Nutritional Resources Research Articles

Therapeutic potential and roles of dietary seaweeds in food: A systematic review

Food security is a significant global concern as a result of the burden that the fast-expanding global population has placed on finite resources, such as arable land for farming. Additionally, the hunt for more nutritious food alternatives has been prompted by a growing understanding of health, nutrition, and diet. Seaweeds are simple-to-grow aquatic plants that are underused for food and medicine. Recent studies have focused on gaining access to and using these readily available natural resources for nutrition and medicinal objectives. This review systematically evaluated trends of recent research on seaweed, for therapeutic possibilities and product development. After examining several documents, this analysis discovered that seaweeds are incredibly beneficial algae for both nutrition and medicine, and may be further explored in innovative food products, in meeting the increasing global need for food.

The role of an equine nutritionist in equine health, performance and wellbeing: Ideas stemming from an equine science society symposium workshop

In the United States, there is little clarity on the qualifications and availability of equine nutritionists. Currently, no regulatory body exists for formal credentialing outside of veterinary medicine. Most equine nutritionists are not veterinarians but do have advanced scientific degrees (Master of Science and/or Doctor of Philosophy) in the field of Animal Science. However, not all reporting to be equine nutritionists have formal education in the field of equine nutrition. To discuss this, a workshop was held at the 2023 Equine Science Society (ESS) meeting. The purpose of this discussion was to share ideas among equine nutrition professionals about how best to provide support for the inclusion of the specialty as part of a horse's health team, alongside the veterinarian, farrier and other equine health specialists. In human, small animal and livestock practices, the importance of nutrition as part of an overall health, production (livestock) and well-being plan has been documented. However, surveys of veterinarians, the top source of information for horse owners, reveal a lack of confidence in the area of nutrition after graduating from veterinary school and a lack of available continuing education opportunities to learn more. Further, it appears that many horse owners may unknowingly be obtaining nutrition information from unverified sources (such as the internet). The discussion included formal and informal education of equine nutritionists, as well as avenues to open lines of communication with the veterinary community to provide nutrition resources for horse owners, managers and veterinarians.

Vertical trophic structure and niche partitioning of gelatinous predators in a pelagic food web: Insights from stable isotopes of siphonophores

AbstractGelatinous zooplankton are increasingly recognized as key components of pelagic ecosystems, and there have been many recent insights into their ecology and roles in food webs. To examine the trophic ecology of siphonophores (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa), we used bulk (carbon and nitrogen) and compound‐specific (nitrogen) isotope analysis of individual amino acids (CSIA‐AA). We collected samples of 15 siphonophore genera using blue‐water diving, midwater trawls, and remotely operated vehicles in the California Current Ecosystem, from 0 to 3000 m. We examined the basal resources supporting siphonophore nutrition by comparing their isotope values to those of contemporaneously collected sinking and suspended particles (0–500 m). Stable isotope values provided novel insights into siphonophore trophic ecology, indicating considerable niche overlap between calycophoran and physonect siphonophores. However, there were clear relationships between siphonophore trophic positions and phylogeny, and the highest siphonophore trophic positions were restricted to physonects. Bulk and source amino acid nitrogen isotope (δ15N) values of siphonophores and suspended particles all increased significantly with increasing collection depth. In contrast, siphonophore trophic positions did not increase with increasing collection depth. This suggests that microbially reworked, deep, suspended particles with higher δ15N values than surface particles, likely indirectly support deep‐pelagic siphonophores. Siphonophores feed upon a range of prey, from small crustaceans to fishes, and we show that their measured trophic positions reflect this trophic diversity, spanning 1.5 trophic levels (range 2.4–4.0). Further, we demonstrate that CSIA‐AA can elucidate the feeding ecology of gelatinous zooplankton and distinguish between nutritional resources across vertical habitats. These findings improve our understanding of the functional roles of gelatinous zooplankton and energy flow through pelagic food webs.

