Investigation of Variations in the Human Urine Metabolome amongst European Populations: An Exploratory Search for Biomarkers of People at Risk-of-Poverty.

SCOPE: According to Eurostat 2016, approximately 119 million European citizens live at-risk-of-poverty (ROP). This subpopulation is highly diverse by ethnicity, age, and culture in the different EU states, but they all have in common a low income that could represent an increased risk of nutrient deficiencies due to poor nutritional habits. This study aims to investigate the human urine metabolome in the search of common biomarkers representing dietary deficiencies amongst European populations at ROP. METHODS AND RESULTS: 2732 urine samples were collected from 1391 subjects across five different European countries, including the United Kingdom, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, and Serbia, and analyzed using 1 H-NMR spectroscopy. The resulting urine metabolome data were explored according to study design factors including economic status, country, and gender. CONCLUSION: Partitioning of the effects derived from the study design factors using ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis (ASCA) revealed that country and gender effects were responsible for most of the systematic variation. The effect of economic status was, as expected, much weaker than country and gender, but more pronounced in Lithuania than in other countries. Citrate and hippurate were among the most powerful ROP biomarkers. The possible relationship between these markers and nutritional deficiencies amongst the ROP population is discussed.

Identifying critical nutrient intake in groups at risk of poverty in Europe: the CHANCE project approach.

The aim of the CHANCE project is to develop novel and affordable nutritious foods to optimize the diet and reduce the risk of diet-related diseases among groups at risk of poverty (ROP). This paper describes the methodology used in the two initial steps to accomplish the project's objective as follows: 1. a literature review of existing data and 2. an identification of ROP groups with which to design and perform the CHANCE nutritional survey, which will supply new data that is useful for formulating the new CHANCE food. Based on the literature review, a low intake of fruit and vegetables, whole grain products, fish, energy, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and C, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and zinc and a high intake of starchy foods, processed meat and sodium were apparent. However, the available data appeared fragmented because of the different methodologies used in the studies. A more global vision of the main nutritional problems that are present among low-income people in Europe is needed, and the first step to achieve this goal is the use of common criteria to define the risk of poverty. The scoring system described here represents novel criteria for defining at-risk-of-poverty groups not only in the CHANCE-participating countries but also all over Europe.

Application of ethnic food composition data for understanding the diet and nutrition of South Asians in the UK.

Lack of food composition data, recipe information and portion sizes for ethnic foods are commonly reported problems for dietary assessment of ethnic minority groups. One of the main aims of this study was to use food composition data to validate portion sizes, identify important sources of nutrients and describe the characteristics of the South Asian diet. The top five ethnic foods containing highest levels of selected nutrients were lamb balti (3mg/100g iron), lamb kebab (3.2mg/100g zinc), mixed dhal (62µg/100g folate), fish curry (1.4µg/100g vitamin D), ghee (968µg/100g retinol) and toor dhal (9.1g/100g dietary fibre). Typical adult South Asian diets included traditional cereals (chapatti, rice and paratha) and low consumption of meat dishes; with vegetable curries contributing most towards energy intake. A higher consumption of full fat milk and fruit juices by toddlers and school children were observed when compared with the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of the UK.

Mineral composition of commonly consumed ethnic foods in Europe.

BACKGROUND: Ethnic foods are an integral part of food consumption in Europe contributing towards the overall nutrient intake of the population. Food composition data on these foods are crucial for assessing nutrient intake, providing dietary advice and preventing diseases. OBJECTIVE: To analyse selected minerals in authentic and modified ethnic foods commonly consumed in seven EU member states and Israel. DESIGN: A list of ethnic foods commonly consumed in selected European countries was generated, primary samples collected and composite sample prepared for each food, which were analysed for dietary minerals at accredited laboratories. Methods for sampling, analysis, data scrutiny and documentation were based on harmonised procedures. RESULTS: New data on 128 ethnic foods were generated for inclusion in the national databases of seven EU countries and Israel within the European Food Information Resource (EuroFIR), an EU Network of Excellence. The Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Mn, Cl, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se and I contents of 39 foods is presented for the first time in this study. CONCLUSION: The data will serve as an important tool in future national and international food consumption surveys, to target provision of dietary advice, facilitate implementation of policies and inform policymakers, health workers, food industry and researchers.

