The disease-programming effects of a maternal low-protein (MLP) diet in rat pregnancy have been suggested to be attributable of hyperhomocysteinaemia. The aim of the present study was to determine whether MLP feeding impacted upon maternal and day 20 fetal homocysteine concentrations, with ensuing effects upon oxidan/ntioxidant status. Sixty-four pregnant rats were fed either MLP diet or control diet before termination of pregnancy at days 4, 10, 18 or 20 gestation (full-term gestation 22d). Maternal plasma homocysteine concentrations were similar in control and MLP-fed dams at all points in gestation. Fetal plasma homocysteine was similarly unaffected by MLP feeding at day 20 gestation. Activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were similar in livers of mothers and fetuses in the two groups. Whilst catalase activity was not influenced by diet in maternal liver, MLP exposure increased catalase activity in fetal liver at day 20. Oxidative injury (protein carbonyl concentration) was lower in the livers of MLP-fed animals at day 18 gestation (P<0·05), but significantly greater at day 20. Hepatic expression of methionine synthase was similar in control and MLP-fed dams at all stages of gestation. Expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 in fetal liver was altered by maternal diet in a sex- and gestational age-specific manner. In conclusion, MLP feeding does not impact upon maternal or fetal homocysteine concentrations prior to day 20 gestation in the rat. There was no evidence of increased oxidative injury in fetal tissue that might explain the long-term programming effects of the diet.

The carotenoid zeaxanthin is concentrated within the macula. Increased macular zeaxanthin is suggested to lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration. The small red berry, wolfberry (Fructus barbarum L.; Gou Qi Zi and Kei Tze), is one of the richest natural sources of zeaxanthin. However, carotenoid bioavailability is low, and food-based products with enhanced bioavailability are of interest. The present study investigated zeaxanthin bioavailability from three wolfberry formulations. Berries were homogenised in hot (80°C) water, warm (40°C) skimmed milk and hot (80°C) skimmed milk, with freeze drying of each preparation into a powdered form. A zeaxanthin-standardised dose (15mg) of each was consumed, in randomised order, together with a standardised breakfast by twelve healthy, consenting subjects in a cross-over trial, with a 3–5-week washout period between treatments. Blood samples were taken via a venous cannula immediately before (fasting) and 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10h post-ingestion. Zeaxanthin concentration in the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein fraction of plasma was measured by HPLC. Results showed that triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein zeaxanthin peaked at 6h post-ingestion for all formulations. Zeaxanthin bioavailability from the hot milk formulation was significantly higher (p<0·001) than from the others. Mean area under the curve (n 12) results were 9·73 (sem 2·45), 3·24 (sem 0·72) and 3·14 (sem 1·09) nmol×h/l for the hot milk, warm milk and hot water formulations, respectively. Results showed clearly that homogenisation of wolfberry in hot skimmed milk results in a formulation that has a 3-fold enhanced bioavailability of zeaxanthin compared with both the ‘classical’ hot water and warm skimmed milk treatment of the berries.

The contribution of the home use of margarines, made with partially hydrogenated vegetables oils, to total trans fatty acid intake is difficult to determine using dietary assessment because food composition databases are incomplete for trans fatty acids; moreover, hidden fats in manufactured foods may be the predominant sources of trans fatty acids. The objective of our study was to determine, using plasma phospholipid trans fatty acid composition as a surrogate measure of exposure, whether the home use of margarine or butter is an important determinant of trans fatty acid status. We conducted a community-based (Dunedin, New Zealand), cross-sectional survey of people who consumed either margarine (n 65) or butter (n 64) but not both for home use. The levels of the 18:1 trans isomers commonly found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils were all significantly higher in the plasma phospholipids of margarine compared with butter consumers, with the exception of 18:1n-7t, which did not differ. Among margarine consumers, the percentage of total fat from margarine was significantly correlated with levels of phospholipid 18:1n−6t, 18:1n-8t and 18:1n-1/t isomers (r 0·57–0·63, P<0·001) but only weakly with 18:1n-7t (r 0·30, P=0·016). The intake of fat from fast foods, bakery products or meat and meat products was not associated with plasma phospholipid trans isomeric composition. The home use of margarine, made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, is an important determinant of trans fatty acid exposure in New Zealand.

Foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is simple and non-invasive, making it particularly suitable for use in children. There is insufficient evidence of the validity of foot-to-foot BIA compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as the criterion method in healthy young children. Our objective was to assess the validity of foot-to-foot BIA against DEXA in a large cohort of healthy young children. Body composition was measured by foot-to-foot BIA and DEXA in 203 children (mean age 8·9 (sd 0·3) years). Bland–Altman and simple linear regression analyses were used to determine agreement between methods. BIA overestimated fat-free mass by a mean of 2·4 % in boys and 5·7 % in girls, while fat mass was underestimated by 6·5 % in boys and 10·3 % in girls. The percentage fat recorded by BIA was, accordingly, also lower than by DEXA (boys 4·8 %; girls 12·8 %). In boys, however, there were correlations between the size of the difference between methods and the size of the measure under consideration such that in smaller boys fat-free mass was underestimated (r − 0·57; P < 0·001) while fat mass and percentage fat were overestimated (r 0·74 for fat mass; r 0·69 for percentage fat; both P < 0·001) with the reverse in bigger boys. Mean differences between techniques were greater in the girls than in the boys but in boys only, the direction of the differences was dependent upon the size of the child. Therefore, BIA may be useful for large-scale studies but is not interchangeable with DEXA and should be interpreted with caution in individuals.

Evidence-based nutrition is essential to move forward in the science of community nutrition. The present study is a review of the epidemiological evidence of dairy products and health. There is an inverse association between the intake of dairy products and hypertension, stroke and colorectal cancer. There is no evidence of an association between the consumption of dairy products and breast cancer. There is some evidence linking high-fat dairy products and an incremental risk of prostate cancer and weak evidence of the protective capacity of dairy products on bone health. More prospective studies should be developed in order to establish better evidence of the relationship between dairy products and health. Due to the importance of dairy products in public health nutrition, quantitative recommendations should be established in the light of the scientific evidence.

Resting energy expenditure (REE) is believed to be increased in type 2 diabetes, an increase that is associated with deteriorating glucose tolerance during its development. Meanwhile, insulin resistance, a state linked to obesity and observed in all type 2 diabetic patients, is associated with reduced REE. Our aim was to compare REE in obese patients with and without diabetes. REE, body composition (total body water, density, percentage fat and fat-free mass: 3-compartment model) and metabolic control were assessed in fifty obese Caucasian patients with diabetes (glycated haemoglobin level 7·6 (sd 1·5) %) and fifty obese patients who were non-diabetic. Despite being more overweight and younger, obese non-diabetic patients had an absolute REE (7·73 (sd 1·44) v. 8·12 (sd 1·37) MJ; P=0·17) and percentage fat-free mass similar to those of obese diabetic patients. Even when adjusted for differences in body composition, REE remained similar in both groups. Furthermore, REE (absolute and adjusted) was unaffected by both glucose level and control (glycated haemoglobin), with fat-free mass being the only determinant of REE. We conclude that REE is not necessarily increased by the presence of diabetes in obese people.

