Dietary Mineral Intake Research Articles

Dietary supplement use is associated with higher intakes of minerals from food sources

Dietary supplement use is extensive in US adults. Some reports suggested that supplement users had higher nutrient intakes from the diet than did nonusers, but to our knowledge this finding has not been examined in nationally representative survey data. In this analysis, we examined mineral intakes from the diet by supplement-use categories and how these supplements contributed to meeting or exceeding Dietary Reference Intakes for selected minerals. Data from adults (≥19 y of age; n = 8860) who participated in NHANES 2003-2006, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey, were examined. Supplement use was defined as the participant's self-reported use of a supplement that contained one or more selected minerals. Dietary intakes of minerals from food sources were higher for magnesium, copper, potassium, and selenium in male supplement users than in nonusers. For women, dietary intakes of minerals from food sources were higher for users than for nonusers for each mineral examined except for selenium. In women, users of calcium-containing dietary supplements were much more likely to meet the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) than were nonusers. Even after consideration of supplement use, >14% of adults had inadequate intakes for calcium and magnesium on the basis of the percentage of adults with usual intakes less than the EAR. The prevalence of adults who exceeded the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium was higher in users than in nonusers. Individuals who used mineral-containing dietary supplements had higher mineral intakes from food sources in the diet than did nonusers. For all minerals examined, and particularly for calcium and magnesium in men and women and iron in women, supplement use decreased the prevalence of intake inadequacy for each respective mineral; however, supplements contributed to risk of potentially excessive intakes for calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.

Relationship between dietary mineral intake and blood pressure (BP) in the elderly in Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between daily dietary mineral (Na, K, Ca and Mg) intake and BP in the elderly. This study was conducted on 390 elderly volunteers (≥65 years). Subjects were randomly selected from the general population of Ankara, Turkey. Anthropometric measurements, lipid profiles, and mean systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) of all the participants were measured. To determine the mineral intake of the participants, food consumption was measured with a 24-h dietary recall. The 49.3% of participants were found to be hypertensive, 25.1% to be pre-hypertensive and 25.6% were normotensive according to the JNC-7 Guidelines, except for daily Mg and Na intake, the energy, macronutrient and micronutrient intake of groups were not significantly different (p>0.05). A significant inverse correlation between daily Ca intake and SBP was found in the pre-hypertensive group when age and gender adjusted regression analyses were performed (B=−0.006, p<0.05). Na intake and Na/K ratio were directly associated with SBP in the hypertensive group. In conclusion, SBP was found to be most related to dietary Na and Ca intake, and Na-to-K ratio in the elderly population.

Farming for balanced nutrition: an agricultural approach to addressing micronutrient deficiency among the vulnerable poor in Africa

Concepts on malnutrition have evolved from an emphasis on protein deficiency through energy deficit, to the realization that food quality in general and an adequate supply of micronutrients in particular, is often more of a problem than food quantity. Throughout the developing world, micronutrient deficiency is one of the most important factors influencing human health, being directly responsible for conditions such as xeropthalmia, associated with vitamin A deficiency and anaemia, due to iron deficiency. In addition, micronutrient deficiency predisposes children to infection and retards recovery from common infections such as malaria, measles and diarrhoea. The groups most at risk from micronutrient deficiency are usually children and those for whom labour for food production is limited by ill health (HIV sufferers), advancedage or intense social commitments (single mothers, for example). There have been numerous health projects in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere in the developing world, to address micronutrient deficiency through the distribution of vitamin and mineral supplements, which usually have to be imported. An alternative (or complementary) approach is to promote the inclusion of high quality food crops in the farming system to enrich the diet with essential vitamins and minerals. This agricultural approach to the problem of micronutrient deficiency can provide sustainable solutions, which improve diet quality. An increase in the cultivation ofhigh quality foods such as legumes, fruits and green vegetables, may be able to deliver a balanced diet to households, without necessarily requiring additional land and labour. Agricultural approaches to enhance dietary intake of vitamins and minerals have the additional advantage that they foster community self-reliance, they are sustainable in the absence of external funding, and, offer the opportunity for enhanced income by marketing surplus production. Diet diversification through betteruse of existing biodiversity offers an immediate means to address poor diet quality and can also include the use of presently available nutritionally enhanced crops, such as orange-fleshed sweet potato.

