nutrition research topics 2021

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Trends in the contribution of greenhouse gas emissions from food and beverage purchases in Mexico: 1989–2020

Assessing the trends in dietary GHGE considering the social patterning is critical for understanding the role that food systems have played and will play in global emissions in countries of the global south. O...

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Higher oxidative balance score was associated with decreased risk of erectile dysfunction: a population-based study

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent condition that is thought to be significantly impacted by oxidative stress. The oxidative balance score (OBS) has been built to characterize the state of antioxidant/pr...

Correction: Effect of soy isoflavone supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

The original article was published in Nutrition Journal 2024 23 :32

National trends in nine key minerals intake (quantity and source) among U.S. adults, 1999 to march 2020

Changes in economy and dietary guidelines brought a great shock to diet quality and meal behaviors, but if these transformations have extended to minerals intake and their sources was still poorly understood. ...

Causal relationship of interleukin-6 and its receptor on sarcopenia traits using mendelian randomization

Previous research has extensively examined the role of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in sarcopenia. However, the presence of a causal relationship between IL-6, its receptor (IL-6R), and sarcopenia remains unclear.

Development and application of the Meal and Snack Assessment (MESA) quality scale for children and adolescents using item response theory

Meals differ in terms of food items and nutritional quality. The aim of the present study was to propose a scale to measure the meals quality of schoolchildren according to food processing degree, perform a pr...

Estimating effects of whole grain consumption on type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease: a burden of proof study

Previous studies on whole grain consumption had inconsistent findings and lacked quantitative assessments of evidence quality. Therefore, we aimed to summarize updated findings using the Burden of Proof analys...

Nonlinear relationship between oxidative balance score and hyperuricemia: analyses of NHANES 2007–2018

Limited data regarding the correlation between oxidative balance score (OBS) and hyperuricemia highlights the necessity for thorough investigations. This study aims to examine the link between OBS, which incor...

Effects of whole grains on glycemic control: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials

Whole grains have recently been promoted as beneficial to diabetes prevention. However, the evidence for the glycemic benefits of whole grains seems to conflict between the cohort studies and randomized contro...

Remnant cholesterol is an effective biomarker for predicting survival in patients with breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide. The relationship between remnant cholesterol (RC) and the prognosis of patients with breast cancer has not been clearly reported. This study inve...

Epidemiological study of pediatric nutritional deficiencies: an analysis from the global burden of disease study 2019

Nutritional deficiencies (ND) continue to threaten the lives of millions of people around the world, with children being the worst hit. Nevertheless, no systematic study of the epidemiological features of chil...

Association between watching eating broadcast “Mukbang and Cookbang” and body mass index status in South Korean adolescents stratified by gender

It has been suggested that Mukbang and Cookbang, a type of eating broadcast originating from Korea and gaining popularity, may contribute to obesity. However, despite suggestions that Mukbang might contribute ...

The global diet quality score as an indicator of adequate nutrient intake and dietary quality – a nation-wide representative study

The Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) was developed to be a simple, timely and cost-effective tool to track, simultaneously, nutritional deficiency and non-communicable disease risks from diet in diverse settin...

Development of a sustainable diet index in US adults

A transformation towards healthy diets through a sustainable food system is essential to enhance both human and planet health. Development of a valid, multidimensional, quantitative index of a sustainable diet...

Maternal vitamin D status and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in twin pregnancies: a longitudinal twin pregnancies birth cohort study

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication of pregnancy, with significant short-term and long-term implications for both mothers and their offspring. Previous studies have indicated the poten...

Correction: Dietary intake and gastrointestinal symptoms are altered in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: the relative contribution of autism-linked traits

The original article was published in Nutrition Journal 2024 23 :27

A late eating midpoint is associated with increased risk of diabetic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study based on NHANES 2013–2020

Modifying diet is crucial for diabetes and complication management. Numerous studies have shown that adjusting eating habits to align with the circadian rhythm may positively affect metabolic health. However, ...

Traditional japanese diet score and the sustainable development goals by a global comparative ecological study

Reducing the environmental impact of the food supply is important for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) worldwide. Previously, we developed the Traditional Japanese Diet Score (TJDS) and reported ...

