Development of the Food Boost Challenge: A Participatory Action Research Approach to Enhance Vegetable and Fruit Consumption among Adolescents.

Prevention of non-communicable diseases through, among other factors, increasing vegetables and fruit (V&F) intake is a cost-effective strategy for risk reduction but requires behavioral change. Such changes in adolescents benefit from their active involvement. The Food Boost Challenge (FBC) was developed using a participatory action research approach to enhance healthy eating behaviors, namely V&F products among adolescents. The FBC is an innovation process, involving adolescents, (peer) researchers, and food system partners, like non-governmental and commercial organizations. In 2021-2022, 34 partners provided both cash and in-kind contributions to join the FBC community. Phase 1 involved 200 students identifying barriers and drivers for consumption of F&V products among 1000 pre-vocational adolescents, aged 12-20 years. In phase 2, student teams submitted innovative ideas, resulting in 25 concepts fitting into ≥1 of 4 routes: (I) innovative technology for a healthy diet, (II) new food products/concepts for adolescents, (III) hotspots improving the F&V product experience, and (IV) new routes to market. In phase 3, consortia of adolescents, students, and partners were formed to develop 10 selected concepts into prototypes, and phase 4 offered teams a national platform. Results show that the FBC resonates with all stakeholders, generating valuable insights to increase F&V intake. Prototypes in all four routes have been developed. Additionally, other regions in the Netherlands have adopted the FBC approach. Overall, the FBC is an approach that transforms ideas into actionable measures and shows potential to be adapted to promote various healthy eating behaviors among school students.

Evidence of antiplatelet aggregation effects from the consumption of tomato products, according to EFSA health claim requirements.

The beneficial effect of fresh tomatoes or processed tomato products on platelet aggregation depends on the presence of bioactive compounds in these products, in sufficient quantities, to produce a relevant physiological effect, when consumed as part of a normal diet. This work is focused on reviewing the development on tomato products bioactive compounds, particularly with reference to its potential biological activity with beneficial effect on the prevention of platelet aggregation.The most relevant studies found show that all bioactive compounds found in Water-soluble tomato concentrate are in tomato fruit and other tomato products, and there is enough evidence of their beneficial effects. According to the European Food Safety Authority requirements, further intervention studies (human clinical trials) using valid markers should be performed in order to demonstrate the beneficial effects of tomato products as consumer products (paste, puree, sauce or juice) on platelet aggregation. Our PubMed review results support the development of promising nutritional strategies involving tomatoes and tomato products to tackle cardiovascular disease as antiplatelet aggregation.

Vitamin A equivalency of beta-carotene in healthy adults: limitation of the extrinsic dual-isotope dilution technique to measure matrix effect.

Data on the vitamin A equivalency of beta-carotene in food are inconsistent. We quantified the vitamin A equivalency (microg) of beta-carotene in two diets using the dual-isotope dilution technique and the oral-faecal balance technique. A diet-controlled, cross-over intervention study was conducted in twenty-four healthy adults. Each subject followed two diets for 3 weeks each: a diet containing vegetables low in beta-carotene with supplemental beta-carotene in salad dressing oil ('oil diet') and a diet containing vegetables and fruits high in beta-carotene ('mixed diet'). During all 6 weeks, each subject daily consumed a mean of 55 (sd 0.5) microg [13C10]beta-carotene and 55 (sd 0.5) microg [13C10]retinyl palmitate in oil capsules. The vitamin A equivalency of beta-carotene was calculated as the dose-corrected ratio of [13C5]retinol to [13C10]retinol in serum and from apparent absorption by oral-faecal balance. Isotopic data quantified a vitamin A equivalency of [13C10]beta-carotene in oil of 3.4 microg (95 % CI 2.8, 3.9), thus the bio-efficacy of the beta-carotene in oil was 28 % in the presence of both diets. However, data from oral-faecal balance estimated vitamin A equivalency as 6:1 microg (95 % CI 4, 7) for beta-carotene in the 'oil diet'. beta-Carotene in the 'oil diet' had 2.9-fold higher vitamin A equivalency than beta-carotene in the 'mixed diet'. In conclusion, this extrinsic labelling technique cannot measure effects of mixed vegetables and fruits matrices, but can measure precisely the vitamin A equivalency of the beta-carotene in oil capsules.

Effects of antiplatelet components of tomato extract on platelet function in vitro and ex vivo: a time-course cannulation study in healthy humans.

