The increasing rates of obesity among children and adolescents are significant issues worldwide and in the Pacific Island Nations(1). An energy imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure is linked to overweight and obesity for children and adolescents. Epidemiological, nutritional, and technological changes are linked to altered eating habits, including an increase in energy consumption. Conversely, technological advancements and market globalization are responsible for declines in physical activity (PA)(2). During COVID-19 outbreak a more sedentary lifestyle than before the outbreak has been adopted by children and adolescents as a result of lockdown measures, which include shutting of schools, restrictive travel outside the home, and limiting social interactions has made the issue worse(3). Studies have shown that 40% to 70 % of obese children become obese adults(4). Since children spend a large portion of their day in school and eat their main meals there, school settings are suitable for interventions aimed at preventing childhood obesity. Additionally, school environments will reduce the number of dropouts brought on by problems with accessibility or transit(5). The selection of primary school children is important for interventions as the dietary and physical activity habits acquired at this age are ingrained in children and continue into adulthood. So, it is important to have a robust nutrition and physical activity curriculum in all the primary schools. There are many challenges faced by the governments in implementing such curriculum which includes lack of trained in country staff, limited infrastructures in schools for physical activity, culturally relevant information which can be easily understood by local populations, proper monitoring, and evaluation of the existing guidelines. Community engagement and partnership with local health ministries and departments are crucial for the success of these curriculum (6). To fill this gap robust evidence on effectiveness and implementation of school-based wellness intervention programs in primary schools are in dire needs in Pacific Island nations. Given this, the project titled “Healthy Child Promising Future-Promoting health in primary school settings was conducted in all schools in Wallis & Futuna and piloted in one urban school in Fiji. A knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP) questionnaire was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention which was conducted for all the children (7-9 years) and their care takers. Intervention was conducted on 15 pre identified themes by face-to-face sessions every week and 30 minutes physical activity session was conducted every day in all the schools for children. For caretakers intervention was conducted around 5 themes. In both the countries the intervention had shown significant improvement in KAP scores both for caretakers and children related to the healthy diet consumption and promotion of physical activity. The results indicate that the developed intervention package had a positive impact on KAP.

The number of clinical studies assessing the effects of time-restricted eating (TRE) has increased in recent years(1). The results of the studies conducted on humans demonstrate some health benefits, however, there is still a need to design larger and longer randomized clinical trials to prove the effectiveness and long-term benefits of these types of interventions(2). However, to ensure these health benefits, individuals need to be able to integrate its principles into their daily routines. This work aimed to associate daily habits with the potential adherence to different TRE protocols and to determine the factors that predict adherence to these protocols.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire based on a previous study(3), to assess the dietary and sleeping habits, daily routines and willingness to adhere to different windows of time-restricted eating in a sample of Portuguese adults. To analyze the associations between variables, the Spearman correlation coefficient and the Chi-Square test were calculated, and multiple linear regression was performed to identify the predictive factors. Statistical analysis was conducted on IBM SPSS Statistics version 29.0.

130 responses were obtained (26% men, 74% women) with a mean age of 37.9±13.59 years old. On workdays, 60.0% of participants reported a daily eating window (the period between the first and last caloric intake) of 12h-14h, while on free days the highest percentage (41.5%) was between 10h12h. An inverse correlation was observed between age and willingness to adhere to a TRE protocol if there were health benefits (r=-0.356, p<0.001). Moderate correlations were also found between the availability to follow a TRE protocol on work days (r=0.538) and free days (r=0.598) and the potential health benefits of this type of intervention (p<0.001)). Associations were found between sex and potential adherence to the TRE protocol (χ2=10.644, df=2, p=0.005), with a tendency for more men not to adhere to a TRE protocol. There was also an association between body weight management and reducing the eating window by 1h-2h (χ² =24.883, df=12, p=0.015) and 2h-3h (χ²=22.367, df=12, p=0.034). The living situation, motivation for change, income, weight management, cooking knowledge, and working schedule were among the main factors predicting the willingness to adhere to TRE protocols (p<0.05).

People’s willingness and motivation to adhere to TRE protocols outside the controlled environment of a clinical study depends on several factors. The results presented herein provide information that may be central when considering the translation of study results into nutritional practice and counselling.

Thailand suffers from the double burden of malnutrition due to the nutrition transition(1). Shifts in eating patterns from traditional foods to more processed foods, an increase in snacking and urbanisation are associated with the nutrition transition(2). We aimed to explore eating, feeding, and snacking behaviours in children aged 3-5 living in urban and rural areas of Thailand’s Southernmost Border Provinces (SBPs).

