Assessment Of Dietary Intake Research Articles

Tissue distribution, dietary intake and human health risk assessment of organophosphate pesticides in common fish species from South African estuaries

This study assessed the tissue distribution, dietary intake, and potential health risks of eight OPPs in Pomadasys commersonnii (Spotted grunter) and Mugil cephalus (Flathead mullet) from the Sundays and Swartkops estuaries in South Africa. The highest concentration in fish tissues was found in muscles of M. cephalus (178 ± 80.4 ng/g ww) and P. commersonnii (591 ± 280 ng/g ww) from Sundays Estuary. The ∑6OPPs concentration in muscles from both fish species was higher in muscles than in the gills with fenitrothion dominating the distribution profile. Results from the path analysis indicate that lipid, weights, and length of the fish species do not influence the concentration of OPPs in the studied fish species. The calculated hazard ratios, which represent the non-carcinogenic risks, were less than one for all OPPs, indicating that the concentration of OPPs detected in fish muscles had negligible consequences on human health.

Assessment of dietary intakes and feeding practices in children aged 6-23 months in a town in the Northeast region of Argentina.

An adequate quantity and quality of complementary feeding is essential during the first 2 years of life. The objective of this study was to assess dietary intakes and feeding practices in children aged 6-23 months in a town in the Northeast region of Argentina. Descriptive, crosssectional study (second semester of 2019). Intakes from 24-hour dietary recall interviews conducted among caregivers of children aged 6-23 months were assessed. Data were compared to dietary reference intakes. Feeding practices were assessed as per the World Health Organization's indicators. A total of 138 children aged 6-23 months were assessed. The mean adequacy ratio of energy and vitamins A, D, and E was below 100% for all ages, whereas the protein adequacy for children aged 7-12 and 13-23 months was 142.8% and 168.1%, respectively. A remarkable number of cases had energy and vitamin A intakes below the estimated average requirement. In relation to feeding practice indicators, 50.8% of infants received a minimum acceptable diet. There is a high prevalence of an inadequate level of energy and critical nutrient intake during complementary feeding of the children aged 6-23 months included in the study. Nutritional interventions that promote feeding practices to improve micronutrient intake would be highly important for children's current and future health.

Lessons from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study for the Development of Cross-Country Nutritional Epidemiologic Research in East Asia.

The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study is a prospective cohort study with about 520,000 study participants enrolled from 23 centers in 10 western European countries (Greece, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway). This study is unique in that food frequency questionnaire-based dietary assessment methods are tailored to different eating habits in different countries, while maximum efforts were made for standardization of the food composition database and dietary intake calculations. Such an international collaboration project has not been conducted in East Asian countries, where dietary habits are considerably different from those in European and other countries. Accurate assessment of dietary intake in Asian countries is particularly challenging, as Asian diets are generally complex, consisting of many variations of compsite and mixed dishes. Nevertheless, these large variations in dietary habits warrant thorough investigation into the association between dietary factors and chronic diseases within each country. On the other hand, with technological advancement, more and more large-scale prospective cohort studies have used repeated measurements of dietary intake based on a more detailed dietary assessment method, such as multiple-day dietary records, which have not been incorporated in EPIC. Here, the author briefly summarizes the experiences and considerations in the conduct of EPIC as well as the current situation of dietary habits and research methodology in East Asian countries, and then discusses the importance of the development of cross-country nutritional epidemiologic research in East Asia in the near future.

Toxic Metals (Al, Cd, and Pb) in Instant Soups: An Assessment of Dietary Intake.

Instant soups and noodles are one of the most widely consumed commercial food products. These products are made from ingredients of animal (chicken, meat) and/or vegetable origin, in addition to various food additives that prolong the shelf life of the product. It should be noted that instant soups are a dehydrated product, whose water-removal process can increase the accumulation of contaminants, such as toxic metals (Al, Cd, or Pb), that are harmful to the health of consumers. The content of toxic metals (Al, Cd, and Pb) in a total of 130 samples of instant soups of different types (poultry, meat, and vegetables) was determined by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry). The Al content (32.28 ± 19.26), the Cd content (0.027 ± 0.016), and the Pb content (0.12 ± 0.13) in the vegetable soups were worth mentioning. Considering an intake of twenty grams (recommended by the manufacturer), the dietary intake of Al (19.56% of the TWI set at 1 mg/kg bw/week), the intake of Cd (6.59% of the TWI set at 2.5 µg/kg bw/week), and the Pb intake (16.18% of the BMDL set for nephrotoxic effects at 0.63 µg/kg bw/week and 6.84% of the BMDL set for cardiovascular effects at 1.50 µg/kg bw/week) in the population aged 3-10 years, instant soups are not recommended for the population aged 3-10 years, while their consumption does not pose a health risk for adults. However, it is necessary to consider the cooking water used in the preparation of these products, as it may increase exposure to these toxic metals, in addition to the rest of the diet.

