Nutrient intakes of children aged 1-2 years as a function of milk consumption, cows' milk or growing-up milk.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nutritional adequacy of diets in early childhood as a function of milk intake, cows' milk (CM) or growing-up milk (GUM). DESIGN: From a cross-sectional food consumption survey, two groups of children aged 1-2 years were defined: group CM fed exclusively on CM ≥ 250 ml/d and group GUM fed on GUM ≥ 250 ml/d. Proportions of children at risk of nutrient excess or insufficiency were estimated relative to the French recommended daily allowances, estimated average requirements or adequate intakes. SETTING: Parents participating in the survey were recruited from all regions of France by a polling organization. Distribution was adjusted to that of the French population. SUBJECTS: Sixty-three (group CM) and fifty-five (group GUM) children. RESULTS: Total energy and macronutrient intakes were similar in the two groups except protein intake of group CM, which was much higher than the Recommended Daily Allowance and significantly higher than in group GUM. A high percentage of children of Group CM had intake of linoleic acid (51%) and α-linolenic acid (84%) below the lower limit of the adequate intake, and intake of Fe (59%) vitamin C (49%) and alimentary vitamin D (100%) less than the Estimated Average Requirement. Significant differences were observed in the proportions of children with a risk of dietary inadequacy between the two groups for all the mentioned nutrients (P < 0.001). In group GUM, this imbalance was only observed for vitamin D. Intake of foods other than milk and dairy products could not account for these discrepancies. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of CM (≥250 ml/d) entails the risk of insufficiency in α-linolenic acid, Fe, vitamin C and vitamin D. Use of GUM (≥250 ml/d) significantly reduces the risk of insufficiencies in the mentioned nutrients.

Association of folate intake with the occurrence of depressive episodes in middle-aged French men and women.

A low folate intake or a low folate status have been found to be associated with a higher frequency of depression in populations, but the existence and the direction of a causal link between folate intake or status and depression is still uncertain. The aim of this study was to seek the relation between the habitual folate intake in middle-aged men and women and the occurrence of depressive episodes. In a subsample of 1864 subjects (809 men and 1055 women) from the French SU.VI.MAX cohort, dietary habits have been measured at the beginning of the follow-up (six 24 h records) and declarations of antidepressant prescription, taken as markers of depressive episodes, have been recorded during the 8-year follow-up. No significant association was observed between folate intake and the risk of any depressive episode or of a single depressive episode during the follow-up, in both men and women. In contrast, the risk of experiencing recurrent depressive episodes (two or more) during the follow-up was strongly reduced in men with high folate intake (OR 0.25 (95 % CI 0.06, 0.98) for the highest tertile v. the lowest, P for trend 0.046). This association was not observed in women. These results suggest that a low folate intake may increase the risk of recurrent depression in men.

Relation between homocysteine concentrations and the consumption of different types of alcoholic beverages: the French Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals Study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on the effects of alcohol consumption on total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations showed contradictory results. The conflicting results may derive in part from confounding by the type of alcoholic beverage consumed. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate in a predominantly wine-drinking French population whether the relation between alcohol consumption and homocysteine concentrations is dependent on the type of alcoholic beverage consumed. DESIGN: In 1996, a cross-sectional study measuring tHcy and red blood cell folate concentrations was conducted in 1196 middle-aged women and men from the French Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals Study. Intakes of alcohol, energy, coffee, and B vitamins were assessed by 6 separate 24-h dietary records from the previous year. RESULTS: tHcy concentrations were positively associated with wine intake (P = 0.01) in the women and with beer intake in the men (P = 0.002). No association with the consumption of spirits was observed. The association between beer consumption and tHcy concentrations in the men was modified by the consumption of wine; the association was positive in wine drinkers, whereas an inverse trend was seen in those who drank no wine. CONCLUSION: Wine consumption may increase tHcy concentrations, whereas beer consumption seems to have no effect (or even an inverse effect) on tHcy.

Homocysteine, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and habitual diet in the French Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals Study.

