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Nutrients May 2024The interest in meat alternatives has increased over the years as people embrace more varied food choices because of different reasons. This study aims to analyse the...
BACKGROUND
The interest in meat alternatives has increased over the years as people embrace more varied food choices because of different reasons. This study aims to analyse the nutritional composition of ready-to-use meat alternatives and compare them with meat (products).
METHODS
Nutritional composition values were collected in 2022 of all ready-to-use meat alternatives in Belgian supermarkets, as well as their animal-based counterparts. A one-sample -test was performed to test the nutritional composition of ready-to-use meat alternatives against norm values, while an independent samples -test was used to make the comparison with meat.
RESULTS
Minced meat and pieces/strips/cubes scored favourably on all norm values. Cheeseburgers/schnitzels, nut/seed burgers and sausages contained more than 10 g/100 g total fat. The saturated fat and salt content was lower than the norm value in each category. Legume burgers/falafel contained less than 10 g/100 g protein. Vegetarian/vegan minced meat and bacon contained fewer calories, total and saturated fat, and more fibre compared to their animal-based counterparts.
CONCLUSIONS
Minced meat and pieces/strips/cubes came out as the most favourable categories regarding nutritional composition norm values. Vegetarian/vegan steak came out the least favourable compared to steak, while vegetarian/vegan minced meat and vegetarian/vegan bacon came out the most favourable compared to their animal-based counterparts.
Topics: Belgium; Nutritive Value; Humans; Meat Products; Fast Foods; Diet, Vegetarian; Dietary Fats; Meat; Animals; Supermarkets; Meat Substitutes
PubMed: 38892581
DOI: 10.3390/nu16111648 -
Nutrients May 2024Many of today's recreational runners have changed their diet from omnivorous to vegetarian or vegan for reasons like better sport performance, animal ethics, positive...
Dietary Habits and Race Day Strategies among Flexitarian, Vegetarian, and Vegan Recreational Endurance Runners: A Cross-Sectional Investigation from The NURMI Study (Step 2).
Many of today's recreational runners have changed their diet from omnivorous to vegetarian or vegan for reasons like better sport performance, animal ethics, positive health, eco-aspects, or male infertility. Others have constructed the flexitarian diet due to current trends in sustainable eating. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the dietary habits and race day strategies of recreational endurance runners following current sustainable dietary trends. Recreational endurance runners (18+ years) were invited to complete the standardized online survey on socio-demography/anthropometry, motivations, running/racing history, food frequency, and race day dietary strategy. Chi-squared tests and Wilcoxon tests were used for the statistical analysis. In total, 289 participants submitted the survey; 146 subjects following flexitarian ( = 34), vegetarian ( = 50), or vegan ( = 62) diets were included in the final sample. Significant differences were found across the diet types: BMI ( = 0.018), fruit/vegetable consumption ( < 0.001), and the dietary motive of performance ( = 0.045). The findings suggest that the flexitarian diet may be appropriate for health- and environmentally conscious populations living in a meat-centered society and lacking social support to eat completely vegetarian/vegan. Following a plant-based diet is perceived as easy for health-conscious, athletic populations, and the vegan diet does not require a particularly effortful/complex race day strategy for endurance runners.
Topics: Humans; Male; Cross-Sectional Studies; Adult; Running; Diet, Vegetarian; Diet, Vegan; Feeding Behavior; Female; Middle Aged; Physical Endurance; Vegans; Vegetarians; Recreation; Young Adult; Diet
PubMed: 38892580
DOI: 10.3390/nu16111647 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The aim of the present research was to determine if the developed ovo-vegetarian sausage (SO), which was made with 15% chickpea flour, 51% albumin and 34% soy protein...
The aim of the present research was to determine if the developed ovo-vegetarian sausage (SO), which was made with 15% chickpea flour, 51% albumin and 34% soy protein concentrate, exhibited improved physicochemical and sensory characteristics compared to vegetarian sausages available on the local market (classic vegan sausage, SC; vegan fine herb sausage, SH; and quinoa sausage, SQ). According to the physicochemical results, the developed sample, SO, presented significant differences ( < 0.05) compared to the others, including higher protein content, lower pH and a higher a* value. Three types of sensory analyses were conducted-flash profile, overall liking and purchase intention (to determine consumers' willingness to purchase the product)-with the first involving 15 consumers and the second and third involving 60 participants each. Descriptors for each sample were determined using the vocabulary provided by consumers in the flash profile analysis. Descriptors for SO included 'elastic', 'smell of cooked corn', 'characteristic flavor', 'pasty', 'soft' and 'pastel color', contributing to its greater overall liking and purchase intention compared to the others. Through the hierarchical multiple factor analysis, a positive correlation was observed between the texture and sensory descriptors of the flash profile. Conversely, a correlation was found between the physicochemical characteristics (pH, a, color) and overall liking and purchase intention.
