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This study examined the relationship between total vegetable intake, including specific vegetable types with long-term late-life dementia (LLD) risk in older Australian women. 1206 community-dwelling older women aged ≥70 years were included. Consumption of total vegetable intake and vegetable types (yellow/orange/red [YOR], cruciferous, allium, green leafy vegetables [GLV], and legumes) were estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline (1998). LLD was considered any form of dementia occurring after 80 years of age. LLD events (comprising hospitalisation and/or death) were obtained from linked health records. Associations were examined using restricted cubic splines within multivariable-adjusted (including APOE4 genotype) Cox proportional hazard models. Over 14.5 years of follow-up (∼15 134 person-years) there were 207 (17.2%) LLD events, 183 (15.25%) with LLD hospitalisations and 83 (6.9%) with LLD deaths. Compared to women in the lowest Quartile (Q1) of total vegetable intake, those with higher intakes (Q3, but not Q4) had 39% lower hazard for a LLD death. Compared to Q1, women in the highest quartile of YOR intake (Q4) consistently recorded lower hazards for a LLD event (47%), hospitalisation (46%), and death (50%). Similarly, women with the highest allium intake (Q4), had lower hazards for LLD events (36%) and deaths (49%), compared to Q1. Women with the highest GLV intake (Q4) also recorded 45% lower hazards for a LLD death. Whilst total vegetable intake may be important, allium, GLV and especially YOR vegetables may be most beneficial when considering LLD risk. These results require further validation in other cohorts, including men. The clinical trial registry numbers are https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=368778&isReview=true, CAIFOS: ACTRN12615000750583, and https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=372818&showOriginal=true&isReview=true, PLSAW: ACTRN12617000640303.

Background: Higher cruciferous vegetable intake is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in observational studies. The pathways involved remain uncertain. We aimed to determine whether cruciferous vegetable intake (active) lowers 24-h brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP; primary outcome) compared to root and squash vegetables (control) in Australian adults with mildly elevated BP (SBP 120-160 mmHg inclusive)., Methods: In this randomized, controlled, crossover trial, participants completed two 2-week dietary interventions separated by a 2-week washout. Cruciferous vegetables were compared to root and squash vegetables (~ 300 g/day) consumed with lunch and dinner meals. Participants were blinded to which interventions were the active and control. Adherence was assessed using food diaries and biomarkers (S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide (SMCSO, active) and carotenoids (control)). Twenty-four-hour brachial ambulatory SBP and secondary outcomes were assessed pre- and post each intervention. Differences were tested using linear mixed effects regression., Results: Eighteen participants were recruited (median (IQR) age: 68 (66-70); female: n = 16/18; mean ± SD clinic SBP: 135.9 ± 10.0 mmHg). For both interventions, 72% participants had 100% adherence (IQR: 96.4-100%). SMCSO and carotenoids were significantly different between interventions (mean difference active vs. control SMCSO: 22.93 mg/mL, 95%CI 15.62, 30.23, P < 0.0001; carotenoids: - 0.974 mg/mL, 95%CI - 1.525, - 0.423, P = 0.001). Twenty-four-hour brachial SBP was significantly reduced following the active vs. control (mean difference - 2.5 mmHg, 95%CI - 4.2, - 0.9, P = 0.002; active pre: 126.8 ± 12.6 mmHg, post: 124.4 ± 11.8 mmHg; control pre: 125.5 ± 12.1 mmHg, post: 124.8 ± 13.1 mmHg, n = 17), driven by daytime SBP (mean difference - 3.6 mmHg, 95%CI - 5.4, - 1.7, P < 0.001). Serum triglycerides were significantly lower following the active vs. control (mean difference - 0.2 mmol/L, 95%CI - 0.4, - 0.0, P = 0.047)., Conclusions: Increased intake of cruciferous vegetables resulted in reduced SBP compared to root and squash vegetables. Future research is needed to determine whether targeted recommendations for increasing cruciferous vegetable intake benefits population health., Trial Registration: Clinical trial registry ACTRN12619001294145.  https://www.anzctr.org.au., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Dietary nitrate intake is inversely related to numerous contributors towards frailty, including cardiovascular disease and poor physical function. Whether these findings extend to frailty remain unknown. We investigated if habitual nitrate intake, derived from plants or animal-based foods, was cross-sectionally associated with frailty in women., Methods: Community-dwelling older Australian women (n = 1390, mean age 75.1 ± 2.7 years) completed a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Nitrate concentrations in food were obtained from international nitrate databases. We adopted the Rockwood frailty index (FI) of cumulative deficits comprising 33 variables across multiple health domains (scored 0 to 1), which predicts increased hospitalisation and mortality risk. A FI ≥ 0.25 indicated frailty. Cross-sectional associations between nitrate intake (total plant and animal nitrate, separately) and frailty were analysed using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models (including lifestyle factors), as part of restricted cubic splines., Results: A non-linear inverse relationship was observed between total plant nitrate intake and frailty. Compared to women with the lowest plant nitrate intake (Quartile [Q]1), women with greater intakes in Q2 (OR 0.69 95%CI 0.56-0.84), Q3 (OR 0.67 95%CI 0.50-0.90) and Q4 (OR 0.66 95%CI 0.45-0.98) had lower odds for frailty. A nadir in the inverse association was observed once intakes reached ~ 64 mg/d (median Q2). No relationship was observed between total animal nitrate and frailty., Conclusion: Community-dwelling older women consuming low amounts of plant-derived nitrate were more likely to present with frailty. Consuming at least one daily serving (~ 75 g) of nitrate-rich green leafy vegetables may be beneficial in preventing frailty., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Cancer survival is improving, making optimal management of long-term treatment-related adverse effects increasingly important. Exercise and a healthy diet are beneficial and regularly recommended in cancer survivorship guidelines; however, few cancer survivors meet these recommendations so there is a need to explore why. This study aimed to understand experiences receiving exercise and diet support among Australian breast and prostate cancer survivors during and following treatment, and to explore what support they would like to receive., Methods: Adults who completed active treatment for breast or prostate cancer were recruited via a private cancer care centre. Using a qualitative descriptive study design, participants attended in-person focus groups that were recorded, transcribed, then analysed using reflexive thematic analysis., Results: In total, 26 cancer survivors (15 breast, 11 prostate) participated in one of seven focus groups (4 breast, 3 prostate). Two themes were developed: 1) It was just brushed over, and 2) Wanting more. Theme 1 reports that exercise, and especially diet, were rarely discussed. If they were, it was often limited to general recommendations. Theme 2 shows that participants wanted more specific and personalised support, and information about how exercise and/or diet could benefit their cancer treatment., Conclusion: Despite strong interest in receiving personalised exercise and diet support, neither are routinely provided to Western Australian breast and prostate cancer survivors. If support was provided, there was inconsistency in the level and type of support provided. These findings identify important gaps in exercise and diet support provision to cancer survivors and will inform future strategies aiming to improve cancer survivorship care., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Assessing the relationship between vitamin K1 intakes, using region-specific food databases, with both all-cause, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality warrants further investigation to inform future preventative strategies. Consequently, we examined the aforementioned associations in the Perth Longitudinal Study of Ageing Women (PLSAW)., Methods and Results: 1436 community-dwelling older Australian women (mean ± SD age 75.2 ± 2.7 years) completed a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline (1998). Vitamin K1 intake was calculated based on an Australian vitamin K food database, supplemented with published data. All-cause and CVD mortality data was obtained from linked health records. Associations were examined using restricted cubic splines within Cox-proportional hazard models, adjusted for a range of cardiovascular and lifestyle related risk factors. Over 15 years of follow-up, 601 (41.9%) women died, with 236 deaths (16.4%) due to CVD. Compared to women with the lowest vitamin K1 intakes (Quartile 1, median 49.1 μg/day), those with the highest intakes (Quartile 4, median 119.3 μg/day) had lower relative hazards for all-cause mortality (HR 0.66 95%CI 0.51-0.86) and CVD mortality (HR 0.61 95%CI 0.41-0.92). A plateau in the inverse association was observed from vitamin K1 intakes of approximately ≥80 μg/day., Conclusion: Higher vitamin K1 intakes were associated with lower risk for both all-cause and CVD mortality in community-dwelling older women, independent of CVD related risk factors. A higher intake of vitamin K1 rich foods, such as leafy green vegetables, may support cardiovascular health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The impact of a Mediterranean diet on the intestinal microbiome has been linked to its health benefits. We aim to evaluate the effects of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with dairy foods on the gut microbiome in Australians at risk of cardiovascular disease. In a randomised controlled cross-over study, 34 adults with a systolic blood pressure ≥120 mmHg and with risk factors for cardiovascular disease were randomly allocated to a Mediterranean diet with 3-4 daily serves of dairy foods (Australian recommended daily intake (RDI) of 1000-1300 mg per day (MedDairy)) or a low-fat (LFD) control diet. Between each 8-week diet, participants underwent an 8-week washout period. Microbiota characteristics of stool samples collected at the start and end of each diet period were determined by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. MedDairy-associated effects on bacterial relative abundance were correlated with clinical, anthropometric, and cognitive outcomes. No change in the overall faecal microbial structure or composition was observed with either diet ( p > 0.05). The MedDairy diet was associated with changes in the relative abundance of several bacterial taxa, including an increase in Butyricicoccus and a decrease in Colinsella and Veillonella ( p < 0.05). Increases in Butyricicoccus relative abundance over 8 weeks were inversely correlated with lower systolic blood pressure (r = -0.38, p = 0.026) and positively correlated with changes in fasting glucose levels (r = 0.39, p = 0.019), specifically for the MedDairy group. No significant associations were observed between the altered taxa and anthropometric or cognitive measures ( p > 0.05). Compared to a low-fat control diet, the MedDairy diet resulted in changes in the abundance of specific gut bacteria, which were associated with clinical outcomes in adults at risk of CVD.