Targeted screening and quantification of flavonoids in the flavedo of navel oranges at different growth stages based on metabolomics technology

Plant-based food intake is essential for health promotion, especially in preventing chronic diseases. Flavonoids, as important bioactive substances found in citrus fruits, have a variety of health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cancer-inhibiting properties. This study used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry to determine the flavonoids in the flavedo of navel oranges at different growth stages. Combined with chemometric methods to distinguish flavonoids at different growth stages, 15 differential flavonoids were deduced. In addition, the biomarker flavonoids in navel orange flavedo were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The results showed that the contents of rutin, isosinensetin, and isorhamnetin all showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing during the growing period, while the contents of tangeretin and nobiletin would gradually decrease with the increase of fruit maturity. In addition, the analysis also revealed that the content of isorhamnetin was negatively correlated with the content of both narirutin and tangeretin, and it was hypothesized that isorhamnetin was in the same metabolic branching pathway as narirutin or tangeretin. The results of this study support the practical application of orange peel as a nutritional resource in functional foods.

Possibility of immediate treatment to soybean processing by-products using screw extrusion: a mini review

Soybeans are an important oil and protein supply crop, but the utilization of by-products from its processing products has never been effectively resolved, while a large number of nutritional resources have been wasted and environmental pollution is serious, restricting the sustainable development of the industry. The critical problem of soybean processing by-products includes excessive levels of microorganisms, residual proteins, metal ions, and other substances. Because the screw extrusion process has potentially advantageous processing characteristics, it appears that it’s just the right solution to the above problem of soybean processing by-products. We propose that this technology may be a potentially scalable technology for the immediate processing of soybean by-products. This paper reviews the theoretical foundations in existing research, briefly discusses the technological advantages, feasibility, and potential risks of this process, and hopes that researchers may pay attention to this technique and conduct feasibility studies.

FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PERMASALAHAN GIZI SISWA SEKOLAH DASAR

These nutritional issues are serious problems that affect public health globally. Deficiencies in certain nutrients such as iron, vitamin A, vitamin D or folic acid can lead to various health problems. In the study of factors affecting the nutritional problems of primary school students, researchers can use various research methods to understand the relationship between the factors that contribute to the nutritional problems. Observational Studies, Case Control Studies, These studies help in identifying risk factors that contribute to nutritional problems among primary school students. Secondary Data Analysis: Researchers can also use secondary data, such as national health survey data or school data, to analyze factors related to nutritional problems among primary school students. The results in this study show that the nutritional problems of primary school students are influenced by various factors, including home environment, nutrition knowledge, diet, access to nutrition resources, and nutrition education at school. Efforts to improve students' nutritional status require a holistic approach through interventions involving parents, schools and the community as a whole.

Metabolites of pathogenic microorganisms database (MPMdb) and its seed metabolite applications.

Seed metabolites are the combination of essential compounds required by an organism across various potential environmental conditions. The seed metabolites screening framework based on the network topology approach can capture important biological information of species. This study aims to identify comprehensively the relationship between seed metabolites and pathogenic bacteria. A large-scale data set was compiled, describing the seed metabolite sets and metabolite sets of 124,192 pathogenic strains from 34 genera, by constructing genome-scale metabolic models. The enrichment analysis method was used to screen the specific seed metabolites of each species/genus of pathogenic bacteria. The metabolites of pathogenic microorganisms database (MPMdb) (http://qyzhanglab.hzau.edu.cn/MPMdb/) was established for browsing, searching, predicting, or downloading metabolites and seed metabolites of pathogenic microorganisms. Based on the MPMdb, taxonomic and phylogenetic analyses of pathogenic bacteria were performed according to the function of seed metabolites and metabolites. The results showed that the seed metabolites could be used as a feature for microorganism chemotaxonomy, and they could mirror the phylogeny of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, our screened specific seed metabolites of pathogenic bacteria can be used not only for further tapping the nutritional resources and identifying auxotrophies of pathogenic bacteria but also for designing targeted bactericidal compounds by combining with existing antimicrobial agents.IMPORTANCEMetabolites serve as key communication links between pathogenic microorganisms and hosts, with seed metabolites being crucial for microbial growth, reproduction, external communication, and host infection. However, the large-scale screening of metabolites and the identification of seed metabolites have always been the main technical bottleneck due to the low throughput and costly analysis. Genome-scale metabolic models have become a recognized research paradigm to investigate the metabolic characteristics of species. The developed metabolites of pathogenic microorganisms database in this study is committed to systematically predicting and identifying the metabolites and seed metabolites of pathogenic microorganisms, which could provide a powerful resource platform for pathogenic bacteria research.

