Food loss is widely recognized as undermining food security and environmental sustainability. However, consumption of resource-intensive food items instead of more efficient, equally nutritious alternatives can also be considered as an effective food loss. Here we define and quantify these opportunity food losses as the food loss associated with consuming resource-intensive animal-based items instead of plant-based alternatives which are nutritionally comparable, e.g., in terms of protein content.

Increasing urea clearance by hemodialysis (HD) has not improved patient survival. Hemodiafiltration (HDF) has been reported to reduce cardiovascular mortality. HDF increases middle sized solute clearances. Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) are associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. We wished to determine whether HDF reduces AGEs. Skin auto-fluorescence (SAF) measures circulating AGEs deposited in the skin. We compared SAF measurements 12 months apart in high flux HD and HDF patients. At enrollment SAF was not different (HD 3.34 ± 0.71 vs. HDF 3.48 ± 1.05 AU).

There are a large number of new structure compounds with good pharmacological activity in the natural plants, can be applied to the treatment of human diseases. Finding active ingredients from the plants is one of the important ways to develop new drugs. Triterpenes are widespread in plants, and lupenone belongs to lupane type triterpenoids. Lupenone is very common natural ingredient distributed in multi-family plants including Asteraceae, Balanophoraceae, Cactaceae, Iridaceae, Musaceae, Urticaceae, Leguminosae, Bombacaceae, etc., but its distribution has no regular.

Traditionally, healthful diets and lifestyles have been examined only in relation to single nutrients, foods, or food groups in terms of dietary exposure. An alternative approach is to conceptualize an index based on vegetarian food pyramid guidelines as a measure of overall diet and lifestyle quality. Our objectives were to: (1) develop the Vegetarian Lifestyle Index (VLI); and (2) evaluate adherence to the Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid (VFGP) among a low-risk population of Adventists. The index was based on the operationalization of 14 dietary and lifestyle components.