This study aims to assess the therapeutic effects of probiotic oral therapy in paediatric patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and to investigate its impact on intestinal flora composition, brain–gut peptide levels and overall clinical outcomes. A retrospective study was conducted involving 100 children diagnosed with AN at Xingtang County People’s Hospital between January 2023 and June 2024. Patients were divided into two groups: a control group (n 50) receiving zinc gluconate oral solution alone and an observation group (n 50) receiving zinc gluconate plus probiotics. Outcome measures included intestinal flora analysis, brain–gut peptide levels (somatostatin (SS) and nitric oxide (NO)), clinical efficacy, serum trace element levels (Ca, Zn and Fe) and prognosis, including recurrence rates 6 months post-treatment. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups (P > 0·05). After treatment, the observation group showed significantly higher levels of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and lower levels of Enterobacter compared with the control group (P < 0·05). Additionally, the observation group had lower levels of SS and NO (P < 0·05), indicating improved brain–gut communication. Clinical efficacy was significantly higher in the observation group (P < 0·05), with improved serum trace element levels (P < 0·05 for Ca, Zn and Fe). Furthermore, the recurrence rate 6 months post-treatment was significantly lower in the observation group compared with the control group (P < 0·05). Probiotic supplementation in children with AN effectively modulates intestinal flora, improves brain–gut peptide levels and enhances clinical outcomes.

The current review will examine the field of food intake biomarkers and the potential use of such biomarkers. Biomarkers of food intake have the potential to be objective measures of intake thus addressing some of the limitations associated with self-reported dietary assessment methods. They are typically food-derived biomarkers present in biological samples and distinct from endogenous metabolites. To date, metabolomic profiling has been successful in identifying several putative food intake biomarkers. With respect to food intake biomarkers, there has been a proliferation of publications in this field. However, caution is needed when interpreting these as food intake biomarkers. Many have not been validated thus hampering their use. While much of the focus to date is on discovery of food intake biomarkers there are excellent examples of how to utilise these biomarkers in nutrition research. Applications include but are not limited to: (1) measurement of adherence to diets in intervention studies (2) objectively predicting intake with no reliance on self-reported data and (3) calibrating self-reported data in large epidemiological studies. Examples of these applications will be covered in this review. While significant progress is achieved to date in the food intake biomarkers field there are a number of key challenges that remain. Examples include lack of databases focused on food-derived metabolites thus hindering the discovery of new biomarkers and the need for new statistical approaches to deal with multiple biomarkers for single foods. Addressing these and other key challenges will be key to development of future opportunities.

As obesity rates rise globally, addressing modifiable lifestyle factors, such as sleep, presents an opportunity for public health interventions. This review explores the growing evidence linking sleep duration, quality and timing with weight management and dietary behaviours throughout the life course. Observational studies associate short or irregular sleep with increased obesity risk, poor diet quality and metabolic disturbances. Plausible mechanisms include decreased physical activity, heightened hedonic and/or emotional eating, dysregulated appetite signals and circadian misalignment of metabolism, which contribute to a positive energy balance. Unravelling the bidirectional relationship between sleep and weight is challenging; poor sleep exacerbates weight gain, while obesity-related comorbidities such as obstructive sleep apnoea further impair sleep. Despite promising evidence from sleep-restriction studies showing increased energy intake, long-term randomised controlled trials (RCTs) examining interventions designed to improve sleep with weight management as an outcome are lacking. A handful of short-term interventions suggest benefits in reducing energy intake or improving dietary quality, but their effects on weight loss remain inconclusive. This review calls for robust, well-powered RCTs that integrate sleep, diet and physical activity interventions to evaluate the potential of sleep as a core component of obesity prevention and treatment strategies. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support sleep-focused interventions as a mandatory element in clinical weight-management programmes.