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 279 parent-child dyads recruited from one urban (n=135) and three rural schools (n=144) in the SBPs. The International Eating and Feeding Tool (ICFET)(3) was used to collect sociodemographic data, feeding frequency, food and snack consumption. Weight and height were measured to calculate WHZ (weight- for-height z score) and HAZ (heigh-for-age z score) scores. The frequency of consumption for groups and types of food were summed to give a monthly frequency. A 24-hour recall of intake of plated foods and drinks during five potential eating occasions was taken. Carers rated the applicability of statements regarding their use and control of snacks. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U test for comparisons between urban and rural areas were analysed using SPSS V28.

Socioeconomic disparities between caregivers from urban and rural areas were observed. Onefourth (22%) of rural caregivers reported senior high school education and no income (16%) compared to 0.7%, (P<0.001) and 1% respectively in urban caregivers (P<0.001). Child stunting was more prevalent in rural areas (24% vs 6% urban, P<0.001). No difference in wasting was observed between the two settings (7% rural vs 9% urban, P<0.423). Monthly food frequencies (times) (Median, IQR) were higher in urban compared to rural areas for milk and dairy products (30, 15-45) urban vs (15, 15-30) rural (P<0.001) and fruits and vegetables (Mean, SD) (53, 31) urban vs (43, 29) rural, (P=0.008). Half the children (56%) had three between-meals snacks and dry finger foods (mean, SD) (1.7, 0.5) times daily. Rural parents described higher scores of snack control (Median, IQR) (16, 15-18) rural vs (15, 13-16) urban, (P<0.001), and felt children were more likely to seek snacks in response to hunger compared to urban children (5, 2-5) rural vs (4, 2-5) urban, (P<0.001). Surprisingly, more snack foods were consumed in rural areas (50, 33-75) rural vs (45, 33-60) urban, (P=0.042).

Eating snacks between meals is common in Thai children living in SBPs. Snack foods are widely eaten, even more in rural than urban children. Despite the substantial differences in socioeconomic characteristics and levels of stunting, there was little variation between urban and rural areas in the commonness of snacking.

Childhood obesity and overweight rates in New Zealand are considerably higher than that globally with one in three children aged between 2-14 years being overweight or obese(1). Children’s dietary knowledge and food preferences are influenced by various factors including the food environment. Schools are an excellent setting to influence children’s dietary behaviours since they have the potential to reach almost all children during the first two decades of their lives. However, previous analyses indicate many school canteens and food providers do not supply foods that promote healthy eating and nutrition behaviours (2,3). The Ministry of Health (MoH) recently implemented a ‘Food and Drink Guidance for Schools’ which utilises a traffic-light framework dividing foods into three categories: ‘green’, ‘amber’, and ‘red’(4). The aim of this study was to assess primary school canteen food menus against the newly implemented MoH Guidance. A convenience sample of 133 primary school canteen menus were collected in 2020 as part of the baseline evaluation of the Healthy Active Learning initiative across New Zealand. Four researchers (three nutritionists and one dietitian) developed a menu analysis toolkit to undertake the analysis of all menus collected. The toolkit provided a breakdown of commonly packaged foods and meals/menu items available to purchase within schools based on Health Star Ratings, ingredients, and/or standard recipes. Assumptions were created for menu items requiring additional detail to be categorised according to the guidance through consensus by all four researchers. Primary school menus were coded by two researchers, and intercoder reliability was ensured by independent coding and cross-checking of 10% of menus. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS and P<0.05 denoted significance. Analyses of canteen menus revealed that most menu items belonged to the less healthy amber (41.0%) and red (40%) food categories. Low decile schools had a lower percentage of green food items (8.6%) and a higher percentage of red food items (48.3%) compared to high decile schools (p = 0.028). Similarly, schools in low deprivation areas had a significantly higher percentage of green food items (14.2%) compared to high deprivation areas (8.6%) (p = 0.031). Sandwiches, filled rolls, and wraps were the most commonly available items (86%) followed by baked foods and foods with pastry (71%). Sugar-sweetened beverages were just as prevalent as water on school food menus (54% each). Over half of in-house catered canteen menu items were classified as 'red’ foods (55.3%). This study highlights that most school canteens were not meeting the guidelines for healthy food and drink provision outlined by the MoH. Improving school food availability for children in socioeconomically deprived areas needs to be prioritised to reduce inequities. Findings suggest the need for more robust national policies and mandated school guidance to improve the food environments in New Zealand schools.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the predominant cause of death in the UK(1) and place an economic burden on societies(2). An unhealthy diet is one of the four main behavioural risk factors for NCDs(3) and thus, interventions targeting dietary behaviour are of particular interest in the prevention of NCDs. The workplace may be a valuable setting for these interventions as employees represent a large proportion of the population in the UK(4). In the male population, NCDs and several risk factors typically manifest at a younger age(5) and, additionally, males participate less in health-promoting activities(6).

