Protein in context: Exploring the content and context of meat-free and meat-based eating occasions among UK adults.

Despite recommendations to the contrary, consumption of discretionary (energy-dense, nutrient-poor) foods begins for some children early in the weaning period, and the proportion of children consuming discretionary foods increases markedly in the second year of life. The purpose of this study was to determine intake and sources of discretionary foods in a cohort of 828 Australian toddlers (mean age: 13.1mo), and to identify determinants of discretionary food intake. At approximately 12 months of age, 3 non-consecutive days of dietary intake data were collected using a 24-h recall and 2-day food record, and the percentage total energy derived from discretionary foods was estimated. Linear regression was used to identify associations between discretionary food intake and socio-demographic determinants (mother’s age, level of education, country of birth, pre-pregnancy body mass index, socioeconomic position, parity, age of child when mother returned to work, and child’s sex) and age at which complementary foods were introduced. The average energy intake of children in this cohort was 4040 (±954.7 SD) kJ with discretionary foods contributing an average of 11.2% of total energy. Sweet biscuits, and cakes, muffins, scones and cake-type desserts contributed 10.8% and 10.2% of energy intake from discretionary foods, respectively. Other key contributors to energy intake from discretionary foods included sausages, frankfurters and saveloys (8.3%), vegetable products and dishes where frying was the main cooking technique (8.6%), butter (7.3%), and finally manufactured infant sweet or savory snack foods (9.3%). Higher intakes of discretionary food were associated with children having two or more siblings (p = 0.002), and being born to younger mothers (<25 years) (p = 0.008) and mothers born in Australia or the United Kingdom (p < 0.001). Parents, in particular young mothers and those with larger families, need practical guidance on how much of, and how often, these foods should be eaten by their children.

Chronic inflammation is linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other non-communicable diseases. Dietary factors like fibre and protein may affect inflammation, but limited evidence exists exploring how they interact. This study investigated associations between dietary fibre, protein sources, and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) in older adults. This cross-sectional analysis included 128,612 UK Biobank participants aged 60+ years with CRP measurements and dietary data from multiple 24 h recalls. Fibre intake was reported as total fibre (g/day). Protein intake included total, animal, and vegetable protein (g/day). Robust regression analysis examined associations between quintiles of fibre, protein, and CRP, adjusted for demographics, lifestyle factors, and multimorbidity. Analyses were stratified by health status (with and without multimorbidity). Higher fibre and vegetable protein intakes were inversely associated with CRP, while higher animal and total protein were positively associated with CRP in people with no multimorbidity. Specifically, participants in the highest quartile of dietary fibre had CRP levels that were 0.42 mg/L lower compared with the lowest quartiles. In contrast, those with the highest total protein and animal protein intakes had CRP levels that were 0.24 mg/L and 0.40 mg/L higher, respectively. In people with multimorbidity, fibre exhibited an inverted U-shaped association with the strongest association in participants in the highest quintile of intake. Vegetable protein had an inverse association with CRP. Animal and total protein had strong positive linear associations with CRP. Notably, high animal protein coupled with low dietary fibre intake resulted in CRP levels that were 0.65 mg/L higher compared with low animal protein and high dietary fibre intake. Higher fibre and vegetable protein intakes were associated with lower inflammation in older adults. In promoting protein intake to maintain muscle mass and function, future studies should investigate replacing animal with vegetable protein to concomitantly reduce age-related inflammation.

Dietary protein and bone health.

The fathead minnow Pimephales promelas is one of the main species cultured in ponds in the southern United States for bait and is widely used as a toxicological and biomedical model in the laboratory. Diet can have a major impact on performance criteria, both in laboratory and production settings. However, the nutrient requirements of fathead minnow are unknown and cannot be used to formulate optimal diets. To facilitate applied nutrition research for this species, we measured the growth, survival, feed conversion, and response to low dissolved oxygen exhibited by adults that were held in tanks and fed practical diets with animal (menhaden Brevoortia spp. fish meal and poultry by‐product meal) or plant (mostly soybean) protein sources and either poultry oil or menhaden fish oil for 12 weeks. Good weight gain (0.6–0.8 g) was obtained either with vegetable or animal protein sources. Poultry oil enhanced growth relative to menhaden fish oil in diets with either vegetable or animal protein sources. Mean survival rates of fish fed the animal and vegetable protein diets were 88% and 96%, respectively, and survival was not affected by lipid source. Survival during the low‐oxygen stress test was high (≥90%) across diets, and there were no treatment effects. Vegetable proteins and poultry oil are promising alternatives to more costly feed ingredients in practical diets for fathead minnow.

