Longitudinal changes in dietary intake in Scottish women around the menopause: changes in dietary pattern result in minor changes in nutrient intake

Objective: To examine dietary change that has occurred over 5 to 6 years.Subjects: A cohort of Scottish women (n=898) with a mean age of 47.5 years (range 45-54 years) at baseline.Design: Dietary intake was assessed by validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and analysed using the UK Composition of Foods database.Results: Since the first dietary assessment, mean daily energy intake had decreased from 8.2+/-2.3 to 7.9+/-2.2 MJ. The degree of low energy reporting (defined as ratio of energy intake to basal metabolic rate <1.1) had increased from 18.7% at baseline to 25.6% at follow-up. Low energy reporters were significantly heavier than 'normal' energy reporters (mean weight at follow-up, 68.9+/-12.6 vs. 66.8+/-11.3 kg) and could be deliberately restricting intake rather than underreporting. Overall there were decreases in intakes of red meat, processed meat and cheese, but increases in poultry and non-oily fish consumption. Consumption of bread, biscuits and cakes had gone down and there was an increase in cereal and rice/pasta consumption. Intake of potatoes had decreased whereas fruit intake had increased. There were small but statistically significant differences in intakes for most nutrients (<8% change). Nutrient intakes at both visits were similar across menopausal status and usage groups of hormone replacement therapy. Modifications to the computer version of the McCance and Widdowson nutrient database, which differed from the published version, were noted. These changes altered the original baseline values for our study.Conclusions: The menopause per se is not a period of marked change in nutrient intake. Caution is advised when using computer databases of food compositions for longitudinal studies.     

Processing and storage effects on orange juice aroma: a review

Freshly squeezed orange juice aroma is due to a complex mixture of volatile compounds as it lacks a specific character impact compound. Fresh hand-extracted juice is unstable, and thermal processing is required to reduce enzyme and microbial activity. Heating protocols range from the lightly heated not from concentrate, NFC, to the twice heated, reconstituted from concentrate, RFC, juices. Thermal processing profoundly effects aroma composition. Aroma volatiles are further altered by subsequent time-temperature storage conditions. Heating reduces levels of reactive aroma impact compounds such as neral and geranial, and creates off-flavors or their precursors from Maillard, Strecker, and acid catalyzed hydration reactions. Off-flavors such as 4-vinylguaiacol, p-cymene, and carvone are the products of chemical reactions. Other off-flavors such as butane-2,3-dione, guaiacol, and 2,6-dichlorophenol are indicators of microbial contaminations. Since most orange juice consumed worldwide is processed, the goal of this review is to summarize the widely scattered reports on orange juice aroma differences in the three major juice products and subsequent aroma changes due to packaging, storage, and microbial contamination with special emphasis on results from GC-O studies.     

Monetary costs of dietary energy reported by young Japanese women: association with food and nutrient intake and body mass index

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the relationship of monetary diet costs to dietary intake and obesity, particularly in non-Western populations. This study examined monetary cost of dietary energy in relation to diet quality and body mass index (BMI) among young Japanese women. DESIGN: Dietary intake was assessed by a validated, self-administered, diet history questionnaire. Diet costs were estimated using retail food prices. Monetary cost of dietary energy (Japanese yen 1000 kcal-1) was then calculated. BMI was computed from self-reported body weight and height. SUBJECTS: A total of 3931 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18-20 years. RESULTS: Monetary cost of dietary energy was positively associated with intakes of fruits, vegetables, fish and shellfish, and pulses; however, higher monetary cost of dietary energy was also associated with higher consumption of fat and oil, meat and energy-containing beverages, and lower consumption of cereals (rice, bread and noodles) (all P for trend <0.01). At the nutrient level, monetary cost of dietary energy was positively associated with intakes of dietary fibre and key vitamins and minerals, but also associated positively with intakes of fat, saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and sodium, and negatively with carbohydrate intake (all P for trend <0.0001). After adjustment for possible confounders, monetary cost of dietary energy was quite weakly but significantly negatively associated with BMI (P for trend = 0.0197). CONCLUSIONS: Increasing monetary cost of dietary energy was associated with both favourable and unfavourable dietary intake patterns and a quite small decrease in BMI in young Japanese women.     

Dietary intake and the insulin-like growth factor system: effects of migration in two related populations in India and Britain with markedly different dietary intake

BACKGROUND: The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: We report the effects of total energy intake on the IGF system in two populations with markedly different dietary macronutrient intake and cardiovascular event rate. DESIGN, SUBJECTS AND SETTING: Dietary macronutrient intake was measured in a specific Gujarati migrant community in Sandwell, UK (n=205) compared with people still resident in the same villages of origin in India (n=246). Fasting IGF-I, IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-1 and IGFBP-3, insulin and glucose (0 and 2-hour) were measured. RESULTS: Total energy and total fat intake were higher in UK migrants, as were IGFBP-3 and IGF-I (mean (95% confidence interval): 145.9 (138.1-153.6) vs. 100.9 (94.6-107.3) ng ml(-1); F=76.6, P<0.001). IGFBP-1 was lower in UK migrants (29.5 (25.9-33.0) vs. 56.5 (50.6-62.5) microg l(-1); F=48.4, P<0.001). At both sites, IGF-I correlated positively with total energy (Spearman's rho=0.45, P<0.001) and total fat (rho=0.44, P<0.001) as did IGFBP-3 with total energy (rho=0.21, P<0.05) and fat (rho=0.26, P<0.001). Conversely, in Indian Gujaratis, IGFBP-1 fell with increasing total energy (rho=-0.27, P<0.001) and fat intake (rho=-0.26, P<0.01) but not in UK Gujaratis. Multiple linear regression modelling showed that increasing quartiles of fat intake were associated with higher IGF-I (beta=0.42, P=0.007) independent of age, body mass index, plasma insulin, fatty acids and 2-hour glucose. CONCLUSION: In these genetically similar groups, migration to the UK and adoption of a different diet is associated with marked changes in the IGF system, suggesting that environmental factors profoundly modulate serum concentrations and actions of IGFs.     

