Impact of Replacing Soft Drinks with Dairy Products on Micronutrient Intakes of Chinese Preschool Children: A Simulation Study.

At present, energy surplus and micronutrient deficiency coexist in preschool children in China. The low intake of dairy products accompanied by an increased consumption of soft drinks in this age group reveals some of the reasons for this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the improvement of key micronutrients in preschool children by quantifying the dietary nutritional gap before and after simulating the use of dairy products instead of equal amounts of soft drinks. In the cross-sectional dietary intake survey of infants and young children in China (2018-2019), 676 preschool children aged 3-6 years were randomly selected. Four days of dietary data were collected through an online diary for simulation. The individual intake of soft drinks was substituted at a corresponding volume by soymilk, cow's milk, or formulated milk powder for preschool children (FMP-PSC). In these three models, the simulated nutrient intake and nutrient inadequacy or surplus were compared with the actual baseline data of the survey. The results of this study indicated that all three models made the nutrient intakes of this group more in line with the recommendations. For the whole population, the replacement of soymilk improved the intake of zinc (from 4.80 to 4.85 mg/d), potassium (from 824.26 to 836.82 mg/d), vitamin A (from 211.57 to 213.92 µg retinol activity equivalent/d), and vitamin B9 (from 115.94 to 122.79 µg dietary folate equivalent/d); the simulation of cow's milk improved the intake of calcium (from 311.82 to 330.85 mg/d), zinc (from 4.80 to 4.87 mg/d), potassium (from 824.26 to 833.62 mg/d), vitamin A (from 211.57 to 215.12 µg retinol activity equivalent/d), vitamin B2 (from 0.53 to 0.54 mg/d), and vitamin B12 (from 1.63 to 1.67 µg/d); and the substitution of FMP-PSC improved the intake of calcium (from 311.82 to 332.32 mg/d), iron (from 9.91 to 9.36 mg/d), zinc (from 4.80 to 4.96 mg/d), potassium (from 824.26 to 828.71 mg/d), vitamin A (from 211.57 to 217.93 µg retinol activity equivalent/d), vitamin B2 (from 0.53 to 0.54 mg/d), vitamin B9 (from 115.94 to 118.80 µg RA dietary folate equivalent/d), and vitamin B12 (from 1.63 to 1.70 µg/d). Therefore, correct nutritional information should be provided to parents and preschool children. In addition to changing the consumption behavior of soft drinks, it is also necessary to have a diversified and balanced diet. When necessary, the use of food ingredients or nutritional fortifiers can be encouraged.

Dairy fortification as a good option for dietary nutrition status improvement of 676 preschool children in China: A simulation study based on a cross-sectional diet survey (2018-2019).

Background: Chinese children are deficient in several essential nutrients due to poor dietary choices. Dairy products are a source of many under-consumed nutrients, but preschool children in China consume dairy products significantly less than the recommended level. Methods: From the cross-sectional dietary intake survey of infants and young children aged 0-6 years in China (2018-2019), preschool children (age: 3-6 years) (n = 676) were selected. The four-day dietary data (including 2 working days and 2 weekends) collected through an online diary with reference to the food atlas were used for analysis and simulation. In scenario 1, individual intake of liquid milk equivalents was substituted at a corresponding volume by soymilk, cow's milk, or formulated milk powder for preschool children (FMP-PSC). In scenario 2, the amount of cow's milk or FMP-PSC increased to ensure each child's dairy intake reached the recommended amount (350 g/day). In both scenarios, the simulated nutrient intakes and nutritional inadequacy or surplus were compared to the survey's actual baseline data. Results: It was suggested suggested that replacing dairy foods with FMP-PSC at matching volume is better than replacing them with soymilk or cow's milk to increase the intake of DHA, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin D. Moreover, our results suggested that adding FMP-PSC to bring each child's dairy intake to the recommended amount can bring the intakes of dietary fiber, DHA, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B3, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin D more in line with the recommendations when compared with cow's milk. Conclusion: Accurate nutrition information should be provided to the parents of preschool children so as to guide their scientific consumption of dairy products and the usage and addition of fortified dairy products can be encouraged as needed.