Association between dietary magnesium intake and muscle mass among hypertensive population: evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Magnesium is critical for musculoskeletal health. Hypertensive patients are at high risk for magnesium deficiency and muscle loss. This study aimed to explore the association between magnesium intake and muscl...

Adult dietary patterns with increased bean consumption are associated with greater overall shortfall nutrient intakes, lower added sugar, improved weight-related outcomes and better diet quality

Limited evidence is available that focuses on beans within American dietary patterns and health. The purpose of this study was to identify commonly consumed adult dietary patterns that included beans and compa...

Validity and reproducibility of the PERSIAN Cohort food frequency questionnaire: assessment of major dietary patterns

Dietary patterns, encompassing an overall view of individuals’ dietary intake, are suggested as a suitable means of assessing nutrition’s role in chronic disease development. The aim of this study was to evalu...

Associations of dietary patterns and longitudinal brain-volume change in Japanese community-dwelling adults: results from the national institute for longevity sciences-longitudinal study of aging

The association of dietary patterns and longitudinal changes in brain volume has rarely been investigated in Japanese individuals. We prospectively investigated this association in middle-aged and older Japane...

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and vitamin D dietary supplementation and risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among adults with hypertension

The relationship between vitamin D status and mortality among adults with hypertension remains unclear.

Effect of soy isoflavone supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Previous experimental studies have suggested that the consumption of soy isoflavones may have a potential impact on lowering blood pressure. Nevertheless, epidemiological studies have presented conflicting out...

The Correction to this article has been published in Nutrition Journal 2024 23 :53

The effects of L-carnitine supplementation on inflammation, oxidative stress, and clinical outcomes in critically Ill patients with sepsis: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial

Sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a host’s dysregulated response to infection with an inflammatory process, becomes a real challenge for the healthcare systems. L-carnitine (LC) has antiox...

Metabolic syndrome risk in adult coffee drinkers with the rs301 variant of the LPL gene

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors is influenced by environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors. We explored whether coffee consumption and the rs301 variant of...

Towards objective measurements of habitual dietary intake patterns: comparing NMR metabolomics and food frequency questionnaire data in a population-based cohort

Low-quality, non-diverse diet is a main risk factor for premature death. Accurate measurement of habitual diet is challenging and there is a need for validated objective methods. Blood metabolite patterns refl...

Circulating concentrations of bile acids and prevalent chronic kidney disease among newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study

The relationship between circulating bile acids (BAs) and kidney function among patients with type 2 diabetes is unclear. We aimed to investigate the associations of circulating concentrations of BAs, particul...

Dietary intake and gastrointestinal symptoms are altered in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: the relative contribution of autism-linked traits

Dietary and gastrointestinal (GI) problems have been frequently reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the relative contributions of autism-linked traits to dietary and GI problems in children wi...

The Correction to this article has been published in Nutrition Journal 2024 23 :40

The effect of bovine dairy products and their components on the incidence and natural history of infection: a systematic literature review

Dairy products and their components may impact immune function, although the current evidence base has some research gaps. As part of a larger systematic literature review of dairy products/components (includi...

Food sufficiency status and sleep outcomes in older adults: the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)

Studies investigating the relationship between food insecurity and sleep among older populations are limited. This study aimed to cross-sectionally examine the associations between food sufficiency status and ...

Effects of vitamin D supplementation on liver fibrogenic factors, vitamin D receptor and liver fibrogenic microRNAs in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) patients: an exploratory randomized clinical trial

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a global metabolic problem which can lead to irreversible liver fibrosis. It has been shown that vitamin D and its receptors contribute to fi...

Validity of food and nutrient intakes assessed by a food frequency questionnaire among Chinese adults

Studies regarding the validity of the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the food composition table (FCT) are limited in Asian countries. We aimed to evaluate the validity of a 64-item FFQ and different me...

Association of sugar intake from different sources with cardiovascular disease incidence in the prospective cohort of UK Biobank participants

The relation between incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and sugar might not only depend on the quantity consumed but also on its source. This study aims to assess the association between various sources of ...

Association of dietary inflammatory index and the SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence, severity and mortality of COVID-19: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

Several studies have reported the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, severity or mortality of COVID-19, however, the outcomes remain controversial.

