Search Results (233)

Transitioning to sustainable, plant-forward diets, such as the Planetary Health Diet is a global priority; however, the palatability gap remains a formidable barrier, as consumers often perceive low-sodium, plant-centric diets as sensory-deficient. While aromatic herbs could bridge this gap, the current literature rarely integrates their sensory, ecological, phytochemical, and cultural dimensions. This narrative review explores how Mediterranean aromatic plants indigenous to the Maltese Islands function as sensory and molecular catalysts to bridge this gap. Through a thematic synthesis (2005–2026) integrating ethnobotanical evidence with molecular nutrition and sensory science, the Maltese archipelago is examined as a small-island ecological model. Chronic abiotic stressors, including high salinity and intense solar exposure, induce phytochemical priming, significantly enhancing secondary metabolites like polyphenols and terpenoids. These compounds establish a folk–medicine bridge, where traditional culinary practices align with modern biochemical validation. These bioactives demonstrate a capacity to modulate the NF-κB inflammatory axis, mitigate systemic inflammaging, and support the gut–microbiome–brain axis. Furthermore, these aromatics serve as translational tools for EAT-Lancet 2025 targets by facilitating cross-modal sensory compensation for sodium reduction and improving nutrient bioaccessibility via the culinary entourage effect. The TASTE-MED framework positions culinary nutrition as a vital translational bridge, asserting that flavour is a prerequisite for dietary sustainability and aligning individual molecular resilience with broader planetary health goals. Full article

The replacement of fishmeal (FM) in aquafeeds for carnivorous fish remains challenging due to reduced palatability and adverse effects on liver health and intestinal microbiota. Marine by-products-based additives containing fish protein hydrolysates and seaweed polysaccharides have shown potential to overcome these limitations. This study evaluated the effects of graded supplementation of Haiweisu (HWS), a multi-marine by-product formulated with squid viscera hydrolysate, small-molecule components from fish protein hydrolysate, seaweed polysaccharides, and seaweed residue as a carrier, in a FM-free diet for juvenile largemouth bass. Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were prepared: a FM-free control diet (CON) and three diets supplemented with 10, 20, or 30 g/kg HWS (designated S10, S20, and S30, respectively). Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish (29.26 ± 2.61 g) for 56 days. Results showed that HWS supplementation linearly increased final body weight, weight gain rate, and feed intake, while significantly reducing the feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05). All HWS-supplemented groups exhibited markedly lower hepatic lipid accumulation and plasma total cholesterol levels compared with the CON group, accompanied by alleviated hepatocellular steatosis and inflammatory infiltration as revealed by Oil Red O and H&E staining. Moreover, HWS significantly enhanced intestinal microbiota alpha diversity (Ace, Chao, Sobs, and Shannon indices), decreased the relative abundance of the dominant genus Mesomycoplasma, and enriched potentially beneficial genera including Methylobacterium, Delftia, and Sphingomonas (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary HWS supplementation effectively improved growth performance, alleviated hepatic steatosis and inflammation, and beneficially reshaped the intestinal microbiota in juvenile largemouth bass fed a FM-free diet. These findings support HWS as a promising functional additive for sustainable FM-free aquafeeds in carnivorous fish species. Full article

