With the fast pace of modern life, people have less time for meals, but few studies have examined the association between the habit of fast eating and metabolic diseases.
Combining the results of the current study and the prior ones, we aimed to investigate the possible relationship between fast eating and the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
This is a sub-analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional study of 1965 participants investigated the association between fast eating and MASLD in Chinese. Fast eating was defined as meal time less than five minutes and participants were divided into three categories based on their self-reported frequency of fast eating: ≤1 time/month, ≤1 time/week and ≥2 times/week. We further conducted a literature search for available studies published before November, 2023 as well as a meta-analysis to investigate the association between fast eating and MASLD.
The proportion of MASLD was 59.3%, 50.5%, and 46.2% in participants with fast eating ≥2 times/week, ≤1 time/week and ≤1 time/month, respectively (P for trend <0.001). The frequency of fast eating was independently associated with risk of MASLD after multiple adjustment for sex, age, demographics, smoking and drinking status, BMI and clinical metabolic parameters (OR, 1.29; 95%CI, 1.09-1.53). Participants who ate fast frequently (≥2 times/week) had 81% higher risk of MASLD (P = 0.011). A meta-analysis of five eligible studies confirmed that frequent fast eating was associated with increased risk of MASLD (pooled OR, 1.22; 95%CI, 1.07-1.39).
Frequent fast eating was associated with an increased risk of MASLD.

BACKGROUND: Meal timing has been associated with metabolism and cardiovascular diseases; however, the relationship between meal timing and sleep quality remains inconclusive.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between meal timing and sleep quality from a chronobiological perspective.
METHODS: This study utilized data from the NHANES for the years 2005-2008, including a cohort of 7,023 participants after applying exclusion criteria. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Meal timing was analyzed based on two 24-hour dietary recalls from each individual, considering the timing of the initial and final meals, meal duration, and frequency of meal occasions. Multiple linear regression models and hierarchical analyses were employed to examine the relationship between meal timing and PSQI scores, adjusting for various demographic and habitat covariates.
RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation between delayed meal timings, increased meal occasions, and elevated PSQI scores, indicating that later meal timing are intricately linked with diminished sleep quality. Both later meal timings and more frequent meal occasions were significantly associated with poorer sleep quality. Compared to the first tertile, the β (95%CI) values of the third tertile were 0.545 (0.226, 0.864) for first meal timing, 0.586 (0.277, 0.896) for midpoint meal timing, 0.385 (0.090, 0.680) for last meal timing, and 0.332 (0.021, 0.642) for meal occasions in the adjusted models.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that late initial, midpoint, and final meal timing, as well as more frequent meal occasions, are chrono-nutrition patterns associated with poor sleep quality.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of a soy protein-rich meal intervention on the muscle health of older adults in long-term care facilities.
METHODS: A 12-week single-center randomized controlled trial with a control-group and open-label design was conducted. Eighty-four older adults from a long-term care facility participated in the study. The chefs at the facility cooked three meals using soy protein-rich recipes designed by dieticians. For 12 weeks, the intervention group participants consumed three meals with 30 g of soy protein (10 g/meal) per day, and the control group participants maintained their habitual diets.
RESULTS: The 84 participants (mean age, 84.9 ± 7.0 years; 61.9% female) were randomly assigned to an intervention group (43 participants) and a control group (41 participants). The intervention group exhibited significant increases in several lean mass indicators, namely soft lean mass (mean, 1.43 kg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20-1.65 kg), skeletal muscle mass (mean, 1.20 kg; 95% CI: 0.43-1.96 kg), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (mean, 0.79 kg; 95% CI: 0.07-1.52 kg), and skeletal muscle index (mean, 0.37 kg/m2; 95% CI: 0.05-0.68 kg/m2) (all P < 0.05). These changes were not observed in the control group (all P > 0.05). Notably, calf circumference decreased significantly in the control group (mean, -0.98 cm; 95% CI: -1.61 to -0.36 cm) but was maintained in the intervention group. The differences in the calf circumference and 6-m walk performance of the two groups were significant (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: The 12-week soy protein-rich meal intervention improved the muscle mass and 6-m walk performance of older adults in a long-term care facility.