Comparison of nutritional risk screening with NRS2002 and the GLIM diagnostic criteria for malnutrition in hospitalized patients

Nutritional risk screening, to identify patients at risk of malnutrition, is the first step in the prevention and treatment of malnutrition in hospitalized patients, and should be followed by a thorough nutritional assessment resulting in a diagnosis of malnutrition and subsequent treatment. In 2019, a consensus on criteria has been suggested for the diagnosis of malnutrition by the Global Leadership Initiative for Malnutrition (GLIM). This study investigates the diagnosis of malnutrition in hospitalized patients using nutritional risk screening and the diagnostic assessment suggested by GLIM. Hospitalized patients (excluding cancer, intensive care, and transmissible infections) who underwent nutritional risk screening (by NRS2002) were included. Nutritional risk screening was followed by anthropometric measurements including measurement of muscle mass, assessment of dietary intake and measurement of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) for inflammation in all patients. Malnutrition was diagnosed according to the GLIM-criteria. In total, 328 patients (median age 71 years, 47% women, median length of stay 7 days) were included. Nutritional risk screening identified 143 patients as at risk of malnutrition, while GLIM criteria led to a diagnosis of malnutrition in 114 patients. Of these 114 patients, 77 were also identified as at risk of malnutrition by NRS2002, while 37 patients were not identified by NRS2002. Malnutrition was evident in fewer patients than at risk of malnutrition, as expected. However, a number of patients were malnourished who were not identified by the screening procedure. More studies should investigate the importance of inflammation and reduced muscle mass, which is the main difference between nutritional risk screening and GLIM diagnostic assessment.

Utility of muscle ultrasound in nutritional assessment of children with nephrotic syndrome

BackgroundNutritional status assessment in children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) is critical for identifying patients who are at risk of protein-energy wasting (PEW) and for determining their nutritional needs and monitoring nutritional intervention outcomes.MethodsIn a case–control study, we enrolled 40 children (age range: 2–16 years) with NS and 40 apparently healthy children (age and sex-matched) as a control group. Anthropometric data, as well as demographic, clinical, and laboratory data, were collected. A dietary intake assessment using a 3-day food intake record was done, and the quadriceps rectus femoris thickness (QRFT) and quadriceps vastus intermedius thickness (QVIT) were assessed using B-mode ultrasound and compared between both groups.ResultsChildren with NS had lower QRFT and QVIT measurements than control groups (p < 0.001). Inadequacy in protein intake occurred in 62.5% and 27.5% of the NS and control groups, respectively (p = 0.002). The thickness of the rectus and vastus muscles by ultrasound was significantly associated with the percentage of protein intake (p < 0.001). The ROC curve revealed that the best cutoff value of QRFT for the prediction of the patient at risk of malnutrition was ≤ 1.195 with an area under curve of 0.907, with p < 0.001.ConclusionIn children with NS, skeletal muscle ultrasound is a simple and easy-to-use bedside technique for the identification of patients at risk of malnutrition.Graphical abstractA higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information

A Digital Smartphone-Based Self-administered Tool (R+ Dietitian) for Nutritional Risk Screening and Dietary Assessment in Hospitalized Patients With Cancer: Evaluation and Diagnostic Accuracy Study.

