Vegetarian Diet Patterns and Chronic Disease Risk: What We Know and What We Don’t Vegetarianism continues to increase globally due, in part, to perceived health benefits. Results from observational studies indicate that vegetarian dietary patterns are associated with favorable cardiometabolic risk factor profiles and lower risks of chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes mellitus type 2, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Aside from avoidance of meat and the compensatory dietary alterations, vegetarians tend to practice lifestyle habits conducive to better health. Well-controlled intervention trials show minimal or no effects of lean meat intake on traditional markers for chronic disease risk, although biologically plausible mechanisms exist through which consumption of meat and other animal products could influence risks of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Thus, at present, the degree to which favorable health outcomes associated with vegetarian diet patterns are attributable to avoidance of animal products per se is unclear. This issue has major public health implications because more than 95% of the US population are regular consumers of meat and other animal products. This review aims to summarize the evidence regarding vegetarian diet patterns and major chronic diseases, explore possible explanations for these relationships, and identify research gaps and opportunities to better define the health effects of vegetarian dietary patterns.

A Commentary on Developments at USDA No abstract available

Capturing the Use of Dietary Supplements in Electronic Medical Records: Room for Improvement Of importance to federal agencies that administer healthcare facilities is capturing patient use of dietary supplements (DSs) to avoid potential drug-supplement interactions. Digital technologies, such as use of the electronic medical record and the electronic health record (EHR), are key to monitoring healthcare. The particular electronic software package and the healthcare professional using this software influence how this documentation is recorded. A survey was conducted to determine how information on DSs is being collected, recorded, and processed in EHRs across federal agencies. Four federal agencies providing direct healthcare services to large numbers of men and women in the United States were surveyed on current practices regarding the recording and processing of information on DS use on either an outpatient or inpatient basis. A point of contact for each of the following federal agencies was identified, and a 13-question survey was sent to each for completion: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Department of Defense Military Nutrition Committee, Veterans Health Administration Office of Specialty Care Services, and Indian Health Service, Office of Information Technology. All 4 agency representatives completed the survey. No agency used the same EHR software reporting system. Most EHRs have searchable fields that are in a structured format, but some information is free text and allowed entry by multiple members of the healthcare team. Three different medication formulary or drug knowledge databases were used across the agencies. Most agencies using EHR management systems have adequately described procedures for entering and charting information on DSs. The responsibility for charting, however, varies across agencies whether captured by the admitting doctor, nurse, dietitian, or pharmacist. Direct linkage between the pharmacy system and the drug knowledge database is a feature of the EHR for several but not all federal agencies. An unmet need still exists in the EHR to implement DS/drug interaction checks as many DS products have multiple active ingredients and, when taken with other DSs or prescription drugs, increase the likelihood of an adverse event. Establishing common EHR practices could facilitate monitoring the use and potential interactions of DSs with prescribed drugs.

Validation of a Self-reported Food Frequency for Overweight and Obese Children, Using Parental 3-Day Food Records: The 4yourfamily Study Background Many studies derive dietary information from child self-reported Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs). This may be subjected to misreporting, especially among overweight and obese children. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the validity of data acquired from child-reported dietary intake using a semiquantitative FFQ developed for assessing dietary habits of overweight and obese children in Greece, using parental 3-day food records of child intakes. Methods Validation analysis was based on 106 (from total 115) children (41% boys and 59% girls). Children were asked to report the frequency of their dietary intake, using the FFQ provided. Parents were asked to keep a 3-day food record for their children’s intake. Correlations and significance between methods were assessed via Spearman correlation coefficient and Wilcoxon nonparametric pairwise comparisons, respectively. Agreement between the FFQ and the 3-day record was performed using Bland-Altman method. Results Significant correlations, ranging from 0.32 to 1 (all P < .05), were observed between food consumption reported in the FFQ and recorded in the 3-day dietary record. High correlation was found for fruits (ρ = 0.988), vegetables (ρ = 0.985), dairy (ρ = 0.702), meat (ρ = 0.958), fish (ρ = 0.841), starchy foods (ρ = 0.793), sweets (ρ = 1), and beverages (ρ = 0.978). Medium correlation was observed only between the consumption of legumes (ρ = 0.329). No significant differences were found between reported FFQ and 3-day dietary record for most food groups and beverages examined. Mean intake agreement was ranged from 90.6% to 98.1% (Bland-Altman). Conclusions The FFQ used appears to be a valid tool for investigating dietary intake of food among overweight and obese children.

Intermittent Fasting During Ramadan and Its Effects in Individuals With Metabolic Syndrome This study evaluated the effect of intermittent fasting during Ramadan, the Muslim religious season of fasting, on body composition among 95 adults (65 male adults) with a mean age of 45.4 years with metabolic syndrome in Iran. The individuals were classified retrospectively into fasting and nonfasting groups based on fasting for a minimum of 10 days during Ramadan. Body composition, physical activity, and dietary intake were assessed both at baseline before the fast began and after Ramadan. Those who fasted a minimum of 10 days had significant reductions in body weight (−1.5 kg) and body mass index, body fat mass (−1.2 kg), fat free mass (−0.4 kg), skeletal muscle mass (−0.3 kg), and visceral fat area (−5.7 cm2). Also, they showed significant decreases in the total body water, intracellular water, 50-kHz whole-body phase angle (−0.13 degrees), and total physical activity. Fasting resulted in a 1.5-kg weight loss, of which the percentage losses were loss in body fat mass, 76%; body water loss, 18%; and protein loss, 6%, and also decrease in daily dietary intake during fasting in those who fasted. Fasting during Ramadan, which restricts the time of eating and caloric restriction, may be effective as dietary interventions in patients with metabolic syndrome to reduce body weight, fat mass, and visceral fat while retaining lean mass.

History and Perspectives on the Dannon Institute Early-Career Nutrition Leadership Institute Graduate nutrition training in the United States prepares graduates for careers in academia, industry, and government and nongovernment sectors by enhancing critical thinking skills and providing specific technical skills necessary for doctoral-level employment. However, it is often not designed to develop skills in leadership that are key to fully successful careers. The Dannon Institute’s Nutrition Leadership Institute was initiated in 1998 to provide leadership training to fill this gap and to enable early-career nutrition scientists to achieve their career goals. After 20 years of experience with the Nutrition Leadership Institute, this article describes the program’s genesis and evolution, captures its key features and principal outcomes as expressed by alumni, and highlights its value to its participants and the larger nutrition community.

Fake Nutrition/Health News, Part 3: How (and Why) Did We Get Here? The third in a 3-part series of articles on so-called “fake news” regarding health and nutrition science focuses specifically on false scientific news—exaggerated or misleading reporting of research, reporting of fabricated or fraudulent research, misleading press releases, and communication of Web-based scientific fantasies. The authors explore the origins of such misinformation and its context within the current proliferation of similar unhelpful “news” throughout the broader society. They call for educational efforts at helping the public better recognize scientific misinformation, and they offer suggestions on how nutrition and other health communicators might make consumers more aware and more skeptical of such claims as nutritional “cures,” medical “breakthroughs,” “miracle foods,” and alarming health scares in news reports.