This article draws on fieldwork among patients pursuing healing using macrobiotic diets at a Buddhist temple clinic not far from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It examines the (re-)emergence of macrobiotic diets as a movement for “nurturing life” (duõng sinh) in modeern Vietnam. By examining the use of macrobiotic diets among this temple's patients and followers, the article unravels popular discourses of food and health, and their intertwining relationships with conceptions of chronic diseases in contemporary Vietnamese society. The popularity of this temple as an alternative therapeutic centre for people with chronic conditions also sheds light on notions of illness, healing processes, and religious beliefs. The rise of macrobiotics as an alternative diet and lifestyle reveals people's uncertainties and mistrust amid many prevalent problems in contemporary Vietnam, such as food safety concerns. Altogether, “nurturing life” activities offer strategies for individuals to adapt to a rapidly changing social context.

We develop a method to assess population knowledge about any given topic. We define, and rationalize, types of beliefs that form the ‘knowledge spectrum’. Using a sample of over 7000 UK residents, we estimate these beliefs with respect to three topics: an animal-based diet, alcohol consumption and immigration. We construct an information-campaign effectiveness index (ICEI) that predicts the success of an information campaign. Information resistance is greatest for animal-based diets, and the ICEI is highest for immigration. We test the predictive power of our ICEI by simulating information campaigns, which produces supportive evidence. Our method can be used by any government or company that wants to explore the success of an information campaign.

The rising incidence of neurodegenerative diseases in an ageing global population has shifted research focus toward modifiable risk factors, such as diet. Despite potential links between dietary patterns and brain health, inconsistencies in neuroimaging outcomes underscore a gap in understanding how diet impacts brain ageing. This study explores the relationship between three dietary patterns—Mediterranean (MeDi), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND)—and cognitive outcomes as well as brain connectivity. The study aimed to assess the association of these diets with brain structure and cognitive function, involving a middle-aged healthy group and an older cohort with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). The study included cognitive assessments and diffusion-weighted MRI data to analyse white matter microstructural integrity. Participants comprised 55 older individuals with SCD (54.5% female, mean age = 64) and 52 healthy middle-aged individuals (48.1% female, mean age = 53). Age inversely correlated with certain cognitive functions and global brain metrics, across both cohorts. Adherence to the MeDi, DASH, and MIND diets showed no significant cognitive or global brain metric improvements after adjusting for covariates (age, education, BMI). Network-based statistics (NBS) analysis revealed differences in brain subnetworks based on DASH diet adherence levels in the SCD cohort. In the healthy cohort, lower white matter connectivity was associated with reduced adherence to MIND and DASH diets. Ultimately, the study found no strong evidence connecting dietary patterns to cognitive or brain connectivity outcomes. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and refine dietary assessments.

Understanding the correlation between genes and diet holds significance in formulating tailored nutritional guidance and enhancing public health initiatives. Consequently, a thorough examination is undertaken to clarify the interplay between varying nutrient intake, Glutathione S-transferases Mu1 and Theta 1 (GSTM1 & T1) gene variants, and susceptibility to cancer development. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive search on MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases up to April 30, 2023. The review included observational studies that explored the relationship between dietary consumption of acrylamide, fruits, vegetables, plant-based foods, total meat, red meat, coffee, and green tea, as well as the presence of GSTM1 and T1 gene polymorphisms, and the risk of cancer in adult populations. The review findings indicated that high levels of risk factors, particularly red meat, have been linked to a higher chance of developing colorectal cancer risk among individuals with the GSTM1 null genotype. In contrast, heightened levels of protective factors, such as cruciferous vegetables, green tea, coffee, and fruit, have been associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer, adult leukemia, cutaneous melanoma, and lung cancer in individuals exhibiting GST polymorphisms. There is a scarcity of comprehensive studies examining different types of cancer due to various dietary patterns and genetic variations. Research has illuminated the complex interplay among dietary factors, gene polymorphisms, and cancer risk, further comprehensive studies are needed to understand and validate these findings fully. More robust investigations across diverse populations are crucial to developing personalized nutritional interventions and strengthening public health strategies.

War, captives, and human sacrifice were parts of Late Postclassic (AD 1250–1524) Maya culture in highland Guatemala. Las Casas (1958:152) wrote that the supreme lord “put the heads of the sacrificed on some poles on a certain altar dedicated only to this, where they had these for some time, after which they buried them.” These cultural aspects show up in human remains excavated at Iximche’, the Kaqchikel Maya capital. Here, we integrate previously published and unpublished results of stable isotope analyses and explore their implications for diets and the geographic origins of individuals who were buried at the site on the eve of the Spanish conquest. Data from Iximche’ are compared with available results from other ancient Maya sites.

