Dietary supplement users vary in attitudes and sources of dietary supplement information in East and West geographic regions: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Over 50% of adults currently use dietary supplements (DS) but manufacturers do not have to prove the safety or efficacy of a DS before it is marketed. Therefore, consumers may be exposed to inaccurate DS information, may lack confidence in choosing appropriate DS and may seek advice for usage. The objective of this study was to examine trends in usage, attitudes, and sources of information regarding DS according to geographic location, demographic group, and lifestyle choices. METHODS: Eligible individuals completed a 10-item researcher-developed survey tool to determine DS use, sources of DS information, and DS-related knowledge and attitudes over the previous year. Healthy participants (637 individuals aged 21-75 years) from two population-based cohorts that had been recruited for lipoprotein assessment studies at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts and University of California at Davis. Outcome measures included participants' use, beliefs regarding essentiality of DS, confidence in choosing appropriate DS, and sources of information on DS. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were utilized to examine differences in survey responses between groups. RESULTS: Of the total population 72.7% reported taking dietary supplements in the previous year. Those living on the West Coast (80.3%) had greater use than those living on the East Coast (60.7%). Those on the East Coast were more likely to believe DS were essential to health (48.7%) and to feel confident in choosing DS that were appropriate for them (51.0%). Overall, physicians were the most frequent source of DS information for more than 50% of participants on both coasts. CONCLUSION: Because DS usage is widespread, health care providers and nutrition educators must encourage patients to discuss their DS use and be equipped to provide information conducive to safe, efficacious consumption. Tailoring interventions for healthcare providers, media sources, industry, and the public may allow for dissemination of up-to-date information regarding DS.

Normal range of human dietary sodium intake: a perspective based on 24-hour urinary sodium excretion worldwide.

BACKGROUND: The recommendation to restrict dietary sodium for management of hypertensive cardiovascular disease assumes that sodium intake exceeds physiologic need, that it can be significantly reduced, and that the reduction can be maintained over time. In contrast, neuroscientists have identified neural circuits in vertebrate animals that regulate sodium appetite within a narrow physiologic range. This study further validates our previous report that sodium intake, consistent with the neuroscience, tracks within a narrow range, consistent over time and across cultures. METHODS: Peer-reviewed publications reporting 24-hour urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) in a defined population that were not included in our 2009 publication were identified from the medical literature. These datasets were combined with those in our previous report of worldwide dietary sodium consumption. RESULTS: The new data included 129 surveys, representing 50,060 participants. The mean value and range of 24-hour UNaV in each of these datasets were within 1 SD of our previous estimate. The combined mean and normal range of sodium intake of the 129 datasets were nearly identical to that we previously reported (mean = 158.3±22.5 vs. 162.4±22.4 mmol/d). Merging the previous and new datasets (n = 190) yielded sodium consumption of 159.4±22.3 mmol/d (range = 114-210 mmol/d; 2,622-4,830mg/d). CONCLUSIONS: Human sodium intake, as defined by 24-hour UNaV, is characterized by a narrow range that is remarkably reproducible over at least 5 decades and across 45 countries. As documented here, this range is determined by physiologic needs rather than environmental factors. Future guidelines should be based on this biologically determined range.

The use of a commercial vegetable juice as a practical means to increase vegetable intake: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations for daily dietary vegetable intake were increased in the 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines as consumption of a diet rich in vegetables has been associated with lower risk of certain chronic health disorders including cardiovascular disease. However, vegetable consumption in the United States has declined over the past decade; consequently, the gap between dietary recommendations and vegetable intake is widening. The primary aim of this study is to determine if drinking vegetable juice is a practical way to help meet daily dietary recommendations for vegetable intake consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. The secondary aim is to assess the effect of a vegetable juice on measures of cardiovascular health. METHODS: We conducted a 12-week, randomized, controlled, parallel-arm study consisting of 3 groups of free-living, healthy volunteers who participated in study visits at the Ragle Human Nutrition Research Center at the University of California, Davis. All subjects received education on the DASH diet and 0, 8 or 16 fluid ounces of vegetable juice daily. Assessments were completed of daily vegetable servings before and after incorporation of vegetable juice and cardiovascular health parameters including blood pressure. RESULTS: Without the juice, vegetable intake in all groups was lower than the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and DASH diet recommendations. The consumption of the vegetable juice helped participants reach recommended intake. In general, parameters associated with cardiovascular health did not change over time. However, in the vegetable juice intervention groups, subjects who were pre-hypertensive at the start of the study showed a significant decrease in blood pressure during the 12-week intervention period. CONCLUSION: Including 1-2 cups of vegetable juice daily was an effective and acceptable way for healthy adults to close the dietary vegetable gap. Increase in daily vegetable intake was associated with a reduction in blood pressure in subjects who were pre-hypertensive at the start of the trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01161706.