Urinary Metabolomic Differentiation of Infants Fed on Human Breastmilk and Formulated Milk.

Human breastmilk is an invaluable nutritional and pharmacological resource with a highly diverse metabolite profile, which can directly affect the metabolism of infants. Application of metabolomics can discriminate the complex relationship between such nutrients and infant health. As the most common biological fluid in metabolomic study, infant urinary metabolomics may provide the physiological impacts of different nutritional resources, namely human breastmilk and formulated milk. In this study, we aimed to identify possible differences in the urine metabolome of 30 infants (1-14 days after birth) fed with breast milk (n = 15) or formulated milk (n = 15). From metabolomic analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, 163 metabolites from single mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 383 metabolites from tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) were confirmed in urinary samples. Various multivariate statistical analysis were performed to discriminate the differences originating from physiological/nutritional variables, including human breastmilk/formulate milk feeding, sex, and duration of feeding. Both unsupervised and supervised discriminant analyses indicated that feeding resources (human breastmilk/formulated milk) gave marginal but significant differences in urinary metabolomes, while other factors (sex, duration of feeding) did not show notable discrimination between groups. According to the biomarker analyses, several organic acid and amino acids showed statistically significant differences between different feeding resources, such as 2-hydroxyhippurate.

Cultivation of Chroococcidiopsis thermalis Using Available In Situ Resources to Sustain Life on Mars.

The cultivation of cyanobacteria by exploiting available in situ resources represents a possible way to supply food and oxygen to astronauts during long-term crewed missions on Mars. Here, we evaluated the possibility of cultivating the extremophile cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis thermalis CCALA 050 under operating conditions that should occur within a dome hosting a recently patented process to produce nutrients and oxygen on Mars. The medium adopted to cultivate this cyanobacterium, named Martian medium, was obtained using a mixture of regolith leachate and astronauts' urine simulants that would be available in situ resources whose exploitation could reduce the mission payload. The results demonstrated that C. thermalis can grow in such a medium. For producing high biomass, the best medium consisted of specific percentages (40%vol) of Martian medium and a standard medium (60%vol). Biomass produced in such a medium exhibits excellent antioxidant properties and contains significant amounts of pigments. Lipidomic analysis demonstrated that biomass contains strategic lipid classes able to help the astronauts facing the oxidative stress and inflammatory phenomena taking place on Mars. These characteristics suggest that this strain could serve as a valuable nutritional resource for astronauts.

Nematode production in artificial ponds: a long-term perspective

Summary Nematodes are the most abundant multicellular animals on Earth and play an important role as intermediaries in energy fluxes. However, estimations of nematode biomass turnover and secondary production have been poorly defined for decades and it is difficult to reach a consensus about the importance of nematodes for ecosystem functioning. Here we monitored monthly the nematode species composition, abundance and biomass over 3-10 years in a set of artificial urban ponds, and we used different allometric models to estimate biomass turnover and secondary production. During the first 3 years of colonisation of the pond bottom, the nematode community was rather species-poor and mostly composed of small bacterivorous species (Monhysterids); however, the community quickly reached impressive numbers (up to 21 million individuals m−2) achieving a maximum annual production of 3.8-11.6 gC m−2 year−1 depending on the allometric model used for estimation. However, over the long-term (3-10 years), abundance and community structure eventually became dramatically altered by anoxic events occurring in one pond, dampening nematode production to low levels (0.3-0.6 gC m−2 year−1) without clear resilience. The comparison of models helped us to formulate general recommendations in order to popularise the use of nematode secondary production as a useful ecosystem diagnostic tool. Overall, results indicated that under good conditions of oxygenation nematodes are a highly productive component of the zoobenthos of ponds. We also discussed the consequences of this finding for sustainable pond aquaculture, as nematodes constitute an important local and nutritive resource for juveniles of economically important fish, such as carp and tilapia.