BACKGROUND: Conflicting results have been reported on the association of dietary unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) with longevity and cardiovascular health. Most previous studies have focused only on the amount of UFAs consumed, not the timing of intake.
METHODS: This prospective cohort study used data from 30,136 adults aged 18 years and older. Intakes of UFAs by meal time and types were assessed by a 24-h dietary recall for two days. The covariate-adjusted survey-weighted Cox proportional hazards models were performed to evaluate the associations of dietary total unsaturated fatty acid (TUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) intakes throughout the day and three meals with mortality.
RESULTS: During a median of 10.0 years of follow-up, 4510 total deaths occurred. All-cause mortality decreased with increasing intakes at dinner of TUFA (HR: 0.87 [0.77-0.98]), PUFA (HR: 0.81 [0.73-0.91]), and MUFA (HR: 0.88 [0.77-0.99]). With an increased intake of PUFA at dinner, CVD mortality showed a decreasing trend. However, the inverted L-shaped non-linear trend in all-cause mortality was found with increasing intake at breakfast of TUFA (HR: 1.35 [1.17-1.57], Q3 vs. Q1), PUFA (HR: 1.30 [1.13-1.50]), and MUFA (HR: 1.28 [1.13-1.45]). Meanwhile, increased breakfast intake of UFAs was associated with increased CVD and heart disease mortality.
CONCLUSIONS: Meal timing influences the association of UFAs with all-cause and CVD-related mortality.

OBJECTIVE: If the proportion of calcium intake over a whole day is related to the risk of cognitive impairment in adults is still largely unknown. This research aimed to examine the relation of dietary calcium intake at dinner versus breakfast with the risk of cognitive impairment by using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS).
METHODS: A total of 2,099 participants (including 668 cognitive impairment) in the CHNS (1997-2006) were included. The participants were categorized into 5 groups in accordance with the ratio of dietary calcium intake at dinner and breakfast (Δ = dinner/breakfast). After adjustment was conducted for a series of confounding factors, Cox hazard regression modelling was performed to discuss the relation of Δ with cognitive impairment. Dietary substitution models were used to explore the changes in cognitive impairment risk when a 5% dietary calcium intake at dinner was replaced with dietary calcium intake at breakfast.
RESULTS: Participants in the highest distribution of Δ showed a greater susceptibility to cognitive impairment than those in the lowest quintile, with an adjusted hazard ratio of cognitive impairment of 1.38 (95% CI: 1.08-1.76). When maintaining total calcium intake, substituting 5% of dietary calcium intake at dinner with calcium intake at breakfast was related to an 8% decrease in the risk of cognitive impairment.
CONCLUSIONS: Higher dietary calcium intake at dinner was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment, emphasizing the importance of appropriately distributing dietary calcium intake between breakfast and dinner.

OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively analyze the trace nutrient contents in take-away meals, the simultaneous detection method of common vitamins in take-away meals were explored based on the samples' matrix, and the content of trace nutrients in take-away meals was analyzed combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) detection of common elements.
METHODS: Fifty-seven take-away meals were collected randomly and analyzed. Vitamins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector tandem fluorescence detector after pretreatment of samples including enzymatic digestion, hydrolysis and extraction. The separation was performed on a C_(18) column(250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) with ion-pair acid reagents as the mobile phase for water-soluble vitamins and methanol for fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin B_1, vitamin B_2, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide and vitamin A were detected by ultraviolet detector(UVD), while vitamin B_6 and E by fluorescence detector(FLD). Elemental analysis of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, selenium and copper in the take-away meals was carried out according to GB 5009.268-2016 by ICP-MS to comprehensively evaluate the contents of micronutrients.
RESULTS: Through optimization of chromatography and sample pretreatment conditions, the sensitivity of the established detection method can meet the needs of micronutrient evaluation with the detection limits and quantification limits of vitamins in the range of 0.002-0.098 mg/100 g and 0.007-0.327 mg/100 g, respectively. Good precision was obtained(<10%). The spiked recovery rates were 80.5%-103.8%(n=6). The result showed that the contents of micronutrients in take-away meals were generally low. The detection rates of vitamins ranged from 21.1% to 98.2%.
CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method is simple and sensitive, and the contents of vitamins and elements determined were low in the collected take-away meals.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop the Healthy Eating Report Card for Pre-school Children in Hong Kong for evaluating the prevalence of healthy eating behaviours and favourable family home food environments (FHFEs) among pre-school children in Hong Kong.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 538 parent-child dyads from eight kindergartens in Hong Kong were recruited. Parents or guardians completed a questionnaire comprising Report Card items. The Report Card included two indicators of Children\'s Eating Behaviours (ie, Children\'s Dietary Patterns and Children\'s Mealtime Behaviours) and three indicators of FHFEs (ie, Parental Food Choices and Preparation, Avoidance of Unhealthy Foods, and Family Mealtime Environments). Each indicator and its specific items were assigned a letter grade representing the percentage of participants achieving the predefined benchmarks. The grades were defined as A (≥80%, Excellent); B (60%-79%, Good); C (40%-59%, Fair); D (20%-39%, Poor); and F (<20%, Very poor). Plus (+) and minus (-) signs were used to indicate the upper or lower 5% of each grade.
RESULTS: Overall, Children\'s Eating Behaviours were classified as Fair (average grade of \'C\'), whereas FHFEs were classified as Good (average grade of \'B\'). The sub-grades ranged from \'C\' to \'A-\', as follows: Children\'s Dietary Patterns, \'C+\'; Children\'s Mealtime Behaviours, \'C\'; Parental Food Choices and Preparation, \'C+\'; Avoidance of Unhealthy Foods, \'B\'; and Family Mealtime Environments, \'A-\'.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight areas for improvement in healthy eating among children. The Healthy Eating Report Card could offer novel insights into intervention tools that promote healthy eating.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the associations between body composition and temporal eating patterns, including time of first eating occasion, time of last eating occasion, eating window, and eating jet lag (the variability in meal timing between weekdays and weekends).
METHODS: A total of 131 participants were included in the study. Temporal eating pattern information was collected through consecutive 7-day eat timing questionnaires and photographic food records. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the relationships of temporal eating patterns with body composition, and age was adjusted. Eating midpoint was additionally adjusted in the analysis of eating window.
RESULTS: On weekdays, both later first eating occasion and last eating occasion were associated with lower lean mass, and longer eating window was associated with lower body fat percentage. On weekends, both later first eating occasion and last eating occasion were associated with lower lean mass, and longer eating window was associated with higher FFMI. Longer first eating occasion jet lag was associated with lower lean mass.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that earlier and more regular eating patterns may have a benefit on body composition.

