Background: China’s diet transition might offer guidance to undeveloped countries on the way to prosperity. This report describes the trends and disparities in energy and macronutrient composition among Chinese adults, and between subpopulations. Methods: Data for the current study were obtained from the 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2010–2012 China National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) rounds, which were nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. We applied 24-h dietary recall and food weighing to assess dietary intake. Results: There were 204,877 participants aged 20 years or older included in the current analysis. From 1982 to 2012, the estimated energy intake declined from 2614.7 kcal to 2063.9 kcal. The trend in the estimated percentage of energy intake from fat showed a spike. It increased from 16.3% to 33.1% (1992 vs. 1982 difference, 7.6%; 95% CI 7.4% to 7.7%; 2002 vs. 1992 difference, 7.7%; 95% CI 7.6% to 7.9%; 2012 vs. 2002 difference, 1.6%; 95% CI 1.4% to 1.7%; p < 0.01 for trend). The trends coincided in all the subgroups (all p < 0.01 for trend) except for the subgroup of those educated over 15 years, whose percentage of energy intake from fat declined from 37.4% to 36.6% (2012 vs. 2002 difference, −0.8%; 95% CI −1.6% to 0.0%). The estimated percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates declined from 74.0% to 55.0%. The ranges of the estimated percentage of energy intake from fat, within population subgroups stratified by education level, area and Gross national product (GNP) level, were narrowed. Conclusions: Quick improvements in society and the economy effectively curbed undernutrition, but easily triggered overnutrition. Disparities persistently existed between different subpopulations, while the gaps would narrow if comprehensive efforts were made. Education might be a promising way to prevent overnutrition during prosperous progress. The low-social profile populations require specific interventions so as to avoid further disease burdens.

Background: Emerging evidence has supported that intensive exercise induces weakened performance and immune and metabolic disorders. We systematically evaluated the effects of quercetin against hepatic inflammatory damage caused by repeated intensive exercise and explored the potential mechanism. Methods: Male BALB/c mice were administered quercetin (100 mg/kg BW) for four weeks, and performed a treadmill running protocol of 28 m/min, 5° slope, 90 min/day concurrently for the last seven days. Results: Quercetin administration reduced the leakage of aspartic acid and alanine aminotransferase and improved ultrastructural abnormalities such as swelling, and degeneration caused by high-intensity running in mice. Quercetin significantly decreased the hepatic and plasmatic levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1—provoked by over-exercise. Furthermore, diminished activation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB were found after quercetin treatment through inhibiting IKKα and Iκbα phosphorylation of intensive running mice. Conclusion: Quercetin offers protection for mouse livers against intensive sports-induced inflammatory injury, and the suppression of the NF-κB signal transduction pathway may play a role in its anti-inflammatory effects. Our findings broaden our understanding of natural phytochemicals as a promising strategy to prevent excessive exercise damage.

Sodium intake from pre-packaged foods is increasing in China and is well above the WHO recommendation of 5 g per day. The purpose of this study is to analyze the sodium content of pre-packaged foods collected by the National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NINH, China CDC) in 20 provinces of China from 2017 to 2022. The proportion of pre-packaged foods that meet or exceed the low-sodium, medium-sodium, and high-sodium classifications were analyzed. The proportion of pre-packaged foods that meet and do not meet the WHO global sodium benchmarks and the difference in sodium content between these foods was also calculated. High-sodium foods include sauces, dips, and dressings (3896 mg/100 g), convenience foods (1578 mg/100 g), processed fish products (1470 mg/100 g), processed meat products (1323 mg/100 g), processed poultry products (1240 mg/100 g), snack foods (750 mg/100 g), processed egg products (741 mg/100 g), and fine dried noodles (602 mg/100 g). A large number of pre-packaged foods currently collected in China have a sodium content above sodium benchmarks. This study provided data to support the assessment of sodium intake from pre-packaged foods in the Chinese population and the implementation of comprehensive salt reduction strategies.

Processed meat products are one of the most consumed pre-packaged foods in China. They are also group-1 carcinogens, whose consumption has proved to be positively associated with the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The purpose of this study is to analyze the nutrient content on the food label of processed meat products based on the China Standardized Database for the Composition of Pre-packaged Food and the National Open Database of the UK and France. The Chilean front-of-pack warning label (FOPWL) and the Chinese Healthier Choice Logo were used to compare the nutrient content of processed meat products from the three countries. It was found that cured meat products have the highest median energy (483 kcal/100 g), total fat content (38.7 g/100 g), and sodium content (2076 mg/100 g) and dried meat products have the highest median protein content (30.2 g/100 g) and carbohydrate content (38.2 g/100 g). In addition, there were significant differences in energy content and contents of total fat, protein, and carbohydrate across different products of the three countries (p < 0.001). A large number of processed meat products currently collected did not meet the criteria of the Chilean FOPWL and the Chinese Healthier Choice Logo. This study provided information on the healthiness of Chinese processed meat products and provided data for improving food formulations for different categories of processed meat products.

Objective: With the rise of industrialized dishes, the quality differences between industrial and traditional hand-cooked modes are a major concern for the food industry and consumers. This study examined the nutrient content variations in Chinese cuisines between these two cooking modes, addressing a crucial research gap.Methods: To account for moisture changes during cooking, water content in both raw ingredients and cooked dishes was adjusted, and nutrients were reported on a dry matter basis. The changes in nutrient content pre- and post-cooking were assessed by calculating the relative percentage of nutrient content in the cooked dishes in comparison to their levels in the raw ingredients. An independent t-test was employed to assess the significance of differences in the changes in nutrient content between industrial and traditional hand-cooked modes.Results: Macronutrient levels remained relatively stable, with changes of less than 20% across most dishes for both cooking methods, with some exceptions noted. Fat-soluble vitamins A and D exhibited minor fluctuations, ranging from 2.6 to 39.4%, while vitamin E levels consistently increased. In contrast, water-soluble vitamins, specifically B1, B2, B3, and B6, experienced substantial decreases across all examined dishes. The fatty acid profiles were consistent with the fat content, and mineral content demonstrated a moderate increase under both cooking conditions. An inter-group t-test indicated no significant differences in nutrient content changes between the two cooking modes (p > 0.05), except for vitamin B6 retention, which was significantly lower in traditional hand-cooked modes compared to industrial modes (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Among the six Chinese cuisines analyzed, the changes in nutrient content did not significantly differ between industrial and traditional cooking methods, with the notable exception of vitamin B6 retention. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how different cooking techniques impact the nutritional value of food, providing valuable insights for dietary decision-making and food processing technologies.