Malnutrition is a common and severe problem in patients with cancer that directly increases the incidence of complications and significantly deteriorates quality of life. Nutritional risk screening and dietary assessment are critical because they are the basis for providing personalized nutritional support. No digital smartphone-based self-administered tool for nutritional risk screening and dietary assessment among hospitalized patients with cancer has been developed and evaluated. This study aims to develop a digital smartphone-based self-administered mini program for nutritional risk screening and dietary assessment for hospitalized patients with cancer and to evaluate the validity of the mini program. We have developed the R+ Dietitian mini program, which consists of 3 parts: (1) collection of basic information of patients, (2) nutritional risk screening, and (3) dietary energy and protein assessment. The face-to-face paper-based Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment Short Form (PG-SGA-SF), and 3 days of 24-hour dietary recall (3d-24HRs) questionnaires were administered according to standard procedure by 2 trained dietitians as the reference methods. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, κ value, and correlation coefficients (CCs) of nutritional risk screened in R+ Dietitian against the reference methods, as well as the difference and CCs of estimated dietary energy and protein intakes between R+ Dietitian and 3d-24HRs were calculated to evaluate the validity of R+ Dietitian. A total of 244 hospitalized patients with cancer were recruited to evaluate the validity of R+ Dietitian. The NRS-2002 and PG-SGA-SF tools in R+ Dietitian showed high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity (77.5%, 81.0%, and 76.7% and 69.3%, 84.5%, and 64.5%, respectively), and fair agreement (κ=0.42 and 0.37, respectively; CC 0.62 and 0.56, respectively) with the NRS-2002 and PG-SGA-SF tools administered by dietitians. The estimated intakes of dietary energy and protein were significantly higher (P<.001 for both) in R+ Dietitian (mean difference of energy intake: 144.2 kcal, SD 454.8; median difference of protein intake: 10.7 g, IQR 9.5-39.8), and showed fair agreement (CC 0.59 and 0.47, respectively), compared with 3d-24HRs performed by dietitians. The identified nutritional risk and assessment of dietary intakes of energy and protein in R+ Dietitian displayed a fair agreement with the screening and assessment conducted by dietitians. R+ Dietitian has the potential to be a tool for nutritional risk screening and dietary intake assessment among hospitalized patients with cancer. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900026324; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=41528.

Hygienic assessment of dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Introduction. The concept of a balanced diet provides for the need for adequate intake of not only energy, macro- and micronutrients, but also a number of minor components with proven physiological significance (biological activity) with the diet. These compounds include long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Materials and methods. Actual nutrition was studied by reproduction methods: three times 24-hour recall. Based on the results of the studies, the content of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids was calculated, and their main sources were determined. The study involved three hundred fourteen students of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov. The comparison groups were divided by gender and by course of study. Results. An adequate level of consumption of DHA and EPA was registered in 50.6% and 35.7% of students, respectively. Extremely low intake (less than 25% of the recommended level) with the diet of EPA and DHA was observed in 30.9% and 15% of respondents, respectively. Deficiency in EPA and DHA intake (less than 50% of the recommended level) was found in 44.6% and 34.1% of students. The study did not find a gender difference in the content of EPA and DHA in the diet. The level of medical education significantly affected the quality of the diet in terms of the content of EPA and DHA: an almost direct relationship was established between the course of study and the amount of EPA and DHA received. In the diet of senior students, the amount of EPA and DHA exceeded the similar average values in first-year students by 81.9% and 67.4%, respectively. Limitations. The study has age and regional restrictions: young people aged of 18-29 years living in the Moscow region, and restrictions on the analyzed indicators: long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplied with the diet. Conclusions. A significant deficit in the intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and DHA) with the diet was established in more than half of the respondents. To achieve an adequate intake of EPA and DHA, several servings of fish and crustaceans should be included in the weekly diet.

Nutritional assessment of birth outcomes of gestational diabetic mothers in Gaza Strip, Palestine

Introduction: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most prevalent metabolic disorder during pregnancy. Numerous studies have dealt with risk factors of GDM, while others studied the health complications associated with GDM. This study aimed to investigate the association between GDM and nutritional birth outcomes in Gaza Strip, Palestine. Materials and Methods: The study utilized the case−control design where 44 GDM mothers and 44 non-GDM mothers were recruited. The study was conducted at the obstetric departments at Al-Shifa Maternity Hospital in Gaza and Mubarak Maternity Hospital in Khan Yunis. Data collection included anthropometric measurement and hematological indicators and other pertinent information through a structured questionnaire. Results: The result reported that the mean age of GDM pregnant women and non-GDM was 31 ± 11.5 and 23 ± 6.75 years, respectively. 13.6% had anemia, 20.5% had previous delivery of macrosomic baby, 15.9% had hypertension, and 11.4% were obese. In addition, 63.6% of GDM mothers had a family history of diabetes and 18.2% had a family history of GDM. 43.2% of GDM mothers delivered by cesarean section (CS) and 13.6% of GDM mothers had a premature delivery. Assessment of dietary intake indicated that 40.9% of GDM mothers have breakfast regularly. The neonatal median birth weight was 3.22 kg for babies of GDM mothers and 3.30 kg for babies of non-GDM mothers, and the median length was 52 cm versus 50 cm; 6.8% of neonates of GDM mothers had low Apgar score. Neonates of GDM mothers expressed significantly lower blood sugar (P = 0.039), lower albumin (P = 0.037), and higher soluble surface receptors – surface transferrin receptor (P = 0.017), but there were no statistically significant differences in the other hematological parameters. Conclusion: The study reflected a significant association between GDM and lower blood glucose, serum albumin, and iron status. Furthermore, the study reflected a significant association between GDM and CS delivery and neonatal hypoglycemia. The study emphasized the need to integrate clinical nutrition services in maternity departments and antenatal clinics and encourage physical activities during pregnancy. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Patient care and procedural skills, Medical knowledge.

