Duane Mellor

Food processing is seen as a double‐edged sword. It is argued to have helped to provide a stable and safe food supply to urbanised societies, however with NOVA definition of ultra‐processed foods it has now been linked to disease. Food science and technology has arguably been a major contributor to both. These potential harms are not a deliberate a...

Background People from South Asian heritage are at high risk of type 2 diabetes, but there are limited specific strategies to prevent and manage this condition. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of culturally bespoke lifestyle programmes in South Asians that target weight loss for the prevention or remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)...

Carbohydrate restriction has gained increasing popularity as an adjunctive nutritional therapy for diabetes management. However, controversy remains regarding the long-term suitability, safety, efficacy and potential superiority of a very low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet compared to current recommended nutritional approaches for diabetes management...

Background: The Manual of dietetic practice ('Manual') is the core textbook for qualified and student dietitians. A survey was conducted to explore views on the scope, content and presentation of the Manual to inform the forthcoming edition. Methods: The survey comprised of questions on demographics, structure, content, access (print/digital), m...

At times of severe social disruption, be that war, conflict, pandemic, or economic downturn, both the availability and consumption of healthy dietary patterns can be adversely affected with any effects often outlasting the initial social disruption. For instance, when the COVID‐19 pandemic hit and lockdown restrictions followed, households were rep...

Poor nutrition is widely recognised as one of the key modifiable risks to health and life, with doctors in an ideal position to recognise when suboptimal nutrition is impacting on their patients’ health and provide them with advice and support to create sustainable and achievable diet and lifestyle modifications. However, it has been acknowledged t...

The 'ultra-processed food' (UPF) concept, with classification of foods by 'level of processing' rather than nutrient profiles, and its relationship with health outcomes, is currently a topic of debate among academics and increasingly referred to in the media. The British Nutrition Foundation convened a virtual roundtable on 6th July 2022 to gather...

Background: Nutrition is an area of apparent disagreement, amongst the public and experts. It is also an area which has seen a rapid increase in number of publications in the last 40 years. With the advent of online media and social media platforms, the volume of news has also increased. This review considered five types of nutrition research and...

Background The link between nutrition, systemic disease and ocular conditions is well established. Additionally, in England government initiatives are in place to make every contact count between health professionals and patients, which can require discussing nutrition to improve long-term health.¹ Optometrists discuss general health with patients...

COVID-19 has further exacerbated trends of widening health inequalities in the UK. Shockingly, the number of years of life lived in general good health differs by over 18 years between the most and least deprived areas of England. Poor diets and obesity are established major risk factors for chronic cardiometabolic diseases and cancer, as well as s...

COVID-19 has further exacerbated trends of widening health inequalities in the UK. Shockingly, the number of years of life lived in general good health differs by over 18 years between the most and least deprived areas of England. Poor diets and obesity are established major risk factors for chronic cardiometabolic diseases and cancer, as well as s...

Nutritional exposure and, therefore, the metabolic environment during early human development can affect health later in life. This can go beyond the nutrients consumed; there is evidence that the development and modulation of the gut microbiome during early life can affect human growth, development, and health, and the gut microbiome is associated...

The non-proteinous amino acid L-theanine (L-THE) is associated with a range of health benefits including improvements in immune function, cardiovascular outcomes and cognition. The aims of this study were to develop a food product (mango sorbet; ms-L-THE) containing physiologically relevant doses of L-THE (0.2/100 g w/w) and determine its antioxida...

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of liver disease, affecting ~30% of the population and increasing CVD. This study aimed to explore the direct, indirect and combined effects of Mediterranean diet, NAFLD and inflammation on the 10-year CVD risk in a healthy adult population. Methods: Using baseline and 10...

Background: Diarrhoeal disease is a major cause of global infant mortality, and compromises the ability of many countries with respect to achieving sustainable development goals. The WHO’s recommendation of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and zinc in the management of this disease, may not be readily available. Consideration and assessment of cultu...

The worldwide prevalence of obesity is increasing along with its comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). From a pathophysiological perspective, T2DM arises as a consequence of insulin resistance and pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, which together induce chronic hyperglycemia. The pharmacological treatment of T2DM specifically focuse...

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a growing health issue globally, which until recently has been considered to be one that is both chronic and progressive. Treatments, although having lifestyle and dietary change as core components, have been focused on optimising glycaemic control using pharmaceutical agents. With data from bariatric surgery and, more rec...

The population is aging worldwide, creating urgent need to describe healthy, meaningful, and successful aging; however, to date, there is no consensus on any of the aforementioned issues. Aging can affect mental, physical, cardiometabolic, and musculoskeletal health and lead to decreased well-being among older individuals. Simultaneously, diet is k...

Type 1 (T1) and type 2 (T2) diabetes mellitus (DM) are significant precursors and comorbidities to cardiovascular disease and prevalence of both types is still rising globally. Currently,~25% of participants (and rising) attending cardiac rehabilitation in Europe, North America and Australia have been reported to have DM (>90% have T2DM). While the...