Breakfast quality and its sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates among Italian children, adolescents, and adults from the Italian Nutrition & HEalth Survey (INHES) study

Breakfast quality, together with regularity of breakfast, has been suggested to be associated with cardiometabolic health advantages. We aimed to evaluate the quality of breakfast and its socioeconomic and psy...

The association between lifelines diet score (LLDS) with depression and quality of life in Iranian adolescent girls

It has been proposed that a greater degree of adherence to a healthy dietary pattern is associated with a lower risk of depression and a poor quality of life (QoL). The Lifelines diet score (LLDS) is a new, ev...

Diet in secondary prevention: the effect of dietary patterns on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Improving dietary habits is a first-line recommendation for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is unclear which dietary pattern most effectively lowers cardiovascular risk factors and what the shor...

Prognostic potential of nutritional risk screening and assessment tools in predicting survival of patients with pancreatic neoplasms: a systematic review

The nutritional evaluation of pancreatic cancer (PC) patients lacks a gold standard or scientific consensus, we aimed to summarize and systematically evaluate the prognostic value of nutritional screening and ...

40 years of adding more fructose to high fructose corn syrup than is safe, through the lens of malabsorption and altered gut health–gateways to chronic disease

Labels do not disclose the excess-free-fructose/unpaired-fructose content in foods/beverages. Objective was to estimate excess-free-fructose intake using USDA loss-adjusted-food-availability (LAFA) data (1970–...

Relationship between trajectories of dietary iron intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: evidence from a prospective cohort study

The association between dietary iron intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains inconsistent. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between trajectories of dietary iron in...

Dietary pattern and precocious puberty risk in Chinese girls: a case-control study

The role of dietary intake on precocious puberty remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between the amount and frequency of dietary intake and the risk of precocious puberty in Chines...

Tracking progress toward a climate-friendly public food service strategy: assessing nutritional quality and carbon footprint changes in childcare centers

Public food procurement and catering are recognized as important leverage points in promoting sustainable and healthy dietary habits. This study aimed to analyze changes in nutritional quality and carbon footp...

Avocado intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in a representative survey of Australians: a secondary analysis of the 2011–2012 national nutrition and physical activity survey

Avocados are a rich source of nutrients including monounsaturated fats, dietary fibre and phytochemicals. Higher dietary quality is reported in studies of consumers with higher avocado intakes. The present stu...

Components in downstream health promotions to reduce sugar intake among adults: a systematic review

Excessive sugar consumption is well documented as a common risk factor for many Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Thus, an adequate intervention description is important to minimise research waste and improve ...

Improving economic access to healthy diets in first nations communities in high-income, colonised countries: a systematic scoping review

Affordability of healthy food is a key determinant of the diet-related health of First Nations Peoples. This systematic scoping review was commissioned by the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women...

Associations between estimation of salt intake and salt-restriction spoons and hypertension status in patients with poorly controlled hypertension: a community-based study from Huzhou City, Eastern China

As the prevalence of hypertension increases in China, it is advised to use salt-restriction spoons (SRS) as a lifestyle modification. This study aimed to examine the associations between estimated salt consump...

Potassium levels and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among patients with cardiovascular diseases: a meta-analysis of cohort studies

Abnormal blood potassium levels are associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases and mortality in the general population; however, evidence regarding the association between dyskalemia and mor...

Combined versus independent effects of exercise training and intermittent fasting on body composition and cardiometabolic health in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Exercise training (Ex) and intermittent fasting (IF) are effective for improving body composition and cardiometabolic health overweight and obese adults, but whether combining Ex and IF induces additive or syn...