Background & Aims: Dietary nitrate improves cardiovascular health via a nitric oxide (NO) pathway. NO is key to both cardiovascular and brain health. There is also a strong association between vascular risk factors and brain health. Dietary nitrate intake could therefore be associated with better cognitive function and reduced risk of cognitive decline. This is yet to be investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between habitual intake of dietary nitrate from sources where nitrate is naturally present, and cognitive function, and cognitive decline, in the presence or absence of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele., Methods: The study included 1254 older adult participants of the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study of Ageing who were cognitively normal at baseline. Plant-derived, vegetable-derived, animal derived nitrate (not including meat where nitrate is an allowed additive), and total nitrate intakes were calculated from baseline food frequency questionnaires using comprehensive nitrate databases. Cognition was assessed at baseline and every 18 months over a follow-up period of 126 months using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Multivariable-adjusted linear mixed effect models were used to examine the association between baseline nitrate intake and cognition over the 126 months (median [IQR] follow-up time of 36 [18-72] months), stratified by APOE ε4 carrier status., Results: In non APOE ε4 carriers, for every 60 mg/day higher intake of plant-derived nitrate at baseline there was an associated higher language score [β (95% CI): 0.10 (0.01, 0.19)] over 126 months, after multivariable adjustments. In APOE ε4 carriers, there was an associated better episodic recall memory [0.24 (0.08, 0.41)] and recognition memory [0.15 (0.01, 0.30)] scores. Similar associations were seen for the intakes of vegetable-derived and total nitrate. Additionally, in APOE ε4 carriers, for every 6 mg/day higher intake of animal-derived nitrate (excluding meat with nitrate as an allowed additive) at baseline there was an associated higher executive function score [β (95% CI): 1.41 (0.42, 2.39)]. We did not find any evidence of an association between dietary nitrate intake and rate of cognitive decline., Conclusion: Our results suggest that habitual intake of dietary nitrate from sources where nitrate is naturally present impacts cognitive performance in an APOE genotype contingent manner. Further work is needed to validate our findings and understand potential mechanisms underlying the observed effects., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Self-reported adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been modestly inversely associated with incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in cohort studies. There is uncertainty about the validity and magnitude of this association due to subjective reporting of diet. The association has not been evaluated using an objectively measured biomarker of the Mediterranean diet., Methods and Findings: We derived a biomarker score based on 5 circulating carotenoids and 24 fatty acids that discriminated between the Mediterranean or habitual diet arms of a parallel design, 6-month partial-feeding randomised controlled trial (RCT) conducted between 2013 and 2014, the MedLey trial (128 participants out of 166 randomised). We applied this biomarker score in an observational study, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-InterAct case-cohort study, to assess the association of the score with T2D incidence over an average of 9.7 years of follow-up since the baseline (1991 to 1998). We included 22,202 participants, of whom 9,453 were T2D cases, with relevant biomarkers from an original case-cohort of 27,779 participants sampled from a cohort of 340,234 people. As a secondary measure of the Mediterranean diet, we used a score estimated from dietary-self report. Within the trial, the biomarker score discriminated well between the 2 arms; the cross-validated C-statistic was 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82 to 0.94). The score was inversely associated with incident T2D in EPIC-InterAct: the hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation of the score was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.65 to 0.77) following adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle and medical factors, and adiposity. In comparison, the HR per standard deviation of the self-reported Mediterranean diet was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.86 to 0.95). Assuming the score was causally associated with T2D, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet in Western European adults by 10 percentiles of the score was estimated to reduce the incidence of T2D by 11% (95% CI: 7% to 14%). The study limitations included potential measurement error in nutritional biomarkers, unclear specificity of the biomarker score to the Mediterranean diet, and possible residual confounding., Conclusions: These findings suggest that objectively assessed adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower risk of T2D and that even modestly higher adherence may have the potential to reduce the population burden of T2D meaningfully., Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12613000602729 https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=363860., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Authors declare support from the UK Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, Swedish Research Council and National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre for the submitted work. FI is a member of PLOS Medicine’s editorial board. PWF reports support for the submitted work from Novo Nordisk Foundation and consulting for Zoe Limited. JD reports grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis, grants from Pfizer and grants from AstraZeneca outside the submitted work. JD sits on the International Cardiovascular and Metabolic Advisory Board for Novartis (since 2010); the Steering Committee of UK Biobank (since 2011); the MRC International Advisory Group (ING) member, London (since 2013); the MRC High Throughput Science ‘Omics Panel Member, London (since 2013); the Scientific Advisory Committee for Sanofi (since 2013); the International Cardiovascular and Metabolism Research and Development Portfolio Committee for Novartis; and the Astra Zeneca Genomics Advisory Board (2018). ASB reports institutional grants outside the submitted work from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Biogen, BioMarin, Bioverativ, Novartis and Sanofi. Authors otherwise report no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.”, (Copyright: © 2023 Sobiecki et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

University food environments have a strong influence on the dietary choices of students and staff. The aim of this study was to assess the food environment at a large university in Sydney, Australia. Data were collected between March and July 2022 from 27 fixed food outlets and 24 vending machines. The healthiness of the food environment was evaluated using the Healthy Food and Drink in NSW Health Facilities for Staff and Visitors Framework ('Framework'), which assesses food environment parameters including the availability, placement, and promotion of 'Everyday' (healthy) and 'Occasional' (less healthy) products. Each parameter was evaluated overall and across each food outlet type. Across all outlets, Everyday foods and drinks made up 43.9% of all products. Only two outlets met the Framework's product availability benchmark of ≥75% Everyday foods and drinks. A total of 43 outlets (84.3%) sold sugary drinks as part of their product range. Occasional products made up 68.4%, 53.3%, and 59.9% of all items for sale at checkout areas, countertops, and eye-level shelves, respectively. Finally, 79.7% of meal deals included Occasional products. Our findings highlight the need to improve the availability, placement, and promotion of foods and drinks sold at a major university campus in Sydney, Australia.