A Study on Dietary Mineral Intakes, Urinary Mineral Excretions, and Bone Mineral Density in Korean Postmenopausal Women

The purpose of this study was to determine the urinary Ca, P, Mg, Zn, Cu, and Mn levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in sixty-two postmenopausal women. The study was conducted through anthropometric checkup, 24-hour recall, 24-hour urine and bone mineral density using DEXA. Average age, height, weight and body fat of the subjects were respectively 65.39 years, 150.19 cm, 58.03 kg and 37.22%. The average spine and femoral neck BMD of subjects were -2.19, -3.13. The mean intakes of Ca, P and Mg were 524.7 mg, 993.10 mg, and 254.6 mg and those of Zn, Cu and Mn were 8.6 mg, 1.5 mg, and 3.5 mg. The average 24-hour urinary excretion of Ca (UCa), P (UP) and Mg (UMg) were 161.07 mg, 673.68 mg, and 99.87 mg. The average 24-hour urinary excretion of Zn (UZn), Cu (UCu) and Mn (UMn) were 366.50 µg, 22.57 µg, and 1.55 µg. Ca intake showed significantly positive correlations with urinary UCa (p < 0.05), UMg (p < 0.01) and spine BMD (p < 0.05). P intake showed significantly positive correlations with UCa (p < 0.05), UMg (p < 0.05) and UZn (p < 0.05). Mg intake showed significantly positive correlations with UZn (p < 0.05) and Mn intake showed significantly positive correlations with UCa (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis indicates that Ca intake and UMg is the most important factor to increase spine BMD. On the other hand, UCa is the most important factor to decrease spine BMD. Higher femoral neck BMD was related to UP, while lower femoral neck BMD was related to UCa. In conclusion, Dietary intake of Ca showed positive effect of spine BMD, while excessive P intake showed negative effect on BMD due to increases in UCa, UMg and UZn. Further studies are required to investigate the relationship between bone metabolism and mineral excretion. (Korean J Community Nutr 16(5) : 569~579, 2011)

Dietary intake of six minerals in relation to the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

To investigate the relationship between dietary intake of minerals and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a case-control study was conducted in central Japan. A total of 278 referred patients (244 men and 34 women) aged 50-75 years with COPD diagnosed within the past four years and 340 community-based controls undertook spirometric measurements of lung function. A structured questionnaire was administered face-to-face to obtain information on demographics and habitual food consumption. Dietary intakes of six major minerals were derived from the Japanese food composition tables. The COPD patients had lower habitual energy-adjusted intakes of calcium, phosphorus and iron than controls, but not sodium. A significant reduction in prevalence of COPD was observed for calcium, with adjusted odds ratio 0.65 (95% confidence interval: 0.37- 0.98) for the highest level versus lowest level of intake. A high iron intake was also inversely associated with the COPD risk. In conclusion, an inverse association was evident between dietary calcium intake and the risk of COPD for Japanese adults.

Trophic Transfer and Dietary Mineral Intake of Essential Elements in Thunnus albacares and Katsuwonus pelamis from the Eastern Pacific

With the aim of knowing levels of Cu, Fe, and Zn in the edible portion of tunas Thunnus albacares and Katsuwonus pelamis, these elements were measured in 73 fish collected in the eastern Pacific. Additionally, trophic transfer (TF) and dietary mineral intake (DMI) of analyzed metals were determined. The most elevated average concentration of Zn (31.7 μg g(-1) dry weight) was found in T. albacares from the Baja California region; in the case of Cu and Fe, highest values (3.86 and 71.0 μg g(-1) dry weight) were found in K. pelamis from the offshore waters in the Pacific Ocean. Concentrations of Cu in muscle tissue of both species were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated (negatively) with total length of specimens; levels of Fe in muscle of K. pelamis also showed a negative correlation with total length. None of TFs were above the unit, it implies that there is no biomagnification of Cu, Fe, and Zn. The DMI of Cu, Fe, and Zn from muscle tissue of analyzed tuna represented less than 13%, 21%, and 8%, respectively, of the daily requirements for humans.