Consumption-Related Health Education Inequality in COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study in China.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic influences various aspects of society, especially for people with low socioeconomic status. Health education has been proven to be a critical strategy in preventing a pandemic. However, socioeconomic characteristics may limit health education among low socioeconomic status groups. This study explores consumption-related health education inequality and the factors that contribute to this, which are variable across China during COVID-19. Methods: The 2020 China COVID-19 Survey is a cross-sectional study in China, based on an anonymous online survey from 7,715 samples in 85 cities. It employed machine-learning methods to assess household consumption and other contributing variates associated with health education during the pandemic. Concentration Index (CI) and Horizontal Index (HI) were used to measure consumption-related inequalities in health education, respectively. Moreover, Wagstaff decomposition analysis was employed to identify other contributing variables to health education inequality. Results: The result indicates that participants with more education, better income, and positive consumption preferences undertake higher health education during COVID-19. The CI and HI of consumption-health education inequality are 0.0321 (P < 0.001) and 0.0416 (p < 0.001), respectively, which indicates that health education is concentrated in wealthy groups. We adapted Lasso regression to solve issues and omit variables. In terms of other socioeconomic characteristics, Annual Income was also a major contributor to health education inequalities, accounting for 27.1% (P < 0.001). The empirical results also suggests that education, health status, identification residence, and medical health insurance contribute to health education inequality. Conclusions: The difference in Household consumption, annual income, rural and urban disparity, and private healthcare insurance are critical drivers of health education inequality. The government should pay more attention to promoting health education, and healthcare subside policy among vulnerable people. Significantly to improve awareness of undertaking health education with lower education, rural residential, to enhance confidence in economic recovery and life after COVID-19.

Can FDI facilitate green total factor productivity in China? Evidence from regional diversity.

The development of foreign direct investment conforms to the theoretical principles of green total factor productivity and is key to promoting regional industry upgrading. Using three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) based on city-level data, this paper investigates the effect of foreign direct investment on regional green total factor productivity (GTFP) across China. The results show that foreign direct investment affects regional GTFP through technology spillover effect and human capital spillover effect. Under different environmental regulation intensity and marketization, the relationship between FDI and green total factor productivity is non-linear. The phenomena of "pollution paradise" and "bottom line race" survived at low marketization regional and foreign direct investment will inhibit the improvement of regional green total factor productivity in China.

The contribution of milks and formulae to micronutrient intake in 1-3 years old children in urban China: a simulation study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A recent dietary survey in 5 big cities in China provided information on various milk options consumed by 1-3 years old children. To investigate the nutritional role of these milks (young-child formula (YCF), cow's milk, others), simulation analyses based on this survey were performed. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: We studied daily intakes of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamins A, B-1, B-2, C and E and compared these to the Chinese DRIs. In Scenario 1, consumption of cow's milk, kid's milk and/or soy milk was replaced with matching amounts of YCF (n=66 children). In Scenario 2, where 348 children exclusively consumed YCF, YCF was replaced with matching amounts of cow's milk. RESULTS: Scenario 1 revealed significant increases in total dietary intakes of iron, vitamins A, B-1, C and E upon substitution of the various milks with YCF. The proportions of children not meeting the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for these nutrients dropped from 29, 26, 61, 53 and 54 % to 12, 11, 50, 27 and 24%, respectively. In Scenario 2, the hypothetical substitution of YCF by cow's milk increased the proportions of children not meeting the EAR for these nutrients, calcium and zinc from 11, 6, 49, 15, 28, 42, and 8 to 45, 24, 78, 69, 59, 44, and 20, respectively. Execution of Scenario 2 in subgroups of 1-2- and 2-3 years old children revealed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: YCF may help to reduce the risk of insufficient intake of several key micronutrients for toddlers, independent of age.

Probiotic modulation of dendritic cell function is influenced by ageing.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical for the generation of T-cell responses. DC function may be modulated by probiotics, which confer health benefits in immunocompromised individuals, such as the elderly. This study investigated the effects of four probiotics, Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis CCUG 52486, B. longum SP 07/3, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (L.GG) and L. casei Shirota (LcS), on DC function in an allogeneic mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR) model, using DCs and T-cells from young and older donors in different combinations. All four probiotics enhanced expression of CD40, CD80 and CCR7 on both young and older DCs, but enhanced cytokine production (TGF-ß, TNF-α) by old DCs only. LcS induced IL-12 and IFNγ production by DC to a greater degree than other strains, while B. longum bv. infantis CCUG 52486 favoured IL-10 production. Stimulation of young T cells in an allogeneic MLR with DC was enhanced by probiotic pretreatment of old DCs, which demonstrated greater activation (CD25) than untreated controls. However, pretreatment of young or old DCs with LPS or probiotics failed to enhance the proliferation of T-cells derived from older donors. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that ageing increases the responsiveness of DCs to probiotics, but this is not sufficient to overcome the impact of immunosenescence in the MLR.

