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Nutrients
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Nutrition to Optimise Human Health
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Nutrition to Optimise Human Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2021) | Viewed by 45023

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alie de Boer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Maastricht University, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Food Claims Centre Venlo, VENLO, NETHERLANDS
Interests: nutrition claims; health claims; functional foods; risk assessment; personalised nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few decades, the use of nutrition has shifted from ensuring that the diet would contain sufficient macro- and micronutrients to consuming nutrition with the purpose of improving health. Even the use of nutrition in the reduction of risks in developing diseases is generating increasing attention. Consumers seem to be increasingly interested in consuming products that would not only ensure they meet the general nutritional recommendations, but that also allow them to optimise their health. Scientific insights into health-enhancing ingredients, food products, and diets are developing at high speed.

At the same time, in many countries and legal jurisdictions, the communication about these health effects is strictly regulated in an attempt to protect consumers from being misled by unsubstantiated and pharmaceutical claims. Slight differences arise between these jurisdictions, both in legal requirements as well as in the requirements on how to scientifically substantiate such claims.

In this Special Issue, we aim to bridge the gap between nutrition and food law, specifically related to health effects and health claims. We would like to bring readers closer to the state-of-the-art developments in the field by gathering papers that cover different aspects of the relationship between nutrition and health effects, addressing health claims, or detailing the legislative requirements for claims on foods. Original research articles and reviews (systematic reviews, critical reviews and meta-analyses) are welcome.

Dr. Alie de Boer
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nutrition claims
  • health claims
  • functional foods
  • functional ingredients
  • personalised nutrition
  • botanicals
  • food supplements
  • food law
  • risk assessment
  • risk-benefit assessment
  • scientific assessment
  • health benefits