BACKGROUND: An elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration seems to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the determinants of tHcy in healthy French adults. DESIGN: tHcy was measured by HPLC and fluorometric detection in 1139 women and 931 men aged 35-60 y. Subjects were participants of the Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals Study, which investigates the effects of antioxidant supplementation on chronic diseases. Red blood cell folate (RBCF), plasma vitamins B-6 and B-12, and cardiovascular disease risk factors were also measured. The habitual diet was assessed in 616 subjects. Cross-sectional analyses were adjusted for age, smoking, energy intake, and concentration or intake of folate and vitamin B-6, where appropriate. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) tHcy concentration was 8.74 +/- 2.71 micro mol/L in women and 10.82 +/- 3.49 micro mol/L in men. In women, tHcy was positively related to age (P = 0.001), apolipoprotein B (P < 0.01), serum triacylglycerol (P < 0.01), fasting glucose (P = 0.02), and coffee and alcohol consumption (both P < 0.01) and inversely related to RBCF (P = 0.11) and plasma vitamin B-12 (P = 0.08) and vitamin B-6 (P = 0.01) intakes. In men, tHcy was positively associated with body mass index (P = 0.03), blood pressure (P < 0.02), serum triacylglycerol (P < 0.01), fasting glucose (P = 0.01), and energy intake (P < 0.01) and inversely associated with physical activity (P = 0.04), RCBF (P = 0.02), plasma vitamin B-12 (P = 0.09), and dietary fiber (P < 0.01), folate (P = 0.03), and vitamin B-6 (P = 0.09) intakes. CONCLUSION: To control tHcy, decreasing coffee and alcohol consumption may be important in women, whereas increasing physical activity, dietary fiber, and folate intake may be important in men.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C->T polymorphism: a link between birth weight and insulin resistance in obese adolescents.

The goal of this study is to determine whether cardiovascular risk and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 C->T polymorphism (MTHFR), an enzyme involved in folate metabolism and in epigenetics, are linked in morbidly obese non-diabetic adolescents. One-hundred and thirteen obese (BMI = 39.1 ± 6.4 kg/m(2)) adolescents aged 14.4 ± 1.5 years were investigated before entering a weight reduction program. Information on growth obtained from individual health records was available at birth (n = 107), 1 (n = 102), 2 (n = 106), 4 (n = 91) and 8 (n = 73) years of age. Fifty-nine subjects were heterozygote (CT, 52.2%) and 8 were homozygote for the mutation (TT, 7.0%). Birth weights were lower in TT (2.95 ± 0.48 kg, p = 0.004) than in CC (3.34 ± 0.43 kg) and CT (3.38 ± 0.50 kg) subjects, as well as birth lengths (CC: 0.50 ± 0.02 m, CT : 0.50 ± 0.02 m, TT: 0.47 ± 0.03 m, p = 0.01). These differences persisted until 1 year of age. Median and mean fasting glycaemia were similar. Insulin levels were higher in TT (median: 26.4 UI/mL) than in CC (median: 15.0 UI/mL) or CT (median: 16.0 UI/mL) (p = 0.017) subjects, as well as HOMA IR (p = 0.04). Body composition, blood pressure, plasma lipids, homocysteine and leptin concentrations were similar among the three genotypes in both boys and girls. The common 677 C->T mutation seems therefore to represent a link between altered early growth and enhanced degree of insulin resistance that occurs later in obese adolescents.

Alanine amino transferase concentrations are linked to folate intakes and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism in obese adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the consequences of low dietary folate intake and the impact of the 677 C-->T methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) common mutation on liver function in obese adolescents. METHODS: Fifty-seven obese girls (BMI = 36.1 +/- 6.0 kg/m) aged 14.1 +/- 1.5 years were included before starting a weight reduction program. Dietary intakes for folate were assessed by means of an adapted food frequency questionnaire (n = 50). Liver enzymes, plasma lipids, glucose metabolism parameters, ferritin, homocysteine and erythrocyte folate content were measured in plasma or blood obtained under fasting conditions. The MTHFR 677 C-->T polymorphism, which is associated with decreased enzyme activity, was determined using PCR. Body composition was assessed using dual x-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Twenty-three subjects were heterozygote (CT) for the mutation and 5 were homozygote (TT). An increase in alanine amino transferase (ALT) and ALT/aspartate aminotransferase ratio was associated with the mutation (F = 4.46, P = 0.016 and F = 5.92, P = 0.0049, respectively). Alanine amino transferase was correlated negatively to folate intake (r = -0.32, P = 0.024) (n = 50) and positively to homocysteine concentrations (r = 0.30, P = 0.025). Body composition was similar among the 3 genotypic groups. Ferritin was also correlated to ALT concentrations of the entire group (P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that folate intake and the MTHFR polymorphism represent a part of the link between antioxidant status and liver disease in obese adolescent girls.