The gut microbiome is a complex biological community that deeply affects various aspects of human health, including dietary intake, disease progression, drug metabolism, and immune system regulation. Edible mushroom polysaccharides (EMPs) are bioactive fibers derived from mushrooms that possess a range of beneficial properties, including anti-tumor, antioxidant, antiviral, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory effects. Studies have demonstrated that EMPs are resistant to human digestive enzymes and serve as a crucial source of energy for the gut microbiome, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. EMPs also positively impact human health by modulating the composition of the gut microbiome. This review discusses the extraction and purification processes of EMPs, their potential to improve health conditions by regulating the composition of the gut microbiome, and their application prospects. Furthermore, this paper provides valuable guidance and recommendations for future studies on EMPs consumption in disease management.

(1) Background: With the aging demographic shift in society, there is a growing number of middle-aged and elderly individuals affected by metabolic syndrome (MetS), a risk factor contributing to all causes of mortality. Inflammation plays a crucial role in the development of MetS. This study aims to examine the correlation between MetS and pro-inflammatory diets in middle-aged and elderly individuals, utilizing the Dietary Inflammation Index (DII) as a measure. (2) Methods: Data were extracted from the 2007–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for individuals who were 45 years of age or older. The DII was determined for each participant through 24-h dietary recall interviews. The relationship between DII and MetS was assessed using binary logistic regression analysis, and the association between DII and MetS-related indicators was further explored through generalized linear model (GLM) and quantile regression analysis. (3) Results: A total of 3843 middle-aged and elderly individuals were included in the study. After controlling for confounding factors, the highest quartile of DII was associated with a higher risk of MetS (OR${}_{Q4:Q1}$ = 1.339; 95% CI: 1.013, 1.769; p for trend = 0.018). The top DII quartile also increased the risk of reduced HDL-C (OR${}_{Q4:Q1}$ = 1.499; 95% CI: 1.005, 2.234; p for trend = 0.048) and raised FG (OR${}_{Q4:Q1}$ = 1.432; 95% CI: 1.095, 1.873; p for trend = 0.010) compared to the lowest DII quartile. The levels of DII were found to be positively correlated with BMI ($\beta$ = 0.258, p = 0.001), FPG ($\beta$ = 0.019, p = 0.049), TG ($\beta$ = 2.043, p = 0.013), waistline ($\beta$ = 0.580, p = 0.002), and negatively correlated with HDL-C ($\beta$ = −0.672, p = 0.003). (4) Conclusions: In middle-aged and elderly individuals in the United States, a high DII score has been linked to the presence of MetS, low HDL-C, and hyperglycemia. Therefore, dietary recommendations for the middle-aged and elderly should focus on reducing the DII by choosing foods rich in antioxidants, dietary fiber, and unsaturated fatty acids.

The objectives of this study were to assess the associations between fluid intake and urine biomarkers and to determine daily total fluid intake for assessing hydration status for male college students. A total of 68 male college students aged 18–25 years recruited from Cangzhou, China completed a 7-day cross-sectional study. From day 1 to day 7; all subjects were asked to complete a self-administered 7-day 24-h fluid intake record. The foods eaten by subjects were weighed and 24-h urine was collected for three consecutive days on the last three consecutive days. On the sixth day, urine osmolality, specific gravity (USG), pH, and concentrations of potassium, sodium, and chloride was determined. Subjects were divided into optimal hydration, middle hydration, and hypohydration groups according to their 24-h urine osmolality. Strong relationships were found between daily total fluid intake and 24-h urine biomarkers, especially for 24-h urine volume (r = 0.76; p < 0.0001) and osmolality (r = 0.76; p < 0.0001). The percentage of the variances in daily total fluid intake (R²) explained by PLS (partial least squares) model with seven urinary biomarkers was 68.9%; two urine biomarkers—24-h urine volume and osmolality—were identified as possible key predictors. The daily total fluid intake for assessing optimal hydration was 2582 mL, while the daily total fluid intake for assessing hypohydration was 2502 mL. Differences in fluid intake and urine biomarkers were found among male college students with different hydration status. A strong relationship existed between urine biomarkers and fluid intake. A PLS model identified that key variables for assessing daily total fluid intake were 24-h urine volume and osmolality. It was feasibility to use total fluid intake to judge hydration status.

