Drink Items Research Articles

Food biodiversity and gastrointestinal cancer risk in nine European countries: Analysis within a prospective cohort study

BackgroundFood biodiversity in human diets has potential co-benefits for both public health and sustainable food systems. However, current evidence on the potential relationship between food biodiversity and cancer risk, and particularly gastrointestinal cancers typically related to diet, remains limited. This study evaluated how dietary species richness (DSR) was associated with gastrointestinal cancer risk in a pan-European population. MethodsAssociations between DSR and subsequent gastrointestinal cancer risk were examined among 450,111 adults enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (EPIC, initiated in 1992), free of cancer at baseline. Usual dietary intakes were assessed at recruitment with country-specific dietary questionnaires. DSR of an individual’s yearly diet was calculated based on the absolute number of unique biological species in each food and drink item. Associations between DSR and cancer risk were assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. FindingsDuring a median follow-up time of 14.1 years (SD=3.9), 10,705 participants were diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) comparing overall gastrointestinal cancer risk in the highest versus lowest quintiles of DSR indicated inverse associations in multivariable-adjusted models [HR (95 % CI): 0.77 (0.69–0.87); P-value < 0·0001] (Table 2). Specifically, inverse associations were observed between DSR and oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, proximal colon, colorectal, and liver cancer risk (p-trend<0.05 for all cancer types). InterpretationGreater food biodiversity in the diet may lower the risk of certain gastrointestinal cancers. Further research is needed to replicate these novel findings and to understand potential mechanisms.

Associations between the neighbourhood food environment and food and drink purchasing in England during lockdown: A repeated cross-sectional analysis.

Evidence for the effect of neighbourhood food environment (NFE) exposures on diet in the UK is mixed, potentially due to exposure misclassification. This study used the first national COVID-19 lockdown in England as an opportunity to isolate the independent effects of the NFE exposure on food and drink purchasing, and assessed whether these varied by region. Transaction-level purchasing data for food and drink items for at-home (1,221 households) and out-of-home consumption (171 individuals) were available from the GB Kantar Fast Moving Consumer Goods Panel for London and the North of England. The study period included 23rd March to 10th May 2020 ('lockdown'), and the same period in 2019 for comparison. NFE exposures included food outlet density and proximity, and NFE composition within a 1 km network buffer around the home. Associations were estimated for both years separately, adjusted for individual and household characteristics, population density and area deprivation. Interaction terms between region and exposures were explored. There were no consistent patterns of association between NFE exposures and food and drink purchasing in either time period. In 2019, there was some evidence for a 1.4% decrease in energy purchased from ultra-processed foods for each additional 500 m in the distance to the nearest OOH outlet (IR 0.986, 95% CI 0.977 to 0.995, p = 0.020). In 2020, there was some evidence for a 1.8% reduction in total take-home energy for each additional chain supermarket per km2 in the neighbourhood (IR 0.982, 95% CI 0.969, 0.995, p = 0.045). Region-specific effects were observed in 2019 only. Findings suggest that the differences in exposure to the NFE may not explain differences in the patterns or healthiness of grocery purchasing. Observed pre-pandemic region-specific effects allude to the importance of geographical context when designing research and policy. Future research may assess associations for those who relied on their NFE during lockdown.

Food related symptom aggravation in joint diseases: Observations from a secondary care Ayurveda arthritis center

Background: Food is generally being thought to have a connection with joint diseases. Ayurvedic literature has references to supports this, however, any conclusive research to support this idea is not yet available in the published literature. This study aim at observing any real association of food- and joint-related symptom intensity in people suffering with joint diseases. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational study where the respondents suffering with joint diseases, visiting a secondary care Ayurveda arthritis center, were asked to self-report if they identified any dietary association with the change in intensity of their joint-related symptoms. Results: Fifty-four patients (6.1% of 885 screened) have self-reported the association of 68 food items with increase in joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. 35 of 54 respondents (64.81%) had the Ayurveda diagnosis of Amavata (~rheumatoid arthritis). Highest joint symptom-related sensitivity was reported with food and drink items like curd 41 (75.9%), cold water 42 (77.8%), cold drink 38 (70.4%), ice-cream 35 (64.8), rice 33 (61.1%), and lemon 27 (50%). Conclusion: Food is found to have a definitive association with joint-related symptoms in a sub-population suffering with joint diseases. The study suggests that enquiry about food and its association with joint symptoms should be the part of routine enquiry in Ayurvedic rheumatology. Furthermore, such patients who are found to have a food-related symptom aggravation are needed to be treated differentially considering the food and disease association in mind.

