Food & Nutrition Research

This scoping review for the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 summarizes the available evidence on fats and oils from a food level perspective. A literature search for systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses was conducted in PubMed. There are few SRs and meta-analyses available that investigate the association between fats and oils (food level) and health outcomes; the majority report associations at the nutrient level (fatty acid classes). All identified SRs and meta-analyses were of low methodological quality, thus the findings and conclusions presented within this scoping review should be interpreted cautiously...

This review seeks to demonstrate how the social and economic dimensions of sustainability need to be considered alongside its environmental dimensions. This is particularly important when, as in the case of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNRs), policymakers are attempting to address the twin goals of health and sustainability. For a policy that might make good sense when seen in purely environmental terms, it might not prove sustainable in social and economic terms - if it is too costly, it exacerbates existing inequalities or has detrimental effects on public health...

BACKGROUND: Nuts and seeds have been part of diets in most of the world for millenniums, and they have also been consumed in the Nordic and Baltic countries for centuries. Consumption of nuts and seeds is linked with various health outcomes. Therefore, when updating the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR), summarizing the best evidence on key health outcomes from the consumption of nuts and seeds is essential. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the updated evidence on the consumption of nuts and seeds and health outcomes regarded relevant for the Nordic and Baltic countries, as well as their dose-response relationship presented in updated systematic reviews and meta-analyses...

Potassium (K) is an essential mineral that is necessary for normal cell and membrane function and for maintaining both fluid balance and acid-base balance. Potassium is furthermore very important for normal excitation, for example in nerves and muscle. It is widely available in several food products, with the most important dietary sources being potatoes, fruits, vegetables, cereal and cereal products, milk and dairy products, and meat and meat products. Potassium deficiency and toxicity is rare in healthy people, but dietary potassium is associated with other health outcomes...

The 2012 edition of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) included recommendations on breastfeeding, based on the most recent guidelines and recommendations from major national food and health authorities and organizations, systematic reviews, and some original research. For NNR 2023, the scope has been expanded and also includes formula feeding and the introduction of solid food. The main focus in this scoping review is on infants aged 0-12 months but also considers parts both before and beyond the first year, as the concept of 'the first 1000 days' emphasizes the importance of factors during pregnancy and the first 2 years of life for immediate and later health: physical as well as emotional and mental health...

Fruit juice has a similar nutrient content as whole fruit and may in this respect be part of a healthy diet. However, a lower amount or lack of fibre and a higher concentration of sugars and energy could also contribute to less satiation and increase the risk of excess energy intake. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the overall evidence for the role of fruit juice as a basis for setting and updating food-based dietary guidelines in the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023. PubMed was searched for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and evidence was extracted on relevant health outcomes...

BACKGROUND: In Norway, almost 97% of children attend kindergartens. Most of the daily food intake happens during the day in kindergartens, and the quality of food and meals being served is essential to promote healthy food habits. There is variation in the food that kindergartens provide, and kindergartens can ask for additional payment from parents to cover the food. There are no rules neither across kindergartens for the food offering nor how much additional payment kindergarten can request...

Two de novo NNR2022 systematic reviews (SRs) as well as 21 qualified SRs (qSRs) were available. A literature search yielded an additional ~70 SRs, meta-analyses and biomarker papers. Diets lower in total fat are associated with reductions in body weight and blood pressure compared with diets higher in total fat in adults. Partial replacement of saturated fatty acid (SFA) with n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) improves blood lipid profile, decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), improves glucose-insulin homeostasis and may decrease the risk of total mortality...

BACKGROUND: Obesity is closely associated with several chronic diseases, and adipose tissue plays a major role in modulating energy metabolism. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether Mate, derived from I. paraguariensis A.St.-Hil., ameliorates lipid metabolism in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. DESIGN: 3T3-L1 adipocytes were cultured for 7 days, following which intracellular lipid accumulation and expression levels of lipid metabolism-related factors were examined...

Blood pressure (BP) rises along with increasing sodium intake from early childhood to late adulthood, and leads to hypertension among most men and women living in Nordic and Baltic countries. Elevated BP is the leading global risk factor for premature deaths and disability-adjusted life-years. A reduction in sodium intake is essential in the prevention of hypertension in individuals, in the lowering of BP levels, in the treatment of hypertensive individuals, and in decreasing risks associated with elevated BP...