BACKGROUND: Natural antithrombotic agents that influence platelet function are of potential interest for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Previous reports showed that tomato extracts inhibit platelet aggregation in vitro, but little is known of the active components, their mode of action, or their efficacy in vivo. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to examine the antiplatelet activity of specific tomato components by in vitro experimentation and to establish their ex vivo efficacy in healthy humans. DESIGN: The mechanisms of action of antiplatelet components isolated from tomato extracts were examined in vitro. A 7-h time-course study was carried out in cannulated human subjects (n = 23) to determine the ex vivo efficacy of a supplement drink containing tomato extract and the onset and duration of antiplatelet effects. RESULTS: The inhibition of ADP-, collagen-, thrombin-, and arachidonate-mediated platelet aggregation by tomato extract components appears to be linked to the inhibition of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa and platelet secretory mechanisms. We found a significant inhibition of baseline platelet function, from 2.9 +/- 1.4% (optimal ADP concentrations; P = 0.03) to 20.0 +/- 4.9% (suboptimal ADP concentrations; P < 0.001), 3 h after supplementation with a dose of tomato extract equivalent to 6 tomatoes. The observed effects persisted for >12 h. Coagulation variables were not affected. CONCLUSIONS: The ingestion of tomato components with in vitro antiplatelet activity significantly affects ex vivo platelet function. The reported cardioprotective effects of tomatoes are potentially linked to a modulation of platelet function.

Extraction of carotenoids from feces, enabling the bioavailability of beta-carotene to be studied in Indonesian children.

Previously, we have presented a method for quantifying beta-carotene bioavailability based on analysis in serum, following administration of (13)C-labeled beta-carotene. Because stool samples can be collected noninvasively, we have now extended the method to measure the bioavailability based on measurements in feces. An extraction method was developed to enable measurement of concentrations and degree of isotopic enrichment of retinol, retinyl palmitate and carotenoids in feces. Relative bioavailability of beta-carotene from pumpkin (n = 6) was found to be 1.8 times (interval, 0.6, 5.5) greater than that from spinach (n = 8), based on data from feces compared with 1.7 times (interval, 0.9, 3.1) based on data from serum.

Isotopic tracer techniques for studying the bioavailability and bioefficacy of dietary carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, in humans: a review.

Vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem in many developing countries. Provitamin A carotenoids in fruit and vegetables are the major source of vitamin A for a large proportion of the world's population. However, the contribution of plant foods is substantial only when both the consumption and provitamin A content of such food is high and, at the same time, the bioefficacy of the provitamin A is high. With respect to provitamin A carotenoids, the term bioefficacy is defined as the product of the fraction of the ingested amount that is absorbed (bioavailability) and the fraction of that which is converted to retinol in the body (bioconversion). Isotopic tracer techniques can meet the need for accurate and precise estimates of the bioavailability, bioconversion, and bioefficacy of dietary carotenoids in humans. Use of such techniques will enable proper evaluation of food-based approaches to eliminating vitamin A deficiency. In addition, the putative antioxidant capacities of carotenoids can be better understood if their bioavailability is known. Here, we discuss how tracer techniques can be applied to obtain reliable and representative data. A step-by-step discussion of aspects related to these techniques is provided, including study design, choice of isotopic tracers, dosing regimen, collection of samples, chemical analysis of samples, and data analysis.

Consequences of revised estimates of carotenoid bioefficacy for dietary control of vitamin A deficiency in developing countries.

According to existing recommendations of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO), the amount of provitamin A in a mixed diet having the same vitamin A activity as 1 microg of retinol is 6 microg of beta-carotene or 12 microg of other provitamin A carotenoids. The efficiency of this conversion is referred to as bioefficacy. Recently, using data from healthy people in developed countries and based on a two-step process, the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) derived new conversion factors. The first step established the bioefficacy of beta-carotene in oil at 2 microg having the same vitamin A activity as 1 microg of retinol; the second step established the bioavailability of beta-carotene in foods relative to that of beta-carotene in oil at 1:6. Thus, 2 microg of beta-carotene in oil or 12 microg of beta-carotene in mixed foods has the same vitamin A activity as 1 microg of retinol. Based on existing FAO food balance sheets and the FAO/WHO conversion rates, all populations should be able to meet their vitamin A requirements from existing dietary sources. However, using the new IOM conversion rates, populations in developing countries could not achieve adequacy. Additionally, field studies suggest that, instead of 12 microg, 21 microg of beta-carotene has the same vitamin A activity as 1 microg of retinol, which implies that effective vitamin A intake is even lower. Therefore, controlling vitamin A deficiency in developing countries requires not only vitamin A supplementation but also food-based approaches, including food fortification, and possibly the introduction of new strains of plants with enhanced vitamin A activity.