This study aimed to investigate the association between family characteristics and adherence to the EAT-Lancet dietary recommendations in 7-year-old children. This is a prospective birth cohort study with 2125 children from Generation XXI (Porto, Portugal), who provided 3-day food diaries at age 7, used to assess habitual food consumption. At the age of 4, maternal diet was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire, and a diet quality score was calculated (higher scores indicating a better maternal diet), and parental–child feeding practices were assessed with the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Adherence to the EAT-Lancet dietary recommendations was evaluated using the World Index for Sustainability and Health (WISH) at the age of 7 years, previously adapted to paediatric age. Hierarchical linear regression models (consecutive addition of blocks of variables based on a theoretical framework) were employed to evaluate the associations between family characteristics and adherence to the WISH at age 7 (β regression coefficients and the respective 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI)). Higher maternal age and education at child’s birth were associated with increased adherence to the WISH at age 7 (β = 0·018, 95 % CI 0·005, 0·031; β = 0·038, 95 % CI 0·024, 0·053, respectively). A better maternal diet quality and using more restrictive practices on child’s diet, at 4 years old, were both associated with higher scoring in the WISH at 7 years old (β = 0·033, 95 % CI 0·018, 0·049; β = 0·067, 95 % CI 0·009, 0·125, respectively). Early maternal sociodemographic and diet quality play a significant role in influencing the adherence to a healthy and environmentally sustainable dietary pattern at school-age.

By involving stakeholders to identify issues, co-design facilitates the creation of solutions aligned with the community’s unique needs and values. However, genuine co-design with consumers across all stages of nutrition intervention research remains uncommon. The aim of this review was to examine notable examples of interventions to improve diets in rural settings that have been co-designed by rural communities. Six studies were identified reporting on community-based and digital interventions to improve diets in rural settings that have been co-designed by rural communities. The level of co-design used varied, with two interventions describing co-design workshops and focus groups over a period of between 6 and 11 months, and others not reporting details on the co-design process. Collectively, most interventions demonstrated positive impacts on dietary markers, including an increase in purchase of fruit and vegetable, an increase in percentage energy from nutrient dense foods and a decrease in intake of high fat meats. While these interventions show promise for improving diets in these under-served communities, it is widely recognised that there is a lack of dietary interventions genuinely co-designed with and for rural communities. Future research should build on these studies to co-design dietary interventions that integrate the benefits of both community-based and digital interventions.

While malnutrition (including both undernutrition and overweight/obesity and related non-communicable diseases) remains a persistent challenge in countries around the world, it is far from alone as a threat to human development and wellbeing – and is increasingly viewed as intersecting with climate change and environmental degradation. At the crossroads of these issues, animal-source foods (ASFs, including meat, fish, seafood, dairy and eggs) have attracted considerable attention in recent years, both for their role in diets and for their environmental impacts. Heated debate has focused on the potential benefits of reducing consumption of ASFs as well as the potential nutritional risks associated with this. ASF production also plays an important role in livelihoods, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. ASFs are also central to many food cultures and traditions, highly valued by many consumers. As the issues associated with ASFs are intertwined, they must be considered jointly and with nuance. Given wide global ranges in ASF consumption, environmental footprints and malnutrition rates and types, considering equity (in terms of ASF consumption and production) is also critical. This review examines these complex issues, discussing ASFs from the perspectives of nutrition and health, environmental impacts, livelihoods and society, and equity. It also examines potential future options for reducing environmental impacts of ASFs.

The vitamin K (VK) levels vary greatly among different populations and in different regions. Currently, there is a lack of reference intervals for VK levels in healthy individuals, The aim of this study is to establish and validate the reference intervals of serum vitamin K1 (VK1) and vitamin K2 (VK2, specifically including menaquinone-4 (MK4) and menaquinone-7 (MK7)) levels in some healthy populations in Beijing. Serum VK1, MK4, and MK7 were firstly measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry in 434 subjects. The reference intervals for three indicators were established by calculating the data of 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles. Finally, preliminary clinical validation was conducted on 60 apparent healthy individuals undergoing physical examination. In the young, middle-aged, and elderly groups, the reference intervals of VK1 were 0.180 ng/mL ∼ 1.494 ng/mL, 0.247 ng/mL ∼ 1.446 ng/mL, and 0.167 ng/mL ∼ 1.445 ng/mL, respectively. The reference intervals of MK4 were 0.009 ng/mL ∼ 0.115 ng/mL, 0.002 ng/mL ∼ 0.103 ng/mL, and 0.003 ng/mL ∼ 0.106 ng/mL, respectively. The reference intervals of MK7 were 0.169 ng/mL ∼ 0.881 ng/mL, 0.238 ng/mL ∼ 0.936 ng/mL, and 0.213 ng/mL ∼ 1.012 ng/mL, respectively. The reference intervals had been validated by the samples of healthy individuals for physical examination. In conclusion, the reference intervals of VK established in this study with different age groups have certain clinical applicability, providing data support for further multicentre studies.