Dietary Antioxidant and Mineral Intake in Humans Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma but Not Reflux Esophagitis or Barrett’s Esophagus ,

The role of antioxidants in the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis (RE), Barrett’s esophagus (BE), and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) remains unknown. We evaluated the associations among dietary antioxidant intake and these diseases. We performed an assessment of dietary antioxidant intake in a case control study of RE (n = 219), BE (n = 220), EAC (n = 224), and matched population controls (n = 256) (the Factors Influencing the Barrett’s Adenocarcinoma Relationship study) using a modification of a validated FFQ. We found that overall antioxidant index, a measure of the combined intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, total carotenoids, and selenium, was associated with a reduced risk of EAC [odds ratio (OR) = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.33–0.98], but not BE (OR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.53–1.71) or RE (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 0.86–2.98), for those in the highest compared with lowest category of intake. Those in the highest category of vitamin C intake had a lower risk of EAC (OR = 0.37; 95% CI = 0.21–0.66; P-trend = 0.001) and RE (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.24–0.90; P-trend = 0.03) compared with those in the lowest category. Vitamin C intake was not associated with BE, and intake of vitamin E, total carotenoids, zinc, copper, or selenium was not associated with EAC, BE, or RE. In conclusion, the overall antioxidant index was associated with a reduced risk of EAC. Higher dietary intake of vitamin C was associated with a reduced risk of EAC and RE. These results suggest that antioxidants may play a role in the pathogenesis of RE and EAC and may be more important in terms of progression rather than initiation of the disease process.

Dietary assessment methods for intakes of iron, calcium, selenium, zinc and iodine

The EURopean micronutrient RECommendations Aligned (EURRECA) Network of Excellence is working towards developing aligned micronutrient recommendations across Europe. The purpose of the present study was to conduct a review of methods used in validation studies carried out in adults assessing dietary intake of EURRECA priority minerals. A search strategy and inclusion criteria were defined and a scoring system was developed to rate the quality of each validation study that produced a quality index with possible scores obtained ranging from 0.5 to 7. A MEDLINE and EMBASE literature review was conducted. Articles/validation studies meeting the inclusion criteria included: 79/88 for Fe; 95/104 for Ca; 13/15 for Se; 29/30 for Zn; 7/9 for iodine. The most frequently used method to ascertain dietary intake was the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), whereas dietary records (DR) and 24 h recalls were the most used reference methods. The correlation coefficients (CC) between study mineral intakes estimated by FFQ and the reference method were weighted according to the study's quality index and obtained acceptable to good ratings, ranging from 0.36 to 0.60 when the reference method was DR and from 0.41 to 0.58 when the reference was 24 h recalls. A minority of studies (n 9) used biomarkers for validation and among these, five included iodine obtaining a CC of 0.47. The FFQ was seen as a valid method for assessing mineral intake, particularly for Ca and, to a lower extent, for iodine and Zn. Se and Fe showed only acceptable correlations. The present review provides new insights regarding the characteristics that assessment methods for dietary mineral intakes should fulfil.

