Validation of improved 24-hour dietary recall using a portable camera among the Japanese population.

BACKGROUND: The collection of weighed food records (WFR) is a gold standard for dietary assessment. We propose using the 24-h recall method combined with a portable camera and a food atlas (24hR-camera). This combination overcomes the disadvantages of the 24-h dietary recall method. Our study examined the validity of the 24hR-camera method against WFR by comparing the results. METHODS: Study subjects were 30 Japanese males, aged 31-58 years, who rarely cook and reside in the Tokyo metropolitan area. For validation, we compared the estimated food intake (24hR-camera method) and weighed food intake (WFR method). The 24hR-camera method uses digital photographs of all food consumed during a day, taken by the subjects, and a 24-h recall questionnaire conducted by a registered dietitian, who estimates food intake by comparing the participant's photographs with food atlas photographs. The WFR method involves a registered dietitian weighing each food item prepared for the subject to consume and any leftovers. Food intake was calculated for each food group and nutrient using the 24hR-camera vs. weighed methods. RESULTS: Correlation coefficients between the estimated vs. weighed food intake were 0.7 or higher in most food groups but were low in food groups, such as oils, fats, condiments, and spices. The estimated intake of vegetables was significantly lower for the 24hR-camera method compared to the WFR method. For other food groups, the percentages of the mean difference between estimated vs. weighed food intake were -22.1% to 5.5%, with no significant differences between the methods (except for algae, which had a very low estimated intake). The correlation coefficients between the two methods were 0.774 for energy, and 0.855, 0.769, and 0.763 for the macronutrients, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, respectively, demonstrating high correlation coefficients: greater than 0.75. The correlation coefficients between the estimated vs. weighed for salt equivalents and potassium intake were 0.583 and 0.560, respectively, but no significant differences in intake were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The 24hR-camera method satisfactorily estimated the intake of energy and macronutrients (except salt equivalents and potassium) in Japanese males and was confirmed as a useful method for dietary assessment.

Enhancement by lactose of intestinal alkaline phosphatase expression in rats.

Lactose promotes the intestinal absorption of calcium independent of the vitamin D endocrine system. This study investigated the effects of lactose on intestinal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in rats. A total of 66 Sprague-Dawley strain female rats (10 weeks old) were divided into two groups: the control and the lactose groups. Animals in the lactose group were fed the experimental diet, in which the 10% of the diet was replaced with lactose. At 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after beginning the experimental diets, rat intestinal segments from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were obtained immediately after sacrifice. The segments were slit open longitudinally, and the mucosa was scraped and used for the enzyme assay. The level of intestinal ALP activity in the jejunum from the lactose group was significantly higher than that from the control group. Two kinds of mRNA of rat intestinal ALP (RTIN-1 and RTIN-2) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The level of mRNA expression in the jejunum from the lactose group was enhanced, especially of RTIN-2. This result was compatible with the results of enzymatic activity. These findings suggest that lactose affects intestinal Pi metabolism not only directly, but also in an indirect way via regulation of intestinal ALP expression, especially in the jejunum.

The effect of swimming on cartilage formation.

Swimming is a non-weight-bearing exercise. Therefore it has the advantage of maintaining skeletal integrity in aged persons with weakened skeletal structures. Unlike other weight-bearing aerobic exercises, however, it does not appear to exert sufficient stimulus on bone-remodeling activities because the local load-bearing on bone tissues is mild. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of swimming on bone remodeling, especially with the use of implanted pellets containing bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and demineralized bone matrix during the initial stages of the differentiation of mesenchymal cells to cartilage cells. Six-week-old female rats were divided into the swimming group and a control, nonswimming group. Test animals were forced to swim in a water bath for 30 min daily for 2 wk. After the swimming protocol, pellets were implanted and harvested. Messenger RNA isolated from pellets was quantified by means of a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The expression of RNAs for bone sialoprotein and BMP-6 in pellets from the swimming group was apparently enhanced at 7 d after implantation. These results suggested that systemic hormonal and/or metabolic changes that promote cartilage formation might have occurred after swimming because the effect was observed after the swimming protocol had ended and the pellets were implanted at a non-weight-bearing site.