The assessment of dietary patterns comprehensively represents the totality of the diet, an important risk factor for many chronic diseases. This study aimed to characterise and compare four dietary pattern indices in middle-aged Australian adults. In 3458 participants (55% female) from the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study (Phase Two), a validated food frequency questionnaire was used to capture dietary data between 2016 and 2022. Four dietary patterns [Australian Dietary Guideline Index 2013 (DGI-2013); the Mediterranean Diet Index (MedDiet); the Literature-based Mediterranean Diet Index (Lit-MedDiet); and the EAT-Lancet Index], were calculated and compared by measuring total and sub-component scores, and concordance (𝜌 c ). Cross-sectional associations between the dietary indices and demographic, lifestyle, and medical conditions were modelled with linear regression and restricted cubic splines. Participants had the highest standardised scores for the DGI-2013 followed by the EAT-Lancet Index and the MedDiet, with the lowest standardised scores observed for the Lit-MedDiet. The DGI-2013 had the lowest agreement with the other scores (𝜌 c ≤ 0.47). These findings indicate that the diets included in this Australian cohort align more closely with the Australian Dietary Guidelines than with the other international dietary patterns, likely due to the wide variation of individual food group weightings in the construction of these indices.

Increasing evidence supports that a higher dietary inflammatory index (DII®) score is associated with inflammation and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, events, and mortality. This randomized trial sought to determine if a change to a Mediterranean diet resulted in a reduction in the DII score, and then it evaluated the relationship between the DII and cardiometabolic outcomes following the administration of a traditional Mediterranean diet in older Australian adults. A total of 152 Australian adults (mean age 71 ± 5 years) was randomly allocated either a MedDiet (n = 80) or to continue their habitual diet (HabDiet) (n = 72) for 6 months. Diet and cardiovascular outcomes were measured at baseline and 3 and 6 months of the intervention. DII and energy-adjusted DII (E-DIITM) scores were calculated from 3-day weighed food records. There was a significant reduction in the DII score at 2 and 4 months for the MedDiet group (−1.40 ± 0.20 p < 0.001 and −1.47 ± 0.20 p < 0.001, respectively), which was significantly different from the HabDiet group over time (p < 0.001). The HabDiet DII score did not change significantly at the 2 and 4 months timepoints (0.47 ± 0.21 p = 0.35 and 0.54 ± 0.21 p = 0.21, respectively). The improvement in the DII in the MedDiet group was not related to any cardiometabolic outcome. Baseline cross-sectional analyses identified a positive association between the E-DII score and average BMI, body weight, WHR, abdominal adiposity, and SBP, and a negative association with HDL-C. We demonstrate that a MedDiet intervention significantly reduced DII scores compared with a habitual Australian diet in older Australians. This could be beneficial for healthy ageing and the avoidance of chronic disease in Western populations.

Background: In recent years, a potential beneficial role of Vitamin K in neuromuscular function has been recognised. However, the optimal dietary intake of Vitamin K to support muscle function in the context of falls prevention remains unknown., Objective: To examine the relationship of dietary Vitamin K1 and K2 with muscle function and long-term injurious fall-related hospitalisations in older women., Design: Cohort study., Participants: 1347 community-dwelling older Australian women ≥70 years., Measurements: A new Australian Vitamin K nutrient database, supplemented with published data, was used to calculate Vitamin K1 and K2 intake from a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline (1998). Muscle function (grip strength and timed-up-and-go; TUG) as well plasma Vitamin D status (25OHD) were also assessed at baseline. Fall-related hospitalisations over 14.5 years were obtained from linked health records. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression and Cox-proportional hazard models were used to analyse the data., Results: Over 14.5 years of follow-up (14,774 person-years), 535 (39.7%) women experienced a fall-related hospitalisation. Compared to women with the lowest Vitamin K1 intake (Quartile 1, median 49 µg/d), those with the highest intake (Quartile 4, median 120 µg/d) had 29% lower odds (OR 0.71 95%CI 0.52-0.97) for slow TUG performance (>10.2 s), and 26% lower relative hazards of a fall-related hospitalisation (HR 0.74 95%CI 0.59-0.93) after multivariable adjustment. These associations were non-linear and plateaued at moderate intakes of ~70-100 µg/d. There was no relation to grip strength. Vitamin K2 intakes were not associated with muscle function or falls., Conclusion: A higher habitual Vitamin K1 intake was associated with better physical function and lower long-term injurious falls risk in community-dwelling older women. In the context of musculoskeletal health, Vitamin K1 found abundantly in green leafy vegetables should be promoted., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflicts of interest.

This study examined the association between dietary Vitamin K1 intake with fracture-related hospitalizations over 14.5 years in community-dwelling older Australian women ( n = 1373, ≥70 years). Dietary Vitamin K1 intake at baseline (1998) was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire and a new Australian Vitamin K nutrient database, which was supplemented with published data. Over 14.5 years, any fracture ( n = 404, 28.3%) and hip fracture ( n = 153, 10.7%) related hospitalizations were captured using linked health data. Plasma Vitamin D status (25OHD) and the ratio of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) to total osteocalcin (tOC) from serum was assessed at baseline. Estimates of dietary Vitamin K1 intake were supported by a significant inverse association with ucOC : tOC; a marker of Vitamin K status ( r = -0.12, p < 0.001). Compared to women with the lowest Vitamin K1 intake (Quartile 1, <61 μg d -1 ), women with the highest Vitamin K1 intake (Quartile 4, ≥99 μg d -1 ) had lower hazards for any fracture- (HR 0.69 95%CI 0.52-0.91, p < 0.001) and hip fracture-related hospitalization (HR 0.51 95%CI 0.32-0.79, p < 0.001), independent of 25OHD levels, as part of multivariable-adjusted analysis. Spline analysis suggested a nadir in the relative hazard for any fracture-related hospitalizations at a Vitamin K1 intake of approximately 100 μg day -1 . For hip fractures, a similar relationship was apparent. Higher dietary Vitamin K1 is associated with lower long-term risk for any fracture- and hip fracture-related hospitalizations in community-dwelling older women.

Purpose: Higher total fruit and vegetable (FV) intakes have been associated with lower perceived stress. The relationship between specific types of FV and perceived stress remains uncertain. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to explore the relationship between consumption of specific types of FV with perceived stress in a population-based cohort of men and women aged ≥ 25 years from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) Study., Methods: Dietary intake was assessed using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (n = 8,640). Perceived stress was evaluated using a validated Perceived Stress Questionnaire, with values ranging 0-1 (lowest to highest). High perceived stress cut-offs of ≥0.34 for men and ≥0.39 for women were obtained from the highest quartile of the perceived stress score for each sex. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression was performed to investigate the associations., Results: The mean age of participants (50.1% females) was 47.8 (SD 15) years. Persons in the highest, versus lowest, quartiles of apples and pears, orange and other citrus, and banana intakes had a significantly lower odds (24-31%) of having high perceived stress. Similarly, persons with higher intakes of cruciferous, yellow/orange/red, and legume vegetables had significantly lower odds (25-27%) of having high perceived stress., Conclusion: In Australian adults, a higher consumption of apples and pears, oranges and other citrus, and bananas, as well as cruciferous, yellow/orange/red, and legume vegetables were associated with lower odds of having high perceived stress. The recommendations of "eating a rainbow" of colours may assist in preventing and/or reducing perceived stress., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Mediterranean populations enjoy the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), but is it feasible to implement such a pattern beyond the Mediterranean region? The MedLey trial, a 6-month MedDiet intervention vs habitual diet in older Australians, demonstrated that the participants could maintain high adherence to a MedDiet for 6 months. The MedDiet resulted in improved systolic blood pressure (BP), endothelial dilatation, oxidative stress, and plasma triglycerides in comparison with the habitual diet. We sought to determine if 12 months after finishing the MedLey study, the participants maintained their adherence to the MedDiet principles and whether the reduction in the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors that were seen in the trial were sustained. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire, and a 15-point MedDiet adherence score (MDAS; greater score = greater adherence) was calculated. Home BP was measured over 6 days, BMI was assessed, and fasting plasma triglycerides were measured. The data were analysed using intention-to-treat linear mixed effects models with a group × time interaction term, comparing data at baseline, 2, 4, and 18 months (12 months post-trial). At 18 months (12 months after finishing the MedLey study), the MedDiet group had a MDAS of 7.9 ± 0.3, compared to 9.6 ± 0.2 at 4 months (p < 0.0001), and 6.7 ± 0.2 (p < 0.0001), at baseline. The MDAS in the HabDiet group remained unchanged over the 18-month period (18 months 6.9 ± 0.3, 4 months 6.9 ± 0.2, baseline 6.7 ± 0.2). In the MedDiet group, the consumption of olive oil, legumes, fish, and vegetables remained higher (p < 0.01, compared with baseline) and discretionary food consumption remained lower (p = 0.02) at 18 months. These data show that some MedDiet principles could be adhered to for 12 months after finishing the MedLey trial. However, improvements in cardiometabolic health markers, including BP and plasma triglycerides, were not sustained. The results indicate that further dietary support for behaviour change may be beneficial to maintaining high adherence and metabolic benefits of the MedDiet.