Background: Frequent consumption of foods high in fat and sugar (HFS) has been linked to disrupted appetite regulation (via hippocampal dysfunction) and an increased tendency to continue desiring palatable foods, even when physiologically full. While we have previously shown that motivational drive for such foods can persist when full, it remains unclear whether attentional engagement (i.e., the visual attention captured by palatable foods) shows a similar sustained desire to consume palatable foods when full. Understanding whether attention persists is critical, as attention can powerfully shape food choice and overeating. Methods: This study investigates whether habitual HFS intake was associated with the maintenance of visual attention, motivational responses, and food consumption when satiated. Twenty-four adults aged 18–30 years completed a food frequency questionnaire and a bogus taste-rating task once when hungry and again after consuming a standardised meal. Using Tobii Pro Glasses 3 wireless eye-tracking glasses, we measured fixations on real snack foods, and participants rated wanting and liking for each item. Results: Eating a meal significantly reduced total fixations to snack foods, and wanting was more sensitive than liking to physiological state. Fixations were higher for ‘healthy’ snacks compared to ‘unhealthy’ snacks, with this effect more pronounced when participants were hungry. Notably, individuals in the low-fat/low-sugar group showed strong alignment between post-meal decreases in visual attention and decreases in wanting and liking, whereas this coupling was diminished in the high-fat/high-sugar group. Discussion: Extending previous work into the domain of attention, this study reveals diet-related differences in how visual attention interacts with motivational evaluations of food. The disrupted coupling associated with high-fat/high-sugar intake suggests potential alterations in attentional and motivational processes supporting appetite regulation. Understanding how diet shapes these cognitive–motivational interactions provides a valuable foundation for future neurocognitive research on overeating and obesity risk. Full article

Aim: To evaluate the status of the nutritional management of diet-treated IEM in Brazil from the perspectives of healthcare professionals, patients, and families. Methods: Data were collected through two nationwide digital questionnaires administered to healthcare professionals involved in dietary management (n = 37) and to patients and caregivers (n = 278), addressing professional training, workload, access to resources, treatment adherence, and socioeconomic factors. Results: Healthcare professionals from 20 out of the 26 Brazilian states participated, most of them female (81%) and dietitians (81%). Although more than half had over 10 years of experience, 59% considered their training insufficient to work with IEM. Only 19% reported exclusive dedication to the field, and 54% were the sole professional responsible for dietary prescriptions at their center. Weekly workload dedicated to IEM varied widely. Among the patients and families, phenylketonuria (60.4%) and glycogen storage disease (25.9%) were the most frequent conditions. Higher educational level and longer time since diagnosis were associated with a better understanding of dietary management (p < 0.05). Among patients on protein-restricted diets, most reported regular use of protein substitutes, although 92% reported poor palatability and 36% reported supply problems. Access to special low-protein foods was limited, and over half of the families reported some level of food insecurity. Conclusions: Significant systemic, logistical, and socioeconomic barriers to optimal dietary management of IEM persist in Brazil, highlighting the need for strengthened public policies, professional training, and equitable access to dietary resources. Full article

Sleep and dietary behavior are deeply conserved biological processes that co-evolved under ecological pressures shaping human anatomy, metabolism, immunity, cognition, and life history strategies. Major transitions in human dietary ecology, including plant-dominant hominin foraging, increased meat consumption, control of fire and cooking, agricultural domestication, industrialization, and postindustrial globalization, restructured nutrient intake, pathogen exposure, microbial ecology, metabolic demands, and temporal organization of behavior. Emerging evidence from evolutionary genomics, chronobiology, neuroendocrinology, and microbiome science indicates that sleep–feeding interactions represent a conserved adaptive regulatory module optimized for fluctuating energy availability and strong photoperiodic entrainment. Modern environments characterized by widespread availability of highly palatable, energy-dense foods rich in refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and multiple industrial additives, together with artificial light at night, continuous caloric access, sedentary behavior, and psychosocial stress produce a profound evolutionary mismatch destabilizing circadian–metabolic homeostasis. This mismatch is characterized by circadian disruption, temporal misalignment of feeding and sleep behaviors, and, in many populations, insufficient sleep duration. Within this conceptual landscape, the emerging framework of “evolutionary chrononutrition” proposes that metabolic health and sleep integrity depend not only on what humans eat, but critically on when food is consumed in relation to endogenous circadian architecture shaped across deep evolutionary time. This review synthesizes anthropological, physiological, and molecular evidence to develop an integrative evolutionary framework linking sleep and diet to contemporary cardiometabolic, neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and psychiatric disorders, with particular emphasis on how each major dietary transition plausibly altered sleep duration, architecture, circadian timing, neuroendocrine regulation, and the temporal alignment between feeding behavior and biological rhythms. Full article

