Dietary Guidelines Research Articles

The effects of paternal dietary fat versus sugar on offspring body composition and anxiety-related behavior

Increasing evidence suggests that the pre-conception parental environment has long-term consequences for offspring health and disease susceptibility. Though much of the work in this field concentrates on maternal influences, there is growing understanding that fathers also play a significant role in affecting offspring phenotypes. In this study, we investigate effects of altering the proportion of dietary fats and carbohydrates on paternal and offspring body composition and anxiety-related behavior in C57Bl/6-JArc mice. We show that in an iso-caloric context, greater dietary fat increased body fat and reduced anxiety-like behavior of studs, whereas increased dietary sucrose had no significant effect. These dietary effects were not reflected in offspring traits, rather, we found sex-specific effects that differed between offspring body composition and behavioral traits. This finding is consistent with past paternal effect studies, where transgenerational effects have been shown to be more prominent in one sex over the other. Here, male offspring of fathers fed high-fat diets were heavier at 10 weeks of age due to increased lean body mass, whereas paternal diet had no significant effect on female offspring body fat or lean mass. In contrast, paternal dietary sugar appeared to have the strongest effects on male offspring behavior, with male offspring of high-sucrose fathers spending less time in the closed arms of the elevated plus maze. Both high-fat and high-sugar paternal diets were found to reduce anxiety-like behavior of female offspring, although this effect was only evident when offspring were fed a control diet. This study provides new understanding of the ways in which diet can shape the behavior of fathers and their offspring and contribute to the development of dietary guidelines to improve obesity and mental health conditions, such as anxiety.

Challenges and opportunities when moving food production and consumption toward sustainable diets in the Nordics: a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023

The terms ‘Nordic countries’ or ‘The Nordics’ include the five countries Denmark, Finland, Island, Norway, and Sweden. This review includes evaluation of the Nordic countries against Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)/World Health Organizations’ (WHO) guiding principles for healthy, sustainable diets with respect to environmental impact (principles #9 – #13) and sociocultural aspects (principles #14 – #16). A food systems perspective is taken to summarize and discuss the most important challenges and opportunities for achieving sustainable diets. Food system, food security, self-sufficiency, and resilience perspectives are applied. The information can underpin decisions when developing and implementing Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) in the Nordics.
 None of the Nordic countries are on track to reach the 2030 UN climate and biodiversity goals. We describe how food production, processing, and consumption contribute to these and other environmental challenges, and what kinds of dietary changes/transitions consistent with these goals are required.
 A major challenge is the high production and consumption of meat and too low consumption of fish, vegetables, and fruits. Meat production is a major source of emissions and, together with farmed fish, heavily dependent on imported feed ingredients, leaving a large land-use and water footprint in exporting countries while domestic land resources are not used optimally. Dietary patterns have changed drastically over the past 50 years, and in large parts of the population, meat consumption has doubled since the 1970s, rendering historic food culture less useful as a basis for present-day recommendations. The Nordics have Europe’s lowest use of antibiotics in animal and fish production and have made some progress in reducing food waste along the food chain. A major opportunity is better alignment of food production and consumption based on local or regional production potentials, in conjunction with better and more constructive integration with the global food system while integrating novel technologies to reduce emissions and resource use.

Unveiling the strategic discourse of european dairy industry pressure groups: A Critical Animal Studies perspective

This article examines the discourse of pressure groups within the European Dairy Industry (EDI) using a Critical Animal Studies perspective. The study first identifies the EDI as a powerful economic actor by analysing its key companies, pressure groups, and their relationships. Then, it analyses the discourse constructed and the rhetorical devices these interest groups use regarding 1) the animals exploited by the industry and 2) the nutritional recommendations influencing dietary guidelines. The dairy industry forms a significant economic and corporate conglomerate that actively influences food recommendations and maintains extensive coalitions and lobbying efforts. The EDI interest groups tailor their narrative to align with current environmental, health, and animal welfare concerns while paradoxically contradicting them. Notably, the interest groups entirely disregard the interests of animals in their discourse, representing them as inanimate objects devoid of sentience, autonomy, and individuality through a series of rhetorical devices.