The aim of this scoping review was to identify and characterise the evidence base to determine if a future full systematic review on nutrition interventions in the workplace to improve health and well- being in males is feasible.

The review was conducted adhering to the PRISMA guideline for Scoping Reviews(7). Three electronic databases (Ovid, PubMed, and The Cochrane Library) were systematically searched for relevant publications responding to the research question from inception. No restrictions were made in the search and all study types were eligible. Articles that were not available in English were excluded from the review. Eligible studies were reviewed using a pre-defined data extraction form and references hand-searched for relevant publications. Data synthesis was focused on describing application-oriented aspects and outcome analyses were reduced to anthropometric outcomes.

Of the 1,224 publications from the initial database search, 46 were included in the review, with an additional 15 studies identified from hand-searching, resulting in 61 included reports on 57 interventions. Four main approaches to nutrition interventions at the workplace were identified; educational, environmental, individual counselling, and meal provision/replacement. Most interventions used multicomponent approaches. One of the 61 included reports followed a qualitative design. Anthropometric outcomes were reported in the majority (83.6%) of studies, followed by bioclinical outcomes (45.9%), other outcomes were food (34.4%) and nutrient intake (22.9%), smoking habits (14.8%) and, one study reported on Quality of Life. Of the studies reporting anthropometric outcomes 69% reported to be effective in improving body weight, 47.8% BMI and 54.5% waist circumference. No determinants of successful interventions such as type, duration, workplace participation were identified.

This review suggests that nutrition interventions at the workplace are effective in improving several anthropometric outcomes. A future full systematic review is feasible but should consider narrowing the research question to account for limitations in the current evidence base as differences in reporting of design, population, intervention, and outcomes severely limited data analyses. Furthermore, to enable high-quality research, the development of a reporting tool, such as the TIDieR checklist (8) is recommended.

With the growing global population and climate change, achieving food security is a pressing challenge(1). Vertical farming has the potential to support local food production and security. In the UK population females and younger adults appear to be particularly vulnerable to micronutrient shortfalls from food sources alone. Levels of micronutrient intakes including zinc and iron are below the recommended daily intake(2). As a Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA) system, vertical farming employs hydroponics using a nutrient solution which offers opportunities to modulate nutrient uptake, and thus influence plant mineral and vitamin composition(3).

In this study we aimed to determine the suitability of different crop types for soilless agronomic biofortification with zinc and iron to achieve biofortified crops.

In this study, we investigated the effect of the addition of 20ppm (+20 mg L−1) of zinc (ZnSO4) or iron (Fe-EDTA) to the nutrient solution on the growth and nutritional components in pea microgreens, kale microgreens and kale baby leaf plants. The growth conditions were kept identical throughout the treatments with photoperiod 18 h d-1, temperature 20-22°C and relative humidity at 70-80%. Plant growth, mineral composition, glucosinolate content and protein content were evaluated. Results were analysed using ANOVA (p<0.05, Tukey’s test).

It was determined that higher amounts of zinc in the nutrient solution resulted in significantly higher levels of zinc in all three crops (p<0.05), with increases of 205% in pea microgreens, 264% in babyleaf kale and 217% in kale microgreens compared to the control plants. Higher amounts of iron in the nutrient solution resulted in significantly higher levels of iron only in pea microgreens, with an increase of 38% (p<0.05). Neither dosing regimen negatively influenced the overall crop performance.

These results suggest that the three different crops are suitable for soilless biofortification with zinc and iron, although pea microgreens were the only crop that had a significant increase in iron upon iron-dosing.

Shifting dietary protein intakes from animal to plant-based sources is suggested as a path to sustain the world’s food consumption and maintain planetary resources (1). However, to facilitate change, it is important to characterise baseline dietary protein patterns. This study aimed to examine dietary protein intakes on the island of Ireland in order to determine population characteristics and food sources influencing protein intake.

Analyses were performed on the Northern Ireland sub cohort of the UK National Dietary Nutrition Survey (NDNS 2016-2019) (2) and the Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey (2008-2010) (3). Both surveys used a four-day food diary and a final sample of 1484 adults, aged 18-64 years was extracted (NANS; n =1274 and NI NDNS; n=210). Mean daily intakes for protein (MDI; % total energy, TE) for the total population were calculated and the population was divided into three tertile groups based on low, medium and high protein intake (%TE). Differences in population characteristics, energy MDI, key nutrients (%TE or per 10MJ) and contributing food sources were examined across these tertiles, using chi-square and one-way ANOVA with covariates (age and BMI) and correcting for multiple comparisons as appropriate (P<0.005).

