Low birth weight (LBW) neonates show impaired growth compared with normal birth weight (NBW) neonates. Glutamine (Gln) supplementation benefits growth of weaning piglets, while the effect on neonates is not sufficiently clear. We examined the effect of neonatal Gln supplementation on piglet growth, milk intake and metabolic parameters. Sow-reared pairs of newborn LBW (0·8–1·2 kg) and NBW (1·4–1·8 kg) male piglets received Gln (1 g/kg body mass (BM)/d; Gln-LBW, Gln-NBW; n 24/group) or isonitrogenous alanine (1·22 g/kg BM/d; Ala-LBW; Ala-NBW; n 24/group) supplementation at 1–5 or 1–12 d of age (daily in three equal portions at 07:00, 12:00 and 17:00 by syringe feeding). We measured piglet BM, milk intake (1, 11–12 d), plasma metabolite, insulin, amino acid (AA) and liver TAG concentrations (5, 12 d). The Gln-LBW group had higher BM (+7·5%, 10 d, P = 0·066; 11–12 d, P < 0·05) and milk intake (+14·7%, P = 0·015) than Ala-LBW. At 5 d, Ala-LBW group had higher plasma TAG (+34·7%, P < 0·1) and lower carnosine (–22·5%, P < 0·05) than Ala-NBW and Gln-LBW, and higher liver TAG (+66·9%, P = 0·029) than Ala-NBW. At 12 d, plasma urea was higher (+37·5%, P < 0·05) with Gln than Ala supplementation. Several proteinogenic AA in plasma were lower (P < 0·05) in Ala-NBW v. Gln-NBW. Plasma arginine was higher (P < 0·05) in Gln-NBW v Ala-NBW piglets (5, 12 d). Supplemental Gln moderately improved growth and milk intake and affected lipid metabolism in LBW piglets and AA metabolism in NBW piglets, suggesting effects on intestinal and liver function.

The relationship between serum Mg and blood cell counts in Chinese adult diabetes or central obesity was assessed by investigating 8163 subjects with China Health and Nutrition Survey (mean age 59⋅6 years, 54⋅9 % men). Participants were classified according to blood Mg (below 0⋅65 mmol/l, or 0⋅66–0⋅94 mmol/l or above 0⋅95 mmol/l), type 2 diabetes (yes/no) and central obesity (yes/no). Leucocytes, erythrocytes, platelets (PLT), Hb and glycated Hb (HbA1c) were determined using standardised methods and conditions. HbAc1, leucocytes and PLT were significantly higher among subjects with central obesity than without central obesity (P < 0⋅05). A significant increase for Hb, erythrocytes, PLT, but not leucocytes, across progressive Mg groups was observed in subjects without diabetes (P < 0⋅05). Hb, erythrocytes and HbAc1 were significantly higher among subjects with higher Mg than in subjects with lower Mg with diabetes (P < 0⋅05). Central obesity disturbed the positive association between PLT count and serum Mg. Type 2 diabetes caused metabolism disorder in serum Mg, blood sugar and blood cell count. Hb, erythrocytes and PLT, but not leucocytes, are positively correlated with serum Mg, but this association is somehow disturbed by type 2 diabetes or central obesity.

Diet quality indexes (DQI) are useful tools for assessing diet quality in relation to health and guiding delivery of personalised nutritional advice; however, existing DQI are limited in their applicability to older adults (aged ≥ 65 years). Therefore, this research aimed to develop a novel evidence-based DQI specific to older adults (DQI-65). Three DQI-65 variations were developed to assess the impacts of different component quantitation methods and inclusion of physical activity. These were Nutrient and Food-based DQI-65 (NFDQI-65), NFDQI-65 with Physical Activity (NFDQI-65+PA) and Food-based DQI-65 with Physical Activity (FDQI-65+PA). To assess their individual efficacy, the NFDQI-65, NFDQI-65+PA and FDQI-65+PA were explored alongside the validated Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) using data from the cross-sectional UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme. Scores for DQI-65 variations, the HEI-2015 and AHEI-2010 were calculated for adults ≥ 65 years from years 2–6 of the NDNS (n 871). Associations with nutrient intake, nutrient status and health markers were analysed using linear and logistic regression. Higher DQI-65 and HEI-2015 scores were associated with increased odds of meeting almost all our previously proposed age-specific nutritional recommendations, and with important health markers of importance for older adults, including lower BMI, lower medication use and lower C-reactive protein (P < 0·01). Few associations were observed for the AHEI-2010. This analysis suggests value of all three DQI-65 as measures of dietary quality in UK older adults. However, methodological limitations mean further investigations are required to assess validity and reliability of the DQI-65.