The immune system exists to protect the host against pathogenic organisms and highly complex pathways of recognition, response, elimination and memory have evolved in order to fulfil this role. The immune system also acts to ensure tolerance to ‘self’, to food and other environmental components, and to commensal bacteria. A breakdown in the tolerogenic pathways can also lead to inflammatory diseases. The prevalence of inflammatory diseases, including atopic disorders, has increased over the last 60 years. The development of tolerance is the result of active immune mechanisms and both development and maintenance of tolerance are lifelong processes which start very early in life, even prenatally. Profound immunologic changes occur during pregnancy, involving a polarization of T helper (Th) cells towards a dominance of Th2 and regulatory T cell effector responses in both mother and fetus. This situation is important to maintain pregnancy through avoidance of the rejection of the immunologically incompatible fetus. During the third trimester of human pregnancy, fetal T cells are able to mount antigen-specific responses to environmental and food-derived antigens and antigen-specific T cells are detectable in cord blood in virtually all newborns indicating in utero sensitization. If the neonatal immune system is not able to down-regulate the pre-existing Th2 dominance effectively then an allergic phenotype may develop. Changes occur at, and soon after, birth in order that the immune system of the neonate becomes competent and functional and that the gut becomes colonized with bacteria. Exposure to bacteria during birth and from the mother's skin and the provision of immunologic factors in breast milk are amongst the key events that promote maturation of the infant's gut and gut-associated and systemic immune systems. The introduction of formula and of solid foods exposes the infant to novel food antigens and also affects the gut flora. Nutrition may be the source of antigens to which the immune system must become tolerant, provide factors, including nutrients, that themselves might modulate immune maturation and responses, and provide factors that influence intestinal flora, which in turn will affect antigen exposure, immune maturation and immune responses. Through these mechanisms it is possible that nutrition early in life might affect later immune competence, the ability to mount an appropriate immune response upon infection, the ability to develop a tolerogenic response to ‘self’ and to benign environmental antigens, and the development of immunologic disorders. A Workshop held in February 2006 considered recent findings in the areas of oral tolerance, routes of sensitization to allergens and factors affecting the development of atopic disease; factors influencing the maturation of dendritic cells and the development of regulatory T cells; the influence of gut microflora on immunity, allergic sensitization and infectious disease; the role of nutrition in preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in an animal model of preterm birth; and the role of PUFA of different classes in influencing immune responses and in shaping the development of atopic disease. This report summarizes the content of the lectures and the subsequent discussions.

The brain development and performance of rats fed throughout two generations with an indigenous maize tortilla-based diet was studied. The experiment compared casein control with five different diets produced from: regular fresh masa; regular, enriched dry masa flour containing thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, Fe and Zn (REDMF); dry masa flour fortified with 60g/kg defatted soyabean meal and enriched (FEDMF); enriched quality protein maize (QPM) flour (EQPM); QPM flour fortified with 30g/kg defatted soyabean meal and enriched (FEQPM). In both generations, brain and cerebellum weights and myelin concentration were significantly higher (p<0·05) in rats fed the FEDMF and FEQPM diets. There was no significant difference (p>0·05) in brain DNA in first-generation rats; however, second-generation rats fed FEDMF, EQPM and FEQPM tortillas had higher cerebral DNA, neuron size and brain activity as estimated by the RNA:DNA ratio. Short-term and long-term memory performance in the Morris maze improved (p<0·05) among rats fed the FEDMF, FEQPM and EQPM diets. Second-generation rats fed the FEDMF and FEQPM diets had a superior (p<0·05) working memory and learning performance. The utilisation of regular or QPM tortillas enriched with selected micronutrients and fortified with soyabean is highly recommended to assure adequate brain development. The high lysine–tryptophan QPM made it possible to save half of the soyabean flour without sacrificing the nutritional value of soyabean-fortified tortillas.

Previous research indicates that vegetables yield relatively high satiety scores, and that fibre content and structure may both contribute to these effects. This study evaluated the effects of the fibre content and physical structure (gross anatomy and cell structure) of carrots on postprandial satiety and subsequent food intakes when consumed as part of a mixed meal. Using a randomised, repeated-measures, within-subject cross-over design, young women consumed a standardised breakfast and test lunches on three occasions, 4 weeks apart. The test lunches (3329kJ) comprised boiled rice (200g) with sweet and sour sauce (200g) that included chicken (200g) and carrots (200g) in three conditions: whole carrots (fibre and structure; n 34), blended carrots (fibre but no structure; n 34) or carrot nutrients (no fibre or structure; n 32). The carrot nutrients had the same energy, major nutrients and portion weight as the other two conditions. Post-lunch satiety was assessed by visual analogue scales. Intakes were covertly weighed at a meal eaten ad libitum (3h later), and for the remainder of the day using food diaries. Compared with the meal with carrot nutrients, meals with whole carrots and blended carrots resulted in significantly (P<0·05) higher satiety. There were significant (P<0·05) differences between conditions in intakes at the meal eaten ad libitum and for the remainder of the day, and intakes consistently decreased in the order: carrot nutrients, blended carrots, whole carrots, indicating that both fibre content and structure played a role in these effects.

