Stress system dysfunction revealed by integrating reactivity of stress pathways to psychological stress in lean and overweight/obese men.

Although the patterns of response within the sympathoadrenal medullary (SAM) system and hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis are interesting and important in their own accord, the overall response to acute psychological stress involves reactivity of both pathways. We tested the hypothesis that consideration of the integrated response of these pathways may reveal dysregulation of the stress systems, which is not evident when considering either system alone. Age-matched lean and overweight/obese men were subjected to a Trier Social Stress Test and reactivity of the SAM system (salivary α-amylase, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate) and the HPA axis (salivary cortisol) were measured. Relative reactivity of SAM system and HPA axis was calculated as the ratio between the measures from each pathway. Although analysis of reactivity of individual stress pathways showed no evidence of dysfunction in overweight/obese compared with lean men, analysis of HPA/SAM reactivity revealed significantly lower cortisol over systolic blood pressure (CoSBP) and cortisol over diastolic blood pressure (CoDBP) reactivity in overweight/obese compared with lean men. Other measures of HPA/SAM reactivity and all measures of SAM/HPA reactivity were unaltered in overweight/obese compared with lean men. These findings suggest that the cortisol response per unit of blood pressure response is blunted in men with elevated adiposity. Furthermore, these findings support a notion of a coordinated overall approach to activation of the stress pathways with the degree of activation in one pathway being related to the degree of activation in the other.

Development of nutrition science competencies for undergraduate degrees in Australia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The need for updated competencies for nutrition scientists in Australia was identified. The aim of this paper is to describe the process of revising of these competencies for undergraduate nutrition science degrees in Australia. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: An iterative multiple methods approach comprising three stages was undertaken: 1. Scoping study of existing competencies; 2. Exploratory survey; and, 3. Modified Delphi process (2 rounds) involving 128 nutrition experts from industry, community, government and academia. A ≥70% consensus rule was applied to Rounds 1 and 2 of the Delphi process in order to arrive at a final list of competencies. RESULTS: Stage 1: Scoping study resulted in an initial list of 71 competency statements, categorised under six core areas. Stage 2: Exploratory survey-completed by 74 Nutrition Society of Australia (NSA) members; 76% agreed there was a need to update the current competencies. Standards were refined to six core areas and 36 statements. Stage 3: Modified Delphi process-revised competencies comprise five core competency areas, underpinned by fundamental knowledge, skills, attitudes and values: Nutrition Science; Food and the Food System; Nutrition Governance, Sociocultural and Behavioural Factors; Nutrition Research and Critical Analysis; and Communication and Professional Conduct; and three specialist competency areas: Food Science; Public Health Nutrition; and Animal Nutrition. CONCLUSIONS: The revised competencies provide an updated framework of nutrition science knowledge for graduates to effectively practice in Australia. They may be used to benchmark current and future nutrition science degrees and lead to improved employability skills of nutrition science graduates.

Higher Adherence to the Australian Dietary Guidelines Is Associated with Better Mental Health Status among Australian Adult First-Time Mothers.

BACKGROUND: Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide, including in first-time mothers. Understanding the associations between diet and depressive symptoms could assist in improving mental health status in this group. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to determine the association between diet quality, fruit, vegetable, and fish consumption and depressive symptoms in first-time mothers aged 19 to 45 years. DESIGN: We analyzed cross-sectional, baseline data (3 months postpartum) from the Melbourne InFANT (Infant Feeding, Activity, and Nutrition Trial) Extend Program. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Participants were first-time Australian mothers aged 19 to 45 years from the Geelong and Melbourne regions of Victoria, Australia (n=457). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A self-administered, 137-item food frequency questionnaire assessed dietary intake over the past year. Adherence to the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines was assessed using the Dietary Guideline Index as a measure of diet quality. Depressive symptoms were determined using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: Relationships between diet quality, fruit, vegetable, and fish intake and depressive symptoms were investigated using linear regression adjusted for relevant covariates (age, smoking status, sleep quality, education, physical activity status, and body mass index). RESULTS: Better diet quality, as indicated by a higher score on the Dietary Guideline Index, was associated with lower depressive symptoms after adjusting for relevant covariates (ß=-.034; 95% CI -.056 to -0.012). There were no other associations between dietary intake and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the Australian Dietary Guidelines was associated with better mental health status among first-time mothers. Further research, including longitudinal and intervention studies, are required to determine causality between dietary intake and depressive symptoms, which might help inform future public health nutrition programs for this target group.

A moderate-sodium DASH-type diet improves mood in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: We compared the effect on mood of a moderate sodium Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension-type diet, which included lean red meat (vitality diet [VD]), with a healthy diet (HD; decreased fat and increased wholegrain breads and cereal). METHODS: In a randomized, parallel intervention study, postmenopausal women were assigned to the VD or HD for 14 wk. Mood was measured every 2 wk by the Profile of Mood States. Dietary adherence was assessed using 24-h urine collections. Data were analyzed using one-way between-groups multivariate analysis of variance and correlations. RESULTS: Forty-six subjects completed the VD and 49 completed the HD. The two groups showed an improvement in anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, vigor, and the Profile of Mood States global score over the length of the intervention (P < 0.01 for time), but there was a significant diet group by time effect for anger (P < 0.05), such that anger improved more in the VD compared with the HD group. For the two groups combined, urinary sodium excretion was associated with the Profile of Mood States global score, such that a low sodium intake was associated with a better mood (r = 0.267, P < 0.05). In addition, red meat consumption (a component of the VD) was associated with a decrease in depression (r = -0.21, P < 0.05) and an increase in fruit consumption was associated with a decrease in confusion (r = -0.26, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In addition to the health benefits of a moderate-sodium Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet on blood pressure and bone health, this diet had a positive effect on improving mood in postmenopausal women.