Factors associated with sugar intake and sugar sources in European children from 1 to 8 years of age.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The World Health Organization recommends to limit intake of free sugars to 5% of total energy per day because of the great impact of high sugar intake on body fat deposition, adiposity and dental caries. However, little data exist about total intake and sources of sugar in European children. Therefore, this paper aims to describe sugar intake and dietary sugar sources and associated factors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Three-day weighed dietary records were obtained at eight time points from children 1 to 8 years of age (n=995) in five European countries. Food items were classified into subgroups according to food composition. Linear mixed models were used to examine associated factors. RESULTS: Total sugar intake increased from 65 g/day (30.0% of energy intake (E%)) at 12 months of age to 83 g/day (20.9 E%) at 96 months of age. Around 80% of children's sugar intake was derived from the following sources: milk and dairy products, fruits and fruit products, confectionary and sugar sweetened beverages (SSB). Total sugar intake and dietary sugar sources varied significantly by country of residence. Boys had a significantly (P=0.003) higher total sugar consumption than girls.SSB consumption was significantly higher in children from young mothers while sugar intake from fruit products was lower in children from mothers with lower educational status and those with higher birth order. CONCLUSIONS: Sugar intake in our population was lower than in other studies. Total sugar intake was associated with country of residence and gender, while dietary sugar sources varied by country of residence, maternal age, education and birth order.

Protein intakes and their nutritional sources during the first 2 years of life: secondary data evaluation from the European Childhood Obesity Project.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: High protein intake in infancy affects future obesity risk and other health outcomes. We aim to describe total protein intake and its sources in a birth cohort in five European countries over the first 2 years of life. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 746 formula-fed infants were included. Three-day weighed dietary records at 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months of age were used. Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA and Friedman's tests were used to assess possible differences in nutritional intake among countries and over time. RESULTS: Dairy products were the main components of the infants' diets. Cow's milk was rarely introduced before 12 months of age, whereas infants' formula was the main contributor of protein intake. Food choices and protein intake differed among countries (P<0.001). Protein intake often exceeded European recommendations from 9 months onwards, partly because of the substitution of dairy protein (mainly infant formula) by meat protein. Two nutritional patterns were identified that were characterised by differences in energy, fat, protein and animal protein intake. Finally, food consumption was not always in line with protein intakes, and thus infants from some countries showed high consumption of specific food groups but relatively low protein intakes. CONCLUSIONS: During weaning, over-limited substitution of dairy products with other sources (especially meat) resulted in relatively high protein intakes in formula-fed infants. Differences in preferences of specific protein sources from complementary foods existed among European countries. Great opportunities in improving early nutrition were revealed, although cultural and geographical differences should always be considered.

2-Deoxyglucose accumulation parallels extracellularly recorded spike activity in the avian auditory neostriatum.

In a combined 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) and electrophysiological study, the congruence between metabolic activity and extracellularly recorded spike activity patterns has been examined in the auditory cortex analogue, field L, of chicks. Using tone stimuli we demonstrate a match of stripes of 2-DG labeling to electrode tracks yielding neurons with the same best frequency. Since 2-DG activity is thought to reflect chiefly input activity of neurons there appears to be a close input-output link for tone responses in field L.

Infrasound responses in the midbrain of the guinea fowl.

The electrophysiological audiogram of the Guinea fowl has been obtained using auditory evoked potentials from the MLD of unanesthetized birds. In restricted regions of MLD, phase-coupled responses to extreme low-frequency sinusoids (2-10 Hz) could be recorded at moderate intensities. The tonotopy of MLD extends continuously to the infrasound region at the rostrodorsal margin. Single-cell recording of infrasound responses show phase-locked firing of neurons with different phase delays for different cells.