Background: Dehydration is a frequent cause of excess morbidity and poor health outcomes, particularly in older adults who have an increased risk of fluid loss due to renal senescence, comorbidities, and polypharmacy. Detecting dehydration is key to instigating treatment to resolve the problem and prevent further adverse consequences; however, current approaches to diagnosis are unreliable and, as a result, under-detection remains a widespread problem. This systematic review sought to explore the value of bioelectrical impedance in detecting low-intake dehydration among older adults admitted to acute care settings. Methods: A literature search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was undertaken from inception till May 2022 and led to the eventual evaluation of four studies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool for observational studies; three studies had a high risk of bias, and one had a low risk. Data were extracted using systematic proofs. Due to insufficient reporting, the data were analysed using narrative synthesis. Results: One study showed that the sensitivity and specificity of bioelectrical impedance in detecting low-intake dehydration varied considerably depending on the total body water percentage threshold used to ascertain dehydration status. Other included studies supported the technique's utility when compared to conventional measures of hydration status. Conclusions: Given the scarcity of literature and inconsistency between findings, it is not possible to ascertain the value of bioelectrical impedance for detecting low-intake dehydration in older inpatients.

The integration of multi-omics technologies with non-thermal food processing represents a paradigm shift from population-based to precision nutrition interventions. This review synthesizes current advances in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics alongside emerging non-thermal technologies, including high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, cold plasma, ultrasound, and supercritical fluid extraction, to enable the development of personalized fortified foods. Non-thermal processing offers distinct advantages by preserving heat-sensitive nutrients, enhancing bioavailability through matrix modification, and supporting innovative encapsulation systems that overcome limitations of conventional thermal methods. Multi-omics approaches provide insights into genetic polymorphisms, metabolic phenotypes, and microbiome profiles that influence nutrient metabolism, thereby informing targeted fortification strategies for individuals and subpopulations. We examine nutrient-gene interactions, the impact of non-thermal processing on food matrices and fortificant stability, and the integration of complex omics datasets through systems biology. Key challenges include industrial scalability, harmonization of omics data interpretation, regulatory frameworks for personalized products, equitable access, and genetic data privacy. Emerging opportunities involve artificial intelligence for predictive modeling, biosensor-based monitoring, blockchain-enabled traceability, and convergence with precision medicine. This review provides a comprehensive framework to guide researchers, food technologists, healthcare professionals, and policymakers in advancing omics-guided, non-thermally processed fortified foods as innovative strategies for addressing malnutrition, preventing chronic disease, and promoting optimized health across diverse populations.

Functional fermented foods are increasingly recognized in public health nutrition for their potential to reduce the burden of metabolic diseases through fermentation-derived bioactive biomolecules. Fermentation enhances the nutritional and functional properties of foods by generating peptides, short-chain fatty acids, organic acids, exopolysaccharides, enzymes, and transformed phytochemicals with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and metabolic regulatory activities. Despite growing interest, the biomolecular pathways linking these compounds to metabolic health, particularly through gut microbiota modulation, remain insufficiently clarified. This review focuses on representative functional fermented foods such as dairy, cereal, legume, vegetable, tea, and traditional mixed fermented foods and key fermentation-derived biomolecules, including bioactive peptides, short-chain fatty acids, polyphenols, exopolysaccharides and organic acids, with emphasis on their mechanistic roles in gut microbiota modulation and metabolic disease prevention. By linking biomolecular mechanisms with public health outcomes, it positions functional fermented foods as promising, sustainable tools for metabolic disease prevention and health promotion.

Traditional dairy emulsions such as ghee, laban, reyab, and fermented camel milk are produced using locally adapted livestock breeds and unique microbial consortia, reflecting centuries of ecological adaptation. These products are increasingly positioned as functional foods that integrate traditional practices with modern nutritional needs, thereby enhancing dietary diversity and sustainability. These systems are structurally complex and nutritionally dense, containing bioactive compounds, natural emulsifiers, and probiotics. They contribute to regional food resilience and edible biodiversity through bioactive compounds, natural emulsifiers, and probiotics. This paper explores the dynamic role of these emulsions in dairy food systems, their biochemical makeup, socio-cultural relevance, and technological avenues for their valorization. Advances in nano and micro emulsion methods, ultrafiltration, and spray drying are investigated for their potential to improve bioavailability, stability, and application while maintaining traditional values. Recent research has shown that when used correctly, these technologies can preserve or even enhance their health-promoting properties, allowing them to be incorporated into modern diets and treatment formulations. However, their value must be based on ethical considerations for local producers, the preservation of microbiological and cultural variety, and a governmental framework that encourages small-scale, decentralised innovations. When treated with cultural sensitivity and scientific precision, these technological interventions for the valorisation of traditional dairy systems can increase their nutritional and functional value while conserving their essential identity. These emulsions have the potential to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation, facilitating for the development of diversified, robust, and culturally grounded nutritional practices.

Foods fortified with probiotics are a fast-emerging field at the crossroads of food technology, nutritional biochemistry and microbiome science. The increased interest in the gut microbiota as a key controller of host metabolism, immunity and overall homeostasis has led to the creation of diets that provide key nutrients with live and beneficial microbes. Compared to the conventional dietary supplementation, there are improved microbe stability, bioavailability, and microbe-nutrient interactions of probiotic fortification of food matrices. This review is a summary of the literature on the impact of probiotics on the host immunological and metabolic signalling pathways, intestinal barrier functioning, and gut microbiota composition. The biological mechanisms of interaction of probiotics with the intestinal microenvironment are specifically focused on the production of short-chain fatty acids, expulsion of pathogens, the regulation of immune cells, and the communication of the gut-brain axis. New information that can be used to correlate the administration of probiotics with the improvement of gastrointestinal health, systemic inflammation, metabolic maintenance and neurobehavioral phenotypes is narratively synthesized based on available preclinical and clinical evidence. The opportunities of probiotic-enriched functional foods have been highlighted in this review as a strategic tool of disease prevention and health promotion in the context of the mechanistic knowledge in combination with translational health outcomes. The complexity in the interactions between microbial delivery systems and host physiology is the clue to the best efficacy, safety and the future innovation in the development of functional foods.