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Intake and adequacy of the vegan diet. A systematic review of the evidence.
Bakaloudi, DR, Halloran, A, Rippin, HL, Oikonomidou, AC, Dardavesis, TI, Williams, J, Wickramasinghe, K, Breda, J, Chourdakis, M
Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2021;40(5):3503-3521
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This systematic review investigated vegan diets in the European populations and their adequacy of macro-and micronutrient intake, compared to the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Included were 48 studies and their outcomes regarding protein, carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients summarized. The overall results and their impact on health are discussed in the later sections of the paper. Adequate intake amongst vegans was seen with carbohydrates, fats, Vitamin A, B1, В6, C, E, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and folate. Sodium exceeded recommended intake, whilst protein, Vitamin B2, B3, B12, D, iodine, zinc, calcium, potassium, selenium was of low consumption in a vegan diet. The bioavailability of some nutrients was also acknowledged. In summary, following a vegan diet appears to have positive and negative aspects. A vegan diet profile can contribute to disease prevention with lower incidence rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Yet veganism appears to increase the risk for mental health conditions, bone fractures, immune system impairments, anaemias and deficiencies from low nutrient intake. This review yields a comprehensive overview of the positive and negative health consequences of a vegan diet. It may be a useful reference for those looking to support vegans or individuals considering adopting a vegan diet pattern.
Expert Review
Conflicts of interest:
None
Take Home Message:
- Vegan diets in European populations tend to be lower in protein intake, particularly amino acids lysine, methionine and tryptophan.
- Other micronutrients that tend to lower in vegan diets are Vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and selenium.
- Healthcare practitioners should be aware of these potential deficiencies when working with vegan clients.
Evidence Category:
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A: Meta-analyses, position-stands, randomized-controlled trials (RCTs)
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B: Systematic reviews including RCTs of limited number
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C: Non-randomized trials, observational studies, narrative reviews
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D: Case-reports, evidence-based clinical findings
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E: Opinion piece, other
Summary Review:
Vegan diets have become increasingly popular in the last ten years. This systematic review of 48 studies investigated the adequacy of vegan diets in European populations. It compared their macro- and micronutrient intakes compared to World Health Organization recommendations. It found that vegan diets tend to be lower in protein and in essential amino acids (lysine, methionine and tryptophan). They can also be lower in micronutrients especially vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and selenium. However, the lower intakes are not always associated with health impairments.
Clinical practice applications:
Practitioners should be aware of the potential deficiencies in a vegan diet.
Considerations for future research:
More research is needed to determine whether lower nutrient intakes in vegans correlated with poor health outcomes.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vegan diets, where animal- and all their by-products are excluded from the diet, have gained popularity, especially in the last decade. However, the evaluation of this type of diet has not been well addressed in the scientific literature. This study aimed to investigate the adequacy of vegan diets in European populations and of their macro- and micronutrient intakes compared to World Health Organization recommendations. METHODS A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, IBSS, Cochrane library and Google Scholar was conducted and 48 studies (12 cohorts and 36 cross-sectional) were included. RESULTS Regarding macronutrients, vegan diets are lower in protein intake compared with all other diet types. Veganism is also associated with low intake of vitamins B2, Niacin (B3), B12, D, iodine, zinc, calcium, potassium, selenium. Vitamin B12 intake among vegans is significantly lower (0.24-0.49 μg, recommendations are 2.4 μg) and calcium intake in the majority of vegans was below recommendations (750 mg/d). No significant differences in fat intake were observed. Vegan diets are not related to deficiencies in vitamins A, B1, Β6, C, E, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and folate and have a low glycemic load. CONCLUSIONS Following a vegan diet may result in deficiencies in micronutrients (vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and selenium) which should not be disregarded. However, low micro- and macronutrient intakes are not always associated with health impairments. Individuals who consume a vegan diet should be aware of the risk of potential dietary deficiencies.
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A Systematic Review of the Association Between Vegan Diets and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease.