Vitamin composition of ethnic foods commonly consumed in Europe.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin analyses are particularly important for estimating dietary intakes, determining nutritional status and regulating food labelling. Due to the increased popularity of ethnic foods, the vitamin composition of these foods is required to ensure that national food databases are up-to-date. OBJECTIVES: The key objective of this study was to generate new and reliable data on the contents of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A (all trans-retinol), D(3) & E (α-tocopherol) and those that are water-soluble (vitamins B(6), B(12), C, biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and thiamin) in ethnic foods commonly consumed in Europe. DESIGN: Thirty commonly-consumed ethnic foods in Europe (from Belgium, France, Israel, Italy, The Netherlands, and the UK) were analysed using harmonised methodologies for identification of representative foods, sampling, data scrutiny and documentation to generate reliable data. Analyses were carried out using International standard methods. RESULTS: CERTAIN VITAMINS WERE PRESENT IN APPRECIABLE AMOUNTS: ß-carotene in tayer leaves (7919µg/100g), thiamin in frik dry (0.24mg/100g), riboflavin in mbinzo worms (0.79mg/100g,) and niacin in commercial soy patty (17.5mg/100g). However, retinol, pantothenic acid, vitamins D and B(12) were below detectable levels in the majority of the foods analysed. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the foods contained most of the water-soluble vitamins but lacked fat-soluble vitamins. However, these preliminary data represent only a small number of foods per country and so no conclusions about vitamin imbalances can be drawn. Additional data are required on a much wider range of commonly-consumed ethnic foods to make firm conclusions about adequacy of diets.

Prevalence, risk factors and complications associated with type 2 diabetes in migrant South Asians.

It is estimated that type 2 diabetes (T2D) currently affects about 246 million people worldwide, with South Asians, especially Indians, having both the largest number of cases and the fastest growing prevalence. South Asian ethnicity has been identified as a major risk factor for the development of T2D with central adiposity, insulin resistance and an unfavourable lipid profile being identified as predominant signals of alarm. Leading databases, including Web of Science, Medline, PubMed and Science Direct, were consulted and manual searches were conducted for cited references in leading diabetes-related journals. In all, 152 articles were included for the final assessment reported in this review. Genetic predisposition, central adiposity and unfavourable lifestyle, including physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet, were associated with the prevalence of T2D in migrant South Asians. 'Westernization', acculturation, socio-economic factors and lack of knowledge about the disease have also been identified as contributors to the development of T2D in this population. Higher prevalence of T2D in migrant South Asians may not be entirely attributed to genetic predisposition; hence, ethnicity and associated modifiable risk factors need further investigation. Preventive measures and appropriate interventions are currently limited by the lack of ethnic-specific cut-off points for anthropometric and biological markers, as well as by the absence of reliable methods for dietary and physical activity assessment. This article describes the prevalence rate, risk factors and complications associated with T2D in migrant South Asians living in different countries.

Changing dietary habits of ethnic groups in Europe and implications for health.

A systematic review of the literature suggests the dietary habits of some ethnic groups living in Europe are likely to become less healthy as individuals increase consumption of processed foods that are energy dense and contain high levels of fat, sugar, and salt. Such products often replace healthy dietary components of the native diet, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. Mixed food habits are emerging mainly amongst younger people in the second and third generations, most likely due to acculturation and adoption of a Western lifestyle. Age and immigrant generation are the major factors accounting for changes in dietary habits, whilst income, level of education, dietary laws, religion, and food beliefs are also important factors. Obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension present major problems for the mainstream European population. However, the risk of chronic disease is reported to be higher in ethnic populations, particularly South Asians, African Caribbeans, and Mexicans.

Effects of tea polyphenols on emulsification of olive oil in a small intestine model system.

Tea catechins have been shown to reduce plasma cholesterol and suppress hypertriacylglycerolemia by reducing triglyceride absorption. However, the mechanism is not yet clear. One of the possible mechanisms is that tea polyphenols may modify dietary fat emulsification in the gastrointestinal tract. The digestive enzyme (lipase) acts on specific emulsion interface properties (droplet size and surface area). Therefore, changes in these properties may modify emulsification and lead to changes in dietary fat digestion and absorption. In this study, the effect of both green and black tea on the changes of emulsification was examined by measuring the droplet size and the surface area. A model emulsion system containing olive oil, phosphatidylcholine (PC), and bile salt was developed to simulate small intestinal conditions. Initial changes in droplet size (from 1.4 to 52.8 microm and from 1.4 to 25.9 microm) of the emulsion were observed in the presence of 1.04 mg/mL and 0.10 mg/mL of total catechins prepared from green and black tea, respectively. Both teas caused similar changes on the emulsion properties; however, black tea was more effective than green tea. The underlying mechanisms of actions of tea polyphenols are discussed.