Point-of-choice kilocalorie labelling practices in large, out-of-home food businesses: a preobservational versus post observational study of labelling practices following implementation of The Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021

Background and objectivesOn 6 April 2022, the UK government implemented mandatory kilocalorie (kcal) labelling regulations for food and drink products sold in the out-of-home food sector (OHFS) in England. Previous...

Examining the nutrition and packaging of foods promoted as ‘Back to School’ products for children’s school lunchboxes

The local food environment plays an important role in food purchasing behaviours, and it is important to understand the how this context shapes the highly complex drivers of food choice for children and families. In Australia, children consume more than one-third of their total energy intake whilst at school(1), thus making the content of school lunchboxes an important target for nutrition promotion efforts. Supermarkets invest heavily in promoting food for inclusion in school lunchboxes, particularly in the ‘Back to School’ period, but little is known about the nutrition content or the packaging of the foods included in these promotions. This study aimed to examine the types and packaging of foods that are promoted by supermarkets as school lunchbox foods. Catalogues for six supermarket chains in Adelaide, South Australia were collected during the four weeks of January 2023, the window often described as the ‘Back to School’ period. An audit of the contents was conducted and items promoted specifically as ‘Back to School’ items were coded according to the type of food (fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains/cereals, protein or drinks), whether the items was packaged or unpackaged and the processing classification according to the NOVA criteria(2). Descriptive statistics were calculated. In the ‘Back to School’ period, each of the six supermarket chains produced 4 catalogues and items relating specifically to foods promoted for inclusion in school lunchboxes appeared in 18 of the 24 catalogues. A total of 151 food or drink items appeared in the ‘Back to School’ promotions in these catalogues, and 100% of these items were packaged; 29% were packaged in single-use plastic packaging, 25% were packaged in recyclable packaging and 46% were packaged in a combination of single-use plastic and recyclable packaging. In terms of foods, snack foods, including sweet (n = 32, 21%) and savoury (n = 21, 14%) snacks were highly represented (35% overall). Dairy products (n = 23, 15%), grains/cereal products (n = 23, 15%) and drinks (n = 20, 13%) were also featured, and spreads (e.g. vegemite, Nutella) appeared in 13% of catalogues (n = 12). Fruits (n = 8, 5%), vegetables (n = 3, 2%) and proteins (n = 5, 3%) did not appear in many catalogues. Seventeen (11%) foods were unprocessed, with 111 (74%) classified as ultra-processed foods. Supermarket catalogues promote ‘Back to School’ lunchbox foods that are overwhelmingly packaged and ultra-processed. Working with supermarkets to adapt the promotion of foods that are less packaged and less processed is an important step to improving the local food environment.

A Comprehensive Review on Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Rosa Species (Rosaceae).

The Rosa L. genus is a significant plant family in the Rosaceae group, consisting of around 200 species, primarily shrubs. In India, it has 37 species, most located in the Western Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Roses are highly regarded for their beauty and growth and are popular worldwide for their nutritional, therapeutic, ornamental, and cosmetic value. The rose hips are utilized in creating various food and drink items, such as jams, jellies, teas, and alcoholic beverages. The Rosa species has various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, anti-proliferative/anticancer, anti-arthritic, neurological, and anti-obesity activity. This review aims to provide an in- -depth overview of the phytochemistry and pharmacology of the Rosa species in India, focusing on Rosa indica L., which has significant potential for future chemical and biological research.

Nutrients or processing? An analysis of food and drink items from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey based on nutrient content, the NOVA classification and front of package traffic light labelling.

