Na and K Intake from Lunches Served in a Japanese Company Cafeteria and the Estimated Improvement in the Dietary Na/K Ratio Using Low-Na/K Seasonings and Dairy to Prevent Hypertension.

The excessive intake of sodium (Na) and insufficient intake of potassium (K) are major concerns in the prevention of hypertension. Using low-Na/K seasonings (reducing 25% of the NaCl and adding K salt) may improve the dietary Na/K ratio and help prevent hypertension. To devise an intervention study using low-Na/K seasonings at a company cafeteria, we calculated the Na and K contents of the meals served at the cafeteria and estimated changes in the intakes when suitable low-Na/K seasonings were used. We also considered using milk as a good source of K. We used an ingredient list of a company cafeteria and calculated Na and K contents in each dish. The average amounts of NaCl and K per use were 5.04 g and 718 mg, respectively. Seasonings contributed 70.9% of the NaCl. With the use of low-Na/K seasonings, an estimated reduction in NaCl of 0.8 g/day and an estimated increase in K of 308 mg/day was achieved. With an additional serving (200 mL) of milk, NaCl was reduced by 0.57 g/day and K was increased by 610 mg/day, with an overall decrease in the dietary Na/K ratio from 3.20 to 2.40. The use of low-Na/K seasonings and dairy may improve the dietary Na/K ratio among cafeteria users and help prevent hypertension.

Association between Dietary Intake and Autistic Traits in Japanese Working Adults: Findings from the Eating Habit and Well-Being Study.

"Autistic traits" include a wide range of severity levels. They are often subclinical, and widely distributed in the general population. It is possible that food selectivity due to hyper- or hypo-reactivity to smell or texture, an autistic feature, may result in inadequate nutrient intakes even among non-clinical adults with autistic traits. However, dietary intake of adults with autistic traits has not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate an association between dietary intake and autistic traits. We cross-sectionally analyzed data of 1440 men and 613 women extracted from the Eating Habit and Well-Being study. Autistic traits were assessed using the Japanese version of the Subthreshold Autism Trait Questionnaire (SATQ), and dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Iron and vitamin B12 intakes were marginally and inversely associated with the SATQ score in men. The SATQ score in women was positively associated with carbohydrate intake, but had an inverse association with protein, mineral, vitamin, and dietary fiber intakes. Low intakes of seaweed, fish and shellfish, and vegetables were observed in participants with severe autistic traits. Associations of autistic traits with food selectivity and low nutrient intakes should be further investigated to promote a new dietary strategy in the general population.

Low Zinc, Copper, and Manganese Intake is Associated with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in the Japanese Working Population: Findings from the Eating Habit and Well-Being Study.

Epidemiological studies have suggested that there is an association between diet and mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the intake of six minerals and mental disorders in a cross-sectional study. We used data from the Eating Habit and Well-being study in Japanese workers. Kessler's six-item psychological distress scale was used to detect mental disorders, with a cut-off score of 12/13, and a validated food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate dietary mineral intake. A total of 2089 participants with no history of depression were included. The prevalence of mental disorders was 6.9%. The lowest quartiles of zinc, copper, and manganese intakes were associated with mental disorders, whereas the lowest quartiles of calcium, magnesium, and iron intake were not associated with mental disorders. Combination analysis of high (≥median) or low (

Having few remaining teeth is associated with a low nutrient intake and low serum albumin levels in middle-aged and older Japanese individuals: findings from the NIPPON DATA2010.

BACKGROUND: Oral health is thought to be associated with diet quality, and socioeconomic status (SES) affects both oral health and diet. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the number of teeth and dietary intake as well as nutritional biomarker, considering the subjects' SES. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from 2049 individuals aged ≥ 50 years from the National Integrated Project for Prospective Observation of Non-communicable Disease and its Trends in the Aged 2010. The number of remaining teeth was categorized into age-specific quartiles (Q1 to Q4). We assessed the adjusted means and 95% confidence intervals for dietary variables by the number of teeth using analysis of covariance. Stratified analyses by SES were also conducted. RESULTS: The intake of grain products was 31 g higher, and those of vegetables and meat were 30 g and 8 g lower, respectively, in Q1 (fewer teeth) than in Q4 (more teeth). Carbohydrate intake was higher whereas protein, minerals (potassium, magnesium, and zinc), vitamins (vitamins A, E, B1, B6, ß-carotene, and folic acid), and dietary fiber intakes were lower among individuals with fewer teeth. Adjusted mean serum albumin levels were low in Q1. The associations between the number of teeth and dietary intake were more evident in individuals with a low SES. CONCLUSIONS: Having few remaining teeth was associated with a low nutrient intake and low serum albumin levels in middle-aged and older Japanese adults, and these associations were more evident in individuals with low SES.

Dietary intake and dinner timing among shift workers in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Shift workers are at an increased risk of diet-related chronic conditions. We aimed to investigate dietary intake and dinner timing among shift workers. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was administered to the employees of 43 companies in Japan between December 2013 and February 2014. The dietary intake of workers was assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Nutrient intake was evaluated by adjusting the total energy intake using a nutrient residual model. Analysis of covariance was used to obtain the means of total energy and nutrient intake by the work schedule (shift or daytime), and the means of total energy and nutrient intake by dinner timing (regular or irregular). RESULTS: Valid responses were obtained from 2,062 daytime and 302 shift workers. A valid response rate to the FFQ was slightly but significantly lower among shift workers than among daytime workers (87.1% and 91.8 %). When compared to daytime workers, shift workers were more likely to eat dinner at irregular times (46.7% vs. 3.6%). Shift work was associated with a higher mean body mass index (23.4 kg/m2 vs. 22.3 kg/m2), a higher proportion of being overweight (27.7% and 18.8%), higher total energy intake, and lower intakes of dietary fiber, vitamin B2, folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. Moreover, irregular dinner timing was associated with lower intakes of protein, folic acid, and zinc in daytime workers, and lower intakes of carbohydrate and copper in shift workers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate a need to improve the diet of shift workers.

