Nutrient adequacy and nutrient sources of adults among ninety-two First Nations communities across Canada.

OBJECTIVES: To identify food sources of nutrients in First Nations adults in Canada and to establish whether these populations are meeting their nutrient requirements and whether traditional foods (TF) contribute to better nutrient intake. METHODS: The First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study is a cross-Canada participatory study of First Nations adults living south of the 60th parallel. Twenty-four-hour recalls were conducted in 92 First Nations communities from 2008 to 2016. Repeat recalls were attempted with 20% of participants to adjust for within-person variation and estimate the proportion of individuals below recommendations according to Institute of Medicine guidelines. Nutrients from days with and without TF were compared. The main food sources of select nutrients were identified, including TF. RESULTS: Mean energy intakes among women and men ranged from 1664 to 1864 and from 1761 to 2298 kcal/day respectively. Most macronutrients were within the acceptable macronutrient diet range except for fat in most age groups and carbohydrates in men 71 years of age and older. Saturated fat was above recommendations for all ages. Only niacin was identified as above recommendations in all age and sex categories. Days where TF were eaten showed greater intakes of key nutrients. CONCLUSION: It is imperative that we find culturally appropriate ways to improve the quality and nutritional value of First Nations Peoples food intake by improving TF access and use on the one hand and conversely providing better quality store-bought foods. For success in this, we must empower First Nations communities and health practitioners to collaboratively overcome these challenges.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Établir si l'alimentation des adultes des Premières Nations au Canada est satisfaisante et si les aliments traditionnels (AT) contribuent à un meilleur apport en nutriments et identifier les sources alimentaires des nutriments. MéTHODE: L'étude sur l'alimentation, la nutrition et l'environnement chez les Premières Nations est une étude participative pancanadienne visant les adultes des Premières Nations vivant au sud du 60e parallèle. Des rappels de 24 heures ont été effectués dans 92 communautés des Premières Nations de 2008 à 2016. Les rappels ont été répétés avec 20 % des participants pour ajuster la variation intra-individuelle et estimer la proportion d'individus à risque de consommation insuffisante de nutriments selon les apports nutritionnels de référence de l'« Institute of Medicine ¼. Les sources alimentaires (incluant les AT) de certains nutriments ont été identifiées. RéSULTATS: La moyenne des apports énergétiques moyens chez les femmes et les hommes variaient de 1 664 à 1 864 et 1 761 à 2 298 kilocalories/jour respectivement. La plupart des macronutriments se situaient dans l'intervalle établi par l'étendue des valeurs acceptables des macronutriments, à l'exception des lipides dans la plupart des groupes d'âge et des glucides chez les hommes de 71 ans et plus. Les acides gras saturés étaient supérieurs aux recommandations pour tous les âges. Seule la niacine était supérieure au besoin moyen estimatif. Les jours où les AT sont consommés, une augmentation notable dans les apports en certains nutriments-clés est observée. CONCLUSION: Il est important de trouver des moyens pour améliorer la qualité et la valeur nutritionnelle de l'apport alimentaire des Peuples des Premières Nations en respectant leur culture et en offrant un meilleur accès et une utilisation améliorée des AT d'une part et en fournissant des aliments provenant du magasin de meilleure qualité d'autre part. Pour réussir, les communautés des Premières Nations et les professionnels de la santé devraient être impliqués de manière collaborative.

The development of food portion sizes suitable for 4-18-year-old children used in a theoretical meal plan meeting energy and nutrient requirements.

BACKGROUND: Healthy eating guidelines for school-aged children are available but without advice on portion sizes. This is a concern because consuming large portions is associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity. The present study aimed to calculate recommended portion sizes for school-aged children based on weight for age and use them to develop a meal plan to meet nutritional needs within energy requirements. METHODS: Portion size data on foods consumed by school-aged children (4-18 years) were extracted from two sources: (i) British National Diet and Nutrition Survey (1997) and (ii) Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (1997-2006). Foods were allocated to groups based on the UK Eatwell Guide and the US My Plate Model. Portion sizes were developed for a variety of foods. A meal plan that included portion size guidance and met healthy eating guidelines was developed based on the number of portions of each food group needed to meet dietary requirements. RESULTS: Portion sizes were developed for 131 foods that were commonly eaten by children in age groups 4-6, 7-10, 11-14 and 15-18 years. The meal plan met requirements for energy and nutrients as specified by UK dietary reference values, except for vitamin D for which there are few dietary sources. CONCLUSIONS: Food portion sizes informed by usual intake in UK children can help inform dietary advice for a range of childhood settings and for parents. The meal plan included a wide variety of foods to encourage dietary diversity and meet energy and nutrient needs for school-aged children.