Correction: Associations Between Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Risks of Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and Mortality – A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The original article was published in Nutrition Journal 2023 22 :46

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Research articles

Association of pre-pregnancy body mass index and rate of weight gain during pregnancy with maternal indicators of cardiometabolic risk

• Luz Isabel Omaña-Guzmán
• Luis Ortiz-Hernández
• Felipe Vadillo-Ortega

N-acetylcysteine supplementation did not reverse mitochondrial oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation in the salivary glands of hyperglycemic rats

• Zalewska Anna
• Maciejczyk Mateusz

Egg and saturated fat containing breakfasts have no acute effect on acute glycemic control in healthy adults: a randomized partial crossover trial

• Chathurika S. Dhanasekara
• John A. Dawson
• Nikhil V. Dhurandhar

Serum exosomes from diabetic kidney disease patients promote pyroptosis and oxidative stress through the miR-4449/HIC1 pathway

• Benyong Wang

Growth differentiation factor-15 and the association between type 2 diabetes and liver fibrosis in NAFLD

• Josh Bilson
• Eleonora Scorletti
• Christopher D. Byrne

Fetuin-B, a potential link of liver-adipose tissue cross talk during diet-induced weight loss–weight maintenance

• Leonard Spranger

Prediction of insulin treatment in women with gestational diabetes mellitus

• Makarios Eleftheriades
• Christos Chatzakis
• Alexandros Sotiriadis

Combined associations of 25-hydroxivitamin D and parathyroid hormone with diabetes risk and associated comorbidities among U.S. white and black women

• Yiqing Song

Paternal weight prior to conception and infant birthweight: a prospective cohort study

• Ravi Retnakaran
• Mark C. Walker

Metformin alleviates choline diet-induced TMAO elevation in C57BL/6J mice by influencing gut-microbiota composition and functionality

• Xingxing Li

The effect of daily intake of vitamin D-fortified yogurt drink, with and without added calcium, on serum adiponectin and sirtuins 1 and 6 in adult subjects with type 2 diabetes

• Bahareh Nikooyeh
• Bruce W. Hollis
• Tirang R. Neyestani

Urinary sediment microRNAs can be used as potential noninvasive biomarkers for diagnosis, reflecting the severity and prognosis of diabetic nephropathy

• Youcai Zhang

MyD88 determines the protective effects of fish oil and perilla oil against metabolic disorders and inflammation in adipose tissue from mice fed a high-fat diet

• Mingyuan Hu

Efficacy of green jackfruit flour as a medical nutrition therapy replacing rice or wheat in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

• A. Gopal Rao
• K. Sunil Naik
• James Joseph

Dapagliflozin increases the lean-to total mass ratio in type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Vaneza Lira W. Wolf
• Ikaro Breder
• Andrei C. Sposito

Associations of body composition and physical fitness with gestational diabetes and cardiovascular health in pregnancy: Results from the HealthyMoms trial

• Pontus Henriksson
• Johanna Sandborg

Aging mitigates the severity of obesity-associated metabolic sequelae in a gender independent manner

• Maria E. Moreno-Fernandez
• Vishakha Sharma
• Senad Divanovic

A new approach for investigating the relative contribution of basal glucose and postprandial glucose to HbA1 C

Comparison of the acute metabolic effect of different infant formulas and human milk in healthy adults: a randomized trial

• Yasaman Shahkhalili
• Cathriona Monnard
• Katherine Macé

Influence of xanthine oxidoreductase inhibitor, topiroxostat, on body weight of diabetic obese mice

• Takashi Nakamura
• Hiroki Mizukami

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15 Trending Nutrition Research Articles from 2021

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March is National Nutrition Month so here is a report that takes a look at some trending nutrition research articles from the American Society for Nutrition’s four journals: The Journal of Nutrition ,  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ,  Advances in Nutrition , and  Current Developments in Nutrition . This are 15 articles that were mentioned the most in news and social media this year.

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NIH Releases 2020-2021 Nutrition Research Report

Did you know the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released their Nutrition Research report?

Executive Summary:

The mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability. NIH supports and conducts a broad array of transformative and impactful research studies to better understand nutrition and how it relates to human health and disease. This research focuses on understanding how nutrients and food components are ingested, digested, absorbed, metabolized, stored, and excreted and their overall impact on the body. It also includes research studies to better understand the effects of behavior, including eating and food choice, and environmental exposures on nutritional status.

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2021 Research Highlights

By Lauren Dawson

This year our grantees published important findings focused on timely, policy-relevant topics including COVID-19 relief programs and policies, school meals, nutrition assistance programs, food retail, food banks, and more. Here we revisit five of our most popular research products from 2021.

