Editorial: Compositional Diversity in Cereals in Relation to Their Nutritional Quality and Health Benefits

Notwithstanding a growth in popularity and consumption of gluten-free (GF) food products, there is a lack of substantiated analysis of the nutritional quality compared with their gluten-containing counterparts. To put GF foods into proper perspective both for those who need it (patients with celiac disease) and for those who do not, we provide contemporary data about cost and nutritional quality of GF food products. The objective of this study is to develop a food composition database for seven discretionary food categories of packaged GF products. Nutrient composition, nutritional information and cost of foods from 63 GF and 126 gluten-containing counterparts were systematically obtained from 12 different Austrian supermarkets. The nutrition composition (macro and micronutrients) was analyzed by using two nutrient composition databases in a stepwise approximation process. A total of 63 packaged GF foods were included in the analysis representing a broad spectrum of different GF categories (flour/bake mix, bread and bakery products, pasta and cereal-based food, cereals, cookies and cakes, snacks and convenience food). Our results show that the protein content of GF products is >2 fold lower across 57% of all food categories. In 65% of all GF foods, low sodium content was observed (defined as <120 mg/100 g). Across all GF products, 19% can be classified as source high in fiber (defined as >6g/100 g). On average, GF foods were substantially higher in cost, ranging from +205% (cereals) to +267% (bread and bakery products) compared to similar gluten-containing products. In conclusion, our results indicate that for GF foods no predominant health benefits are indicated; in fact, some critical nutrients must be considered when being on a GF diet. For individuals with celiac disease, the GF database provides a helpful tool to identify the food composition of their medical diet. For healthy consumers, replacing gluten-containing products with GF foods is aligned with substantial cost differences but GF foods do not provide additional health benefits from a nutritional perspective.

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Advances in Crop Improvement and Delivery Research for Nutritional Quality and Health Benefits of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2020.00029 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Chris O. Ojiewo ◽

Pasupuleti Janila ◽

Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur ◽

Manish K. Pandey ◽

Haile Desmae ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Arachis Hypogaea ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

Crop Improvement ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Arachis Hypogaea L

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Improving the nutritional quality and health benefits of wheat

Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods ◽

10.1111/j.1757-837x.2012.00138.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 136-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

P.R. Shewry ◽

D. Lafiandra ◽

Z. Bedo

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Quality ◽

Health Benefits

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Biochemical Composition of Eggplant Fruits: A Review

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11157078 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 7078

Author(s):

Meenakshi Sharma ◽

Prashant Kaushik

Keyword(s):

Biochemical Composition ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Matter Content ◽

Antioxidant Compounds ◽

Dry Matter Content ◽

Vegetable Crops ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative ◽

Pharmaceutical Properties

Eggplant is one of the most important vegetable crops known for its nutritive benefits due to the abundance of various bioactive compounds, which include proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, phenolics, and dry matter content. In addition, eggplant has significant pharmaceutical properties that have been recently recognized. Eggplant produces secondary metabolites, including glycoalkaloids, antioxidant compounds, and vitamins, which appear to be the major source of its health benefits. It has been reported that there is a considerable correlation between the regular use of phytochemicals and the defense against diseases. Therefore, researchers must analyze the biochemical composition of eggplants to obtain more information about their nutritional quality and health benefits. In this review, an attempt is made to explain the qualitative and quantitative aspects of different biochemicals present in eggplant, in addition to their beneficial health effects.

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Biscuits: a systematic review and meta-analysis of improving the nutritional quality and health benefits

Food Production, Processing and Nutrition ◽

10.1186/s43014-021-00071-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mahamadé Goubgou ◽

Laurencia T. Songré-Ouattara ◽

Fabrice Bationo ◽

Hagrétou Lingani-Sawadogo ◽

Yves Traoré ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Wheat Flour ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Foxtail Millet ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Potential Health ◽

Traditionally Prepared ◽

Fiber Proteins

AbstractBiscuits are ready-to-eat foods that are traditionally prepared mainly with wheat flour, fat, and sugar. Recently, biscuits’ technologies have been rapidly developed to improve their nutritional properties. This study aimed to determine the strategies of improving the nutritional quality of biscuits and the potential health benefits associated with them. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted, including articles on biscuits improved by technological processes and raw materials variation. Studies were searched from Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science published between 1997 and 2020, in English and French. The meta-analysis was performed using RStudio software, version 4.0.4 to classify the biscuits. One hundred and seven eligible articles were identified. Rice, pea, potato, sorghum, buckwheat, and flaxseed flours were respectively the most found substitutes to wheat flour. But the meta-analysis shown that the copra and foxtail millet biscuit fortified with amaranth, the wheat biscuits fortified with okra, and rice biscuits fortified with soybeans had a high protein content. These biscuits therefore have a potential to be used as complementary foods. The substitution of sugar and fat by several substitutes lead to a decrease in carbohydrates, fat, and energy value. It has also brought about an increase in other nutrients such as dietary fiber, proteins/amino acids, fatty acids, and phenolic compounds. Among the sugar and fat substitutes, stevia and inulin were respectively the most used. Regarding the use of biscuits in clinical trials, they were mainly used for addressing micronutrient deficiency and for weight loss.

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