Mineral and Heavy Metal Content of Nigerian Dishes

The purpose of the study was to determine the mineral and heavy metal composition of twenty standardized dishes commonly consumed in Nigeria. Twenty standardized dishes more frequently consumed were cooked in triplicate and their major elements (Ca, Mg, Na, K, P) and trace elements (Se, Mn, Pb, Cd) content were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry by standard methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 2005). Dry weights varied from 18.33 ± 0.20 to 63.77 ± 0.30% fresh matter. Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, and potassium contents expressed in mg/100 g ranged from 45.96 ± 0.33 to 421.94 ± 0.56, 20.56 ± 0.64 to 309.77 ± 2.89, 38.34 ± 0.81 to 270.32 ± 4.21, 0.01 ± 0.01 to 0.45 ± 0.01, and 413.17 ± 0.63 to 654.21 ± 4.87 mg/100 g, respectively. Their sodium, manganese, lead, and cadmium contents were between 16.86 ± 0.28 and 67.54 ± 2.10 mg/100 g, 0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.22 ± 0.02 mg/100 g, 0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.65 ± 0.05, and 0.01 ± 0.01 and 0.28 ± 0.01 mg/100 g, respectively. There were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.5) differences in the mean values of all the parameters determined. Most of these recipes could adequately contribute to dietary minerals intake in most of the recipes.

Micronutrient intakes in two us populations of older adults: Lipid research clinics program prevalence study findings

Dietary intakes of several minerals and vitamins were assessed in two US sub-populations of older men and women between 60 and 80 years as part of the Lipid Research Clinics Program Prevalence Study conducted in the mid-1980s prior to widespread fortification. Dietary intakes were analyzed from 24-hour recalls using the Minnesota Nutrition Coding Center. Descriptive statistics on the two diverse sub-populations were generated for the elderly subjects at the two clinic sites, southern California and Oklahoma. Regression analyses of specific micronutrients were performed while controlling for several variables, namely, age, sex, clinic (region), education, Body Mass Index (BMI), alcohol consumption, and smoking status. Compared to current (1999–2004) Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) and Adequate Intakes (AIs) for three micronutrients without EARs for the US and Canada, several micronutrients were consumed at or close to their EAR values. Exceptions include intakes of vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium and calcium which were very low; intakes of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C were low but closer to the published EAR or AI values. High intakes approaching cut-offs for practically all subjects were found for both groups of elders at the two clinic sites for iron, phosphorus, and sodium. In general, California elderly had somewhat better consumption patterns for the vitamins, but the Oklahomans, males at least, had higher overall mineral intakes. The micronutrient deficits found in this small study suggest that most elderly US citizens were likely to be deficient in five micronutrients and marginally insufficient in four others in the mid-1980s and, despite even greater fortification currently, elderly intakes seem not to have improved substantially since the 1980s, except for subjects who are regular multi-supplement users.

Vitamin and mineral supplement use by children and adolescents in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: relationship with nutrition, food security, physical activity, and health care access.

To determine if vitamin and mineral supplement use among children and adolescents in the United States is associated with nutrition, food security, physical activity, and health care access. Secondary analysis of nationally representative data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Questionnaires, household interviews, and medical examinations. Children and adolescents 2 to 17 years of age (N = 10 828). Vitamin and mineral supplement use in the past month. Demographics, nutrition, food security, physical activity, and health care access. Approximately 34% (SE 1.2) used vitamin and mineral supplements in the past month, with underweight subjects reporting greater intake. Younger age, non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity, being born in the United States, higher milk intake, lower total fat and cholesterol intake, higher dietary fiber intake, higher income, greater food security, lower media/computer use, greater physical activity, lower body mass index, health insurance coverage, better health care access, and better self-reported health were associated with greater use of vitamin and mineral supplements. Such supplements contributed significantly to total daily dietary intakes of vitamins and minerals. A large number of US children and adolescents use vitamin and mineral supplements, which for most may not be medically indicated. Such supplements contribute significantly to total dietary intakes of vitamins and minerals, and studies of nutrition should include their assessment. Since vitamin and mineral supplement users report greater health care access, health care providers may be in a position to provide screening and counseling regarding dietary adequacy and indications for supplement use.

Monetary Diet Cost is Associated with not only Favorable but also Unfavorable Aspects of Diet in Pregnant Japanese Women: The Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study.