Experiences of healthcare practitioners providing nutrition care to people with cancer in New Zealand: A qualitative study.

Aim: To explore the perspectives and experiences of healthcare practitioners in providing nutrition care to people with cancer in New Zealand. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 New Zealand healthcare professionals (HCPs) practicing in specialist secondary and tertiary cancer care (both public and private) who had previously completed an online survey about nutrition in cancer care. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was undertaken. Results: Participants identified nutrition as important in cancer care, from diagnosis to survivorship, in order to maximise recovery and ongoing health. While participants reported that the best person to provide high-quality individualised nutrition care is a dietitian, other HCPs also have a role in nutrition care. Limited nutrition care is currently available, especially for those in rural areas, which impacts health and equity in cancer care. Participants identified a need for increased dietitian capacity in the workforce as well as a need for nutrition resources that were accessible and appropriate. Conclusion: The perspective of participants was that more must be done to provide nutrition care as part of cancer care in New Zealand to improve health and wellbeing among people with cancer.

The Influence of Different Sustainable Substrates on the Nutritional Value of Tenebrio molitor Larvae

Every year, over 30% of food production is wasted. However, promoting a sustainable food supply not only fosters economic stability in agriculture and the food industry, but also safeguards precious natural resources and ensures universal food access and safety. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine how specific growth conditions (utilizing by-products: sprouted potatoes (1), wheat bran (2), brewers’ spent grain (3), and a control sample with agar-agar gels (4)) affect the larvae of yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor). This includes their nutritional and energy value, consumer sensory profiling, and technological parameters of processing. The results have indicated that larvae reared on the substrate with wheat bran had the highest energy value, at 708.26 kcal. In larvae, the difference in protein content was not significant when changing the rearing conditions, and ranged between 48.54 and 59.18%. The larvae contained a significant content of fibers, with the highest amount detected in samples with brewers’ spent grain. The data indicate that glucose and arabinose were distinctive to larvae. Our study has also revealed a statistical difference in ash content between larvae and the substrate, with higher levels of nitrogen, copper, and zinc detected in the larvae compared to the substrate. We have found that the salt was naturally occurring in the substrates, with the brewers’ spent grain sample having the highest amount, at 1.83%. However, the control sample yielded the highest ratings, achieving a score of 7.30 for general smell acceptability. These findings emphasize the potential of utilizing various industrial and farm by-products as substrates for mealworms, transforming them into a sustainable and nutrient-rich food source. This contribution adds to the broader discourse on nutritional value and resource efficiency.

Disturbance-diversity relationships of microbial communities change based on growth substrate.

