1. Eighteen crossbred wethers were allotted at random (six per treatment) to each of the following diets: (1) maize-silage; (2) grass-silage; and (3) chopped hay. After 6 months a single oral dose of D-α-[5-Me-3H]tocopherol was given to each sheep on these three treatments.

2. Blood plasma, rumen liquor and urine radioactivity were measured for 4 d and, at the end of this period, the animals were killed and tissue distribution of 3H was determined.

3. Maize-silage generally contained less α-tocopherol than grass-silage or hay. Tissue uptake of 3H was greater on maize-silage than other diets.

4. In muscle, spleen and liver, tocopherol concentrations were lower in the maize-silage than the grass-silage fed animals.

5. A tendency to higher uptake of radioactivity was recorded at all times in the plasma and its lipid extract of sheep fed on maize-silage than those fed on grass-silage or hay.

6. Urine clearance of radioactivity tended to be higher in animals fed on the maize-silage than those fed on grass-silage or hay. This difference of magnitude in urinary excretion was probably related to the rate of metabolism of the ingested radiotocopherol.

We aimed to study dietary patterns in association with the relative expression levels of PPAR-γ, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in women with benign breast disease (BBD). The study design was combinative, included a case-series and case–control compartments. Initially, eligible BBD patients (n 77, aged 19–52 years old) were recruited at Nour-Nejat hospital, Tabriz, Iran (2012–2014). A hospital-based group of healthy controls was matched for age (n 231, aged 20–63 years old) and sex. Dietary data were collected using a valid 136-item FFQ. Principal component analysis generated two main components (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin = 0·684), including a Healthy pattern (whole bread, fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, legumes, spices, seafood, low-fat meat, skinless poultry, low-fat dairy products, nuts and seeds) and a Western pattern (starchy foods, high-fat meat and poultry, high-fat dairy products, hydrogenated fat, fast food, salt and sweets). High adherence to the Western pattern increased the risk of BBD (ORadj 5·59; 95 % CI 2·06, 15·10; P < 0·01), whereas high intake of the Healthy pattern was associated with a 74 % lower risk of BBD (95 % CI 0·08, 0·81; P < 0·05). In the BBD population, the Western pattern was correlated with over-expression of HIF-1α (radj 0·309, P < 0·05). There were inverse correlations between the Healthy pattern and expressions of PPAR-γ (radj −0·338, P < 0·05), HIF-1α (radj −0·340, P < 0·05) and VEGF-A (radj −0·286, P < 0·05). In conclusion, new findings suggested that the Healthy pattern was associated inversely with the risk of BBD, and this could be correlated with down-regulation of PPAR-γ, VEGF-A and HIF-1α genes, which might hold promise to preclude BBD of malignant pathological transformation.

Measurement of body composition is increasingly important in research and clinical settings but is difficult in very young children. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and air displacement plethysmography (ADP) are well-established but require specialist equipment so are not always feasible. Our aim was to determine if anthropometry and skinfold thickness measurements can be used as a substitute for BIA or ADP for assessing body composition in very young New Zealand children. We used three multi-ethnic cohorts: 217 children at a mean age of 24·2 months with skinfold and BIA measurements; seventy-nine infants at a mean age of 20·9 weeks and seventy-three infants at a mean age of 16·2 weeks, both with skinfold and ADP measurements. We used Bland–Altman plots to compare fat and fat-free mass calculated using all potentially relevant equations with measurements using BIA or ADP. We also calculated the proportion of children in the same tertile for measured fat or fat-free mass and tertiles (i) calculated using each equation, (ii) each absolute skinfold, and (iii) sum of skinfold thicknesses. We found that even for the best equation for each cohort, the 95 % limits of agreement with standard measures were wide (25–200 % of the mean) and the proportion of children whose standard measures fell in the same tertile as the skinfold estimates was ≤69 %. We conclude that none of the available published skinfold thickness equations provides good prediction of body composition in multi-ethnic cohorts of very young New Zealand children with different birth history and growth patterns.

Nutritional interventions often rely on subjective assessments of energy intake (EI), but these are susceptible to measurement error. To introduce an accelerometer-based intake-balance method for assessing EI using data from a time-restricted eating (TRE) trial. Nineteen participants with overweight/obesity (25–63 years old; 16 females) completed a 12-week intervention (NCT03129581) in a control group (unrestricted feeding; n 8) or TRE group (n 11). At the start and end of the intervention, body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and daily energy expenditure (EE) was assessed for 2 weeks via wrist-worn accelerometer. EI was back-calculated as the sum of net energy storage (from DXA) and EE (from accelerometer). Accelerometer-derived EI estimates were compared against estimates from the body weight planner of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Mean EI for the control group declined by 138 and 435 kJ/day for the accelerometer and NIDDK methods, respectively (both P ≥ 0·38), v. 1255 and 1469 kJ/day, respectively, for the TRE group (both P < 0·01). At follow-up, the accelerometer and NIDDK methods showed excellent group-level agreement (mean bias of −297 kJ/day across arms; standard error of estimate 1054 kJ/day) but high variability at the individual level (limits of agreement from −2414 to +1824 kJ/day). The accelerometer-based intake-balance method showed plausible sensitivity to change, and EI estimates were biologically and behaviourally plausible. The method may be a viable alternative to self-report EI measures. Future studies should assess criterion validity using doubly labelled water.

The literature on green tea consumption and glucose metabolism has reported conflicting findings. This cross-sectional study examined the association of green tea consumption with abnormal glucose metabolism among 3000 rural residents aged 40–60 years in Khánh Hòa province in Vietnam. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association of green tea consumption (0, < 200, 200–< 400, 400–< 600 or ≥ 600 ml/d) with prediabetes and diabetes (based on the American Diabetes Association criteria). Linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association between green tea consumption and the log-transformed homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (a marker of insulin resistance) and the log-transformed homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) (a marker of insulin secretion). The OR for prediabetes and diabetes among participants who consumed ≥ 600 ml/d v. those who did not consume green tea were 1·61 (95 % CI = 1·07, 2·42) and 2·04 (95 % CI = 1·07, 3·89), respectively. Higher green tea consumption was associated with a higher level of log-transformed HOMA-IR (Pfor trend = 0·04) but not with a lower level of log-transformed HOMA-β (Pfor trend = 0·75). Higher green tea consumption was positively associated with the prevalence of prediabetes, diabetes and insulin resistance in rural Vietnam. The findings of this study indicated prompting the need for further research considering context in understanding the link between green tea consumption and glucose metabolism, especially in rural settings in low- and middle-income countries.

Optimum nutrition plays a major role in the achievement and maintenance of good health. The Nutrition Society of the UK and Ireland and the Sabri Ülker Foundation, a charity based in Türkiye and focused on improving public health, combined forces to highlight this important subject. A hybrid conference was held in Istanbul, with over 4000 delegates from sixty-two countries joining the proceedings live online in addition to those attending in person. The primary purpose was to inspire healthcare professionals and nutrition policy makers to better consider the role of nutrition in their interactions with patients and the public at large to reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The event provided an opportunity to share and learn from different approaches in the UK, Türkiye and Finland, highlighting initiatives to strengthen research in the nutritional sciences and translation of that research into nutrition policy. The presenters provided evidence of the links between nutrition and disease risk and emphasised the importance of minimising risk and implementing early treatment of diet-related disease. Suggestions were made including improving health literacy and strengthening policies to improve the quality of food production and dietary behaviour. A multidisciplinary approach is needed whereby Governments, the food industry, non-governmental groups and consumer groups collaborate to develop evidence-based recommendations and appropriate joined-up policies that do not widen inequalities. This summary of the proceedings will serve as a gateway for those seeking to access additional information on nutrition and health across the globe.

This study examined the efficacy of a probiotic in reducing depressive symptom severity in people with subthreshold depression. In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, a probiotic (1 × 10^9 live cells per strain: Limosilactobacillus fermentum LF16 (DSM26956), Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LR06 (DSM21981), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP01 (LMG P-21021) and Bifidobacterium longum 04 (DSM23233)) or placebo was taken daily for 12 weeks. Data were collected at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks including psychological symptom severity (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI; Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ; Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, HADS; and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, DASS). Biomarkers of glycaemia, inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hs-CRP), antioxidant status (total glutathione (GSH)) and stress (cortisol awakening response, CAR) were also measured. Thirty-nine participants (nineteen probiotic; twenty placebo) were enrolled. There were no significant between-group differences in the examined psychological symptom severity scores, despite certain significant within-group changes observed in both groups from baseline to 6 and/or 12 weeks of follow-up. Regarding biomarkers, the probiotic group showed reduced hs-CRP (–1520; 95 % CI –273·7, −2766·2 ng/dl) and CAR (–0·28; 95 % CI −0·05, −0·51 μg/dl) at 12 weeks, but increased total GSH (3·9; 95 % CI 0·1, 7·5 ng/dl) at 6 weeks, compared with the placebo. The current study reported favourable decreases in depressive symptoms in both groups. Although the within-group changes observed in the probiotic group were supported by favourable inflammatory, antioxidant status and stress biomarker changes compared with the placebo, further research is required to shed more light on the role of gut microbiota modulation on emotional regulation.