Using the Australian Dietary Guidelines 2&5 education message in supermarket shopping trolleys to nudge shoppers to purchase more fruit and vegetables: A feasibility study using an intervention design.

Fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is associated with a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases; however, only one in 16 Australian adults consume F&Vs at the recommended two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables per day. What and how much people eat is influenced by their social and physical environments. Supermarkets are a key setting influencing food purchases, and as such, they can shape consumption patterns of F&Vs. Implementing effective strategies to increase F&V intake is crucial. The objective of this research was to test the feasibility of modifying shopper purchasing behaviour to purchase more F&Vs using the Australian Dietary Guidelines 2&5 education message covering one-half of the base of shopping trolleys. Placards giving the message that eating 2 fruits and 5 vegetables every day for good health were placed at the base of shopping trolleys as an educational nudge. Applying an intervention research design, 30 out of ~100 trolleys were fitted with the placards and shopper purchases were measured by collecting paper sales receipts to measure the weight (kg), total spending and F&V-specific spending (Australian dollars) for intervention versus control trolleys for one Saturday. We also conducted a short intercept survey that was administered independently from the research study day on non-trial shoppers. Shoppers who selected trolleys with the 2&5 education nudge placards (n = 101) purchased 1.66 kg less weight of F&Vs (Intervention: mean = 3.89 kg, SD = 3.40 kg, 95% CI = 3.21 kg, 4.56 kg, vs. Control: mean 5.55 kg, SD = 4.16 kg, 95% CI = 4.73 kg, 6.37 kg, p = 0.002) and spent less on F&Vs compared to shoppers in the control group (n = 102; Intervention: mean = $26.00, SD = $21.60, 95% CI = $21.78, $30.32 vs. Control: mean $36.00, SD = $27.00, 95% CI = $30.72, $42.36, p = 0.004). Intervention group shoppers also spent less in total spending between groups (Intervention: mean = $115.40, SD = $68.30, 95% CI = $101.95, $128.95 vs. Control: mean $151.30, SD = $79.40, 95% CI = $135.73, $166.93, p = 0.001). The 2&5 education nudge placard had the opposite effect as intended on shoppers' purchases to buy more F&Vs, although there may have been other differences between the intervention and the control groups since they were not randomised. Larger studies are required to elucidate and confirm these findings over the longer term.

Diet Intake After Diet Modification Intervention in Women With Fecal Incontinence.

Older women with fecal incontinence (FI) who underwent diet modification intervention (DMI) showed significant improvement in FI symptoms. It is unclear whether improvement in symptoms was associated with objective changes in dietary intake quality. The primary aim was to determine if improvement in overall dietary intake quality was associated with improvement in FI symptoms. Our secondary aim was to evaluate whether individual food group consumption changes were associated with changes in FI symptoms. This was an ancillary analysis of a prospective cohort study of women aged 65 years and older with FI who underwent DMI. Seven-day diet-and-bowel diaries at baseline and 6 weeks after DMI were examined for how frequently participants consumed food categories and FI triggers. Adherence to recommended dietary guidelines was assessed between 2 and 4 weeks using a 24-hour diet recall. Baseline and postintervention consumption were compared using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Spearman correlation was used to compare dietary intake changes with FI symptom changes. Twenty-four women completed the 24-hour diet recalls, and 17 women completed the 7-day diet-and-bowel diaries at baseline and 6 weeks. More participants who were adherent had clinically significant improvement in symptoms compared with those who were not adherent (70% vs 30%, P=0.57). Decreased consumption of saturated fats (P=0.01) and fried foods (P<0.001) was associated with improvement in FI symptoms. In this small population, overall dietary intake quality was not associated with change in FI symptom improvement. Decreased intake of saturated fat and fried food was associated with FI symptom improvement.