Energy and Nutrient Intake of Americans according to Meeting Current Dairy Recommendations.

Most Americans do not meet dairy food recommendations from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This study assesses differences in nutrient intake between Americans who meet recommendations for dairy intake and those who do not, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 (n = 5670 children ages 2-18 years and n = 10,112 adults ages 19+). Among children and adults, those meeting dairy food recommendations were significantly more likely to have adequate intake (% above Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)) of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and zinc and consume above the Adequate Intake (AI) for potassium and choline than Americans not meeting dairy recommendations, regardless of age, sex, or race/ethnicity. Americans meeting dairy recommendations were also more likely to exceed recommendations for sodium and saturated fat but consume less added sugars. Nearly 60% of Americans 2 years and older not meeting dairy recommendations consumed calcium and magnesium below the EAR. Only about 20% of Americans who did not meet dairy recommendations consumed above the AI for potassium. Dairy foods make important and unique contributions to dietary patterns, and it can be difficult to meet nutrient needs without consuming recommended amounts of dairy foods.

Diet is associated with ankle-brachial index, inflammation, and ambulation in patients with intermittent claudication.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this investigation were to determine whether the daily dietary intake of nutrients by patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and intermittent claudication (IC) met recommended levels for adults older than 50 years and to determine whether meeting recommended levels of nutrients was associated with ankle-brachial index (ABI), inflammation, and ambulation of patients with PAD and IC. METHODS: A total of 48 patients were assessed on their dietary intake of 20 nutrients during a 3-day period. Patients were further characterized on demographic variables, comorbid conditions, cardiovascular risk factors, ABI, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentration. RESULTS: Few patients met the daily recommended intakes for calcium (4%), fiber (6%), vitamin E (6%), trans fatty acids (13%), vitamin A (15%), total sugars (19%), potassium (23%), sodium (29%), saturated fat (29%), and vitamin C (31%), and none of the patients met the daily recommended intake of vitamin D (0%). Overall, patients met few of the 20 dietary recommendations as the median score was seven recommendations. Only 17 of 48 patients met more than seven of the recommendations. For the ABI regression model adjusted for age, sex, race, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, body mass index, and percentage body fat, the only significant predictor was total sugars (P < .001); patients who did not meet the recommendation had lower ABI values. For the hsCRP-adjusted regression model, the strongest significant predictor was omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (P = .001), indicating that those who did not meet the recommendation had higher hsCRP values. Finally, for the 6MWD-adjusted regression model, folate (P = .011) and dietary score index (P = .014) were significant predictors; those who did not meet the recommendation for folate and those who met 5 or fewer of the 20 recommendations had shorter 6MWD. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PAD and IC consume a low-nutrient-dense diet that is deficient in many vitamins, calcium, fruits, and vegetables and contains too much added sugar, saturated and trans fats, and processed foods. In addition, more severe PAD, greater inflammation, and ambulatory dysfunction are independently associated with aspects of a low-nutrient-dense diet, such as too much intake of added sugars, low intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and folate, and meeting the recommended intakes of only five or fewer nutrients.

ZnCl2 treatment improves nutrient quality and Zn accumulation in peanut seeds and sprouts.

Peanut is a popular food due to its high nutrient content. The effects of ZnCl2 on peanut seed germination, fatty acid and sugar contents, vitamin biosynthesis, antioxidant content, and Zn assimilation were evaluated in this study. Treatment with ZnCl2 significantly improved the germination rate, enhanced reactive oxygen species production and reduced the content of total fatty acids in peanut seed and sprout. However, ZnCl2 treatment did not reduce total sugar or total protein relative to the control. Germination promoted the biosynthesis of phenolics and resveratrol and increased the antioxidant capacity, as evaluated by Fe3+ reducing power and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability, especially under Zn stress conditions. The vitamin content decreased in the following order among treatments: germinated seeds with ZnCl2 treatment > germinated seeds without ZnCl2 treatment > dormant seeds. Interestingly, Zn content was approximately five times higher in the germinated ZnCl2-treated seeds compared to in the untreated germinated seeds and the dormant seeds. The results of this study provide a new method for producing healthy foods with enhanced vitamin content and antioxidant capacity.

Selection of Target Nutrients for the Nutritional Standards of School Lunches in Korea.

