BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Okara is a protein-rich food by-product that can be biovalorised with Rhizopus oligosporus to improve its protein digestibility and quality. METHOD:This study investigated postprandial circulating amino acid changes following okara and biovalorised okara biscuits consumption in middle-aged and older Singaporean adults. Participants of the crossover study (n = 15) undertook 3 separate 2-h meal tolerance test with 100 g of control biscuits (C), biovalorised okara biscuits (RO), and autoclaved okara biscuits (AOK). The same recipe was applied across all biscuits, but with 20% wheat flour substitution for RO and AOK with the respective okara. Total and free amino acids of the biscuits and circulating free amino acids of the participants were analysed by cation-exchange chromatography. Incremental area under curve (iAUC) and peak concentrations of amino acids were assessed, with results presented as mean [95% confidence interval]. RESULTS:While total biscuit amino acid content showed significantly greater quantities for RO and AOK compared to C, free amino acid content (nmol/g) was in the order of C < AOK < RO. Amino acid iAUC had no significant difference, as demonstrated with total amino acids iAUC (μmol/L·min) (P = 0.568, C: 23649 [13738, 33560], RO: 23284 [13374, 33195] & AOK: 17257 [7346, 27168]). CONCLUSION:Amino acid digestion and absorption did not differ between okara-containing and control biscuits at the levels consumed in this study, potentiating the need for higher protein dosages, larger sample sizes, and longer trial durations for detecting discernable improvements. This trial was registered under www. CLINICALTRIAL:gov (NCT03978104, 25 May 2019).

BACKGROUND:Antioxidant supplements have been reported to confer benefits for skin health; however, these effects remain inconclusive and lack systematic evaluation. METHODS:This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the impact of antioxidant-rich whole foods or supplements on various skin health outcomes by compiling data from five databases, including 94 eligible preclinical and clinical studies. RESULTS:The intervention improved overall skin health in preclinical studies, as evidenced by increased skin hydration (Hedges' g = 1.75, 95% CI [1.31; 2.20]) and hyaluronic acid, decreased trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) (Hedges' g = -2.15, 95% CI [-3.17; -1.13]), epidermal thickness (Hedges' g = -2.59, 95% CI [-3.28; -1.89]), wrinkle formation, and dermatitis scores, alongside changes in inflammatory cytokines and Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. As for clinical studies, the intervention increased skin hydration (MD = 2.12, 95% CI [1.02; 3.21]) while decreased TEWL (MD = -0.68, 95% CI [-1.21; -0.16]). Additionally, changes in skin density, epidermal thickness, minimal erythema dose (MED), SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and the Dermatitis Life Quality Index (DLQI) further support overall improvements for skin health. CONCLUSIONS:Antioxidant-rich whole foods or supplements intake improved overall skin health and skin disorder conditions. The magnitude of benefit may vary according to the type of antioxidant and the duration of intervention.

Korean immigrants in the U.S. face cultural and language barriers, increasing their diabetes risk and hindering management. This study aims to review previous research and explore factors influencing type 2 diabetes self-management among Korean immigrants in the United States. A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The literature was reviewed in October 2024, using five databases: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. The following keywords were used in the search strategy: American Korean, Korean immigrants, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, insulin resistance, self-care, self-management, health behavior, and disease management. The search was limited to studies involving human participants, adults, and English-language publications. 14 studies were selected and reviewed. Five key themes were identified: Challenges in following a diabetes diet and change of lifestyle, language barriers and health literacy, social support and family influence, culturally tailored interventions, and psychological issues in diabetes self-management. This systematic review indicates that Korean immigrants have culturally unique barriers and risk factors that hinder effective diabetes self-management. Further research should guide the design of culturally tailored interventions and educational programs to reduce the health disparities and inequalities in the ethnic minority population.