Apparent differences in the adoption of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet have been reported between less and more educated individuals. However, the mediating role of income has not been clarified. In this study, we aimed at quantifying the mediating effect of income on the relationship between education and the DASH score in the UK population. We analysed data on 4864 subjects aged 18 years and older collected in three waves of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008–2016). The DASH score was calculated using sex-specific quintiles of DASH items. We carried out a counterfactual-based mediation analysis to decompose the total effect of education on DASH score into average direct effect and average causal mediation effect mediated by income. We found that the overall mediating effect of income on the relationship between education and the DASH score was only partial, with an estimated proportion mediated ranging between 6 and 9 %. The mediating effect was higher among females (11·6 %) and younger people (17·9 %). Further research is needed to investigate which other factors may explain the socio-economic inequality in the adoption of the DASH diet in the UK.

This study investigates the mechanism by which maternal protein restriction induces hepatic autophagy-related gene expression in the offspring of rats. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a control diet (C, 18 % energy from protein) or a low-protein diet (LP, 8·5 % energy from protein) during gestation, followed by the control diet during lactation and post-weaning. Liver tissue was collected from the offspring at postnatal day 38 and divided into four groups according to sex and maternal diet (F-C, F-LP, M-C and M-LP) for further analysis. Autophagy-related mRNA and protein levels were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. In addition, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was performed to investigate the interactions between transcription factors and autophagy-related genes. Protein levels of p- eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2a and activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) were increased only in the female offspring born to dams fed the LP diet. Correlatively, the mRNA expression of hepatic autophagy-related genes including Map1lc3b, P62/Sqstm1, Becn1, Atg3, Atg7 and Atg10 was significantly greater in the F-LP group than in the F-C group. Furthermore, ChIP results showed greater ATF4 and C/EBP homology protein (CHOP) binding at the regions of a set of autophagy-related genes in the F-LP group than in the F-C group. Our data demonstrated that a maternal LP diet transcriptionally programmed hepatic autophagy-related gene expression only in female rat offspring. This transcriptional programme involved the activation of the eIF2α/ATF4 pathway and intricate regulation by transcription factors ATF4 and CHOP.

The relationship between SFA consumption and the risk of overweight/obesity remains unclear. Epidemiological evidence is lacking among Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the association between individual dietary SFA intake and the risk of overweight/obesity in Chinese adults. Data from 8465 adults with BMI < 24 kg/m2 at entry in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1989–2011) were analysed. Three-day 24-h dietary records were used to collect dietary data. Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for the risk of developing overweight or obesity. A total of 3171 incident cases of overweight/obesity were identified (1649 for women and 1522 for men) during a median of 11 years of follow-up. Compared with the lowest category, the intake of total SFA (TSFA) showed no significant association with the risk of overweight/obesity. However, an increased risk of overweight/obesity was observed with a higher intake of medium chain SFA (MCSFA) (Ptrend = 0·004), especially decanoic acid (10:0) (HR was 1·25 (95 % CI 1·10, 1·42) comparing the highest category with the reference group; Ptrend < 0·001), whereas an inverse relationship was observed for hexanoic acid (6:0) consumption; compared with non-consumers, 6:0 intake was associated with 32 % lower risk of overweight/obesity (HR: 0·68 (95 % CI 0·56, 0·84); Ptrend < 0·001). Overall, the intake of subtypes of MCSFA but not TSFA was associated with the risk of overweight/obesity. Increasing hexanoic acid (6:0) and limiting decanoic acid (10:0) consumption may be protective for overweight/obesity among Chinese population.