Late evening eating is a potential risk factor for overconsumption and weight gain. However, there is limited qualitative research investigating the complex factors that influence late evening eating in adults living with obesity. Identifying the factors that influence late evening eating can inform interventions to reduce late evening eating and associated health risks. Therefore, this study aimed to: i) explore factors that contribute to eating late, and ii) apply the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) model to understand the barriers and enablers to changing to earlier food intake timings in UK adults who report eating late. Semi-structured interviews with seventeen participants [32.47 ± 6.65 years; 34.68 ± 7.10 kg/m2; 71% female (n = 12); 41% White (n = 7)] investigated reasons for late evening eating and the potential barriers and enablers to changing to earlier eating patterns. Thematic analysis identified four main contributors to late evening eating: 1) internal signals (e.g., feeling hungry in the evening); 2) external and situational factors (e.g., work schedules and the food-rich environment); 3) social factors (e.g., interactions with family) and 4) behavioural and emotional factors (e.g., personal preferences and negative feelings in the evening). Time constraints and work schedules were identified as main barriers to changing to earlier eating patterns. Whereas, having high motivation (e.g., contentment with eating earlier in the evening) and interpersonal support were identified as main enablers to eating earlier. This study provides in-depth insights into the psychological, social, and environmental factors contributing to late evening eating. The findings highlight potential targets for future interventions to facilitate earlier eating times in individuals at risk of overweight and obesity.

Simple SummaryNewly weaned pigs are typically fed combinations of cereals and proteins to maximise performance. In the absence of the use of certain antimicrobial compounds, combinations of cereals and protein sources can also be used strategically to reduce dysbiosis in the gastrointestinal tract. This experiment examined the impacts of offering either medium-grain or long-grain extruded rice or wheat, in combination with animal or vegetable protein sources, on postweaning performance, shedding of β–haemolytic Escherichia coli, and the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) in the 21 days after weaning. The experimental findings confirmed that extruded rice is an excellent cereal for young pigs but that vegetable protein sources decreased production in weeks two and three compared to the use of animal protein sources. Vegetable protein sources decreased the faecal E. coli score. The CTTAD of dietary components differed according to interactions between cereal and protein sources.Different cereal types, in combination with different protein sources, are fed to pigs after weaning, but their interactions and possible implications are not well researched. In this study, 84 male weaned piglets were used in a 21-day feeding trial to investigate the effects of feeding either medium-grain or long-grain extruded rice or wheat, in a factorial combination with protein sources of either vegetable or animal origin, on postweaning performance, shedding of β–haemolytic Escherichia coli, and the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD). Pigs fed either rice type performed the same (p > 0.05) as wheat-fed pigs after weaning. The use of vegetable protein sources reduced growth rate (p < 0.001) and feed intake (p = 0.007) and deteriorated the feed conversion ratio (p = 0.028) in weeks two and three compared to pigs fed animal protein sources. The number of antibiotic treatments given for clinical diarrhoea was similar (p > 0.05). However, the faecal E. coli score showed a trend for the main effect of protein source, with pigs fed animal proteins showing a higher E. coli score than pigs fed vegetable proteins (0.63 vs. 0.43, p = 0.057). There was also a tendency for an interaction (p = 0.069) between cereal type and protein source (p = 0.069), with this difference being associated with a greater faecal score in pigs fed diets with long-grain rice plus animal proteins and wheat plus animal proteins. Significant interactions occurred for the CTTAD when assessed in week three. In general, pigs fed diets with medium-grain rice or long-grain rice with animal proteins had a higher (p < 0.001) CTTAD for dietary components than pigs fed all other diets, and vegetable proteins depressed (p < 0.001) CTTAD compared to animal proteins (main effect of protein: p < 0.001). In summary, pigs tolerated the extruded rice-based diets well and performed equivalently to pigs fed wheat as the sole cereal, and the use of vegetable proteins decreased the E. coli score.