Beyond ultra-processed foods: the new direction of the basic food basket in Brazil

Decree 11.936/2024 initiates a significant transformation in the Brazilian basic food basket, focusing on encouraging healthier and more sustainable eating habits. By prioritizing whole foods and restricting ultra-processed foods, it aligns with nutritional policy guidelines and tax reform, demonstrating a commitment to public health and food sustainability. The document reconciles with the recommendations set forth by the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, which emphasizes seasonality, family farming, local and regional traditions, biodiversity, and environmental respect essential elements for food and nutritional security that offer direct benefits to public health. Through this approach, it seeks to guide the population towards balanced eating practices, ensuring access to nutritionally adequate and sustainable food, especially for the most vulnerable segments of society.

Sweet Surprises: An In-depth Systematic Review of Artificial Sweeteners and Their Association with Cerebrovascular Accidents.

Artificial sweeteners have become increasingly popular in today's dietary trends as a healthier and sweeter alternative to sugar. As studies emerge regarding artificial sweeteners, concerns are arising about their side effects, particularly linking them to strokes. This systematic review aims to assess the relationship between artificial sweeteners (AS) and cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs). A systematic search of studies indexed in PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted using the keywords "ASB" (artificially sweetened beverage), "Artificial Sweeteners," "Stroke," etc. These studies were screened and filtered according to our exclusion criteria. We reviewed 55 studies published in various journals and further boiled down to finalizing 12 studies for analysis using the PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020. Most studies suggest that there is a positive association between artificial sweetener consumption and CVAs including all types of strokes, particularly ischemic strokes. Poorer outcomes are seen with higher ASB intake. Increased risk is notable among women and black populations. Some studies show no association between ASB consumption and hemorrhagic stroke, however, most suggest a strong link. The current literature shows a degree of variation so it is crucial to consider possible confounders and eliminate them in future studies. Further research is necessary to determine the underlying mechanisms, especially in individuals with comorbidities. The results obtained play a role in forming dietary guidelines and alarming the public about the possible health implications, prompting caution regarding excessive consumption of artificial sweeteners, in their daily lives.

Dietary diversity and healthy weight management in the population: a data-driven analytical approach

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes mellitus, malignant tumours and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as typical chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), have increasingly become the major factors threatening the health of Chinese residents. In view of this, this study aimed to deeply analyse the key indicators and their interrelationships affecting the health status of the population, using the eight dietary balance criteria proposed in the newly revised Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents of the Chinese Society of Nutrition to screen and process the relevant health indicators. By constructing a comprehensive evaluation model and visualising the data, this study reveals the irrational factors in residents' dietary habits, such as high-fat diet and excessive alcohol consumption, which pose potential risks to residents' health. In addition, this paper explores the relationship between residents' dietary habits, exercise frequency and healthy body weight, aiming to provide a scientific basis and practical guidance for improving public health.

Dietary Fiber in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Are We Ready to Change the Paradigm?

Accumulating evidence from pre-clinical and clinical studies demonstrate the benefit of dietary fibers for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the majority of patients avoid or limit their consumption to manage their symptoms during the active and remission phases, although limited research supports these long-term dietary habits. Although recent evidence-based dietary guidelines highlight the importance of promoting an adequate intake of dietary fiber in IBD patients, intervention trials have not yet clearly clarified the quality and quantity of dietary fiber that should be consumed to be equally tolerated by and provide benefit for patients with IBD. This narrative review describes dietary fibers and their characteristics, analyzes the real-word studies on the impact of dietary fiber consumption in IBD in different clinical settings, and concludes with potential future directions in fiber research, focusing on the real-world needs of characterizing the consumption of fiber-rich foods and promoting their adequate intake.

