Reply to Inzitari et al. Comment on “Blancafort Alias et al. A Multi-Domain Group-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity, Healthy Nutrition, and Psychological Wellbeing in Older People with Losses in Intrinsic Capacity: AMICOPE Development Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 5979”

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Beverages and Desserts With Therapeutic and Prophylactic Properties Based on Alginate-Containing Biogel From Laminaria -- ``Vitalgar Cardio''

In this research, recipes were developed for beverages and desserts based on ”Vitalgar Cardio”, abiogelthat contains alginate, has therapeutic and prophylactic properties, and was produced from laminaria at the SPC ”Vita-Li” LLC. ”Vitalgar Cardio”, in its liquid form, as well as desserts based on it, is a source of soluble dietary fiber (alginates) and chemical elements such as potassium, magnesium and iodine, and is an adsorbent of various toxins, including radionuclides and heavy metals. The developed products have traditional appeal, with a focus on healthy nutrition, which is currently being promoted among the population. Keywords: Lamibaria, Alginate, Fucoidan

Comment on Blancafort Alias et al. A Multi-Domain Group-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity, Healthy Nutrition, and Psychological Wellbeing in Older People with Losses in Intrinsic Capacity: AMICOPE Development Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 5979

We read with interest the article by Blancafort et al. [...]

Research of the factor dependence of egg and egg products consumption in the subjects of the Russian Federation

Importance of consummating eggs and egg products in the diet of the population is determined by their high nutritional value. An egg contains a complete animal protein, it has consumer accessibility (both economic and physical) and prevalence in food markets regardless of the territory. The widespread availability (both assortment and price) of eggs and egg products to some extent can compensate for the deficit in consumption of other types of livestock products, which are often not available for socially vulnerable groups of the population with a low level of income. This food group is one of the most valuable products in the structure of rational consumption that meets the modern requirements of a healthy diet, which is reflected in the relevant Recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation [1]. The conducted research is based on the analysis of the main parameters of eggs and egg products’ consumption. The emphasis is made on the study of statistical information on the number of the living population; the prevailing average per capita money income; consumer average retail prices for the specified food group; the level of consumption, its compliance with a rational level that meets modern requirements for healthy nutrition in equal subjects of the Russian Federation, both in the region, territory, republic, autonomous okrug, autonomous region, and in cities of federal significance: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sevastopol. The result of the study was confirmation of the direct dependence of the reduction in the consumption of eggs and egg products as a result of a decrease in the population's income. The territorial aspect also indicated the existence of such dependence. All this allows us to assert that the fundamental factor affecting the level of consumption of eggs and egg products is the economic affordability of the food group, which depends on the income of buyers [11; 13].

Analysis of the Content Values of Sweet Maize (Zea mays L. Convar Saccharata Koern) in Precision Farming

The global precision farming area is constantly increasing, and precision sweet maize production developed the most. Sweet maize yield is above average in precision farming. Additionally, its role in healthy nutrition is becoming increasingly important due to new hybrids with high carotenoid content. Precision farming techniques are needed to produce healthy food. In particular, nutrient supply and irrigation, sowing, crop management and harvesting need to be carried out with precision techniques. These factors are all prerequisites for effective and healthy growing and processing. The aim was to use the yields of the four sweet maize hybrids grown on the largest area to examine their nutritional values and concentrations (mg kg−1 dry matter) and to analyse their yield per hectare. Concentration is important for the consumer because K, P, Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, and Na play an important role in metabolism, skin protection, and bone and tooth health. The new results obtained show that the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin per hectare is important for the processing industry, especially for use in food supplements. Their anti-inflammatory effects and their role in disease prevention (cardiovascular diseases, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)) have been demonstrated. Consumers choose sweet maize mainly on the basis of its palatability, which is why the sugar content of the hybrids was also studied. We assumed that the element concentration in the yield of new hybrids with higher yield per hectare does not decrease with increasing yield. The concentrations of zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene appear in one principal component and they are in close positive correlation with each other. The lutein concentration was independent of the former three compounds. The independence of the lutein concentration means that it is not possible to estimate its amount based on the other three components. For yield per unit area, the correlation is one-dimensional. Yield determines the lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene concentrations per hectare.

Understanding social influence of social media for healthy nutrition and lifestyle: qualitative insights (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Although previous studies have highlighted the negative effects of the promotion of unhealthy food and beverages on social media, there is limited understanding regarding the role of social media to develop social influence that can trigger social learning for the development of healthy lifestyle behaviour. This study intends to contribute by upgrading the knowledge on how advance social platforms can act as an effective educational medium for health professionals to engage with a community about healthy nutrition and lifestyle. OBJECTIVE This study intends to contribute by upgrading the knowledge on how advance social platforms can act as an effective educational medium for health professionals to engage with a community about healthy nutrition and lifestyle. METHODS The study took a social constructionist approach because such an approach can improve understanding of the social context of food consumption, living habits, use of social media and awareness about healthy lifestyle behaviour in the context of Saudi Arabia. This study collected data from health professionals (dietitians, psychiatrists, nutritionists) as well as the general public of Saudi Arabia using focus groups discussion and semi-structured interviews. RESULTS The findings of this study reveal that information and knowledge sharing among celebrities, friends, friends of friends, health professionals and patients created a social wave to learn from each other’s experiences and develop the motivation to practice healthy lifestyle behaviour. The painful stories of patients, warnings of health professionals, and the benefits of compliance with social influence led to improvements in health (happy mood, low diabetes and blood pressure, better mental condition) and increased motivation in the community to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviour. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study reveal that information and knowledge sharing among celebrities, friends, friends of friends, health professionals and patients created a social wave to learn from each other’s experiences and develop the motivation to practice healthy lifestyle behaviour. The painful stories of patients, warnings of health professionals, and the benefits of compliance with social influence led to improvements in health (happy mood, low diabetes and blood pressure, better mental condition) and increased motivation in the community to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviour.