1. The Importance of Healthy School Meals

Healthy School Meals for all, also known as universal free school meals, provides all enrolled children in a school operating the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs a free breakfast or lunch, regardless of their family’s income. A systematic review highlights the international evidence regarding the impact of healthy school meals for all on students’ school meal participation rates, nutrition and dietary intakes, food security, academic performance, attendance, body mass index, and school finances. We developed an infographic that highlights 7 key benefits of healthy school meals for all.

This systematic review was part of a special issue published in the journal Nutrients in March that included 15 studies that provide important insights on the progress schools have made in promoting healthier school environments, based on data from USDA’s School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study (SNMCS).

Our fact sheet presents 10 key findings from the special issue and SNMCS, covering a variety of topics including school meals and snacks, the school food environment, school meal participation, and state and local policies including universal free meals.

2. Strengthening the Public Health Impact of SNAP

This report identifies seven key policy opportunities that have the greatest potential to improve SNAP participants’ nutritional status and health. The full report also provides a research summary of the effectiveness of SNAP, reviews prior efforts to increase the public health impacts of SNAP, and goes into greater depth on the current policy landscape and key actions for each of the seven opportunities presented.

For a snapshot, check out the infographic we developed.

3. Promoting Nutrition in the Charitable Food System

In 2020, we released our Nutrition Guidelines for the Charitable Food System. Since then, HER has partnered with organizations around the country to support implementation of the guidelines and we’ve continued to work with Feeding America as they updated their Nutrition in Food Banking Toolkit . Released this year, the toolkit is a resource to help the charitable food sector better understand and meet the nutrition needs of people experiencing food insecurity. This year, we also worked with SWAP—Supporting Wellness at Pantries, a stoplight nutrition ranking system—to update their tools to align with HER’s food bank nutrition guidelines and pilot test them with food banks.

To learn more about HER’s work in the Charitable Food System during 2021, read our Impact Story, “ Supporting Food and Nutrition Security Through the Charitable Food System .”

4. WIC During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Despite the significant need for food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, WIC participants faced many barriers to accessing WIC services and redeeming benefits, including difficulty accessing required in-person appointments, limited availability of WIC-approved food items, and inability to redeem WIC benefits online. In response, Congress authorized the use of waivers that would allow WIC program flexibilities to address these barriers.

HER funded four research teams to examine the implementation of WIC remote services and online grocery ordering during the pandemic. Over the past 18 months, these research teams have conducted analyses and published their findings. We just published a research brief that presents key findings from all four studies.

5. Feeding Kids Ages 2-8

Dietary recommendations are available about what to feed children ages 2 to 8 for optimal health, but relatively little guidance exists about how to feed those children. To address this gap, Healthy Eating Research convened a national panel of experts to develop evidence-based best practices and recommendations for promoting healthy nutrition and feeding patterns among children ages 2 to 8.

The report presents over 30 recommendations for parents and caregivers. The resulting recommendations reflect evidence that shows autonomy, structure, and repetition are key to helping young children develop healthy eating habits. In addition to a technical report presenting evidence for over 30 recommendations, we developed a variety of resources for parents and caregivers including fact sheets, a portion size guide, videos, and Instagram posts , which can be found on our Tips for Families page .

Nutrition Trends: Spring 2021

Top food and nutrition trends for education and health professionals for Spring 2021.

By: Kristal Shelden, MPH, RDN and Ashley Rosales, RDN

• March 15, 2021
• 10 Minute Read  

Top Nutrition Trends for 2021

• There is a growing focus on overall diet quality, complexities of the food matrix, and acknowledgment of changing nutrition needs throughout the lifespan. The holistic nature of food-based guidelines aims to integrate these important areas. 
• A new era of nutrition research focuses on the gut microbiome. Evidence is beginning to reveal strong associations supporting the interconnectivity between diet, inflammation, immune function and gut health.

The importance of engaging individuals through their own personal life experiences is acknowledged as a vital component in achieving meaningful, equitable community change.

Consumer food purchasing and eating behaviors continue to shift amid the pandemic as a result of social and environmental changes, but it remains to be seen what changes will be normalized in the long-term., the dialogue surrounding sustainable nutrition as part of climate change mitigation efforts has moved to an action phase with research and policy initiatives launched at the international, federal and state levels..

