Food neophobia is the tendency to reject or be reluctant to try new and unfamiliar foods. Due to the period of its occurrence, which falls in the years of early childhood, it can significantly affect the child’s food choices, shape taste preferences, and significantly influence the quality of the child’s diet. The neophobic attitude has an important evolutionary significance because it protects the individual from ingesting potentially dangerous substances. On the other hand, it fosters avoidance behaviors that can also relate to the beneficial aspects of obtaining and consuming food. Currently, the strong emphasis placed on food safety means that neophobia may be less adaptive; nevertheless, a conservative attitude toward new foods still prevails. There is a strong association between food neophobia and the diversity of a person’s diet and previous exposure to different foods. This review describes behaviors associated with food neophobia and analyzes other feeding and eating difficulties in children that should be differentiated from food neophobia. Management approaches affecting the reduction in food neophobia in children through various dietary and psychological interventions are also proposed.

The development of cardiovascular diseases is undoubtedly influenced by improper dietary behavior. The most common mistakes include irregularity of meal consumption, high dietary atherogenicity: snacking on sweets between meals, low supply of dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, legume seeds, and high supply of meat and meat products. Among many food components, some are characterized by a specific cardioprotective effect, which means that their supply of food may prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease or improve the health of the sick. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is one of the ingredients showing cardioprotective effects on the heart and blood vessels. Antioxidant and lipid profile-enhancing effects are also attributed to sitosterol which is one of the plant-derived sterols. A very important argument indicating the necessity of a varied diet rich in a variety of plant products is the beneficial effect of polyphenols, which are most abundant in multicolored vegetables and fruits. Numerous studies show their effectiveness in lowering blood pressure, improving lipid profile, and regeneration of vascular endothelium. The collected publications from the field of lifestyle medicine can be a source of knowledge for dieticians, physicians, and people associated with physical culture and human mental health to prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases and reduce the risk of death from this cause.

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively new disease entity in DSM-5 and ICD-11. This disorder continues to pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for many professionals. This disorder can affect people of all ages. The most characteristic pattern is considered to be a lack of interest in eating or avoidance of food intake, which may result in nutritional deficiencies, weight loss or lack of expected weight gain, dependence on enteral feeding or dietary supplements, and impaired psychosocial functioning. This disorder cannot be explained by a current medical condition or co-occurring other psychiatric disorders, but if ARFID co-occurs with another disorder or illness, it necessarily requires extended diagnosis. Its treatment depends on the severity of the nutritional problem and may include hospitalization with multispecialty care (pediatrician, nutritionist, psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist). The nutritional management strategy may include, inter alia, the use of Food Chaining, and should in the initial stage of therapy be based on products considered “safe” in the patient’s assessment. The role of the dietitian in the management of a patient with ARFID is to monitor weight and height and nutritional status and analyze the foods that should be introduced into the food chain first.

Oxidative stress may play an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study included 94 adult patients with CRC (52 men and 42 women) and 26 hospitalized patients (12 men and 14 women) in whom CRC was excluded (control group). During hospitalization, blood serum samples were collected from both groups. Apart from that, anthropometric measurements were taken and other clinical data were analyzed. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were assayed. Subsequently, the relationship between the analyzed oxidative stress markers and selected clinical characteristics was investigated in both groups. The evaluation of oxidative stress marker values demonstrated that MDA and TAS levels were significantly higher in the control group than the CRC group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.019, respectively), while TOS levels were significantly higher in the CRC group than the control group (p = 0.005). Significantly lower OSI levels were found in the control group than in the CRC group (p < 0.001). Similar results can be observed when performing ROC analysis (receiver operating characteristic curve). Preliminary statistical analysis demonstrated that MDA levels in the study group depend on the location of the primary tumour (p = 0.035). Based on the post hoc Tukey test, a relationship was demonstrated between the MDA level and the left and right side of the colon (p = 0.040). The results may be evidence for a higher level of oxidative stress, including a compromised antioxidative defence system, in patients with CRC.

Baby-led weaning (BLW) is an increasingly popular way of expanding a baby’s diet. It is based on the baby becoming physically ready to feed himself, effectively supplementing his diet, which until now has been based on breast milk or modified milk. The aim of the study was to assess mothers’ knowledge about the use of the BLW method to expand the diet of a young child. The essence of the study assumed the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of using this method indicated by mothers. Materials and Methods: A total of 320 mothers participated in the study. Data for the study were collected anonymously using the CAWI method. The research tool was the original questionnaire relating to the knowledge about the BLW method and the application of the BLW method in practice. Results: The BLW method was used by 240 (75%) women. The reasons for not using the BLW method were: the child did not cooperate n = 30 (37.5%) and was not ready to use the BLW method n = 20 (25%). In total, 182 (75.8%) mothers using BLW and 63 (78.8%) mothers not using BLW started extending the diet before the child was 6 months old. According to 270 (84.4%) mothers, including 205 (85.4%) using BLW, stable sitting in a highchair/on the lap is a decisive factor for starting the dietary expansion with the BLW method. Conclusions: Mothers’ knowledge of the BLW method as a way of expanding a young child’s diet was insufficient. It seems important to implement appropriate educational activities on the methods of expanding children’s diets to broaden parents’ knowledge of the influence of nutrition on infant development.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the diet of children with Down syndrome (DS) and to identify potential dietary mistakes made by their parents. Materials and methods: The study was conducted among 195 parents of people with DS between November 2020 and March 2021. Data for the study were collected anonymously using the CAWI method. Results: 122 (62.6%) people with DS did not eliminate any nutrient from their diet. By contrast, in the study group, the following numbers of people reported the following dietary restrictions: 51 (26.2%) gluten, 56 (28.7%) lactose, 17 (8.7%) casein, 26 (13.3%) sucrose, 2 (1.0%) histamine, 2 (1.0%) lectins, and 1 (0.5%) dairy. The most frequent response for vegetable and fruit consumption was once a day, with 83 (42.6%) and 87 (44.6%) parents indicating this. The most frequent response for dairy product consumption was every day, with 72 (36.9%) parents indicating this, while 36 (20%) parents stated that their children do not eat dairy products at all. In the study group, the most frequent response for meat consumption was several times a week, this was indicated by 107 (54.9%) parents, while 1 (0.5%) of them said that their children do not eat meat products at all. The most frequent response for fish consumption was 1–2 times a week, this answer was indicated by 101 (51.8%) parents, while 13 (6.7%) said that their children do not eat these products at all. Conclusions: A majority of the subjects with DS are usually fed in a normal way, but nutritional mistakes are made by the parents. Special attention should be paid to prolonging the period of natural feeding.