Kaiser, J, van Daalen, KR, Thayyil, A, Cocco, MTARR, Caputo, D, Oliver-Williams, C
The Journal of nutrition. 2021;151(6):1539-1552
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Plant-based diets have increased in popularity due to concerns for the environment and animal welfare and due to perceived health benefits. The aim of this study was to assess the association between vegan diets and risks of primary, intermediate, and recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study is a systemic review of 7 epidemiological studies comprising over 73,000 participants, of whom at least 7661 were vegans. Results indicate that there was no significant evidence of an association between adherence to a vegan diet and risks of primary CVD or a coronary heart disease event. Authors conclude that further experimental evidence and research in large diverse cohorts is required in order to better understand the clinical relevance and public health implications of the vegan diet.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant-based diets are gaining attention globally due to their environmental benefits and perceived health-protective role. A vegan diet may have cardiovascular benefits; however, evidence remains conflicting and insufficiently assessed. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the utility of the vegan diet in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of studies evaluating the association between vegan diets and cardiovascular outcomes. We searched 5 databases (Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and OpenGrey) through 31 October 2020. Four investigators independently screened the full texts for inclusion, assessed quality, and extracted data from published reports. RESULTS Out of the 5729 identified records, 7 were included, comprising over 73,000 participants, of whom at least 7661 were vegans. Three studies, with at least 73,426 individuals (including at least 7380 vegans), examined risks of primary cardiovascular events (total CVD, coronary heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, total stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and ischemic stroke) in individuals who followed a vegan diet compared to those who did not. None of the studies reported a significantly increased or decreased risk of any cardiovascular outcome. One study suggested that vegans were at greater risk of ischemic stroke compared to individuals who consumed animal products (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.95-2.48). Yet in another study, vegans showed lower common carotid artery intima-media thickness (0.56 ± 0.1 mm vs. 0.74 ± 0.1 mm in controls; P < 0.001), and in 3 studies of recurrent CVD events, vegans had 0-52% lower rates. Furthermore, endothelial function did not differ between vegans and nonvegans. Using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach, evidence was deemed to be of low to very low strength/quality. CONCLUSIONS Among the Western populations studied, evidence weakly demonstrates associations between vegan diets and risk of CVDs, with the direction of associations varying with the specific CVD outcome tested. However, more high-quality research on this topic is needed. This study was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42019146835.
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Association of Major Dietary Protein Sources With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: Prospective Cohort Study.
Sun, Y, Liu, B, Snetselaar, LG, Wallace, RB, Shadyab, AH, Kroenke, CH, Haring, B, Howard, BV, Shikany, JM, Valdiviezo, C, et al
Journal of the American Heart Association. 2021;10(5):e015553
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Dietary recommendations for human health focusing on total protein intake without considering specific protein sources may be simplistic and insufficient. The aim of this study was to investigate whether different dietary protein sources would be differentially associated with mortality risk. The study is based on data from a large prospective cohort study with up to 18-years of follow-up to investigate the risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in relation to animal and plant protein intake, and major sources of dietary protein. Results indicate that intake of plant protein and substitution of animal protein with plant protein, were associated with lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and dementia mortality. Furthermore, substitution of red meat, eggs, dairy products, or legumes with nuts was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality. Authors conclude that their findings support the need for consideration of protein sources, in addition to the amount of protein intake, in future dietary guidelines.
Abstract
Background Dietary recommendations regarding protein intake have been focused on the amount of protein. However, such recommendations without considering specific protein sources may be simplistic and insufficient. Methods and Results We included 102 521 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative between 1993 and 1998, and followed them through February 2017. During 1 876 205 person-years of follow-up, 25 976 deaths occurred. Comparing the highest with the lowest quintile, plant protein intake was inversely associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.91 [0.86, 0.96]), cardiovascular disease mortality (HR, 0.88 [0.79, 0.97]), and dementia mortality (HR, 0.79 [0.67, 0.94]). Among major protein sources, comparing the highest with the lowest quintile of consumption, processed red meat (HR, 1.06 [1.01, 1.10]) or eggs (HR, 1.14 [1.10, 1.19]) was associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality. Unprocessed red meat (HR, 1.12 [1.02, 1.23]), eggs (HR, 1.24 [1.14, 1.34]), or dairy products (HR, 1.11 [1.02, 1.22]) was associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. Egg consumption was associated with higher risk of cancer mortality (HR, 1.10 [1.02, 1.19]). Processed red meat consumption was associated with higher risk of dementia mortality (HR, 1.20 [1.05, 1.32]), while consumption of poultry (HR, 0.85 [0.75, 0.97]) or eggs (HR, 0.86 [0.75, 0.98]) was associated with lower risk of dementia mortality. In substitution analysis, substituting of animal protein with plant protein was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and dementia mortality, and substitution of total red meat, eggs, or dairy products with nuts was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Conclusions Different dietary protein sources have varying associations with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and dementia mortality. Our findings support the need for consideration of protein sources in future dietary guidelines.