UK front of package labelling (FOPL) informs consumers on the nutrient content of food. However, FOPL does not consider food processing, and with the UK government being urged to act on ultra-processed food (UPF), whether UPF should be added to FOPL is unclear. This study compared food and drink in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) Intake24 database based on FOPL, nutrient content and NOVA classification, to understand whether UPF are covered by dietary recommendations for foods high in fat, salt and sugar. NDNS items were coded into minimally processed food (MPF), processed culinary ingredients, processed food and UPF according to the NOVA classification and FOPL traffic lights. UPF contained greater energy, fat, saturated fat (SF), total sugar (TS) and salt than MPF. UPF had a greater odds of containing red FOPL and an unhealthier overall FOPL score (OR:4·59 (95 % CI: 3·79, 5·57); OR:7·0 (95 % CI: 6·1, 8·2), respectively) and lower odds of containing green FOPL (OR:0·05 (95 % CI: 0·03, 0·10)), compared with MPFs. For items with no red FOPL, UPF still contained greater energy, fat, SF, TS and salt than MPF. However, several UPF have healthier FOPL scores. UPF had an unhealthier nutritional profile and FOPL score than MPF. For items with no red FOPL, UPF still had an unhealthier profile than MPF, with a higher energy density. Importantly, not all UPF were unhealthy according to FOPL. These results indicate partial overlap between FOPL, nutrient content and NOVA classification of UK food and drink products, with implications for UK food and drink labelling.

The Study of the Kangen Yogyakarta Market from the Viewpoint of a Traveler Experiencing the Culinary Festival

Culinary is intricately connected to the creation of processed foods and beverages that are characteristic of a certain region. In Indonesia, a diverse range of gastronomic delights with distinct flavors may be found from Sabang to Merauke. Nevertheless, the swift advancement of technology in the culinary domain has led to novel breakthroughs in the creation of food and drink items, which have the potential to alter the presence of traditional local cuisine. In order to prevent the marginalization of local cuisine, several strategies are implemented to promote it, one of which is organizing a festival. Every year, Yogyakarta has a Pasar Kangen Festival. This festival has the capacity to "revive" or "showcase" the presence of local cuisine and enhance the economic status of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This study employed a quantitative descriptive-analytic approach, utilizing Google Forms questionnaires to collect data from a sample size of 50 respondents. This study aims to assess the perception of individuals who have attended the Yogyakarta Pasar Kangen Festival regarding local food. The study population consisted of tourists who were visiting Yogyakarta, whereas the sample specifically included visitors who had visited the Pasar Kangen Festival. The findings of this survey suggest a prevailing public interest in visiting the Pasar Kangen as a whole. Moreover, the primary factors that attract visitors are the diverse culinary offerings and the distinctive local cuisine. Their primary incentive for visiting the Pasar Kangen is self-driven and external factors from the gratification they derive from the experience. The beauty and main draw of the Pasar Kangen Festival lies in its diverse and distinctive gastronomic offerings. The research aims to elucidate the theoretical implications by examining tourists' impression of festival events. The practical implication is to offer valuable information to the event manager and destination in order to enhance their focus on the diverse and distinctive food offerings at the festival, ultimately leading to increased tourist satisfaction.

Effect of papaya leaf (Carica papaya) boiled water and honey to reduce menstrual pain in teenage girls in Indonesia

Premenstrual or menstrual cramping can cause pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen. Although it can range from minor to severe, menstrual discomfort can be disruptive to daily life. Both pharmaceutical and non-pharmacological therapies can be used to alleviate menstrual discomfort. Papaya leaves (Carica papaya) and honey are two natural components that are thought to be used in one of the ancient remedies to lessen menstruation pain. Vitamin E, which is found in papaya leaves, can lessen menstruation pain. Because honey includes glucose and fructose, which regulate the smooth muscles of the uterus, there is less pain associated with menstruation because the uterine muscles can relax. This research aimed to determine the effect of boiled papaya leaf water and honey on reducing menstrual pain in adolescent girls at Ngawen II Public Health Center Gunungkidul. With a single group pretest-posttest design, this study employs a quasiexperimental methodology. A total of 184 teenage females with menstruation discomfort at the Ngawen II Public Health Center in Gunungkidul participated in this study. The tpaired test was used to process the data. According to the findings, adolescent menstruation pain levels decreased on average from -2.65 to 2.29. The results of statistical testing revealed a p-value of 0.000, indicating that there is a difference between giving teenagers functional drink items made from boiled papaya leaves, water, and honey in reducing menstruation pain. Therefore, boiled papaya leaf water and honey can be an alternative to lessen adolescent girls' menstrual pain.