We would like to thank Kristin Hirahatake, PhD, RD for providing third-party review of this issue.

Forward: Nutrition and education trends in the context of the current environment—how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped the environments in which we live, work, play, learn and gather 

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic upended all aspects of daily life for communities across the country and around the world, impacting social, emotional and physical health. In the United States, it intensified disparities for underserved populations, as those who already experienced difficulty accessing resources such as food, healthcare and technology found themselves struggling even more.

After a year of living with the pandemic, there is opportunity to reflect on the challenges it has raised and look forward to the solutions it may inspire. The pandemic is bringing the issues of mental health, food insecurity, the digital divide, racism and climate change into sharp focus. These are not new issues, and moving forward they must be addressed.

It is through this lens that Dairy Council of California presents the nutrition and education trends in a year unlike any other. The systems and sectors that impact daily life, including health care, education and business, are being placed at the forefront to help solve complex issues. Grassroots activism is growing to levels never before seen. The result is an open environment of sharing voices and experiences and seeking collaboration to find solutions for these unprecedented and interrelated issues.

There is growing focus on overall diet quality, complexities of the food matrix, and acknowledgment of changing nutrition needs throughout the lifespan. The holistic nature of food-based guidelines aims to integrate these important areas. 

The quality of food and a food’s matrix, altered by processing and other factors, can fall on a spectrum of how the food impacts health. 1 For example, not all foods containing sugar are equal, and evidence shows that using sugar as an indicator of carbohydrate’s impact on health is highly dependent on the food source. Some high-quality food sources that contain carbohydrates and sugar, such as yogurt, flavored milk, fruit, 100% fruit juice and certain breakfast cereals, are shown to be beneficial to health. These foods contain naturally occurring sugars, and although they may contain limited added sugars, they also provide essential nutrients. Conversely, calorie-equivalent substitutions of low-quality carbohydrate foods with sugar, such as grain-based desserts, show evidence of harm. 2 This scientific insight supports the focus on food quality and overall dietary patterns rather than food quantity and single nutrients.

Implications: While the Dietary Guidelines outlines nutrient requirements for individuals, healthy eating patterns can be tailored to individual taste preferences, budget, culture and food access. Health professionals and educators are critical sources of nutrition education and serve as connectors to resources and community supports that can help families choose nutrient-dense foods and beverages that meet their needs.

A new era of nutrition research focuses on the gut microbiome and functional foods. Evidence is beginning to reveal strong associations supporting the interconnectivity of diet, inflammation, immune function and gut health.

There is a growing understanding of how the unique collection of bacteria that lives in the gut is impacted by dietary intake and how the gut microbiome plays a role in human health. The food people eat directly influence the microbiome, which in turn impacts metabolism and immunity, ultimately affecting health and risk for chronic diseases. 

With so many Americans having one or more chronic diseases, often characterized by ongoing low-grade systemic inflammation, attention is on foods and eating patterns that have anti-inflammatory effects. A recent systematic review identified “functional foods,” including yogurt, whole grain products, green tea and others, that have been shown in studies to have anti-inflammatory properties. 5 While these have shown anti-inflammatory effects in clinical trials, it is important to note that no single food has a significant impact on inflammation. Rather, including these foods within a healthy, overall eating pattern leads to health benefits that are greater than the sum of their individual parts.

Implications: The advancing knowledge of the gut microbiome and its role in health is another step forward in the evolution of nutrition science. A deepening understanding of how food and beverages feed the microbes in the gut, which in turn exhibit health-promoting effects, such as regulating immunity and reducing inflammation, can be applied in nutrition education and guidance. Interest in foods with functional benefits, such as yogurt and other fermented dairy foods, provides opportunities for health professionals and educators to help individuals incorporate high-quality, nutrient dense foods into their diets to promote overall health and well-being.

Sub trend : Solutions such as nutrition education to advance health equity, aim to foster greater trust and authenticity, celebrate diversity and center on a collaborative approach.

