Consumption of milk and milk products in the population of the Upper Silesian agglomeration inhabitants

Methods: An educational project called Cooking and Educational Workshops “Colourful means healthy” was conducted at the Department of Dietetics of the Faculty of Public Health in Bytom of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2019. The participants/recipients of the project were second-grade primary schoolchildren (317 pupils aged 7–9 years). Objective: The aim of this article is to assess the change in knowledge of the principles of healthy eating among children aged 7–9 years following the nutritional education we carried out as part of the “Colourful means healthy” project. As part of project evaluation, the participating children were asked to rate selected food products in terms of their influence on human health (healthy vs. unhealthy). Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the percentage of correct answers provided by the pupils before and after nutrition education. Thus, one may conclude that conducting an educational programme caused the participants’ nutrition knowledge to increase. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the potential of nutrition education in the form of cooking and educational workshops in terms of increasing nutrition knowledge. As such, workshops like these can be a useful measure for improving eating habits and eliminating dietary errors in the study population. However, future research is needed in order to verify whether such cooking and educational workshops can produce beneficial and lasting changes in dietary habits over the long term.

Color plays a significant role in consumer decisions about food products, influencing preferences and choices and eliciting positive or negative associations. This study aimed to investigate the impact of color on dietitian food preferences, using selected tomato juices as an example. This study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the color of the tomato juices was evaluated using a Tri-Color SF80 spectrophotometer. In the second stage, the serialization method performed sensory analysis among dietitians. Results showed that dietitians pay special attention to the color of food products. Spectrophotometric analysis indicated that not all tested pairs of juices had color differences noticeable to an inexperienced observer. There was no clear correlation between the specific color parameters and the choices made by dietitians. These findings suggest that while color is an important factor in consumer preferences, it is not the sole determinant, highlighting the complexity of consumer decision-making processes and providing valuable insights for product marketing strategies.

Introduction Proper nutrition has the task of providing the right amount of energy and nutrients. A balanced diet should include vegetables and fruit at every meal. These products are rich in vitamin C, which is involved in many metabolic pathways in the body. A well-balanced diet will generally provide you with enough ascorbic acid. The content of vitamins in products depends on many factors, including the place of origin of the product, season, species, processing methods, or the conditions and time of storage. Vitamin C is easily destroyed by contact with oxygen, light radiation or metal ions. Aim of the study The aim of the study is to assess the content of vitamin C in juices squeezed from different types of oranges using various processing methods. Material and methods Three species of oranges were used for the study: Valencia, Saluciana and Novelina. Each type of orange was squeezed with 3 processing methods, using: a juicer, a slow-speed squeezer and a manual squeezer. The determination of vitamin C content in the obtained juices was performed by the Tillmans titration method with the use of standard, blue, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol dye. The vitamin C content in juices was determined: immediately after squeezing the juice, one hour after squeezing and 24 hours after squeezing. The juices were stored in the refrigerator between determinations. A pH meter was used to measure the pH, and a portable digital sucrose refractometer was used for the% sucrose measurement. Results The highest content of vitamin C immediately after pressing was observed in the juice of hand-squeezed oranges from the Salustiana variety. The decrease in vitamin C after 24 hours averaged 37.8%. Statistically significant differences were found between the method of squeezing and the time after squeezing the juice. Valencia variety was characterized by the highest pH, Navelina - the lowest. Significant differences were found in the mean level of the pH indicator and the type of orange.

Background: The increasing focus on healthy eating and achieving an ideal physique can lead to the development of disordered eating patterns, including orthorexia nervosa. The relationship between body image perception, self-esteem, and the risk of orthorexia nervosa is multifaceted, with negative body image and low self-esteem often acting as contributing factors. This study aimed to assess the risk of orthorexia nervosa and analyze body image perception among women engaged in strength training and dietetics students. Methods: The study was conducted using a Computer-Assisted Web Interview with 190 women aged 18 and older, divided into four groups: dietetics students engaged in strength training, dietetics students not engaged in strength training, non-dietetics women engaged in strength training, and non-dietetics women not engaged in strength training. The study utilized the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale to assess the risk of orthorexia nervosa and the Body-Esteem Scale to evaluate body image perception. Results: The highest orthorexia nervosa risk was observed in dietetics students who do not engage in a strength training group (60.9%), followed by dietetics students who engage in a strength training group (37.5%). In contrast, women who are not studying dietetics and do not engage in a strength training group exhibited the lowest orthorexia nervosa risk (13%), emphasizing the protective role of physical activity and reduced focus on nutritional rigidity. Regression analysis revealed that low appearance self-esteem (p = 0.011) and high social attribution (p = 0.043) significantly predicted higher orthorexia nervosa risk. Group affiliation also influenced orthorexia nervosa risk, with dietetics students showing higher Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale scores. However, weight-related self-esteem (p = 0.082) did not significantly impact orthorexia nervosa scores. Conclusions: Dietetics education and physical activity independently and collectively affect orthorexia nervosa risk. Students in dietetics, particularly those not engaged in strength training, are at a higher risk due to the dual influence of academic pressures and heightened nutritional awareness. The findings underscore the need for interventions targeting body image perception, promoting flexible dietary approaches, and addressing external validation pressures to mitigate orthorexia nervosa risk in high-risk groups.

Introduction: Active lifestyles are causing an increase in interest directed toward foods, many athletes use specially formulated food products that concentrate large amounts of nutrients in a small volume, while also being easily digestible and quickly absorbed. The main objective of the study was to compare selected commercially available products prepared for physically active people with those prepared based on proprietary recipes and natural, commonly available ingredients. Material and method: The material used in the comparative study was energy bars from three sources: popular market bars from the leading manufacturers in the Polish market and available in most grocery stores, specialized bars, and bars made according to the author's recipe in imitation of the above snacks using natural ingredients. The evaluation of the use of supplements was based on the author's survey questionnaire on consumer preferences and frequency of consumption of carbohydrate products, using energy bars as an example. Results: Bars prepared according to the author's recipe received scores of 2 and 3 for taste and texture and scores of 1 and 2 for the input of basic raw materials. Evaluation of the use of supplements was carried out in a group of 147 people, the study group was dominated by people who train in cycling and running. About 65% of the respondents declared that they use energy bars. Among those who use energy bars, the largest number of respondents declared that they use specialty bars (20%), 15% of respondents use market bars and 8% make the bars themselves. Conclusions: The results of the sensory evaluation of bars prepared according to the author's recipe indicate the need to modify their composition, especially in terms of improving the texture. Carbohydrate supplements are used by respondents, especially if it is justified in the case of practicing endurance and endurance sports characterized by high intensity of training, i.e. cycling and running.