Meat analogs from different protein sources: A comparison of their sustainability and nutritional content

© 2018 by the authors. Meat analogs are processed foods designed to mimic meat products. Their popularity is increasing among people seeking foods that are healthy and sustainable. Animal-sourced protein products differ in both their environmental impact and nutritional composition. The protein sources to produce meat analogs come from different plants. There is a lack of published research data assessing differences in these two aspects of meat analogs according to the plant protein source. This study compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of different types of meat analogs according to their main source of protein (wheat, soy, wheat and soy, or nuts), and their nutritional composition. We also compared totally plant-based products with those containing egg. We performed life cycle analyses of 56 meat analogs from ingredient production to the final commercial product. The nutrient profile of the meat analogs was analyzed based on ingredients. Descriptive statistics and differences between means were assessed through t-test and ANOVA. No differences in GHG emissions were observed among products with different major sources of protein. However, egg-containing products produced significantly higher amounts of GHG (p \u3c 0.05). The nutritional composition of all meat analogs was found to be quite similar. Altogether, total plant-based meat analogs should be the choice for the sake of the environment

Knowledge, attitude, and patient advice on sustainable diets among Spanish health professionals

Current dietary patterns, especially in high-income countries, are unsustainable. Health professionals, due to their credibility and close contact with the general population, could serve as agents of change for the adoption of sustainable diets. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding sustainable diets among the health professionals in Spain. A 24-item online questionnaire was designed for this purpose, and sent to health professionals (i.e., dietitians-nutritionists, nurses, physicians, and pharmacists). From September 2021 to May 2022, 2,545 health professionals answered the survey completely. One-fifth of them had never heard the term “sustainable diet”, and most of them recognized having limited knowledge about it. They considered promoting sustainable diets when making dietary recommendations important, and pointed out that they would like to be trained on the topic. Indeed, they reported that all health professionals, independent of their career background, should be educated on sustainable diets. Efforts should be stressed on implementing training courses, at university level but also as continuous post-graduate training, providing health professionals in Spain the necessary knowledge to promote the adoption of sustainable diets among the population

Thinking Health-related Behaviors in a Climate Change Context:A Narrative Review

Background: Human activities have changed the environment so profoundly over the past two centuries that human-induced climate change is now posing serious health-related threats to current and future generations. Rapid action from all scientific fields, including behavioral medicine, is needed to contribute to both mitigation of, and adaption to, climate change.Purpose: This article aims to identify potential bi-directional associations between climate change impacts and health-related behaviors, as well as a set of key actions for the behavioral medicine community.Methods: We synthesized the existing literature about (i) the impacts of rising temperatures, extreme weather events, air pollution, and rising sea level on individual behaviors (e.g., eating behaviors, physical activity, sleep, substance use, and preventive care) as well as the structural factors related to these behaviors (e.g., the food system); and (ii) the concurrent positive and negative roles that health-related behaviors can play in mitigation and adaptation to climate change.Results: Based on this literature review, we propose a first conceptual model of climate change and health-related behavior feedback loops. Key actions are proposed, with particular consideration for health equity implications of future behavioral interventions. Actions to bridge the fields of behavioral medicine and climate sciences are also discussed.Conclusions: We contend that climate change is among the most urgent issues facing all scientists and should become a central priority for the behavioral medicine community.</p

Knowledge, attitude, and patient advice on sustainable diets among Spanish health professionals

Current dietary patterns, especially in high-income countries, are unsustainable. Health professionals, due to their credibility and close contact with the general population, could serve as agents of change for the adoption of sustainable diets. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding sustainable diets among the health professionals in Spain. A 24-item online questionnaire was designed for this purpose, and sent to health professionals (i.e., dietitians-nutritionists, nurses, physicians, and pharmacists). From September 2021 to May 2022, 2,545 health professionals answered the survey completely. One-fifth of them had never heard the term “sustainable diet”, and most of them recognized having limited knowledge about it. They considered promoting sustainable diets when making dietary recommendations important, and pointed out that they would like to be trained on the topic. Indeed, they reported that all health professionals, independent of their career background, should be educated on sustainable diets. Efforts should be stressed on implementing training courses, at university level but also as continuous post-graduate training, providing health professionals in Spain the necessary knowledge to promote the adoption of sustainable diets among the population