Studies examining the association between flavonoid intake and measures of insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, as markers of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) across the adult lifespan, may provide insights into how flavonoids influence T2DM risk. This study examined the cross-sectional associations between flavonoid intakes, from dietary sources other than tea, and biomarkers of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in adults aged 25 years and older participating in the Australian diabetes, obesity and lifestyle (AusDiab) study. Additionally, longitudinal associations between non-tea flavonoid intakes and incident T2DM over 12 years were explored. Eligible participants ( n = 7675) had no previous history of T2DM and had completed a food-frequency questionnaire at baseline (1999-2000) from which flavonoid intakes were calculated using United States Department of Agriculture Databases. Restricted cubic splines in regression models were used to examine cross-sectional associations between intakes of total non-tea flavonoids and selected flavonoid subclasses and measures of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity including glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA2-% β) and insulin sensitivity (HOMA2-% S), 2-hour post load plasma glucose (PLG), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting insulin levels. Associations between flavonoid intakes and T2DM risk were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. Cross-sectionally, significant beneficial associations were observed for intakes of total flavonoids and the flavan-3-ol-monomer, proanthocyanidin, flavonol and anthocyanidin subclasses with measures of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity ( P < 0.05 for all), except fasting plasma glucose. During follow-up, 344 incident T2DM cases were recorded. Participants with the highest total flavonoid intake had a 21% lower risk of T2DM over 12 years, although this was not statistically significant in multivariable adjusted models [HR (95% CI): 0.79 (0.57, 1.09)]. This study provides some evidence that consuming flavonoid-rich foods may be protective against T2DM through mechanisms related to glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

Background: The dose-response relationship of vitamin D status and the risk of serious falls requiring hospitalization in older women is unclear. We examined the association between plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) with falls-related hospitalizations over 14.5 years in a large cohort of older women., Methods: In 1348 community-dwelling Australian women aged ≥70 years, plasma 25OHD concentrations were assessed at baseline (1998) using LC-MS/MS. Fall-related hospitalizations were obtained from linked data systems. Baseline grip strength and timed-up-and-go (TUG) were assessed as measures of muscle strength and physical function, respectively., Results: Mean plasma 25OHD was 66.9 ± 28.2 nmol/L. The number of women in the low (LOW; <50 nmol/L), medium (MED; 50 to <75 nmol/L), and higher 25OHD (HIGH; ≥75 nmol/L) categories were 384 (28.5%), 491 (36.4%), and 473 (35.1%), respectively. In the multivariable-adjusted analysis, compared to LOW, women in HIGH had significantly lower hazards for a falls-related hospitalization (HR 0.76 95%CI 0.61-0.95). Restricted cubic spline regression models highlight increasing gradient of risk for a falls-related hospitalization with decreasing 25OHD levels. Generalized additive modeling highlighted higher 25OHD to be associated with better TUG performance. Including TUG into the multivariable-adjusted models did not alter the relationship between 25OHD and injurious falls (HIGH vs. LOW HR 0.76 95%CI 0.60-0.95)., Conclusions: In community-dwelling older Australian women, maintaining plasma 25OHD at 75 nmol/L or above may confer benefits to muscle function and long-term prevention of injurious falls requiring hospitalization. This relationship appears to be independent of better physical function observed in women with higher 25OHD levels., (© 2021 The American Geriatrics Society.)

Purpose: To investigate the relationship of habitual FV intake, different types of FV, and vegetable diversity with depressive symptoms., Methods: Australian men and women (n = 4105) aged > 25 years from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study were included. Dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire at baseline, 5 and 12 years. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the validated 10-item Centre for Epidemiology Studies Short Depression Scale at 12 years. Multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between the exposures of interest and depressive symptoms using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) across quartiles of FV intake and vegetable diversity. Analyses were multivariable-adjusted for confounding factors., Results: At 12 years, 425 (10.4%) participants had "any depressive symptoms". Habitual FV intake was inversely associated with depressive symptoms at 12 years. After adjustment, participants in quartile 2 of FV intake (Q2; median 317 g/day) had a 20% lower odds of having any depressive symptoms (OR [95% CI] 0.80 [0.69, 0.95]) in comparison to those in the lowest quartile of FV intake (Q1; median 223 g/day). Yellow/orange/red and leafy green vegetables were the key vegetable types driving this association. Higher vegetable diversity (4-6 different vegetables/day) was associated with a 24-42% lower odds of having depressive symptoms when compared to < 3 different vegetables/day. The associations remained similar after further adjusting for diet quality., Conclusion: A FV-rich diet, consisting of a diverse range of vegetables, particularly yellow/orange/red and leafy green vegetables may help to lower depressive symptoms. Promoting such a diet, particularly in men and women with a low FV intake, may have a significant public health impact., (© 2021. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Context: Fruit, but not fruit juice, intake is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, questions remain about the mechanisms by which fruits may confer protection., Objective: The aims of this work were to examine associations between intake of fruit types and 1) measures of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and 2) diabetes at follow-up., Methods: Among participants of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study, fruit and fruit juice intake was assessed by food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Associations between fruit and fruit juice intake and 1) fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour postload plasma glucose, updated homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance of β-cell function (HOMA2-%β), HOMA2 of insulin sensitivity (HOMA2-%S), and fasting insulin levels at baseline and 2) the presence of diabetes at follow-up (5 and 12 years) were assessed using restricted cubic splines in logistic and linear regression models., Results: This population of 7675 Australians (45% males) had a mean ± SD age of 54 ± 12 years at baseline. Total fruit intake was inversely associated with serum insulin and HOMA2-%β, and positively associated with HOMA2-%S at baseline. Compared to participants with the lowest intakes (quartile 1), participants with moderate total fruit intakes (quartile 3) had 36% lower odds of having diabetes at 5 years (odds ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.44-0.92), after adjusting for dietary and lifestyle confounders. Associations with 12-year outcomes were not statistically significant., Conclusion: A healthy diet including whole fruits, but not fruit juice, may play a role in mitigating T2DM risk., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.)