Early- but not late-adolescent Western diet consumption programs for long-lasting memory impairments in male but not female rats

Early life Western diet (WD) consumption leads to impaired memory function, particularly for processes mediated by the hippocampus. However, the precise critical developmental window(s) during which WD exposure negatively impacts hippocampal function are unknown. Here, we exposed male and female rats to a WD model involving free access to a variety of high-fat and/or high-sugar food and drink items during either the early-adolescent period (postnatal days [PN] 26–41; WD-EA) or late-adolescent period (PN 41–56; WD-LA). Control (CTL) rats were given healthy standard chow throughout both periods. To evaluate long-lasting memory capacity well beyond the early life WD exposure periods, we performed behavioral assessments after both a short (4 weeks for WD-EA, 2 weeks for WD-LA) and long (12 weeks for WD-EA, 10 weeks for WD-LA) period of healthy diet intervention. Results revealed no differences in body weight or body composition between diet groups, regardless of sex. Following the shorter period of healthy diet intervention, both male and female WD-EA and WD-LA rats showed deficits in hippocampal-dependent memory compared to CTL rats. Following the longer healthy diet intervention period, memory impairments persisted in male WD-EA but not WD-LA rats. In contrast, in female rats the longer healthy diet intervention reversed the initial memory impairments in both WD-EA and WD-LA rats. Collectively, these findings reveal that early-adolescence is a critical period of long-lasting hippocampal vulnerability to dietary insults in male but not female rats, thus highlighting developmental- and sex-specific effects mediating the relationship between the early life nutritional environment and long-term cognitive health.

Changes in food and drink purchasing behaviour in England during the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time-series analysis

BackgroundRestrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic affected many health behaviours, including diet. We aimed to examine changes in food and drink purchasing during the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. MethodsIn this interrupted time-series analysis, we used transaction-level purchasing data for food and drink items bought for at-home (n=1245 households) and out-of-home consumption (n=226 individuals) for London and the North of England (Kantar GB). Outcomes included household-level weekly purchased total energy, energy from specific products, alcohol volume, and frequency of out-of-home purchasing occasions. We compared purchases between March 16 and June 11, 2020 (pandemic restrictions, the intervention) and Jan 1, 2019, to March 15, 2020 (counterfactual). The effect of the intervention was modelled using 2-part negative binomial regression models adjusted for time, season, festivals, region, and sociodemographic characteristics. Subgroup analyses explored interactions between the intervention and sociodemographic characteristics and usual purchasing levels. FindingsThe marginal mean estimate of total take-home energy purchased was 17·4% (95% CI 14·9–19·9; 6130 kcal) higher during the intervention period than during the counterfactual period. Increases of 35·2% (23·4–47·0; 505 mL) in take-home volume of alcoholic beverages and 1·2% (0·1–2·4; 165 kcal) in foods and drinks high in fat, salt, and sugar were observed. Reductions in purchased energy from ultraprocessed foods (–4·0%, –5·2 to –2·8; –541 kcal), and out-of-home purchasing frequency (–44·0%, –58·3 to –29·6; –0·6 days) were observed. Highest socioeconomic status was associated with largest increases in total purchased energy (increase of 7217 kcal, 95% CI 5450–8985, vs 2479 kcal, 935–4023, among low socioeconomic status), while older age groups reported fewer changes in purchasing. Higher usual purchasing levels were associated with greater reductions during pandemic restrictions and vice versa, except for the absolute difference in alcohol purchasing, which increased the most for those with higher pre-pandemic purchasing (lowest 123·2 mL, 95% CI 71·3–175·0; highest 708·3 mL, 381·3–1035·3). InterpretationPandemic restrictions were associated with marked changes in purchasing, notably increases in energy and alcohol and decreases in ultra-processed-food and out-of-home purchasing, which differed by individual characteristics. Future research should ascertain if changes persisted, if these changes translate into changes in health, and whether other regions experienced similar effects. FundingNational Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research (SPHR).