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Health behavior patterns of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Brazilian adolescents in a nationally representative school-based study.
Rocha, LL, Pessoa, MC, Gratão, LHA, Carmo, ASD, Cunha, CF, Oliveira, TRPR, Mendes, LL
PloS one. 2021;16(1):e0245203
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Sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) are ultra-processed foods containing several man-made chemicals, which heavily feature in the diets of adolescents in many developing countries. This cross-sectional study of 74,589 adolescents aimed to determine health behaviour patterns that affect SSB consumption to focus education and policy efforts to reduce consumption. The results showed that most adolescents who consumed SSB’s had higher consumption of processed foods, more screen time, more days of alcoholic beverage consumption, were more likely to purchase food from the school canteen, and a smoking habit. Those who had a higher consumption of water, minimally processed foods and frequent physical activity were less likely to consume SSB’s. It was concluded that healthy habits can aid implementation of other beneficial health behaviours. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand the importance of adopting healthy habits to decrease SSB and ultra-processed food consumption.
Abstract
Studies on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption patterns can help in the individual and population level management of chronic non-communicable diseases and other conditions. This study aimed to identify the association between health behavior patterns and the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among Brazilian adolescents from a nationally representative school-based study. A cross-sectional study analyzed data from 71,553 adolescents aged 12-17 years who attended public and private schools in Brazilian cities, from the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents. Principal component analysis was performed to identify health behavior patterns, and ordered logistic regression was performed to identify the association between health behavior patterns and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (mL/day) was used as the dependent variable. The analyses were performed using Stata software version 14.0 with a significance level of 0.05. Patterns 2 (alcoholic beverage and smoking habit) and 3 (ultra-processed food and screen time) of health behaviors and regularly purchasing snacks in the school cafeteria increased the odds of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, while pattern 1 (water, unprocessed and minimally processed food and physical activity) decreased these odds. The adoption of healthy habits can indirectly stimulate the adoption of other habits beneficial to health. These results indicate the importance of adopting a set of regulatory measures to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.
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The Effects of Dairy Product and Dairy Protein Intake on Inflammation: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
Nieman, KM, Anderson, BD, Cifelli, CJ
Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2021;40(6):571-582
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Systemic inflammation contributes to the risk and progression of chronic disease, which is in turn influenced by several factors including diet. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effect of dairy products and dairy protein on markers of inflammation in adults that do not have inflammatory-related disorders. The authors analysed 27 previous randomised controlled trial, of which 19 looked at dairy products, and eight looked at dairy protein (casein or whey). In the trials which evaluated dairy products, 10 reported no effect of the intervention, while eight reported a reduction in at least one biomarker of inflammation. All eight trials that investigated dairy protein intake on markers of inflammation reported no effect. The researchers concluded that the available literature suggests that dairy products and dairy proteins have neutral to beneficial effects on biomarkers of inflammation. Additional clinical studies designed using inflammatory biomarkers as the primary outcome are needed to fully understand the effects of dairy intake on inflammation.
Abstract
Systemic inflammation is associated with obesity and chronic disease risk. Intake of dairy foods is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; however, the impact of dairy foods on inflammation is not well-established. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effect of dairy product (milk, cheese, and yogurt) and dairy protein consumption on low-grade systemic inflammation in adults without severe inflammatory disorders. A literature search was completed in September 2019 using PubMed and CENTRAL as well as inspection of reference lists from relevant review articles. The search resulted in the identification of 27 randomized controlled trials which were included in this analysis. In the 19 trials which evaluated dairy products, 10 reported no effect of the intervention, while 8 reported a reduction in at least one biomarker of inflammation. All 8 trials that investigated dairy protein intake on markers of inflammation reported no effect of the intervention. The available literature suggests that dairy products and dairy proteins have neutral to beneficial effects on biomarkers of inflammation. Additional clinical studies designed using inflammatory biomarkers as the primary outcome are needed to fully elucidate the effects of dairy intake on inflammation.