Substitution Models of Water for Other Beverages, and the Incidence of Obesity and Weight Gain in the SUN Cohort

Obesity is a major epidemic for developed countries in the 21st century. The main cause of obesity is energy imbalance, of which contributing factors include a sedentary lifestyle, epigenetic factors and excessive caloric intake through food and beverages. A high consumption of caloric beverages, such as alcoholic or sweetened drinks, may particularly contribute to weight gain, and lower satiety has been associated with the intake of liquid instead of solid calories. Our objective was to evaluate the association between the substitution of a serving per day of water for another beverage (or group of them) and the incidence of obesity and weight change in a Mediterranean cohort, using mathematical models. We followed 15,765 adults without obesity at baseline. The intake of 17 beverage items was assessed at baseline through a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The outcomes were average change in body weight in a four-year period and new-onset obesity and their association with the substitution of one serving per day of water for one of the other beverages. During the follow-up, 873 incident cases of obesity were identified. In substitution models, the consumption of water instead of beer or sugar-sweetened soda beverages was associated with a lower obesity incidence (the Odds Ratio (OR) 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68 to 0.94) and OR 0.85 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.97); respectively) and, in the case of beer, it was also associated with a higher average weight loss (weight change difference = −328 g; (95% CI −566 to −89)). Thus, this study found that replacing one sugar-sweetened soda beverage or beer with one serving of water per day at baseline was related to a lower incidence of obesity and to a higher weight loss over a four-year period time in the case of beer, based on mathematical models