To increase our understanding of the relationships of trunk fat mass (FMtrunk) and four anthropometric indices in Chinese males, 1090 males aged 20–40 years were randomly recruited from the city of Changsha, China. Waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC) were measured using standardized equipment, and three other anthropometric indices of BMI, waist:hip ratio (WHR) and conicity index (CoI) were calculated using weight, height, HC and WC. FMtrunk (in kg) was measured using a Hologic QDR 4500 W dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. There was an increasing trend of FMtrunk, %FMtrunk (percentage of FMtrunk) and BMI, WC, WHR, CoI in successively older age groups (e.g. the mean FMtrunk values were 4·63 (sd 2·58), 5·39 (sd 2·74), 5·93 (sd 2·82), 6·57 (sd 2·94) in four 5-year age groups, respectively). FMtrunk and %FMtrunk were significantly correlated with four anthropometric indices with the Pearson's correlation coefficients ranging from 0·25 to 0·86. Principal component analysis was performed to form three principal components that interpreted over 99·5% of the total variation of four related anthropometric indices in all age groups, with over 65% of the total variation accounted by principal component 1. Multiple regression analyses showed that three principal components explained a greater variance (R2 70·0–80·1%) in FMtrunk than did BMI or WC alone (R2 57·8–74·1%). The present results suggest that there is an increasing trend of FMtrunk and four anthropometric indices in successively older age groups; that age has important effects on the relationships of FMtrunk and studied anthropometric indices; and that the accuracy of predicting FMtrunk using four anthropometric indices is higher than using BMI or WC alone.

Al-Andalus society (711–1492) based its idea of health on the wisdom of Classical Greece, the Hippocratic–Galenic theories, as well as the Persian and Hindu cultures. The twelfth century in al-Andalus is considered to be the most prolific period for works of a scientific and technical nature. At the time, the main treatises on dietetics were written and this science reached its widest expression with such leading figures as Ibn Wāfīd, Avenzoar, Averroes and Maimonides, whose works revealed the first scientific knowledge on the nutritional processes of the human body. Diet was regarded as being essential for health and the prevention of disease. Dietary guidelines were written for different age groups, different body types and different seasons of the year. The amount of food to be ingested, the number of meals recommended and the order in which the food should be consumed were all issues that were discussed. A variety of foods were thought to have medicinal properties, some of which are known today. The diet in al-Andalus was varied and very probably made a substantial contribution to the origin of the present-day Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, wholemeal cereals, fruit and vegetables, fish, lamb, poultry, nuts and spices. We also find that many of the terms in current use in diet and agriculture are a living testimony to the Arabic influence, as are many of the dishes of our varied Mediterranean gastronomy.

Studies of diet and health focus increasingly on dietary patterns. Although the traditional Mediterranean diet is perceived as being healthy, there is little information on its possible benefit to young people. We studied whether closer adherence to the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern was associated with overall and cancer mortality in a cohort of 42237 young women, aged 30–49 years at enrolment, who were recruited in 1991–2 from the general population in the Uppsala Health Care Region, Sweden, and followed up, almost completely, for about 12 years. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed by a 10-point score incorporating the characteristics of this diet. Among women less than 40 years old at enrolment – whose causes of death are mainly cancer with probable genetic influences, injuries or suicide – there was no association of the Mediterranean diet score with total or cancer mortality. Among women 40–49 years old at enrolment, a 2-point increase in the score was associated with considerable reductions in overall mortality (13%; 95% CI 1%, 23%; P∼0·05) and cancer mortality (16%; 95% CI −1%, 29%; P∼0·06). Few cardiovascular deaths occurred in this cohort of young women. The findings of the present study in a northern European population of young women indicate that closer adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern reduces mortality even among young persons.

Two studies have examined the effect on energy intake and macronutrient selection of increasing increments of mandatory high-fat or high-sugar snacks into the diet in men. The present study used a within-subject, repeated-measures design. In each experiment, six lean and six overweight, unrestrained men were each studied over three 7d treatment periods, during which they were given mandatory snacks of the same energy density (550k/00g) comprising the following (in terms of percentage energy as fat–carbohydrate–protein): high-fat, 80:10:10; high-sugar, 10:80:10, of which 65% was sugar, and 15% starch. Subjects were given 0, 1·5 or 3·0M/ snacks, in a randomised counterbalanced design, to be consumed mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Throughout each day, subjects had access ad libitum to fifteen high-protein, fifteen high-fat and fifteen high-carbohydrate foods, rotated on a 3d menu. Mandatory high-fat snacks significantly elevated energy intake and fat intake, whereas high-sugar snacks elevated energy intake and carbohydrate intake (all P<0·02). Mandatory increases in sugar intake did not displace fat from the diet or vice versa. It was concluded that the ingestion of up to 3M/ high-fat and high-sugar foods promoted weak compensation (18% and 30%, respectively) and therefore elevated daily energy intake by approximately 2·0–2·5MJ.