A Clustering Approach to Meal-Based Analysis of Dietary Intakes Applied to Population and Individual Data

ABSTRACTBackgroundExamination of meal intakes can elucidate the role of individual meals or meal patterns in health not evident by examining nutrient and food intakes. To date, meal-based research has been limited to focus on population rather than individual intakes, without considering portions or nutrient content when characterizing meals.ObjectivesWe aimed to characterize meals commonly consumed, incorporating portions and nutritional content, and to determine the accuracy of nutrient intake estimates using these meals at both population and individual levels.MethodsThe 2008–2010 Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS) data were used. A total of 1500 participants, with a mean ± SD age of 44.5 ± 17.0 y and BMI of 27.1 ± 5.0 kg/m2, recorded their intake using a 4-d weighed food diary. Food groups were identified using k-means clustering. Partitioning around the medoids clustering was used to categorize similar meals into groups (generic meals) based on their Nutrient Rich Foods Index (NRF9.3) score and the food groups that they contained. The nutrient content for each generic meal was defined as the mean content of the grouped meals. Seven standard portion sizes were defined for each generic meal. Mean daily nutrient intakes were estimated using the original and the generic data.ResultsThe 27,336 meals consumed were aggregated to 63 generic meals. Effect sizes from the comparisons of mean daily nutrient intakes (from the original compared with generic meals) were negligible or small, with P values ranging from <0.001 to 0.941. When participants were classified according to nutrient-based guidelines (high, adequate, or low), the proportion of individuals who were classified into the same category ranged from 55.3% to 91.5%.ConclusionsA generic meal–based method can estimate nutrient intakes based on meal rather than food intake at the sample population and individual levels. Future work will focus on incorporating this concept into a meal-based dietary intake assessment tool.

Probabilistic assessment of dietary rare earth elements intake among people living near a rare earth ore

Rare earth elements (REEs) can cause neoplasms, reduce bone density, affect children's intelligence, etc., and diet is an important way for the human body to absorb REEs. With the increasing use of REEs, the impact on human health is becoming more and more important. So, we used a probabilistic assessment method with Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the dietary intake of REEs by residents of a large light rare earth mining area in Shandong Province. 16 REEs in 447 samples (including wheat, maize, dry beans, vegetables, fruits and eggs) were detected. The mean value of total REEs for all samples was 286.96 μg/kg, and of light rare earth elements (LREEs) was 270.18 μg/kg. Among of LREEs, Ce, La, Nd and Pr were dominant. The REEs content of different food categories showed that wheat, leafy vegetables and allium vegetables had higher content of REEs, melons vegetables, root vegetables, fruits and eggs had the lowest content. The mean dietary intake of rare earth oxides for the whole population was 4.20 μg/kg bw/d, wheat and vegetables (leafy vegetables, allium vegetables and root vegetables) were the main sources of REEs. Dietary intake estimates of REEs by age and gender did not exceed the acceptable daily intake which means implying no impact on human health.

Correlation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with gut microbiota according to the dietary intake of Korean elementary school students.

