In the past decade, the plant‐based meat alternative industry has grown rapidly due to consumers' demand for environmental‐friendly, nutritious, sustainable and humane choices. Consumers are not only concerned about the positive relationship between food consumption and health, they are also keen on the environmental sustainability. With such increased consumers' demand for meat alternatives, there is an urgent need for identification and modification of protein sources to imitate the functionality, textural, organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of traditional meat products. However, the plant proteins are not readily digestible and require more functionalization and modification are required. Proteins has to be modified to achieve high quality attributes such as solubility, gelling, emulsifying and foaming properties to make them more palatable and digestible. The protein source from the plant source in order to achieve the claims which needs more high protein digestibility and amino acid bioavailability. In order to achieve these newer emerging non‐thermal technologies which can operate under mild temperature conditions can reach a balance between feasibility and reduced environmental impact maintaining the nutritional attributes and functional attributes of the proteins. This review article has discussed the mechanism of protein modification and advancements in the application of non‐thermal technologies such as high pressure processing and pulsed electric field and emerging oxidation technologies (ultrasound, cold plasma, and ozone) on the structural modification of plant‐based meat alternatives to improve, the techno‐functional properties and palatability for successful food product development applications.
Objectives Oxidative stress has been linked to the development of depression and anxiety as well as cognitive decline in older adults. Vitamins and minerals that have antioxidant properties or serve as cofactors can improve the oxidant-antioxidant balance in the body and lead to a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation. We aimed to study antioxidant and antioxidant cofactor intake from diet in the older population in relation to mental and cognitive health. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted that included 181 men and women aged 60–80 years. Individuals diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer's, or other neurological disorders were excluded. Dietary information was obtained using a 3-day diet record and food frequency questionnaire. Mental and cognitive health were assessed using Geriatric Depression Scale, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Digit Span test. Partial Pearson Correlation analyses were performed using SPSS software. Results Our findings indicate that vitamin B1 [r = .18, p < .05], vitamin C [r = .24, p < .001], vitamin D [r = .15, p < .05], and zinc [r = .15, p < .05] were positively correlated with Total Digit Span score, after controlling for antioxidant supplementation and other covariates such as age, education, economic status, etc. However, after further controlling for daily caloric intake, only vitamin C remained significantly associated with Total Digit Span score [r = .18, p < .05], and copper was inversely associated with MoCA scores [r = -.18, p < .05]. No other associations were found between the other variables. Conclusions Our findings suggest that higher vitamin C and lower copper intake from foods, are associated with cognitive performance among older adults. Further studies are needed to better understand the role of vitamin C and copper intake in cognitive function of older adults. Funding Sources None.
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