Backgrounds and Aims: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is associated with weaker grip strength, an established risk factor for fall-related hospitalizations. However, its association with long-term fall-related hospitalisations remains unknown. This study investigated the association between AAC and long-term fall-related hospitalizations in community-dwelling older women., Methods: Fall-related hospitalizations were obtained from linked data over 14.5-years in a prospective cohort of 1053 older women (mean age 75.0 ± 2.6 years). At baseline (1998/99), AAC was assessed from lateral spine images obtained using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and scored using a semi-quantitative method (AAC24, range 0-24). The presence of any AAC was defined by AAC24 ≥ 1., Results: Over 14.5-years, 413 (39.2%) women experienced a fall-related hospitalization. In the multivariable-adjusted model, each unit increase in baseline AAC24 was associated with a 3% increase in relative hazards for a fall-related hospitalization (HR 1.03 95%CI, 1.01 to 1.07). Compared to women with no AAC, women with any AAC had a 40% (HR 1.40 95%CI, 1.11 to 1.76) and 39% (HR 1.39 95%CI, 1.10 to 1.76) greater risk for fall-related hospitalizations in the minimal and multivariable-adjusted models, respectively. This relationship was not attenuated by including measures of muscle function such as grip strength and timed-up-and-go., Conclusions: The presence of AAC is associated with long-term fall-related hospitalizations risk, independent of muscle function, in community-dwelling older women. Concurrent assessment of AAC may be a simple and cost-effective way to identify older women at higher risk of falling as part of routine osteoporosis screening., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Increasing prevalence of mental health disorders within the Australian population is a serious public health issue. Adequate intake of fruits and vegetables (FV), dietary fibre (DF) and resistant starch (RS) is associated with better mental and physical health. Few longitudinal studies exist exploring the temporal relationship. Using a validated food frequency questionnaire, we examined baseline FV intakes of 5845 Australian adults from the AusDiab study and estimated food group-derived DF and RS using data from the literature. Perceived mental health was assessed at baseline and 5 year follow up using SF-36 mental component summary scores (MCS). We conducted baseline cross-sectional analysis and prospective analysis of baseline dietary intake with perceived mental health at 5 years. Higher baseline FV and FV-derived DF and RS intakes were associated with better 5 year MCS ( p < 0.001). A higher FV intake (754 g/d vs. 251 g/d, Q4 vs. Q1) at baseline had 41% lower odds (OR = 0.59: 95% CI 0.46-0.75) of MCS below population average (<47) at 5 year follow up. Findings were similar for FV-derived DF and RS. An inverse association was observed with discretionary food-derived DF and RS. This demonstrates the association between higher intakes of FV and FV-derived DF and RS with better 5 year mental health outcomes. Further RCTs are necessary to understand mechanisms that underlie this association including elucidation of causal effects.

Understanding the relationship between fruit and vegetable knowledge (FVK) and fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) is an important consideration for improved public health and successful targeting of health promotion messaging. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between FVK and FVI in Australian adults and to identify subgroups most at risk of poor knowledge. Using data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab), we investigated associations between FVK and FVI, as well as demographic and lifestyle factors. Baseline FVK was measured using two self-reported questions. FVI was assessed using a validated, self-reported, food frequency questionnaire in 1999/00 (baseline), 2004/05, and 2011/12. Amongst the 8966 participants assessed at baseline, 24.1% had adequate, 73.0% had insufficient, and 2.9% had poor FVK. Using linear regression, those with insufficient or poor FVK reported significantly lower FVI (grams/day) compared to those with adequate FVK: baseline (coefficient (95%CI)): -67.1 (-80.0, -54.3) and -124.0 (-142.9, -105.1), respectively, whilst, at 12 years, the differences were -42.5 (-54.6, -30.5) and -94.6 (-133.8, -55.5) grams/day, respectively (all p < 0.001). Poor FVK was more likely to be reported in males, older individuals (>65 years), socio-economically disadvantaged, smokers, and those with insufficient physical activity/sedentary behavior. We demonstrate that having adequate knowledge of FVI, defined as knowing to consume fruit and vegetables several times a day for a well-balanced diet, is strongly associated with FVI, with several demographic and lifestyle factors predicting FVK. Health promotion messages aimed at increasing FVK should target these subgroups for maximal effect.

Introduction: Most cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related events could be prevented or substantially delayed with improved diet and lifestyle. Providing information on structural vascular disease may improve CVD risk factor management, but its impact on lifestyle change remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether providing visualisation and pictorial representation of structural vascular disease (abdominal aortic calcification (AAC)) can result in healthful diet and lifestyle change., Methods and Analysis: This study, including men and women aged 60-80 years, is a 12-week, two-arm, multisite randomised controlled trial. At baseline, all participants will have AAC assessed from a lateral spine image captured using a bone densitometer. Participants will then be randomised to receive their AAC results at baseline (intervention group) or a usual care control group that will receive their results at 12 weeks. All participants will receive information about routinely assessed CVD risk factors and standardised (video) diet and lifestyle advice with three simple goals: (1) increase fruit and vegetable (FV) intake by at least one serve per day, (2) improve other aspects of the diet and (3) reduce sitting time and increase physical activity. Clinical assessments will be performed at baseline and 12 weeks., Outcomes: The primary outcome is a change in serum carotenoid concentrations as an objective measure of FV intake. The study design, procedures and treatment of data will adhere to Standard Protocol Items for Randomized Trials guidelines., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethics approval for this study has been granted by the Edith Cowan University and the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committees (Project Numbers: 20513 HODGSON and 2019-220, respectively). Results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals and presented in scientific meetings and conferences. Information regarding consent, confidentiality, access to data, ancillary and post-trial care and dissemination policy has been disclosed in the participant information form., Trial Registration Number: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12618001087246)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: The Modification of Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle (MODEL) study aims to examine the impact of providing visualisation and pictorial representation of advanced structural vascular disease (abdominal aortic calcification), on 'healthful' improvements to diet and lifestyle. This paper reports the protocol for the process evaluation for the MODEL study., Methods and Analysis: The overall aim of the process evaluation is to understand the processes that took place during participation in the MODEL study trial and which elements were effective or ineffective for influencing 'healthful' behavioural change, and possible ways of improvement to inform wider implementation strategies. A mixed-method approach will be employed with the use of structured questionnaires and semistructured in-depth interviews. All 200 participants enrolled in the trial will undertake the quantitative component of the study and maximum variation sampling will be used to select a subsample for the qualitative component. The sample size for the qualitative component will be determined based on analytical saturation. Interviews will be digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data will be analysed thematically and reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines., Ethics and Dissemination: The MODEL study process evaluation has received approval from Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee (Project Number: 20513 HODGSON). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before they are included in the study. The study results will be shared with the individuals and institutions associated with this study as well as academic audiences through peer-reviewed publication and probable presentation at conferences., Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12618001087246., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Apples, an important contributor to total dietary phenolic intake, are associated with cardiovascular health benefits. Determining the phenolic composition of apples, their individual variation across varieties, and the phenolic compounds present in plasma after apple consumption is integral to understanding the effects of apple phenolics on cardiovascular health., Methods: Using liquid chromatography we quantified five important polyphenols and one phenolic acid with potential health benefits: quercetin glycosides, (-)-epicatechin, procyanidin B2, phloridzin, anthocyanins, and chlorogenic acid, in the skin and flesh of 19 apple varieties and 72 breeding selections from the Australian National Apple Breeding program. Furthermore, we measured the phenolic compounds in the plasma of 30 individuals post-consumption of an identified phenolic-rich apple, Cripp's Pink., Results: Considerable variation in concentration of phenolic compounds was found between genotypes: quercetin (mean ± SD: 16.1 ± 5.9, range: 5.8-30.1 mg per 100 g); (-)-epicatechin (mean ± SD: 8.6 ± 5.8, range: 0.2-19.8 mg per 100 g); procyanidin B2 (mean ± SD: 11.5 ± 6.6, range: 0.5-26.5 mg per 100 g); phloridzin (mean ± SD: 1.1 ± 0.6, range: 0.3-4.3 mg per 100 g); anthocyanins (mean ± SD: 1.8 ± 4.4, range: 0-40.8 mg per 100 g); and chlorogenic acid (mean ± SD: 11.3 ± 9.9, range: 0.4-56.0 mg per 100 g). All phenolic compounds except chlorogenic acid were more concentrated in the skin compared with flesh. We observed a significant increase, with wide variation, in 14 phenolic compounds in plasma post-consumption of a phenolic-rich apple., Conclusion: This information makes an important contribution to understanding the potential health benefits of apples.