While several observational studies in European countries have shown that higher monetary diet cost is associated with healthier diets, information on the relationship of cost to diet quality in other countries is sparse, including Japan. This cross-sectional study examined the association between monetary diet cost and dietary intake in a group of pregnant Japanese women. Subjects were 596 pregnant Japanese housewives. Dietary intake was estimated using a validated, self-administered, comprehensive diet history questionnaire. Monetary diet cost was calculated using retail food prices. Values of monetary diet cost and nutrient and food intake were energy-adjusted using the density method. Monetary diet cost was associated positively with the intake of protein, total fat, saturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, D, E, C, and folate, and inversely with that of carbohydrate. For foods, cost was associated positively with the intake of potatoes, pulses and nuts, fish and shellfish, meat, dairy products, vegetables, and fruits, and inversely with that of rice and bread. No association was seen for noodles, confectioneries and sugars, fats and oils, or eggs. Cost was also associated inversely with dietary energy density. In conclusion, monetary diet cost was associated with not only favorable aspects of diet, including a higher intake of dietary fiber, key vitamins and minerals, fruits, and vegetables and lower dietary energy density, but also unfavorable aspects, including a higher intake of fat and sodium and lower intake of carbohydrate and rice, in a group of pregnant Japanese women.

Tissue Mineral Distributions are Differentially Modified by Dietary Protein Deficiency and a Murine Nematode Infection

This study was designed to investigate whether mineral concentrations in the spleen, serum, and liver were modified by challenge infection with a gastrointestinal nematode, by infection dose, or by protein deficiency despite adequate dietary intakes of minerals. BALB/c mice fed protein-sufficient (PS, 24%) or protein-deficient (PD, 3%) diets were infected with 100 L3 of Heligmosomoides bakeri, drug-treated, and then re-infected with either 0, 100, or 200 L3. Protein deficiency and infection, but not dose, independently modified tissue mineral distributions. H. bakeri infection lowered serum iron concentrations in both diet groups. Despite this, PD mice had elevated iron and calcium concentrations and Ca/Zn ratio in the spleen as well as Fe/Zn ratio in liver, but they had reduced calcium, zinc, copper, and sulfur concentrations, and Cu/Zn ratio in the liver. Infection reduced calcium and iron concentrations and the Ca/Zn ratio in the spleen. We suggest that tissue mineral distribution is a consequence of Th2 immune and inflammatory responses induced by infection in PS mice and the switch to predominant Th1 inflammation in PD, nematode-infected mice.

A Nori but not a Konbu, dietary supplement decreases the cholesterolaemia, liver fat infiltration and mineral bioavailability in hypercholesterolaemic growing Wistar rats.

The nutritional consequences of algae consumption in young populations consuming hypercholesterolaemic diets have hardly been investigated. This study tests the effect of algae supplementation of cholesterol-enriched balanced diets on growth, dietary efficiency ratio, mineral intake and absorption, organ weight and structure and cholesterolaemia in growing Wistar rats. Three groups of ten rats each were fed for 3 weeks with experimental diets containing 93 % casein-soyabean oil base with 2.4 % cholesterol-raising agent and 7 % supplement. The control group received cellulose (35 %), group 2 consumed Nori (33.8 % fibre) and group 3 consumed Konbu (36.1 % fibre). Food intake and body weight gain were not significantly affected. Algae groups presented significantly higher dietary efficiency ratio values than control rats. Apparent absorption of several minerals appeared significantly affected, mainly in Nori-fed rats, with a significant decrease in the ratio of Zn and Cu intakes and apparent absorption. Nori diet significantly decreased plasma cholesterol. Algae supplement did not significantly affect organ size and structure. Control and Konbu rats showed severe liver fat infiltration, while Nori rats exhibited a significantly lower degree of lipid-like hepatocyte vacuolization but light to moderate leukocyte infiltration. Light to moderate scaling off of the epithelium and moderate submucosa oedema was observed in all groups. Although long-term studies are needed to check the possible extrapolation of these data to human subjects, it can be concluded that a Nori, but not a Konbu, dietary supplement reverses the negative effect of dietary cholesterol intake and also appears to be related to mineral availability in growing subjects.

