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This study aims to explore the facilitators that could help to improve the consumption of whole grains in the Malaysian adult population.

A total of 30 individual in-depth interviews were conducted online. Malaysian adults aged a minimum of 18 years old and responsible for grocery shopping and food preparation at home were included in the study. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

More than half of the participants were females (63.3%), with a mean age of 39.2 years old, and from urban areas (76.7%). Whole-grain cookbook development was the most commonly mentioned facilitator (100%), followed by cost reduction (86.7%), whole grains education (83.3%), awareness of whole grains (53.3%) and enhanced accessibility and availability of whole grains (63.3%). The least mentioned facilitator was improving product labelling (23.3%), creating a habit/lifestyle that encourages the consumption of whole grains in daily life (23.3%) and peer encouragement (10%).

This study addresses the facilitators that should be emphasised in future nutrition intervention studies. The cookbook was perceived to be an effective facilitator to improve the consumption of whole grains in Malaysia. The researchers anticipate that the study findings may improve whole-grain consumption among the Malaysian population.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to outline the facilitators to improve the consumption of whole grains amongst Malaysian adults.

Nutrition Bio Shield (NBS) supplement is a natural product that is processed from whole wheat grains. This study aims to determine its effects on depression, anxiety, stress and food craving in women with depression and obesity in a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Fifty-six eligible clients with body mass index ≥ 25 and mild or moderate depression signed the informed consent form. They were randomly assigned to receive daily 5 g of NBS or placebo. The assessments included the depression, anxiety and stress-21 questionnaire, food craving questionnaire, visual analogue scale for appetite, precise anthropometric measurements and body composition analyses. The assessments were conducted at the baseline and repeated after four and eight weeks. One month after the study completion, the participants’ weight was assessed. The authors analyzed the data by independent sample t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA).

At the baseline, no significant differences were observed between the groups regarding the main and demographic variables. After four weeks, stress reduced significantly in the NBS group (p = 0.04), and after eight weeks, anxiety (p = 0.02), stress (p = 0.008) and food craving (p = 0.05) reduced significantly in the NBS group compared with the placebo. After controlling for the demographic variables and baseline measurements, MANCOVA model revealed a significant effect of NBS in reducing anxiety (Eta-squared = 0.28; p = 0.001) and stress (Eta-squared = 0.19; p = 0.009). Fisher’s exact test showed no significant difference regarding side effects between NBS and placebo (p = 0.47).

NBS supplement is a patent and natural product that is processed from whole wheat grains. This product was efficient in reducing stress and anxiety after controlling for demographic variables and baseline measurements compared with the placebo and was safe.

This study aimed to investigate changes in food consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown period in a sample of female college students in China. The study employed a dual processing approach that simultaneously investigates the effects of students' beliefs about the importance of healthy eating and the effect of emotional eating due to anxiety induced by the pandemic.

Data were collected from 645 female college students in China using a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used for the data analysis.

Beliefs about the importance of healthy eating have a greater impact on changes in food consumption than anxiety. Emotional eating was positively associated with changes in vegetable consumption. The findings reveal that a shift from “food as health” to “food as well-being” in the role of food in the food-related life of Chinese consumers is underway. “Food as health” remains important in food-related decision-making in China during the pandemic. Concurrently, a well-being centered or a more holistic perspective, including the psychological and emotional aspects of food, should be included in food-related research and health promotion in China.

This study contributes to the literature on reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic by simultaneously investigating both the cognitive impact of beliefs regarding the importance of healthy eating and the affective impact of anxiety on changes in food consumption due to COVID-19.

This study aims to assess the association of Healthy Eating Index (HEI) with levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS) and lipid profile in normoglycemic and elevated FBS patients.

This case-control study was conducted on 144 participants, namely, 72 normoglycemic subjects (FBS < 100 mg/dl) and 72 high-glycemic patients (FBS ≥ 100 mg/dl) aged 20–60 years of age, who were selected from the nutrition and diet clinics in Tehran city. The dietary intake was collected by using a validated food frequency questionnaire to determine the HEI score.