Influence of emotions and inflation on food and drink purchase: An ethnography among Danish families

Abstract Background Families’ food and drink purchases are highly related to intake which affects several health outcomes. Various factors influence grocery shopping e.g., price, preferences, promotion, and availability. However, few studies have explored the relationship between these and how they are affected by major societal changes. This study aims to elaborate on perceived and observed influences on families’ food and drink purchases from a systems perspective during the inflation in 2022. Methods We performed an ethnographic study using semi-structured, shop-along, and photo-elicited interviews with families from September 2022 to January 2023. Fifteen families with children aged 0-21 participated in at least two interviews, resulting in 37 interviews for analysis. We analysed the data using the principles of abductive analysis. We focused on the unexpected research finding that a seemingly mundane behaviour - such as grocery shopping - invoked many different emotions in the participants. Findings Preliminary findings indicate that food and drink purchase is an emotional and private activity. The participants, for example, showed signs of and expressed embarrassment with their choices. Some participants expressed frustration, discomfort, and fear of being tricked concerning grocery shopping, while others associated it with joy, excitement, and inspiration, which influenced their selection of food items. Families experienced changing their shopping behaviour due to the rising inflation. Many faced the question of whether their regular choices, e.g., ecological products, were worth the extra cost. This new need for balancing personal values with economic considerations was often followed by negative emotions e.g., feeling like a bad parent. Conclusions Our preliminary findings indicate that families’ overall feeling about grocery shopping influence their purchase of food and drink items and that grocery shopping can be related to both negative and positive emotions. Key messages • Grocery shopping and deciding which food and drink to buy is an emotional behaviour. • Healthy retail intervention must account for the influence of emotions on food and drink purchase behaviour.

The effect of spatial separation on food and drink choices from an online menu

Emerging research suggests that modifying the presentation context of healthy food items can subtly ‘nudge’ individuals to make healthier choices. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of spatial separation between high and low nutritional value items on food and drink choices from an online fast-food menu. Participants (N = 210 women) were presented with one of three pictorial menus in which high nutritional value food and drink items were presented spatially mixed, grouped, or separate from low nutritional value items. Participants were asked to make one selection from each menu category (a main, drink, and dessert), and then completed a measure of dietary restraint. Overall, there was no main effect of menu condition. However, dietary restraint status moderated the effect of menu condition on healthy choices. In particular, women who scored low (but not those who scored high) on dietary restraint were positively influenced by the experimental manipulation, making approximately 14 % healthier selections when high nutritional value items were presented separately from low nutritional value items. This was principally the case for desserts, and to a lesser extent drinks. The findings have practical implications for the design of online fast-food menus to promote healthier food and drink selections.

Supporting Healthier Grocery-Shopping Habits for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Using Self-Management and Technology: A Single-Case Pilot

While there are many benefits to healthy nutrition, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities often have poor nutrition habits. Identifying effective practices to promote healthy nutrition for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is critical. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of a health app and self-management intervention in supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in making healthier nutrition choices. A changing criterion single-case research design was used with three adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to determine if there was a functional relation between a health app and self-management intervention, and the number of healthy food and drink items purchased when grocery shopping. The combination of the health app with self-management intervention was effective in increasing the number of healthy food and drink items two participants bought at the grocery store. Participants reported that they enjoyed using the app, scanning food and drink items was fun, and the goal-setting and self-monitoring components were easy to understand. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Assessing public perception and awareness of UK mandatory calorie labeling in the out-of-home sector: Using Twitter and Google trends data.