PubMed: 38890961
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111733 -
Appetite Jun 2024While moral concern for animals has become increasingly important for both consumer food choice and food policy makers, previous research demonstrated that meat eaters...
While moral concern for animals has become increasingly important for both consumer food choice and food policy makers, previous research demonstrated that meat eaters attribute lower moral status and mental capacities to animals raised for meat compared to non-food animals. The current research investigated whether this strategic flexibility in moral concern and mind perceptions also occurs when considering aquatic food animals and animals used for dairy and egg products, and the degree to which these concerns and perceptions are evident in pescatarians and vegetarians. We compared perceptions (mind attributions and moral concern) of land food animals versus aquatic food animals, and of animals in the meat versus dairy and egg industry between omnivores (n = 122), pescatarians (n = 118), vegetarians (n = 138), vegans (n = 120), and flexitarians (n = 60). Pescatarians scored lower than other dietary groups on moral concern and mind attribution for aquatic animals relative to farmed land animals. Unlike the other dietary groups, pescatarians and vegetarians scored lower on moral concern and mind attribution for dairy than beef cows and for layer chickens than broiler chickens. These findings demonstrate that pescatarians and vegetarians were flexible in their moral thinking about different types of food animals in ways that suited their consumption habits, even when the same animal was evaluated (e.g., dairy vs beef cows). This research highlights the psychological barriers that might prevent people from reducing animal product consumption and may need to be addressed in interventions to encourage transitioning towards more plant-based diets.
PubMed: 38880280
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107559 -
Allergologie Select 2024[This corrects the article on p. 57 in vol. 7, PMID: 37056444.].
Corrigendum of the article Reese I, Schäfer C, Ballmer-Weber B, Beyer K, Dölle-Bierke S, van Dullemen S, Jappe U, Müller S, Schnadt S, Treudler R, Worm M. Vegan diets from an allergy point of view - Position paper of the DGAKI working group on food allergy. Allergol Select. 2023; 7: 57-83.
[This corrects the article on p. 57 in vol. 7, PMID: 37056444.].
PubMed: 38872873
DOI: 10.5414/ALX02400ECorr -
Current Health Sciences Journal 2024Owing to ergosterol content, after UV irradiation yeast become a well-known source of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). Additionally, pharmaceutical yeast-based supplements...
Owing to ergosterol content, after UV irradiation yeast become a well-known source of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). Additionally, pharmaceutical yeast-based supplements may represent a suitable option for treating hypovitaminosis, especially in patients adhering to a vegan diet. Using the high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) methodology our study sought to analyse three commercially available yeast-based vitamin D2 supplements while comparing the effect of UV-C irradiation (254 nm) on yeast biomass derived from the brewing process and pure ergosterol. The two compounds were precisely separated under the described conditions in an efficient and quick manner with a retention time (Rt) of 4.152 ± 0.018 minutes for vitamin D2 and 5.097 ± 0.013 minutes for ergosterol. However, when approaching the quantitative analysis, based on our findings, it appears that the pharmaceutical supplements deviate from the declared amount of substance indicated on the label. 15 minutes of UV-C irradiation generates vitamin D2 in yeast biomass with a conversion rate of 1.78%. Also, high content of ergosterol, beside vitamin D2 formation after irradiation, may trigger the appearance of secondary products such as tachysterol.
PubMed: 38846468
DOI: 10.12865/CHSJ.50.01.12 -
Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County,... May 2024Healthy plant-based diets, such as the lacto-ovo-vegetarian and the vegan diet, offer numerous benefits to human health. Poorly designed plant-based diets, however, bear...
BACKGROUND
Healthy plant-based diets, such as the lacto-ovo-vegetarian and the vegan diet, offer numerous benefits to human health. Poorly designed plant-based diets, however, bear the risk for vitamin- and micronutrient deficiencies. Vitamin B12 (B12, cobalamin) is a nutrient of particular concern in both diets, and should be readily supplemented on a continuous basis to ensure adequate B12 levels and to prevent deficiencies.
CASE REPORT
This case reports describes the history of a healthy man in his mid-30s who adopted a vegan diet approximately 10 y ago. Well informed about the risks of vitamin B12 deficiency on a plant-based diet, he regularly supplemented methylcobalamin for years (single oral dose: 500 µg, 3-4 times a week) in order to maintain an adequate vitamin B12 status. In late 2023, however, he decided to cease B12 supplementation for undisclosed reasons. Subsequent to this decision, we closely monitored his B12 status and longitudinally measured serum B12, homocysteine, and holotranscobalamin (holo-TC). Total serum folate was also determined as it is a modifier of homocysteine concentration. A gradual decrease in holo-TC and vitamin B12 levels was observed after 4 weeks and supplements had to be re-introduced after 16 weeks. Homocysteine increased concomitantly up to 18.2 μmol/L after 20 weeks.
