The potential of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) to enhance athletic performance remains controversial. This study aims to explore how long-term MCT supplementation may enhance endurance and predict individual responders compared to carbohydrates (CHO), while also validating the feasibility of applying the N-of-1 trial design in the field of personalized nutrition. It consists of a series of completed 6-week, single-center, randomized, double-blind, controlled N-of-1 trials, involving a total of 9 long-distance running enthusiasts from Wuhan University (Wuhan, China). The study was divided into 3 cycles, each lasting 2 weeks. During each cycle, participants randomly consumed 400 mL of MCT as the intervention or 400 mL of CHO as the control. The 5-kilometer time trial (5KTT) results were used to assess participants’ endurance, and a Bayesian model was employed to assess individual and aggregated results. Results showed substantial variability in the intervention effect between participants, with improvements in the 5KTT on MCT relative to CHO ranging from –37.54 s (95% credible interval (CrI), –164.25 to 100.35) to 69.37 s (95% CrI, –81.14 to 215.45). The trial observed 1 CHO responder, with a posterior probability of 0.50; 2 MCT responders, with posterior probabilities of 0.57 and 0.64; and 5 non-responders, respectively. The aggregate Bayesian analysis indicated that the posterior probability of achieving a clinically meaningful intervention effect for MCT compared to CHO was only 0.37. Based on these findings, MCT did not improve participants’ running performance compared to CHO at the overall level. However, our study supports that using the N-of-1 trial design can provide more precise personalized recommendations for each participant.

Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot, commonly known as Chinese mugwort, is a wild vegetable with a long history of dietary use in China, and Qiai is its cultivated variety. However, it has not yet been included in China food catalog. Based on traditional folk edible processing methods, we developed A. argyi tender leaf powder (AATLP) to evaluate its safety. Here, the food safety of processed AATLP was assessed through acute toxicity, genotoxicity, repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity, and teratogenicity tests. AATLP components and human consumption were analyzed and surveyed, respectively. Results showed that the oral half lethal dose of AATLP was greater than 7.5 g/kg body weight (BW), indicating that it is practically non-toxic. Genotoxicity results (Ames, micronucleus, chromosome aberration) were negative. The results of 90-day oral toxicity test showed the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of 8.0 g/kg BW, without toxicological changes. The teratogenicity test indicated a NOAEL of 6.45 g/kg BW. Human consumption survey revealed no adverse effects. In conclusion, the findings provide toxicological and human survey evidence to confirm that A. argyi tender leaves can be used in food preparation for human consumption.

Multivitamins were widely used health supplements that replenished essential nutrients in the human body. Despite their popularity, the impact of multivitamins on the cognitive function of older adults remained unclear and contentious. This study offered a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of research published until June 2024, analyzing the effects of multivitamins on various cognitive functions in individuals aged 65 and older. We included ten randomized controlled trials encompassing 13600 participants from multiple databases. These studies evaluated the impact of multivitamins on reasoning, memory, learning, visual perception, idea production, cognitive speed, psychomotor abilities, and higher cognitive functions. Our meta-analysis revealed that multivitamins significantly enhanced delayed free recall (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) : [0.05, 0.13], P < 0.0001). However, they had no substantial effects on immediate free recall (SMD = 0.85, 95% CI: [−0.18, 1.90], P = 0.11), idea production (SMD = 0.00, 95% CI: [−0.04, 0.03], P = 0.86), or cognitive speed (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI: [−0.07, 0.74], P = 0.11). Thus, while multivitamins facilitated delayed free recall, they did not significantly improve other cognitive functions in older adults.

Hypercholesterolemia is closely associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Medicinal and dietary approaches are both used to combat it. Red yeast rice (RYR) is a traditional ingredient that has been used for a long time in food preparation. Interestingly, it shows activity to alleviate hypercholesterolemia as a food supplement due to the high content of lovastatin (also known as monacolin K), a statin drug. To gain a comprehensive understanding of RYR and its functions, we have reviewed the current literature from PubMed. This review summarizes the RYR historical use in traditional Chinese medicine and compares it with statins for controlling hypercholesterolemia. In addition, we have also included the side effects of RYR, its impacts on the heart, liver, and muscle, and the limitations of current research. The needs to reduce side effects while providing the same bioavailability and efficacy of RYR for the alleviation of hypercholesterolemia are important for its benefits in health. We believe that more research is needed to thoroughly investigate RYR and find novel compounds with activities to control hypercholesterolemia and help subjects who are sensitive to statin-mediated side effects.