DIFFERENTIATION OF CONSUMPTION OF BASIC FOOD PRODUCTS IN URBAN AND RURAL HOUSEHOLDS

The key task of the Food Safety Doctrine of the Russian Federation is to ensure that the population of the country consumes food products that meet modern requirements of healthy nutrition at the level of rational norms. The article presents a comparative analysis of the level of consumption of basic foodstuffs in urban and rural households for the period from 2010 to 2019. The imbalance in the volume of actual consumption of basic foodstuffs in comparison with rational norms in all households was revealed. At the same time, a significant differentiation in the volume and energy content of the diet was found between urban and rural households. The underlying reasons for the current differentiation in the consumption of basic foodstuffs by urban rural households lie in the income inequality of the urban and rural population and the level of development of the commodity infrastructure in the city and in the countryside. The implementation of the Food Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation is impossible without solving the issues related to increase of the economic and physical accessibility of food products for every citizen of the country, especially rural citizens.

A Framework for Assessing Food System Governance in Six Urban and Peri-Urban Regions in Sub-saharan Africa

An important goal across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and globally, is to foster a healthy nutrition. A strengthening of the diversity, sustainability, resilience and connectivity of food systems is increasingly seen as a key leverage point. Governance arrangements play a central role in connecting sustainable, resilient farming with healthy nutrition. In this article, we elaborate a framework for assessing, monitoring and improving the governance of food systems. Our focus is on food chains in six peri-urban and urban regions in SSA. A literature review on food chain governance and a mapping of current agri-food chains in the six regions provide the basis for the elaboration of an indicator-based assessment framework. The framework is adapted to the specific conditions of SSA and related goals. The assessment framework is then used to identify the challenges and opportunities in food chain governance in the six regions. The first testing of the framework indicates that the approach can help to identify disconnects, conflicting goals and tensions in food systems, and to formulate strategies for empowering agri-food chain actors in transitioning toward more efficient, equitable and sustainable agri-food systems. The article is concluded with a brief reflection on the strengths and weaknesses of the framework and suggests further testing and refinement.

Investigation of the efficiency of beet syrup usage in products based on nutraceutical principles

The nature of nutrition is the most important factor determining human health. Proper healthy nutrition maintains health, plays an important role in preventing chronic diseases in modern humans. The level of food product quality must meet the human physiological needs for nutrients and energy, and healthy nutrition also includes the concept of the preventive effect of food, or food as a risk factor for chronic non-communicable diseases. When nutrients are in improper proportions, nutrition is considered incorrect, unhealthy, irrational, and may play a role as a risk factor for the development of human diseases. The paper substantiates the use of beet syrup and beet in ketchup technology and the benefits of the developed recipes for human health. It also covers the physicochemical composition of beet syrup, which contains 93.5% dry matter, and sugar composition and content in beet syrup: glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose, the total sugar content is 48.8 g/100 g that is 50.2 g/100 g less than common sugar. The ratio of prescription ingredients, established by experimental investigations on organoleptic parameters, is substantiated. The water activity index was investigated, which constituted 0.92 in the second sample, 0.93 – in the first sample, and 0.93 – in the control sample, which will have a positive effect on their shelf life. The examination of the chemical composition showed that the protein content in the first sample increased by 33%, in the second sample – by 56% compared to the control sample; the sugar content reduced by 42.7% in the first sample and by 50.6% in the second sample; the vitamin C content increased; the fiber content increased 3 times; the developed products are enriched with iron, phosphorus, and potassium. The Nutri-score calculation showed that the samples developed according to formulas №1 and №2 belong to categories A and B and are more balanced and beneficial to human health, which indicates the high nutritional value of the products. In terms of the energy value, the developed samples have an advantage over the control. The energy value (kcal/100 g) of the first sample is 100, the second sample – 89.5, and the control sample – 104.

Babukhadiya K.R., Reshetnik E.I. Functional cottage cheese product enriched with non-traditional vegetable components

The article considers the possibility of expanding the range of fermented milk products enriched with natural sources of biologically active substances, which is an urgent task today, as it corresponds to the concept of state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of healthy nutrition. As a solution to this problem, it has proposed to enrich the curd mass as part of the daily diet. Promising plant raw materials of the Far Eastern region, such as Ahnfeltia tobuchinensis, a representative of the genus of red algae growing in the Far Eastern Seas, are used as functional and enriching ingredients; Dahurian larch wood extract – arabinogalactan (Lavitol-arabinogalactan) and peppermint (Méntha piperíta). Grounded ahnfeltia was used in the size of not more than 0,5 mm. On the basis of the analysis of the composition and properties of the applied non-traditional additives, the possibility of enrichment of curd products with dietary fiber and organic iodine from plant components has been substantiated. Optimal ratios of enriching prescription components to the weight of cottage cheese in a finished product are the following: ahnfeltia powder – 1,5%, arabinogalactan – 2,5%, peppermint – 1%. Also, when determining the optimal dosages of the introduced components, it is proposed to replace the prescription amount of sugar with flower honey, which is a natural sweetener and a powerful antioxidant. Organoleptic and physicochemical parameters of the finished samples have been analyzed. As a result of the research the functional curd product one portion (100 g) of which is capable to satisfy daily physiological need of an organism for iodine for 29,32%, in dietary fibers for 12,38% has been developed.