Prompt identification of responders to non-surgical therapy is of utmost importance in attempting medical treatment in patients with clinically severe obesity before indication of bariatric surgery. The objectives of the present study were to assess the outcome at 1 year of morbidly obese patients undergoing a weight-loss medical programme and to detect baseline predictors of a loss ≥10 % of initial weight at the end of the follow-up. A longitudinal, prospective study of a cohort of morbidly obese patients (n 182; females 78 %; age 40·5 (sd 11·5) years; BMI 45·4 (sd 6·0) kg/m2) enrolled in a 1-year obesity-management programme based on lifestyle changes and pharmacological therapy. Significant laboratory and clinical variables were included in a binary logistic regression model in order to identify baseline independent factors for the prediction of a successful outcome in the programme. At 12 months of follow-up, twenty-one subjects (11·5 % of the initial cohort) had lost ≥10 % of baseline weight. A high serum folic acid level was the only independent predictor of weight loss at 1 year. A rise of 1 ng/ml in serum folate increased the chance of success by 28 % (adjusted odds ratio 1·28; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·58). We concluded that a medical-management programme of morbid obesity obtained limited results at 1 year, in agreement with other intervention studies. Serum folate may be useful as a pre-treatment predictor of response to a medical-management programme in patients with morbid obesity. Patients with low basal serum folate levels probably should be urged to change unhealthy eating patterns.

It has been increasingly recognized that dietary factors play a major role in the development of chronic diseases, including cancers and CVD. The identification of patterns of nutrient intake in populations with different disease incidence will be helpful in understanding the diet and disease association. The present report describes nutrient intake in 74810 Chinese women, aged between 40 and 70 years, who participated in a population-based cohort study in Shanghai from 1997 to 2000. A food frequency questionnaire was used to derive estimates of nutrient intakes. The average daily energy intake was 7027·8kJ in the study population, with protein, fat and carbohydrates contributing 15·9%, 15·6% and 68·5%, respectively. Factors, including younger age, higher income, attainment of education at the college level or above, being married or holding a professional job, were related to higher intake levels of most nutrients. The present results highlight the need for continuing to promote public health strategies aimed at improving the diets of women from both older and lower socio-demographic backgrounds, and in the meantime, continuing to help address the current dearth of data on nutrient intakes for middle-aged and elderly urban Chinese women.

Epidemiological studies indicate that Asian women have a lower incidence of breast cancer compared with their counterparts in the West, and soya consumption has been suggested as a contributory factor. Clinical and animal studies have revealed that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression is associated with a risk of breast cancer. In the present study, we investigated the effect of soya isoflavones on the expression of COX-2 in the breast cell line MCF-7. Genistein, daidzein and equol were found to inhibit COX-2 expression induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Similar findings were observed in the COX-2 protein analysis. In order to study transcriptional control, a fragment of the 5′-flanking region of the hCOX-2 gene was amplified and inserted into a firefly luciferase reporter plasmid. The reporter assay indicated that the transactivation of the hCOX-2 promoter was induced by PMA, and activity was inhibited with the co-administration of genistein, daidzein or equol. An activator protein-1 (AP-1)/cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) binding site (−59/−53) was identified in hCOX-2 promoter, and this could be critical in PMA-induced COX-2 expression. Truncation reporter plasmids with (−70/−36) and without (−51/−36) AP-1/CREB were constructed for subsequent analysis. The results revealed that the hCOX-2 promoter transactivation suppressed by isoflavone could be dependent on AP-1/CREB binding. Nonetheless, this study illustrated that the soya isoflavones reduced COX-2 expression, which could be important in the post-initiation events of breast carcinogenesis.