BACKGROUND: Currently, it is still largely unknown whether the proportion of calcium intake at breakfast and dinner is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of dietary calcium intake at dinner versus breakfast with CVD in a nationally representative sample of US adults.
METHODS: The study population consisted of 36,164 US adults (including 4,040 CVD cases) from the NHANES 2003 to 2018. According to the ratio of dietary calcium intake at dinner and breakfast (Δ = dinner/breakfast), 36,164 participants were divided into five groups. After adjustment for a series of confounder factors, logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between Δ and CVD. Dietary substitution models were used to explore the changes in CVD risk when a 5% dietary calcium intake at dinner was substituted with dietary calcium intake at breakfast.
RESULTS: Compared with participants in the lowest quintile, participants in the highest quintile were more likely to have CVD, with an adjusted OR of CVD of 1.16 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.31). When the total calcium intake remained constant, replacing a 5% dietary calcium intake at dinner with dietary calcium intake at breakfast was associated with a 6% lower risk of CVD.
CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the lowest quintile of Δ, participants in the highest quintile of Δ were likely to experience CVD in the general population. It is necessary to scientifically allocate dietary calcium intake at breakfast and dinner.

The physical characteristics of chyme during gastrointestinal digestion are considered to significantly affect nutrient digestion and absorption (such as glucose diffusion), which has an impact on postprandial satiety. The present study aims to analyze the hydration rate (HR) and rheological properties of deacetylated konjac glucomannan (DKGM) at different degrees and then explore their effects on rice texture, digestive properties, and the subjects\' post-meal appetite. The present results show that, as the deacetylation degree (DD) of KGM increased, the intersection point of the viscoelastic modulus shifted to a high shear rate frequency, and as the swelling time of the DKGM was prolonged, its HR decreased significantly. The results of the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion tests show that the hardness and chewability of the rice in the fast-hydration group (MK1) were remarkably reduced. In contrast, the slow-hydration group (MK5) exhibited an outstanding ability to resist digestion. The kinetics of starch hydrolysis revealed that the HR of the rice in the fast-hydration group was 1.8 times faster than that of the slow-hydration group. Moreover, it was found that the subjects\' appetite after the meal was highly related to the HR of the MK. Their hunger (p < 0.001), desire to eat (p < 0.001), and prospective food consumption (p < 0.001) were significantly inhibited in the slow-hydration group (MK5) compared to the control. This study explored the nutritional effects of the hydration properties derived from the DKGM, which may contribute to modifying the high glycemic index food and provide ideas for the fabrication of food with enhanced satiating capacity.