Overall, 17.1% of TE was obtained from protein and 77% of participants met their protein DRV based on EFSA recommendations of 0.83g/kg/body weight (4). The difference in protein intakes between the highest and lowest tertiles was 7.8% TE (21.2 % TE vs 13.4% TE) with high protein consumers reporting lower energy intakes (1734 ±564kcal) compared to low consumers (2185± 661 kcal). High protein consumers were older (42.5 ± 12.8 years) and had a higher BMI (27.7 ± 6.0 kg/m2). They also had higher MDI of dietary fibre, calcium, zinc, sodium, iron, folate and vitamins A, C, D and B12 (per 10MJ) (p<0.001) and lower MDI of carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat (%TE) in comparison to low consumers (p<0.001). The % contribution of ‘chicken, turkey and dishes’ (18.3%), ‘beef, veal and dishes’ (12.8%) and ‘fish and fish products (7.0%) to protein intakes were significantly higher in the high versus the low consumption group (10%, 7.4%, 4.4% TE respectively; P<0.001). In contrast, those in the lowest protein intake group had a significantly higher intakes of protein coming from dietary sources including ‘burgers, sausages and meat products (9.9 vs 5.9%), ‘white bread and rolls’ (6.9 vs 3.9%), ‘potatoes (including chips)’ (4.1 vs 2.9 %) and ‘cakes, pastries, buns and fruit pies’ (1.7 vs 0.8%) compared to high consumers.

In general, animal protein sources contributed more to total daily protein intakes than plant sources, however, the pattern of protein foods differed according to level of protein intake. These findings will aid in the development of strategies to diversify protein intakes on the Island of Ireland.

Human nutrition is a key component of the definitions of both sustainable food systems and sustainable healthy diets, and features prominently in the Sustainable Development Goals. However, progress towards complete nutrition and food security for the entire global population is poor, and the burden of malnutrition and food insecurity is felt in countries of all income levels, including in Oceania. While countries like Australia and New Zealand (NZ) are widely perceived as sources of high-quality food exported overseas due to great surpluses above national requirement, this hides domestic issues. The international nutrition community recognises and are demanding that our food systems must be sustainable, which is not yet the case anywhere in Oceania. Food insecurity at the household level is not uncommon, nor are nutrient deficiencies. It is often presumed that, should the inequitable distribution of food be balanced, these challenges would disappear. However, food supply and trade data show that even at the national and regional levels, insufficient food and nutrient supplies to meet population requirements are the established norm. For example, it has been demonstrated that domestic vegetable production falls short of NZ dietary recommendations, with imports making a negligible difference other than via energy dense crops(1). Likewise, after consideration of trade, NZ has undersupplies of calcium, potassium, vitamins C and E, and dietary fibre compared to population requirements(2). A wealth of data exists quantifying food production, trade, and availability and various scales. Increasingly, researchers are matching these to human requirements, whether at the food or nutrient level, to identify gaps(3). Insights generated from these data-driven approaches are being directed at trade policy, enabling decisions that can realise aspirational goals to reduce food insecurity through international trade. Making this data accessible to all via interactive user interfaces promotes wider engagement, understanding, and dissemination of findings. It also allows stakeholders in various countries to identify their own vulnerabilities, both as a result of current undersupplies, and due to high reliance on trading partners for food and nutrition security. Trade data can also be connected to environmental measures to identify scenarios where trade can be leveraged to the benefit of both nutrition and broader sustainability goals(4). High level, data driven approaches are not a substitute for individual-based studies on nutrition, but are a useful complement to them. With regionally or nationally deficient food and nutrient supplies, complete nutrition for individuals cannot be attained. A holistic, system-wide understanding is necessary for any policy decisions to advance nutrition.

The early establishment of the gut microbiome during the first 1000 days of life is crucial for health and development during childhood and beyond(1,2). The composition of the microbiome is influenced by various factors including mode of delivery, gestational age, feeding method, medication use, and other early life experiences(1). Disruptions to optimal early microbial colonisation, as presented with preterm infants, and infants delivered via caesarean section, can compromise microbial diversity which in turn may manifest in health problems(2,3). This study aims to investigate parental awareness around infantile gut health to establish potential gaps in the education provided by healthcare professionals (HCPs).

This study involved the distribution of a 15-item questionnaire to parents of infants aged 0-12 months, via a parenting platform, ‘everymum.ie’. Descriptive statistics were conducted using IBM SPSS V29. Frequencies, Cross-tabulations and Pearson Chi-Squares were performed to analyse categorical variables (significance at p≤0.05).

A total of 933 valid responses were collected. The majority of respondents were female (98%), aged between 25 and 44 years (95%) and had received third level education (85%). Of the sample, 76% did not receive any information from a HCP on the importance of their infant having a healthy gut. Only 15% of parents received this information before their infant’s birth and 22% received this information after. Furthermore, 89% of respondents did not receive any information from a HCP about the role of pre- or probiotics for their infant’s gut health.