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 976 KiB  
Article
Fifteen Years of Regulating Nutrition and Health Claims in Europe: The Past, the Present and the Future
by Alie de Boer
Nutrients 2021, 13(5), 1725; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051725 - 19 May 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 7764
Abstract
Suggestions that a food contains healthy ingredients or that it can provide beneficial effects upon consumption have been regulated in the EU since 2006. This paper describes the analysis of how this nutrition and health claim regulation has resulted in over 300 authorised [...] Read more.
Suggestions that a food contains healthy ingredients or that it can provide beneficial effects upon consumption have been regulated in the EU since 2006. This paper describes the analysis of how this nutrition and health claim regulation has resulted in over 300 authorised claims and how the authorisation requirements and processes have affected the use of claims on foods. Five challenges are identified that negatively affect the current legislation dealing with nutrition and health claims: non-reviewed botanical claims (as well as on hold claims for infants and young children), the lack of nutrient profiles and the focus of claims on single ingredients, consumer understanding, research into health effects of nutrition and finally, enforcement. These challenges are shown to influence the goals of the regulation: protecting consumers from false and misleading claims and stimulating the development of a level playing field in the EU, to foster innovation. Tackling these political and scientific substantiation questions for health claims, together with continuously analysing the understanding and usage of claims by consumers and operators will ensure that the NHCR will stay effective, today and in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition to Optimise Human Health)
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25 pages, 17111 KiB  
Article
Pre-Launch Exploration of Consumer Willingness to Purchase Selenium- and Iodine-Biofortified Apples—A Discrete Choice Analysis of Possible Market Settings
by Ruth Kleine-Kalmer, Adriano Profeta, Diemo Daum and Ulrich Enneking
Nutrients 2021, 13(5), 1625; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051625 - 12 May 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3483
Abstract
Selenium and iodine are essential micronutrients for humans. They are often deficient in food supply due to low phytoavailable concentrations in soil. Agronomic biofortification of food crops is one approach to overcome micronutrient malnutrition. This study focused on a pre-launch exploration of German [...] Read more.
Selenium and iodine are essential micronutrients for humans. They are often deficient in food supply due to low phytoavailable concentrations in soil. Agronomic biofortification of food crops is one approach to overcome micronutrient malnutrition. This study focused on a pre-launch exploration of German consumers’ willingness to purchase selenium- and/or iodine-biofortified apples. For this purpose, an online survey was carried out. In this context, consumers were asked to choose their most preferred apple product from a set card of product alternatives in a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The multinomial logit model results demonstrated that German consumers’ have a particular preference for iodine-biofortified apples. Furthermore, apple choice was mainly influenced by price, health claims, and plastic-free packaging material. Viewed individually, selenium did not exert an effect on product choice whereas positive interactions between both micronutrients exist. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition to Optimise Human Health)
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16 pages, 372 KiB  
Article
Edible Insects versus Meat—Nutritional Comparison: Knowledge of Their Composition Is the Key to Good Health
by Agnieszka Orkusz
Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041207 - 6 Apr 2021
Cited by 138 | Viewed by 15169
Abstract
Recently, attention has been drawn to the fact that increasing the consumption of edible insects may positively impact the state of the natural environment and reduce the problem of malnutrition in large parts of society. Indeed, insects are seen as an alternative to [...] Read more.
Recently, attention has been drawn to the fact that increasing the consumption of edible insects may positively impact the state of the natural environment and reduce the problem of malnutrition in large parts of society. Indeed, insects are seen as an alternative to traditional meat products, primarily meat. This article aimed to compare the nutritional value of edible insects and meat. Based on tables of composition and nutritional value and on the licensed computer program Diet 6D, data on the nutritional value of 10 commonly consumed meat types were compiled. Based on a literature review, data on the nutritional value of seven commercially available edible insect species were collected and collated. There was a comparison of 100 g of edible insects with 100 g of meat (fresh weight). In addition, the atherogenic index thrombogenic index, the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio, and the nutritional quality index were calculated. It was found that both meat and insects are rich in nutrients, including those considered essential for the proper development and functioning of the human body. At the same time, it has been shown that the content of individual nutrients in both insects and meat varies significantly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition to Optimise Human Health)
17 pages, 1127 KiB  
Article
Milk Consumption and Respiratory Function in Asthma Patients: NHANES Analysis 2007–2012
by Stefanie N. Sveiven, Rachel Bookman, Jihyun Ma, Elizabeth Lyden, Corrine Hanson and Tara M. Nordgren
Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041182 - 2 Apr 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4766
Abstract
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma prevalence has steadily risen since the 1980s. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we investigated associations between milk consumption and pulmonary function (PF). Multivariable analyses were performed, adjusted for [...] Read more.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma prevalence has steadily risen since the 1980s. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we investigated associations between milk consumption and pulmonary function (PF). Multivariable analyses were performed, adjusted for a priori potential confounders for lung function, within the eligible total adult population (n = 11,131) and those self-reporting asthma (n = 1,542), included the following variables: milk-consumption, asthma diagnosis, forced vital capacity (FVC), FVC%-predicted (%), forced expiratory volume in one-second (FEV1), FEV1% and FEV1/FVC. Within the total population, FEV1% and FVC% were significantly associated with regular (5+ days weekly) consumption of exclusively 1% milk in the prior 30-days (β:1.81; 95% CI: [0.297, 3.325]; p = 0.020 and β:1.27; [0.16, 3.22]; p = 0.046). Among participants with asthma, varied-regular milk consumption in a lifetime was significantly associated with FVC (β:127.3; 95% CI: [13.1, 241.4]; p = 0.002) and FVC% (β:2.62; 95% CI: [0.44, 4.80]; p = 0.006). No association between milk consumption and FEV1/FVC was found, while milk-type had variable influence and significance. Taken together, we found certain milk consumption tendencies were associated with pulmonary function values among normal and asthmatic populations. These findings propound future investigations into the potential role of dairy consumption in altering lung function and asthma outcomes, with potential impact on the protection and maintenance of pulmonary health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition to Optimise Human Health)
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11 pages, 775 KiB  
Article
Protein Knowledge of Older Adults and Identification of Subgroups with Poor Knowledge
by Marjolein Visser, Yung Hung and Wim Verbeke
Nutrients 2021, 13(3), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13031006 - 20 Mar 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3012
Abstract
The aim was to investigate the protein knowledge of community-dwelling older adults. A survey was conducted among 1825 adults aged ≥65 years and living in Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and United Kingdom in 2017. Protein knowledge was measured with nine objective knowledge statements [...] Read more.
The aim was to investigate the protein knowledge of community-dwelling older adults. A survey was conducted among 1825 adults aged ≥65 years and living in Finland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and United Kingdom in 2017. Protein knowledge was measured with nine objective knowledge statements provided only to participants who indicated to know what the nutrient "protein" is (64.7% of sample). Demographic, socioeconomic and health determinants of poor protein knowledge were investigated using multiple logistic regression analyses. The sample was 49.6% female and 87.0% reported no walking difficulties. Participants scored best on the true statement "You need protein in the diet for repairing bones and muscles" (89.3% correct), and worst on the false statement "One meal per day with a good protein source is sufficient" (25.4% correct). Median knowledge score was 5.0 (scale 0–9) and poor knowledge was present in 49.4% of the sample. Males (Odds Ratio 1.57), those unable to walk for 5 min (2.66), not always making their own food decision (1.36) and having lower income (1.44) were more likely to have poor knowledge. Large differences were observed across countries. In conclusion, poor protein knowledge is present in about half of community-dwelling older adults. Communication strategies should be tailored to target the identified risk groups with poor knowledge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition to Optimise Human Health)
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21 pages, 6355 KiB  
Review
Nutrition to Optimise Human Health—How to Obtain Physiological Substantiation?
by Renger F. Witkamp
Nutrients 2021, 13(7), 2155; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072155 - 23 Jun 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 9129
Abstract
Demonstrating in an unambiguous manner that a diet, let alone a single product, ‘optimizes’ health, presents an enormous challenge. The least complicated is when the starting situation is clearly suboptimal, like with nutritional deficiencies, malnutrition, unfavourable lifestyle, or due to disease or ageing. [...] Read more.
Demonstrating in an unambiguous manner that a diet, let alone a single product, ‘optimizes’ health, presents an enormous challenge. The least complicated is when the starting situation is clearly suboptimal, like with nutritional deficiencies, malnutrition, unfavourable lifestyle, or due to disease or ageing. Here, desired improvements and intervention strategies may to some extent be clear. However, even then situations require approaches that take into account interactions between nutrients and other factors, complex dose-effect relationships etc. More challenging is to substantiate that a diet or a specific product optimizes health in the general population, which comes down to achieve perceived, ‘non-medical’ or future health benefits in predominantly healthy persons. Presumed underlying mechanisms involve effects of non-nutritional components with subtle and slowly occurring physiological effects that may be difficult to translate into measurable outcomes. Most promising strategies combine classical physiological concepts with those of ‘multi-omics’ and systems biology. Resilience-the ability to maintain or regain homeostasis in response to stressors-is often used as proxy for a particular health domain. Next to this, quantifying health requires personalized strategies, measurements preferably carried out remotely, real-time and in a normal living environment, and experimental designs other than randomized controlled trials (RCTs), for example N-of-1 trials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition to Optimise Human Health)
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