Primary Versus Secondary Prevention of Chronic Kidney Disease: The Case of Dietary Protein

Excess calorie intake from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods occupies a significant proportion of Western diet. The aim of this study was to examine consumption of SSBs and discretionary foods in US adults by purchase location. Nationally representative 24-h dietary recall data came from the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The discretionary food category identifies energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods that do not necessarily contain essential nutrients but may add variety and enjoyment. Linear regressions were performed to estimate daily calorie intake from SSBs and discretionary foods by purchase location (supermarket/grocery store, convenience store, vending machine, fast-food restaurant, full-service restaurant and other source), adjusting for individual characteristics and sampling design. During 2011-2012, 46.3% and 88.8% of US adults consumed SSBs and discretionary foods on any given day, respectively. SSB consumers on average consumed 213.0 kcal from SSBs daily, of which 111.6 kcal (52.4%) were purchased from supermarkets/grocery stores, 33.0 kcal (15.5%) from fast-food restaurants, 23.9 kcal (11.2%) from convenience stores, 17.1 kcal (8.0%) from full-service restaurants, 8.5 kcal (4.0%) from vending machines and 19.0 kcal (8.9%) from other sources. Discretionary food consumers on average consumed 439.0 kcal from discretionary foods daily, of which 280.1 kcal (63.8%) were purchased from supermarkets/grocery stores, 45.8 kcal (10.4%) from fast-food restaurants, 30.0 kcal (6.8%) from full-service restaurants, 21.1 kcal (4.8%) from convenience stores, 4.1 kcal (0.9%) from vending machines and 58.0 kcal (13.2%) from other sources. Supermarkets/grocery stores were by far the single largest source for SSB and discretionary food purchases in US adults.

Previous investigations, of adolescent diet recalled in adulthood, found lower risk for benign breast disease (BBD) with higher intakes of vegetable fat and nuts during high school. We investigate whether vegetable protein and fat, derived from diets reported during pre-adolescence and adolescence, are associated with subsequent risk for BBD in young women. The Growing Up Today Study includes 9,039 females, 9-15 years in 1996, who completed questionnaires annually through 2001, and then in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2010. Food frequency questionnaires (1996-2001) obtained intake data on a variety of foods. Beginning in 2005, women (18-30 years) reported whether they had ever been diagnosed with BBD that was confirmed by breast biopsy (n = 112 cases). Logistic regression estimated associations between intakes of vegetable protein and fat and biopsy-confirmed BBD. Those individual foods that were the largest contributors of protein and fat in this cohort were also investigated. In analyses of intakes from 1996 through 1998, when our cohort was youngest, vegetable fat (OR = 0.72/(10 gm/day), 95 % CI 0.53-0.98; p = 0.04) was inversely associated with BBD risk. The greatest sources of vegetable fat and protein in these girls were peanut butter, peanuts, nuts, beans (beans, lentils, and soybeans), and corn. A daily serving of any one of these was associated with lower risk (OR = 0.32/(serv/day), 95 % CI 0.13-0.79; p = 0.01). Peanut butter (and nuts) at age 11 years was inversely associated with risk (p = 0.01). In analyses of intakes at age 14 years, vegetable protein was associated with lower BBD risk (OR = 0.64/(10 gm/day), 95 % CI 0.43-0.95; p = 0.03). A daily serving at 14 years of any one of the foods was associated with lower risk (OR = 0.34, 95 % CI 0.16-0.75; p = 0.01), as was peanut butter (and nuts) (p = 0.02). Girls with a family history of breast cancer had significantly lower risk if they consumed these foods or vegetable fat. In conclusion, consumption of vegetable protein, fat, peanut butter, or nuts by older girls may help reduce their risk of BBD as young women.