Of the 364 parents (39%) who gave birth via caesarean section, 70% were not aware that mode of delivery was linked to their infant’s gut health and 73% did not receive information on the importance of their infant having a healthy gut. Almost 7% of the sample (n=64) had a premature infant. Of this subgroup, only 22% received information after their infant was born on the importance of gut health in infants. Furthermore, 86% of parents with a preterm infant did not receive information about the role of prebiotics or probiotics in relation to their infant’s gut health. There was no significant difference in the information provided to those with or without a preterm infant, and those who gave birth vaginally or via caesarean section, where p=0.950 and p=0.824, respectively.

This study highlights gaps in parental knowledge around infantile gut health and in the education provided by HCPs. Preterm infants and those born via caesarean section are particularly at risk of disruptions to optimal early microbial colonisation and these parents may potentially benefit from information on the importance of supporting their infant’s gut microbiome for long term health and development. Further support and education for HCPs appears necessary to help deliver this message to parents to reduce the burden of health problems during infancy.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are chronic intestinal disorders, characterised by periods of quiescent disease and episodes of heightened disease activity. The diseases mainly affect the gastrointestinal tract. Often, patients experience a limited quality of life as a result of dietary restrictions, fatigue and other factors leading to mood disturbances, malnutrition, and inactivity amongst others. This presentation will give an overview of work done to identify factors leading the above findings which in our view are to some degree modifiable. We will look at availability and expertise of dietitians supporting patients with IBD, dietary and lifestyle modifications aiming to reduce the Burden of Disease.

Telehealth, which involves the remote delivery of healthcare services through virtual technologies, has been shown to have benefits such as reducing hospitalisations and length of stay for patients (1,2). The global COVID-19 pandemic has greatly accelerated the adoption of telehealth among clinical nutritionists. For instance, in the USA, telehealth usage for nutritional care has increased from 37% to 78% among clinical nutritionists (3), while in Italy, the adoption of telenutrition services by Registered Dieticians (RDNs) has risen from 16% to 63% (4). These statistics highlight the rapid integration of telehealth into dietetics practices as a response to the global health crisis, reflecting a growing trend towards virtual care delivery as an effective method for providing nutritional care. While telehealth has made progress in Saudi Arabia (5), there is a research gap regarding its prevalence and effectiveness in dietetics practice. This study aims to evaluate the current implementation of telehealth in dietetics practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.

In this cross-sectional, a web-based online survey was used from mid-December 2022 to mid-May 2023. The study was distributed in several Saudi Arabian regions including (central, western, eastern, south, and north) and was completed by 306 clinical Registered Dietitians (RDNs) in public and private healthcare facilities who met the study’s inclusion criteria. The survey consisted of 28 questions divided into four sections, covering sociodemographic information, past or current experiences, obstacles and challenges of telehealth usage, and the future prospects of telehealth. In this study, participants were requested to reflect on their current observations and previous experiences pertaining to the utilisation of telehealth in the field of dietetics. To ensure the validity and relevance of the survey, it was reviewed by a panel of experienced dietitians in Saudi Arabia to obtain their feedback before being used to collect data.

Our research findings reveal that 76% of RDNs in Saudi Arabia utilize telehealth in their practice. The most common obstacles reported by RDNs using telehealth include internet connectivity issues (21.9%), patient disengagement and lack of enthusiasm (21.3%), and difficulties in coordinating with patients (21%). Telehealth interventions used by RDNs primarily involve diet recall (33.7%), weight- related measurements (30.6%), lab findings (26%), and only 8% reported using telehealth for vital signs. A majority of participants (69.4%) believed that telehealth could improve patient accessibility and help reduce no-show rates (68.9%). Additionally, over 70% of participants agreed that telehealth offers them flexibility in inpatient consultations.

In conclusion, telehealth is widely utilised among RDNs in Saudi Arabia, with potential benefits such as decreased no-show rates. Further research is needed to gain a better understanding of telehealth usage among RDNs in Saudi Arabia.

Social media platforms like YouTube have become tools to get information on self-care, including nutrition and health. Recently, there has been a growing public interest in protein sources and protein content of foods due to health and environmental concerns(1). High-protein diets, particularly, have gained popularity for their perceived benefits(2), highlighting the importance of individuals’ nutritional literacy. This study aimed to identify and describe the predominant topics about food protein discussed by YouTube commenters to explore their level of protein literacy.

