm and elucidate all aspects of these findings.

While reformulation policies are commonly used to incentivise manufacturers to improve the nutrient profile of the foods and beverages they produce, only a few countries have implemented mandatory reformulation policies. This paper aimed to review evidence on the design, implementation challenges and effectiveness of mandatory reformulation policies and compare them to voluntary reformulation policies. The systematic search retrieved seventy-one studies including twelve on mandatory reformulation policies. Most mandatory reformulation policies were aimed at reducing trans-fatty acids or sodium in foods. Overall, mandatory reformulation policies were found to be more effective than voluntary ones in improving dietary intakes. Mandatory policies were implemented when voluntary policies either failed or were found to be insufficient to improve the composition of foods. Typical features of mandatory policies could also improve the design of voluntary policies. Examples include strict but attainable targets and a tight monitoring of compliance.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with deteriorated mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Curcumin and probiotics improved MetS, mental health and HRQOL. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin-probiotic (CurPro) co-supplementation in the form of drink powder on mental health and HRQOL in adults with overweight/obesity and MetS. A four-arm, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial with factorial design was conducted for adults with overweight/obesity and MetS (n 128). Participants were randomly allocated into four groups to receive one drink powder sachet containing 1 g curcumin, 109 colony-forming unit (CFU) probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains), CurPro (1 g curcumin and 109 CFU probiotic) or placebo along with a low-calorie diet. Participants were assessed for dietary intake, physical activity, mental health and HRQOL before and after the study. After 8 weeks of intervention, 104 participants finished the study. The CurPro intervention reduced stress (P = 0·001) and anxiety (P = 0·019) and improved general health (P = 0·024) and overall HRQOL (P = 0·011) scores of participants in comparison with the Placebo group. Results were NS for depression and HRQOL subdomains such as physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, bodily pain, vitality, social functioning and role limitations due to emotional problems. Curcumin-probiotics co-supplementation could improve the mental health and HRQOL of adults with overweight/obesity and MetS. Further investigations in various populations or with different dosages or durations are recommended.

The RDA for dietary protein is likely insufficient for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). This study sought to characterise protein intake and diet quality in adults with cystic fibrosis (awCF), before and after elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) therapy, compared with healthy controls. Dietary intake was assessed by diet diary in awCF at baseline (BL, n 40) and at follow-up > 3 months post ETI therapy (follow-up (FUP), n 40) and in age-matched healthy controls (CON, n 80) free from known disease at a single time point. Protein intake dose and daily distribution, protein quality, protein source and overall diet quality were calculated for each participant. Both CON (1·39 (sd 0·47) g·kg–1·day–1) and CF (BL: 1·44 (sd 0·52) g·kg–1·day–1, FUP: 1·12 (sd 0·32) g·kg–1·day–1) had a higher mean daily protein intake than the protein RDA of 0·75g·kg–1·day–1. There was a significant reduction in daily protein intake in the CF group at FUP (P = 0·0003, d = 0·73), with levels below the alternative suggested dietary intake of ≥ 1·2 g·kg–1·day–1. There were no sex differences or noticeable effects on protein quality or source following the commencement of ETI therapy when compared with CON (all P > 0·05), although overall diet quality decreased between time points (P = 0·027, d = 0·57). The observed reduction in daily protein intake in the present cohort emphasises the importance of ensuring appropriate dietary protein intake to promote healthy ageing in adults with CF. More research is needed to evidence base dietary protein requirements in this at-risk population.

Childhood and puberty can affect metabolism, leading to tissue injury and malfunction later in life. The consumption of high-processed foods rich in salt and sugar is increasing in middle- and high-income countries, especially among young people. It is necessary to evaluate the effects of high salt and sugar levels in the youth on most injured organs during metabolic challenges. We aimed to investigate whether high-salt/sucrose intake affects whole-body development and leads to end-organ injury. Weaned male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a control group fed a standard diet and tap water, and an experimental group (SS) fed a standard diet and a beverage containing 1·8 % NaCl and 20 % sucrose instead of tap water. The animals were treated for 60 d, starting after weaning at 21 d of age, after which the animals were subjected to glucose and insulin tolerance tests, urine collection and heart rate monitoring and euthanised for sample collection at 81 d of age. SS showed reduced body weight gain and increased food intake of sodium/sucrose solution. Interestingly, high-salt/sucrose intake led to increased body adiposity, liver lipid inclusion, heart rate and renal dysfunction. SS exhibits increased levels of PPAR alpha to counterbalance the hypertrophy of brown adipose tissue. Our findings reveal that the SS rat model exhibits non-obvious obesity with end-organ damage and preserved brown adipose tissue function. This model closely parallels human conditions with normal BMI but elevated visceral adiposity, providing a relevant tool for studying atypical metabolic disorders.

The liver has multiple functions such as detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage. Folate is a water-soluble vitamin B9, which participates in one-carbon transfer reactions, maintains methylation capacity and improves oxidative stress. Folic acid is a synthetic form commonly used as a dietary supplement. The liver is the main organ for storing and metabolising folate/folic acid, and the role of folate/folic acid in liver diseases has been widely studied. Deficiency of folate results in methylation capacity dysfunction and can induce liver disorders. However, adverse effects of excessive use of folic acid on the liver have also been reported. This review aims to explore the mechanism of folate/folic acid in different liver diseases, promote further research on folate/folic acid and contribute to its rational clinical application.