Dietary inflammatory potential assessed by the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) has been associated with health outcomes. However, longitudinal changes in the DII in relation to health outcomes rarely have been studied. This study aimed to examine change in the DII score over 10 years and its association with subsequent mortality in the Multiethnic Cohort. The analysis included 56 263 African American, Japanese American, Latino, Native Hawaiian and White participants who completed baseline (45–75 years) and 10-year follow-up surveys, including a FFQ. Mean energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) decreased over 10 years in men (from −0·85 to −1·61) and women (from −1·80 to −2·47), reflecting changes towards a more anti-inflammatory diet. During an average follow-up of 13·0 years, 16 363 deaths were identified. In multivariable Cox models, compared with anti-inflammatory stable individuals, risk of all-cause mortality was increased with pro-inflammatory change in men (hazard ratio (HR) = 1·13, 95 % CI 1·03, 1·23) and women (HR = 1·22, 95 % CI 1·13, 1·32). Per one-point increase in E-DII score over time, HR was 1·02 (95 % CI 1·00, 1·03) for men and 1·06 (95 % CI 1·04, 1·07) for women (P for heterogeneity < 0·001). While no heterogeneity by race and ethnicity was observed for men, the increased risk per one-point increase among women was stronger in non-Whites than in Whites (P for heterogeneity = 0·004). Our findings suggest that a change towards a more pro-inflammatory diet is associated with an increased risk of mortality both in men and women, and that the association is stronger in women, especially non-White women, than in men.

Two experiments are described in which changes in both nitrogen and mineral balance were monitored in ewes during lactation. In Expt 1, two groups (n 6) of ewes were fed on diets that were either high (15 g crade protein (N × 6.25; CP)/MJ metabolizable energy (ME)) or low (10 g CP/MJ ME) in protein content, and concurrent N and mineral balance studies were made at intervals during lactation with 45Ca and 32P being used to monitor faecal endogenous calcium and phosphorus losses. Ewes fed on the high-protein diet maintained a positive N balance during early lactation, whereas those fed on the low-protein diet were in negative N balance. Both groups, however, showed the same degree of negative Ca and P balance, with the amounts lost being directly related to milk yield. This indicates that loss of mineral from the skeleton at this time is not secondary to a loss of bone matrix due to a shortfall in dietary protein supply. In Expt 2, two groups of ewes (n 4) were fed on diets in late pregnancy that were either just adequate or generous in Ca and P supply relative to requirement (TCORN, 1990). After parturition both groups were fed on a diet which was formulated to meet their estimated Ca and P requirements for lactation. As in the previous experiment both groups were in negative Ca and P balance in early lactation and variation in dietary Ca and P supply during pregnancy had no effect on the extent of this loss. Alternative explanations for the cause of this loss of mineral from the skeleton are discussed.

This study evaluated the association between dietary patterns, gas-related symptoms (GRS) and their impact on quality of life (QoL) in a representative sample (n 936) of the French adult population. During the 2018–2019 ‘Comportements et Consommations Alimentaires en France’ survey (Behaviors and Food Consumption in France), online evaluation of GRS in adult participants was performed using the validated Intestinal Gas Questionnaire (IGQ), which captures the perception of GRS and their impact on QoL via six symptom dimensions scores (range 0–100; 100 = worse) and a global score (mean of the sum of the six symptom dimensions scores). Socio-demographics, lifestyle parameters and dietary habits (7-d e-food diary) were also collected online. Quality of diet was determined using the Nutrient-Rich Food 9.3 (NRF9.3) score (range 0–900; 900 = best). Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify factors associated with IGQ global score. K-means was used to identify clusters of subjects based on their dietary records. Data from 936 adults who completed both the IGQ and the food diary showed a mean IGQ global score of 11·9 (sd 11·2). Younger age and female sex were associated with a higher IGQ global score. Only 7 % of subjects reported no symptom at all and nearly 30 % of study participants reported a high impact of GRS on their QoL. Two dietary clusters were identified: cluster 1, characterised by a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, lower sugars intake and higher NRF9.3 score and cluster 2, characterised by higher intake of sugars, lower intake in dietary fibres and lower NRF9.3 score. The IGQ global score was lower in cluster 1 and higher in cluster 2 v. the total sample average (P < 0·001). The prevalence of GRS in the French adult population is high and is associated with impaired QoL and dietary patterns. A change in food habits towards healthier patterns could help reducing the burden of GRS.