Insulators: estructura y funciones

Tesis llevada a cabo para conseguir el grado de Doctor por la Universidad de Barcelona.--2016-05-11[ES] Los insulators son complejos de DNA y proteínas, cuya función no solo consiste en impedir la comunicación enhancer-promotor y/o bloquear la expansión del silenciamiento de la heterocromatina como clásicamente se habían descrito. Median interacciones intra e intercromosomales, cuyo objetivo fmal es la organización del genoma en diferentes dominios, regulando por consiguiente las funciones del DNA. Uno de los objetivos de esta tesis fue la búsqueda de nuevas funciones de proteínas insulators ya conocidas. Observamos que, en Drosophila melanogaster, la carencia de la proteína insulator CTCF produce un retraso en el desarrollo. CTCF juega un papel esencial en la regulación de la expresión génica, y demostramos que es necesaria para la transcripción de los genes Halloween spookier, shadow y noppera-bo, involucrados en la biosíntesis de ecdisona en la glándula protorácica. Comprobamos que el retraso no se recupera con la mera adición de ecdisona al medio, sino que a la vez tiene que estar enriquecido en colesterol. Esto, junto con la acumulación anormal de lípidos en la glándula que produce la ausencia de CTCF, muestra que también es necesaria para la homeostasis de los lípidos. Por otro lado, también estamos interesados en la caracterización de nuevas proteínas con actividad insulator. Analizamos la composición de los complejos que contienen CP190 (cofactor común de todos los insulators). De entre las proteínas que hemos identificado, Ibfl, Ibf2 y pita forman parte del mismo complejo, tienen actividad enhancer-blocking en los insulators del complejo Bithorax y, además, Ibfl e Ibf2 están presentes en los insulator bodies, requiriéndose mutuamente para formar parte de ellos. También hemos realizado un screening para identificar proteínas con actividad enhancer-blocking, y nos decantamos por el estudio de Haspin. Además de bloquear la comunicación entre enhancer y promotor en el complejo Bithorax, actúa como modulador de la estructura, condensación y organización de la cromatina: su ausencia provoca fuertes alteraciones morfológicas de los núcleos interfásicos, observándose grandes invaginaciones, además de inducir la condensación. Asimismo, nuestros análisis muestran que la actividad kinasa de Haspin es necesaria para realizar estar funciones. Hasta el momento, H3T3 es su única diana conocida. Comprobamos que, en Drosophila, Haspin es la principal kinasa que produce esta marca, y que está presente tanto en mitosis como en interfase. El análisis de la localización de H3T3ph a lo largo del genoma señala que está preferentemente en heterocromatina pericentromérica, así como en grandes regiones silenciadas ricas en lamina y H3K27me3, delimitadas por proteínas insulators. Nuestros resultados muestran también que Haspin es necesaria para la unión de Polycomb al complejo Bithorax. Además confirmamos que Haspin necesita a pds5 (proteína que interactúa con el complejo de las cohesinas) para mediar su función, y que pds5 precisa de Haspin para unirse a la cromatina. Los efectos que genera la falta de Haspin son contrarios a los observados con la sobreexpresión de CapH2 (proteína del grupo de las condensinas II), y la condensación que produce la ausencia de Haspin podría deberse a una unión excesiva de CapH2 al DNA. De hecho, su localización parece incompatible con la presencia de H3T3ph. Durante mitosis y meiosis existe una relación Haspin-pds5-cohesinas-condensinas y nuestros resultados indican que esta relación existe también en interfase y juega un papel importante en la organización de la cromatina dentro del núcleo.[EN] Current knowledge about insulator function suggests that their main activity is to control intra and interchromosomal interactions, in order to organize the genome in different domains, and so, regulate DNA functions. In this thesis we looked for new roles of already known insulator proteins. We show that CTCF regulates Drosophila melanogaster developmental time. We demonstrate that this protein regulates ecdysone signalling in two ways: it controls expression levels of spookier, shadow and noppera-bo (some of the Halloween genes required for ecdysone byosinthesis) and it regulates lipid homeostasis in the cells that produce the hormone. We also characterized new insulator proteins by analysing protein complexes that contain CP190. We show that lbf1, lbf2 and pita are in the same complex, all of them being necessary for insulator activity in enhancer-blocking assays. Moreover, lbf1 and lbf2 overlap with CP190 at insulator body sites. On the other hand, we performed a screening in Drosophila looking for proteins with insulator activity and we identified the kinase Haspin. We report that it is essential for chromatin organization since Haspin null mutations show strong morphological alterations and interphase nuclear condensation. These effects are mediated by its kinase domain and we also show that Haspin is the main kinase that phosphorylates H3T3 in Drosophila both, in mitosis and interphase. H3T3ph genome localization is mainly pericentromeric and in big silenced regions, enriched in lamin and H3K27me3, and flanked by insulator proteins. Our results also show that Haspin is needed for Polycomb binding to the Bithorax complex. Finally, we also show that pds5, a protein which interacts with cohesin complex, needs Haspin to be chromatin associated. Moreover, H3T3ph and CapH2 (protein of the Condensin II complex) genome localization are mutually exclusive. A relationship between Haspin-pds5-cohesin-condensin has been previously reported during mitosis and meiosis, and our results indicate that this relationship also exists in interphase playing an important role in chromatin organization.Peer reviewe