Low vitamin D associated with high parathyroid hormone (PTH) is common in HIV infection. We determined the association between total 25(OH)D and PTH in adolescents living with HIV, in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Adolescents (11–19 years) perinatally infected with HIV and established on antiretroviral therapy for ≥ 6 months were recruited into a cross-sectional study. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded, anthropometry measured and fasted serum concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D, total 25(OH)D and intact PTH measured. The association between total 25(OH)D and PTH was examined using natural cubic spline regression. 842 participants (female: 53·2%) with a median age of 15·5 (IQR: 13·2–17·9) years were enrolled. Median antiretroviral therapy duration was 9·8 (IQR: 6·3–12·3) years, and 165/841 had an HIV viral-load >60 copies/ml. Stunting (height-for-age z-score <–2) and underweight (weight-for-age z-score <–2) were observed in 29·9 and 30·0%, respectively. Three-quarters reported daily Ca intakes <150 mg/d. The mean (sd) concentrations of total 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D were 66·1(16·5) nmol/l and 210·6 (70·4) pmol/l, respectively, and median PTH level was 4·3 (IQR: 3·3–5·5) pmol/l. There was an inverse non-linear relationship between total 25(OH)D and PTH, 25(OH)D levelling off at 74·6 nmol/l (95 % CI: 74·5, 75·2). Results were consistent in those taking tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and virally unsuppressed participants. In this population with extremely low habitual Ca intakes, the lack of association between 25(OH)D and PTH when 25(OH)D exceeded 75 nmol/l potentially suggests that levels of 25(OH)D >75 nmol/l may need to be achieved to improve bone health; investigation is needed in future research studies.

Adolescent girls often skip breakfast due to time constraints and reduced morning appetite. This study examined the acute impact of breakfast consumption timing v. breakfast omission (BO) on glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to lunch in infrequent breakfast-consuming girls. Fifteen girls (13·1 (sd 0·8) years) completed three conditions in a randomised crossover design: early-morning breakfast consumption (EM-BC; 08.30), mid-morning breakfast consumption (MM-BC; 10.30) and BO. A standardised lunch was provided at 12.30, followed by a 2-h post-lunch observation period. Blood and expired gas samples were collected periodically. Linear mixed models with Cohen’s d effect sizes compared outcomes between conditions. Pre-lunch glucose and insulin incremental AUC (iAUC) were higher in the breakfast conditions v. BO (P ≤ 0·009), with no differences between breakfast conditions. MM-BC reduced post-lunch glucose iAUC by 36 % and 25 % compared with BO and EM-BC, respectively (P < 0·001, d = 0·92–1·44). A moderate, non-significant 15 % reduction in post-lunch glucose iAUC was seen with EM-BC v. BO (P = 0·077, d = 0·52). These reductions occurred without changes in post-lunch insulinemia (P ≥ 0·323) and were accompanied by increased post-lunch carbohydrate oxidation compared with BO (P ≤ 0·018, d = 0·58–0·75); with no differences between EM-BC and MM-BC. MM-BC lowered glycaemic response over the experimental period compared with BO (P = 0·033, d = 0·98) and EM-BC (P = 0·123, d = 0·93), with no difference between EM-BC and BO. Compared with BO, both breakfast conditions lowered post-lunch glycaemic responses with mid-morning breakfast eliciting a greater second-meal effect than early-morning breakfast. These findings indicate the breakfast-to-lunch meal interval may be a crucial factor affecting postprandial glycaemia in infrequent breakfast-consuming girls.

Although research on the relationship between lean body mass and blood pressure (BP) has been inconsistent, most studies reported that measures of lean body mass are associated with a higher risk of hypertension. We explored relationships between body composition (fat and skeletal muscle mass) and BP in 1162 young adult African women. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-derived measures of whole-body, central and arm fat mass were associated with higher systolic and diastolic BP, while leg fat percentage was associated with lower systolic and diastolic BP. However, only the associations with diastolic BP remained after adjusting for appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM). ASM was associated with higher systolic and diastolic BP, before and after adjusting for whole-body fat percentage and visceral adipose tissue. While there was no overlap in targeted proteomics of BP and body composition, REN was lower in the elevated BP than the normal BP group and was inversely associated with diastolic BP (false rate discovery adjusted P< 0·050). Several proteins were positively associated with both visceral adipose tissue and ASM (LEP, FABP4, IL6 and GGH) and negatively associated with both visceral adipose tissue and ASM (ACAN, CELA3A, PLA2G1B and NCAM1). NOTCH3, ART3, COL1A1, DKK3, ENG, NPTXR, AMY2B and CNTN1 were associated with lower visceral adipose tissue only, and IGFBP1 was associated with lower ASM only. While the associations between body fat and BP were not independent of skeletal muscle mass, the associations between muscle mass and BP were independent of overall and central adiposity in young adult African women. Future interventions targeting muscle mass should also monitor BP in this population.