Nutrition and movement to improve quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis: the NUMOQUA study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) has long been considered as a degenerative disease of cartilage tissue resulting from bodily wear and tear. However, there is accumulating evidence that inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of OA. In knee OA, the most common form of OA, exercise therapy as an effective component of early treatment addresses functional deficits, pain and inflammation. Since inflammation is critical for the development and progress of OA, anti-inflammatory therapies must be combined strategically.In the course of the NUMOQUA project, an anti-inflammatory therapeutic diet named ‘Austrian Osteoarthritis Cuisine’ was developed. It is based on the framework of the New Nordic Diet combined with the food-based dietary guidelines of Austria, the guidelines for OA, the Austrian food culture and the principles of a sustainable diet. The present study examines the implementation of the ‘Austrian OA Cuisine’ combined with the evidence-based training programme GLA:D® (Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark) in Austrian patients with knee OA and the effects on quality of life, nutritional and inflammatory status, as well as oxidative stress parameters.MethodsA total of 60 participants aged 50 to 75 with knee OA will be included and randomly assigned either to the intervention group or the control group. All participants will undergo the GLA:D® programme in the first 6 weeks. Additionally, the intervention group will receive nutritional group training and individual nutritional counselling on the ‘Austrian OA Cuisine’ over 9 months. The control group will receive general information about a healthy lifestyle. Measurements at baseline and at 4 follow-up dates include nutritional, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. Furthermore, anthropometric, behavioural and clinical data will be obtained. The recruitment process lasted from autumn 2022 to January 2024, followed by the intervention until October 2024.DiscussionThe prevalence of OA is expected to increase in the future due to ongoing demographic changes and rising obesity rates. The expected results will provide important evidence on whether this interdisciplinary therapeutic approach could be a new, cost-effective and sustainable strategy to address the disease process of OA without negative side effects.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05955300. Date of registration: 23rd of October 2023.

Short Sleep Duration and Skipping Main Meals among University Students

Abstract Introduction Admission to university influences lifestyle behaviors and is marked by a daily routine of accumulation of activities that can interfere with sleep duration, affecting food choices and meal consumption habits throughout the day. Objective To analyze the association between short sleep duration and skipping main meals among university students. Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with 1,608 university students aged between 16 and 25 years, who were enrolled in full-time undergraduate courses at a public university in the Midwestern region of Brazil. Information on skipping breakfast, lunch, and dinner was collected through the question “On average, how often do you eat the following meals?”. Given the lack of a uniform criterion to define “skipping a meal”, in the present study, any answer that did not correspond to the daily consumption of the meal was classified as meal skipping, based on the recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population. Short sleep duration was determined according to sleep time during the night (≤ 6 hours for those aged ≥18 years and ≤ 7 hours for those under 18 years of age). Associations were estimated using adjusted Poisson regression models. Results The prevalences of skipping breakfast, lunch, and dinner were of 51.0%, 13.9%, and 35.6% respectively. Short sleep duration was observed in 27.2% of the study population. After adjusting for confounding variables, short sleep duration was positively associated with skipping breakfast (adjusted prevalence ratio [PRadj] = 1.20; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.08–1.34) and skipping lunch (PRadj = 1.64; 95%CI = 1.27–2.12). Conclusion University students presented a high prevalence of skipping main meals. Short sleep duration was directly associated with skipping two major meals of the day: breakfast and lunch.

