Nutrition Research Reviews最新文献

Tryptophan (TRP) is an essential amino acid that needs to be ingested into the human body with food. Once ingested in the human body, it is metabolised by gut microbiota into indole metabolites. These indole metabolites can bind to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and pregnane X receptor (PXR). AhR is expressed in many immune cells. The innate and adaptive immune system is modulated by the binding of the indole metabolites to this receptor, and anti-inflammatory signal cascades are activated. PXR is enriched in the enterohepatic system and is essential in handling xenobiotics. Our analysis of results showed that the amino acid TRP and its indole metabolites are ligands, which can modulate mucosal barrier integrity and regulate disease states. The TRP indole metabolites were shown to be a possibility for the supported treatment of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, ischemic diseases, and neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. This review shows that the gut microbiome can be altered by supplementation in the nutrition of these bacterial metabolites. As shown in the examples here in this review, inclusive experimental models, the supplementation of TRP and its metabolites could be an alternative approach for treating patients. This review highlights the nutritional aspects of tryptophan and its biochemistry. Further, it sheds light on nutrition and the role of TRP malnutrition.

The aim of this review is to describe nutrition strategies that may help to meet the ever-increasing global demand for chicken meat in a sustainable manner. This may include decreased reliance on imported feedstuffs through replacement of imported protein (e.g., soybean meal) with locally available alternatives such as canola or grain legumes, as well as a reduction in crude protein content in feeds through a precision use of amino acids and enzymatic supplements. Challenges, opportunities and research needs associated with alternative feed ingredients are illustrated, and potential risks or benefits to the health of birds, consumers and their environment are discussed. It is concluded that the long-term sustainability of chicken meat requires a multifactorial approach that relies on improved feed formulation practices based on use of local ingredients, reduced crude protein, optimizing feed processing (e.g., particle size), and use of feed additives (e.g., enzymes, synthetic amino acids, pre- and pro-biotics) whilst considering their impact on efficiency of production as well as animal, human and environmental health.

There is a lack of comprehensive reviews examining workplace health promotion (WHP) interventions targeting nutrition; most of the reviews focus on productivity-related outcomes. This narrative review, based on articles extracted from PubMed between January 2015 and July 2024, aims at providing a critical analysis of the current evidence regarding WHP interventions, and proposes practical principles for companies and human resource management to develop more effective WHP initiatives. The review includes 54 eligible randomized controlled trials conducted in various workplace settings across high-income countries, involving a general adult working population of both sexes, with or without metabolic chronic diseases. Among the 54 eligible articles analysed, 8 different strategies were identified for environmental, 6 for educational, and 5 for behavioural interventions. A combined educational and behavioural intervention was the solution most frequently applied (24 studies). Less than half of the studies were effective. Outcomes that improved most frequently in WHP interventions were waist circumference (11/20 studies evaluating this outcome), consumption of unhealthy food/nutrients (10/17), vending machines or worksite cafeteria purchases (4/5), and metabolic syndrome (2/4). 46% of the WHP interventions tackled ≥ 2 healthy lifestyle domains promoted by the World Health Organization, and 71% used technology. WHP programmes often fail due to poor design, but with evidence-based, tailored strategies and international guidelines, they could drive lasting, widespread benefits. Effective frameworks should balance scientific rigor with practical tools to ensure engagement and impact, providing concrete benefits for the employees, their families and the entire society.

Perinatal depression is a common disorder that can manifest during pregnancy and the postpartum period, severely affecting both the mother and the baby. Dietary factors have been associated with an increased risk of perinatal depression. We analyzed the association between adherence to certain dietary patterns before and during pregnancy and postpartum and perinatal depression. A scoping review of the available literature was conducted reporting the main findings following the PRISMA 2020 statement. The search strategy was last reproduced in December 2024 in MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. The protocol has been published on OSF (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AV8TP). 11 studies (6 cohort studies, 4 cross-sectional studies, and 1 randomized clinical trial) conducted in various countries were included in the mapping review. These studies evaluated the dietary intake of the participants at different times during the perinatal period and identified several dietary patterns. 9/11 studies showed a significant inverse association between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet or healthy patterns, characterized by high intake of vegetables, fruits, fish and seafood and perinatal depression. In contrast, 4/11 studies showed that adherence to Western dietary patterns and the consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with higher risk of perinatal depression. Adherence to healthy dietary patterns may be negatively associated with perinatal depression. Conversely, Western diet and the intake of ultra-processed and pro-inflammatory foods are directly associated with a higher risk of perinatal depression.

