Existing reviews suggest that milk and other dairy products do not play a role in the development of obesity in childhood, but they do make an important contribution to children’s nutrient intake. It is thus curious that public health advice on the consumption of dairy products for children is often perceived as unclear. The present review aimed to provide an overview of the totality of the evidence on the association between milk and other dairy products, and obesity and indicators of adiposity, in children. Our search identified forty-three cross-sectional studies, thirty-one longitudinal cohort studies and twenty randomised controlled trials. We found that milk and other dairy products are consistently found to be not associated, or inversely associated, with obesity and indicators of adiposity in children. Adjustment for energy intake tended to change inverse associations to neutral. Also, we found little evidence to suggest that the relationship varied by type of milk or dairy product, or age of the children, although there was a dearth of evidence for young children. Only nine of the ninety-four studies found a positive association between milk and other dairy products and body fatness. There may be some plausible mechanisms underlying the effect of milk and other dairy products on adiposity that influence energy and fat balance, possibly through fat absorption, appetite or metabolic activity of gut microbiota. In conclusion, there is little evidence to support a concern to limit the consumption of milk and other dairy products for children on the grounds that they may promote obesity.

Flavoring using blends of herbs and spices (H&S) instead of salt may be a promising approach to increase legume consumption and reduce salt content in foods. This study examines the effects of H&S on the appreciation and intake of low-salt legume-based dishes in a real ecological eating environment. Four mezzes with standard (0.8% w/w) (S) or lower (0.4% w/w) (LS) salt level and with or without H&S (LSHS, SHS) were developed. In a randomized cross-over trial, 94 participants attended four sessions, one week apart and received the four variants as a starter during lunch. Overall liking, food intake, and appetite ratings (visual analogue scale, VAS) were assessed during lunch. A follow-up study (n = 130) was performed where the four variants were evaluated, and overall liking was measured at the same session. Overall liking and taste scores of SHS were significantly higher compared with LS (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively), but there were no significant differences between LSHS and S. However, there were no differences in energy intake or in appetite ratings among the products. Overall appreciation was similar between the low-salt with H&S and the standard-salt mezze, suggesting that the addition of H&S is a feasible strategy for achieving a 50% reduction in salt content without compromising hedonic appreciation.

Including nuts in the diet improves appetite control and does not lead to weight gain. However, for pistachios, evidence from randomized intervention studies is limited and there are no data on the effect of pistachios on satiety. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of daily consumption of pistachios as an afternoon snack on satiety, self-reported energy, self-reported nutrient intake, body weight, and body composition. This randomized controlled pilot study included two parallel groups of 30 healthy French women, in a free-living setting. For four weeks, groups were instructed to consume either 56 g (1318 kJ) of pistachios or 56 g of isoenergetic/equiprotein savory biscuits as an afternoon snack. Evening energy intake, changes in anthropometric measures, and daily intake of energy and selected nutrients were assessed. Visual analogue scales (VAS) were used to rate hunger, fullness, desire to eat, and prospective consumption. Satiety effects were not different between groups, as assessed by evening energy intake or VAS scores. Consuming pistachios or biscuits had no impact on body weight. Thiamin, vitamin B6, copper, and potassium intakes were significantly higher in the pistachio group. Consuming pistachios or biscuits as an afternoon snack resulted in similar post-snack food intake and subjective feelings of satiety. A daily pistachio snack for a month did not affect body weight or composition but it did improve micronutrient intake.

Pleiotropic effects of spices on health, particularly on glucose metabolism and energy regulation, deserve further clinical investigation into their efficacy. The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether consumption of a black pepper-based beverage (BPB) preload containing 20 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) would exert any effect on postprandial glycaemia, appetite sensations, gut hormones, thyroid function, and gastrointestinal well-being after a white wheat bread (WWB) challenge meal containing 50 g available carbohydrates (CHO) compared to a control beverage. Sixteen healthy subjects (10 men; 6 women; 26 ± 0.9 years; BMI 22.93 ± 0.53 kg m⁻²) completed a randomized, crossover intervention study. The BPB's bioactive compounds were characterized using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization source (UHPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS). Nine compounds tentatively identified in BPB include: dihydroxybenzoic acid hexoside–pentoside, decaffeoyl-acteoside, cynaroside A, apigenin 6,8-di-C-hexoside, luteolin 6-C-hexoside-8-C-rhamnoside, apigenin 8-C-hexoside-C-deoxyhexoside, kaempferol 3-rhamnoside-4′-xyloside, apigenin 7-neohesperidoside, and apigenin-8-C-arabinopyranoside-2′′-rhamnoside. Blood glucose and serum insulin responses, insulin sensitivity and β-cell function were not affected during the acute intervention with BPB. Neither were effects on gastrointestinal well-being observed after BPB. However, BPB modulated overall acute appetite by lowering ‘hunger’, ‘desire to eat’, and ‘prospective consumption’, and increasing ‘satiety’ and ‘fullness’. In contrast, there were no changes in gut (peptide tyrosine-tyrosine [PYY] and glucagon-like peptide-1 [GLP-1]) and thyroid (triiodothyronine [T3] and thyroxine [T4]) hormones after BPB compared to the control beverage. In conclusion, inclusion of BPB prior to the WWB challenge meal might be beneficial for appetite modulation, but we did not find supporting evidence in glycaemia, gut and thyroid hormones. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of appetite-reducing pungent spices, such as black pepper.

Food-related sensory alterations are prevalent among cancer patients and negatively impact their relationship with food, quality of life, and overall health outcome. In addition to taste and smell, food perception is also influenced by somatosensation comprising tactile, thermal, and chemesthetic sensations; yet studies on oral somatosensory perception of cancer patients are lacking to provide patients with tailored nutritional solutions. The present review aimed to summarise findings on the oral somatosensory perception of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients and the potential aetiologies of somatosensory alterations among this population. Subjective assessments demonstrated alterations in oral somatosensory perception such as sensitivity to certain textures, spices, and temperatures. Physiological changes in oral somatosensation have been observed through objective assessments of sensory function, showing reduced localised tactile function and thermal sensitivity. Changes in whole-mouth tactile sensation assessed using texture discrimination and stereognosis ability seem to be less evident. Available evidence indicated oral somatosensory alterations among HNC patients, which may affect their eating behaviour, but more studies with larger sample sizes and standardised assessment methods are needed. Unlike other types of cancers, sensory alterations in HNC patients are not only caused by the treatments, but also by the cancer itself, although the exact mechanism is not fully understood. Prevalent oral complications, such as xerostomia, dysphagia, mucositis, and chemosensory alterations, further modify their oral condition and food perception. Oral somatosensory perception of cancer patients is an under-investigated topic, which constitutes an important avenue for future research due to its potential significance on eating behaviour and quality of life.