Disturbance events can impact ecological community dynamics. Understanding how communities respond to disturbances and how those responses can vary is a challenge in microbial ecology. In this study, we grew a previously enriched specialized microbial community on either cellulose or glucose as a sole carbon source and subjected them to one of five different disturbance regimes of varying frequencies ranging from low to high. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we show that the community structure is largely driven by substrate, but disturbance frequency affects community composition and successional dynamics. When grown on cellulose, bacteria in the genera Cellvibrio, Lacunisphaera, and Asticcacaulis are the most abundant microbes. However, Lacunisphaera is only abundant in the lower disturbance frequency treatments, while Asticcacaulis is more abundant in the highest disturbance frequency treatment. When grown on glucose, the most abundant microbes are two Pseudomonas sequence variants and a Cohnella sequence variant that is only abundant in the highest disturbance frequency treatment. Communities grown on cellulose exhibited a greater range of diversity (1.95-7.33 Hill 1 diversity) that peaks at the intermediate disturbance frequency treatment or one disturbance every 3 days. Communities grown on glucose, however, ranged from 1.63 to 5.19 Hill 1 diversity with peak diversity at the greatest disturbance frequency treatment. These results demonstrate that the dynamics of a microbial community can vary depending on substrate and the disturbance frequency and may potentially explain the variety of diversity-disturbance relationships observed in microbial systems.IMPORTANCEA generalizable diversity-disturbance relationship (DDR) of microbial communities remains a contentious topic. Various microbial systems have different DDRs. Rather than finding support or refuting specific DDRs, we investigated the underlying factors that lead to different DDRs. In this study, we measured a cellulose-enriched microbial community's response to a range of disturbance frequencies from high to low, across two different substrates: cellulose and glucose. We demonstrate that the community displays a unimodal DDR when grown on cellulose and a monotonically increasing DDR when grown on glucose. Our findings suggest that the same community can display different DDRs. These results suggest that the range of DDRs we observe across different microbial systems may be due to the nutritional resources microbial communities can access and the interactions between bacteria and their environment.

Root-derived resources fuel earthworms predominantly via bacterial and plant energy channels – Insights from bulk and compound-specific isotope analyses

Soil food webs rely on both brown and green energy, i.e., litter material and root-derived resources such as exudates. Earthworms have traditionally been viewed as macro-detritivores fuelled by brown energy and playing a central role in nutrient cycling and belowground energy flux. However, the role of root-derived resources for earthworm nutrition remains controversial. We studied the dietary contribution of root-derived resources from different plant functional groups to earthworms using bulk and compound-specific stable isotope analyses in a microcosm experiment with five earthworm species, grasses and legumes in monoculture and mixture, and an unplanted control by preventing leaf litter from entering the microcosms. The presence of plants consistently depleted bulk 13C values of the five earthworm species studied suggesting that root-derived carbon contributed to earthworm nutrition in each of the species. The response of bulk 15N values was less consistent, which is in line with the assumption that root-derived resources fuel soil food webs mainly via carbon-based root exudates. These observations were corroborated by 13C values of essential amino acids suggesting that most of the tissue carbon of earthworms was incorporated via bacterial- (∼60%) and plant-derived resources (∼30%), with the presence of legumes enhancing the incorporation via plant-derived resources. The high proportion of bacterial resources in the earthworms was consistent with the relative dominance of bacteria in the experimental soil and suggests that bacteria serve as important link in the acquisition of food resources. However, it remains an open question whether earthworms feed directly on soil bacteria, bacterial residues in soil or rely on nutritional supplementation by gut microorganisms. Overall, our results show that when root-derived resources are available, earthworms, as macro-detritivores, also incorporate green energy, with these resources being assimilated mainly via the bacterial energy channel, pointing to the importance of bacterial energy channelling in ecosystems with high earthworm biomass.

Host-derived organic acids enable gut colonization of the honey bee symbiont Snodgrassella alvi.

Diverse bacteria can colonize the animal gut using dietary nutrients or by engaging in microbial crossfeeding interactions. Less is known about the role of host-derived nutrients in enabling gut bacterial colonization. Here we examined metabolic interactions within the evolutionary ancient symbiosis between the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the core gut microbiota member Snodgrassella alvi. This betaproteobacterium is incapable of metabolizing saccharides, yet colonizes the honey bee gut in the presence of a sugar-only diet. Using comparative metabolomics, 13C-tracers and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS), we show in vivo that S. alvi grows on host-derived organic acids, including citrate, glycerate and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate, which are actively secreted by the host into the gut lumen. S. alvi also modulates tryptophan metabolism in the gut by converting kynurenine to anthranilate. These results suggest that S. alvi is adapted to a specific metabolic niche in the honey bee gut that depends on host-derived nutritional resources.