Dysregulated circulating dendritic cell function in ulcerative colitis is partially restored by probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells regulate immune responses to microbial products and play a key role in ulcerative colitis (UC) pathology. We determined the immunomodulatory effects of probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) on human DC from healthy controls and active UC patients. METHODS: Human blood DC from healthy controls (control-DC) and UC patients (UC-DC) were conditioned with heat-killed LcS and used to stimulate allogeneic T cells in a 5-day mixed leucocyte reaction. RESULTS: UC-DC displayed a reduced stimulatory capacity for T cells (P < 0.05) and enhanced expression of skin-homing markers CLA and CCR4 on stimulated T cells (P < 0.05) that were negative for gut-homing marker ß7. LcS treatment restored the stimulatory capacity of UC-DC, reflecting that of control-DC. LcS treatment conditioned control-DC to induce CLA on T cells in conjunction with ß7, generating a multihoming profile, but had no effects on UC-DC. Finally, LcS treatment enhanced DC ability to induce TGFß production by T cells in controls but not UC patients. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate a systemic, dysregulated DC function in UC that may account for the propensity of UC patients to develop cutaneous manifestations. LcS has multifunctional immunoregulatory activities depending on the inflammatory state; therapeutic effects reported in UC may be due to promotion of homeostasis.

Ageing impairs the T cell response to dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are critical in priming adaptive T-cell responses, but the effects of ageing on interactions between DCs and T cells are unclear. This study investigated the influence of ageing on the maturation of and cytokine production by human blood-enriched DCs, and the impact on T cell responses in an allogeneic mixed leucocyte reaction (MLR). DCs from old subjects (65-75 y) produced significantly less TNF-α and IFN-γ than young subjects (20-30 y) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but expression of maturation markers and co-stimulatory molecules was preserved. In the MLR, DCs from older subjects induced significantly restricted proliferation of young T cells, activation of CD8+ T cells and expression of IL-12 and IFN-γ in T cells compared with young DCs. T cells from older subjects responded more weakly to DC stimulation compared with young T cells, regardless of whether the DCs were derived from young or older subjects. In conclusion, the capacity of DCs to induce T cell activation is significantly impaired by ageing.

Evidence of immunomodulatory effects of a novel probiotic, Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis CCUG 52486.

Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis CCUG 52486 was originally isolated from healthy elderly subjects and demonstrated to have particular ecological fitness and anti-pathogenic effects. Bifidobacteria are commonly associated with immuno-modulatory properties, especially in older people, but this strain has not been investigated for effects on immune function. This study aimed to explore the immunomodulatory effects of this novel probiotic, compared with three commercial strains, B. longum SP 07/3, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (L.GG) and Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS). Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from fasting blood of young or older volunteers and exposed to probiotic strains or Con A. NK activity and activation, and cytokine release was enhanced by all probiotics with strain specificities. The effect of B. infantis on NK activity was influenced by ageing. Except for L.GG, probiotics increased IFN-γ production to a much greater degree in young subjects and increased IL-6 production to a much greater degree in older subjects. Based on IL-10/IL-12 ratios, B. infantis resulted in the most anti-inflammatory profile of all of the probiotics. These results suggest that B. infantis CCUG 52486 has strong immunomodulatory potential compared with well-known commercial strains and that the immune response to probiotics may be influenced by ageing.

[Roles of nuclear factor-kappaB in heat shock pretreatment to abate cardiomyocyte injury induced by hydrogen peroxide].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in heat shock pretreatment to abate cardiomyocyte injury induced by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). METHODS: The primary generation of cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were injured by exposure to 1 mmol/L H(2)O(2) for different durations. The total antioxidant in cardiomyocytes was detected. The changes in heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), alphaB-crystallin, inhibitor of NF-kappaB (I-kappaB) were assayed by Western-blotting. The translocation of NF-kappaB and HSP70 from cytoplasm to nucleus was observed by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: (1)Compared with H(2)O(2) (1 mmol/L, 3 h) treated cells, cells subjected to heat shock pretreatment showed significant increase in total antioxidant capability (all P<0.01). (2)Western blot analysis demonstrated that heat shock pretreatment could induce expression of HSP70, alphaB-crystallin and I-kappaB. (3)Heat shock pretreatment inhibited H(2)O(2)-mediated I-kappaB degradation. (4)Immunohistochemical analysis showed that heat shock pretreatment could abate HSP70 and NF-kappaB translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus. CONCLUSION: Heat shock pretreatment could protect cardiomyocytes against H(2)O(2)-induced injury, and its mechanism might involve expression of HSP70, alphaB-crystallin and I-kappaB, which could inhibit H(2)O(2) -mediated NF-kappaB activation.