This narrative mini- review summarizes current knowledge of the role of polyphenols in health outcomes—and non-communicable diseases specifically—and discusses the implications of this evidence for public health, and for future directions for public health practice, policy, and research. The publications cited originate mainly from animal models and feeding experiments, as well as human cohort and case-control studies. Hypothesized protective effects of polyphenols in acute and chronic diseases, including obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, are evaluated. Potential harmful effects of some polyphenols are also considered, counterbalanced with the limited evidence of harm in the research literature. Recent international governmental regulations are discussed, as the safety and health claims of only a few specific polyphenolic compounds have been officially sanctioned. The implications of food processing on the bioavailability of polyphenols are also assessed, in addition to the health claims and marketing of polyphenols as a functional food. Finally, this mini-review asserts the need for increased regulation and guidelines for polyphenol consumption and supplementation in order to ensure consumers remain safe and informed about polyphenols.

AbstractObjective:To estimate the impact of recent changes to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern on young children’s diets in family child care homes (FCCHs) serving racially/ethnically diverse children.Design:In a natural experimental study of thirteen CACFP-participating FCCHs, we used digital photographs taken of children’s plates before and after meals matched with menus to measure children’s dietary intake both prior to implementation of the new meal patterns (summer/fall of 2017) and again 1 year later (summer/fall of 2018). Generalised estimating equations tested for change in intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, 100 % juice, grain-based desserts, meat/meat alternates and milk, adjusting for clustering of observations within providers.Setting:FCCHs in Boston, MA, USA.Participants:Three- to 5-year-old children attending FCCHs.Results:We observed 107 meals consumed by twenty-eight children at the thirteen FCCHs across an average of 2·5 (sd 1·3) d before the CACFP policy change, and 239 meals consumed by thirty-nine children across 3·8 d (sd 1·4) 1 year later. During lunch, fruit intake increased by about a third of a serving (+0·38 serving, 95 % CI 0·04, 0·73, P = 0·03), and whole grain intake increased by a half serving (+0·50 serving, 95 % CI 0·19, 0·82, P = 0·002). No changes were seen in other meal components.Conclusion:Young children’s dietary intake in CACFP-participating FCCHs improved following the CACFP meal pattern change, particularly for fruits and whole grains, which were targets of the new policy. Additional research should examine impacts of the changes in other child care settings, age groups and locales.

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Introduction: Racism is increasingly accepted as a driver of health inequities, but little is known about how racism impacts cardiovascular health in young people. This paper tests the hypothesis that direct experiences of interpersonal racism in adolescence are associated with traditional and emerging cardiovascular disease risk-related behaviors using cross-sectional observational data. Methods: In Project EAT 2010, 1,396 young people (mean age = 14.4 years) reported how often they were teased or harassed about their race, a form of direct interpersonal racism. Participants also reported cardiovascular disease risk-related behaviors: traditional [smoking; not meeting moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendations] and emerging [unhealthy weight control behaviors; binge eating]. Multivariable logistic models assessed associations of direct interpersonal racism with cardiovascular disease risk-related behaviors, controlling for known confounders. Results: About 20% (268 of 1396) of young people reported experiencing interpersonal racism directly at least a few times a year. About one in ten participants reported binge eating or smoking in the past year and about half reported engaging in at least one unhealthy weight control behavior in the past year or not meeting MVPA recommendations. In adolescence, sometimes or frequently experiencing interpersonal racism directly was associated with greater odds of reporting smoking, binge eating and unhealthy weight control behaviors (see Table 1), relative to never or rarely experiencing interpersonal racism directly. There did not appear to be a further increase between “sometimes” to “frequently” experiencing interpersonal racism directly and odds of engaging in cardiovascular disease risk-related behaviors. Conclusions: These findings support a link between experiences of racism in adolescence and cardiovascular disease risk and further emphasize the need for structural interventions to achieve cardiovascular health equity.

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Objectives Examine the association between exposure to weight talk from same and opposite gender peers and overeating and unhealthy weight control (UWC) amongst racially/ethnically-diverse youth aged 11–16 using cross-sectional, observational data. Hypothesis 1: Increased exposure to weight talk from same and opposite gender peers will be associated with both overeating and UWC behaviors with variation in magnitude of relationship based on social source. Methods In Project Viva, 1023 early teens (ages 11–16) reported experiences of weight talk from multiple social sources (parents, siblings, same & different gender peers and teachers/coaches). The main exposure was weight talk, functioning as a proxy for a weight-centric environment, coded as low weight talk or high weight talk. At the same timepoint teens reported disordered eating (overeating and UWC behaviors). Ordinal logistic regression assessed the associations of weight talk with both disordered eating behaviors, controlling for known confounders. Results Preliminary results show that the odds of those exposed to high weight talk from peers of the same gender engaging in overeating or UWC behavior was 1.32 and 1.89 (95% CI,1.22 to 1.43; 95% CI, 1.06 to 3.37) times that of those exposed to low weight talk, both statistically significant effects, P < 0.001, P = 0.031. The odds of those exposed to high weight talk from opposite gender peers engaging in overeating was 2.43 (95% CI, 1.14 to 5.22) times that of those exposed to low weight talk, a statistically significant effect, P = 0.115. The odds of those exposed to high weight talk from opposite gender peers engaging in UWC behaviors was 1.69 (95% CI, 0.88 to 3.25) times that of those exposed to low weight talk, a non-statistically significant effect, P = 0.115. Conclusions High weight talk from peers of the same gender is significantly associated with higher odds of both overeating UWC behaviors in early teens. However, high weight talk from peers of the opposite gender is only significantly associated with higher odds of overeating. Funding Sources HC was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars Award. JM was supported by a NIH-NHLBI Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Faculty Diversity in Biomedical Research. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs