Effect of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, BB-12®, on defecation frequency in healthy subjects with low defecation frequency and abdominal discomfort: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, BB-12®, on two primary end points - defecation frequency and gastrointestinal (GI) well-being - in healthy adults with low defecation frequency and abdominal discomfort. A total of 1248 subjects were included in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. After a 2-week run-in period, subjects were randomised to 1 or 10 billion colony-forming units/d of the probiotic strain BB-12® or a matching placebo capsule once daily for 4 weeks. Subjects completed a diary on bowel habits, relief of abdominal discomfort and symptoms. GI well-being, defined as global relief of abdominal discomfort, did not show significant differences. The OR for having a defecation frequency above baseline for ≥50% of the time was 1·31 (95% CI 0·98, 1·75), P=0·071, for probiotic treatment overall. Tightening the criteria for being a responder to an increase of ≥1 d/week for ≥50 % of the time resulted in an OR of 1·55 (95% CI 1·22, 1·96), P=0·0003, for treatment overall. A treatment effect on average defecation frequency was found (P=0·0065), with the frequency being significantly higher compared with placebo at all weeks for probiotic treatment overall (all P<0·05). Effects on defecation frequency were similar for the two doses tested, suggesting that a ceiling effect was reached with the one billion dose. Overall, 4 weeks' supplementation with the probiotic strain BB-12® resulted in a clinically relevant benefit on defecation frequency. The results suggest that consumption of BB-12® improves the GI health of individuals whose symptoms are not sufficiently severe to consult a doctor (ISRCTN18128385).

Leptin and bone mineral density: a cross-sectional study in obese and nonobese men.

Leptin has been suggested to decrease bone mineral density (BMD). This observational analysis explored the relationship between serum leptin and BMD in 327 nonobese men (controls) (body mass index 26.1 +/- 3.7 kg/m(2), age 49.9 +/- 6.0 yr) and 285 juvenile obese men (body mass index 35.9 +/- 5.9 kg/m(2), age 47.5 +/- 5.1 yr). Whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan measured BMD, fat mass, and lean mass. Fasting serum leptin (nanograms per milliliter) was strongly associated with fat mass (kilograms) in both controls (r = 0.876; P < 0.01) and juvenile obese (r = 0.838; P < 0.001). An inverse relation between BMD adjusted for body weight and serum leptin emerged in both the control group (r = -0.186; P < 0.01) and the juvenile obese group (r = -0.135; P < 0.05). In a multiple linear regression, fat mass, lean body mass, and occupational physical activity were positively associated with BMD in the control group, whereas in the juvenile obese, only lean body mass was positively associated with BMD and smoking negatively associated with BMD. Our study supports that leptin is inversely associated with BMD and may play a direct role in the bone metabolism in nonobese and obese Danish males, but it also stresses the fact that the strong covariation between the examined variables is a shortcoming of the cross-sectional design.

The importance of dietary composition for efficacy of iron absorption measured in a whole diet that includes rye bread fortified with ferrous fumerate: a radioisotope study in young women.

Fe absorption is affected by many dietary factors. The objective of the present study was to measure the effects of high v. low content of vitamin C, meat and phytic acid in whole diets with Fe-fortified bread on the efficacy of Fe absorption. Thirty-two healthy women with low Fe stores were randomised to three groups, each of which was given two of six test diets containing either low/high amounts of vitamin C, meat or phytic acid, respectively, in a cross-over design. Each diet was served throughout a 5 d period. Fe-fortified rye bread, extrinsically labelled with (59)Fe, was given with all main meals. Fe absorption was determined from whole-body counter measurements of (59)Fe retention. The fractional non-haem Fe absorption (corrected to a 40 % standard absorption by measurements from the reference dose) was 1.9 % v. 3.4 % (P=0.04) for the low/high vitamin C diets, 3.0 % v. 3.5 % (P=0.58) on the low/high meat diets and 4.9 % v. 3.8 % (P=0.24) on the low/high phytic acid diet, respectively. The total Fe absorbed (geometric mean with standard error) varied from 0.43 (se 0.11) mg from the diet with lowest bioavailability to 1.09 (se 0.18) mg from the diet with highest bioavailability (P<0.001). The present whole-diet study indicates that diet composition is a strong predictor of Fe absorption. In the diet with a low content of enhancers and a high content of inhibitors, vitamin C improved non-haem Fe absorption. The total Fe absorption varied 2.5-fold after small alterations of the content of enhancers and inhibitors in the diet.