A simple nutrition education program at a university in Chile was associated with healthier eating habits, lower consumption of ultra-processed foods and encouraging signs of improved mental well-being, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports.
The pilot intervention followed 31 students aged 18 to 20 over three months and included seminars, healthy snack breaks and a booklet with nutrition information and easy, low-cost recipes. Researchers assessed dietary intake and mental well-being before and after the program, finding that several measures of diet quality moved in a positive direction.
Lower ultra-processed food intake after the intervention
After the program, students showed a significant reduction in processed and ultra-processed food consumption. Calcium intake increased, sodium intake fell, and the proportion of students whose carbohydrate and fat intake fell within recommended ranges also improved. Fruit intake nearly doubled, although it still remained below recommended levels.
Not all habits shifted as easily. Dairy, vegetables and total fiber remained below recommended ranges at both time points, suggesting that some food choices may require longer or more intensive support to change.
Small gains in well-being, but no clear causal proof
The study also found moderate improvements in subjective well-being, including items related to cognitive clarity, social connectedness and decision-making. Overall mental well-being scores rose from the low to the moderate range, but the changes were not statistically significant. Because the study was a before-and-after pilot without a control group, the authors said the findings should be interpreted cautiously.
Researchers noted that the intervention may have been especially effective at changing immediately actionable behaviors, such as cutting sodium and reducing ultra-processed foods, while habit-driven behaviors like eating more vegetables were harder to move. The results add to wider concerns about the impact of ultra-processed foods on cardiometabolic and mental health, particularly in young adults.
For health services and educators, the findings suggest that relatively simple nutrition programs may help improve diet quality in student populations, while also offering a potential boost to some aspects of mental well-being. Larger and longer-term studies will be needed to determine whether these benefits persist over time and whether they can be replicated in broader groups of students.
Source: News-Medical