In 2021 the UK government announced a new obesity policy requiring large out-of-home food outlets to provide mandatory in-store calorie labeling on food and drink items. Public acceptability and engagement with obesity policies could influence the level of impact on wider public health particularly with population-level policies such as calorie labeling. This study aimed to examine public responses and awareness of the policy using social media (Twitter) comments and Google trends data. This study examined responses to social media posts on Twitter (tweets) from the UK Department of Health and Social Care detailing the policy, implementation date and post-implementation information about the policy's enforcement. The sentiments of the tweets were coded and the number of likes and replies extracted. This study utilized google trends to examine public awareness of the policy by extracting weekly relative search volume for relevant phrases such as "calorie labeling." From the 276 replies/quote-tweet extracted, the majority expressed a negative sentiment toward the policy (N=197/71.4%). There were fewer tweets expressing a positive sentiment (N=25/8.7%) and a neutral/no sentiment (N=54/19.6%). There was no difference in the number of "likes" or retweets between tweets expressing positive or negative sentiments. Five themes were identified expressing negative sentiments (most common being negative impacts on eating disorders). Google trends data revealed increased searches for "calorie labels/labeling" during the week of the policy enforcement compared to previous weeks in the last 5years but no significant differences in searches for specific menu calorie labeling. This analysis revealed negative sentiment toward and increased searching of calorie labeling information during the announcement and implementation of the 2021 mandatory calorie labeling policy in England. A greater understanding of public responses to calorie labeling policies may help tailor future policies and public communication strategies.

A low-cost adapter for the rehydration of commercially available food and beverages for spaceflight

All current rehydratable food and drink items prepared for U.S. astronauts on missions to the International Space Station (ISS) must be compatible with the station's potable water dispenser, called the rehydration station. This highly validated system ensures that water is compartmentalized and safely transferred to custom-made food and beverage pouches to prevent free-floating food particles and water in microgravity. However, the food and beverages packaged in these single-purpose pouches require complex, time-consuming, and costly procedures before flight, which is not feasible for future commercial space stations seeking more affordable life-support systems. Furthermore, even though a vast number of rehydratable food and beverage items available at supermarkets have appropriate nutritional content and shelf life for spaceflight, their incompatible consumer packaging renders them unusable by astronauts. In this paper, we present a low-cost solution that draws on NASA technology to adapt these commercially developed food and drink items for spaceflight and makes them compatible with the water dispensing unit and consumption in a microgravity environment. The 3D-printed adapter is based on the NASA septum adapter with the addition of a piercing end and one-way barb that stabilizes the adapter inside the food pouch and ensures it is not released due to the force generated by the water when it is dispensed. The dimensions of the adapter are 20.00 (L) x 12.50 (W) x 37.24 (H) mm and the mass is approximately 1.5 g. The design is compatible with at least three types of packaging commonly used for commercially available rehydratable foods: kraft paper and polymer laminate (KP), polymer aluminum laminate (PA), and compostable polymer laminate (CP). Based on these three packages, we present a table of commercial items that could be available to astronauts if the adapter were to be used. To validate the adapter's use in the space environment, we also present data on the structural properties against loads experienced during launch and re-entry, as well as two functionality tests to determine piercing and rehydration effectiveness. The results show that the prototype of the adapter meets structural specifications for spaceflight and can effectively pierce KP and PA materials with minimal tear propagation. The rehydration test with KP showed that the adapter can effectively rehydrate a typical dehydrated food package. In summary, the adapter is an effective method to increase menu diversity while simultaneously eliminating costs associated with space food preparation and re-packaging.