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-inflammatory skin disease. Cross-sectional research examining diet quality indices in psoriasis has focused on the Mediterranean diet and is confined to Mediterranean populations, thereby lacking generalisability to other populations. We explored associations between diet quality indices and the likelihood of reporting a higher psoriasis severity. This was an online cross-sectional study recruiting adult volunteers with psoriasis (n 257). A 147-item FFQ evaluated adherence to the Mediterranean diet score, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score and the Plant-based Diet Index (PDI), including its original (oPDI), healthy (hPDI) and unhealthy (uPDI) subtypes. Psoriasis severity was determined with the self-assessed Simplified Psoriasis Index. When adjusted for age, sex, smoking, alcohol overconsumption, energy intake and psychological morbidity, multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed an increased likelihood of reporting a higher psoriasis severity in participants with a very low adherence to Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (OR = 3·75; 95 % CI 1·313, 10·700; P = 0·01) and hPDI (OR = 4·04; 95 % CI 1·251, 13·064; P = 0·02) patterns. A reduced likelihood of reporting a higher psoriasis severity was shown in participants with low adherence to the uPDI (OR = 0·25; 95 % CI 0·085, 0·716; P = 0·01). With further adjustment for BMI, a very low adherence to the oPDI was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of reporting a higher psoriasis severity (OR = 3·46; 95 % CI 1·029, 11·656; P = 0·05). Dietary interventions and assessment should be introduced in the care pathway for psoriasis management.

This study uses stable and radiogenic isotopic data from Chalcolithic (c. 3000–1900 bc) humans and animals recovered from the Rego da Murta dolmens (Alvaiázere, Portugal) to understand dietary and mobility patterns in the populations using these monuments. The results suggest diets based primarily on C3 plants and terrestrial animals, with some possible variation in protein intake by age or status. Analyses of 87Sr/86Sr values identify two individuals out of ten from Rego da Murta I and four individuals out of fifteen from Rego da Murta II as migrants. These data were compared to other Chalcolithic burials in south-western Portugal: while diets were found to be similar across the region, the very high 87Sr/86Sr values recorded for two migrant humans match no known settlement in the broader region. A recent mapping study of 87Sr/86Sr values in Portugal suggests their origins may lie to the north/north-east of the dolmens.

India’s nutrition transition has led to an increased burden of overweight/obesity (body mass index of ≥23 kg/m2), driven by lifestyle factors like poor diet, inactivity, and substance use, prompting public health interventions. However, these interventions lack supporting evidence, especially in rural areas, hindering effective strategies for this population. To address this evidence gap, this study used cohort data (baseline: 2018–19, follow-up: 2022–23) from the Birbhum Population Project (West Bengal, India) to analyse lifestyle risk factors and their association with incidence and remission of overweight/obesity among adults aged ≥18 years (sample: 8,974). Modified Poisson regression model was employed to attain the study objective. From 2017–2018 to 2022–2023, the prevalence of overweight/obesity increased from 15.2% (95% CI: 14.1%–16.4%) to 21.0% (95% CI: 19.7%–22.3%) among men and from 24.1% (95% CI: 22.9%–25.2%) to 33.8% (95% CI: 32.5%–35.1%) among women. Overall, 23.0% (95% CI: 21.8%–24.3%) of adults experienced incidence of overweight/obesity, while 13.9% (95% CI: 12.4%–15.6%) experienced remission. Use of motor vehicles among unemployed participants was associated with incident overweight/obesity (relative risk or RR: 1.058; 95% CI: 1.023–1.095; P: 0.001). Vigorous activity at home (including gardening, yard work, and household chores) was linked to higher odds of recovering from overweight/obesity (RR: 1.065; 95% CI: 1.008–1.125; P: 0.025). Frequent tobacco use (often/daily vs. none) was inversely associated with remission of overweight-obesity (RR: 0.689; 95% CI: 0.484–0.980; P: 0.038), as was each 1 ml in alcohol consumption (RR: 0.995; 95% CI: 0.991–0.999; P: 0.022). Discouraging habitual motor vehicle use may help prevent overweight/obesity, while promoting home-based activities may aid remission, particularly for women who are at higher risk for overweight/obesity.

As obesity rates rise globally, addressing modifiable lifestyle factors, such as sleep, presents an opportunity for public health interventions. This review explores the growing evidence linking sleep duration, quality and timing with weight management and dietary behaviours throughout the life course. Observational studies associate short or irregular sleep with increased obesity risk, poor diet quality and metabolic disturbances. Plausible mechanisms include decreased physical activity, heightened hedonic and/or emotional eating, dysregulated appetite signals and circadian misalignment of metabolism, which contribute to a positive energy balance. Unravelling the bidirectional relationship between sleep and weight is challenging; poor sleep exacerbates weight gain, while obesity-related comorbidities such as obstructive sleep apnoea further impair sleep. Despite promising evidence from sleep-restriction studies showing increased energy intake, long-term randomised controlled trials (RCTs) examining interventions designed to improve sleep with weight management as an outcome are lacking. A handful of short-term interventions suggest benefits in reducing energy intake or improving dietary quality, but their effects on weight loss remain inconclusive. This review calls for robust, well-powered RCTs that integrate sleep, diet and physical activity interventions to evaluate the potential of sleep as a core component of obesity prevention and treatment strategies. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support sleep-focused interventions as a mandatory element in clinical weight-management programmes.