We investigated the impact of dietary patterns on the gut microbiota and concentration of short-chain fatty acids in the feces of Korean elementary school students. The dietary intake and ADHD assessment of 40 Korean elementary school students were analyzed using a dish-based semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Analysis of gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids composition were performed using the real-time polymerase chain reaction, metagenomics, and gas chromatography methods. The dietary patterns of participants were divided into four groups: healthy, processed food, fish and shellfish, and meat. The participants were also divided into two groups according to their ADHD scores: 0–30, control group; over 30, ADHD group. The ADHD score of the processed food group was significantly higher than that of the healthy group. The processed food and ADHD groups showed significantly higher abundance of harmful bacteria, such as the Enterobacter, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium strains, and markedly lower abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as the Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcus strains, than the control group. The heat maps of metagenomics indicated that each group was separated into distinct clusters, and the processed food and ADHD groups showed significantly lower α-diversity of gut microbiota than the control group. In these groups, the concentration of acetate or butyrate in the feces was significantly lower than that in the control group. These results may indicate that imbalanced diets can disturb the colonic microbial balance and are likely to become a potential risk factor for the prevalence of ADHD.

Assessment of dietary energy and protein intake in chronic kidney disease patients: A single centre study.

Objectives: Nutrition is often neglected as an important management strategy in Chronic Kidney Disease patients and malnutrition is an important determinant of morbidity and mortality. We investigated the energy and protein intake of Nigerian CKD patients and determined the association of energy intake with malnutrition.Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of dietary intake was conducted using 24hour dietary recall and three-day diary records. For malnutrition, anthropometric and biochemistry tests were performed.Results: Mean energy intake was 32.08±4.44 kcalkg-1 d-1 and 38.63±4.01 kcalkg-1 d-1 in CKD patients vs controls respectively (P&lt;.001). The mean protein intake was lower in patients with CKD patients (0.6±0.12 g kg-1 d-1) vs the controls (0.77±0.08 g kg-1 d-1) (P &lt;.001). The energy intake was inadequate in 69% of CKD patients. Inadequate protein intake was observed in 60% of pre-dialysis patients and in 100% of the Haemodialysis patients. Patients with inadequate energy intake were 1.7 times more likely to be malnourished compared to those on an adequate intake (95% CI:1.156- 2.594).Conclusion: We identified low energy and protein intake in our CKD population. Attention should be paid to the nutrition of CKD patients.

Identification of Single and Combined Serum Metabolites Associated with Food Intake.

Assessment of dietary intake is challenging. Traditional methods suffer from both random and systematic errors; thus objective measures are important complements in monitoring dietary exposure. The study presented here aims to identify serum metabolites associated with reported food intake and to explore whether combinations of metabolites may improve predictive models. Fasting blood samples and a 4-day weighed food diary were collected from healthy Swedish subjects (n = 119) self-defined as having habitual vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian + fish, or omnivore diets. Serum was analyzed for metabolites by 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Associations between single and combined metabolites and 39 foods and food groups were explored. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for prediction models. In total, 24 foods or food groups associated with serum metabolites using the criteria of rho > 0.2, p < 0.01 and AUC ≥ 0.7 were identified. For the consumption of soybeans, citrus fruits and marmalade, nuts and almonds, green tea, red meat, poultry, total fish and shellfish, dairy, fermented dairy, cheese, eggs, and beer the final models included two or more metabolites. Our results indicate that a combination of metabolites improve the possibilities to use metabolites to identify several foods included in the current diet. Combined metabolite models should be confirmed in dose–response intervention studies.

Assessment of nutritional status, dietary intake and adherence to dietary recommendations in type 1 diabetic children and adolescents.

Currently, T1D is one of the most common chronic diseases in children and adolescents. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that more than 1.1 million children and adolescents are living with (T1D). A few studies have evaluated the relationship between dietary intake and glycemic control (GC) in people with T1D, and in particular, children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between anthropometric characteristics, lipid profile, inflammation, dietary intake and GC in comparison with international guidelines. The study included a sample of 240 children, aged 15 years old or less with T1D. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the socio-demographic status, disease characteristics, and diet of the participants. Weight, height, and WC were measured and WHtR and BMI were calculated. Biochemical measurements were determined. Dietary intake was assessed using three 24-hour recalls. Saturated fat intake was five times higher than recommended. Only 8.3% of participants reached the recommended level of fiber. Overweight, obesity, TC, TG, HDL and CRP were significantly higher in children with poor GC to those with good GC. In addition, participants with poor GC had significantly low intakes of calories, carbohydrates, fiber, MUFAs, and PUFAs and high intakes of fat and SFAs. The use of Bivariate correlation analyses showed that calorie, protein, fat and fiber intake were positively correlated with weight, height, WC, and GO, whereas carbohydrate intake was negatively associated with these parameters. On the contrary, CO showed a negative correlation with calorie, protein, fat and fiber intake and a positive correlation with carbohydrate intake. The results revealed that the dietary quality was poor and adherence to dietary recommendations was low with insufficient fiber intake and excess SFA. These results suggest that GC can be improved by a healthy, balanced diet by increasing fiber intake and limiting SFA intake. Liczba pobrań: 2.