The mean±SD age and body mass index of participants were 47.1 ± 12.7 years and 29.6 ± 6.0 kg/m², respectively. The median (interquartile range) of HEI scores in the normoglycemic group and the high-glycemia group were 19.34 (15.24–24.31) and 16.53 (13.35–24.07), respectively. In the overall population, the findings of the multi-variable linear regression model indicated a positive association between the HEI score and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (ß = 0.34; 95%CI: 0.05–0.64, P = 0.01). However, there is no significant association between HEI and HDL-C in normoglycemic (ß = 0.19; 95%CI: −0.31, 0.69, P = 0.45) and hyperglycemic subjects (ß = 0.28; 95%CI: −0.10–0.66, P = 0.15). Furthermore, the association of HEI with levels of FBS, triglycerides (TGs) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was not significant in any of the analyzed groups, including the total population, normoglycemic individuals and hyperglycemic subjects.

This study was the first study to assess the role of HEI and its components with levels of FBS and lipid profile in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic individuals in Iran. The findings suggested that higher adherence to HEI may be associated with an increase in the HDL-C level. However, HEI could not predict FBS, TGs and LDL-C levels in the adult population.

The major objective of this research work was to evaluate various physico-chemical characteristics, such as, chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, objective color and texture profile analysis (TPA) of the wheat flour/chickpea flour (CF) blends, so that nutritious baked products could be consumed by the type-2 diabetic persons.

Wholegrain wheat flour (WGF) and white wheat flour (WWF) were substituted with CF at 0 to 40% levels. These wheat flour/CF blends were analyzed for proximate composition, the prepared dough and baked breads were tested for objective color, antioxidant capacity as trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total phenolic content (TPC) and TPA.

WGF had the highest TEAC (117.42 mM/100g) value, followed by WWF (73.98 mM/100g) and CF (60.67 mM/100g). TEAC, MDA and TPC values varied significantly among all the three flour samples.

Inclusion of whole chickpea (without dehulling) flour in such type of blends would be another interesting investigation during the future research studies.

These research findings have a great potential for the production of these baked products for human consumption on an industrial scale.

Production of breads using wheat flour and CF blends would benefits the consumers.

Production of Arabic and pan breads using wheat flour and CF blends would, therefore, combine the benefits of both the needed proteins of plant origin and the health-promoting bioactive compounds, in a most sustainable way for the consumers.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate not only changes in eating behavior and food security parameters of the civilian population experiencing war but also the likelihood of developing a number of eating disorders against this background.

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in March–April 2022 using the Google Forms tool among adult residents of Ukraine. The questions included four categories: general demographic data and body mass index (BMI); the question of the most frequently consumed food groups since the beginning of the invasion; SCOFF questionnaire; and questions to assess the state of food security.

A change in eating behavior was reported by 72.3% of respondents. SCOFF screening showed two or more positive responses for 42.7% of respondents. For respondents who were not in active hostilities areas, only 25.0% reported positive results. The average pre-war BMI was within the normal range, which suggests that the majority of respondents did not have problems with food security. The study shows that 74.9% of respondents believe they have an unbalanced diet. About 40% of respondents were cutting back on meals or skipping meals, and 50% reported running out of food and not being able to restock. These facts indicate that most respondents experienced food insecurity after the invasion.

The resulting quantitative sample structure of respondents was not optimal for such studies. But taking into account the rather difficult state of the country and the conditions of the population in it, the expansion of the sample in combat areas was quite seriously limited. Therefore, the use of a limited sample should probably be considered a reasonable and practical choice for conducting research.

The results indicate deep problems with food security, a sharp change in eating behavior under the pressure of circumstances and, as a consequence, the appearance of a high probability of the development of eating disorders in the future.

The purpose of this study is to determine the viability of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GR-1 (L. rhamnosus GR-1) in five yogurt samples with or without quinoa, chickpea, soybean and rice flour over various fermentation periods and refrigerated storage durations, with a focus on exploring the potential of functional foods, which provide health benefits beyond nutritional value. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate consumer acceptance of yogurt fortified with functional flour. Using a nine-point hedonic scale, from 1 (dislike extremely) to 9 (like extremely), participants rated appearance, flavour, texture and overall acceptability.

The samples were inoculated with the probiotic strain L. rhamnosus GR-1 and fermented for 0, 2, 4 and 6 h at 38°C, followed by refrigerated storage at 4°C for 1, 15 and 30 days, respectively. Microbial enumeration was performed throughout fermentation and storage to assess the viability of L. rhamnosus GR-1. A sensory evaluation involving 86 participants was conducted to assess the consumer acceptability of the yogurt samples.