A single question (SQ) and a twenty-eight-item FFQ to measure takeaway meal intake were compared with two 7-d estimated food records (EFR; reference method). Test methods were completed after the reference period and repeated 6–8 d later for repeatability. The SQ asked about intake of high-SFA takeaway meals. FFQ items included low- and high-SFA meals. Test methods were compared with EFR for sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values, using a goal of ≤1 high-SFA weekly takeaway meals. Bland–Altman analyses were used to check agreement between measurement approaches, the κ coefficient was used to summarise the observed level of agreement, and Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the degree to which instruments ranked individuals. Young adults were recruited from two universities, and 109 participants (61 % female) completed the study. The mean age was 24·4 (sd 4·9) years, and the mean BMI was 23·5 (sd 3·7) kg/m2. The SQ and the FFQ had a sensitivity of 97 and 83 % and a specificity of 46 and 92 %, respectively. Both methods exhibited moderate correlation for measuring total and high-SFA takeaway meal intakes (rs ranging from 0·64 to 0·80). Neither instrument could measure precise, absolute intake at the group or individual level. Test methods ranged from fair (κw=0·24) to moderate agreement (κw=0·59). The repeatability for all was acceptable. The FFQ identified excessive high-SFA takeaway meal intake and measured individuals’ category for total and high-SFA takeaway intakes. Both methods are suitable for ranking individuals for total or high-SFA takeaway meal intakes.

Errors inherent in self-reported measures of energy intake (EI) are substantial and well documented, but correlates of misreporting remain unclear. Therefore, potential predictors of misreporting were examined. In Study One, fifty-nine individuals (BMI = 26·1 (sd 3·8) kg/m2, age = 42·7 (sd 13·6) years, females = 29) completed a 14-d stay in a residential feeding behaviour suite where eating behaviour was continuously monitored. In Study Two, 182 individuals (BMI = 25·7 (sd 3·9) kg/m2, age = 42·4 (sd 12·2) years, females = 96) completed two consecutive days in a residential feeding suite and five consecutive days at home. Misreporting was directly quantified by comparing covertly measured laboratory weighed intakes (LWI) with self-reported EI (weighed dietary record (WDR), 24-h recall, 7-d diet history, FFQ). Personal (age, sex and %body fat) and psychological traits (personality, social desirability, body image, intelligence quotient and eating behaviour) were used as predictors of misreporting. In Study One, those with lower psychoticism (P = 0·009), openness to experience (P = 0·006) and higher agreeableness (P = 0·038) reduced EI on days participants knew EI was being measured to a greater extent than on covert days. Isolated associations existed between personality traits (psychoticism and openness to experience), eating behaviour (emotional eating) and differences between the LWI and self-reported EI, but these were inconsistent between dietary assessment techniques and typically became non-significant after accounting for multiplicity of comparisons. In Study Two, sex was associated with differences between LWI and the WDR (P = 0·009), 24-h recall (P = 0·002) and diet history (P = 0·050) in the laboratory, but not home environment. Personal and psychological correlates of misreporting identified displayed no clear pattern across studies or dietary assessment techniques and had little utility in predicting misreporting.

1. The purpose of the experiments was to determine certain properties of the metabolism of nitrogen compounds and carbohydrates in the rumen and tissues of growing bulls which were given either a diet containing sugar-beet silage, a urea-mineral preparation and hay or a control diet with maize silage, ground barley and hay. Daily rations were given in two equal portions twice daily at 07.00 hours and 13.00 hours. The experiment lasted 182 d.

2. The experimental diet containing 0.54 g urea and 5.0 g saccharose/kg body-weight did not cause any symptoms of toxicity in the animals although there were large changes in the concentration of metabolites in the forestomach. The lowest pH (6.2–6.4) in the rumen of animals in the experimental group was observed 1.5 h after feeding. At the same time the highest level of lactic acid was observed, but the highest level of volatile fatty acids (VFA) was observed 3 h after feeding. Although there was a large increase in ammonia in the rumen contents (approximately 20 mmol/l at 1.5 h after feeding) an increase in the blood level of ammonia was not observed.