Background The Mediterranean diet has been linked to improved cognitive function and reduced risk of dementia. However, a traditional Mediterranean diet may not meet calcium requirements for older non-Mediterranean populations, which could limit long-term sustainability in Western countries. The current study therefore aimed to determine the cognitive and psychological effects of a Mediterranean diet with adequate calcium for an ageing Australian population. Method: A randomized controlled cross-over design trial compared a Mediterranean diet with 3-4 daily serves of dairy food (MedDairy) with a low-fat (LF) control diet. Forty-one participants aged ≥45 years with systolic blood pressure ≥120 mm Hg and at least two other risk factors for cardiovascular disease completed each dietary intervention for 8 weeks, with an 8-week washout period separating interventions. Attention, processing speed, memory and planning were assessed at the start and end of each intervention using the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery. Mood and health-related quality of life were evaluated using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Dementia risk was also measured using the Framingham Vascular Risk and CAIDE scores. Results Significant improvements were observed for processing speed ( P  = .04), Total Mood Disturbance ( P  = .01), Tension ( P  = .03), Depression ( P  = .03), Anger ( P  = .02), and Confusion ( P  = .004) following the MedDairy intervention. No significant effects were found for attention, memory and planning, or measures of dementia risk. Conclusion Our study provides evidence that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with dairy foods may benefit cognitive function and psychological well-being in an ageing population at risk of dementia.

Purpose: Increasing vegetable intake and diversity are recommended to maintain better health. Evidence for the health benefits of vegetable diversity, separate from total intake, is scarce. We aimed to investigate the associations of vegetable diversity with subclinical measures of atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) mortality., Methods: Vegetable diversity was assessed within a validated food frequency questionnaire using a single question, 'How many different vegetables do you usually consume each day (< 1 to ≥ 6 per day)'. Cox proportional hazards modelling was used to examine the association between vegetable diversity and ASVD mortality in 1226 women aged ≥ 70 years without clinical ASVD or diabetes mellitus at baseline (1998). In 2001, B-mode ultrasonography was used to measure common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) (n = 954) and carotid plaque severity (n = 968)., Results: Over 15 years (15,947 person-years) of follow-up, 238 ASVD-related deaths were recorded. For each additional different vegetable consumed per day, there was 17% lower hazard for ASVD mortality (HR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.78, 0.93, P = 0.001); a 1.7% lower mean CCA-IMT (B ± SE: - 0.013 ± 0.004, P < 0.001); and a 1.8% lower maximum CCA-IMT (B ± SE: - 0.017 ± 0.004, P < 0.001). Further adjustment for total vegetable intake attenuated the association between vegetable diversity and ASVD mortality (P = 0.114), but not CCA-IMT (P = 0.024). No association was observed between vegetable diversity and carotid plaque severity (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Vegetable diversity may contribute to benefits in lowering risk of ASVD in older women. The reduction in risk is partly explained by increased total vegetable consumption., Clinical Trial Registry: The Perth Longitudinal Study of Aging in Women (PLSAW) trial registration ID is ACTRN12617000640303. This study was retrospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry at http://www.anzctr.org.au.

Purpose: Short-term trials indicate inorganic nitrate and nitrate-rich vegetables may have vascular health benefits. However, few observational studies have explored the relationship between nitrate intake and long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the association of nitrate intake from vegetables with CVD mortality in a sample of older Australians., Methods: A subgroup of participants without diabetes or major CVD at baseline (1992-1994) were included from the Blue Mountains Eye Study, a population-based cohort study of men and women aged ≥ 49 years. Diets were evaluated using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline, 5 years and 10 years of follow-up. Vegetable nitrate intake was estimated using a comprehensive vegetable nitrate database. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to explore the association between vegetable nitrate intake and CVD mortality., Results: During 14 years of follow-up, 188/2229 (8.4%) participants died from CVD. In multivariable-adjusted analysis, participants in quartile 2 [69.5-99.6 mg/day; HR 0.53 (95% CI 0.35, 0.82)], quartile 3 [99.7-137.8 mg/day; HR 0.51 (95% CI 0.32, 0.80)], and quartile 4 [> 137.8 mg/day; HR 0.63 (95% CI 0.41, 0.95)] of vegetable nitrate intake had lower hazards for CVD mortality compared to participants in quartile 1 (< 69.5 mg/day)., Conclusions: In older Australian men and women, vegetable nitrate intake was inversely associated with CVD mortality, independent of lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors. These findings confirm a recent report that intake of vegetable nitrate lowers the risk of CVD mortality in older women and extend these findings to older men.

Background: In younger individuals, dietary nitrate supplementation has been shown to improve short-term vascular and muscle function. The role of higher habitual nitrate intake as part of a typical diet on muscle function in ageing has not been investigated. A cross-sectional study of relationships between dietary nitrate and measures of muscle function in older community-dwelling Australian women (n = 1420, ≥70 years) was undertaken., Methods: Participants completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire assessing dietary intake over the previous year. Total nitrate from vegetables and non-vegetable sources was calculated from a validated instrument that quantified the nitrate content of food recorded within the food frequency questionnaire. Handgrip strength and timed-up-and-go (TUG) were assessed, representing muscle strength and physical function, respectively. Cut-points for weak grip strength (<22 kg) and slow TUG (>10.2 s) were selected due to their association with adverse outcomes. Linear and logistic regressions were used to examine the relationship between total nitrate intake and muscle function measures., Results: Mean ± standard deviation (SD) total nitrate intake was 79.5 ± 31.2 mg/day, of which 84.5% came from vegetables. Across the unadjusted tertiles of nitrate intake (<64.2 mg/day; 64.2 to <89.0 mg/day; ≥89.0 mg/day), women in the highest tertile had a 4% stronger grip strength and a 5% faster TUG performance compared with the lowest tertile. In multivariable-adjusted models, each SD higher nitrate intake (31.2 mg/day) was associated with stronger grip strength (per kilogram, β 0.31, P = 0.027) and faster TUG (per second, β -0.27, P = 0.001). The proportion of women with weak grip strength (<22 kg) or slow TUG (>10.2 s) was 61.0% and 36.9%, respectively. Each SD higher nitrate intake (31.2 mg/day) was associated with lower odds for weak grip strength (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.95, P = 0.005) and slow TUG (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76-0.98, P = 0.021). Compared with women in the lowest tertile of nitrate intake, women in the highest nitrate intake tertile had lower odds for weak grip strength (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.49-0.87, P trend= 0.004) and slow TUG (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.53-0.97, P trend  = 0.044)., Conclusions: This investigation highlights potential benefits of nitrate-rich diets on muscle strength and physical function in a large cohort of older women. Considering poor muscle strength and physical function is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes such as falling, fractures, cardiovascular disease, and mortality, increasing dietary nitrate, especially though vegetable consumption may be an effective way to limit age-related declines in muscle function., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.)