Background: Higher protein (HP) intakes can have deleterious effects on the gut microbiota composition and metabolic profile, with different HP sources potentially eliciting differential effects. Healthier dietary patterns (HDP) may mitigate these changes, but clinical evidence in older adults remains scarce. Objective: To investigate the influence of different sources of HP intakes with a HDP on the gut microbiota composition, function, and metabolic profile in older adults. Methods: This was a 16-week, parallel, single-blinded randomized controlled trial where 55 older adults were randomly assigned to either the control (n = 19), casein (n = 18), or soy (n = 18) groups. All participants were instructed to follow a HDP, with the casein and soy groups additionally consuming 20 g/d of casein (animal-derived) and soy (plant-derived) protein isolates respectively. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and proteolytic uremic toxins levels, alongside gut microbiota composition and function were assessed at weeks 0 and 16. Results: Improved adherence to the HDP was observed overall. This was accompanied by significant elevations in serum total SCFA levels in the soy group (10.8 f 5.1 mu M), which was predominantly driven by greater acetic acid levels (11.9 f 5.2 mu M). alpha-diversity, specifically microbial richness and Shannon index, was significantly reduced in the soy (richness:-50 f 27; Shannon index:-0.25 f 0.11) and control (richness:-61 f 19; Shannon index:-0.25 f 0.09) groups at post-intervention. No changes were noted in the casein group or the remaining gut microbiota-related outcomes. Conclusion: HP intakes do not mostly alter the gut microbiota composition, function, and metabolic profile when adhering to a HDP, although different protein sources may variably influence microbiota changes. Consuming HP intakes with HDPs may aid in avoiding the deleterious microbiota changes previously reported with HP intakes.

Background/Objectives: Protein supplementation may elevate advanced glycation end products (AGEs) through higher dietary AGE (dAGE) content and increase amino acid-driven endogenous formation. Protein supplementation from different sources may differentially affect AGE levels, possibly through differences in amino acid composition, digestion and metabolism, but evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remains limited. This study aimed to examine the effect of protein supplementation from either casein (animal-based) or soy (plant-based) protein isolates on circulating, skin, and dAGE levels in older adults following a healthy dietary pattern (HDP). Methods: In this 16-week RCT, 55 older adults (mean age: 66 years old) in Singapore were assigned either to control (no supplementation), casein protein isolate supplementation, or soy protein isolate supplementation. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05400005. Results and Discussion: Overall, there were no alterations in dietary, skin and total circulating AGE levels after protein supplementation when adhering to an HDP such as My Healthy Plate (MHP). However, different sources of protein supplementation resulted in differential changes in specific plasma AGE markers. Two-way ANOVA analysis showed that soy protein supplementation led to a significant increase in plasma N(6)-(1-carboxymethyl)-L-lysine (CML) compared to the other groups (week 0: 0.72 ± 0.10, week 16: 0.80 ± 0.10, pint = 0.040), while a paired t-test showed that casein protein supplementation led to a significant within-group increase in plasma pentosidine (week 0: 0.77 ± 0.06, week 16: 0.80 ± 0.05, p-value = 0.045). Other AGEs showed no significant changes. Conclusions: Protein supplementation while adhering to MHP did not significantly influence overall circulating and skin AGEs in older adults in Singapore. A differential response was observed only for plasma CML levels with soy protein supplementation, whereas the within-group increase in plasma pentosidine following casein supplementation should be interpreted with caution and requires further investigation.

CONTEXT:Differences in habitual protein intake amount and source between Asian and Western countries may influence protein metabolism outcomes. OBJECTIVE:Dietary protein and amino acid intake were compared, and how higher protein intake affected protein metabolism outcomes, specifically nitrogen balance and amino acid concentrations, was compared between Asian and Western countries. DATA SOURCES:Systematic searches were conducted in the CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, and PubMed (inception to February 1, 2023) databases, filtered by English language, for articles on studies conducted with human adult participants (≥19 years old). DATA EXTRACTION:Observational studies and clinical trials reporting habitual protein or amino acid intake, and clinical trials investigating varying protein amounts on nitrogen balance or blood amino acid concentrations were included. Two independent reviewers extracted study characteristics. DATA ANALYSIS:Data were synthesized using random effects meta-analyses following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Quality assessment was performed using MMAT, version 2018. Key outcomes included country-specific total protein intake from animal and plant protein sources; differences in protein amount and source, and resulting amino acid intakes between Asian and Western countries, with subgroup analyses by sex, age, body mass index, and population; and effects of higher protein intake on nitrogen balance and fasting or postprandial blood amino acid concentrations. RESULTS:Of 1787 articles included, 1649 reported habitual protein or amino acid intake, and 168 reported protein metabolism outcomes. As a whole, populations in Western countries consumed more total protein (16.4% of total energy intake [E%] vs 14.7 E%), animal protein (10.6 E% vs 7.0 E%), and less plant protein (5.9 E% vs 7.4 E%) than those in Asian countries. Male individuals generally consumed more protein, particularly from animal and plant sources in Western countries, and from plant sources in Asian countries. Higher protein intake caused a significantly more positive nitrogen balance in Western countries (0.86 to 1.21 g) than Asian countries (-0.31 to 0.23 g), suggesting potential differences in postprandial nitrogen balance regulation and protein utilization. However, caution is advised, given the limited studies in Asian countries. Additionally, the importance of considering differences in units (ie, absolute vs body weight adjusted) when reporting protein intake and its effects on protein metabolism should be considered. CONCLUSIONS:Populations of Asian and Western countries differed in protein intake amounts, sources, and metabolism. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION:PROSPERO registration no. CRD42024612020.