Biosafety, antioxidant status, and metabolites in urine after consumption of dried cranberry juice in healthy women: a pilot double-blind placebo-controlled trial

This study assessed the effect of an 8 week consumption of dried cranberry juice (DCJ) on 65 healthy young women. Basic biochemical and hematological parameters, antioxidant status, presence of metabolites in urine, and urine ex vivo antiadherence activity were determined throughout the trial. A 400 mg amount of DCJ/day had no influence on any parameter tested. A 1200 mg amount of DCJ/day resulted in a statistically significant decrease in serum levels of advanced oxidation protein products. This specific protective effect against oxidative damage of proteins is described here for the first time. Urine samples had an inhibitory effect on the adhesion of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains, but no increase in urine acidity was noted. Hippuric acid, isomers of salicyluric and dihydroxybenzoic acids, and quercetin glucuronide were identified as the main metabolites. In conclusion, cranberry fruits are effective not only in the prevention of urinary tract infection but also for the prevention of oxidative stress.     

The effects of acid perturbation on a controlled ecosystem

Duplicate, 8-compartment, continuous-flow microcosms were used to study the effects of acid addition on community function, algal community structure, and degradation of a plasticizer, diethyl phthalate. Inputs of HCl decreased the alkalinity (measured as CaC0₃) from 25 to 8 mg 1^?1, creating diurnal H⁺ activity curves that indicated that the ecosystem was being severely stressed. Removal of excess acid was accompanied by a return to a normal diurnal pH cycle. Nutrient concentrations and O₂ production did not give a definite indication of stress resulting from the addition of acid. Algal community structure and total biomass were not affected by acid inputs. Also, degradation rates of diethyl phtalate by the aquatic bacteria were similar for the control and the acid-stressed systems. These studies indicate that acid inputs can significantly disrupt normal ecosystem function, such as diurnal pH cycling, without having a measurable impact on other parameters usually monitored in aquatic ecosystems.     

The impact of high non-starch polysaccharide intake on serum micronutrient concentrations in a cohort of women

OBJECTIVE: Many public health campaigns encourage increased fibre consumption, but short-term studies suggest that various components of dietary fibre inhibit the absorption of certain micronutrients including carotenoids. These do not take into account long-term adaptation to nutrient intake levels. We aimed to investigate the effect of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fibre on plasma micronutrient concentrations in a large free-living population consuming their usual diet. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. Semi-weighed 4-day food diaries were analysed for micronutrient and NSP fibre intakes. Blood samples were taken and analysed for carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin C and trace metals. SETTING: Participants in a large national cohort study who lived within 30 miles of Leeds. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and eighty-three middle-aged women. RESULTS: The association between NSP intake and plasma nutrient concentrations was assessed taking into account nutrient intakes and other dietary and lifestyle factors. Higher levels of NSP were not associated with lower plasma concentrations of the micronutrients measured, even allowing for the higher nutrient levels generally found in high-fibre foods. CONCLUSIONS: Amongst middle-aged women we have shown that current guidelines for increasing the population's NSP consumption can be safely applied. Such guidelines are unlikely to reduce serum micronutrient concentrations, although other, more vulnerable population groups may benefit from further investigation.     

Phenolic antioxidants and antiatherogenic effects of Marula (Sclerocarrya birrea Subsp. caffra) fruit juice in healthy humans

Antioxidant activity and composition of Israeli-grown marula ( Sclerocarrya birrea subsp. caffra) fruit juice and health-promoting aspects of juice consumption on serum lipids and lipoproteins pattern in healthy volunteers were studied. Marula juice was found to contain high vitamin C and potassium levels and low sugar concentration (267 mg dL (-1), 328 mg dL (-1), and 7.3 g dL (-1), respectively). The juice contains a significant level of phenolics (56 mg of pyrogallol equiv dL (-1)) and was found to be a potent antioxidant (382 mg of vitamin C equiv dL (-1)). The antioxidant activity was resistant to pasteurization regimens and long-term freezing and slowly decreased during refrigeration, losing up to 14% of its capacity after 4 weeks. Three-week administration of the juice as a food supplement to healthy subjects significantly reduced their serum total cholesterol (by 8%), LDL-cholesterol concentration (by 17%), and triglyceride level (by 7%), increased their serum HDL-cholesterol level (by 10%), and attenuated serum oxidative stress. Upon a 4 week "washout" period, most of these parameters returned toward baseline values. Separation of the juice soluble phenolics by HPLC produced potent antioxidant fractions, tentatively containing hydrolyzable tannins, catechins, and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, which could be responsible for the observed protection against atherosclerosis risk factors following marula fruit juice consumption.