Global guidelines recommendations for dietary sodium and potassium intake.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause a significant global health challenge, with unhealthy diets identified as a major risk factor. Sodium and potassium, which are essential minerals for human health, play important roles in various bodily functions, and an imbalance in their intake can have significant health implications, particularly concerning hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. This review compiles dietary sodium and potassium intake recommendations from prominent global health organizations and compares global guidelines to Japan's Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) guidelines. Sodium and potassium intake guidelines from organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA), Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and DRI for Japanese exhibit variations. Compared to other Asian countries, Japan's historically higher sodium goal aligns with Southeast Asia where traditional preserved foods contribute to high sodium intake. Contrarily, Japan's lower potassium goal contrasts with other countries in Asia promoting a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. The ongoing effort by Japan to align with global recommendations reflects a gradation approach considering social habits. While harmonizing international efforts is essential, appreciating regional diversities is paramount through tailoring guidelines to cultural and dietary habit practices. Implementing context-specific guidelines informed by scientific research can contribute to global efforts in promoting healthy diets and reducing the burden of NCDs. Global guidelines that recommended the daily dietary intake goal for sodium and potassium exhibit variations. These disparities are influenced by diverse factors, including cultural dietary habits, socioeconomic status, health priorities, and available scientific research. Each population should follow the recommendations of their region.

Nutritional Quality Implications: Exploring the Impact of a Fatty Acid-Rich Diet on Central Nervous System Development.

Given the comprehensive examination of the role of fatty acid-rich diets in central nervous system development in children, this study bridges significant gaps in the understanding of dietary effects on neurodevelopment. It delves into the essential functions of fatty acids in neurodevelopment, including their contributions to neuronal membrane formation, neuroinflammatory modulation, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity. Despite the acknowledged importance of these nutrients, this review reveals a lack of comprehensive synthesis in current research, particularly regarding the broader spectrum of fatty acids and their optimal levels throughout childhood. By consolidating the existing knowledge and highlighting critical research gaps, such as the effects of fatty acid metabolism on neurodevelopmental disorders and the need for age-specific dietary guidelines, this study sets a foundation for future studies. This underscores the potential of nutritional strategies to significantly influence neurodevelopmental trajectories, advocating an enriched academic and clinical understanding that can inform dietary recommendations and interventions aimed at optimizing neurological health from infancy.

A Gnotobiotic Mouse Model with Divergent Equol-Producing Phenotypes: Potential for Determining Microbial-Driven Health Impacts of Soy Isoflavone Daidzein.

The implications of soy consumption on human health have been a subject of debate, largely due to the mixed evidence regarding its benefits and potential risks. The variability in responses to soy has been partly attributed to differences in the metabolism of soy isoflavones, compounds with structural similarities to estrogen. Approximately one-third of humans possess gut bacteria capable of converting soy isoflavone daidzein into equol, a metabolite produced exclusively by gut microbiota with significant estrogenic potency. In contrast, lab-raised rodents are efficient equol producers, except for those raised germ-free. This discrepancy raises concerns about the applicability of traditional rodent models to humans. Herein, we designed a gnotobiotic mouse model to differentiate between equol producers and non-producers by introducing synthetic bacterial communities with and without the equol-producing capacity into female and male germ-free mice. These gnotobiotic mice display equol-producing phenotypes consistent with the capacity of the gut microbiota received. Our findings confirm the model's efficacy in mimicking human equol production capacity, offering a promising tool for future studies to explore the relationship between endogenous equol production and health outcomes like cardiometabolic health and fertility. This approach aims to refine dietary guidelines by considering individual microbiome differences.

General Nutrition Knowledge, and Dietary Intake among Sportsmen and Coaches: A Review Study