Seeds of the legume lupin (Lupinus spp.) are becoming increasingly important as human food. The seed coat, at ~25% of the whole seed of Lupinus angustifolius (Australian sweet lupin, ASL), is the main by-product of lupin kernel flour production. The primary market for lupin seed coat is low value feed with very limited use in foods. In this study, seed coats of six ASL commercial varieties from two growing sites were sampled for identification and quantification of polyphenols using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detector (DAD) and coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer which equipped with electrospray ionization source (ESI-MS/MS). Three flavones (apigenin-7-O-β-apiofuranosyl-6,8-di-C-β-glucopyranoside, vicenin 2, and apigenin-7-O-β-glucopyranoside), one isoflavone (genistein) and one dihydroflavonol derivative (aromadendrin-6-C-β-d-glucopyranosyl-7-O-[β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 → 2)]-O-β-D-glucopyranoside), and several hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were identified. Considerable variations in levels of individual polyphenols were found but apigenin-7-O-β-apiofuranosyl-6,8-di-C-β-glucopyranoside was the predominant polyphenol in all samples accounting for 73.08-82.89% of the total free polyphenols. These results suggest that ASL seed coat could be valuable dietary source of polyphenols., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nitric oxide (NO) facilitates anti-atherosclerotic effects. Vegetables are a major source of dietary nitrate. Experimental data indicates that dietary nitrate can significantly reduce major risk factors for atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD), as nitrate can be metabolized to produce NO via the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the association between habitual dietary nitrate intakes and the incidence of self-reported CVD-related complications within a representative sample of middle-aged Australian women (1946⁻1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health). Women free from disease at baseline who had completed the food frequency questionnaire data were included. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) across quartiles for nitrate intakes. Of the 5324 women included for analysis, there were 1951 new cases of CVD-related complications over 15-years of follow-up. Women reporting higher total dietary nitrate intakes (Q4 > 78.2 mg/day) and vegetable nitrate intakes (Q4 > 64.4 mg/day) were 25% and 27% reduced risk of developing CVD-related complications respectively, compared with women reporting low total (Q1 < 45.5 mg/day) and vegetable nitrate intakes (Q1 < 34.8 mg/day). Our findings were consistent with other observational data indicating that dietary nitrate may explain some of the cardiovascular benefits of vegetable consumption., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) offers benefits to cardiovascular health but may not meet Western recommendations for calcium and dairy intake, which could impede long-term adoption., Objective: The current study aimed to determine the effect of a MedDiet supplemented with dairy foods on cardiovascular risk factors., Design: A randomized, controlled, crossover design compared a MedDiet with 3-4 daily servings of dairy (MedDairy) and a low-fat (LF) control diet. Forty-one participants aged ≥45 y and at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were randomly allocated to their first intervention, either the MedDairy or LF diet. Participants followed each intervention for 8 wk, and an 8-wk washout period separated interventions. The primary outcome was home-measured systolic blood pressure (SBP) assessed in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Secondary outcomes included clinic-measured blood pressure (morning), body composition, blood lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma glucose, serum insulin, and the Framingham Risk Score., Results: Compared with the LF intervention, the MedDairy intervention resulted in a significantly lower morning SBP (mean difference: -1.6 mm Hg; 95% CI: -2.8, -0.4 mm Hg; P = 0.01), lower morning diastolic blood pressure (mean difference: -1.0; 95% CI: -1.7, -0.2 mm Hg; P = 0.01) and clinic SBP (mean difference: -3.5 mm Hg; 95% CI: -6.4, -0.7 mm Hg; P = 0.02), significantly higher HDL cholesterol (mean difference: 0.04 mmol/L; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.06 mmol/L; P < 0.01), lower triglycerides (mean difference: = -0.05 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.01 mmol/L; P < 0.01), and lower ratio of total to HDL cholesterol (mean difference: -0.4; 95% CI: -0.6, -0.2; P < 0.001). No effects were observed for other outcome measures., Conclusions: Following a MedDiet with additional dairy foods led to significant changes in markers of cardiovascular risk over 8 wk. The MedDiet supplemented with dairy may be appropriate for an improvement in cardiovascular risk factors in a population at risk of CVD. This trial was registered at anzctr.org.au as ACTRN12616000309482.

Background: Dietary nitrate, found predominantly in green leafy vegetables and beetroot, is a precursor of nitric oxide. Under- or overproduction of nitric oxide is implicated in the etiology of several eye diseases. However, the potential influence of dietary nitrate intake on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk has not been assessed., Objective: To investigate the temporal association between dietary nitrate intake (from both vegetable and nonvegetable sources) and the 15-year incidence of AMD, independent of potential confounders., Design: A longitudinal cohort study conducted from 1992-1994 to 2007-2009., Participants/setting: The Blue Mountains Eye Study is a population-based study of adults aged 49+ at baseline, from a region west of Sydney, Australia. At baseline, 2,856 participants with complete dietary data and AMD information were examined, and of these, 2,037 participants were re-examined 15 years later and thus included in incidence analysis., Main Outcomes Measured: Incidence of AMD (main outcome) was assessed from retinal photographs. Dietary intake was assessed using a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Nitrate intake from vegetables and nonvegetable sources was calculated by use of a validated comprehensive database., Results: After adjusting for age, sex, smoking, energy intake, fish consumption, and AMD risk alleles (complement factor H and age-related maculopathy susceptibility-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms), participants in the third quartile compared with those in the first quartile (reference group) of total nitrate and total vegetable nitrate intake had reduced risk of incident early AMD: odds ratio (OR) 0.61 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.90) and OR 0.65 (95% CI 0.44 to 0.96), respectively. Significant associations were not observed between the fourth vs first quartile of total nitrate and vegetable nitrate intake with incident early AMD: OR 0.74 (95% CI 0.51 to 1.08) and OR 0.69 (95% CI 0.47 to 1.00), respectively. Nonsignificant associations were also observed with 15-year incidence of late AMD and total nonvegetable nitrate intake., Conclusions: These novel findings could have important implications, if the association between total nitrate intake and vegetable nitrate intake and 15-year incidence of early AMD is confirmed in other observational or intervention studies., (Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Dietary nitrate is increasingly linked to a variety of beneficial health outcomes. Our purpose was to estimate dietary nitrate consumption and identify key dietary changes which have occurred over time within a representative sample of Australian women. Women from the 1946⁻1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health with complete food frequency questionnaire data for both 2001 and 2013 were included for analysis. Dietary nitrate intakes were calculated using key published nitrate databases. Diet quality scores including the Australian Recommended Food Score, the Mediterranean Diet Score and the Nutrient Rich Foods Index were calculated along with food group serves as per the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Wilcoxon matched pairs tests were used to test for change in dietary intakes and Spearman's correlations were used to examine associations. In our sample of 8161 Australian women, dietary nitrate intakes were on average 65⁻70 mg/day, and we detected a significant increase in dietary nitrate consumption over time (+6.57 mg/day). Vegetables were the primary source of dietary nitrate (81⁻83%), in particular lettuce (26%), spinach (14⁻20%), beetroot (10⁻11%), and celery (7⁻8%) contributed primarily to vegetable nitrate intakes. Further, increased dietary nitrate intakes were associated with improved diet quality scores ( r = 0.3, p < 0.0001). Although there is emerging evidence indicating that higher habitual dietary nitrate intakes are associated with reduced morbidity and mortality, future work in this area should consider how dietary nitrate within the context of overall diet quality can facilitate health to ensure consistent public health messages are conveyed.

Background: The Mediterranean diet is characterised by the high consumption of extra virgin olive oil, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts; moderate consumption of fish, poultry, eggs and dairy; and low consumption of red meat and sweets. Cross sectional, longitudinal and intervention studies indicate that a Mediterranean diet may be effective for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and dementia. However, previous research suggests that an Australian population may find red meat restrictions difficult, which could affect long term sustainability of the diet., Methods: This paper outlines the protocol for a randomised controlled trial that will assess the cardiovascular and cognitive benefits of a Mediterranean diet modified to include 2-3 weekly serves of fresh, lean pork. A 24-week cross-over design trial will compare a modified Mediterranean diet with a low-fat control diet in at-risk men and women. Participants will follow each of the two diets for 8 weeks, with an 8-week washout period separating interventions. Home measured systolic blood pressure will be the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes will include body mass index, body composition, fasting blood lipids, C-reactive protein, fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, erythrocyte fatty acids, cognitive function, psychological health and well-being, and dementia risk., Discussion: To our knowledge this research is the first to investigate whether an alternate source of protein can be included in the Mediterranean diet to increase sustainability and feasibility for a non-Mediterranean population. Findings will be significant for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and age-related decline, and may inform individuals, clinicians and public health policy., Trial Registration: ACTRN12616001046493 . Registered 5 August 2016.