Videos for analysis were selected employing the approach suggested by Gibson(3). Comments added from 2022 to 26 June 2023 (date of data collection), posted within 15 YouTube videos related to food proteins, were extracted through a big data text analysis software, Mozdeh(4), which allows the gathering of comments from YouTube videos by utilising YouTube APIs to collect data. Eight search terms (protein for vegetarians, protein shake, protein foods, low protein foods, Vegan diet, Keto or keto diet, plant based diet vs animal based diet, high protein diet), informed by YouTube’s search predictions and Google Trends, facilitated video identification. Inductive semantic thematic analysis(5) was conducted to organise comments into patterns (codes) and to summarise, interpret, and theorise meanings in broader concepts by connecting them(5).

Of 3,993 comments, 307 referred to food and dietary protein-related content, with a subset of comments contributing to multiple codes. Five themes emerged: 1: Quality (with a reference percentage of comments (RP) = 20.0%, indicating the proportion of comments pertinent to a given theme, relative to the total number of comments), about comments on bioavailability and amino acids content of protein sources; 2: Intake (RP = 30.0 %), regarding protein requirements and metabolism; 3: Health (RP = 15.0%), about health consequences and benefits of protein intake; 4: Sources (RP = 10.5%), on aspects inherent to specific food protein sources; 5: Queries (RP = 25%), related on questions and concerns raised by users.

Comments primarily focused on the importance of identifying daily protein requirements, the perceived ineffectiveness of high-protein diets, and the need for personalised dietary guidance. Also, a polarised viewpoint regarding protein sources emerged, with a marked divergence between animal- and plant-based diet advocates. This study underscores the significant demand for nutritional advice on YouTube, emphasising the potential use of the platform as a means for sharing validated information by registered nutritionists and authoritative bodies. It also accentuates the pressing need for implementing methods into the platform to guarantee the reliability of shared information, such as community-driven approaches that can alert the public about potential misinformation. Future research should delve into the validity of nutritional claims made by non-expert contributors and shed light on their impact on shaping nutritional literacy among the public.

Diet is a large influencer of the gut microbiota composition and function across the lifespan. However, information on whether and how diet can affect the brain via bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system (the microbiota-gut-brain axis) is emerging. Immune, endocrine, humoral, and neural connections between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system are important to this axis. The gut microbiota can produce cytokines, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, chemokines, endocrine messengers, and microbial metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, branched chain amino acids, and peptidoglycans), some of which can enter the brain, influencing the function of brain cells. Animal studies investigating the potential of nutritional interventions on this axis have advanced our understanding of the role of diet in this bidirectional communication. This includes insights into microbial metabolites, immune, neuronal, and metabolic pathways amendable to dietary modulation. However, several aspects of the gastrointestinal tract and brain of animal models differ to humans, and it is important to consider these differences and similarities when evaluating the transability of the findings to the human context. Randomised clinical trials using dietary interventions in humans in this field are limited but have high potential application for clinical nutrition. In particular, several microbiota-targeted interventions have been explored as potential approaches for mental health. These approaches include probiotics, prebiotics, etc. as well as dietary approaches(1,2,3). However, there are limited clinical interventions with whole-dietary approaches. Most human studies used faecal samples to infer changes in microbiota parameters occurring in the gastrointestinal tract and do not consider the physiological changes in gastrointestinal physiology (e.g., transit time) that can directly or indirectly affect the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome. Future research considerations should include better characterisation of the participants at baseline (dietary patterns, gastrointestinal phenotype, and gut microbiota composition) to identify potential responders to dietary interventions. In addition to gut microbiota assessment, evaluations of physiological parameters, brain function and behavioural measurements should be considered as part of the study protocol. In this presentation, the current state of the literature triangulating the diet, the gut microbiota, and host behaviour/brain processes will be addressed. Future research considerations will also be discussed.

Dietary acculturation in immigrant groups can impact health and may increase the risk of conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease among East Asian immigrants as they adopt host-country eating patterns(1). Pakistani immigration to the UK has resulted in a dynamic cultural exchange, including modifications in culinary preferences and practices among Pakistani ethnic groups. Prior research indicates that second-generation adults exhibit more signs of acculturation in their choice of diets than their first-generation counterparts (2). There is limited understanding of the food habits or the effects of acculturation on this group. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate intergenerational disparities in food preferences among Pakistani immigrants and the impact of dietary acculturation.

This cross-sectional study examined the food habits and acculturation experiences of 51 first (1G) and 51 second-generation (2G) participants of the Pakistani community living in London. Data was collected using survey questionnaires modified from previous studies (3,4). We compared traditional foods like paratha and samosa with Western options like fish and chips through a set of questions, from which a dietary score was calculated (Global scale) (5). We measured food acculturation using a 5-point scale, with higher scores indicating greater Western influence and lower scores indicating less Western acculturation. Scores ranged from 6 to 30 and were categorised as low, moderate, high, or very high. Data was analysed using SPSS (version 28.0). Chi-square and t-tests were applied to identify differences between groups with significance levels set to p<0.05.

