Changes between diet quality and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) over 12 years were examined in men and women, in 2844 adults (46 % males; mean age 47·3 (sd 9·7) years) from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study with data at baseline, 5 and 12 years. Dietary intake was assessed with a seventy-four-item FFQ. Diet quality was estimated with the Dietary Guideline Index, Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Intervention for Neurological Delay Index (MIND) and Dietary Inflammatory Index. HR-QoL in terms of global, physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) was assessed with the Short-Form Health Survey-36. Fixed effects regression models adjusted for confounders were performed. Mean MCS increased from baseline (49·0, sd 9·3) to year 12 (50·7, sd 9·1), whereas mean PCS decreased from baseline (51·7, sd 7·4) to year 12 (49·5, sd 8·6). For the total sample, an improvement in MIND was associated with an improvement in global QoL (β = 0·28, 95 % CI (0·007, 0·55)). In men, an improvement in MIND was associated with an improvement in global QoL (β = 0·28, 95 % CI (0·0004, 0·55)). In women, improvement in MIND was associated with improvements in global QoL (β = 0·62 95 % CI (0·38, 0·85)), MCS (β = 0·75, 95 % CI (0·29, 1·22)) and PCS (β = 0·75, 95 % CI (0·29, 1·22)). Positive changes in diet quality were associated with broad improvements in HR-QoL, and most benefits were observed in women when compared to men. These findings support the need for strategies to assist the population in consuming healthy dietary patterns to lead to improvements in HR-QoL.

Healthy dietary habits reduce the likelihood for the metabolic syndrome (MS). The present study investigated whether awareness of nutrition information is associated with a decreased likelihood for the MS after adjusting for potential confounders among Korean adults aged 20 years and older. Data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016–2018. Of the 14 490 participants, 4001 (27·6 %) participants had the MS. In total, 3815 (26·3 %) participants checked nutritional facts and made labelling-dependent purchasing decisions (aware + consider), 7001 (48·3 %) checked nutritional facts but did not make labelling-dependent purchasing decisions or were aware of nutrition facts but did not check them when making food purchasing decisions (aware + not consider) and 3674 (25·4 %) were unaware of nutritional facts (not aware). The aware + consider group was less likely to develop the MS than other groups. The aware + not consider, and not aware groups were at higher association with the MS compared with the aware + consider group. Statistically significant associations were observed between the MS and several demographic characteristics including sex, age, household income, education level, employment status, public health insurance status, smoking status, alcohol consumption and aerobic exercise.

Frequent ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is consistently associated with poor health outcomes. Little is known about UPF intake during early childhood and its effects on growth. We assessed UPF in relation to child anthropometry, bone maturation, and their nutrition profiles in a rural Ecuadorian community. Covariate-adjusted regression models estimated relationships between UPF intake from a 24-hour Food Frequency Questionnaire and three outcomes: linear growth, weight status and bone maturation. Nutrient Profiling Models (NPM) evaluated a convenience sample of UPF (n 28) consumed by children in the community. In this cohort (n 125; mean age = 33·92 (sd 1·75) months), 92·8 % consumed some form of UPF the previous day. On average, children consuming UPF four to twelve times per day (highest tertile) had lower height-for-age z-scores than those with none or a single instance of UPF intake (lowest tertile) (β = –0·43 [se 0·18]; P = 0·02). Adjusted stunting odds were significantly higher in the highest tertile relative to the lowest tertile (OR: 3·07, 95 % CI 1·11, 9·09). Children in the highest tertile had significantly higher bone age z-scores (BAZ) on average compared with the lowest tertile (β = 0·58 [se 0·25]; P = 0·03). Intake of savoury UPF was negatively associated with weight-for-height z-scores (β = –0·30 [se 0·14]; P = 0·04) but positively associated with BAZ (β = 0·77 [se 0·23]; P < 0·001). NPM indicated the availability of unhealthy UPF to children, with excessive amounts of saturated fats, free sugars and sodium. Findings suggest that frequent UPF intake during early childhood may be linked to stunted growth (after controlling for bone age and additional covariates), despite paradoxical associations with bone maturation.

Recent efforts for alternative non-pharmaceutical treatments for postmenopausal osteoporosis are focused on nutritional measures. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of table olive wastewater extract (OE) administration on bone mineral density (BMD) and biomechanical strength in ovariectomised rats. Thirty mature 9-month-old female Wistar rats were separated into three groups of ten: Control, Ovariectomised (OVX) and OVX + OE. BMD was measured before ovariectomy, 3 and 6 months afterwards. At the end of the study, blood, both femurs and tibias, internal organs and abdominal fat were collected. After 3 months, the percentage changes from baseline of the total and proximal tibial BMD of the OVX + OE group were both higher compared with the OVX group (P < 0·005). Similar results were found after 6 months, when the percentage changes from baseline of the total and proximal tibial BMD of the OVX + OE group were both higher compared with the OVX group (P < 0·005). Biomechanical testing of the femurs did not reveal any statistically significant difference between the groups. Body weights throughout the study, organs’ and abdominal fat ratios to final body weight and blood results (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, Ca and P) were within normal limits and did not show any significant difference between the treated and untreated groups. As a conclusion, the administration of OE for 6 months protected tibial BMD loss in comparison with the untreated OVX group without causing adverse effects.

1. Two groups of adult rats were placed in a metal-free environment and pair-fed with selenium-supplemented and Se-deficient diets.

2. After 5 months the animals were killed and skeletal muscle concentrations of creatine, creatine phosphate, ATP, protein and Se were determined.

3. Se deficiency was indicated by the low Se content of the skeletal muscle from the deficient animals, but no changes were found in the amounts of the other components.

4. These results suggest that Se may not be involved in creatine metabolism and that Se deficiency may not be concerned independently in the development of nutritional dystrophy, where changes are found in the levels of protein, creatine, creatine phosphate and ATP.

1. The possibility of an effect of zinc on the rate of tumour cell division, mediated through a regulation of cellular cAMP concentration, was investigated in the present study in rats.

2. Dietary Zn deficiency (< 1·5 mg Zn/kg) but not Zn excess (500 mg Zn/kg) resulted in an increased cAMP concentration in transplanted hepatoma cells. Neither treatment had any effect on the cAMP concentration in regenerating liver or normal resting liver. Both the deficient and excess Zn diets resulted in a small reduction in tumour growth (not statistically significant).

3. The results seem to indicate that the relation investigated in the present study does not apply in the cell line used.

Randomisation of participants in two study groups leads to groups that have baseline differences accountable by the play of chance. In small trials, the random variation between two study groups can be large, but in large studies the variation is typically small.