Although animal protein is usually considered to be a more potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis than plant protein, the effect of protein source on lean mass and muscle strength needs to be systematically reviewed. This study aimed to examine potential differences in the effect of animal vs. plant protein on lean mass and muscle strength, and the possible influence of resistance exercise training (RET) and age. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Scopus and CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and 3081 articles were screened. A total of 18 articles were selected for systematic review, of which, 16 were used for meta-analysis. Total protein intakes were generally above the recommended dietary allowance at the baseline and end of intervention. Results from the meta-analyses demonstrated that protein source did not affect changes in absolute lean mass or muscle strength. However, there was a favoring effect of animal protein on percent lean mass. RET had no influence on the results, while younger adults (<50 years) were found to gain absolute and percent lean mass with animal protein intake (weighted mean difference (WMD), 0.41 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08 to 0.74; WMD 0.50%; 95% CI 0.00 to 1.01). Collectively, animal protein tends to be more beneficial for lean mass than plant protein, especially in younger adults.

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Background The consumption of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum), a rich source of carotenoids and bioactive polysaccharides, may serve as a potential dietary strategy for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management although limited studies examined its effects as whole fruits. Objectives To investigate the impact of wolfberry consumption as part of a healthy dietary pattern on vascular health-related outcomes and classical CVD risk factors in middle-aged and older adults in Singapore. Methods This is a 16-week, parallel design, randomized controlled trial. All participants (n = 40) received dietary counselling to follow healthy dietary pattern recommendations with the wolfberry group given additional instructions to cook and consume 15 g/d whole, dried wolfberry with their main meals. Biomarkers of vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, plasma total nitrate/nitrite, endothelin-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1), vascular structure (carotid intima-media thickness) and vascular regeneration (endothelial progenitor cell count, plasma angiopoietin 1 and angiopoietin 2), were assessed at baseline and postintervention. Serum lipid−lipoproteins and blood pressure were evaluated every 4 weeks. Results All participants showed an improved compliance toward the healthy dietary pattern. This was coupled with marked rises in total nitrate/nitrite concentrations (mean change wolfberry: 3.92 ± 1.73 nmol/mL; control: 5.01 ± 2.55 nmol/L) and reductions in endothelin-1 concentrations (wolfberry: -0.19 ± 0.06 pg/mL; control: -0.15 ± 0.08 pg/mL). Compared with the control which depicted no changes from baseline, the wolfberry group had a significantly higher HDL cholesterol (0.08 ± 0.04 mmol/L), as well as lower Framingham predicted long-term CVD risk (-0.8 ± 0.5%) and vascular age (-1.9 ± 1.0 y) postintervention. No differences were observed in the other vascular health-related outcomes. Conclusions In middle-aged and older adults, adherence to a healthy dietary pattern improves vascular tone. Incorporating wolfberry to the diet further improves blood lipid−lipoprotein profile and may lower long-term CVD risk. This study was registered at clinicatrials.gov as NCT03535844.

This work evaluated the potential of three commercial non-Saccharomyces yeast strains Torulaspora delbrueckii (Biodiva and Prelude) and Lachancea thermotolerans (Concerto) for beer fermentation. The fermentation performance, volatile and non-volatile profiles were compared. Growth behaviours of all three yeast strains exhibited similar trends during the initial fermentation phase although a marked population decline was detected in strains Prelude and Concerto, which also showed a rapid utilisation of maltose, while strain Biodiva was unable to consume maltose and consumed lesser amounts of amino acids. Additionally, terpenoids inherently absent in the wort such as b-caryophyllene and geranyl acetone were produced in all beers, significantly higher in beers fermented with strain Prelude. For volatile profiles, Prelude and Concerto produced more ethanol and significantly higher amounts of acetate esters and long-chained ethyl esters. Strain Biodiva, on the other hand, produced higher amounts of isoamyl alcohol and ethyl butanoate. Volatile compound analysisFor day 0 and day 14 beer samples, 5 mL was withdrawn and adjusted to pH 2.5 with 1 M HCl prior to analysis. Volatile compound extraction was conducted International Journal of Food Science and Technology 2020 Non-Saccharomyces and beer D. W. K. Toh et al. 2050 956.29 AE 18.63a 653.99 AE 31.65b 393.35 AE 28.71c 403.40 AE 26.71cANOVA statistical analysis, n = 3, with the same letters (a, b, c, d) indicating no significant difference at 95% confidence level. † Wort (day 0) results show the average concentration from all trials conducted.

Context Fruit and vegetable (FV) intake has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Beyond increasing FV intake, the incorporation of other healthy dietary changes may help to further attenuate CVD risk. Objective A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of increasing FV intake to &gt; 3 servings daily as well as incorporating other healthy dietary changes on classical CVD risk factors through a systematic review, meta-regression, and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Data Sources The following databases were searched: PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Medline (ProQuest), and Cochrane Library. Data Extraction 82, 24, and 10 articles were selected for the systematic review, meta-regression, and meta-analysis, respectively. Data Analysis Meta-regression analysis showed a dose-dependent response between the number of FV servings consumed in each intervention group and the blood triglyceride change value. Pooled weighted mean differences from the meta-analysis suggested that increasing FV intake to &gt; 3 servings daily contributes to significant decreases in triglyceride (−0.10 mmol/L; 95%CI, −0.18 to −0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (−1.99 mmHg; 95%CI, −2.28 to −1.70) as well as marginal decreases in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. While improvements were observed in the triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol response following the incorporation of other healthy dietary changes, no additional cardiovascular benefits were observed when FV intake was increased from &gt; 3 to &gt; 5 servings daily. Conclusion Increasing FV intake to &gt; 3 servings daily improves CVD risk factors, most distinctly triglyceride, especially when complemented with other healthy dietary changes.