Most of the participants were male (67%) with 38.8% aged 36-45 years. Urdu ethnicity predominated in both generations (64.8%). Significant differences in dietary restrictions for health conditions (p =.008), language (p = .001), consumption frequency of traditional Pakistani cuisine (p = .001), desserts/sweets (p = .001), chai/lassi (p = .017), popular UK meals, fizzy drinks, and inclusion of rice/flatbread (p = .003) emerged between first and second generations. Health-related dietary behaviours differed in fruits/vegetables, dairy, and meat consumption (p =.001). ‘Traditional’ and ‘Western’ dietary scores were significantly different between generations (‘Traditional’: 1G: 17.15 ± 3.52 vs 2G: 13.68 ± 4.71, p = .001; ‘Western’: 1G: 16.29± 1.98 vs 2G: 18.21 ± 3.84, p = .001). The results demonstrated a preference for traditional eating patterns by 1G, whereas a nuanced move towards Western food preferences was observed among the 2G participants, falling into the high category of global scale. 1G Participants cited language acquisition, time constraints, and financial issues as factors affecting their dietary changes.

This study found significant differences in dietary habits and preferences between first- and second- generation Pakistani immigrants in the United Kingdom. The second generation displayed a more significant shift towards Western food patterns, possibly because of socio-cultural variables, language fluency, and adaptability to the local environment.

The oral cavity is a vital part of the digestive system. Poor oral health can impact an individual’s ability to eat and has been associated with increased risk of non-communicable diseases and reduced longevity. Conversely, positive oral health has been associated with improved cardiometabolic, cognitive and systemic health and greater longevity. Consumption of dietary nitrate, which is processed in the mouth into nitrite, and is subsequently converted into nitric oxide (NO) in the body (1), has been demonstrated to reduce blood pressure, improve endothelial function, and enhance exercise performance. Interestingly, recent studies suggest that nitrate consumption could also positively modulate markers of oral health (2). To our knowledge, no systematic review has been published examining the effect of inorganic dietary nitrate on oral health. However, this could be valuable to summarise current state of the knowledge, identify effect modifiers and highlight gaps for future research. Therefore, this systematic review aims to investigate the effects of dietary nitrate supplements on markers of oral health in vivo in randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

This study was pre-registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023411159). Five databases (PubMed, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus) were searched from inception until March 2023 to identify studies that met the following criteria: adult participants (≥ 18 years) and RCTs investigating the effects of oral dietary nitrate versus placebo on markers of oral health. A narrative synthesis of data was conducted. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool.

Nine articles reporting data on 284 participants were included. Nitrate was provided via beetroot juice (six studies), a beetroot-derived supplement dissolved in mineral water (one study), and lettuce juice (two studies). The duration of the interventions ranged from one day to a maximum of six weeks. Dietary nitrate supplementation increased the relative abundance of several individual bacterial genera including Neisseria (increased in three studies) and Rothia (increased in three studies). Dietary nitrate supplementation increased salivary pH (increased in two studies) and decreased salivary acidification resulting from the consumption of a sugar-sweetened beverage (decreased in two studies). Furthermore, dietary nitrate supplementation resulted in a decrease in the gingival inflammation index in one study. Overall, the risk of bias in studies was mixed. One study had a low risk of bias, while the rest were rated as having some concerns. No study was considered to have a high risk of bias.

The results show that dietary nitrate is a potential nutritional strategy that can potentially benefit oral health by modifying the oral microbiome, altering salivary pH, and minimising gingival inflammation.

Uncontrolled hypertension is a primary cause of non-communicable diseases and death globally(1). The gut microbiota plays a role in hypertension and dietary interventions high in fibre have been shown to lower blood pressure (BP)(2). Not all participants respond to dietary fibre interventions, for reasons which are unclear. Here we aimed to identify responders of a high fibre intervention based on their baseline gut microbiome. Twenty treatment-naive participants with hypertension received either placebo or 40g per day of prebiotic acetylated and butyrylated high amylose maize starch (HAMSAB) supplementation for 3 weeks in a phase II randomised cross-over double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Blood pressure was monitored at baseline and each endpoint by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, with those experiencing a reduction between timepoints of ≥ 2 mmHg classified as responders. Baseline stool samples were collected and the V4-V5 region of the 16S gene sequenced. Taxonomy was assigned by reference to the SILVA database. The MaAsLin2 package was used for assessing the relationship between baseline gut microbiota and response to dietary intervention. Overall participants had significant reduction in 24-hour systolic BP (–6.1 mmHg, p = 0.03), with 14 individuals classified as responders and six individuals as non-responders. 13 genera were found to be differentially abundant between responders and non-responders. Genera significantly enriched in responders included Dialister (β = 1.29, q = 1.921x10-134), Coprococcus (β = 1.26, q = 3.282x10-121), Bifidobacterium (β = 1.67, q = 1.11x10-81), Ruminococcus (β = 0.161, q = 1.11x10-8) and Roseburia (β = 0.82, q = 4.275x10-2). Participants who experienced a decrease in systolic BP following a dietary fibre intervention had increased level of bacterial genera known to contain species that produce short-chain fatty acids (e.g. Bifidobacterium, Roseburia and Ruminococcus) at baseline. These data suggest that baseline microbiota composition contributes to the response to dietary fibre intervention trials in people with hypertension.

