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Background: The human gut microbiome is recognized as an important determinant of human health, yet little is known about how dietary habits are related to the microbiome in post-weaned, pre-pubescent children., Objective: The goal of this work was to link quantitative dietary intake with microbiome features in a diverse population of children consuming a predominantly Western diet., Design: This was a cross-sectional study., Participants/settings: English- or Spanish-speaking families with healthy children between the ages of 2 and 9 years were recruited from a community-based, early childhood learning center in suburban Los Angeles, California between June and September 2014., Main Outcome Measures: Children included in the analyses (n=75) contributed three fecal samples and three quantitative 24-hour dietary recalls using the multiple-pass method with an average of 5.7 days between samples. Microbial communities of each fecal sample were characterized using Illumina sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Dietary recalls were analyzed using the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Recall Dietary Assessment Tool., Statistical Analysis Performed: Associations between dietary factors and microbiome features were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman rank correlations, or permutational multivariate analysis of variance. For demographic and health-related variables, χ 2 analyses were used to test for differences between age groups for categorical variables., Results: Our results show that age is correlated with three metrics of microbiome diversity (P<0.05) and is associated with both community structure (P=0.0488) and membership (P=0.0002). Several dietary food groups and nutrients were likewise associated with microbiome features. For example, consumption of non-whole-grain foods was associated with community structure (P=0.0089) and membership (P=0.0057), but not diversity (P>0.05). Likewise, the relative abundance of several bacterial taxa were linked to consumption of particular food groups and/or nutrients, as illustrated by the positive associations between total fruit (P false discovery rate <0.05) and fiber (P false discovery rate <0.05) consumption with the relative abundance of the Lachnospira genera., Conclusions: This hypothesis-generating study demonstrates that the composition of the child gut microbiome remains dynamic beyond the age of 3 years and responds to dietary differences across individuals. In particular, non-whole-grain foods fortified with vitamins and minerals appear to be associated with the composition of the microbiome. Future interventional or model organism-based studies will be needed to test these associations between diet and microbiome composition., (Copyright © 2020 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Despite dietary recommendations that have repeatedly underscored the importance of increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, intakes worldwide are lower than recommended levels. Consequently, the diets of many individuals may be lacking in nutrients and phytonutrients typical of a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables. In the present study, we estimated phytonutrient intakes by adults categorised by sex, level of fruit and vegetable consumption (< 5 v. ≥ 5 servings/d), and geographic diet cluster. Intakes of nine select phytonutrients were estimated from the 2002-4 World Health Survey fruit and vegetable servings intake data (n 198,637), the FAO supply utilisation accounts data, and phytonutrient concentration data obtained from the US Department of Agriculture databases and the published literature. Percentage contributions to each phytonutrient intake from fruit and vegetable sources were also estimated. Estimated intakes of phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables varied across the thirteen geographic diet clusters, reflecting regional differences in both numbers and proportions of fruit and vegetable servings consumed, and the specific types of fruits and vegetables available in the diet. The mean phytonutrient intakes by adults consuming ≥ 5 servings/d of fruits and vegetables were approximately 2- to 6-fold the mean phytonutrient intakes by adults with low fruit and vegetable consumption (< 5 servings/d). In some cases, phytonutrient intakes by adults consuming ≥ 5 servings/d of fruits and vegetables in one geographic diet cluster were lower than the intakes by adults reporting < 5 servings/d in another cluster. The findings from this assessment provide important information regarding the major dietary patterns of phytonutrient intakes across geographic diet clusters.

Vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetable purchase were provided to low-income women participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Los Angeles, CA. As the program is currently constituted, the supplemental foods provided contain no fresh produce except for carrots for exclusively breastfeeding women. This study investigated whether providing supplemental financial support specifically for purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables would result in high uptake of the supplement, and what the individuals would choose to purchase. A total of 602 women enrolling for postpartum services at three selected WIC program sites in Los Angeles were recruited. Sites were assigned to intervention with vouchers redeemable at a local supermarket, a nearby year-round farmers' market, and a control site with a minimal nonfood incentive. Vouchers were issued bimonthly, at the level of US $10/wk, and carried out for 6 months. Of 454 participants who completed the study (75.4%), 86% were Hispanic, 7% non-Hispanic black, and 7% of other ethnic backgrounds. Assessment of uptake was by voucher redemption rates and was approximately 90% for both groups. Participants reported purchasing a wide variety of items at both sites. The 10 most frequently mentioned items were oranges, apples, bananas, peaches, grapes, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, and potatoes. In conclusion, low-income women used the supplement provided almost fully, and purchased a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables for their families. No particular barriers arose to redemption of the vouchers by either the participants or the retail vendors.

BackgroundPrimary care-based behavior change obesity treatment has long featured the Calorie restriction (CC), portion control approach. By contrast, the MyPlate-based obesity treatment approach encourages eating more high-satiety/high-satiation foods and requires no calorie-counting. This report describes study methods of a comparative effectiveness trial of CC versus MyPlate. It also describes baseline findings involving demographic characteristics and their associations with primary outcome measures and covariates, including satiety/satiation, dietary quality and acculturation.MethodsA comparative effectiveness trial was designed to compare the CC approach (n = 130) versus a MyPlate-based approach (n = 131) to treating patient overweight. Intervenors were trained community health workers. The 11 intervention sessions included two in-home health education sessions, two group education sessions, and seven telephone coaching sessions. Questionnaire and anthropometric assessments occurred at baseline, 6- and 12 months; food frequency questionnaires were administered at baseline and 12 months. Participants were overweight adult primary care patients of a federally qualified health center in Long Beach, California. Two measures of satiety/satiation and one measure of post-meal hunger comprised the primary outcome measures. Secondary outcomes included weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, dietary quality, sugary beverage intake, water intake, fruit and vegetable fiber intake, mental health and health-related quality of life. Covariates included age, gender, nativity status (U.S.-born, not U.S.-born), race/ethnicity, education, and acculturation.AnalysisBaseline characteristics were compared using chi square tests. Associations between covariates and outcome measures were evaluated using multiple regression and logistic regression.ResultsTwo thousand eighty-six adult patients were screened, yielding 261 enrollees who were 86% Latino, 8% African American, 4% White and 2% Other. Women predominated (95%). Mean age was 42 years. Most (82%) were foreign-born; 74% chose the Spanish language option. Mean BMI was 33.3 kg/m2; mean weight was 82 kg; mean waist circumference was 102 cm. Mean blood pressure was 122/77 mm. Study arms on key baseline measures did not differ except on dietary quality and sugary beverage intake. Nativity status was significantly associated with dietary quality.ConclusionsThe two treatment arms were well-balanced demographically at baseline. Nativity status is inversely related to dietary quality.Trial registrationNCT02514889 , posted on 8/4/2015.