Nowadays, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, consumers increasingly seek foods that not only fulfill the basic need (i.e., satisfying hunger) but also enhance human health and well-being. As a result, more attention has been given to some kinds of foods, termed "superfoods," making big claims about their richness in valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds as well as their capability to prevent illness, reinforcing the human immune system, and improve overall health.This review is an attempt to uncover truths and myths about superfoods by giving examples of the most popular foods (e.g., berries, pomegranates, watermelon, olive, green tea, several seeds and nuts, honey, salmon, and camel milk, among many others) that are commonly reported as having unique nutritional, nutraceutical, and functional characteristics.While superfoods have become a popular buzzword in blog articles and social media posts, scientific publications are still relatively marginal. The reviewed findings show that COVID-19 has become a significant driver for superfoods consumption. Food Industry 4.0 innovations have revolutionized many sectors of food technologies, including the manufacturing of functional foods, offering new opportunities to improve the sensory and nutritional quality of such foods. Although many food products have been considered superfoods and intensively sought by consumers, scientific evidence for their beneficial effectiveness and their "superpower" are yet to be provided. Therefore, more research and collaboration between researchers, industry, consumers, and policymakers are still needed to differentiate facts from marketing gimmicks and promote human health and nutrition.

Truths and myths about superfoods in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aims to examine the relationship between COVID-19 cases/deaths and Google data on lifestyle behaviours and socio-economic variables in Turkey. The data of the research are composed of Google Trends search volume for various words related to socio-economic conditions, nutritional attitudes, indoor behaviour, outdoor activities and confirmed COVID-19 case and death data from the Ministry of Health from 31 December 2019 to 31 January 2021. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the Google search volumes of selected keywords and COVID-19 case and deaths. In addition, repeated ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests were performed to compare the differences in search volumes of selected keywords before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Correlation analysis showed that the strongest variables in each category were vitamin C, zinc, Zoom, online shopping, hotel, market, gym, unemployment and unemployment benefit. Compared to previous years, during the pandemic, there was a significant increase or decrease in the search volumes of almost all words. These results showed that the COVID-19 significantly changed people's online interests regarding lifestyle behaviours and socio-economic conditions. It is thought that the findings can guide health policies to be followed in reducing the effects of both behavioural changes and negative socio-economic consequences.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hpm.3342

Association of COVID-19 with lifestyle behaviours and socio-economic variables in Turkey: An analysis of Google Trends.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phanu.2022.100309

Assessment of dietary habits and use of nutritional supplements in COVID-19: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The COVID‐19 pandemic and restrictions imposed to eradicate it have affected healthy lifestyle‐related behaviours. Aim The aim of this study was to determine the effect of COVID‐19 on lifestyle‐related behaviours. Methods This cross‐sectional web‐based survey research was performed with a convenience sample of 1020 adults residing in Turkey. Data were collected with self‐report data collection tools on 8–28 April 2021: a sociodemographic characteristics form and the impact of COVID‐19 on lifestyle‐related behaviours questionnaire. Results Eating behaviours, physical activity and sleep patterns of the participants were negatively affected during COVID‐19 pandemic (p < 0.001). More than half of the participants experienced weight gain during the pandemic. Also, stress levels and smoking increased (p < 0.01). The participants reported having changes in their lifestyles most frequently due to the fear of COVID‐19 infection, stress, decreased motivation, closure of the facilities for social and sports activities and increased food prices. Predictors of lifestyle‐related behaviours were found to be education (β = .189), income (β = −.101), residing in a village (β = .113) and the presence of a chronic disease (β = .075) (p < 0.001). Conclusions During the pandemic, COVID‐19‐related restrictions should be applied whilst taking account of both social distancing measures and maintenance of healthy lifestyle‐related behaviours. Nurses should offer counselling for maintenance of healthy lifestyle‐related behaviours.

The effect of COVID‐19 pandemic on lifestyle‐related behaviours in Turkey: A web‐based cross‐sectional study

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of cure and the intensity of the global spread raised a common awareness of health. The aim of this scoping review is to summarize dietary supplement use globally during first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic search was conducted in December 2021 following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, ERIC, and Scopus databases were searched, and 956 results were screened for eligibility. Fourteen cross-sectional studies from 11 countries and 3 continents were examined. All studies were large population surveys investigating healthy eating and supplement use during COVID-19. Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and multivitamins were the most widely reported, as well as natural/herbal products such as ginger and honey. The most common reason cited for supplements use was to strengthen immune system and to prevent infection of COVID-19. These studies reported that populations are relying on healthcare providers, family, friends, and social media to learn about supplement use. Future studies on the treatment of COVID-19 should include more evidence for supplement use.

/pdf/global-dietary-and-herbal-supplement-use-during-covid-19-a-28bqtx01.pdf

Global Dietary and Herbal Supplement Use during COVID-19—A Scoping Review

Social isolation required by the pandemic has led to some changes in individuals’ eating and lifestyle habits.This study aimed to examine the change in nutrition and lifestyle habits of Turkish people during the COVID-19 outbreak and investigate the effects of individuals’ attitudes to healthy eating on this change.At the beginning of the pandemic, individuals over the age of 18 participated in this cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. Demographic information (age, gender, education level, place of residence and occupation), anthropometric data (reported weight and height);nutritional behavior information (number of meals per day, changes in consumption of various foods, use of nutritional supplements, etc.) and changes in lifestyle habits were requested from the participations. In addition, the Healthy Nutrition Attitude Scale (ASHN) was used to determine the healthy eating attitudes of the participants.A total of 432 volunteers participated in the study. It was revealed that body weight increased in 38.0%of the participants and activity level decreased in 73.1%of them during the initial stage of the pandemic. Nevertheless, 44.7%of participants reported increased sleep time, 77.8%reported increased social media use, and 66.7%reported increased stress and anxiety. It was found that the most commonly used nutritional supplements during this period were vitamin C, vitamin D and multivitamin complex. Women have significantly higher ASHN scores compared to men (p <  0.001). The total ASHN scores of those whose body weight did not change and those who increased their activity level were found to be significantly higher. It was determined that as the age and education level increased, the healthy eating attitude increased. In this study, findings regarding the negative effects of the Covid 19 quarantine on the nutrition and lifestyle of the Turkish people are presented. However, those with a positive attitude toward healthy eating were observed to have better weight control and eating habits and stress management during the pandemic. Therefore, it is thought that the dissemination of healthy eating attitudes in society may contribute to the maintenance of physical and mental health in the event of a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition & Metabolism is the property of IOS Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

T. Altintaş

Papers

Changes in nutrition and lifestyle habits during the covid-19 pandemic in Turkey and the effects of healthy eating attitudes