The ripening-dependent changes in antioxidant activities and phytochemical content of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cultivar Safaid Chonsa at various ripening stages were evaluated. The ripening time period was divided into five stages (RSI-RSV) and the pulp was subjected to proximate analysis, antioxidant potential, and UHPLC/MS-based non-targeted metabolite fingerprinting. Proximate analyses depicted variations in moisture, dry matter, fat, protein, carbohydrate, and energy parameters. Maximum DPPH activity (51%) was observed at stages III, IV, and V while FRSP increased 31% at RS V as compared to stage I. Total antioxidant capacity and total reducing power potential were maximum (295.7 and 345.71 µg AAE/mg extract, respectively at stage V. Total phenolic content increased from 3.57 µg GAE/mg extract to 5.72 µg GAE/mg extract from stage I to RSIII while 19% increase in total flavonoid content was observed at stage V as compared to stage I. UHPLC/MS analysis showed presence of Aconitic acid, methylisocitric acid, 4-O-methyl gallate, beta-glucogallin, xanthenes, sakebiose, Isobergaptene, Fructoselysine 6-phosphate, Citbismine C, and many others at different ripening stages of chonsa mango extracts. The results conclude that during the mango ripening stages, changes in phytochemical composition have positive correlation with antioxidantive potential. These phytochemicals have nutritional and nutraceutical effects on human health therefore ripening stage should be considered for consumption of mango.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between nutrition knowledge and nutritional adequacy among Japanese university students. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 at a university located in Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe, Japan, and 801 students from various academic disciplines were enrolled. Eligible participants were students aged more than 18 years, encompassing all years of study. Nutrition knowledge data were obtained using a nutrition knowledge questionnaire (NKQ) for Japanese adults. Participants were classified into three nutrition knowledge groups according to their total NKQ scores [mean ± standard deviation; all (64.7 ± 15.4%), low (48.1 ± 13.8%), medium (68.3 ± 2.8%), and high (78.5 ± 4.2%)]. Participants reported their dietary habits in the preceding month using a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire. Differences in nutritional adequacy among groups were determined using logistic regression and covariance analyses, adjusted for potential confounding factors. The adequacy of each nutrient was quantified as the proportion of participants with nutrient intake that fell outside the reference range. Although the intakes of only a few nutrients and foods were associated with nutrition knowledge, the total number of nutrients below the estimated average requirement was lower in the high nutrition knowledge group (3.1 ± 2.7) than in the low nutrition knowledge group (3.6 ± 2.9) (P = 0.046). In conclusion, the nutrition knowledge level of Japanese university students is associated with nutritional adequacy but may partially affect eating habits. Future longitudinal studies must clarify the causal and dose-response relationships between nutrition knowledge and dietary habits.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) provides independent scientific advice to EU risk managers on a wide range of food safety issues and communicates on existing and emerging risks in the food chain. This advice helps to protect consumers, animals and the environment. Data are essential to EFSA’s scientific assessments. EFSA collects data from various sources including scientific literature, biological and chemical monitoring programmes, as well as food consumption and composition databases. EFSA also assesses data from authorisation dossiers for regulated products submitted by the industry. To continue delivering the highest value for society, EFSA keeps abreast of new scientific, technological and societal developments. EFSA also engages in partnerships as an essential means to address the growing complexity in science and society and to better connect and integrate knowledge, data and expertise across sectors. This paper provides insights into EFSA’s data-related activities and future perspectives in the following key areas of EFSA’s 2027 strategy: one substance-one assessment, combined exposure to multiple chemicals, environmental risk assessment, new approach methodologies, antimicrobial resistance and risk–benefit assessment. EFSA’s initiatives to integrate societal insights in its risk communication are also described.