Comparison of animal and vegetable protein sources in the dietary management of hepatic encephalopathy

Seeing the forest for the trees: A social-ecological systems approach to managing outdoor recreation visitation in parks and protected areas

We compared the effect of diets with different amounts and sources of dietary protein on insulin sensitivity (IS) in subjects with obesity and insulin resistance (IR). Eighty subjects with obesity (BMI ≥ 30kg/m2) and IR (Matsuda index < 4.3 and HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5) over 18years old were randomized to four groups for a one-month period: a normal protein diet (< 20%) with a predominance of animal protein (Animal NP) or vegetable protein (Vegetable NP) and a high-protein diet (25-30%) with a predominance of animal protein (Animal HP) or vegetable protein (Vegetable HP). Baseline and final measurements of body weight, body composition, biochemical parameters, blood pressure (BP), resting energy expenditure and plasma amino acid profiles were performed. Body weight, BMI and waist circumference decreased in all groups. Interestingly, the IS improved more in the Animal HP (Matsuda index; 1.39 vs 2.58, P = 0.003) and in the Vegetable HP groups (Matsuda index; 1.44 vs 3.14, P < 0.0001) after one month. The fat mass, triglyceride levels, C-reactive protein levels and the leptin/adiponectin index decreased; while, the skeletal muscle mass increased in the Animal and Vegetable HP groups. The BP decreased in all groups except the Animal NP group. Our study demonstrates that a high-protein hypocaloric diets improves IS by 60-90% after one month in subjects with obesity and IR, regardless of weight loss and the source of protein, either animal or vegetable. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03627104), August 13, 2018.

Protein digestion kinetics in pigs and poultry

Vegetable protein products are increasing in use in the U.S. diet, especially in substitutes for the traditional animal‐protein foods: meat, seafood, poultry, eggs and cheeses. This is occurring despite an ample protein supply which permits U.S. consumers to eat about twice the recommended protein levels. Cost, dietary preferences and the functionality of vegetable proteins appear to assure further increases. In order to permit continued development of these products, while at the same time assuring their nutritional adequacy and providing informative labeling, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued comprehensive tentative regulations. The regulations prescribe that the primary products be named as vegetable flour, vegetable protein concentrate and vegetable protein isolate when they contain less than 65%, 65% up to 90% and 90% or more protein respectively—except that gluten products may be referred to as such. When vegetable protein products are used as protein sources in whole or partial substitution for meat, seafood, poultry, eggs or cheese foods, the name of the substitute food must include the term vegetable protein product. Such substitute foods must be nutritionally equivalent to the original foods to avoid being called imitation. Imitation products must also be named to indicate the nature of the products, such as their use of vegetable protein ingredients. Nutritional equivalency is defined by nutrient profiles for six classes of foods: break‐fast or lunch meats; seafood, poultry and other meats; eggs; cream cheeses; cottage cheeses; and natural cheeses. Fortification of substitute foods to meet nutritional equivalency requires their nutrition labeling. The FDA regulations also require that the PER of substitute foods containing vegetable protein products at more than 30% when combined with meat, seafood, poultry, eggs or cheeses shall be at least 100% that of casein. At 30% or less, the required PER is 80% that of casein. Specific USDA rules or FDA regulations such as the proposed standards for milk, cream or cheese substitutes take precedence over the general vegetable protein regulations. It is FDA intent to finalize the vegetable protein regulations as soon as possible.

The enormous pressures for protein food products in the coming decades, brought on by world population increases, will be solved through the extension of traditional animal protein foods with vegetable proteins and through the development of food products based on vegetable proteins alone. Analogs of beef, fish, poultry and other traditional animal protein products, which are based solely on vegetable proteins, are an established food category, and are expected to increase market share. Dairy analogs based on vegetable cow's milk and dairy desserts. Vegetable forms of cheese and other milk protein products are also expected to increase. Nutritional equivalence of vegetable protein products is fundamental to product design. Protein and fat content must be standardized. Vegetable proteins are blended to reach desirable protein quality. Analogs currently marketed are primarily blends of soy and wheat proteins containing lesser amounts of yeast and egg albumen. The products are fortified with vitamins and minerals to levels present in animal protein foods. Processed meat manufacturing facilities, which exist in most developed countries, can be readily adapted to produce meat analogs. The technology which has been developed to date is based on soy or soy/wheat combinations. The technology can readily be adapted to other vegetable proteins such as rapeseed, cotton‐seed, sesame or sunflower. These protein sources, while in abundance in many countries, need process research which can refine them for human use. The vegetable proteins offer the world's exploding population a virtually untapped resource for its burgeoning food requirements.