This review aimed to summarise the nutrition education programs and interventions that have sought to improve maternal health outcomes. Pregnancy is often considered a "teachable moment" when mothers may be motivated to adopt positive behavioural changes, including improving their nutrition habits. Pregnancy nutrition education is the provision of information and guidance on optimal nutritional practices that aim to support a healthy pregnancy. This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eight electronic databases were searched (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Scopus, PsycARTICLES, SocINDEX, Academic Search Complete) for studies reporting on nutrition education programs and interventions with pregnant women. Studies were included based on PICOS criteria, with no limitations on time and study design. Data were extracted and thematically analysed to identify the scope of diet, nutrition knowledge, and maternal outcomes included. This review includes 169 studies, which included various maternal outcomes, gestational weight gain; gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and anaemia; dietary outcomes; nutritional status; and nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviours. Significant positive results were observed for many health and dietary outcomes, with the exception of prevention of gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. A range of strategies have been used to deliver nutrition education. This inconsistency makes it challenging to summarize the key components of effective nutrition education and highlights the need for targeted approaches tailored to specific maternal outcomes.

Obtaining accurate estimates of children's dietary intake is important because these estimates are used to characterize diet-disease relationships and inform nutrition interventions. This systematic review synthesized findings from validation studies of dietary assessment tools for children (aged 1-10 years), in which parents were proxy-reporters. Database searches (Ovid Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane) in January 2026 for validation studies of dietary assessment tools used for estimating daily intake of macronutrients and micronutrients yielded 4,545 citations. Articles were uploaded to Covidence for screening. Sixty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Median sample size was 103. Eighty-six percent of studies (n=57) validated a food frequency questionnaire; the remainder validated dietary recalls (11%, n=8) or food diaries (2%, n=1). Many studies (67%, n=44) used another parent-proxy report tool as the reference method. For most nutrients, over a quarter of the 66 studies failed to find a significant correlation between the assessment tool and reference method. Among the 69% of analyses that did show a significant correlation, the median correlation for each nutrient ranged from 0.37 to 0.40 for macronutrients and 0.29 to 0.55 for micronutrients. Studies were limited by lack of generalizability, use of reference methods prone to error, and misalignment between the assessment tool and reference method. Overall, this review found no correlation or low-to-moderate correlations between dietary assessments and the reference method. The studies had significant methodological limitations. Future studies should validate parent-proxy report dietary assessments against objective measures, such as biomarkers. The development of novel assessment tools may also be warranted.

Obesity is a multifactorial condition arising from complex interactions between genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and behavioural factors. Among the genetic contributors identified through genome-wide association studies, variants within the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene represent some of the most consistently replicated loci associated with body mass index, adiposity, and appetite regulation across populations. Experimental and observational evidence suggests that FTO variants may influence energy intake, food preference, and metabolic pathways through effects on hypothalamic signalling, adipocyte biology, and epigenetic regulation. These findings have stimulated interest in precision nutrition approaches that aim to tailor dietary strategies according to individual genetic profiles. This narrative review critically examines the role of FTO gene variants in polygenic obesity and evaluates the current evidence supporting gene-diet interactions relevant to personalized weight management. We synthesized data from mechanistic studies, observational cohorts, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses to assess whether dietary interventions, including macronutrient composition, mediterranean-style dietary patterns, and discretionary food intake, can meaningfully modify obesity risk in individuals carrying FTO risk alleles. While mechanistic plausibility and observational associations are well established, evidence from intervention studies indicates that genotype-specific responses are generally modest and context-dependent. Overall, current findings support the potential of precision nutrition as a complementary framework rather than a deterministic approach to obesity management. Further large-scale, long-term, and ethnically diverse intervention studies are required to clarify clinical utility and inform evidence-based implementation.

Neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) are a heterogeneous group of conditions characterised by progressive muscle weakness, motor impairment, and risk of malnutrition, affecting the quality of life (QoL) of patients. While pharmacological treatments are essential for the management of symptoms, the role of diet, nutrition, and other lifestyle factors remains underexplored. This narrative systematic review, performed on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus following PRISMA guidelines, aimed to investigate the relationship between lifestyle, the progression of NMDs, and the QoL. A total of 30 studies (n = 5055 patients) met inclusion criteria. According to our search strategy, the most representative lifestyle factors were diet (70%), physical activity (53.3%), and emotional perception and care (36.7%); seven papers (23.3%) evaluated three or more lifestyle aspects. Overall, both quantitative and qualitative deficiencies emerged: calories, proteins, lipids, and fibres, as well as vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, and calcium, were lower than recommended. A reduced consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, replaced by ultra-processed foods, was detected. Diets optimised for calorie and nutrients intake, rich in anti-inflammatory foods, have shown benefits both in mitigating oxidative stress and muscle degeneration. Regarding other aspects of lifestyle, although physical activity was associated with improved motor performance and QoL, adherence was low, particularly among females. Negative emotional status emerged as a critical factor influencing patients’ overall well-being. Even in the most complex neuromuscular disease settings, addressing nutrition and dietary habits, in the context of lifestyle, could support patients and their families throughout the disease course and improve their QoL.

Sarcopenia is a progressive skeletal muscle disorder characterized by the loss of muscle mass and strength. The concept of pro-anabolic modulators (including vitamin D, leucine, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics) as nutritional agents to counteract sarcopenia has been introduced as a promising strategy to restore anabolic balance in aging muscle. This systematic review aimed to synthesize recent evidence on the effectiveness of these compounds on muscle mass and physical performance. A total of 53 randomized controlled trials were included: 30 evaluated vitamin D, 8 leucine, 9 omega-3, and 6 probiotics. Across studies, although results for vitamin D were heterogeneous, daily supplementation suggested a more consistent potential for beneficial effects compared to bolus regimens, particularly when co-administered with other agents or physical exercise. Leucine demonstrated greater efficacy when combined with resistance training or other pro-anabolic agents. Most studies on omega-3 fatty acids reported improvements in muscle strength and functional outcomes, especially in long-duration interventions. Probiotics also showed promising results, with almost all studies reporting positive effects on muscle mass and strength, despite variability in strains and protocols. Given the low to very low certainty of evidence for most outcomes (except for physical performance, which reached moderate certainty), these results should be interpreted with caution, despite a general trend toward favorable outcomes. These findings suggest that combining pro-anabolic modulators (or pairing them with exercise or additional nutrients) may enhance their efficacy on muscle-related outcomes. Further research is warranted to define optimal protocols and to clarify the mechanisms underlying their potential synergistic effects.

Malnourished infants under six months (u6m) are a vulnerable but insufficiently prioritised group, with low levels of consolidated evidence to guide outpatient and community-based care. This study synthesised evidence on outpatient and community-based management of malnourished infants u6m, focusing on intervention strategies, outcomes, barriers, and policy implications. Following the JBI framework and PRISMA guidelines, this review included information published in English between 2007 and 2025 about the outpatient or community-based management of malnourished infants u6m or mother–infant dyads. Four databases and multiple institutional websites were searched, supplemented by grey literature. Data were extracted on various study features, interventions, and outcomes. A total of 26 studies were included, with only five published since the 2023 updated guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). Evidence was concentrated in studies from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Several studies described outpatient care as feasible and acceptable in multiple contexts, with reported recovery rates ranging from 65% to 91%; however, methodological heterogeneity limits comparability across studies. Breastfeeding support, maternal health, and culturally adapted interventions were described as important indicators. Tools such as the MAMI clinical care pathway, MUAC, and the MAMI WAZ look-up chart were described as effective, but require further validation and contextual testing. Major barriers that were mentioned included shortages of trained staff, inconsistent protocols, and policy reluctance to scale outpatient models. Outpatient and community-based care for malnourished infants u6m aligns with recent WHO guidance on managing ‘at-risk’ infants. However, widespread adoption requires stronger evidence-based management or tools, integration into health systems, and national policies. Strengthening research and programmatic consensus will be essential to improve outcomes for this vulnerable population.