Dietary protein is a key macronutrient influencing cardiometabolic health, but metabolomic mechanisms linking protein quantity and source to cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) remain unclear. This study aimed to characterize metabolomic responses to dietary protein quantity and source and examine their associations with changes in CRFs. A systematic review and meta-analysis of human randomized controlled trials comparing higher versus lower protein intake, or animal versus plant protein consumption, was conducted. Metabolomic and CRF outcomes were synthesized using MetaboAnalyst 6.0 and amanida R package, with study quality assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias 2. Eighty-seven studies were included, comprising 85 comparisons of higher versus lower protein intake and 17 comparisons of animal versus plant protein intake. Higher protein intake was associated with metabolomic profiles marked by increased concentrations of most amino acids, alongside alterations in nitrogen-related and gut microbiota-derived metabolites. Protein quantity also influenced phospholipid metabolism, which was associated with multiple CRFs, including lipid-lipoprotein panels. Differences between animal and plant protein intake were characterized by shifts in amino acid, bile acid, and microbial metabolite profiles, with links to CRFs through pathways in bile acid signaling and energy metabolism. Overall, dietary protein quantity and source shape distinct metabolomic signatures that may influence CRFs.

CONTEXT:Milk-derived bioactives and fortified or fermented milk products may have sleep-promoting effects, but evidence remains inconsistent. OBJECTIVE:The effects of milk-derived bioactives and fortified or fermented milk products on sleep-related outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were evaluated in this systematic review and meta-analysis, and associations between milk/dairy consumption and sleep quality in cross-sectional studies are summarized. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to health status, intervention type, and study duration. DATA SOURCE:Relevant studies were identified from the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. DATA EXTRACTION:Twenty-five studies were included in the systematic reviews, of which 11 RCTs were eligible for meta-analysis. DATA ANALYSIS:Milk-derived bioactive and fortified or fermented milk-product interventions significantly improved sleep efficiency (SEff), the percentage of time in bed spent asleep (standardized mean difference for SEff [SMDSEff] = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.21-0.70). Post hoc subgroup analyses further demonstrated that milk supplementation induces greater improvements in SEff (SMDSEff = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.27-0.76); wake after sleep onset (WASO), the minutes awake after initial sleep onset (mean difference for WASO [MDWASO] = -8.24; 95% CI, -13.64 to -2.84) among individuals with sleep or health disturbances; and reduced sleep latency (SL) (ie, time from lights off to sleep onset) in generally healthy participants (MDSL = -2.17; 95% CI, -4.09 to -0.25). Among intervention types, only milk protein and peptides significantly improved SEff (SMDSEff = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.23-0.79). Interventions lasting longer than 4 weeks enhanced SEff (SMDSEff = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.36-0.83) and WASO (MDWASO = -10.26; 5% CI, -15.42 to -5.09). CONCLUSION:Evidence from RCTs suggests that milk-derived bioactives and fortified or fermented milk products may improve sleep, particularly in individuals with impaired sleep or underlying health conditions. Cross-sectional studies suggest generally positive but heterogeneous associations between milk/dairy consumption and sleep quality. These findings highlight the importance of considering supplementation type and duration when designing or interpreting studies on diet-sleep relationships. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION:PROSPERO registration No. CRD420251023926.