Nutrition knowledge is an important factor that influences the nutritional status and health of the individual, group or community. Research studies have been trying to develop a reliable tool which can measure nutrition-related knowledge, nutrition-related awareness and its effect on dietary behaviour. Sports nutritionists usually base their dietary interventions on a nutrition education program with dietary guidelines. There are no. of cross-sectional studies for both coaches and athletes, reporting on nutrition knowledge. Achieving optimal physical condition and maximising athletic performance both depend heavily on nutrition. Our diet provides our bodies with the energy and nutrients they need to sustain physical activity, improve muscular function, and aid in recuperation. Any physical fitness program is incomplete without nutrition as it is an integral part of physical fitness. For any sportsman, the dietary goal is to obtain adequate nutrition to improve their health and fitness or performance in sports. A carefully organized nutrition program greatly improves athletic performance. Nutritional status is a crucial factor in determining the physical fitness and training of a sports individual. For sportsmen energy requirement or nutrient requirements are high due to their game. As it is known, appropriate nutrition improves the physical performance of the sportsmen. On the other hand, inadequate intake of nutrients leads to nutrient deficiencies therefore leading to poor performance and health problems. Many studies have provided strong evidence that optimal nutrition supports physical activity, recovery and athlete performance. However Apart from less nutritional knowledge, there are several factors such as restrictive dietary intake or excessive exercise which influence healthy eating. In addition, lack of knowledge, zeal to follow a nutritious diet, lack of money and lack of time, can be a potential reason not to follow a healthy diet. Athletes generally rely on their coaches for nutrition-related guidance. So, when coaches have less knowledge about nutrition it can be a potential problem for athletes to follow a healthy diet. In some Cross-sectional studies, it is found that Coaches Play a key role in providing nutritional-related information. However, they were not aware of the importance of nutrition on performance therefore not giving the necessary importance to their diets. Coaches have inadequate knowledge about sports nutrition and their role is critical as they are prime contact for the athletes to know about their diet to enhance their performance

Development of a Tool for Reporting Key Dietary Indicators from Sales Data in Remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Stores.

Reporting key dietary indicators from sales data can help us guide store decision makers in developing effective store policy to support healthier customer purchases. We aimed to develop a web-based reporting tool of key dietary indicators from sales data to support health-promoting policy and practice in stores in geographically remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Tool development included identifying key dietary indicators (informed by sales data from 31 stores), community consultation (19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander store directors and two store managers) and a web-build. Tool evaluation involved feedback interviews with stakeholders (25 store managers and two nutritionists). Key dietary indicators aligned with Australian Dietary Guideline food groupings and recommendations. An online portal for accessing and customising reports was built. Stakeholder feedback indicated that the strengths of the reports were the visuals, ease of interpretation, providing information that was not currently available and potential to increase capacity to support healthy food retailing. Difficulties were defining healthiness classification with alignment to other nutrition guidelines used and ensuring reports reached relevant store decision makers. This tool may be valuable to support store decision makers in identifying and prioritising nutrition issues and optimising the health-enabling attributes of stores.

Useful but overused? The “plate model” as a food educational tool in home economics

ABSTRACT The plate model is widely used to promote healthy eating. Despite extensive adoption in dietary guidelines, the model’s role in food educational practices is scarcely studied. The present study aimed to explore the plate model as a food educational tool in the school subject Home Economics (HE). Use of the plate model was investigated with Rogoff’s three planes of analysis as a framework. The research question was: “How is the plate model used in a food educational practice, considering institutional, interpersonal, and personal planes?” Data from video-recorded classroom observations, focus groups, interviews, and text documents were analyzed. The data were generated through a case study, with twelve students and two HE-teachers followed over the course of a school year. Results show how the plate model was framed as the right way of eating. Nutritionally “proper” food was described, with the model functioning as a bridge linking (abstract) nutritional content with (concrete) dishes. This way of using the model might hamper understandings of fundamental principles for nutritional classification. Moreover, those who do not eat plate model-type dishes may be wrongly judged. Supported by empirical events, this study shows how the plate model can be useful – but also overused – in food education.

Nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of Greek menopausal women.

