Effects of removing phytic acid on the bioaccessibility of Ca/Fe/Zn and protein digestion in soymilk.

BACKGROUND: Soymilk is a high-quality source of protein and minerals, such as calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). However, phytic acid in soymilk restricts mineral and protein availability. We here investigated the effects of removing phytic acid on the physicochemical properties, mineral (Ca, Fe, and Zn) bioaccessibility, and protein digestibility of soymilk. RESULTS: Physicochemical property analysis revealed that the removal of phytic acid reduced protein accumulation at the gastric stage, thereby facilitating soymilk matrix digestion. The removal of phytic acid significantly increased Zn bioaccessibility by 18.19% in low-protein soymilk and Ca and Fe bioaccessibility by 31.20% and 30.03%, respectively, in high-protein soymilk. CONCLUSION: Removing phytic acid was beneficial for the hydrolysis of high-molecular-weight proteins and increased the soluble protein content in soymilk, which was conducive to protein digestion. This study offers a feasible guide for developing plant-based milk with high nutrient bioaccessibility. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bifidobacterium infantis strain YLGB-1496 possesses excellent antioxidant and skin barrier-enhancing efficacy in vitro.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurring allergic skin disease that has a high incidence. Orally applied Bifidobacteria ameliorate signs of irritated skin and enhance the skin barrier. The present study investigated the safety and efficacy of a topically used cell-free culture supernatant (CFS) from a Bifidobacterium infantis strain using in vitro evaluation methods. The results showed that CFS had strong free radical scavenging activity on DPPH, ABTS, ·OH and O2 -radicals. CFS treatment fundamentally reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD and GSH-Px) in H2 O2 -treated HaCaT cells. Notably, the upregulation of skin physical barrier gene (FLG, LOR, IVL, AQP3 and TGM1) expression and skin antimicrobial peptide gene (CAMP, hBD-2 and hBD-3) expression by CFS might contribute to skin barrier resistance. CFS was non-irritating to the skin and eyes. CFS from the Bifidobacterium infantis strain had strong antioxidant properties on the skin and strengthened skin barrier function, and it was safe for topical use.

The dynamic changes of gangliosides in breast milk and the intake of gangliosides in maternal and infant diet in three cities of China.

OBJECTIVE: To study the ganglioside intake of lactating mothers and its effect on the breast milk and infants. METHODS: The related information of mothers and infants was obtained by questionnaire survey, including the recipe, family information, and so on. The content of gangliosides in the mothers' food and breast milk was tested by HPLC-MS. The intake of gangliosides for infants was recorded and calculated. Then the dynamic changes of the content of gangliosides in breast milk and the impact on the development of infants were evaluated. RESULTS: GD3 was rich in milk and dairy products. The average intake of gangliosides for lactating mothers was 6.33 mg/day, of which GM3 was 3.02 mg/day and GD3 was 1.51 mg/day. The main food sources of gangliosides were meat (46.6%), eggs (26.6%), and dairy products (18.9%). The average content of gangliosides in breast milk was 9.58 mg/L. The content in 0-7 days after delivery (15.95 mg/L) was the highest, and then gradually decreased with time, getting the lowest in 6 months after delivery (6.47 mg/L). GM3 and GD3 were the two main types in breast milk. The average milk intake of infants under 6 months gradually increased from 570 mL to 1367 mL, and the daily intake of gangliosides was relatively stable, with a median of 6.4 mg. There was no significant relationship between the intake of gangliosides and physical development in infants. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to report the dietary ganglioside intake of Chinese city mothers. This study is also the first to indirectly infer the demand of infant ganglioside by detecting the components of breast milk. It will accumulate basic data for improving the diet of Chinese mothers and the recommended amount of infant nutrients.

Toddler neurodevelopment is associated with ganglioside intake but not serum ganglioside.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Gangliosides (GAs) are important components of neural tissue and cell membrane. This study aims to investigate the association between toddlers' neurodevelopment, dietary GA intake, and serum GA concentration. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Beijing and Xuchang, Henan Province in China. 110 eligible healthy toddlers aged 24-48 months were recruited. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and 24-h dietary recall were used to collect dietary information. Blood serum samples obtained from participants were used to perform GA composition analysis with high-performance liquid chromatographymass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The neurodevelopment level was assessed with the Gesell Developmental Scale (GDS). RESULTS: Dietary ganglioside GD3, total GA, and seafood intake were identified to be associated with the gross motor developmental quotient (DQ). An inverse association was revealed between the fine motor DQ and fruit intake. No correlation was detected between serum GA concentration and DQ. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary GA intake but not serum GA concentration is associated with neurodevelopment. Further prospective studies are needed to probe the relationships between the recommended dietary GA intake and toddlers.