Insulators: estructura y funciones

Los insulators son complejos de DNA y proteínas, cuya función no solo consiste en impedir la comunicación enhancer-promotor y/o bloquear la expansión del silenciamiento de la heterocromatina como clásicamente se habían descrito. Median interacciones intra e intercromosomales, cuyo objetivo fmal es la organización del genoma en diferentes dominios, regulando por consiguiente las funciones del DNA. Uno de los objetivos de esta tesis fue la búsqueda de nuevas funciones de proteínas insulators ya conocidas. Observamos que, en Drosophila melanogaster, la carencia de la proteína insulator CTCF produce un retraso en el desarrollo. CTCF juega un papel esencial en la regulación de la expresión génica, y demostramos que es necesaria para la transcripción de los genes Halloween spookier, shadow y noppera-bo, involucrados en la biosíntesis de ecdisona en la glándula protorácica. Comprobamos que el retraso no se recupera con la mera adición de ecdisona al medio, sino que a la vez tiene que estar enriquecido en colesterol. Esto, junto con la acumulación anormal de lípidos en la glándula que produce la ausencia de CTCF, muestra que también es necesaria para la homeostasis de los lípidos. Por otro lado, también estamos interesados en la caracterización de nuevas proteínas con actividad insulator. Analizamos la composición de los complejos que contienen CP190 (cofactor común de todos los insulators). De entre las proteínas que hemos identificado, Ibfl, Ibf2 y pita forman parte del mismo complejo, tienen actividad enhancer-blocking en los insulators del complejo Bithorax y, además, Ibfl e Ibf2 están presentes en los insulator bodies, requiriéndose mutuamente para formar parte de ellos. También hemos realizado un screening para identificar proteínas con actividad enhancer-blocking, y nos decantamos por el estudio de Haspin. Además de bloquear la comunicación entre enhancer y promotor en el complejo Bithorax, actúa como modulador de la estructura, condensación y organización de la cromatina: su ausencia provoca fuertes alteraciones morfológicas de los núcleos interfásicos, observándose grandes invaginaciones, además de inducir la condensación. Asimismo, nuestros análisis muestran que la actividad kinasa de Haspin es necesaria para realizar estar funciones. Hasta el momento, H3T3 es su única diana conocida. Comprobamos que, en Drosophila, Haspin es la principal kinasa que produce esta marca, y que está presente tanto en mitosis como en interfase. El análisis de la localización de H3T3ph a lo largo del genoma señala que está preferentemente en heterocromatina pericentromérica, así como en grandes regiones silenciadas ricas en lamina y H3K27me3, delimitadas por proteínas insulators. Nuestros resultados muestran también que Haspin es necesaria para la unión de Polycomb al complejo Bithorax. Además confirmamos que Haspin necesita a pds5 (proteína que interactúa con el complejo de las cohesinas) para mediar su función, y que pds5 precisa de Haspin para unirse a la cromatina. Los efectos que genera la falta de Haspin son contrarios a los observados con la sobreexpresión de CapH2 (proteína del grupo de las condensinas II), y la condensación que produce la ausencia de Haspin podría deberse a una unión excesiva de CapH2 al DNA. De hecho, su localización parece incompatible con la presencia de H3T3ph. Durante mitosis y meiosis existe una relación Haspin-pds5-cohesinas-condensinas y nuestros resultados indican que esta relación existe también en interfase y juega un papel importante en la organización de la cromatina dentro del núcleo.Current knowledge about insulator function suggests that their main activity is to control intra and interchromosomal interactions, in order to organize the genome in different domains, and so, regulate DNA functions. In this thesis we looked for new roles of already known insulator proteins. We show that CTCF regulates Drosophila melanogaster developmental time. We demonstrate that this protein regulates ecdysone signalling in two ways: it controls expression levels of spookier, shadow and noppera-bo (some of the Halloween genes required for ecdysone byosinthesis) and it regulates lipid homeostasis in the cells that produce the hormone. We also characterized new insulator proteins by analysing protein complexes that contain CP190. We show that lbf1, lbf2 and pita are in the same complex, all of them being necessary for insulator activity in enhancer-blocking assays. Moreover, lbf1 and lbf2 overlap with CP190 at insulator body sites. On the other hand, we performed a screening in Drosophila looking for proteins with insulator activity and we identified the kinase Haspin. We report that it is essential for chromatin organization since Haspin null mutations show strong morphological alterations and interphase nuclear condensation. These effects are mediated by its kinase domain and we also show that Haspin is the main kinase that phosphorylates H3T3 in Drosophila both, in mitosis and interphase. H3T3ph genome localization is mainly pericentromeric and in big silenced regions, enriched in lamin and H3K27me3, and flanked by insulator proteins. Our results also show that Haspin is needed for Polycomb binding to the Bithorax complex. Finally, we also show that pds5, a protein which interacts with cohesin complex, needs Haspin to be chromatin associated. Moreover, H3T3ph and CapH2 (protein of the Condensin II complex) genome localization are mutually exclusive. A relationship between Haspin-pds5-cohesin-condensin has been previously reported during mitosis and meiosis, and our results indicate that this relationship also exists in interphase playing an important role in chromatin organization

