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Purpose: Modifying gut bacteria in children with autism may influence behaviour, with potential to improve family functioning. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to assess the effect of prebiotics on behaviour, gastrointestinal symptoms and downstream effects on parental quality of life. Method: Children with autism (4-10yrs) were randomised to 2.4 g/d of prebiotic (GOS) or placebo for six weeks. Pre and post stools samples were collected, and validated questionnaires used to measure change in social and mealtime behaviours, GI symptoms and pQOL. Linear mixed models evaluated group differences for behavioural variables, and Mann Whitney U tests were used to compare change between-groups for GI symptoms, differential abundance of genera and alpha diversity of the microbiome. Results: Thirty-three parent-child dyads completed the trial. No group difference was seen for behavioural variables but both groups improved significantly from baseline. There was a medium effect size between groups for GI symptoms (d = 0.47) and pQOL (d = 0.44) driven by greater improvements in the prebiotic group. Bifidobacterium increased threefold following prebiotics (1.4–5.9%, p < 0.001) with no change in controls. Supplements were well tolerated, compliance with dose 94%. Conclusion: Prebiotics modify levels of Bifidobacterium and prove well tolerated but in this instance, resulted in only marginal effects on GI symptoms and pQOL. A larger sample of children with more severe symptoms could help to determine the potential of prebiotics in autism. Trial Registration: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12619000615189. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is an important life stage during which shifts toward more healthy and sustainable diets can be promoted. Adolescents have increasing influence over their food choices, informed by their developing personal knowledge and values, affecting long-term dietary behaviors into adulthood. The recent literature regarding adolescents' (1) perceptions of environmentally sustainable diets and (2) interventions to support adolescents to eat sustainably was reviewed in this study. We reviewed published literature that focused on adolescent participants and their perceptions of, or interventions to support, sustainable dietary habits. Five electronic databases were searched to include studies published since 2012 that met the inclusion criteria, including reporting of participants aged between 11 and 18 years, reporting on adolescents' perceptions of sustainable diets or interventions implemented to improve the sustainability of adolescents' diets, and framed in the context of sustainability. Data were extracted, including study and participant characteristics, methodology, and results in relation to each of the 2 research focus areas. Twenty-eight articles were included in the review. Findings suggest that adolescents' understanding of what constitutes sustainable eating is poor. Adolescents who had previously received education regarding sustainable diets valued nature and health, or were from a rural or indigenous community, were more likely to value environmentally sustainable-food choices. Interventions which target adolescents' understanding of and aspiration to make sustainable-food choices appears to improve their attitudes toward sustainable food, whereas interventions to increase the availability of sustainable foods improved the environmental sustainability of adolescents' dietary intake. Multicomponent, tailored, and community-based interventions were most effective; however, the long-term effect of these interventions remains unclear. More research is needed in low- and middle-income countries, with consideration of adolescents' level of autonomy in food choice in local food environments and the long-term effectiveness of interventions. Systematic Review Registration: Open Science Framework identifier osf.io/h3jz6., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute.)

Background: Online forums are a key source of information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for people affected by cancer, especially when information needs are not met in healthcare settings. This study therefore investigated nutrition-related CAM information seeking and sharing in online forums for people affected by cancer., Methods: This study was conducted in a major online platform that hosts over 10 forums for people affected by cancer and has more than 10,000 registered users. A search strategy was applied to the forums to identify discussion threads with nutrition-related CAM information from January 2020 to December 2023. Content analysis was used to code the topic of, reason for, and source of nutrition-related CAM information sought or shared., Results: Of 121 threads retrieved, 40 eligible threads contained 155 instances of nutrition-related CAM information seeking or sharing across 86 posts authored by 54 unique users. Most (89%) instances were information sharing rather than seeking. Topics commonly shared included using food items for medicinal purposes (e.g., ginger to reduce nausea) (25%), other sources of nutrition-related CAM information (e.g., book or naturopath) (17%), and oral nutrition supplements (16%). Most common reasons for sharing nutrition-related CAM information were strategies to manage treatment side effects (52%) and as complementary treatment (22%). Information shared was mostly sourced from personal opinion (44%) or experience (33%)., Conclusions: Information sharing about nutrition-related CAM is relatively common in online forums for people affected by cancer. Healthcare professionals should facilitate access to evidence-based information and advise caution when interpreting information shared in forums., (© 2024 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.)