A majority of Australians consume a limited range of different dietary fibres and insufficient total dietary fibre(1). This contributes to low intestinal microbial diversity and impaired microbial function, such as capability in producing beneficial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). This diet-induced dysbiosis is associated with poor gastrointestinal health and a broad range of non-communicable diseases(2). Our study aimed to determine whether one dietary change, substitution of white bread with a high fibre bread improves faecal microbial diversity and butyrate-producing capability. Twenty-six healthy adults completed a randomised, cross-over, single-blinded intervention. Over the two intervention phases separated with a 4-wk washout, participants consumed either 3 slices of a high fibre bread (Prebiotic Cape Seed Loaf with BARLEYmax®) or control white bread as part of the usual diet, each for 2 weeks. At the beginning and end of each intervention period, participants completed a 24-h diet recall, a gut symptoms rating questionnaire and provided a faecal sample for microbiome analysis. The composition of faecal microbiome was characterised using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (V3-V4) and a marker of butyrate synthesis capability, the faecal content of butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase (BCoAT) gene was assessed using Real-time PCR. The high fibre bread intervention increased the servings of whole grain from 1.5 to 4 per day and increased total dietary fibre intake to 40 g/d which was double the amount of fibre consumed by participants at baseline or during the white bread intervention. Compared to white bread, the high fibre bread increased richness and evenness (Shannon, p = 0.014) of the gut microbiota and increased the relative abundance of SCFA producing taxa Lachnospiracae ND3007 group (p <0.001, FDR = 0.019). In addition, the high-fibre bread tended to increase relative abundance of butyrate-producing genus Roseburia, and microbial BCoAT gene content compared to white bread. In conclusion, the substitution of white bread with high-fibre bread improved the diversity of gut microbiota, specific microbes involved in SCFA production and may enhance the butyrate production capability of gut microbiota in healthy adults.

Research studies suggest that date-palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruits provide a superior nutritional and health benefits, compared to other fruits (1). They are rich source of many essential nutrients including carbohydrates, dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. The date palm fruits are produced in many countries around the world and about 10-15% of the total production is lost or sold extremely at low prices (2, 3). Despite these, date fruits have been rarely used as an ingredient in commercially available energy bars. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of newly formulated date-based energy bar (DBEB) (4) intake on subjective appetite, postprandial metabolism, energy substrate oxidation and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).

Twenty-seven healthy male adults (mean ± SD, aged 20.8 ± 3.5 years with body weight of 66 ± 8 kg) participated in a randomised crossover design study. Each participant conducted two experimental arms and was investigated prior to (baseline) and for three-hours after consumption of either a date- based energy bar (DBEB) or an isocaloric and macronutrient matched mixed fruit-based energy bar (FBEB) as control arm. The DBEB contained significantly less fructose and glucose, but more sucrose and fibre than FBEB. Both experimental arms involved blood sampling, subjective appetite, and indirect calorimetry measurements. At the end of each experiment, an ad libitum buffet meal was provided. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and two-way ANOVA.

Time-averaged composite appetite and satiety scores were not significantly different between control (FBEB) and DBEB arms. Energy intake during ad libitum buffet was also not different between arms. Metabolic rate measured at baseline and during post-ingestion of the bars were not significantly different between FBEB and DBEB arms (arm effect, P>0.05). Thermic effect of bars calculated as percentage increase in metabolic rate above RMR during whole postprandial duration was (mean ± SE) 9.5 ± 1.6 % in DBEB arm and 8.7 ± 1.3 % in the FBEB arm (arm effect, P>0.05). Rates of carbohydrate and fat oxidation were also not different between the two arms (arm effect, P>0.05) Time-averaged concentrations of blood glucose, insulin and triglycerides were similar between the study arms.

The obtained results suggest that energy bars based on dates or mixed fruits produce similar effects on postprandial appetite, fat and carbohydrate oxidation, thermic effect and cardiometabolic risk factors. Date fruits can be used as rich source for carbohydrate and energy. However, future research should investigate the impact of date-based energy bars on antioxidant capacity and other health related markers.