Pollen as food: effects of consumption on tadpole growth, development, and mobility

The structure of many aquatic food webs is influenced by tadpole survivorship and duration of seasonal occupancy, which depend on tadpole diet. Pollen has been occasionally reported to occur in tadpole diets, and the available studies show that tadpoles have a strong preference for this supposedly nutritive resource. Thus, we aimed to test whether a diet composed of pollen from varied plant species would boost tadpole growth, development, and agility/mobility, compared to a regular artificial balanced and nutritive diet. Tadpoles in initial developmental stages 25 and 30 grew more when fed with pollen, compared to artificial food and a mixture of both diets. Those initially in stage 30 advanced more developmental stages during one month when fed exclusively with pollen. Tadpoles fed with pollen moved longer distances in response to an aversive stimulus simulating a predatory attack than tadpoles fed with artificial food or a mixed diet. Our results corroborate the hypotheses of pollen being a very important food source to aquatic consumers such as tadpoles, being likely to influence the structure of aquatic food webs through tadpole nutrition and modulation of growth/development speed, as well as tadpole ability to escape predators.

Fitness factors impacting survival of a subsurface bacterium in contaminated groundwater.

Many factors contribute to the ability of a microbial species to persist when encountering complexly contaminated environments, including time of exposure, the nature and concentration of contaminants, availability of nutritional resources, and possession of a combination of appropriate molecular mechanisms needed for survival. Herein we sought to identify genes that are most important for survival of Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae in contaminated groundwater environments containing high concentrations of nitrate and metals using the metal-tolerant Oak Ridge Reservation isolate, Pantoea sp. MT58 (MT58). Survival fitness experiments in which a randomly barcoded transposon insertion (RB-TnSeq) library of MT58 was exposed directly to contaminated Oak Ridge Reservation groundwater samples from across a nitrate and mixed metal contamination plume were used to identify genes important for survival with increasing exposure times and concentrations of contaminants, and availability of a carbon source. Genes involved in controlling and using carbon, encoding transcriptional regulators, and related to Gram-negative outer membrane processes were among those found to be important for survival in contaminated Oak Ridge Reservation groundwater. A comparative genomics analysis of 75 Pantoea genus strains allowed us to further separate the survival determinants into core and non-core genes in the Pantoea pangenome, revealing insights into the survival of subsurface microorganisms during contaminant plume intrusion.

Twin births in Yucatan, Mexico during 2008–2020: trends in maternal sociodemographic factors and differences in birth weight and length according to sex of co-twin