The search for, and development of beverages that could be a panacea is one which is several millennia old [...]

Arthritis is a significant cause of chronic pain and disability, affecting around 3.5 million Australians. However, little is known regarding the overall diet quality of those living with arthritis. This study aimed to assess the dietary quality of Australians living in the Australian Capital Territory region with arthritis. This cross-sectional st...

Objectives Both maternal body mass index (BMI) and smoking during pregnancy have been associated with a range of adverse maternal and infant birth outcomes. This study aimed to identify whether these independent variables had an interacting relationship with small for gestational age in an Australian obstetric cohort. Study design A retrospective...

Beer is a beverage of significant historical and cultural importance. Interest in the potential health effects of alcoholic beverages has largely focused on wine; however, there are a number of potentially beneficial bioactives that beer may contain that warrant further investigation. The challenge of considering any potential health benefits of be...

Consumption of L-Theanine (L-THE) has been associated with a sensation of relaxation, as well as a reduction of stress. However, these physiological responses have yet to be elucidated in humans where L-THE is compared alongside food or as a functional ingredient within the food matrix. The aim of this study was to determine the physiological respo...

The green tea amino acid, L-theanine (L-THE) is associated with several health benefits, including improvements in mood, cognition and a reduction of stress and anxiety-like symptoms. This systematic review evaluated the effect of pure L-THE intake, in the form of orally administered nutritional supplements, on stress responses and anxiety levels i...

Background and aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a condition defined by hyperglycaemia, but also often presents with dyslipidaemia and suppressed HDL cholesterol. Mendelian randomization studies have suggested a causal link between low HDL cholesterol and T2DM. However, influences of gender, polymorphisms and lifestyle, all known to influen...

A consensus workshop on low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) was held in November 2018 where seventeen experts (the panel) discussed three themes identified as key to the science and policy of LCS: (1) weight management and glucose control; (2) consumption, safety and perception; (3) nutrition policy. The aims were to identify the reliable facts on LCS, su...

The Mediterranean diet was first described by the Seven Countries Study in the 1960s as a cardioprotective diet, as a pattern of eating that was traditionally prevalent among residents of the Mediterranean basin countries. Since then the Mediterranean dietary pattern has been extensively described and explored with respect to its health benefits an...

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is rising worldwide, remaining the major cause of death in developed countries. Polyphenols have been shown to have cardioprotective properties; however, their impact on iron bioavailability and potential impact on other aspects of health is unclear. A systematic review was undertaken to evaluate the c...

Background and Objectives: There is confusion as to which component of the Opuntia spp. cacti has demonstrated anti-hyperglycemic effects or anti-diabetic properties. It is important to clarify these health benefits due to the increasing need for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. The aim of this review is to identify the effects of Opun...

Prickly Pear (PP) is often overlooked due to its’ short shelf-life. Juicing may improve marketability but often affects quality, thereby warranting investigation. Purple PP (whole (WF) and flesh (FF)) was juiced using blenders; stick (SB) and jug (JB); and juicers; commercial (CJ) and cold-pressed (CP). Juices and methanolic (70%) pomace extracts w...

Blueberries are rich in polyphenols that may be beneficial to cognitive performance and mood. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of blueberries and blueberry products on measures of cognition and mood. In total, eleven articles (that included 12 studies) were identified using fre...

The potential for B-vitamins to reduce plasma homocysteine (Hcy) and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been described previously. However, the role of Apolipoprotein E є4 (APOE4) in this relationship has not been adequately addressed. This case-control study explored APOE4 genotype in an Australian sample of 63 healthy individuals (fe...

Curcumin is a polyphenol present in turmeric and is credited with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and chemoprotective properties. Questions remain surrounding curcumin’s bioavailability and the mechanism by which it may exert neuroprotective effects. Following PRISMA 2009 guidelines, a systematic review was conducted to identify randomized, placebo...

The use of the word ‘antioxidant’ has become widespread in food science, nutrition and consumer language, having become associated with potential health benefits linked to consuming sources of antioxidants in our food supply. However, there is significant doubt about direct antioxidant effects on human health. This may partly relate to methodology...

Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus indica) is commonly consumed but limited by short harvesting seasons and shelf life. Drying may resolve such issues. The effects of different methods were examined to investigate the phytochemicals in Australian prickly pear (PP). White, orange and purple fruits were dried using freeze‐drying, microwave, draft‐oven, and...

l‐Theanine (l‐THE) is a nonproteinogenic amino acid derived from green tea (Camellia sinensis), which exhibits strong antioxidant‐like properties and contributes to the favourable umami taste sensation. Several studies have reported that the consumption of this amino acid has many therapeutic effects, including improvements in brain and gastrointes...

The rapid surge in the use of technology has revealed potential for smartphone applications to assist with management of chronic disease in aging populations. However, little data exists surrounding the daily use of a smartphone application by a clinical population of older adults. In the present study, 50 individuals (46 female) aged between 50 an...