Insulators: estructura y funciones

[spa] Los insulators son complejos de DNA y proteínas, cuya función no solo consiste en impedir la comunicación enhancer-promotor y/o bloquear la expansión del silenciamiento de la heterocromatina como clásicamente se habían descrito. Median interacciones intra e intercromosomales, cuyo objetivo fmal es la organización del genoma en diferentes dominios, regulando por consiguiente las funciones del DNA. Uno de los objetivos de esta tesis fue la búsqueda de nuevas funciones de proteínas insulators ya conocidas. Observamos que, en Drosophila melanogaster, la carencia de la proteína insulator CTCF produce un retraso en el desarrollo. CTCF juega un papel esencial en la regulación de la expresión génica, y demostramos que es necesaria para la transcripción de los genes Halloween spookier, shadow y noppera-bo, involucrados en la biosíntesis de ecdisona en la glándula protorácica. Comprobamos que el retraso no se recupera con la mera adición de ecdisona al medio, sino que a la vez tiene que estar enriquecido en colesterol. Esto, junto con la acumulación anormal de lípidos en la glándula que produce la ausencia de CTCF, muestra que también es necesaria para la homeostasis de los lípidos. Por otro lado, también estamos interesados en la caracterización de nuevas proteínas con actividad insulator. Analizamos la composición de los complejos que contienen CP190 (cofactor común de todos los insulators). De entre las proteínas que hemos identificado, Ibfl, Ibf2 y pita forman parte del mismo complejo, tienen actividad enhancer-blocking en los insulators del complejo Bithorax y, además, Ibfl e Ibf2 están presentes en los insulator bodies, requiriéndose mutuamente para formar parte de ellos. También hemos realizado un screening para identificar proteínas con actividad enhancer-blocking, y nos decantamos por el estudio de Haspin. Además de bloquear la comunicación entre enhancer y promotor en el complejo Bithorax, actúa como modulador de la estructura, condensación y organización de la cromatina: su ausencia provoca fuertes alteraciones morfológicas de los núcleos interfásicos, observándose grandes invaginaciones, además de inducir la condensación. Asimismo, nuestros análisis muestran que la actividad kinasa de Haspin es necesaria para realizar estar funciones. Hasta el momento, H3T3 es su única diana conocida. Comprobamos que, en Drosophila, Haspin es la principal kinasa que produce esta marca, y que está presente tanto en mitosis como en interfase. El análisis de la localización de H3T3ph a lo largo del genoma señala que está preferentemente en heterocromatina pericentromérica, así como en grandes regiones silenciadas ricas en lamina y H3K27me3, delimitadas por proteínas insulators. Nuestros resultados muestran también que Haspin es necesaria para la unión de Polycomb al complejo Bithorax. Además confirmamos que Haspin necesita a pds5 (proteína que interactúa con el complejo de las cohesinas) para mediar su función, y que pds5 precisa de Haspin para unirse a la cromatina. Los efectos que genera la falta de Haspin son contrarios a los observados con la sobreexpresión de CapH2 (proteína del grupo de las condensinas II), y la condensación que produce la ausencia de Haspin podría deberse a una unión excesiva de CapH2 al DNA. De hecho, su localización parece incompatible con la presencia de H3T3ph. Durante mitosis y meiosis existe una relación Haspin-pds5-cohesinas-condensinas y nuestros resultados indican que esta relación existe también en interfase y juega un papel importante en la organización de la cromatina dentro del núcleo.[eng] Current knowledge about insulator function suggests that their main activity is to control intra and interchromosomal interactions, in order to organize the genome in different domains, and so, regulate DNA functions. In this thesis we looked for new roles of already known insulator proteins. We show that CTCF regulates Drosophila melanogaster developmental time. We demonstrate that this protein regulates ecdysone signalling in two ways: it controls expression levels of spookier, shadow and noppera-bo (some of the Halloween genes required for ecdysone byosinthesis) and it regulates lipid homeostasis in the cells that produce the hormone. We also characterized new insulator proteins by analysing protein complexes that contain CP190. We show that lbf1, lbf2 and pita are in the same complex, all of them being necessary for insulator activity in enhancer-blocking assays. Moreover, lbf1 and lbf2 overlap with CP190 at insulator body sites. On the other hand, we performed a screening in Drosophila looking for proteins with insulator activity and we identified the kinase Haspin. We report that it is essential for chromatin organization since Haspin null mutations show strong morphological alterations and interphase nuclear condensation. These effects are mediated by its kinase domain and we also show that Haspin is the main kinase that phosphorylates H3T3 in Drosophila both, in mitosis and interphase. H3T3ph genome localization is mainly pericentromeric and in big silenced regions, enriched in lamin and H3K27me3, and flanked by insulator proteins. Our results also show that Haspin is needed for Polycomb binding to the Bithorax complex. Finally, we also show that pds5, a protein which interacts with cohesin complex, needs Haspin to be chromatin associated. Moreover, H3T3ph and CapH2 (protein of the Condensin II complex) genome localization are mutually exclusive. A relationship between Haspin-pds5-cohesin-condensin has been previously reported during mitosis and meiosis, and our results indicate that this relationship also exists in interphase playing an important role in chromatin organization