Relationships among Food Group Intakes, Household Expenditure, and Education Attainment in a General Japanese Population: NIPPON DATA2010.

BACKGROUND: A lower socioeconomic status (SES) may be related to the intake of unhealthy food; however, this relationship has not been examined in detail. This study was undertaken to examine relationships among food group intakes and SES in a representative Japanese population. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study using the baseline data of NIPPON DATA2010, which is a prospective cohort study of the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan. A total of 2,898 participants were included in the baseline survey in 2010. The effects of age (<65 years and ≥65 years), equivalent household expenditure (EHE), and education attainment on food group intakes (gram per 1,000 kcal) were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: When EHE was lower, cereal intake was higher in men and women. Among men, fish, milk, and alcohol intakes were reduced with lower EHE. Among women, vegetable intake was reduced with lower EHE. In men and women, cereal intake was higher with lower education attainment. In contrast, meat intake was reduced with lower education attainment. CONCLUSIONS: Lower SES was associated with a higher cereal intake and lower vegetable, fish, meat, and milk intakes in a representative Japanese population. Socioeconomic discrepancies need to be considered in order to promote healthier dietary habits.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in Oral Health among Middle-Aged and Elderly Japanese: NIPPON DATA2010.

BACKGROUND: Most studies on socioeconomic inequalities in oral health have not considered the effects of behavioral and biological factors and age differences. Furthermore, the nationwide status of inequalities remains unclear in Japan. METHODS: We analyzed data from 2,089 residents aged ≥40 years throughout Japan. The lowest quartile of the number of remaining teeth for each 10-year age category was defined as poor oral health. Behavioral and biological factors included smoking status, obesity, diabetes mellitus, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and the use of dental devices. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of educational attainment and equivalent household expenditure (EHE) with oral health, and stratified analyses by age category were also conducted (40-64 years and ≥65 years). RESULTS: Lower education and lower EHE were significantly associated with an increased risk of poor oral health after adjusting for age, sex, employment status, marital and living statuses, and EHE/education; the odds ratio for junior high school education compared with ≥college education was 1.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-2.49), and the odds ratio of the lowest compared with the highest EHE quartile was 1.91 (95% CI, 1.43-2.56). Further adjustments for behavioral and biological factors attenuated but did not eliminate these associations. EHE was significantly associated with oral health among elderly adults only, with a significant interaction by age category. CONCLUSIONS: Those with a lower education and those with lower EHE had a significantly higher risk of poor oral health, even after adjustments for behavioral and biological factors.

Universal reaction mechanism of boronic acids with diols in aqueous solution: kinetics and the basic concept of a conditional formation constant.

To establish a detailed reaction mechanism for the condensation between a boronic acid, RB(OH)2, and a diol, H2L, in aqueous solution, the acid dissociation constants (Ka(BL)) of boronic acid diol esters (HBLs) were determined based on the well-established concept of conditional formation constants of metal complexes. The pKa values of HBLs were 2.30, 2.77, and 2.00 for the reaction systems, 2,4-difluorophenylboronic acid and chromotropic acid, 3-nitrophenylboronic acid and alizarin red S, and phenylboronic acid and alizarin red S, respectively. A general and precise reaction mechanism of RB(OH)2 with H2L in aqueous solution, which can serve as a universal reaction mechanism for RB(OH)2 and H2L, was proposed on the basis of (a) the relative kinetic reactivities of the RB(OH)2 and its conjugate base, that is, the boronate ion, toward H2L, and (b) the determined pKa values of HBLs. The use of the conditional formation constant, K', based on the main reaction: RB(OH)2 + H2L (K1)⇌ RB(L)(OH)(-) + H3O(+) instead of the binding constant has been proposed for the general reaction of uncomplexed boronic acid species (B') with uncomplexed diol species (L') to form boronic acid diol complex species (esters, BL') in aqueous solution at pH 5-11: B' + L' (K')⇌ BL'. The proposed reaction mechanism explains perfectly the formation of boronic acid diol ester in aqueous solution.

Stilbene analogs of resveratrol improve insulin resistance through activation of AMPK.

Resveratrol (RSV), 3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene, is known to have many beneficial physiological activities. We have synthesized several stilbene analogues and have reported that the hydroxyl group in the 4' position of RSV exhibited strong radical scavenging action. Using stilbene analogs, we investigated the structure of RSV to explain its protective effect against obesity and type 2 diabetes. All six analogs used in this study inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 3-Hydroxy-trans stilbene (3(OH)ST), and 3,4'-dihydroxy-trans stilbene (3,4'(OH)2ST) increased glucose uptake and induced adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in C2C12 myotubes independently of insulin. An in vivo study using mice fed high-fat diets indicated that 3(OH)ST was more effective than RSV in improving insulin resistance. In conclusion, RSV and its derivatives, particularly 3(OH)ST, inhibited adipocyte differentiation and enhanced glucose uptake in the myotubes, resulting in a reduction of obesity and an improvement in glucose tolerance in vivo.