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Effect of Omega-3 Dosage on Cardiovascular Outcomes: An Updated Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression of Interventional Trials.
Bernasconi, AA, Wiest, MM, Lavie, CJ, Milani, RV, Laukkanen, JA
Mayo Clinic proceedings. 2021;96(2):304-313
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There is mixed evidence to support the use of omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Animal studies have shown promising results, but randomised control trials are inconsistent, possibly due to differing doses used, or differences in the subject’s omega-3 levels at the start of the trial. This meta-analysis of 40 studies with over 135,000 subjects aimed to determine whether omega-3 supplementation reduces heart disease risk and whether dosage has a role. The results showed that omega-3 supplementation reduced the risk of heart attacks, death from heart attacks and deaths due to heart disease, and the higher the dose, the greater the protection. The majority of studies were on individuals who had already had a heart attack or who had suffered from a related condition. It was concluded that supplementation with omega-3 is effective in preventing heart disease and heart attacks and the protective effect increases with dosage. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to prevent further heart disease and heart attacks in individuals who have already suffered from one of these conditions.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To quantify the effect of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and the effect of dosage. METHODS This study is designed as a random effects meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized control trials with EPA/DHA supplementation. This is an update and expanded analysis of a previously published meta-analysis which covers all randomized control trials with EPA/DHA interventions and cardiovascular outcomes published before August 2019. The outcomes included are myocardial infarction (MI), coronary heart disease (CHD) events, CVD events (a composite of MI, angina, stroke, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, sudden death, and non-scheduled cardiovascular surgical interventions), CHD mortality and fatal MI. The strength of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework. RESULTS A total of 40 studies with a combined 135,267 participants were included. Supplementation was associated with reduced risk of MI (relative risk [RR], 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.96), high certainty number needed to treat (NNT) of 272; CHD events (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.84 to 0.97), high certainty NNT of 192; fatal MI (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.46 to 0.91]), moderate certainty NNT = 128; and CHD mortality (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85 to 0.98), low certainty NNT = 431, but not CVD events (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.90 to 1.00). The effect is dose dependent for CVD events and MI. CONCLUSION Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Supplementation with EPA and DHA is an effective lifestyle strategy for CVD prevention, and the protective effect probably increases with dosage.
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Type 2 diabetes preventive effects with a 12-months sardine-enriched diet in elderly population with prediabetes: An interventional, randomized and controlled trial.
Díaz-Rizzolo, DA, Serra, A, Colungo, C, Sala-Vila, A, Sisó-Almirall, A, Gomis, R
Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2021;40(5):2587-2598
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Older people have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (T2D) due to the possibility of β-cell dysfunction due to ageing. Sardines are believed to be protective against the development of T2D. Therefore, this randomised controlled trial evaluated the preventative effects of a sardine-rich diet in elderly prediabetic patients. For one year, both the sardine group (SG) and control group (CG) followed a T2D prevention diet, with the SG consuming 200 g of sardines each week. Both groups improved body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumference, and body composition. Taurine, EPA, DHA, omega-3 fatty acid, calcium, iodine, zinc, phosphorous and fluoride, vitamin B12 and D, and lycopene and tocopherols were found to be higher in the SG than the CG, indicating the sardines were protective against T2D. In SG, HDL cholesterol and adiponectin levels were significantly increased, and blood pressure and triglycerides were decreased, signalling a reduced risk of T2D and cardiovascular disease. In addition, SG showed a reduction in HOMA-IR and an Omega-3 fatty acid was substituted for Omega-6 fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane, suggesting a reduced risk of T2D. Further robust research is required to confirm the protective effect of a sardine-enriched diet against T2D. It may be useful to healthcare providers to comprehend how a sardine-enriched diet could improve obesity, T2D and CVD markers in pre-diabetic elderly patients.