Nutrients

Background/Objectives: Commercially produced infant and toddler foods (CITFs) often contain high levels of added sugars, which can contribute to tooth decay, a preference for sweet foods, and long-term health risks. Warning labels (WLs) signposting added sugar may help parents to evaluate CITFs and choose healthier options for their children. This study examined the effects of added sugar WLs on parents’ selection and perception of CITFs. Methods: In a between-subjects field experiment, 533 Australian parents were allocated to either an infant or toddler food arm based on their youngest child’s age, then randomly assigned to a control (no WL) or intervention (WL) condition. Participants viewed three sets of four CITFs (two with added sugars and two without) and selected the product they would be most likely to purchase for their child. Outcomes included product choices, purchase intentions, perceived added and total sugar content, and perceived healthiness. Results: Parents exposed to WLs were significantly less likely to choose CITFs with added sugar than those in the control condition (27% vs. 43%, p < 0.001). WLs also reduced purchase intentions (M = 2.83 vs. M = 3.28, p = 0.011) and perceived healthiness (M = 2.90 vs. 3.29; p = 0.001) of CITFs with added sugar, increased accurate identification of CITFs containing added sugar (89% vs. 61%; p < 0.001) and increased perceived total sugar content (M = 4.88 vs. M = 4.30, p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this experimental study, added sugar WLs improved parents’ understanding of added sugar content and reduced selection of, and purchase intentions for, CITFs with added sugar, suggesting they may be an effective strategy to support healthier food choices for young children.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) encompasses a spectrum of disease pathologies that include dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, obesity, and inflammation. The rising prevalence of MetS and the associated morbidity and mortality represent a growing burden on global healthcare. MetS’s hallmarks are readily quantified and can be used to assess development and progression of the syndrome. Nutraceuticals, bioactive compounds derived from natural sources such as plants, fruits, cultures and grains, have a potential role in protection against cardiometabolic diseases. Relevant actions of nutraceuticals include their antioxidant, probiotic, anti-inflammatory, insulin-sensitising, lipid-modifying, anti-adiposity, and endothelial protective functions. This review explores the evidence for common nutrient deficiencies in metabolic syndrome alongside their role in preventing and modifying the complex elements that characterise this prevalent disease cluster.

With the accelerating aging of the population, frailty has become a major geriatric syndrome affecting the health outcomes of older adults. Oral frailty—an early, reversible state in which oral function progresses from relative health to functional decline—has garnered attention in the fields of geriatric dentistry and geriatrics in recent years. Existing research suggests that oral frailty is associated with adverse health outcomes such as frailty, sarcopenia, malnutrition, disability, and mortality, and may hold value for early risk identification. However, at this stage, there are no unified standards for the definitions, assessment methods, or diagnostic criteria of frailty and oral frailty. Furthermore, oral frailty and systemic frailty appear to have a multifactorial and potentially bidirectional relationship, with mechanisms involving multiple pathways such as inadequate nutritional intake, decline in oral and systemic muscle function, chronic inflammation and changes in the oral microbiome, psychosocial withdrawal, and cognitive decline. Nevertheless, current evidence remains predominantly observational, and the causal relationship between these conditions—as well as whether oral interventions can improve long-term outcomes—still requires validation. Accordingly, this narrative review synthesizes the conceptual boundaries of oral frailty and its associated conditions, summarizes existing evidence from observational and intervention studies, and explores in depth the potential mechanisms underlying their association. Further research should evaluate the clinical utility of oral frailty screening within comprehensive geriatric assessment and determine whether interventions targeting oral frailty can translate improvements in oral function into clinically meaningful systemic and patient-important outcomes.