Nutrient scoring for the DEGS1-FFQ – from food intake to nutrient intake

Background: While necessary for studying dietary decision-making or public health, estimates of nutrient supply based on self-reported food intake are barely accessible or fully lacking and remain a challenge in human research. In particular, detailed information on dietary fiber is limited. In this study we introduce an automated openly available approach to assess self-reported nutrient intake for research purposes for a popular, validated German food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Methods: To this end, we i) developed and shared a code for assessing nutrients (carbohydrates, fat, protein, sugar, fiber...) for 53 items of the quantitative, validated German DEGS1-FFQ questionnaire implementing expert-guided nutritional values of diverse sources with several raters. In a sample of individuals (nGUT-BRAIN = 61 (21 female) overweight, omnivorous), we ii) cross-validated nutrient intake of the last 7 days and the last 24 hours and iii) computed test-retest reliability across two timepoints. Further, iv) we report newly computed nutrient intake for two independent cross-sectional cohorts with continuous weight status and different dietary habits (nMensa= 134 (79 female, 1 diverse), nGREADT = 76 male). Exploratively, we correlated computed nutrient intake with v) anthropometric and vi) blood-based biomarkers. Results: In overweight adults (n= 61 (21 female), mean age 28.2±6.5 years, BMI 27.4±1.6 kg/m2) nutrient intakes were mostly normally distributed and within or surpassing recommended reference nutrient ranges for both last 7 days and last 24 hours. Reliability between last 7 days and 24 hours per visit was moderate (Pearson’s rall≥ 0.34, pall 0.40, pall 0.08, pall < 0.001). Associations of dietary components to anthropometric markers showed distinct sex differences, with overall higher intake by males compared to females and opposite associations of fiber intake and BMI in males compared to females. Links between nutrient intake relative to calorie intake and anthropometrics as well as serum markers remain inconclusive. Conclusion: We provide an openly available tool to systematically assess nutrient intake, including fiber, based on self-report by a common German FFQ. The computed nutrient scores resembled overall plausible and reliable measures of nutrient intake given the known limitations of FFQs regarding over- or underreporting. Our open code nutrient scoring can help to examine dietary intake in experimental studies, including dietary fiber and its subclasses, and can be readily adapted to other FFQs. Further validation of computed nutrients with biomarkers and nutrient-specific metabolites in serum, urine or feces will help to interpret self-reported dietary intake.Peer reviewe

art.pics

art.pics database: an open access database for art stimuli for experimental research We provide a large database of novel artificial art stimuli (n = 2332) for use in experimental research on the perception and valuation of art as a secondary reward. The database comprises eight different art styles (based on known and unknown art paintings) and three image categories (objects, plants, animals). Pictures were taken from two large food-related image databases, namely the food-pics_extended database (Blechert et al. 2019) and the FoodCast research image database (FRiDa) (Foroni et al. 2013). Original images were provided on the basis of a license agreement with the authors and are available at their respective online resources for food-pics and FRiDa. For use of the database, please fill out the license agreement PDF and send it to Veronica Witte (mailto:[email protected]

FFQ Nutrient Scoring

Aim: This project aims to convert raw self-reported dietary intake data for DEGS-1 FFQ into mean daily portion of food items and then into nutrient intake per day

Reproducibility of DTI outcome measures

We investigated if and how changes of MRI hardware, scanning protocols or preprocessing software affect diffusion-weighted imaging. We therefore compared DWI outcomes and artefact severity of 121 healthy participants (age range 19-54 years) who underwent two matched DWI protocols (Siemens product and Center for Magnetic Resonance Research sequence) at two sites (Siemens 3T Magnetom Verio and Skyrafit). We demonstrated that DTI outcome measures strongly depend on imaging site and software, and that these biases vary between brain regions. These regionally inhomogeneous biases may exceed and considerably confound physiological effects such as ageing, highlighting the need to harmonise data acquisition and analysis

Gut microbiota link dietary fiber intake and short-chain fatty acid metabolism with eating behavior

The gut microbiome has been speculated to modulate feeding behavior through multiple factors, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Evidence on this relationship in humans is however lacking. We aimed to explore if specific bacterial genera relate to eating behavior, diet, and SCFA in adults. Moreover, we tested whether eating-related microbiota relate to treatment success in patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Anthropometrics, dietary fiber intake, eating behavior, 16S-rRNA-derived microbiota, and fecal and serum SCFA were correlated in young overweight adults (n = 27 (9 F), 21-36 years, BMI 25-31 kg/m(2)). Correlated genera were compared in RYGB (n = 23 (16 F), 41-70 years, BMI 25-62 kg/m(2)) and control patients (n = 17 (11 F), 26-69 years, BMI 25-48 kg/m(2)). In young adults, 7 bacteria genera, i.e., Alistipes, Blautia, Clostridiales cluster XVIII, Gemmiger, Roseburia, Ruminococcus, and Streptococcus, correlated with healthier eating behavior, while 5 genera, i.e., Clostridiales cluster IV and XIVb, Collinsella, Fusicatenibacter, and Parabacteroides, correlated with unhealthier eating (all | r | > 0.4, FDR-corrected p < 0.05). Some of these genera including Parabacteroides related to fiber intake and SCFA, and to weight status and treatment response in overweight/obese patients. In this exploratory analysis, specific bacterial genera, particularly Parabacteroides, were associated with weight status and eating behavior in two small, independent and well-characterized cross-sectional samples. These preliminary findings suggest two groups of presumably beneficial and unfavorable genera that relate to eating behavior and weight status, and indicate that dietary fiber and SCFA metabolism may modify these relationships. Larger interventional studies are needed to distinguish correlation from causation.Peer reviewe