Nutritional Quality of Plant-Based Cheese Available in Spanish Supermarkets: How Do They Compare to Dairy Cheese?

Plant-based cheese is one of the most increasingly consumed dairy alternatives. Evidence is lacking on their nutritional quality. We aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition of the plant-based cheese options available in Spanish supermarkets, and how they compare with dairy cheese. An audit of plant-based cheese alternatives has been conducted in seven of the most common supermarkets. For each product, the nutritional content per 100 g and ingredients were collected. Data on generic dairy cheese were retrieved from the BEDCA website. Descriptive statistics (median, minimum and maximum) were used to characterize the plant-based cheese products, for both all the products and grouped by main ingredients (i.e., coconut oil, cashew nuts and tofu). Mann–Whitney U tests were used for comparisons between dairy and different types of plant-based cheese. The coconut oil-based products (the large majority of plant-based cheese products, n = 34) could not be considered as healthy foods. Their major ingredients were refined coconut oil and starches and were high in saturated fats and salt. The other smaller groups, cashew nut- (n = 4) and tofu-based (n = 2), showed a healthier nutritional profile. Replacing dairy cheese with these groups could be nutritionally beneficial. Future investigations should address the health effects of substituting dairy cheese with these products

International Analysis of the Nutritional Content and a Review of Health Benefits of Non-Dairy Plant-Based Beverages

Concerns about environmental impact and sustainability, animal welfare, and personal health issues have fueled consumer demand for dairy alternatives. The aim of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional survey of plant-based non-dairy beverages from three different continents (USA, Australia, and Western Europe) to assess their nutritional content and health profile. A total of 148 non-dairy beverages were analyzed from the nutrition label and ingredients listed on the commercial package or from the information located on the website of the manufacturer or retailer. The different types of beverages were extracts of nuts or seeds (n = 49), grains (n = 38), legumes (n = 36), coconut (n = 10), and mixed blends (n = 15). On average, the plant-based beverages generally scored well in terms of not containing high levels of sodium, saturated fat, or calories. Over half of the beverages were fortified with calcium to levels equal to or greater than that of dairy milk. The protein content varied from 0 to 10 g/serving. Levels of vitamin D and B12 fortification were quite low. Consumers should be informed of the nutritional profile and potential health benefits of plant-based dairy alternatives as the nutritional content can vary greatly between the different types of beverages