Higher fruit intake is associated with lower risk of all-cause and disease-specific mortality. However, data on individual fruits are limited, and the generalisability of these findings to the elderly remains uncertain. The objective of this study was to examine the association of apple intake with all-cause and disease-specific mortality over 15 years in a cohort of women aged over 70 years. Secondary analyses explored relationships of other fruits with mortality outcomes. Usual fruit intake was assessed in 1456 women using a FFQ. Incidence of all-cause and disease-specific mortality over 15 years was determined through the Western Australian Hospital Morbidity Data system. Cox regression was used to determine the hazard ratios (HR) for mortality. During 15 years of follow-up, 607 (41·7%) women died from any cause. In the multivariable-adjusted analysis, the HR for all-cause mortality was 0·89 (95% CI 0·81, 0·97) per sd (53 g/d) increase in apple intake, HR 0·80 (95% CI 0·65, 0·98) for consumption of 5-100 g/d and HR 0·65 (95% CI 0·48, 0·89) for consumption of >100 g/d (an apple a day), compared with apple intake of <5 g/d (P for trend=0·03). Our analysis also found that higher apple intake was associated with lower risk for cancer mortality, and that higher total fruit and banana intakes were associated lower risk of CVD mortality (P<0·05). Our results support the view that regular apple consumption may contribute to lower risk of mortality.

Background: Observational studies have linked tea drinking, a major source of dietary flavonoids, with higher bone density. However, there is a paucity of prospective studies examining the association of tea drinking and flavonoid intake with fracture risk., Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the associations of black tea drinking and flavonoid intake with fracture risk in a prospective cohort of women aged >75 y., Design: A total of 1188 women were assessed for habitual dietary intake with a food-frequency and beverage questionnaire. Incidence of osteoporotic fracture requiring hospitalization was determined through the Western Australian Hospital Morbidity Data system. Multivariable adjusted Cox regression was used to examine the HRs for incident fracture., Results: Over 10 y of follow-up, osteoporotic fractures were identified in 288 (24.2%) women; 212 (17.8%) were identified as a major osteoporotic fracture, and of these, 129 (10.9%) were a hip fracture. In comparison with the lowest tea intake category (≤1 cup/wk), consumption of ≥3 cups/d was associated with a 30% decrease in the risk of any osteoporotic fracture (HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.96). Compared with women in the lowest tertile of total flavonoid intake (from tea and diet), women in the highest tertile had a lower risk of any osteoporotic fracture (HR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.88), major osteoporotic fracture (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.95), and hip fracture (HR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.95). For specific classes of flavonoids, statistically significant reductions in fracture risk were observed for higher intake of flavonols for any osteoporotic fracture and major osteoporotic fracture, as well as flavones for hip fracture (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Higher intake of black tea and particular classes of flavonoids were associated with lower risk of fracture-related hospitalizations in elderly women at high risk of fracture., (© 2015 American Society for Nutrition.)

Background: The reduction of saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake has been the basis of long-standing dietary recommendations. However, recent epidemiologic studies have reported conflicting evidence in the relation between SFA consumption and risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD) mortality., Objective: We investigated the association of SFA intake with serum lipid profiles and ASVD mortality in a population-based 10-y cohort study., Design: At baseline (1998) 1469 women living in Perth, Western Australia, with a mean ± SD age of 75.2 ± 2.7 y had SFA intake measured by using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Outcome data were serum lipids at baseline and ASVD deaths over 10 y (13,649 person-years of follow-up), retrieved from the Western Australian Data Linkage System. Other risk factors for ASVD were assessed and adjusted for in multivariable analyses., Results: ASVD deaths occurred in 9.1% (134) of participants. The highest quartile of SFA intake (>31.28 g/d) had an ~16% cumulative mortality risk compared with ~5% in the lowest quartile (<17.39 g/d) (HR: 3.07; 95% CI: 1.54, 6.11; P = 0.001). Baseline SFA intake was associated with baseline serum total and LDL cholesterol in multivariable-adjusted models (β: 0.199, SE: 0.056, P < 0.001 and β: 0.190, SE: 0.051, P < 0.001, respectively). However, baseline serum total and LDL cholesterol were not associated with ASVD mortality., Conclusions: High SFA intake was associated with the risk of ASVD mortality in this population of elderly women. Although there was a strong positive association between SFA intake and LDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol was not associated with ASVD mortality in this cohort. Nevertheless, these data support dietary advice to reduce SFA intake., (© 2015 American Society for Nutrition.)

Background: Measures of blood pressure variation have been associated with cardiovascular disease and related outcomes. The regular consumption of black tea can lower blood pressure, but its effects on blood pressure variation have yet to be investigated., Objective: We aimed to assess the effects of black tea consumption on the rate of ambulatory blood pressure variation., Design: Men and women (n = 111) with systolic blood pressure between 115 and 150 mm Hg at screening were recruited in a randomized, controlled, double-blind, 6-mo parallel-designed trial designed primarily to assess effects on blood pressure. Participants consumed 3 cups/d of either powdered black tea solids (tea) or a flavonoid-free caffeine-matched beverage (control). The 24-h ambulatory blood pressure level and rate of measurement-to-measurement blood pressure variation were assessed at baseline, day 1, and 3 and 6 mo., Results: Across the 3 time points, tea, compared with the control, resulted in lower rates of systolic (P = 0.0045) and diastolic (P = 0.016) blood pressure variation by ~10% during nighttime (2200-0600). These effects, which were immediate at day 1 and sustained over 6 mo, were independent of the level of blood pressure and heart rate. The rate of blood pressure variation was not significantly altered during daytime (0800-2000)., Conclusions: These findings indicate that a component of black tea solids, other than caffeine, can influence the rate of blood pressure variation during nighttime. Thus, small dietary changes have the potential to significantly influence the rate of blood pressure variation. This trial was registered at the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry as ACTR12607000543482.

Background: Advances in genetic technologies have resulted in the diagnosis during pregnancy of increasing numbers of fetal abnormalities. A few published personal commentaries have indicated that health professionals' interactions with couples at risk of a fetal abnormality can be emotionally and ethically challenging, highlighting the need for empirical research in this area. This study sought to explore whether working in the fetal medicine setting has an effect on health professionals and to ascertain any supports used to manage these effects., Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 medical and allied health professionals working in fetal medicine settings in Melbourne, Australia. Qualitative analysis of the interview data was performed using thematic analysis., Results: Participants discussed at length the emotional impact of working with patients who were experiencing adverse pregnancy outcomes. All participants reported that working in fetal medicine had an impact on their daily lives, and many spoke about dreaming about or losing sleep over patient outcomes. Participants described working in this setting as being particularly difficult when they were pregnant themselves. Most spoke about feeling largely unsupported in their work and felt that these effects resulted in burnout and staff turnover., Conclusions: This study explored several work force concerns in fetal medicine. Health professionals working with couples at risk of a fetal abnormality are vulnerable to the phenomena of compassion fatigue and burnout. The need for formal support and self-care management is suggested., (© 2013, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2013, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

In many countries pregnant women deemed to be at increased risk for fetal anomaly following a screening test may attend a genetic counseling session to receive information and support in decision-making about subsequent diagnostic testing. This paper presents findings from an Australian study that explored 21 prenatal genetic counseling sessions conducted by five different genetic counselors. All were attended by pregnant women who had received an increased risk result from a maternal serum screening (MSS) test and who were offered a diagnostic test. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the content and structure of sessions and explore the counseling interactions. Findings from this cohort demonstrate that, within these prenatal genetic counseling sessions, counselor dialogue predominated. Overall the sessions were characterized by: a) an emphasis on information-giving b) a lack of dialogue about relevant sensitive topics such as disability and abortion. Arguably, this resulted in missed opportunities for client deliberation and informed decision-making. These findings have implications for the training and practice of genetic counselors and all healthcare professionals who communicate with women about prenatal testing.