Background/Objective: Highly palatable foods are pleasurable and motivational stimuli that activate the brain’s reward system and can induce overeating in the absence of physiological needs. This study investigated how different access patterns to a cafeteria diet influence food intake, body weight-related parameters, and metabolic and neurobehavioral outcomes. Methods: At postnatal day 31, forty male Wistar rats were assigned to a standard diet or a cafeteria diet with continuous, predictable intermittent, or unpredictable intermittent access. After 10 weeks, the open-field and sucrose-preference tests assessed exploratory and anxiety-like behaviors and reward-related responses, respectively. Body composition, serum biochemical parameters, neurotransmitter content, and mRNA and protein levels were analyzed in reward-related brain regions. Results: Intermittent access increased food intake on cafeteria days compared with continuous access, with unpredictable access yielding the highest intake. Continuous-access rats exhibited higher final body weight and fat accumulation than chow-fed Control rats. Despite similar body weight, both intermittent-access groups had higher visceral adiposity, obesity indices, and adverse metabolic outcomes than the Control group. All cafeteria-fed rats displayed anxiety-like behavior, and all groups preferred sucrose except the continuous-access group. Molecular analyses revealed region-specific differences in gene expression related to neuroplasticity, stress response, and epigenetic regulation that varied with access pattern and predictability. Conclusions: Our results suggest that, beyond diet composition, the pattern and predictability of food access are key determinants of feeding behavior. Intermittent access increases the motivational value of the cafeteria diet, promoting overeating and driving reward- and stress-related neuroadaptations with potential metabolic and mental health implications. Full article

Background: Hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD) is a rare neurological condition resulting from trans-synaptic degeneration of the inferior olivary nucleus (ION) following disruption of the dentato-rubro-olivary pathway, also known as the Guillain–Mollaret triangle (GMT). Although the clinical and radiologic features of HOD have been previously described, the precise temporal correlation between clinical symptom onset and manifestations on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains difficult to establish, and the factors contributing to accelerated disease progression are poorly understood. Case Presentation: A 43-year-old male presented with intracerebral hemorrhage involving the left midbrain, bilateral pons, and cerebellum. Serial MRI was prospectively performed starting four weeks post-hemorrhage, at which time no signal abnormalities were detected in the ION. However, at 9 weeks, T2 hyperintensity first emerged in the bilateral ION. Approximately 2 weeks after this finding, the patient developed characteristic palatal and lingual tremors, accompanied by a dissociated vertical pendular nystagmus that was predominantly monocular (right eye). In addition, severe dysphagia was also noted, with videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) showing aspiration across all diets. A subsequent MRI obtained at 13 weeks post-insult (two weeks after tremor onset) revealed newly developed bilateral ION hypertrophy, with the maximal diameter increasing from a 5 mm baseline to 7 mm. Follow-up MRI at 17 weeks post-hemorrhage revealed further progression with increased hypertrophy and signal intensity. Dysphagia persisted throughout the clinical course, ultimately necessitating percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube insertion. Conclusions: This case provides rare, longitudinal documentation of the clinico-radiologic progression of HOD, facilitated by a pre-insult baseline MRI and prospective serial imaging. Our findings provide a detailed timeline of the transition from signal abnormality to hypertrophy in correlation with clinical symptom emergence. Full article

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is prevalent in hospitalized geriatric and neurological populations and constitutes a major driver of disease-related malnutrition. Conventional texture-modified diets frequently rely on diluting solid foods with liquid agents to achieve safe swallowing consistency, a process that reduces caloric and protein density per gram and creates a so-called volume paradox, whereby large meal volumes deliver inadequate nutrients. This retrospective observational study, conducted at the Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS in Rome, compared nutritional intake in 208 hospitalized dysphagic adults receiving either a traditional homogenized standard diet (THSD; n = 58) or a density-enriched dysphagia-prepared diet (DPD; n = 150). Following propensity-score matching, total daily energy intake was significantly higher with the DPD compared to the THSD (1024 ± 307 kcal vs. 523 ± 161 kcal; p < 0.0001), as was total protein intake (37.3 ± 12.9 g vs. 26.2 ± 12.7 g; p < 0.0001). Clinically meaningful differences were observed across all meal components, including a more than twofold advantage in breakfast protein content (6.6 ± 1.7 g vs. 3.0 ± 1.5 g). Despite these improvements, total energy and protein intake remained below estimated daily requirements in both groups, highlighting the need for systematic nutritional monitoring alongside catering optimization. These findings support density-enrichment as a practical and safe strategy for improving nutritional adequacy in dysphagic inpatients, with implications for reducing reliance on oral nutritional supplements and mitigating disease-related malnutrition in clinical settings. Full article