The purpose of this study was to select target nutrients to be included in the nutritional standards of school lunches in Korea. The dietary intake data for children and adolescents aged 6-17 years old from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI were analyzed for eight groups based on gender and age (6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17 years old). First, the usual intake of 3091 subjects was estimated and assessed to identify nutrients with insufficient or excessive intake prevalence. Along with the nutrients identified by the assessment, the energy and nutrients prioritized in the meal planning procedure of the 2015 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans were the initial candidates; these nutrients and energy include the percentages of energy from carbohydrates, protein, and fat; vitamin A; riboflavin; niacin; vitamin C; calcium; phosphorus; sodium; and iron. Phosphorus was excluded as a result of there being little evidence of clinical symptoms caused by its insufficient intake. Sodium was excluded because reliable data on added salt were not available among the school lunch recipes in Korea. Therefore, energy; the percentages of energy from carbohydrates, protein, and fat; vitamin A; riboflavin; niacin; vitamin C; calcium; and iron were selected to be included in the nutritional standards for school lunches in Korea.

Nutrition - facts and myths.

Taking responsibility for your life, among other factors, means also considering what to eat and which nutrition pattern to follow. Everyone needs to think about what they put on the plate and which ingredients should be avoided. Food, as such, will never be a drug or medication, like a painkilling tablet relieving pain in a short amount of time, for example. However, proper nutrition is our ally in the prevention of diseases, maintaining balance in our body and our mind. By following the main principles of a healthy diet, the physiological homeostasis can be managed, as well as faster recovery from disease achieved. This review is aimed at summarizing basic principles of nutrition recommendations and at empowering stakeholders (pharmacists, medical biochemists, physicians) to be able to communicate to their patients and customers healthy and sustainable nutrition choices through the personalized advice.

Effects of nutrient limitation on sperm and seminal fluid: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Theory predicts that costly sexual traits should be reduced when individuals are in poor condition (i.e. traits should exhibit condition-dependent expression). It is therefore widely expected that male ejaculate traits, such as sperm and seminal fluid, will exhibit reduced quantity and quality when dietary nutrients are limited. However, reported patterns of ejaculate condition dependence are highly variable, and there has been no comprehensive synthesis of underlying sources of such variation in condition-dependent responses. In particular, it remains unclear whether all ejaculate traits are equally sensitive to nutrient intake, and whether such traits are particularly sensitive to certain dietary nutrients, respond more strongly to nutrients during specific life stages, or respond more strongly in some taxonomic groups. We systematically reviewed these potential sources of variation through a meta-analysis across 50 species of arthropods and vertebrates (from 71 papers and 348 effect sizes). We found that overall, ejaculate traits are moderately reduced when dietary nutrients are limited, but we also detected substantial variation in responses. Seminal fluid quantity was strongly and consistently condition dependent, while sperm quantity was moderately condition dependent. By contrast, aspects of sperm quality (particularly sperm viability and morphology) were less consistently reduced under nutrient limitation. Ejaculate traits tended to respond in a condition-dependent manner to a wide range of dietary manipulations, especially to caloric and protein restriction. Finally, while all major taxa for which sufficient data exist (i.e. arthropods, mammals, fish) showed condition dependence of ejaculate traits, we detected some taxonomic differences in the life stage that is most sensitive to nutrient limitation, and in the degree of condition dependence of specific ejaculate traits. Together, these biologically relevant factors accounted for nearly 20% of the total variance in ejaculate responses to nutrient limitation. Interestingly, body size showed considerably stronger condition-dependent responses compared to ejaculate traits, suggesting that ejaculate trait expression may be strongly canalised to protect important reproductive functions, or that the cost of producing an ejaculate is relatively low. Taken together, our findings show that condition-dependence of ejaculate traits is taxonomically widespread, but there are also many interesting, biologically relevant sources of variation that require further investigation. In particular, further research is needed to understand the differences in selective pressures that result in differential patterns of ejaculate condition dependence across taxa and ejaculate traits.

Cyanobacteria derived taste and odor characteristics in various lakes in China: Songhua Lake, Chaohu Lake and Taihu Lake.