Bioactive peptides are emerging functional ingredients for attenuating postprandial glycemia through the inhibition of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes. This study characterized the synthetically produced oat-derived octapeptide LQAFEPLR (LQ8) and its cyclized variant CLQAFEPLRC (CLQ8), and evaluated their α-glucosidase inhibitory properties and food application potential. Results revealed that both short peptides were highly soluble, thermally stable, and predicted to be non-toxic, although potential allergenicity was suggested based on sequence homology with oat proteins and warrants further validation. At a relatively low concentration (3.1 μg/mL), LQ8 and CLQ8 exhibited α-glucosidase inhibition of 26.4% and 25.0%, respectively. However, the weak dose-response relationship and kinetic observations suggested different inhibitory behaviors, with LQ8 showing a mixed or uncompetitive-like mode and CLQ8 displaying a non-classical modulatory effect against yeast maltase α-glucosidase. These differences may be related to their distinct binding profiles, as docking suggested that the peptides interacted with catalytic or near-catalytic residues through partial or alternative binding modes rather than fully occupying the catalytic pocket. When incorporated into biscuits, both peptides remained bioactive after baking at 160 °C, with biscuit digesta showing α-glucosidase inhibition of 39.3% for LQ8 and 46.9% for CLQ8. Furthermore, both peptides significantly reduced in vitro starch digestibility, as indicated by significantly lower incremental area under curve values for d-glucose release during simulated gastrointestinal digestion compared with the control biscuit. These findings suggest the potential of both peptides as non-toxic, thermally stable, α-glucosidase inhibitory ingredients for incorporation into bakery products aiming to attenuate postprandial glycemic responses.

Brewers’ spent grain (BSG), a fiber-rich by-product of the brewing industry, has high nutritional value. Fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus further enhances its composition by increasing soluble dietary fiber and releasing antioxidants, potentially conferring superior metabolic regulatory and prebiotic effects. This study evaluated the effect of long-term consumption of BSG or fermented BSG-containing biscuits on metabolic and gut health in Singapore adults with metabolic impairments. Thirty-one metabolically impaired subjects were randomized to consume 90 g/day of control biscuits (Control, n = 11), 30

Background: Processing is increasingly used to enhance functionality, palatability and nutritional quality of dietary protein. While processing is frequently associated with improved in-vitro protein digestibility, the magnitude and consistency of these effects vary across processing methods and protein sources. Moreover, it remains unclear whether in-vitro improvements translate into physiological human benefits, such as greater postprandial amino acid bioavailability and muscle anabolic responses. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review and evaluate effects of diverse types of processing on protein quality, measured in both in-vitro and human clinical studies. Scope and methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane databases. Of 223 articles selected for systematic review, 62 and 22 were eligible for further pairwise and network meta-analysis respectively. Key findings and conclusion: Processing consistently improved in-vitro protein digestibility [WMD: 7.96%, 95% CI: 6.94, 8.97] regardless of protein source. In human clinical studies, although no changes in iAUC of total amino acids or muscle fractional synthetic rates were noted, significant increases in C max (EAA) [WMD: 123.87 mu mol/L, 95% CI: 54.10, 193.64] and C max (BCAA) [WMD: 55.73 mu mol/L, 95% CI: 1.66, 109.79] were observed. Particularly, gelation and cold plasma demonstrated highest probabilities of improving C max (EAA) in network metaanalysis. Overall, processing improves in-vitro protein digestibility, but this does not consistently translate into greater systemic amino acid bioavailability or muscle utilisation in humans. Future processing strategies should move beyond in-vitro digestibility metrics to achieve meaningful physiological improvements.

This study investigated the response kinetics of plasma carotenoids and skin carotenoid status (SCS) with short-term changes in carotenoid intakes in mostly healthy, young Asian adults. This was a crossover, double-blinded randomised controlled trial with 4 acute interventions, whereby all participants (n = 16) consumed a 7-day low-carotenoid (LC) diet, followed by their habitual (HB) diet for about 15 days before the next LC diet. Fasting plasma carotenoids and SCS were assessed at baseline and post-intervention for all dietary periods using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and resonance Raman spectroscopy respectively. This study was registered in clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04323826. Significantly greater individual and total plasma carotenoids (P < 0.001) were observed after the HB diets compared to LC diets overall. These were coupled with significant changes in total plasma carotenoids (P < 0.001) throughout the study and significant associations between changes in carotenoid intakes and changes in total plasma carotenoids (ρ = 0.731, P < 0.001). However, no significant differences in SCS (P = 0.83) were observed after the HB diets compared to LC diets overall, with no SCS changes observed throughout the study (P = 0.93). Moreover, no significant associations were observed between changes in carotenoid intakes and changes in SCS (ρ = -0.035, P = 0.71). Plasma carotenoids reflect short-term (7-day) changes in carotenoid intakes, while SCS does not. These results suggest that plasma carotenoids can serve as sensitive biomarkers for detecting short-term changes in carotenoid intakes while SCS may not be a suitable alternative biomarker for such applications.