CONCLUSIONS
While a short-term B12 supplement intake cessation might be well tolerated by vegans with an adequate B12 status, an interruption of more than 8 weeks could signify B12 loss approaching suboptimal status. This case report reiterates the need for continuous B12 supplementation in persons following an unfortified plant-based diet.
PubMed: 38833779
DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2024.112498 -
Appetite May 2024Social media is an increasingly important yet understudied context for eating behaviors in general and veganism in particular. In four studies, we first explored and...
Social media is an increasingly important yet understudied context for eating behaviors in general and veganism in particular. In four studies, we first explored and described the information environment the platform Instagram presents related to veganism. Second, we examined how engaging with this environment is associated with offline eating intentions via psychological mechanisms. We scraped datasets of Instagram posts tagged with #vegan (44,316 posts in total) and employed network analysis with their hashtags (Study 1), as well as clustering with images and sentiment analysis with texts (Study 2). Studies 3 (N = 117) and 4 (N = 251) used online surveys to investigate associations between different forms of engaging with social media content, psychological constructs, and offline eating intentions. Posts about veganism were frequently related to food, health and fitness, cosmetics, and photography. Images most often depicted food (34.7%), non-food products (30.4%), people (7.9%), and animals (2.0%). The sentiment of most posts was positive. Being exposed to Instagram content about veganism was more strongly and consistently associated with eating intentions than active forms of engagement. Attitude and self-identity emerged as the most relevant mechanisms for these effects. Food is the most prominent yet not sole topic among posts about veganism on Instagram, and hashtags used in this context partially relate to motives for following a vegan diet. Exposure to this information environment might influence offline eating decisions via psychological mechanisms. With growing usage and its potential influence, social media should receive increasing attention in (health) psychological research and practice.
PubMed: 38801997
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107518 -
Nutrients May 2024With a significant portion of the population adopting veganism and conflicting views among nutrition professionals regarding the necessity of vitamin B12... (Review)
Review
With a significant portion of the population adopting veganism and conflicting views among nutrition professionals regarding the necessity of vitamin B12 supplementation, this review aims to explore existing studies evaluating interventions through food supplementation. It focuses on the impact of vitamin B12 deficiency across different demographics. The present study seeks to understand how research has addressed the relationship between the rise in veganism and vitamin B12 deficiency over the past decade. A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA flow diagram. Studies from 2010 to 2023 were identified using Boolean operators and key terms in electronic databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EBSCO (Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, and Academic Search Complete). Out of 217 articles identified, 70 studies were included. The topical analysis categorized the studies into three groups: those associating vitamin B12 deficiency with diseases ( = 14), those analyzing the dietary habits of vegetarian individuals (vegan or not) without a specific focus on vitamin B12 ( = 49), and those addressing food guides and nutrition institution positions ( = 7). The authors concluded that vitamin B12 deficiency is prevalent among vegans due to limited consumption of animal products. For vegetarians, supplementation is an efficient means of treating and preventing deficiency; a daily dose of 50 to 100 micrograms is advised. There are still significant gaps in the research, nevertheless, such as the absence of randomized controlled trials evaluating various forms or dosages of vitamin B12 among vegetarians and the requirement for more information and awareness of the vitamin's significance in vegan diets.
Topics: Humans; Vitamin B 12; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency; Dietary Supplements; Vegans; Diet, Vegan; Diet, Vegetarian; Adult; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Young Adult; Aged
PubMed: 38794680
DOI: 10.3390/nu16101442 -
Life (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Epilactose is a disaccharide composed of galactose and mannose, and it is currently considered an "under development" prebiotic. In this study, we described the...
Epilactose is a disaccharide composed of galactose and mannose, and it is currently considered an "under development" prebiotic. In this study, we described the prebiotic potential of epilactose by in vitro fermentation using human fecal inocula from individuals following a Mediterranean diet (DM) or a Vegan diet (DV). The prebiotic effect of epilactose was also compared with lactulose and raffinose, and interesting correlations were established between metabolites and microbiota modulation. The production of several metabolites (lactate, short-chain fatty acids, and gases) confirmed the prebiotic properties of epilactose. For both donors, the microbiota analysis showed that epilactose significantly stimulated the butyrate-producing bacteria, suggesting that its prebiotic effect could be independent of the donor diet. Butyrate is one of the current golden metabolites due to its benefits for the gut and systemic health. In the presence of epilactose, the production of butyrate was 70- and 63-fold higher for the DM donor, when compared to lactulose and raffinose, respectively. For the DV donor, an increase of 29- and 89-fold in the butyrate production was obtained when compared to lactulose and raffinose, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that epilactose holds potential functional properties for human health, especially towards the modulation of butyrate-producing strains.
PubMed: 38792663
DOI: 10.3390/life14050643