In recent years, increasing eutrophication in large freshwater lakes, which are an important drinking water source for cities in China, have been resulted in substantial cyanobacteria blooms that could cause serious taste and odor (T&O) problems. In this investigation, three typical lakes (Songhua Lake, Chaohu Lake and Taihu Lake) as drinking water sources located in different geographical areas in China, were selected to study the problems of cyanobacteria-derived T&O (i.e., 2-methylisobornoel, geosmin, ß-ionone, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, and 2-methylbenzofuran). The occurrence of T&O in target lakes was compared across various nutrition states and geographic locations, to get more information for early warning for algal bloom and T&O occurrence, being useful lake water management and purification. Results show that the occurrence of T&O in Songhua Lake was the poorest for the lowest nutrient state, as a first report in T&O research field in China. This is a lake located in Northeast China at high latitude, with lower water temperatures. The occurrence of T&O in Chaohu Lake was ranked in the middle. That in Taihu Lake was the most intensive. Finally, the relationship between water quality, T&O and its origin was analyzed by multivariate statistical methods (correlation analysis, principal component, and cluster analyses).

Comparison of Nutrient Reference Values for Food Labeling in Japan with CODEX Recommendations, Based on DRIs and Nutrient Intake in Japan.

To clarify the degree of consistency between the international recommendations and the national Japanese system, the nutrient reference values (NRVs) adopted by the CODEX were compared with current Japanese NRVs 2015, the dietary reference intakes for Japanese (DRIs-J) 2015, and actual nutrient intake levels by the Japanese population. The Japanese NRV for protein was high relative to CODEX NRV-R (i.e., NRV-Requirement). The Japanese NRVs for folate and calcium were low, and vitamin K was high, relative to each CODEX NRV-R. However, it was similar to the DRI-J values, and current intake levels for the Japanese population. For iron, calculation methods were different between the CODEX and Japan. Japanese iron NRV was calculated based on the RDA without menstruatating women, whereas CODEX NRV-R was calculated based on the INL98 of all adult men and women. Actual intake levels of iron for the Japanese population were similarly low. The Japanese NRV for sodium was high and potassium was low based on DRI-J values, relative to the CODEX NRV-NCD. For nutrients that show large discrepancies between the CODEX and Japanese NRVs, the values should be discussed further.

Developing a context-specific nutrient profiling system for food policy in Samoa.

The objective of this study was to develop a transparent system for defining 'less healthy' foods to underpin effective policy to reduce noncommunicable diseases in Samoa, replacing a fatty-meat ban lifted for accession to the WTO. In the absence of nutrition survey data, we calculated nutrient availability using food acquisition data from Samoa's Household Income and Expenditure Surveys. Together with published literature and local food composition data, we identified foods and nutrients (i) consumed in amounts greater than those recommended for good health and (ii) with a demonstrated causal link to health conditions of concern. Nutrient thresholds were developed based on desired level of decrease per nutrient per person necessary to reduce population intake in line with specific targets. We found average energy and sodium consumption to be higher than recommended, and foods high in sugar and saturated fat being consumed in large amounts. We selected a threshold-based, category-specific model to provide straightforward policy administration and incentivise healthy production and import, and then applied and tested nutrient thresholds across 7 threshold groups. The validation process indicated that the development of a nutrient profiling system to identify less healthy food items in Samoa provided a stronger basis for local policymaking. This study contributes to global understanding of approaches to developing a robust and transparent basis for policies to improve diets in lower income countries, and is relevant to other settings with high rates of noncommunicable diseases and similar resource and data constraints.

Elaboração e avaliação físico-química de farinha de mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) enriquecida com junça (Cyperus esculentus)

A mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) e a junça (Cyperus esculentus) são excelentes fontes de energia alimentar, principalmente a junça, que é uma erva daninha que ocorre em arroizais. Aproveitou-se a junça, que em muitas culturas de arroz é vítima de herbicidas, para enriquecer a farinha de mandioca originando um alimento energético, ou complemento alimentar, rico, principalmente, em proteínas, lipídios e carboidratos quando comparados à literatura e legislação vigente (Portaria 554/95 do Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento), uma vez que a farinha não enriquecida apresenta concentrações irrisórias dos mesmos. Quanto aos parâmetros: cinza, amido, umidade e acidez, estes se enquadraram nos valores estabelecidos pela Portaria 554/95.

The manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and the junça (Cyperus esculentus) they are excellent sources of energy alimentary, mainly the junça, that is a harmful herb that happens in arroizais. It's took advantage the junça, that in many cultures of rice are herbicidas victim, to enrich the manioc flour originating an energy food, or I complement to feed, rich, mainly, in proteins, lipids, and carbohydrate when compared to the literature and effective legislation (Entrance 554/95 of the Ministry of the Agriculture, Livestock and Provisioning), once the flour not enriched it presents insignificant concentrations of the same ones. The parameters: ash, starch, humidity and acidity, these they were framed in the established values by the Ordinance 554/95.