Weight loss in individuals with metabolic syndrome given DASH diet counseling when provided a low sodium vegetable juice: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome, a constellation of metabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, is one of the fastest growing disease entities in the world. Weight loss is thought to be a key to improving all aspects of metabolic syndrome. Research studies have suggested benefits from diets rich in vegetables and fruits in helping individuals reach and achieve healthy weights. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a ready to serve vegetable juice as part of a calorie-appropriate Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet in an ethnically diverse population of people with Metabolic Syndrome on weight loss and their ability to meet vegetable intake recommendations, and on their clinical characteristics of metabolic syndrome (waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL, fasting blood glucose and blood pressure).A secondary goal was to examine the impact of the vegetable juice on associated parameters, including leptin, vascular adhesion markers, and markers of the oxidative defense system and of oxidative stress. METHODS: A prospective 12 week, 3 group (0, 8, or 16 fluid ounces of low sodium vegetable juice) parallel arm randomized controlled trial. Participants were requested to limit their calorie intake to 1600 kcals for women and 1800 kcals for men and were educated on the DASH diet. A total of 81 (22 men & 59 women) participants with Metabolic Syndrome were enrolled into the study. Dietary nutrient and vegetable intake, weight, height, leptin, metabolic syndrome clinical characteristics and related markers of endothelial and cardiovascular health were measured at baseline, 6-, and 12-weeks. RESULTS: There were significant group by time interactions when aggregating both groups consuming vegetable juice (8 or 16 fluid ounces daily). Those consuming juice lost more weight, consumed more Vitamin C, potassium, and dietary vegetables than individuals who were in the group that only received diet counseling (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The incorporation of vegetable juice into the daily diet can be a simple and effective way to increase the number of daily vegetable servings. Data from this study also suggest the potential of using a low sodium vegetable juice in conjunction with a calorie restricted diet to aid in weight loss in overweight individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Effect of oral magnesium supplementation on measures of airway resistance and subjective assessment of asthma control and quality of life in men and women with mild to moderate asthma: a randomized placebo controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data shows low dietary magnesium(Mg) may be related to incidence and progression of asthma. OBJECTIVE: To determine if long term(6.5 month) treatment with oral Mg would improve asthma control and increase serum measures of Mg status in men and women with mild-to-moderate asthma. SUBJECTS: 55 males and females aged 21 to 55 years with mild to moderate asthma according to the 2002 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute(NHLBI) and Asthma Education and Prevention Program(NAEPP) guidelines and who used only beta-agonists or inhaled corticosteroids(ICS) as asthma medications were enrolled. DESIGN: Subjects were randomly assigned to consume 340 mg(170 mg twice a day) of Mg or a placebo for 6.5 months. MEASUREMENTS: Multiple measures of Mg status including serum, erythrocyte, urine, dietary, ionized and IV Mg were measured. OBJECTIVE: markers of asthma control were: methacholine challenge test(MCCT) and pulmonary function test(PFT) results. Subjective validated questionnaires on asthma quality of life(AQLQ) and control(ACQ) were completed by participants. Markers of inflammation, including c-reactive protein(CRP) and exhaled nitric oxide(eNO) were determined. RESULTS: The concentration of methacholine required to cause a 20% drop in forced expiratory volume in in minute(FEV(1)) increased significantly from baseline to month 6 within the Mg group. Peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR) showed a 5.8% predicted improvement over time(P = 0.03) in those consuming the Mg. There was significant improvement in AQLQ mean score units(P < 0.01) and in overall ACQ score only in the Mg group(P = 0.05) after 6.5 months of supplementation. Despite these improvements, there were no significant changes in any of the markers of Mg status. CONCLUSION: Adults who received oral Mg supplements showed improvement in objective measures of bronchial reactivity to methacholine and PEFR and in subjective measures of asthma control and quality of life.

Multiple measures of magnesium status are comparable in mild asthma and control subjects.

Magnesium (Mg) may be a significant factor in asthma management. There is debate about how to best assess Mg status. We evaluated multiple indices of Mg status and lung function in 52 people with mild to moderate asthma and 47 controls. Mg measures included serum total, ionized and erythrocyte Mg, intravenous Mg load retention and dietary recall. Methacholine challenge and pulmonary function tests were used to assess diagnosis and severity of asthma. Mg status was similar in asthma and controls, and was not correlated to lung function. Total serum Mg closely reflected ionized Mg and offers a useful clinical diagnostic monitor.