Background/Objectives: Hormonal changes throughout a woman’s life cycle significantly affect serum lipid levels. Alterations in the serum lipid profile can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Additionally, nutrition and dietary habits are crucial for managing dyslipidemia. The current study evaluated the association between dietary habits and plasma lipid profiles among perimenopausal women in Latvia. Methods: The randomized clinical trial involved perimenopausal women (n = 61) aged 49 ± 3 years with moderately high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels of 3.61 ± 0.30 mmol L⁻¹. A series of questionnaires were completed, including a questionnaire on the subject’s demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, health, physical activity, and dietary factors, a 24 h food diary, a 72 h food diary, and a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Blood testing was conducted for all participants, which included total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), and glucose level analyses. Results: The consumption of refined sugar, honey, syrup, and jam demonstrated a strong positive association with higher levels of remnant cholesterol (β = 0.462, p ≤ 0.05) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) (β = 0.395, p ≤ 0.05). Similarly, the consumption of fruit juices is associated with increased LDL-C (β = 0.303, p ≤ 0.05) and non-HDL-C (β = 0.285, p ≤ 0.05). Conversely, higher meat and poultry consumption negatively correlates with TC levels (β = −0.290, p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: This underscores the need for further examination to understand the impact of dietary habits on lipid profile.

Background/Objectives: HMOs are the third most abundant solid component after lactose and fats in human milk. This study aimed to examine the relationships between maternal diet and HMO composition and concentration in human milk among lactating women in Latvia. Methods: Pooled 24 h human milk samples, 72 h food diaries, and questionnaires on anthropometric and sociodemographic characteristics were collected from 68 exclusively breastfeeding women residing in Latvia. HMOs were analyzed by UHPLC/FLD, and dietary data were analyzed using the Estonian NutriData program. Results: The eight most abundant HMO structures were determined with total concentration ranging between 178.66 and 32,910.09 mg L⁻¹. 2′-FL was the most prevalent HMO in human milk (median concentration—3647 mg L⁻¹), followed by 3′-FL (1436.74 mg L⁻¹). Participants had an insufficient intake of vegetables, fruits, berries, milk and dairy products, and fish, leading to vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and iodine intakes lower than recommended for lactating women. Limitation or exclusion of milk and dairy products from the diet was associated with a higher 2′-FL concentration in human milk (p = 0.037). Preference for “zero sugar” products was associated with a higher 3′-FL, 6′-GL, LNnT, 6′-SL, LNDFH II concentration in human milk (p < 0.050). Dietary supplement use (e.g., vitamin D, calcium) was also associated with differences in HMO composition and concentration in milk (p < 0.050). Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of dietary habits and supplement use in shaping HMO profiles, though more human milk samples and dietary data need to be evaluated to draw further conclusions.

More than six billion people worldwide consume dairy products every day. Dairy products and their constituents contain hundreds of different components, but milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) polar lipids are still underestimated from a nutritional point of view. The unique composition of phospholipids (PLs) – the main MFGM component – provides high nutraceutical properties. Therefore, the research of bioactive dairy components and their impact has promising potential in human health by various mechanisms. The positive effects of MFGM PLs are mainly based on animal studies, but there are a small number of in vivo studies with volunteers. The present study aimed to review the research findings of dairy PLs in human nutrition and their functional properties. Dairy PLs effectively impact intestinal integrity and gut microbiota, lipid profile and risk lowering of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cognitive performance during stress, and neonatal brain development.

Background/Objectives: Hormonal changes during the perimenopausal period are linked to alterations in lipid metabolism and increased cardiovascular disease risk. Dairy polar lipids (PLs), including phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and sphingomyelin (SM), have attracted growing interest for their potential effects on intestinal cholesterol absorption, lipoprotein metabolism, and circulating lipid concentrations. However, evidence on habitual dietary exposure to naturally occurring dairy PLs remains limited. The aim of the present study was to estimate habitual dietary exposure to dairy PLs by integrating season-specific dairy product composition with individual dietary intake data, and to examine whether this estimated exposure was associated with post-intervention plasma lipid outcomes in perimenopausal women in Latvia. Methods: The analysis included 61 perimenopausal women, comprising an intervention group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 30), who were further stratified into winter and spring cohorts. The intervention group consumed 250 mL day⁻¹ of fermented buttermilk for 28 days. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Season-specific concentrations of total PL, PC, PE, and SM were quantified in locally produced dairy products using LC-ESI-MRM-TQ-MS/MS and integrated with individual dietary intake data to estimate dairy PL exposure. Multivariable linear regression models were adjusted for baseline lipid concentrations, intervention group, season, and total dairy PL intake. Results: Estimated total dairy PL intake was positively associated with post-intervention HDL-C concentrations in the adjusted models (β = 0.059; 95% CI: 0.020–0.099), whereas no statistically significant associations were observed for total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), or triglycerides (TGs). After adjustment for baseline lipid concentrations, season, and estimated total dairy PL intake, intervention-group allocation was associated with higher post-intervention TC (β = 0.485; 95% CI: 0.023–0.948) and LDL-C (β = 0.330; 95% CI: 0.024–0.636) than in the control group. The spring-versus-winter season indicator was not independently associated with lipid outcomes. Conclusions: Estimated habitual dairy PL exposure was positively associated with post-intervention HDL-C concentrations but not with TC, LDL-C, or TGs. These findings do not support a clear lipid-lowering effect of the 28-day fermented buttermilk intervention in this secondary, exposure-based analysis. The results should be interpreted with caution, as dairy PL exposure was estimated from FFQ-derived intake data and season-specific product composition rather than measured directly. This trial was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN registry ISRCTN11974930, registered on 25 June 2026.