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fish could play a role in preventing type 2 diabetes (T2D) but there has been little specification about the type of fish and the preventive mechanism involved in its health claim. The sardine is a source of omega-3 and taurine that, in isolation or in synergy, would produce T2D-delaying through different molecular mechanism. HYPOTHESIS The consumption of twice a week of sardine, during one year would reduce T2D-developing risk in a population with prediabetes (preDM) and old age. DESIGN 152 subjects with fasting glucose between 100-124 mg/dL aged ≥65 yo were recruited from three primary care centers in Barcelona and were randomly distributed among two interventional groups: control group (CG) and sardine group (SG). Both groups received same T2D-prevention nutritional during a year but only SG had to add 200 g of sardine per week. All variables were collected before to start and at the end of the diet. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03557541). RESULTS 152 people were randomized into CG (n=77) and SG (n=75) with 18 and 12 drop outs respectively. Subjects in SG, significantly compared to CG, decreased percentage classified-individuals in a very high risk group to develop T2D according to FINDRISC (p=0.035). In addition to increasing HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin and decreasing triglycerides (p<0.05) and blood pressure (<0.05), SG showed a lower HOMA-IR (p=0.032). The consumption of sardine characteristics nutrients as omega-3, EPA and DHA, vitamin D, fluorine and taurine were higher for SG (p<0.05). These results agreed with the increased of taurine, fatty acid (FA) omega-3 and bile acids circulating metabolites (p<0.05). Changes erythrocyte membrane FA were detected only in SG with a decrease of 5 omega-6 FA (p<0.001) and an increase of 3 omega-3 FA types (p<0.001). CONCLUSION We conclude that a year T2D-prevention diet with sardine supplementation has a greater protective effect against developing T2D and CV events.
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A Vegan Diet Is Associated with a Significant Reduction in Dietary Acid Load: Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Individuals.
Müller, A, Zimmermann-Klemd, AM, Lederer, AK, Hannibal, L, Kowarschik, S, Huber, R, Storz, MA
International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021;18(19)
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Diets high in meat and cheese, which are acidogenic and low in fruits and vegetables, which are alkalising, increase the dietary acid load (DAL) of the diet. Diets with a high DAL have been associated with poor health outcomes and the development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Plant-based diets have been associated with a lower DAL, however very little research exists on this. Individuals following a vegan diet have been shown in previous studies to have a reduced DAL, however it is unclear whether this was due to a reduced calorie intake or because of the diet composition. This post-hoc study aimed to investigate this and determine whether eating a vegan diet for 4-weeks reduced DAL and how this compares to 4-weeks of a diet rich in meat. The results showed that after 3-weeks, the vegan diet significantly reduced the DAL compared to the meat-rich diet, which increased the DAL. Interestingly all the participants in this study were put on the same balanced diet for 7 days prior to commencing the trial, reducing the chance that results would be affected by a prior diet. It was concluded that a vegan diet as opposed to a meat-rich diet may be of benefit to health outcomes through lowering DAL. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand that a balanced vegan diet may be of benefit to those who have heart disease and/or type 2 diabetes. However as this trial did not measure indicators of type 2 diabetes or heart disease, these associations are speculative.
Abstract
The composition of diet strongly affects acid-base homeostasis. Western diets abundant in acidogenic foods (meat and cheese) and deficient in alkalizing foods (fruits and vegetables) increase dietary acid load (DAL). A high DAL has been associated with numerous health repercussions, including cardiovascular disease and type-2-diabetes. Plant-based diets have been associated with a lower DAL; however, the number of trials exploring this association is limited. This randomized-controlled trial sought to examine whether an isocaloric vegan diet lowers DAL as compared to a meat-rich diet. Forty-five omnivorous individuals were randomly assigned to a vegan diet (n = 23) or a meat-rich diet (n = 22) for 4 weeks. DAL was determined using potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) scores at baseline and after 3 and 4 weeks, respectively. After 3 weeks, median PRAL (-23.57 (23.87)) and mean NEAPR (12.85 ± 19.71) scores were significantly lower in the vegan group than in the meat-rich group (PRAL: 18.78 (21.04) and NEAPR 60.93 ± 15.51, respectively). Effects were mediated by a lower phosphorus and protein intake in the vegan group. Our study suggests that a vegan diet is a potential means to reduce DAL, whereas a meat-rich diet substantially increases the DAL burden.
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The Role of Diet Quality in Mediating the Association between Ultra-Processed Food Intake, Obesity and Health-Related Outcomes: A Review of Prospective Cohort Studies.