Association between nutrient patterns and serum lipids in Chinese adult women: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To investigate the association between patterns of nutrient intake and serum lipids in Chinese women aged 18-80 years. METHODS: In the present study, cross-sectional data were analysed from 2886 female participants aged 18-80 years from the China Health and Nutrition Survey wave 2009. Nutrient patterns were identified using factor analysis combined with cluster analysis based on the data of nutrient intake for three consecutive days. Multivariate linear regression models were used to estimate the association of nutrient patterns with serum lipids. RESULTS: Four nutrient patterns were identified in Chinese adult women, which were the plant-based pattern, carbohydrate and animal fat pattern, plant fat and sodium pattern, and the animal-based pattern. Participants following different patterns varied significantly in sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviours and food consumption. Compared with the plant-based pattern, the carbohydrate and animal fat pattern was positively associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ß = 4.57, 95% CI: 0.29-8.85, P = 0.036) and total cholesterol (ß = 4.89, 95% CI: 0.34-9.44, P = 0.035). The corresponding rises for the animal-based pattern were 4.91 (95% CI: 0.99-8.82, P = 0.014) and 4.98 (95% CI: 0.82-9.15, P = 0.019), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Nutrient patterns with a high intake of animal fat and a low intake dietary fibre and with high intakes of animal fat, animal protein and cholesterol may increase the serum cholesterol in Chinese women.

Using an introduced index to assess the association between food diversity and metabolic syndrome and its components in Chinese adults.

BACKGROUND: It is reported that an increase in food diversity would lower the risk of cardiac-cerebral vascular diseases. METHODS: A new index was introduced to develop a Chinese healthy food diversity (HFD) index, exploring the association with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components among Chinese adults. Two sets of data were used. The primary data were from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2016 called the Chinese Urban Adults Diet and Health Study (CUADHS); the verification data were from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) of 2009. The Chinese HFD index was developed according to the Chinese Dietary Guideline, with food consumption information from 24-h dietary recalls. The association between the index and MetS and its components was explored in logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 1520 participants in the CUADHS, the crude prevalence of MetS was 36.4%, which was 29.0% after the standardisation of age and gender by the 2010 Chinese national census. In the CUADHS, the HFD index ranged from 0.04 to 0.63. The value of the index among participants who are male, young, poorly educated, drinking or smoking, and with high energy intakes was significantly lower than that of their counterparts. In the verification dataset of the CHNS, there were 2398 participants, and the distribution of different genders and age groups was more balanced. The crude prevalence of MetS in the CHNS was 27.3% and the standardised prevalence was 19.5%. The Chinese HFD index ranged from 0.02 to 0.62. In the CUADHS, the Chinese HFD index was not significantly associated with MetS in covariate-adjusted models or with its components. In the CHNS, the Chinese HFD index had a significantly negative correlation with MetS and its components (i.e., elevated fasting glucose and elevated waist circumference) in covariate-adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: Increased food diversity may decrease the risk of MetS, which is important in dietary interventions of cardiac-cerebral vascular disease. This underscores the necessity of continued investigation into the role of HFD in the prevention of MetS and provides an integral framework for ongoing research.

Do Chinese Preschool Children Eat a Sufficiently Diverse Diet? A Cross-Sectional Study in China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate dietary diversity and its associated factors in Chinese preschoolers and explore whether the daily food consumption of children with different dietary diversity-associated characteristics met recommended dietary amounts. METHODS: A cross-sectional study covering seven cities and two villages was conducted and included 697 preschool children aged 3⁻7 years old. Dietary diversity score (DDS) and DDS 10 were calculated based on 24-h dietary recall. The food-intake differences among children with different DDS 10 predictors were examined. RESULTS: The mean DDS and DDS 10 in Chinese preschool children were 7.4 ± 1.5 (ranged from 3 to 9) and 7.0 ± 3 (ranged from 3 to 9) respectively. Positive predictors of dietary diversity included residing in an urban environment, a higher household expenditure on children’s food, and a higher frequency of eating outside. Food-intake differences existed among the predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Education and intervention should be strengthened to improve the dietary diversity of preschool children, especially in rural areas. The overall dietary pattern of children requires attention, which means not only increasing dietary diversity but also avoiding an unbalanced diet.

[Differences between anthropometric indices in predicting dyslipidemia in Chinese urban adult population and finding optimal cut-off points].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the differences between anthropometric indices in predicting dyslipidemia in Chinese urban adult population and find optimal cut-off points. METHODS: A total of 1615 subjects with information on key variables were enrolled by multistage stratified sampling process from March to July in 2016. Information on sociodemographic characteristics( age, gender, nationality, education and income), and health and disease history of subjects was collected. Height, weight, waist circumference( WC), hip circumference, body fat percentage( % Fat), and fasting lipid profiles were measured for each participant. The receiver operating characteristic( ROC) curve was used to compare the efficacy of the various anthropometric indices to discriminate those with and without dyslipidemia. RESULTS: Waist-to-height ratio( WHtR) had the largest area under the ROC curve( AUC) for dyslipidemia in women( 0. 744). There weresignificant differences between AUC of WHtR and that of WC( P = 0. 008), body mass index( BMI, P = 0. 004), waist-to-hip ratio( WHR, P = 0. 005), and % Fat( P <0. 001) in pairwise comparisons. Cut-off point for WHtR was 0. 50 for dyslipidemia in urban adult women. Although the AUC for BMI was the highest for dyslipidemia in men, it did not differ significantly from other indices( P all > 0. 05). Cut-off point for BMI was24. 1 kg/m~2 for dyslipidemia in urban adult men. CONCLUSION: WHtR and BMI might be optimal indices for dyslipidemia for Chinese urban adult women and men, respectively. Regional and sexual differences should be considered when choosing proper indices.