Consumption of golden berries (Physalis peruviana L.) might reduce biomarkers of oxidative stress and alter gut permeability in men without changing inflammation status or the gut microbiota

Golden berry (Physalis peruviana) is a tropical fruit rich in antioxidants that has been proposed to be able to control the lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic patients. Dyslipidemia is an independent risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases. The gut microbiota is strongly associated with cardiometabolic risk and is involved in redox balance, intestinal permeability, and inflammation. However, the impacts of golden berry on some of these factors, including the human gut microbiota, have never been tested, and there are no tools for compliance monitoring or dietary intake assessment regarding nutritional interventions with this fruit. In the pre-post quasi-experimental nutritional intervention presented here, 18 adult men (27–49 years old) consumed golden berries (Dorada variety) for three weeks. We evaluated putative biomarkers of exposure through an untargeted metabolomics approach (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry LC-MS), quantified the biomarkers of oxidative stress, gut permeability, and inflammation in plasma, and assessed the effects of fruit intake on the gut microbiota through 16S rRNA gene sequencing of feces (Illumina MiSeq V2). First, syringic acid and kaempferol were identified as putative biomarkers of golden berry consumption. Intervention with this fruit promoted physiological changes in the participants after three weeks, reducing the level of the oxidative stress marker 8-isoprostane (-148 pg/ml; 36.1 %; p = 0.057) and slightly altering gut permeability by increasing the plasma levels of LBP (2.91 µg/ml; 54.6 %; p = 0.0005) and I-FABP (0.15, 14.7 %, p = 0.04) without inducing significant inflammation; i.e., the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-8 changed by 0.7 (2.0 %), −4.0 (-9.6 %) and −0.4 (-1.8 %) pg/ml, respectively. Notably, the consumption of golden berries did not affect the gut microbiota of the individuals consistently but instead shifted it in a personalized manner. The compositions of the gut microbiota of a given individual at the end of intervention and one month after the end of intervention were statistically more similar to their own baseline than to a corresponding sample from a different individual. This intervention identified putative biomarkers of golden berry intake along with potential benefits of its consumption relevant to cardiometabolic disease risk reduction. Golden berries are likely to positively modulate redox balance, although this effect must be proven in a future controlled clinical trial.

Deficiency of Irx5 protects mice from obesity and associated metabolic abnormalities.

Obesity, a leading cause of several metabolic abnormalities, is mainly caused by imbalanced energy homeostasis. IRX3 and IRX5 have been suggested as genetic determinants of obesity in connection with the intronic variants of the FTO gene, the strongest genetic risk factor of polygenic obesity in humans. Although the causal effects of Irx3 and its cooperation with Irx5 in obesity and associated metabolic abnormalities have been demonstrated in vivo, the function of Irx5 in energy homeostasis remains unclear. Here we aim to decipher the actions of Irx5 in the regulation of obesity and metabolic abnormalities. We employed a mouse model homozygous for an Irx5-knockout (Irx5KO) allele and determined its metabolic phenotype in the presence or absence of a high-fat diet challenge. To investigate the function of Irx5 in the regulation of energy homeostasis, adipose thermogenesis and hypothalamic leptin response were assessed, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in the hypothalamic arcuate-median eminence (ARC-ME) was conducted. Irx5KO mice were leaner and resistant to diet-induced obesity as well as associated metabolic abnormalities, primarily through loss of adiposity. Assessments of energy expenditure and long-term dietary intake revealed that an increase in basal metabolic rate with adipose thermogenesis and a reduction of food intake with improved hypothalamic leptin response in Irx5KO mice may contribute to the anti-obesity effects. Utilizing scRNA-seq and marker gene analyses, we demonstrated the number of ARC-ME neurons was elevated in Irx5KO mice, suggesting a direct role for Irx5 in hypothalamic feeding control. Our study demonstrates that Irx5 is a genetic factor determining body mass/composition and obesity and regulates both energy expenditure and intake.

