Objective: To assess the association between total alcohol intake, specific alcoholic beverages, and sleep quality in a community-based cohort. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: The Kailuan community, China. Participants: Included were 11,905 participants who were free of a history of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and head injury in or prior to 2012. Alcohol consumption (amount and frequency intake) and alcoholic beverage type were collected in 2006 (baseline) and 2012. Participants were grouped into non-, light- (women: 0-0.4 serving/day; men: 0-0.9 serving/day), moderate- (women: 0.5-1.0 serving/day; men: 1.0-2.0 servings/day), and heavy- (women: >1.0 servings/day; men: >2.0 servings/day) drinker. Overall sleep quality was measured in 2012 and included four sleep parameters (insomnia, daytime sleepiness, sleep duration, snoring/obstructive sleep apnea). Results: We observed a dose-response association between higher alcohol consumption in 2006 and worse sleep quality in 2012 (P-trend <0.001), after adjusting for age, sex, social-economic status, smoking status, physical activity, obesity, plasma lipid profiles, diabetes and hypertension. A similar association was observed when alcohol consumption in 2012 was used as exposure. Alcohol was associated with higher odds of having short sleep duration (adjusted odds ratio for heavy- vs. non-drinkers = 1.32; 95% confidence interval: 1.09-1.57), and snoring (adjusted odds ratio for heavy- vs. non-drinkers: 1.38; 95% confidence interval: 1.22-1.57). Consumption of hard liquor, but not beer or wine, was significantly associated with poor sleep quality. Conclusions: Higher alcohol consumption was associated with poorer sleep quality and higher odds of having snoring and short sleep duration.

Objective: We examined whether breakfast frequency was associated with chronic inflammatory, as assessed by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Kailuan community, China. Participants: Included were 70 092 Chinese adults without CVD and cancer in 2014 with CRP concentrations <10 mg/l, when breakfast frequency was assessed via a questionnaire, and plasma CRP concentration was measured. Results: Breakfast frequency was associated with CRP concentration (P-trend < 0·001). The adjusted mean CRP was 1·33 mg/l (95 % CI 1·23, 1·44) for the ‘no breakfast’ group and 1·07 mg/l (95 % CI 1·0, 1·14) for the ‘breakfast everyday’ group (P-difference < 0·001), adjusting for age, sex, diet quality, total energy, obesity, education, occupation, marital status, smoking, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, sleep parameters, fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles. Consistently, the adjusted OR for CRP ≥ 1·0 mg/l and CRP ≥ 3·0 mg/l were 1·86 (95 % CI 1·73, 2·00) and 1·27 (95 % CI 1·15, 1·40), respectively, when comparing these two breakfast consumption groups (P-trend < 0·001 for both). The associations were more pronounced among older adults, relative to those who were younger (P-interaction < 0·001). Significant association between breakfast skipping and elevated CRP concentration was observed in those with poor diet quality, but not those with good diet quality. Conclusions: Habitually skipping breakfast was associated with elevated concentrations of CRP. Future prospective studies including repeated assessment of inflammatory biomarkers and a collection of detailed information on type and amount of breakfast foods are warranted.

The prevalence of osteoporosis among women aged 50 years and older is expected to reach 13.6 million by 2030. Alternative non-pharmaceutical agents for osteoporosis including nutritional interventions are becoming increasingly popular. Prunes (dried plums) (Prunus domestica L.) have been studied as a potential whole food dietary intervention to mitigate bone loss in preclinical models of osteoporosis and in osteopenic postmenopausal women. Sixteen preclinical studies using in vivo rodent models of osteopenia or osteoporosis have established that dietary supplementation with prunes confers osteoprotective effects both by preventing and reversing bone loss. Increasing evidence from ten studies suggests that in addition to anti-resorptive effects, prunes exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Ten preclinical studies have found that prunes and/or their polyphenol extracts decrease malondialdehyde and nitric oxide secretion, increase antioxidant enzyme expression, or suppress NF-κB activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. Two clinical trials have investigated the impact of dried plum consumption (50–100g/day for 6–12 months) on bone health in postmenopausal women and demonstrate promising effects on bone mineral density and bone biomarkers. However, less is known about the impact of prune consumption on oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators in humans and their possible role in modulating bone outcomes. In this review, the current state of knowledge on the relationship between inflammation and bone health is outlined. Findings from preclinical and clinical studies that have assessed the effect of prunes on oxidative stress, inflammatory mediators, and bone outcomes are summarized, and evidence supporting a potential role of prunes in modulating inflammatory and immune pathways is highlighted. Key future directions to bridge the knowledge gap in the field are proposed.

Recent studies have implicated fermentation by-products of the gut microbiota in bone metabolism. Compromised bone health often accompanies anorexia nervosa due to energy deficiency and hypoestrogenism. The gut microbiome has been implicated as a link between these conditions and impaired bone growth phenotypes. Current research supports decrements in Firmicutes and short-chain fatty acids with increases in Methanobrevibacter smithii and Proteobacteria in anorexia nervosa. A potential mechanism for microbiome-regulated bone growth is through modulation of insulin-like growth factor-1. Future research should aim to examine short-chain fatty acids, probiotics, and prebiotics as alternative therapies to treat low bone density in anorexia nervosa.