Featured Collection in The Journal of Nutrition
*This collection was prepared by Yannan Jin, PhD, Editorial Science Fellow at The Journal of Nutrition.
This featured collection highlights seven recent articles published in The Journal of Nutrition that collectively examine how dietary factors influence chronic disease risk, progression, prevention, and management. Spanning micronutrient nutrition, dietary approaches, obesity-related disease, neurodegeneration, liver disease, and healthcare-based nutrition interventions, these articles demonstrate the diverse pathways through which nutrition affects health across the life course. Together, they illustrate the importance of integrating mechanistic understanding, clinical evidence, and public health strategies to address the growing global burden of chronic disease.
1. Milk with Mulberry Leaf Extract, Vegetable Oil, and Inulin Reduce Early Glucose and Insulin Response in Healthy Adults in China: Randomized Controlled Trial
This randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of a milk product supplemented with mulberry leaf extract, vegetable oil, and inulin on postprandial metabolic responses in healthy adults. The supplemented milk significantly reduced early glucose, insulin, and C-peptide responses following a carbohydrate-rich meal. By demonstrating how functional food ingredients can beneficially influence glycaemic regulation, the study provides valuable insights into dietary strategies for improving metabolic health. These findings highlight the potential role of functional foods in chronic disease prevention, particularly for reducing cardiometabolic risk.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.05.036
2. Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Vitamin B-12 Incorporating Mechanistic Absorption: An Example Application for Intake Estimation During Pregnancy
This study developed a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to improve understanding of vitamin B-12 absorption and intake requirements under altered physiological conditions such as pregnancy. By incorporating key absorption mechanisms into nutrient requirement estimation, the study advances current understanding of how vitamin B-12 status may be influenced by both intake amount and dosing pattern. These findings provide valuable insights for optimising micronutrient recommendations and preventing deficiency-related adverse health outcomes in vulnerable populations.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.07.019
3. Postprandial Blood Glucose-Focused Dietary Approaches and Their Limitations
This perspective critically evaluates dietary approaches designed to minimise postprandial blood glucose responses, including low-carbohydrate diets, low-glycaemic index diets, and personalised nutrition strategies. Importantly, the article challenges the assumption that lowering postprandial glucose responses necessarily translates into improved long-term health outcomes. By encouraging a broader consideration of overall dietary quality and cardiometabolic health, the article provides a timely perspective on the strengths and limitations of glucose-focused dietary recommendations.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.09.037
4. Gastric Cancer and Obesity: Disease Occurrence and Perioperative Treatment
This review explores the complex relationship between obesity and gastric cancer, examining both disease risk and treatment outcomes. The authors discuss several biological pathways linking obesity to gastric cancer, including insulin resistance, adipokine dysregulation, hormonal alterations, and chronic inflammation. A key strength of this review is its integration of evidence spanning both disease development and perioperative management, providing a comprehensive perspective on the role of obesity across the gastric cancer continuum. These findings highlight obesity as an important modifiable risk factor in cancer prevention and clinical care.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.07.007
5. Perspective: Food Is Medicine: Hype or Hope?
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.08.025
6. Therapeutic Potential of Flavonoids in Parkinson’s Disease
This review examines the emerging evidence supporting flavonoids as potential therapeutic agents in Parkinson’s disease. The authors describe multiple mechanisms through which flavonoids may exert neuroprotective effects, including reducing oxidative stress, modulating neuroinflammation, and preventing alpha-synuclein aggregation. By bringing together evidence from molecular, experimental, and clinical studies, the review provides a comprehensive overview of the potential role of dietary bioactive compounds in neurodegenerative disease prevention and management. These findings suggest promising avenues for future nutrition-based therapeutic strategies.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.09.022
7. Dietary and Lifestyle Risk Factors in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: In Search of Mechanistic Explanations and Health Improvement
This review explores the potential role of dietary and lifestyle factors in the development and progression of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic immune-mediated liver disease. The article examines evidence relating to coffee consumption, dietary fibre, probiotics, physical activity, and other modifiable factors, while discussing underlying mechanisms involving gut microbiota, bile acid metabolism, intestinal barrier function, and immune regulation. The review offers valuable insights into how nutrition-related factors may influence PSC pathogenesis and progression. These findings identify promising directions for future dietary interventions aimed at improving liver health outcomes.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.10.041
References
- Cherta-Murillo A, Xu H, Moullan N, Tadi M, Huang F, Kodakuthumparambil N, et al. Milk with mulberry leaf extract, vegetable oil, and inulin reduce early glucose and insulin response in healthy adults in China: randomized controlled trial. J Nutr. 2025;155(7):2227–2235.
- Zhang M, Almond LM, Jones HM. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of vitamin B-12 incorporating mechanistic absorption: an example application for intake estimation during pregnancy. J Nutr. 2025;155(10):3220–3228.
- Jimenez MCF. Postprandial blood glucose-focused dietary approaches and their limitations. J Nutr. 2025;155(12):4067–4074.
- Xu R, Pan S, Zhang Y, Hu C, Xu Z. Gastric cancer and obesity: disease occurrence and perioperative treatment. J Nutr. 2025;155(9):2799–2810.
- Glenn AJ, Hu FB. Perspective: Food is medicine: hype or hope? J Nutr. 2025;155(11):3654–3662.
- Pechlivani L, Giannakis A, Sioka C, Alexiou GA, Konitsiotis S, Kyritsis AP. Therapeutic potential of flavonoids in Parkinson’s disease. J Nutr. 2025;155(11):3618–3641.
- Mammadov RA, Roest HP, van der Laan LJW, Peppelenbosch MP. Dietary and lifestyle risk factors in primary sclerosing cholangitis: in search of mechanistic explanations and health improvement. J Nutr. 2025;155(12):4087–4099.