[Micronutrients intake of pregnant women from 8 cities of China during 2011 to 2012].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate micronutrients intake of pregnant women in 8 cities. METHODS: The multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was applied in 8 cities( Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Lanzhou, Shenyang, Chengdu, Zhengzhou and Suzhou) from September 2011 to March 2012 to recruit healthy pregnant women, and then general information and dietary status were collected through face to face investigation. Nutrients intakes were calculated and analyzed then. RESULTS: There were 479 pregnantwomen in analysis, 58. 9% of whom were 25. 1 to 30 years old and the number of pregnant women in every trimester was approximately equal, counting for 1/3 respectively. Principal components analysis showed pregnant women in Lanzhou share poorest status of micronutrients. For pregnant women in Lanzhou, intakes of riboflavin, vitamin C, vitamin A, folacin and calcium were lowest compared with pregnant women from other 7 cities. The most B-vitamins intakes of pregnant women in Zhengzhou, and vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium intake of pregnant women in Shanghai were highest, respectively. CONCLUSION: Of all the participants, nutritional status of pregnant women in Lanzhou was poorest compare with those in other cities and more attention should be paid on their dietary nutrition. Compared with result of 2002, nutrients intakes of pregnant women were improved in this survey.

Gaps in awareness and control of hypertension: a cross-sectional study in Chinese urban adults.

Hypertension is a serious public health threat worldwide. This study sought to explore gaps in urban Chinese adults' awareness and control of hypertension. A cross-sectional study was carried out in eight Chinese cities in 2016. Participants were organized into four groups on the basis of blood pressure (BP) and self-reported disease history: healthy group (63.0%), well-controlled BP group (9.1%), unaware hypertension group (14.0%), and poorly controlled BP group (13.9%). Multinomial logistic regression with the healthy group as the reference group showed that younger age and body mass index <24 kg/m2 were negatively associated with lack of awareness of hypertension and poor control of BP. Lower salt intake, but not sodium intake, was associated with poor control of BP. Other factors associated with lack of awareness of hypertension included low fish and seafood intake. Low sodium intake contributed to good control of BP. In conclusion, there are gaps in urban Chinese adults' awareness and control of hypertension. A comprehensive strategy for enhancing awareness of hypertension and changing behaviors associated with the condition should be developed and implemented.

Prevalence of premastication among children aged 6-36 months and its association with health: A cross-sectional study in eight cities of China.

Premastication is thought to be an adaptive behavior in the introduction of complementary plant-bassed food to infants. It arouses controversy, however, because of the potential for transmitting saliva-born infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to explore whether premastication by healthy caregivers was associated with children's health and behavior. The data were collected as part of the Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Growth study. From 8 cities in China, 1341 pairs of infants/toddlers and their caregivers were recruited. An interviewer-administrated questionnaire collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, feeding behaviors, and self-reported health status. Anthropometric measurements were taken and blood samples were collected for analysis of hemoglobin levels. The overall prevalence of premastication was 26.9% and varies from 14-43% among the 8 cities. Premastication was not associated with occurrences of illness or with the nutritional indicators of height-for-age Z score, weight-for-age Z score, weight-for-height Z score, head circumference Z score and hemoglobin (P all >.05). Premastication occurred more often among infants who were raised by their parents (P = .005), whose mothers' education was lower (P < .001), who were subject to more concern from their parents (P = .022), and whose parents thought their children had an obesity problem (P = .001). Presmastication was not associated with food picky behaviors. Premastication is still a common feeding practice in China. More studies are needed to determine the biological, economic, and cultural benefits or harm from premastication.

Dietary diversity scores: an indicator of micronutrient inadequacy instead of obesity for Chinese children.

BACKGROUND: Micronutrient malnutrition affects the well-being of both adults and children. Dietary diversity score (DDS) is a useful evaluation index with a relatively well-developed guideline by FAO. It's meaningful to assess and predict inadequate micronutrient intakes using DDS in Chinese children, after ruling out the risk of obesity coming with more dietary diversity. METHODS: Data for evaluation were extracted from the Nutrition Study of Preschool Children and School Children, which is a cross-sectional study covering 8 cities of China, including 1694 children in kindergartens and primary schools. This study applied DDS to Chinese children to test the validity for micronutrient inadequacy, and then explored the relationship between dietary diversity and obesity. RESULTS: It reveals that dietary diversity varied with age and place of residence; the older ones and the ones living in rural areas tend to have poorer dietary diversity. Another discovery is that DDS is positively correlated with indicators of micronutrient adequacy, with a score of 6-8 indicating the lowest risk of micronutrient inadequacy in different groups of children. In our study population, dietary diversity is not related with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary diversity score is a valid indicator to evaluate micronutrient inadequacy in Chinese children, though there is still room for improvement of the method. Besides, the relationship between increase of dietary diversity and risk of obesity should be treated circumspectly.