J Am Diet Assoc
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Fruits and vegetables, foods rich in flavonoids and antioxidants, have been associated with lower risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in adults. Markers of inflammation and oxidative stress are predictors of coronary heart disease risk; however, it is unknown whether these markers are related to dietary flavonoid and antioxidant intake in youth. ⋯ Study results show that the beneficial effects of fruit and vegetable intake on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress are already present by early adolescence and provide support for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans "to consume five or more servings per day" of fruits and vegetables to promote beneficial cardiovascular health.
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Although thirst and hunger have historically motivated drinking and feeding, respectively, the high and increasing consumption of energy-yielding beverages and energy-diluted foods may have degraded the predictive value of these sensations on ingestive behavior. Our within subject (ie, multiple responses from the same individuals), observational (ie, free-living, with no intervention) study explored the relationships between thirst, hunger, eating, and drinking patterns in 50 weight-stable adults (39 women and 11 men aged 30+/-11 years with body mass index 26.3+/-5.9). Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls were obtained for a consecutive 7-day period. ⋯ Further, energy-yielding beverages were the main contributor to fluid intake during both periprandial and drink-only events. These data fail to reveal associations between either thirst or hunger and ingestion of energy-yielding beverages, or strong associations between hunger and eating or thirst and drinking. These data raise questions about the predictive power of appetitive sensations for ingestive behavior.
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Children's food intakes do not meet dietary recommendations. Meals offered through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program make substantial contributions to school-aged children's diets. ⋯ Consumption of school meals is positively related to children's intakes of key food groups at lunch and breakfast. Offering more fresh fruit, whole grains, and a greater variety of vegetables could lead to additional health benefits.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A low-fat vegan diet elicits greater macronutrient changes, but is comparable in adherence and acceptability, compared with a more conventional diabetes diet among individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Although therapeutic diets are critical to diabetes management, their acceptability to patients is largely unstudied. ⋯ Despite its greater influence on macronutrient intake, a low-fat, vegan diet has an acceptability similar to that of a more conventional diabetes diet. Acceptability appears to be no barrier to its use in medical nutrition therapy.