Effects of blindness and anosmia on auditory discrimination of temperature and carbonation of liquids

Our experience of the world around us is multisensory. Although vision is considered the dominant (spatial) sense, attention is increasingly being paid to the importance of auditory cues in navigating behaviour in everyday life. The sounds associated with preparing and consuming foods and drinks have been shown to play an important role in hedonic perception. Yet, little is known about the extent to which auditory cues influence the behavior of blind or anosmic individuals. In the absence of vision, it is likely that more attention is paid to the sounds associated with a certain food or drink items, in order to assess their sensory qualities (e.g., freshness) and help guide their preparation. Product sounds may compensate for the lack of aroma perception in anosmia. We addressed these assumptions by studying a sample of 401 participants of whom 101 were anosmic and 101 were blind. We included two respective control groups with fully functional sensory modalities (sighted: n = 99 and normosmic: n = 100). All of the participants were asked to indicate the temperature and carbonation of drinks based solely on auditory cues. The results of the study indicate that auditory cues are particularly important for the assessment of drink temperature in blind people and carbonation in anosmic individuals. These supranormal abilities likely develop for adaptive purposes. The present study supplements the discussion concerning sensory compensation in blindness, but as one of a few demonstrates this ability in a practical, everyday context of a highly ecological task.

The impact of tableside ordering technologies on alcohol sales to the intoxicated.

The impact of tableside ordering technologies on alcohol sales to the intoxicated.

A cross-sectional survey on cannabis: Characterizing motives, opinions, and subjective experiences associated with the use of various oral cannabis products

BackgroundCannabis-infused products available for oral consumption include food and drink items (i.e., edibles) (e.g., baked goods, gummy-, chocolate-, and hard-candies, beverages/drinks) as well as non-food formulations (e.g., oils/tinctures, pills/capsules). This study characterized the motives, opinions, and subjective experiences associated with the use of these seven subtypes of oral cannabis products. MethodsThis web-based survey collected cross-sectional, self-report data from a convenience sample of 370 adults regarding various use-motives, self-reported cannabinoid content, subjective experiences, and opinions related to ingesting oral cannabis products with alcohol and/or food. Advice participants had received about modifying oral cannabis product effects, in general, was also collected. ResultsParticipants reported consuming cannabis baked goods and gummy candies most frequently over the past year (68% and 63%, respectively). Participants were less likely to use oils/tinctures for enjoyment/desire relative to other product types and more likely to use oils/tinctures for therapeutic purposes (e.g., medication-replacement). Self-reported cannabinoid content was highly variable across participants and within product subtype. Participants reported feeling stronger and longer-lasting effects when consuming oral cannabis products on an empty stomach and 43% received advice to “eat a snack or meal” to mitigate effects that are too strong, which contrasts with controlled studies. Finally, 43% of participants reported modifying their experiences with alcohol at least some of time. ConclusionsThese findings underscore the need to further evaluate use-motives as well as the interaction between dietary factors, cannabinoid pharmacokinetics, and subjective drug effects and the interactive effects of oral cannabis products and alcohol in a controlled laboratory setting.

Individual and food environment factors associated with the diet of disadvantaged adults in Flanders

Abstract Background Health inequalities partially remain due to differences in diet between socioeconomic groups. Examining the association between socio-ecological factors and the diet of socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) individuals can enhance the development of interventions to decrease health inequalities. Methods In total, 278 SED adults residing in two Flemish municipalities completed a survey addressing sociodemographics, diet, health and their perceptions of the food environment. The objective food environment was examined by assessing food retailer information in street network-based buffers of 500m and 1000m around participants’ addresses. Linear regression was used to test assumptions. Results Individual factors such as poor subjective health (OR0.58;CI 0.34-0.97), food insecurity (OR0.60;CI 0.38-0.94) and living alone (OR0.86;CI 0.75-0.98) were negatively associated with healthy dietary habits such as daily fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption. Positive perceptions on the availability of FV were positively associated (OR1.09;CI 1.02-1.17) with daily FV consumption. Objective food environmental factors showed a stronger association with unhealthy dietary habits. A greater amount of retailers within 1000m walking distance was negatively associated with fast-food (OR0.96;CI 0.94-0.99) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption (OR0.93; CI 0.88-0.98). More supermarkets within 500m distance was negatively associated (OR0.77;CI 0.58-0.97) with SSB consumption, while more convenience stores within a 1000m distance was positively associated (OR1.48;CI 1.17-1.88) with SSB consumption. Conclusions Our findings suggest that factors associated with the diet of SED adults differ according to food and drink items. Interventions focused on this population should take these differences into account. Key messages