Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a cereal grass, belongs to the genus Oryza from the family Poaceae, which encompasses twenty-five species cultured in many countries of Asia, and partly in the rest of the world. From these species, two viz. Oryza sativa (O. sativa) Asian rice and Oryza glaberrima (O. glaberrima) African rice are commonly found and the most widely consumed staple food by a large part of the human population in the world, especially in Asia due to their nutritional and nutraceutical prospects. Rice, a popular source of carbohydrates, also contains a good amount of dietary fiber, minerals (Ca, Zn, Se, P, K, Mg, Fe, and Mn), protein and vitamin B along with several other medicinally important bioactives such as tocols (α-tocopherols and α-tocotrienols) (ßsitosterol) phenolic acids, flavonoids (apiginine), and oryzanol (24-Methylenecylcoartanyl transferulate). Rice bran is a byproduct of the rice polishing industry and is valuable in terms of containing 15-20% high-value oil. Because of the natural antioxidants present in rice, several medicinal benefits and biological properties can be attributed to rice consumption. The nutrient profile of rice varies based on several factors, such as grains (white, brown, red, and black/purple), the extent of polishing, and the preparation method. Considering the importance of rice as a traditional diet rich in high-value bioactives, together with the existing gap of related information, it is worthwhile to assemble a comprehensive review that focuses on the detailed profile of valuable nutrients and high-value phytochemicals and biological activities of rice to explore its functional food and nutraceutical applications. This review attempts to provide collective information on the essential rice cereal for its nutritional and antioxidant potential.

Accessing healthy food is a challenge for many. Healthy corner store initiatives have proven successful at promoting healthy food access nationwide. Recent data suggest that 11.8% of Clark County residents and 17.1% of Henderson, Nevada, residents experienced food insecurity. It is crucial to assess the current perceptions and practices of the community before pursuing policy change to ensure that pilot programs reflect its members\' needs. This study aimed to identify which healthy foods consumers would like to see offered in convenience stores, assess purchasing behaviors, and explore barriers preventing store owners from carrying healthy foods. In doing so, this study aimed to ensure that the needs of owners and consumers are reflected in local policy changes. Project staff collected data through two approaches: (a) convenience store owner interviews (n = 2; who represented eight stores total) and (b) consumer intercept surveys (n = 88) within low-income census tracts of Henderson, Nevada. The cost of healthy foods-for storeowners and consumers-was a major factor when selecting items to stock. Storeowners also described key contextual barriers such as minimum purchasing requirements, city regulations limiting promotions, and healthy, fresh food not being in high enough demand for the many transient customers passing through. Survey respondents\' most commonly reported barrier to accessing healthy food was their lack of availability in convenience stores, suggesting it would be beneficial if stores offered healthier options to increase access. The results of this study will inform the community\'s next steps to increase access to healthy foods, including implementing a pilot healthy corner store project and a City-sponsored marketing campaign. Our methods and lessons learned may be useful for other municipalities considering health corner and convenience store initiatives.

Little is known on the association of types of grains with mortality and the moderating effect of lifestyle on this association. This study aims to evaluate the single or joint associations of types of grains and lifestyle with all-cause mortality among Chinese older adults.
Data were derived from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 1998 to 2018. Subjects aged ≥ 65 years were eligible. The types of grains included wheat, total rice, and coarse cereals. Lifestyle was derived using smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and dietary pattern. All-cause mortality was the primary outcome.
This study included 30275 participants with a mean age 87 ± 11 years and documented 19261 deaths during a mean follow-up of 4.8 years. Compared to wheat, in those with healthy and intermediate lifestyle, total rice was associated with a 13% (HR: 0.87, 95% CI 0.80, 0.93) and 6% (HR: 0.94, 95% CI 0.90, 1.00) lower risk of mortality, respectively, and coarse cereals were associated with a 14% (HR: 0.86, 95% CI 0.74, 1.00) and 12% (HR: 0.88, 95% CI 0.79, 0.97) lower risk of mortality, respectively. Meanwhile, an increase per SD in intakes of wheat and coarse cereals was associated with a 10% (HR: 1.10, 95% CI 1.03, 1.18) and 25% (HR: 1.25, 95% CI 1.08, 1.44) higher mortality rate in those with healthy lifestyle, and a 13% (HR: 1.13, 95% CI 1.08, 1.19) and 29% (HR: 1.29, 95% CI 1.17, 1.44) higher mortality in females but not males. In addition, a U-shaped association of intake of total grains with all- cause mortality was observed (P for non-linearity = 0.002), and a J-shaped association of intake of total rice with all- cause mortality was observed (P for non-linearity = 0.003).
Specific types of grains and lifestyle were separately or jointly associated with all-cause mortality. Compared to wheat, total rice and coarse cereals were advanced grains for participants with a relatively healthy lifestyle. Intake of total rice was related to all-cause mortality in a dose-response manner. Therefore, a combination of intermediate intake of total rice and healthy lifestyle should be encouraged in older adults.