Emotional eating under negative affect refers to eating responses that occur in brief unpleasant emotional states and are not explained by hunger alone. This narrative review synthesizes representative evidence from experimental, ecological, and neurocognitive studies on emotional eating under negative affect, with emphasis on two interrelated pathways. (1) Emotion regulation: emotional eating may function as a rapid and accessible regulatory strategy through which food, especially highly palatable food, is used to attenuate negative affect. The immediate soothing effects of eating may reinforce later motivation and habitual responses to regulate emotions through food, whereas more adaptive strategies, such as cognitive reappraisal, may reduce the likelihood and intensity of emotion-related eating. (2) Reward processing and biased decision making: negative affect and affective stress contexts may diminish cognitive control and bias food choice toward immediate rewards. This pathway is reflected in increased attentional bias to food cues, stronger weighting of taste and palatability during value weighing, heightened responsivity to highly rewarding foods, and reduced regulatory influence of health and nutrition attributes. These processes may shift food choice toward energy-dense, nutrient-poor, and ultra-processed foods. The nutritional manifestations of emotional eating are not limited to total intake. Changes in intake quantity are heterogeneous, whereas changes in food choice, diet quality, degree of processing, and eating patterns appear more consistent. Repeated emotional eating may therefore contribute to less stable eating patterns and potential nutritional implications, although links with long-term physiological outcomes remain indirect. Future longitudinal and ecological momentary assessment studies are needed to clarify when emotional eating becomes a stable dietary pattern and which individual or contextual factors increase vulnerability. Full article

Abdominal obesity (AO), assessed through waist circumference (WC), has become a validated complementary anthropometric marker for cardiometabolic risk assessment. Growing evidence suggests that emotional eating (EE), characterized by food intake in response to emotions rather than physiological hunger cues, may be linked to AO by promoting dysregulated eating patterns rich in palatable and energy-dense foods. This behavior may contribute, directly or indirectly, to excess visceral fat accumulation. An analysis of the current evidence was conducted to examine the psychological, physiological, neuroendocrine, and gut–brain axis mechanisms underlying the association between EE and AO, as well as to explore emerging interventions for its management. A narrative review of studies published between 2015 and 2025 was carried out using PubMed and Google Scholar. Search terms related to EE, AO, physiological mechanisms, hedonic hunger, diet quality, gut microbiota, and mindful eating were employed. The findings indicate that EE is associated with emotional dysregulation, chronic activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, increased cortisol levels, low-grade inflammation, alterations in neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and neuropeptide Y (NPY), as well as intestinal dysbiosis. These mechanisms favor impulsive consumption of palatable foods, visceral fat gain, and metabolic deterioration. Interventions such as mindful eating show positive effects in reducing EE; however, their anthropometric impact still requires further validation. In conclusion, EE represents an important behavioral factor in the development and maintenance of AO. Its management requires a multidimensional approach integrating emotional regulation, dietary modification, and psychobehavioral strategies. Full article