3. A lower level of acetic acid and higher level of butyric acid and valeric acid were observed in the rumen of animals given sugar-beet silage than in animals given maize silage and ground barley. Non-glucogenic ratio of VFA in the rumen of bulls after feeding the experimental diet was approximately 3.5 while on the control diet the value was considerably higher.

4. The causes of the low concentration of glucose in the blood and changes in other metabolites in the blood of experimental animals are discussed.

5. Average daily gains were higher (P ≤ 0.05) in both groups of bulls given a diet containing sugar-beet silage and NPN (1087 and 1043 g/d) than with the control diet (887 g/d). Changes in the concentration of metabolites in the rumen contents and blood of sugar-beet-silage-fed bulls confirmed the possibility of effective addition of urea in an amount corresponding to 50% of the N content and also indicated good utilization of the energy in this diet.

1. Forty-eight Friesian entire male cattle, with an initial live weight (LW) of 135 kg, were used in two experiments to measure the response to increasing levels of dietary protein (9–11 and 7.5–10.5 g nitrogen x 6.25/kg LW0.75) at differing energy levels (800–900 kJ metabolizable energy (ME) kg LW0.75) over 120-d periods. Digestibility and N balance measurements were also made during the experiments. The diets, which were based on barley and soya-bean meal, were individually fed twice daily.

2. In a third experiment, similar diets were given to four similar animals fitted with intestinal cannulas, at constant energy intake but with variations in dietary protein of 7.5–13.5 g N x 6.25/kg LW0.75. Chromic oxide paper was used as a digesta marker.

3. Positive responses in LW gain and N balance to additional protein were found in both experiments but these were significant (P < 0.05) only in the second experiment and were associated with significant (P < 0.01) increases in the digestibility of modified acid-detergent fibre and ME intake.

4. Mean values, which were not significantly different between treatments, for the degradability of dietary protein in the rumen and the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis were 0.57 and 31.3 g/kg organic matter apparently digested in the rumen respectively. Corresponding values obtained by regression analysis were 0.56 and 28.2.

5. The results in general support the Agricultural Research Council (1980) proposals and suggest that undegraded dietary protein was not limiting in these experiments but that rumen-degradable protein levels were limiting on some treatments.

6. Regression analysis indicated that the mean response to additional protein (g LW gain/g N x 6.25) per kg LW was 0.52 in Expt 1 and 0.51 in Expt 2. These responses could be largely explained by increases in ME intakes.

7. Measurements of duodenal amino acid flow showed marked increases in essential amino acids (EAA) across the rumen. However, EAA flows, were not significantly increased at higher N intakes suggesting that protein per se was not limiting in these experiments.

Intake of the plant-derived n-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid (ALA) has been associated with anti-atherosclerotic properties. However, information on the association between ALA intake and development of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is lacking. In this follow-up study, we investigated the association between dietary intake of ALA and the rate of PAD among middle-aged Danish men and women enrolled into the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort between 1993 and 1997. Incident PAD cases were identified through the Danish National Patient Register. Intake of ALA was assessed using a validated FFQ. Statistical analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazard regression allowing for separate baseline hazards among sexes and adjusted for established risk factors for PAD. During a median of 13·6 years of follow-up, we identified 950 valid cases of PAD with complete information on covariates. The median energy-adjusted ALA intake within the cohort was 1·76 g/d (95 % central range: 0·94–3·28). In multivariable analyses, we found no statistically significant association between intake of ALA and the rate of PAD (P = 0·339). Also, no statistically significant associations were observed in analyses including additional adjustment for co-morbidities and in sex-specific analyses. In supplemental analyses with additional adjustment for potential dietary risk factors, we found a weak inverse association of PAD with ALA intake above the median, but the association was not statistically significant (P = 0·314). In conclusion, dietary intake of ALA was not consistently associated with decreased risk of PAD.

Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids may improve long-term outcomes of renal transplant recipients (RTR). Recent evidence suggests that EPA and DHA have different outcomes compared with α-linolenic acid (ALA). We examined the prospective associations of EPA–DHA and ALA intakes with graft failure and all-cause mortality in 637 RTR. During 3·1 years (interquartile range 2·7, 3·8) of follow-up, forty-one developed graft failure and sixty-seven died. In age- and sex-adjusted analyses, EPA–DHA and ALA intakes were not associated with graft failure. EPA–DHA intake was not significantly associated with mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 0·79; 95% CI 0·54, 1·15 per 0·1 energy% difference). ALA intake was significantly associated with mortality (HR 1·17; 95% CI 1·04, 1·31 per 0·1 energy% difference). This association remained following adjustments for BMI, proteinuria and intakes of fat, carbohydrate and protein. RTR in the highest tertile of ALA intake exhibited about 2-fold higher mortality risk (HR 2·21; 95% CI 1·23, 3·97) compared with the lowest tertile. In conclusion, ALA intake may be associated with increased mortality in RTR. Future RCT are needed to confirm these results.

1. Six rumen and abomasal cannulated heifers were used to study the effects of intake on the fractional outflow rates (FOR) of chromium-mordanted cotton-seed meal (Cr-CSM) and meat meal (Cr-MM), CrEDTA, ytterbium and lignin from the rumen. Values of FOR of Cr-CSM and Cr-MM were combined with values of nitrogen disappearance from the protein supplements, placed in porous synthetic (nylon) bags and incubated within the rumen (P), to calculate effective degradation (D)of CSM and MM when fed to heifers eating sodium hydroxide-treated straw. Also, N degradation in vivo (V) was measured as the difference between abomasal N flow and the sum of flows of microbial and endogenous N.

2. FOR were positively related to intake and differences between supplements were significant (p <0.01). FOR pertaining to high and low intakes respectively were 0.073 and 0.052 for Cr-CSM, 0.082 and 0.071 for Cr-MM, 0.030 and 0.023 for lignin, 0.082 and 0.073 for CrEDTA and 0, 044 and 0.035 for Yb.

3. A rise of 28.8 and 13.4% in FOR of Cr-CSM and Cr-MM respectively, associated with an increase in intake from maintenance to 1.5 times maintenance, resulted in 10.7 and 2.2% reductions in D, 24 h after feeding, for CSM and MM respectively.

4. With the exception of CSM at the high intake, estimates of V were underestimated by D and were 8.6–25.0% greater than the D values when time of incubation (t)= ∞. The two techniques, however, ranked the degradation of the two supplements in the same order at both levels of intake.

5. Underestimation of V by D may be attributable to underestimation of P, overestimation of FOR (both resulting in underestimation of D) or overestimation of V due to biases associated with the estimation of this part of the comparison. The relative importance of these factors remains to be determined.

Folate status for women during early pregnancy has been investigated, but data for women during mid-pregnancy, late pregnancy or lactation are sparse or lacking. Between May and July 2014, we conducted a cross-sectional study in 1211 pregnant and lactating women from three representative regions in China. Approximately 135 women were enrolled in each stratum by physiological periods (mid-pregnancy, late pregnancy or lactation) and regions (south, central or north). Plasma folate concentrations were measured by microbiological assay. The adjusted medians of folate concentration decreased from 28·8 (interquartile range (IQR) 19·9, 38·2) nmol/l in mid-pregnancy to 18·6 (IQR 13·2, 26·4) nmol/l in late pregnancy, and to 17·0 (IQR 12·3, 22·5) nmol/l in lactation (Pfor trend < 0·001). Overall, lower folate concentrations were more likely to be observed in women residing in the northern region, with younger age, higher pre-pregnancy BMI, lower education or multiparity, and in lactating women who had undergone a Caesarean delivery or who were breastfeeding exclusively. In total, 380 (31·4 %) women had a suboptimal folate status (folate concentration <13·5 nmol/l). Women in late pregnancy and lactating, residing in the northern region, having multiparity and low education level had a higher risk of suboptimal folate status, while those with older age had a lower risk. In conclusion, maternal plasma folate concentrations decreased as pregnancy progressed, and were influenced by geographic region and maternal socio-demographic characteristics. Future studies are warranted to assess the necessity of folic acid supplementation during later pregnancy and lactation especially for women at a higher risk of folate depletion.