By involving stakeholders to identify issues, co-design facilitates the creation of solutions aligned with the community’s unique needs and values. However, genuine co-design with consumers across all stages of nutrition intervention research remains uncommon. The aim of this review was to examine notable examples of interventions to improve diets in rural settings that have been co-designed by rural communities. Six studies were identified reporting on community-based and digital interventions to improve diets in rural settings that have been co-designed by rural communities. The level of co-design used varied, with two interventions describing co-design workshops and focus groups over a period of between 6 and 11 months, and others not reporting details on the co-design process. Collectively, most interventions demonstrated positive impacts on dietary markers, including an increase in purchase of fruit and vegetable, an increase in percentage energy from nutrient dense foods and a decrease in intake of high fat meats. While these interventions show promise for improving diets in these under-served communities, it is widely recognised that there is a lack of dietary interventions genuinely co-designed with and for rural communities. Future research should build on these studies to co-design dietary interventions that integrate the benefits of both community-based and digital interventions.

This review aims to highlight the relative importance of cardiovascular disease (CVD) lifestyle-associated risk factors among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and examine the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions to improve these CVD risk factors. Adults with IBD are at higher risk of CVD due to systemic and gut inflammation. Besides that, tobacco smoking, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet can also increase CVD risk. Typical IBD behavioural modification including food avoidance and reduced physical activity, as well as frequent corticosteroid use, can further increase CVD risk. We reviewed seven studies and found that there is insufficient evidence to conclude the effects of diet and/or physical activity interventions on CVD risk outcomes among populations with IBD. However, the limited findings suggest that people with IBD can adhere to a healthy diet or Mediterranean diet (for which there is most evidence) and safely participate in moderately intense aerobic and resistance training to potentially improve anthropometric risk factors. This review highlights the need for more robust controlled trials with larger sample sizes to assess and confirm the effects of lifestyle interventions to mitigate modifiable CVD risk factors among the IBD population.

Although dietary factors have been examined as potential risk factors for liver cancer, the evidence is still inconclusive. Using a diet-wide association analysis, our research evaluated the associations of 126 foods and nutrients on the risk of liver cancer in a Chinese population. We obtained the diet consumption of 72,680 women in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study using baseline dietary questionnaires. The association between each food and nutrient and liver cancer risk was quantified by Cox regression model. A false discovery rate of 0.05 was used to determine the foods and nutrients which need to be verified. Totally 256 incident liver cancer cases were identified in 1,267,391 person-years during the follow-up duration. At the statistical significance level (P ≤ 0.05), higher intakes of cooked wheaten foods, pear, grape and copper were inversely associated with liver cancer risk, while spinach, leafy vegetables, eggplant and carrots showed the positive associations. After considering multiple comparisons, no dietary variable was associated with liver cancer risk. Similar findings were seen in the stratification, secondary and sensitivity analyses. Our findings observed no significant association between dietary factors and liver cancer risk after considering multiple comparisons in Chinese women. More evidence is needed to explore the associations between diet and female liver cancer occurrence.

There is growing interest in lifestyle interventions as stand-alone and add-on therapies in mental health care due to their potential benefits for both physical and mental health outcomes. We evaluated lifestyle interventions focusing on physical activity, diet, and sleep in adults with severe mental illness (SMI) and the evidence for their effectiveness. To this end, we conducted a meta-review and searched major electronic databases for articles published prior to 09/2022 and updated our search in 03/2024. We identified 89 relevant systematic reviews and assessed their quality using the SIGN checklist. Based on the findings of our meta-review and on clinical expertise of the authors, we formulated seven recommendations. In brief, evidence supports the application of lifestyle interventions that combine behavioural change techniques, dietary modification, and physical activity to reduce weight and improve cardiovascular health parameters in adults with SMI. Furthermore, physical activity should be used as an adjunct treatment to improve mental health in adults with SMI, including psychotic symptoms and cognition in adults with schizophrenia or depressive symptoms in adults with major depression. To ameliorate sleep quality, cognitive behavioural informed interventions can be considered. Additionally, we provide an overview of key gaps in the current literature. Future studies should integrate both mental and physical health outcomes to reflect the multi-faceted benefits of lifestyle interventions. Moreover, our meta-review highlighted a relative dearth of evidence relating to interventions in adults with bipolar disorder and to nutritional and sleep interventions. Future research could help establish lifestyle interventions as a core component of mental health care.