Although Tenebrio molitor is increasingly explored as a feed ingredient, uncertainty remains regarding the effects of high dietary inclusion levels in model animals. Therefore, this study evaluated physiological and behavioral responses to graded inclusion levels of T. molitor meal (25–45%) in the diets of adult female Wistar rats. The assessed outcomes comprised (i) clinical parameters, (ii) food and water intake, (iii) hematology and serum biochemistry, and (iv) behavior. Across the insect-fed groups, no unintended weight loss or excessive gain was observed; instead, animals modulated their feed intake in a manner consistent with maintaining a relatively stable growth trajectory, without signs of hyperphagia suggestive of nutrient deficiency or anorexia indicative of adverse effects under study conditions. Diet acceptance remained high throughout the experiment, with no feed refusal or behavioral evidence of aversion that might be expected in response to poor palatability or discomfort. Heart rates and respiratory rates remained age-appropriate, showing typical temporal variability. Significant between-group differences were observed in RDW, Retic (%), NEU (%, K/μL), EOS, PLT, and PCT (p < 0.05), while serum analyses revealed significant differences in AST, total bilirubin, creatinine, phosphorus, and BUN (p < 0.05). A moderate negative correlation between individual feed intake and body weight was additionally identified in selected groups. The results of behavioral testing reveal that the dietary inclusion of T. molitor meal at levels up to 45% did not reduce spontaneous activity or elicit anxiety-like responses, and exploratory behavior appeared to be preserved. Overall, the present findings indicate that the gradual incorporation of T. molitor meal at high inclusion levels supported normal growth, physiological function, and behavior in rats under the conditions studied. Full article

Background: Dysphagia is a medically complex condition that often necessitates modified food textures to ensure safe swallowing. As smoothies continue to grow in popularity, developing nutritionally balanced recipes that meet the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) Level 3 guidelines may offer practical, appealing options for caregivers and individuals managing dysphagia. Standardized recipes can potentially also support consistency in preparation. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to develop and evaluate palatable smoothie recipes that meet the IDDSI Level 3 consistency guidelines. Method: In this descriptive pilot study, using a pre-test/post-test design, 32 preprofessional students evaluated three smoothies prepared in a laboratory setting. Both fresh and frozen ingredients were used, and each smoothie was tested for IDDSI Level 3 consistency using the IDDSI funnel. Participants rated the smoothies on color, aroma, texture, flavor, appearance, palatability, and overall acceptability using a five-point Likert scale. Results: The results varied across evaluation criteria. Texture and color were the most influential factors in participants’ assessments. The strong impact of texture was an unexpected finding, as all smoothies met Level 3 standards according to the IDDSI funnel. Conversely, the influence of color was expected, as visual presentation is known to significantly affect food perception and acceptance. Conclusions: Given their nutritional value and ease of preparation, smoothies can be a practical addition to modified diets. While IDDSI Level 3 appears to be an appropriate consistency for this purpose, further research may be needed to evaluate the reliability of the IDDSI funnel in ensuring consistent texture outcomes. Full article

Background: Surgical palatal techniques are established alternatives to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in selective patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with retropalatal airway collapse. Anterior palatoplasty (AP) stiffens and advances the soft palate, whereas radiofrequency-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (RF-UPP) uses thermal ablation to reduce palatal tissue. This study aimed to compare the 6-month efficacy and morbidity of AP vs. RF-UPP in treating mild-to-moderate OSA. Materials and Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study (March 2023–March 2025) of 86 adults (mean age ~42 years; 69.8% male) with mild-moderate OSA (apnea–hypopnea index [AHI] 5–30) due to palatal obstruction; 43 patients underwent AP and 43 patients underwent RF-UPP. Polysomnographic AHI, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), snoring severity (0–10 visual analog scale, VAS) and sleep-related quality of life (functional outcomes of sleep questionnaire, FOSQ) were analyzed at baseline and 6 months postoperatively. Postoperative pain (0–10 VAS), recovery time, and bleeding events were also assessed. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar between groups (AHI ~22 vs. 21 events/h; ESS ~11 vs. 10; snoring VAS ~8.4 vs. 8.2 in AP vs. RF-UPP, all p > 0.1). At 6 months, the AP group achieved a greater mean AHI reduction than the RF-UPP group (−13.5 ± 7.5 vs. −8.0 ± 7.2, p < 0.001), with post-treatment AHI averaging 8.5 ± 6.0 vs. 13.2 ± 6.5 events/h (AP vs. RF-UPP). AP yielded a higher surgical success rate (34/43 (79.1%) vs. 23/43 (53.5%), p = 0.012), meeting the criteria of ≥50% AHI reduction to <15; p = 0.01. Subjective outcomes improved in both groups, but AP showed greater mean reductions in ESS (−5.5 vs. −3.1 points, p = 0.001) and snoring VAS (−5.7 vs. −3.1, p = 0.002). The improvements in ESS, snoring VAS, and FOSQ scores were observed in both groups, with significantly greater gains after AP. Postoperative pain and time to resumption of normal diet were higher in the AP group. No major complications occurred in either group. Conclusions: Anterior palatoplasty demonstrated superior efficacy to RF-UPP in mild-moderate OSA at the expense of increased postoperative pain and a longer recovery period. AP may offer a greater therapeutic benefit in appropriately selected patients with palatal obstruction. Full article