Dicken, SJ, Batterham, RL
Nutrients. 2021;14(1)
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Diet has long been a cornerstone of weight management, with dietary policies being a core feature of government and health organisation strategies to reduce obesity worldwide. Indeed, poor diets are a leading cause of preventable obesity-related death and non-communicable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to provide novel insights into the relative impact of nutrient content and dietary patterns vs. ultra-processing on obesity and adverse health-related outcomes. This study is a review of prospective cohort studies. Findings show that adjustment for fat, sugar and sodium intake, or adjustment for adherence to a range of healthy or unhealthy dietary patterns has a minimal impact on the adverse associations between UPF intake and a diverse range of health-related outcomes. Authors conclude that their findings raise important questions regarding current policy and future research needs, suggesting that the nature and extent of processing is an important dietary dimension.
Abstract
Prospective cohort studies show that higher intakes of ultra-processed food (UPF) increase the risk of obesity and obesity-related outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. Whether ultra-processing itself is detrimental, or whether UPFs just have a lower nutritional quality, is debated. Higher UPF intakes are inversely associated with fruit, vegetables, legumes and seafood consumption. Therefore, the association between UPFs and poor health could simply be from excess nutrient intake or from a less healthful dietary pattern. If so, adjustment for dietary quality or pattern should explain or greatly reduce the size of the significant associations between UPFs and health-related outcomes. Here, we provide an overview of the literature and by using a novel approach, review the relative impact of adjusting for diet quality/patterns on the reported associations between UPF intake and health-related outcomes in prospective cohort studies. We find that the majority of the associations between UPFs, obesity and health-related outcomes remain significant and unchanged in magnitude after adjustment for diet quality or pattern. Our findings suggest that the adverse consequences of UPFs are independent of dietary quality or pattern, questioning the utility of reformulation to mitigate against the obesity pandemic and wider negative health outcomes of UPFs.
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Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Adult Mortality Risk: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of 207,291 Participants.
Suksatan, W, Moradi, S, Naeini, F, Bagheri, R, Mohammadi, H, Talebi, S, Mehrabani, S, Hojjati Kermani, MA, Suzuki, K
Nutrients. 2021;14(1)
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Globally, consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has risen in most middle- or high-income countries and gradually displaced fresh and minimally processed foods. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis (of 7 studies) to determine if UPF intake is associated with mortality risk. Results indicate that UPF consumption was associated with an elevated risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease-cause mortality, and heart-cause mortality. However, there was no association between UPF consumption and cancer-cause mortality. Authors conclude that future studies should also investigate whether ultra-processing indices can demonstrate an association between diet and mortality compared with other nutritional quality scores/indices.
Abstract
We performed a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies assessing the association between UPF consumption and adult mortality risk. A systematic search was conducted using ISI Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Scopus electronic databases from inception to August 2021. Data were extracted from seven cohort studies (totaling 207,291 adults from four countries). Using a random-effects model, hazard ratios (HR) of pooled outcomes were estimated. Our results showed that UPF consumption was related to an enhanced risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.30; I2 = 21.9%; p < 0.001), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)-cause mortality (HR = 1.50; 95% CI: 1.37, 1.63; I2 = 0.0%; p < 0.001), and heart-cause mortality (HR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.50, 1.85; I2 = 0.0%; p = 0.022), but not cancer-cause mortality. Furthermore, our findings revealed that each 10% increase in UPF consumption in daily calorie intake was associated with a 15% higher risk of all-cause mortality (OR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.21; I2 = 0.0%; p < 0.001). The dose-response analysis revealed a positive linear association between UPF consumption and all-cause mortality (Pnonlinearity = 0.879, Pdose-response = p < 0.001), CVDs-cause mortality (Pnonlinearity = 0.868, Pdose-response = p < 0.001), and heart-cause mortality (Pnonlinearity = 0.774, Pdose-response = p < 0.001). It seems that higher consumption of UPF is significantly associated with an enhanced risk of adult mortality. Despite this, further experimental studies are necessary to draw a more definite conclusion.
keywords:"Cardiovascular Diseases" OR (Cardiovascular AND Diseases) OR "Cardiovascular Diseases" OR (cardiovascular AND disease) OR "cardiovascular disease"