Notably, L. rhamnosus GR-1 achieved viable counts of 108 colony-forming units per mL in all treatments at all fermentation time points. Over the 30-day storage period, no statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in average pH values were observed among the five treatments, and within each treatment, pH levels remained stable, with an overall mean of 4.2 ± 0.64. Treatment 4, which featured rice flour fortification, received higher hedonic scores from sensory panellists in terms of appearance, flavour, texture and overall acceptability. These findings indicate that incorporating functional flours in conjunction with cow’s milk effectively promotes and preserves the viability of L. rhamnosus GR-1 in yogurt.

Exploring the potential of probiotic yogurt enriched with diverse functional flours to enhance nutritional content and health benefits as well as attract new consumers, this study addressed a critical gap in understanding consumer perceptions and generated insights for creating innovative and health-promoting dairy products.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder that significantly impacts the quality of life of affected individuals. Diet has been identified as a potential modifiable risk factor for IBS, yet its association with IBS risk in the Kurdish adult male population remains understudied. This case-control study aimed to investigate the association between the lifeline diet score (LLDS), a validated tool assessing overall diet quality and the risk of IBS in Kurdish adult men.

A total of 200 Kurdish adult men were recruited, comprising 100 IBS patients (cases) and 100 healthy controls without IBS. Medical records and interview questionnaires were used to confirm IBS diagnoses, while detailed dietary questionnaires were administered to assess participants’ dietary habits and calculate their respective LLDS scores. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between LLDS and IBS risk, adjusting for potential confounding factors.

Participants with higher LLDS scores exhibited a significantly reduced risk of IBS compared to those with lower LLDS scores (OR= 0.38, 95% confidence intervals = 0.18–0.77; p <0.001). The association remained statistically significant even after controlling for potential confounders such as socioeconomic status, age, eating rate, protein, fat, physical activity and body mass index.

This case-control study demonstrates a significant inverse association between the LLDS and the risk of IBS in Kurdish adult men. Higher LLDS scores, indicative of a healthier and more balanced diet, were associated with a decreased risk of IBS. These findings highlight the potential role of dietary patterns in IBS prevention and management within the Kurdish adult male population.

The goal of this narrative review was to look at the link between the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the telomere length. Furthermore, this study aims to understand the impact of the MD on obesity-related telomere length.

Relevant literature was reviewed to explore the potential influence of the MD on telomere length and its association with obesity.

The MD is one of the healthiest diets of all known dietary patterns, and it is also linked to the telomere length. Except for fruits and vegetables, the main findings for other MD components are inconsistent. In terms of antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties, using the MD as a weight loss approach is a good method. For predicting changes in obesity characteristics, the initial telomere length is critical. However, there are not many studies in the field that have looked at the MD as a weight loss approach and its link to the telomere length. As a result, more research is needed to understand these connections in various groups.

This study is unique since it examines the MD, telomere length and obesity-related consequences. This study examines the MD, telomere length and obesity to determine if the MD can help lose weight while maintaining telomere length. As there are few studies on MD weight loss and telomere length, the work emphasizes the need for greater research in this area. This study fills a research gap and improves the understanding of nutrition, telomere biology and obesity-related outcomes.

The aim of this paper is to study attitudes and perception of Slovak consumers toward healthy food in terms of consumption, as well as to identify key factors during the purchasing process.

An online questionnaire survey was conducted using snowball sampling method in Slovakia (n = 1,138 respondents) between March and May 2021. By applying categorical principal component analysis, five latent factors were identified. Moreover, non-parametric tests (Chi-square test for independence, Kruskal–Wallis H test) were carried out to study differences between age cohorts.

Results showed that Slovak consumers mostly perceived as very healthy the following food categories: fruit, vegetables, honey, juices made of fruit and vegetables, fish meat or cereals, nuts and seeds. Moreover, research has identified five latent factors, which consumers mostly consider during purchase of healthy food as follows: price-marketing factor, information and composition factor, authenticity factor, quality factor and factor of motivation.

Research paper gives an important insight about consumer behavior and perception toward healthy food in Slovakia. Results provide valuable information for producers in terms of marketing and communication strategies. In addition, provided information can be used by policymakers for improving food policy to foster public health in the society.