Development and validation of a smartphone image-based app for dietary intake assessment among Palestinian undergraduates

Accurate dietary assessment is required in a variety of research fields and clinical settings. Image-based dietary assessment using smartphones applications offer the opportunity to reduce both researcher and participant burden compared to traditional dietary assessment methods. The current study, conducted in Palestine, aimed to design an image-based dietary assessment application, to assess the relative validity of the application as a dietary assessment tool for energy and macronutrient intake using the 3-Day Food Record (3-DFR) as a reference method, and to test its usability among a sample of Palestinian university students. The development of a smartphone application (Ghithaona) designed to assess energy and macronutrient intake is reported. The application validity was tested among a sample of Palestinian undergraduates from An-Najah National University. Participants recorded their dietary intake using the Ghithaona application over 2 consecutive days and 1 weekend day. Intake from the Ghithaona application were compared to intake collected from 3-DFR, taken on 2 consecutive weekdays and 1 weekend day, in the second week following the Ghithaona application. At the end of the study, participants completed an exit survey to test assess application usability and to identify barriers to its use. Mean differences in energy, and macronutrients intake were evaluated between the methods using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Agreement between methods was ascertained using Pearson correlations and Bland–Altman plots. The Ghithaona application took 6 months to develop. The validation test was completed by 70 participants with a mean age of 21.0 ± 2.1 years. No significant differences were found between the two methods for mean intakes of energy or macronutrients (p > 0.05). Significant correlations between the two methods were observed for energy, and all macronutrients (r = 0.261–0.58, p ≤ 0.05). Bland–Altman plots confirmed wide limits of agreement between the methods with no systematic bias. According to the exit survey, it was found that majority of participants strongly agreed and agreed that the application saves time (94.2%), helps the participant to pay attention to their dietary habits (87.2%), and is easy to use (78.6%). The Ghithaona application showed relative validity for assessment of nutrient intake of Palestinian undergraduates.

Dietary intake assessment of known and unknown organophosphate esters (OPEs) in foodstuffs via high-resolution mass spectrometry

We applied an integrated target, suspect, and non-target screening strategy to analyze known and unknown organophosphate esters (OPEs) in 107 foodstuffs collected from Nanjing City, China, in 2020. Twelve out of 19 target OPEs were detectable in at least one of the analyzed samples. Among the nine food categories, meat samples were contaminated the most severely with a mean ΣOPEs concentration of 68.5 ng/g wet weight (ww). In most food categories, tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate was the predominant OPE with a mean concentrations of 2.26 ng/g ww. In the food extract samples, suspect and non-target analysis identified other 6 suspect OPEs and 1 non-target OPE, of which two were fully identified as tri-m-cresyl phosphate, and trihexyl phosphate. Based on the measured OPE concentrations, we estimated the daily per capita dietary intakes of ΣOPEs for Nanjing residents to be 423 ng/kg bw/day, which is less than the reference dosage value of each OPE. Collectively, this study provides new information regarding the comprehensive identification of OPEs in foodstuffs, and revealed the importance of dietary risk assessment of this emerging class of contaminants.

Vitamin B3 (niacin), B6, C, and iron intake are associated with the free androgen index, especially in normoandrogenic polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective:Nutritional intake is one of the most common environmental risk factors for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) because it is associated with obesity and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between micronutrient intake and androgen levels associated with PCOS.Material and Methods:This cross-sectional study was performed in patients with PCOS divided into two groups, normoandrogenic (NA) and hyperandrogenic (HA), and healthy controls. Dietary intake assessment was performed using a modified 38-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Bivariate, correlation, and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association between study variables.Results:There were 79 patients with PCOS, of whom 50 were NA and 29 were HA. There were 66 subjects in the healthy control group. The baseline characteristics in all groups were similar, except for body mass index and hormonal profile which were elevated in the HA group compared to the other groups. There was a significant negative correlation between the free androgen index (FAI) and intake of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin B6, calcium, and iron in the NA group, while this association was absent in the HA group. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the intake of vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, and iron had a significant effect on the FAI.Conclusion:There is an effect of micronutrient intake on androgen levels in women with PCOS. The association was more significant in NA PCOS than in the HA PCOS groups. These findings suggest an association between micronutrients, androgens and PCOS at a systemic level.