Chromium (Cr) is a toxic heavy metal that contaminates soil and water resources after its discharge from different industries. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of single and/or combined application of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (250 μM) and sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) (1 mM) on growth, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange characteristics, oxidative stress biomarkers, antioxidant machinery (enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants), ion uptake, organic acid exudation, and Cr uptake of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) exposed to severe Cr stress [Cr: 0 (no Cr), 150, and 300 μM]. Our results depicted that Cr addition to the soil significantly (P < 0.05) decreased plant growth and biomass, gas exchange attributes, and mineral uptake by S. oleracea when compared to the plants grown without the addition of Cr. However, Cr toxicity boosted the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by increasing the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), which is the indication of oxidative stress in S. oleracea, and was also manifested by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and electrolyte leakage to the membrane-bound organelles. The results showed that the activities of various antioxidative enzymes, such as superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and the content of non-enzymatic antioxidants, such as phenolic, flavonoid, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanin, initially increased with an increase in the Cr concentration in the soil. The results also revealed that the levels of soluble sugar, reducing sugar, and non-reducing sugar were decreased in plants grown under elevating Cr levels, but the accumulation of the metal in the roots and shoots of S. oleracea, was found to be increased, and the values of bioaccumulation factor were <1 in all the Cr treatments. The negative impacts of Cr injury were reduced by the application of SNP and NaHS (individually or combined), which increased plant growth and biomass, improved photosynthetic apparatus, antioxidant enzymes, and mineral uptake, as well as diminished the exudation of organic acids and oxidative stress indicators in roots of S. oleracea by decreasing Cr toxicity. Here, we conclude that the application of SNP and NaHS under the exposure to Cr stress significantly improved plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, and gas exchange characteristics; regulated antioxidant defense system and essential nutrient uptake; and balanced organic acid exudation pattern in S. oleracea.

Water consumption and energy consumption are inevitable in grain production, but few studies have focused on the integrated assessment of these two indicators and their relationships. To address the research deficiency, taking the North China Plain (NCP) as a case study, this paper quantifies the changes in grain crop planting structure and the accompanying changes in irrigation water consumption (IWC) and energy consumption (EC) in the NCP. On this basis, the water-energy coupling index (CI) is constructed to analyze the water-energy coupling relationship in the context of grain crop planting structure change. The results revealed that the sown area of three of the four main grain crops in the NCP, namely winter wheat, summer maize, and rice, roughly increased in the south and decreased in the north, while the sown area of spring maize increased in most counties where it was planted in the NCP from 2000 to 2015. With the change of grain crop planting structure, IWC and EC of winter wheat in the NCP decreased by 19.87 × 106 m3 and 16.78 × 108 MJ, respectively, mainly distributed in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, while IWC and EC of other crops all increased. In terms of CI values, although that of spring maize increased, those of winter wheat, summer maize, and rice all decreased, and the overall CI values of grain production in the NCP decreased from 0.442 in 2000 to 0.438 in 2015, indicating that grain crop distribution has been optimized toward a less water- and energy-intensive and more sustainable layout in the NCP. This paper can add case and methodological support to the food-water-energy (FEW) nexus research and can also provide policy suggestions for regional crop optimization layout and conservation of both water and energy resources.

UNASSIGNED: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. Its prevention and regulation depends on dietary pattern and lifestyle. There are numerous studies which have been conducted to elucidate the relationship between type of diet consumption and sugar levels. The objective of this study was to enumerate the distribution of the staple food consumed in seven zones across India and their association with sugar levels.
UNASSIGNED: A pan-India multicentered screening, covering the 63 districts, 29 states, and 4 union territories per populations, was undertaken. A specially designed questionnaire was administered for data collection, which comprised specific questions for diet 17,280 sample was analyzed across seven zones of India. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS; 21.0) software was used to analyze the data.
UNASSIGNED: The survey suggested that rice and wheat are the major staple food consumed across different regions of India. In Jammu, North, East, South, and central zones, consumption of rice was more than wheat. However, in North and West zones, consumption of wheat was observed to be more than rice. Mean values of fasting blood sugar (FBS), postprandial blood sugar (PPBS) were high in the group consuming Bajra (128.3 & 160.5). Similarly, FBS mean was less in group consuming rice (114.6), and PPBS was low in group consuming ragi (149.2).
UNASSIGNED: Staple food has significant effect on FBS, PPBS and glycated haemoglobin cholesterol levels and anthropometric measurements.