While there is growing interest in the link between diet and psychological health, there is a surprising lack of studies investigating the precise associations between nutrient-rich foods (such as fruit and vegetables) v. nutrient-poor foods (such as energy-dense savoury and sweet snacks), and psychological health. Similarly, the psychological processes underpinning the relationship between dietary intake and psychological health remain unclear. Hence, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between dietary consumption and psychological health, with cognitive processes as a theoretical mediator. This cross-sectional online study included 428 healthy adults (53 % female; mean age = 39·7 years, sd = 13·0), with participants completing a range of validated questionnaires measuring dietary habits and psychological health. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that more frequent consumption of fruit was associated with reduced symptoms of depression (β = –0·109, P = 0·025) and greater positive psychological wellbeing (β = 0·187, P < 0·001). Conversely, more frequent savoury snacking was associated with increased anxiety (β = 0·127, P = 0·005). Further, mediation analyses revealed that more frequent consumption of savoury snacks was associated with increased symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety and reduced psychological wellbeing, via an increase in cognitive failures (ps < 0·001). These results provide new insights on the independent associations between certain types of food and psychological health, and the psychological mechanisms that may mediate these. Further work is now required to establish causality and determine whether these may represent modifiable dietary targets that can directly (and indirectly) influence our psychological health.

Treatment of lactating rats with the anti-progestin Mifepristone or Onapristone adversely affects growth of their litters. The present studies aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanism. The treatment did not interfere with the behavioural interactions between mothers and pups, which are required for normal litter growth. Treatment with the antagonists had a stimulatory action on ovarian oestrogen production. However, ovarian hormones did not play a role in litter growth impairment, as this also occurred with lactating ovariectomized rats. Treatment with anti-progestins did not affect the concentrations of the macronutrients in milk (protein, lactose and lipid), nor did it change the fatty acid composition of lipid. Reduced litter growth was not related to a possible direct effect of exposure of the suckling young to the drugs via the milk. Direct injections into them unequivocally affected adrenal gland and testicular development, but did not affect their body-weight development. Milk secretion, as measured by the milk weight accumulating during 6 or 24 h following sudden removal of litters in advanced lactation, was not impaired by the treatments. However, the ingestion of food and water by dams treated with Mifepristone was significantly below that of control animals. It is concluded that litter growth impairment during treatment of lactating rats with anti-progestin results from the reduction of the intake of food and water by the mother.

The effect of dietary fats on gastrin in the pyloric antrum and plasma of Wistar rats was examined. Two different age-groups of rats were fed on three different diets in which fat was in the form of menhadenoil (MO), hydrogenated coconut oil (CO) and safflower oil (SO) respectively. Control groups were fed on normal laboratory diet. Each diet was isoenergetic and no group showed significant differences in either food intake or weight gain during the experiment. Weaner rats fed on the MO diet exhibited significant reductions in both antral (P = 0.047) and plasma (P = 0.002) gastrin concentrations when compared with age-matched controls. Likewise, adult rats fed on the MO diet exhibited significant reductions in both antral (P = 0.008) and plasma (P = 0.002) gastrin concentrations. In addition, adult rats fed on the CO diet exhibited significant reductions in both antral (P = 0.047) and plasma gastrin(P = 0.002) concentrations. Rats from both age-groups fed on the SO diet exhibited no significant differences in gastrin concentrations when compared with their respective control groups. These findings indicate that the composition of dietary fat can have profound effects on both tissue and plasma concentrations of gastrin in rats.

1. Techniques were devised for the operation of a new small-scale gnotobiotic rat unit.

2. The unit was then used to compare the cariogenicity of sucrose and glucose under carefully controlled conditions in the presence of a single strain of a streptococcus, as gnotobiotic experiments by other workers had given conflicting results.

3. Streptococcus IB-1600 was implanted into thirty-four rats, which were then fed on high-sugar diets under gnotobiotic conditions for 5 or 8 weeks from weaning. The level of caries was significantly higher on the sucrose than on the glucose diet, but there was no significant difference in the extent of soft coronal dental plaque.