Dietary composition and the intestinal nutrient availability modulate metabolic pathways linked to nutrient sensors, generating molecular adaptations that influence birds’ feeding behavior and performance. The present study investigated the impact of reducing dietary crude protein (CP) and the essential amino acids (AA) lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), threonine (Thr), and tryptophan (Trp) on mRNA expression of the nutrient sensors T1R1 and T1R3, as well as on feeding behavior and productive performance in broiler chickens. A total of 64 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were allocated to four dietary treatments: a control diet meeting recommended CP and AA levels (target live weight < 2.0 kg; T1); a diet with 3% reduction in CP and full exogenous AA supplementation (T2); a diet with 3% reduction in CP and 50% AA supplementation (T3); and a diet with 3% reduction in CP without AA supplementation (T4). After a 7-day adaptation, a 32-day single-choice test offered an AA matrix, containing Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp at eight concentrations (0.1–3.5%) for 4 h/day to assess acceptability and palatability. On day 39, six birds per treatment were sampled from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum for quantitative PCR. Relative to controls, birds fed diets T2, T3, and T4 displayed lower feed consumption, daily gain, feed conversion ratio, and body weight (p < 0.050). These diets downregulated T1R1 and T1R3 mRNA expression (p < 0.001), indicating a molecular adaptation to the nutritional environment, and increased acceptability but reduced palatability (p < 0.050), suggesting altered feeding motivation and sensory perception. Overall, CP and AA reduction impaired performance and modified nutrient-sensor expression and feeding behavior. Full article

Background/Objectives: Low-fishmeal diets are widely adopted to improve sustainability in shrimp aquaculture, yet reduced palatability and metabolic stress frequently suppress feed intake and growth. We evaluated whether a crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) by-product protein hydrolysate (CBPH) could mitigate low-fishmeal-induced performance losses by modulating feeding-related metabolic signaling and gut microbiota features in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Methods: In an 8-week feeding trial, 360 juveniles (initial body weight 0.46 g) were assigned to three diets (four replicates per diet): a commercial control (CON), a low-fishmeal diet (LFM), and LFM supplemented with 2% CBPH (CBPH). Growth, feed utilization, whole-body composition, hemolymph biochemical indices (TP, TG, GLU, AST, ALT), intestinal appetite-related gene expression (5-HTR, CART, CCK1R, D2-like, NPY), and intestinal microbiota profiles (full-length 16S rRNA sequencing, V1–V9, PacBio) were assessed. Results: Compared with the LFM group, CBPH supplementation increased feed intake and improved feed conversion, restoring final body weight and growth rates to levels comparable to CON. CBPH also alleviated low-fishmeal-associated metabolic stress, including reduced AST and ALT activities and lower glucose levels. The LFM diet induced upregulation of anorexigenic genes (5-HTR, CART, D2-like) and downregulation of NPY in the shrimp intestine, whereas CBPH supplementation reversed these transcriptional changes. In addition, microbiota richness indices (ACE and Chao1) were elevated by CBPH relative to LFM, accompanied by compositional shifts at the phylum and genus levels. Conclusions: CBPH effectively alleviated low-fishmeal-induced reductions in feeding and growth, accompanied by coordinated changes in feeding-related gene expression, systemic biochemical markers, and gut microbiota composition, supporting its potential as a functional ingredient to stabilize metabolic responses in low-fishmeal shrimp feeds. Full article