Science focus: Top 10 most read nutrition research of 2020

See our top 10 most read nutrition research studies of 2020, including research on egg whites, ginseng and probiotics. Click through the gallery to see them all. See our top 10 most read nutrition research studies of 2020, including research on egg whites, ginseng and probiotics. A diet high in egg whites, and to a lesser extent whey protein, could help boost male fertility...but even ‘healthy’ fats appear to have the opposite effect. Less surprisingly, it appears that a meal high in saturated fat, namely McDonald's sausage, cheese and egg muffins, along with hash browns, should also be shunned by men trying to become dads. These are the findings highlighted in a new pilot study on overweight and obese men undertaken by academics at the University of South Australia and Flinders University in December 2019. They claim their findings present a direct link between diet and testosterone – showing that what men eat could affect their fundamental male sex hormone. An analysis of 115 plant-based milk sold in Australia showed that the category was lacking in several micronutrients, including vitamin A, B12, calcium, and protein when compared to cow’s milk. Researchers involved have described the findings as a “disconcerting discovery” since consumers tend to perceive plant-based milk as mineral-rich. They have thus urged the country’s regulator to implement advisory labelling , especially for older women and adolescents who require a higher intake of micronutrients. The analysis, said to be the first of its kind in Australia, looked at plant-based milk sold in major Australian supermarkets such as Woolworths, Coles and health foods stores from November 2019 to January 2020. A trial involving healthy Japanese men revealed for the first time that a single dose of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is safe for consumption and is effectively metabolised by the body. The study, published in Endocrine Journal , was conducted by researchers from the Keio University School of Medicine and a number of industry research labs. NMN is an intermediate compound of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Administration of NMN has been shown to mitigate ageing-related dysfunctions. The researchers believed that this is the first human study to examine the safety of NMN oral administration. Researchers from China, Qatar, and USA reported that a high chilli intake was associated with a lower risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among the adult population in China. The prevalence of CKD was 13.1% in non-chilli consumers and 7.4% among those with chilli intake above 50 g/day. Current studies on animal models have shown the active component of chilli, capsaicin, has beneficial effects on kidney function and preventing kidney damage, however, this assertion has not been investigated in humans and no population studies have assessed the association between chili consumption and CKD. Hence, researchers sought to assess the association between chilli intake and CKD among Chinese adults who participated in the Chinese Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). They believed they are the first population-based study to investigate this association. Korean Red ginseng (KRG) was able to reduce fatigue in deficiency syndrome patients without rising “heatiness”, according to a study. KRG is commonly perceived as a “heaty” ingredient among Asia consumers, which could lead to “fire-heat” syndromes such as sore throat, ulcers, and constipation. Therefore, Chinese researchers embarked on a clinical trial to validate the claims, with results published in the peer-reviewed publication Journal of Ginseng Research. Spanning over four weeks, the study was supported by grant from the Korean Society of Ginseng and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Probiotics were the most popular non-vitamin and non-mineral dietary supplement given to Japanese boys and girls, according to a new nationwide internet survey . Researchers from Japan found probiotics consumption was 18.2% in boys and 18.5% in girls, and that intake was especially higher among children suffering from allergic diseases. The findings were published in the journal, Nutrients . An internet survey was undertaken among 55,038 mothers (25 to 60 years old) of preschool- or school-aged children in Japan. A study in the Philippines showed that children consuming milk catered to their age, such as toddler and infant formula, have higher intake of micronutrients including iron, zinc, vitamin B6, C, D, and E, as compared to those drinking other types of milk. The study, published in Nutrients, was funded by Nestle Research. The researchers were Nestle and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute in the Philippines. The purpose of the study was to assess the benefits of different types of milk in terms of their nutrient composition for young and preschool children in the Philippines. Data from nearly 3,000 children aged one to four years old were analysed. Natural astaxanthin from algae was “undisputedly demonstrated” to be the most effective form of the ingredient for a variety of health benefits, according to a new review . The literature review, published in the journal Functional Foods in Health and Disease , sought to assess head-to-head studies comparing astaxanthin from three different sources in animals and in-vitro. They were: A study in China found mineral oil hydrocarbon (MOH) contamination in all samples of goat milk-based infant formulas that were tested by researchers. MOH are usually found in food packaging and can potentially migrate into the food contained within. It can also come from machines and procedures used during harvesting and processing of food. The study included 51 infant formulas sold in China in 2018, consisting 39 dairy milk-based and 12 goat milk-based. Researchers also included formulas in different stages (stage 1,2,3) and different package type (metal cans, paper box). The researchers chose the Gas Chromatography – Flame Ionisation/ Mass Spectrometry (GC-FID/MS) method to measure MOH contamination as there was no harmonised standard analytical method for testing MOHs in infant formula. A double-blind, randomised clinical trial revealed that the supplementation of probiotics with the laxative magnesium oxide was effective in managing constipation in young children. Findings of the trial which was conducted in Japanese young children, were published in the scientific journal Nutrients. The probiotic used for the trial is lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and was supplied by Swedish probiotic firm BioGaia. The researchers recruited the subjects from five paediatric outpatient clinics.

Science focus: Top 10 most read nutrition research of 2020

See our top 10 most read nutrition research studies of 2020, including research on egg whites, ginseng and probiotics.

Related Topics

COVID-19 focus: Top 10 most read COVID-19 research of 2020

GALLERY: Meet the winners of the NutraIngredients-Asia Special Awards 2020

GALLERY: Meet winners of NutraIngredients-Asia Product of the Year award 2020