Aims To assess the role played by carbohydrates, fat and proteins in the management of Type 2 diabetes. Background Diabetes research tends to reflect the interests of academics or the pharmaceutical industry, rather than those of people living with Type 2 diabetes. The James Lind Alliance and Diabetes UK addressed this issue by defining the resear...

Background/objectives: Humans appear to have innate energy regulation mechanisms that manifest in sensations of satiation during a meal and satiety post ingestion. Interactions between these mechanisms and the macronutrient profile of their contemporary food environment could be responsible for the dysregulation of this mechanism, resulting in a h...

There is a growing body of evidence implicating the gut ‘microbiome’ role in overall human health. Bacterial species belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are generally considered to be beneficial and are commonly used in probiotic applications, whereas increases in some genera including Clostridum, Eubacterium and Bacteroides a...

Nutritional management has a key role to play in the management of diabetes and heart failure (HF). There is currently little evidence to make dietary recommendations specifically for people living with both diabetes and HF. Therefore, most nutritional management recommendations for HF and diabetes need to be based on those for people living with d...

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the association between coffee consumption and 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence in the ATTICA study, and whether this is modified by the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) at baseline. Methods: During 2001-2002, 3042 healthy adults (1514 men and 1528 women) living in t...

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) are commonly extracted from palm and coconut oil. As a rapidly absorbed source of energy, MCT are purported to assist with weight management and appetite control. However, the potential risk of MCT supplementation relative to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers is still under evaluation. Therefore, a systemati...

Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive autoimmune disease characterised by severely swollen and painful joints. To compliment pharmacotherapy, people living with rheumatoid arthritis often turn to dietary interventions such as the Mediterranean diet. The aim of the present systematic review is to discuss the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the...

Current research has focused on pharmacological interventions to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but only limited research has investigated the link between the overall dietary pattern and ADHD. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, peer-reviewed articles were lo...

Nutraceuticals have been investigated as a potential alternative to pharmacological treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, but little is known about their use in adults with ADHD. We sought to examine peer-reviewed publications on nutraceutical use and ADHD symptoms in adults. Adhering to Preferred Reporting Ite...

Globally, ageing is an inevitable challenge for modern society. The increasing popularity of technology amongst older adults brings the opportunity to enhance wellbeing and social capital through engagement in technology. This study aimed to determine how four forms of technology, online information resources, online communication resources, modern...

A summary of the latest evidence-based nutrition guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes is presented. These guidelines are based on existing recommendations last published in 2011, and were formulated by an expert panel of specialist dietitians after a literature review of recent evidence. Recommendations have been made in terms o...

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) as a combination of features has been known to significantly increase cardiovascular disease risk, while MetS presence is linked to lifestyle parameters, including physical activity and dietary habits; recently, the potential impact of sleeping habits has also become an issue under consideration. The aim of thi...

Nutraceuticals have generated interest as a way to mitigate the cognitive decline in older adults. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the evidence for these claims from the scientific literature in randomised, double-blinded, controlled trials (duration: ≥1 year; participants: n ≥100; age(mean): ≥65 years). Following Preferred Repor...

Folate has been proposed to be an efficacious treatment strategy for depression. The mandatory fortification of flour with synthetic folic acid (FA) in over 80 countries has yielded improvements in folate intake; however, depression is still a considerable public health concern. While there are established benefits of FA fortification in reducing r...

Perceived wisdom is to exclude honey from the diet of people with diabetes due to its sugar content. This has recently been reconsidered due to its low glycaemic index and high levels of bioactives. However, the long-term effect of honey consumption on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains unknown. The present study investi...

The plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentration is influenced by dietary B-vitamin intake and elevated Hcy levels are associated with a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Apolipoprotein E-є4 (APOE4) isoform has also been found to strongly increase the risk of developing AD. However, there is conflicting evidence about its link to...

B-vitamin supplementation has been proposed as an approach to mitigate cognitive decline in older adults due to low B-vitamin blood concentrations being associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate current evidence surrounding B-vitamin supplementation and cognition in do...

Energy restriction and energy balance remain the key elements in achieving weight loss. This chapter discusses the use of meal replacements for weight management in obese adults. It explores the use of group-based interventions across a range of obesity treatments and examines evidence for the effectiveness of group-based approaches for obesity man...

The potential health effects of cocoa flavanols are well described. Ranging from reducing risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease at population levels, moderating disease risk factors including endothelial function and lipid metabolism in clinical trials and mechanistic studies in laboratory studies highlighting target tissues...

Background: A better understanding of the nutritional status of infants who are HIV-Exposed-Uninfected (HEU) and HIV-Unexposed-Uninfected (HUU) during their first 1000 days is key to improving population health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional study compared the nutritional status, feeding practices and determinant...

There is a significant body of research undertaken in order to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as well as to discover early detection biomarkers and potential therapeutic strategies. One such proposed biomarker is the calcium binding protein S100β, which, depending on its local concentration, is known...

Randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have demonstrated the potential protective effect of cocoa and chocolate consumption with respect to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers. Findings from experimental studies are in concordance with observational data, which include reduction in clinical disease (especially stroke) being associated...