Background: Over the years, there has been a noticeable increase in the incidence of multiple pregnancies, due in part to the increased use of assisted reproductive technologies in recent years. The increase in twin pregnancies constitutes a public health challenge due to the adverse outcomes sometimes they entail. Twin pregnancies inherently carry a higher risk of complications, and one of the critical associated factors is the risk of low birth weight. Twin birth weight discordance among different populations can be attributed to differences in non-shared environmental influences. The presence of two or more fetuses in the uterus may lead to an unequal distribution of nutritional and oxygen resources, increasing the likelihood that at least one of the twins will experience insufficient fetal development. Other factors, such as ethnicity, genetics, sociodemographic characteristics, gestational age, parity, and chorion type, have also been related to the birth weight discordance in twin pregnancies. However, it is unclear to what extent the associations between these factors can explain the differences in birth and length size. The frequency of twin births varies among populations and over time, so it is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of the factors contributing to the rise in the twinning rate. The official records of twins continue to make significant contributions to our understanding of the causes of individual differences, and new twin registries are still being created. The recent availability of data from developing countries allows the analysis of trends in regions with sociodemographic and reproductive profiles. Obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology, as well as the related morbidity and mortality, is clinically crucial. Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the trends of twin births in Yucatan, Mexico during 2008–2021, analyze their association with maternal sociodemographic factors, and compare birth outcomes between types of twin pairs: female-female, male-male, and female-male. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using data from the Mexican Ministry of Health, encompassing information on all births registered in the State of Yucatán, Mexico, from 2008 through 2021. The data was obtained from both public and private hospitals. The variables, including date of birth, sex, gestational age, birth weight and length of newborns, mother´s date of birth, educational level, and number of previous live offspring, were extracted from each dataset. Multiple births (three or more) were excluded from the study. We graphically analyzed the rates (per 1000 births) and percentages of twins according to maternal age, education level, and parity during the study period. A multiple logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between maternal sociodemographic factors and the occurrence of twin births. Comparisons of the gestational age and birth weight and length between types of twin pairs were performed using analysis of variance. Results: A total of 478,118 live births, including 1.4% twins (accounting 6,766 twin births), were analyzed. The rates increased from 11.21 during 2008–2011 to 13.34 during 2012–2017 and reached 20.08 in 2019. The percentages increased in women aged ≥30 years and those with higher educational levels. Older maternal age (coefficient = 0.03; OR = 1.03, per each year), greater education level (coefficient = 0.55 and OR= 1.74 for medium and coefficient = 1.05; OR = 2.57 for high level, compared with no education) and higher parity (coefficient= 0.26; OR = 1.30 per each previous offspring) increased the odds for having twins. Twins’ male-male showed a slightly increased of preterm birth than a co-twin female. Opposite-sex twins showed measurable but small increases in birth weight and length compared with same-sex twins. Conclusion: The rate of twins in Yucatan increased substantially during 2008–2020 in specific sociodemographic groups. Opposite-sex twins were slightly larger than same-sex twins at birth.

Risk of Low Energy Availability, Disordered Eating, and Menstrual Dysfunction in Female Recreational Runners

Introduction: Running is characterized by high physiological demands with an emphasis on body weight, which may lead to a greater risk of developing low energy availability (LEA) and/or disordered eating (DE). The prevalence of LEA among recreational runners has not been well defined, and this population may lack the ability to distinguish between nutrition resources that are evidence-based or not. Purpose: This study investigated (a) the prevalence of those at risk for LEA, menstrual dysfunction (MD), and risk of DE and (b) compared the risk of DE, training volume, and body weight dissatisfaction between female recreational runners at risk for LEA versus not at risk for LEA. Methods: Female recreational endurance runners (n = 1,923) completed an online questionnaire that included the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire to evaluate LEA risk and MD, and the Disordered Eating Screening Assessment to evaluate DE risk and body weight dissatisfaction. Results: 53.04% of participants are at risk for LEA, 42.5% are at risk for DE, and 61.7% reported MD. Conclusions: The current study suggests that recreational runners are at an increased risk for LEA and DE. Furthermore, DE, MD, training volume, and weight dissatisfaction may be associated with LEA in recreational runners. These findings highlight the need for education and preventative measures around LEA, MD, and DE among recreational female runners.

Perception of the food environment by Brazilian slum residents: a qualitative study

Food availability in the territory can influence food consumption by the population. However, it is important to understand how people perceive their food environment to see how food availability affects consumption in different contexts. This study aimed to assess the perception of the food environment by Brazilian slum residents in their neighborhoods. This is a qualitative study, with online focus groups guided by a script in order to gather collective discourses about access to food in Brazilian slums. The invitation to participate in this study was made through social media, and community leaders and nongovernmental organizations with actions in slums were contacted using the snowball sampling technique. Grounded theory analysis was applied with the technique of thematic networks. Access to food for slum residents involves lack of resources and essential elements for an adequate and healthy diet, such as lack of information about food, low income, and low availability of stores that sell healthy food at affordable prices. Public programs and policies are required to encourage the expansion of food and nutritional security resources, such as vegetable gardens and markets, to increase the supply and sell healthy food at affordable prices in slums. Actions are also required to address the complexity of obstacles faced by slum residents in the access to healthy foods.