Potatoes comprise a common staple food in the Nordic and Baltic countries and contribute to the diet with vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and phytochemicals. However, potatoes may also be consumed in processed forms with added fat and salt, which raises concerns about possible adverse health effects. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the overall evidence for the role of potatoes as a basis for setting and updating food-based dietary guidelines in the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023. PubMed was searched for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and evidence was extracted on relevant health outcomes...

Vegetables, fruits, and berries comprise a large variety of foods and are recognised to play an important role in preventing chronic diseases. Many observational studies have been published during the last decade, and the aim of this scoping review is to describe the overall evidence for the role of vegetables, fruits, and berries for health-related outcomes as a basis for setting and updating food-based dietary guidelines. A scoping review was conducted according to the protocol developed within the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 project...

BACKGROUND: Youth in childcare institutions may have lower levels of food literacy compared to other youth. Food literacy, indicating the ability to plan and prepare meals from scratch, is associated with consuming healthier diets. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore how food literacy is transmitted to youth through involvement and participation in food-related activities in Norwegian childcare institutions. DESIGN: Data were collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with 13 staff and 8 adolescents (>16 years of age) selected by convenient sampling in childcare institutions ( n = 6) in South-East Norway...

Biotin is a water-soluble B-vitamin with key roles in metabolism and are found in most foods at low concentrations. Symptomatic biotin deficiency is rare, and few studies have investigated biotin requirements in relation to health outcomes. Data to support the setting of dietary reference values for biotin are limited.

Manganese is an essential trace element that is required for multiple enzymes in the human body. The general population is mainly exposed to manganese via food intake, in particular plant foods. In areas with elevated concentrations of manganese in groundwater, drinking water can also be an important source of exposure. The gastrointestinal absorption of manganese is below 10%, and it appears to be influenced by the amount of manganese in the diet and by the nutritional status of the individual, especially the iron status...

Extensive research has been conducted to investigate the impact of capsaicin (CAP) on lipid metabolism, focusing specifically on its interaction with the vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) ion channel. Additionally, studies have illuminated the role of Akkermansia muciniphila ( A. muciniphila ), a specific strain of intestinal microbiota, in lipid metabolism. In this study, a model utilizing resiniferatoxin (RTX) was employed to deactivate TRPV1 ion channels in germ-free mice, followed by the administration of A. muciniphila via gavage...

Vitamin A refers to a group of fat-soluble compounds with retinol activity, including all- trans retinol and pro-vitamin A carotenoids. Bioactive compounds include retinal and all- trans retinoic acid with important functions in vision, immune function, growth, and development. The literature search that was performed for the current scoping review yielded a total of seven publications relevant to setting the recommended daily intake for vitamin A. In total, six publications assessed the relationship of serum retinol and/or dietary vitamin A intake with fracture risk ( n = 2), cancer ( n = 3), and deficiency after bariatric surgery ( n = 1)...

BACKGROUND: Bulbus of Fritillaria cirrhosa is a medicinal and edible plant that has the functions of clearing away heat and moisturizing the lungs, resolving phlegm, and relieving coughs. Its ethanol extract has been proven to have a therapeutic effect on lung diseases. Pulmonary fibrosis is a respiratory disease that forms scars in lung tissue, leading to severe respiratory problems. However, the therapeutic effect of total alkaloids of bulbus of Fritillaria cirrhosa (BFC-TA) on pulmonary fibrosis has not been confirmed...

Molybdenum is an essential element in the form of the molybdenum cofactor (Moco). In humans, Moco is required for four enzymes: xanthine oxidase (XO), aldehyde oxidase, sulfite oxidase (SO), and mitochondrial amidoxime-reducing component (mARC). The enzymes are involved in the oxidation of purines to uric acid, metabolism of aromatic aldehydes and heterocyclic compounds, and in the catabolism of sulfur amino acids. Molybdenum cofactor deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome due to a defective synthesis of Moco, resulting in a deficiency of all the molybdoenzymes...

This scoping review aims to describe the totality of evidence for the role of phosphorus for health-related outcomes as a basis for setting and updating dietary reference values (DRVs). Phosphorus is needed in many biological processes, such as cellular metabolism and bone mineralization. Dietary phosphorus intake exceeds the previous Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR2012) 2-3-fold in the Nordic countries. Intake from food additives is unknown but may play a significant role because the use of phosphate additives is common in the food industry...