Nutritional guidelines for postmenopausal women differ. This study aimed to assess postmenopausal women's knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding nutrition during menopause and their dietary habits. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a menopause clinic, and data from 105 women were analyzed. A nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) questionnaire was designed, structured, and piloted before implementation, based on the Hellenic dietary guidelines. International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Greek version, MedDietScore, and Menopause-specific Quality of Life questionnaires were administered. The mean ± SD age of the women was 56.9 ± 4.6 years. The mean ± SD KAP score was 12.2 ± 3.5. Those who lived in rural areas had lower KAP scores than those who lived in urban areas (P = 0.004). Of all the women, 74.5% knew the Mediterranean diet pyramid, whereas 9.8% knew the Hellenic dietary guidelines. Women who had read the guidelines showed better knowledge of Mediterranean diet food groups (Pearson, 0.309; P = 0.039). Knowledge of dairy services was correlated with consumption of dairy products (P = 0.002). Furthermore, 76.4% were willing to participate in nutrition education programs. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire score was positively correlated with years of smoking (P = 0.002). Physical activity correlated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (P = 0.044). The majority of postmenopausal Greek women in this study were unaware of the Hellenic dietary guidelines. In general, women's knowledge of nutrition during menopause was moderate. Greek postmenopausal women are willing to participate in nutrition education programs, which should raise awareness of healthy lifestyles through nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation.

Reducing Alcohol Use to Prevent Cancer Deaths: Estimated Effects Among U.S. Adults

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 recommends non-drinking or no more than 2 drinks for men or 1 drink for women in a day. However, even at lower levels, alcohol use increases the risk for certain cancers. This study estimated mean annual alcohol-attributable cancer deaths and the number of cancer deaths that could potentially be prevented if all U.S. adults who drank in excess of the Dietary Guidelines had instead consumed alcohol to correspond with typical consumption of those who drink within the recommended limits. Among U.S. residents aged ≥20 years, mean annual alcohol-attributable cancer deaths during 2020-2021 that could have been prevented with hypothetical reductions in alcohol use were estimated. Mean daily alcohol consumption prevalence estimates from the 2020-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, adjusted to per capita alcohol sales to address underreporting of drinking, were applied to relative risks to calculate population-attributable fractions for cancers that can occur from drinking alcohol. Analyses were conducted during February-April 2023. In the U.S., an estimated 20,216 cancer deaths were alcohol-attributable/year during 2020-2021 (men: 14,562 [72.0%]; women: 5,654 [28.0%]). Approximately 16,800 deaths (83% of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths, 2.8% of all cancer deaths) could have been prevented/year if adults who drank alcohol in excess of the Dietary Guidelines had instead reduced their consumption to ≤2 drinks/day for men or ≤1 drink/day for women. Approximately 650 additional deaths could have been prevented annually if men consumed 1 drink/day, instead of 2. Implementing evidence-based alcohol policies (e.g., increasing alcohol taxes, regulating alcohol outlet density) to decrease drinking could reduce alcohol-attributable cancers, complementing clinical interventions.

Comparative analysis of diets in Sioux Falls: Influence of sociodemographic characteristics, alignment to US national diet and healthy diet

Continuous examination of diets and factors that influence dietary patterns is vital to improve diet quality. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the average diet of adults in the Sioux Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area (SFMSA), USA, examining sociodemographic differences in dietary intake and compare the average diet in the SFMSA (SF Diet) to the U.S. national average and USDA healthy dietary guidelines. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted and 127 individuals were surveyed from August 2020 to August 2021. Dietary intake was assessed using the self-reported single 24-h dietary recall method and sociodemographic questions. Main effects and first order interactions of participant sociodemographic characteristics were considered. Main findings show that men had higher intake of meat, poultry, and eggs (p < 0.05) and alcohol, particularly older men (p < 0.05), than women. Higher alcohol intake was found for participants with lower levels of income and education (p < 0.01). The intake of fish and seafood was higher for older adults with a high level of income (p < 0.01). Differences were found between the SF diet and the national average but both followed a similar trend (e.g., low in fruits and vegetables and high in solid fats) and did not meet dietary guidelines, particularly for nutrient-dense foods. The intake of total vegetables (p < 0.001) and dark green vegetables (p < 0.001) was higher in the SF Diet and the national average was higher in total grains (p < 0.05), refined grains (p < 0.01), oils and fats (p < 0.001), solid fats (p < 0.001), and added sugar (p < 0.001). By not meeting the dietary guidelines, the findings of this study raise public health concerns.