Empathy, compassion, authenticity and trust are often the touchstones of successfully engaging patients and clients in making healthy lifestyle changes. With rates of obesity and associated chronic diseases remaining high among children and adults, 12 health professionals and educators may tend to focus on disease outcomes as being individually controlled versus resulting from a systemic problem. The latter helps reframe these important public health issues in a way that is empathetic to those experiencing negative health outcomes as a result of their environment. 

Improving the health of those living with the impacts of obesity and chronic diseases is best approached with empathy and respect, acknowledging diversity and culture and consciously moving away from placing blame or stigma. 13 One approach that is gaining traction is the move toward more holistic and individualized nutrition. Precision nutrition is the practice that goes beyond simply targeting symptoms and instead uses the lens of genetic, biological and environmental, as well as social and behavioral, determinants of health in its approach. 14 Efforts to better bridge health care delivery with a broader range of support are currently underway. For example, Google Health is analyzing disparities that exist in terms of access and is developing apps that would help doctors better assess patients and connect them to resources in their communities. 15 Advances like these will help the healthcare system improve individual quality of life to support thriving communities.

Implications: Efforts to foster health equity will require a broad range of strategies aimed at the individual, systems and policy levels, while addressing the social determinants of health. Health professionals and educators can play an important part in these solutions, especially in identifying the personal experiences related to everyday barriers of those they support, such as children and families. Empathy and compassion have been a foundation to trusted, individualized care. Additionally, educators can actively gain the unique and important perspectives, experiences and ideas from those within the communities they serve.

Many factors influence consumer behavior, and changes are inevitable, often driven by minor shifts in the broader environment. Some changes occur slowly over time, while others happen quickly, such as those brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden and extended closure of restaurants in response to the pandemic is just one of the abrupt changes that occurred in the past year. According to a survey by the International Food Information Council, the pandemic led more than eight in 10 Americans to alter their food habits. These changes include cooking more often at home, snacking more frequently, eating healthier than usual and thinking about food more frequently. 16

Snacks have solidified their role as a staple in many people’s diets, as consumers increasingly consider them to be mini-meals and seek out healthy, nutrient-dense options. More time at home and the stress of the pandemic have consumers “snacking non-stop” and three in five are choosing better-for-you snacks. 19

Implications: Though permanent post-pandemic changes to consumer behavior are unknown, it is likely that many current behaviors will continue, including cooking at home, increased snacking and shopping based on personal values. These changes create an opportunity to educate consumers on the importance of building healthy and sustainable eating patterns that center on nutrient-dense foods.

Supporting people with high-quality, healthy dietary patterns and protecting finite environmental resources continues to be a priority. While many point to animal-sourced foods as being a major contributor to the environmental footprint, other dietary factors play a role as well. Excessive intake of calories contributes to greenhouse gases, while fruits, vegetables and some nuts are water-intensive crops. In fact, shifting consumption patterns to align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations would increase water use by 16% while greenhouse gases emissions would remain relatively the same. 33 Therefore, trade-offs are likely to be considered among other climate change solutions. Simplistic strategies such as elimination of entire food groups or categories are likely to have unintended consequences. For example, research conducted at Virginia Tech confirmed that removal of dairy cows would have minimal impact on greenhouse gas emissions; however, such a move would reduce the availability of essential micronutrients such as alpha-linolenic acid; calcium; vitamins A, D, B12 and choline. 34  An overall focus on diet quality and healthy eating patterns remains the foundation of sustainable nutrition.

Implications: Researchers, government officials and those working in the agricultural and food industries continue to work toward a consistent and balanced definition of sustainability from a holistic point of view that considers environmental, nutritional, economic, social and cultural factors. Sustainable food systems adopted globally must benefit the health and well-being of individual consumers in addition to supporting the economic stability and health of local communities. Public-private partnerships will be instrumental in developing and operationalizing innovative technologies that allow all sectors along the food supply chain to decrease their environmental footprint while still providing nutrient-dense foods that are readily available and affordable.

References     

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29 . Plume K, Nickel R. North American farmers profit as consumers pressure food business to go green. Reuters website. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-agriculture-climatechange-focus-c/north-american-farmers-profit-as-consumers-pressure-food-business-to-go-green-idUSKBN28E2C2 . Published December 4, 2020. Accessed February 16, 2021. 

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