As the first meal of the day, breakfast plays an important role in supplying energy and nutrients, which are critical to working and learning activities. A three-phase crossover study was designed to investigate the effects of breakfast on cognitive function among Chinese white-collar workers. The planned study protocol is presented. A total of 264 participants aged 25–45 years will be recruited from Shenyang and Chongqing. Self-administered questionnaires will be used to collect information on age, gender, marital status, education level, occupation, smoking habits, drinking habits, and breakfast behaviours. The participants will be randomly assigned to 3 equal-sized groups (Groups A, B, and C) and will be provided with a nutrition-adequate breakfast, a nutrition-inadequate breakfast, or no breakfast, respectively. Each participant will receive the breakfast treatment on the basis of assignment to one of three sequences (ABC/BCA/CAB). Each participant will complete a battery of cognitive tests assessing short-term memory, attention, and working memory 120 minutes after breakfast. Mood will be measured through a self-administered questionnaire assessing the dimensions of positive and negative frames of mind. Additionally, fasting blood glucose and postprandial 2-hour blood glucose levels will be tested with a blood-glucose meter (Roche ACCU-CHEK®-Performa). All the participants will take all the tests in three successive weeks, and the order of presentation will be counter-balanced across groups. The present study will be the first investigation of the effect of breakfast food type and quality on cognitive function amongst white-collar workers in China. We predict that a nutrition-adequate breakfast, compared with a nutrition-inadequate breakfast and no breakfast, will significantly improve short-term cognitive function. The results of this study should provide scientific evidence of the effect of breakfast quality on cognitive function and provide scientific data to inform nutrition education strategies and promote a healthy lifestyle. Chinese clinical trial registry (Primary registry in the WHO registry network) Registration number: ChiCTR-IPR-15007114 . Date of registration: August 25, 2015.

Introduction: Water accounts for about 75% of brain mass. Cognitive performances and mood may be impaired by hypohydration and improved by water supplementation. Two surveys conducted in China demonstrated that a large proportion of adults and children drank less fluid than the amounts recommended by the Chinese Nutrition Society. The association between hypohydration and cognitive performance has not been reported in China. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of water supplementation on cognitive performances and mood among male college students in Cangzhou, China. Methods and Analysis: A randomized controlled trial is designed to test the hypothesis. A total of 68 male college students aged 18–25 years will be recruited and randomly assigned into water-supplementation group (WS group, n = 34) and no water-supplementation group (NW group, n = 34) after an overnight fasting, i.e., without eating foods and drinking fluid for 12 h. The first morning urine will be collected to determine urine osmolality on the water supplementation day. Cognitive performances and mood will be performed before water supplementation by researchers with questionnaire. Subjects in the WS group will drink 400 mL purified water within 5 min, while those in NW group will not drink any fluid. One hour later, urine will be collected and urine osmolality, cognitive performances and mood will be measured again. Mixed model of repeated measures ANOVA will be used to investigate the effect of water supplementation on cognitive performances. The study would provide information about the benefit of water supplementation on cognitive performances. Ethics and Dissemination: The study protocol is reviewed and approved by the Ethical Review Committee of the Chinese Nutrition Society. Ethical approval project identification code is CNS-2015-001. Results will be published according to the CONSORT statement and will be reported in peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration: Chinese clinical trial registry. Identifier: ChiCTR-IOR-15007020. Registry name “The effect of hydration on cognitive performance”.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the in vivo antioxidant effects of Lactobacillus plantarum QL01 and to provide a theoretical basis for the use of probiotics in alleviating conditions associated with oxidative stress. Methods: A D-galactose-induced aging model was established in fifty 8-week-old SPF male Kunming mice, which were randomly allocated into five groups: normal control (NC), model control (MC), positive control (VC, ascorbic acid 200 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), low-dose bacterial (LP, 1 × 10⁹ CFU kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), and high-dose bacterial (HP, 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) groups. Except for the NC group, all mice received the daily intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose (125 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) for 8 weeks to induce oxidative stress. Corresponding treatments or equal volumes of saline were administered daily by gavage. Results: After 8 weeks, serum, liver, colon, and fecal samples were collected and analyzed to evaluate the efficacy of QL01 in counteracting oxidative stress and restoring gut microbiota homeostasis. The results demonstrated that tissue atrophy and the levels of various inflammatory factors, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-10, were inhibited (p < 0.05). It was further demonstrated that the levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly reversed in hepatic tissues by QL01 intervention (p < 0.05), thereby leading to the alleviation of inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in ageing mice. Pathological observations revealed that QL01 mitigated the damage to liver and colon tissues in mice. In addition, the intervention of QL01 led to an improvement in the expression of tight junction proteins in the colonic tissues of mice, as determined by qPCR. Additionally, the host’s intestinal microbiota and metabolites were restored. Conclusions: Overall, this study revealed that Lactobacillus plantarum QL01 is a promising candidate for modulating oxidative stress and the homeostasis of the host’s gut flora.