This population-based cross-sectional study investigated the influence of dietary patterns on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Japanese population. The Tsuruoka Metabolomics Cohort Study enrolled a general population aged 35-74 years from among participants in annual health check-up programs in Tsuruoka City, Japan. Eating habits were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Principal component analysis was used to identify dietary patterns among food items. The association between quartiles of scores for each dietary pattern and intermediate AMD was assessed using multivariate logistic regression models. Of 3433 participants, 415 had intermediate AMD. We identified four principal components comprising the Vegetable-rich pattern, Varied staple food pattern, Animal-rich pattern, and Seafood-rich pattern. After adjusting for potential confounders, higher Varied staple food diet scores were associated with a lower prevalence of intermediate AMD (fourth vs. first quartile) (OR, 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46-0.86). A significant trend of decreasing ORs for intermediate AMD associated with increasing Varied staple food diet scores was noted (p for trend = 0.002). There was no significant association between the other dietary patterns and intermediate AMD. In a Japanese population, individuals with a dietary pattern score high in the Varied staple food pattern had a lower prevalence of intermediate AMD.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of food insecurity in Mozambique is alarming, despite progress made during the 2010s. Several studies apply different proxy indicators of food security (FS) to assess the FS situation. However, these studies overlook the factors affecting FS, using only a single data point that results in an incomplete picture of FS. Food security is expected to fluctuate, being better and worse than what studies suggest. Using a sample of 296 households to assess FS, key drivers conditioning households\' capacity to achieve FS in Gurué District, Central Mozambique, are identified. Data were collected in the pre-harvest period and during the harvest period to capture relevant interseasonal variation of FS. Household FS is assessed using three standard indicators: Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Household Food Consumption Score (HFCS), and Months of Adequate Household Food Provisioning (MAHFP).
RESULTS: Each household was classified into a specific FS status depending on the indicator applied. Generally, most households were classified as being severely or moderately food insecure during the pre-harvest season, while during the harvest season, medium and high levels of FS predominated. Nevertheless, varying outcomes were found depending on the indicator used to assess FS. MAHFP and HDDS are more related to the consumption of farm-sourced food, while HFCS responds more strongly to purchased food. Gender and age of the household head, geographic location, size and quality of land, staples production (especially cassava), livestock and crop diversity, as well as cash crops had a statistically significant effect on FS indicators.
CONCLUSIONS: The study concludes that the decision whether farmers should rely on staple foods production for increasing their FS status or specialize on cash crops production to generate income and buy food depends on the indicator used to assess FS, since each indicator captures a specific domain of food security. Thus, one central recommendation derived from our results is that policy makers should promote a balance between market-oriented agriculture and subsistence production to achieve FS.
BACKGROUND: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40066-021-00344-3.

Dietary intervention is crucial for the prevention and control of diabetes. China has the largest diabetic population in the world, yet no one dietary strategy matches the eating habits of the Chinese people. To explore an effective and acceptable dietary pattern, this study uses oat and buckwheat compound (OBC) as a staple food substitute and explored its effects on diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats. The model of diabetic rats was established by combining high-calorie feed and streptozotocin (STZ) injection. The dietary intervention for the seven groups, including a normal control group, a model control group, a metformin control group, a wheat flour control group, and three OBC groups with different doses, started from the beginning of the experiment and lasted for 11 weeks, two consecutive injections of STZ in small doses were operated at the 6th week. General states, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism indexes were measured. Antioxidant and inflammatory indexes and pathologic changes of kidney and liver tissues were tested. Changes in kidney and ileum ultramicrostructure were detected. What\'s more, ileal epithelial tight junction proteins and gut microbiota were analyzed. Significant decreases in fasting blood glucose (FBG), glucose tolerance, serum insulin, and insulin resistance were observed in rats intervened with OBC, and these rats also showed a higher level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) together with improved lipid metabolism, attenuated inflammation, and liver and kidney injuries. In addition, in OBC groups, the intestinal barrier was improved, and the disturbance of gut microbiota was reduced. These results suggest that OBC has health-promoting effects for diabetic rats, and since oat and buckwheat are traditionally consumed grains in China, OBC could be a potential and easy-to-accept staple food substitute for the dietary pattern for Chinese.

Policy interventions to improve food access and address the obesity epidemic among disadvantaged populations are becoming more common throughout the United States. In Baltimore MD, corner stores are a frequently used source of food for low-income populations, but these stores often do not provide a range of affordable healthy foods. This research study aimed to assist city policy makers as they considered implementing a Staple Food Ordinance (SFO) that would require small stores to provide a range and depth of stock of healthy foods. A System Dynamics (SD) model was built to simulate the complex Baltimore food environment and produce optimal values for key decision variables in SFO planning. A web-based application was created for users to access this model to optimize future SFOs, and to test out different options. Four versions of potential SFOs were simulated using this application and the advantages and drawbacks of each SFO are discussed based on the simulation results. These simulations show that a well-designed SFO has the potential to reduce staple food costs, increase corner store profits, reduce food waste, and expand the market for heathy staple foods.