A Very-Low-Fat Vegan Diet Increases Intake of Protective Dietary Factors and Decreases Intake of Pathogenic Dietary Factors

There is increasing evidence that dietary factors in plant-based diets are important in the prevention of chronic disease. This study examined protective (eg, antioxidant vitamins, carotenoids, and fiber) and pathogenic (eg, saturated fatty acids and cholesterol) dietary factors in a very-low-fat vegan diet. Ninety-three early-stage prostate cancer patients participated in a randomized controlled trial and were assigned to a very-low-fat (10% fat) vegan diet supplemented with soy protein and lifestyle changes or to usual care. Three-day food records were collected at baseline (n=42 intervention, n=43 control) and after 1 year (n=37 in each group). Analyses of changes in dietary intake of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and isoflavones from baseline to 1 year showed significantly increased intake of most protective dietary factors (eg, fiber increased from a mean of 31 to 59 g/day, lycopene increased from 8,693 to 34,464 μg/day) and significantly decreased intake of most pathogenic dietary factors (eg, saturated fatty acids decreased from 20 to 5 g/day, cholesterol decreased from 200 to 10 mg/day) in the intervention group compared to controls. These results suggest that a very-low-fat vegan diet can be useful in increasing intake of protective nutrients and phytochemicals and minimizing intake of dietary factors implicated in several chronic diseases.

Mineral content in some Cameroonian household foods eaten in Douala

Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies associated to emerging chronically diseases are serious public health in Cameroon. The main roots are poverty, and poor knowledge on food composition based on optimal uses of available foods to maintain nutrition security. Sixteen recipes more frequently consumed selected after nutritional survey were cooked in triplicate and their minerals (Ca, Mg, K, P, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe) content were analysed. Dry weights varied from 11.07 ± 2.58 to 27.87 ± 4.29% fresh matter. Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium contents expressed in mg/100 g ranged from 32 ± 0.1 to 878.33 ± 128.77, 48.67 ± 3.5 to 616.33 ± 150.0, 22 ± 3 to 142 ± 5, and 197 ± 34 to 1346.33 ±137.41, respectively. Their zinc, copper, manganese and iron contents were between 0.49 ± 0.06 and 12.08 ± 0.83 mg/100 g, 0.12 ± 0.001 and 0.33 ± 0.02 mg/100 g, 0.05 ± 0.001 and 0.80 ± 0.001, and 1.42 ± 0.55 and 6.61 ± 2.25 mg/100 g, respectively. The recipes could adequately contribute to dietary minerals intake in most of the recipes. However majority these dishes based on cereals, tubers and legumes but poor in animal products can lead to micronutrient because of the presence of antinutritional factors that reduce minerals bioavailability.

How minerals may influence the development and expression of immunity to endoparasites in livestock

This review attempts to explain how dietary mineral intake may affect the immune system, with particular reference to gastrointestinal nematode infestations of livestock, and considers its significance for other gut infections as well as for other species. Of the 56 minerals found in mammalian tissues, 16 are currently considered to be essential, and a further 13 probably essential, for cell and tissue function. To date, eight of these have been shown to affect the function of the mammalian immune system directly. Nine others have roles in physiological pathways such as neurological or endocrine function, or protein or carbohydrate metabolism, which in turn regulate the immune system. The remainder may in the future be shown to have immunologically specific roles. The pathogenesis of mineral effects on immunity involves a number of pathways and molecular mechanisms. Major areas requiring further investigation are the relationship between deficiency of minerals and in vivo immune-mediated protection against disease, in particular diseases of the mucosa, and the mechanisms by which the minerals or their deficiency exert their effect on immunity. Research is also required into the possibility that animals in the process of acquiring gut immunity have higher requirements for minerals.

Prevalence of Hypertension and Association of Dietary Mineral Intake with Blood Pressure in Healthy Schoolchildren from Northern Greece Aged 7–15 Years

Background and Aims: Pediatric hypertension is urgently increasing in Greece. The purpose of this study is to record the prevalence of hypertension in schoolchildren and to relate dietary minerals to blood pressure (BP). Methods and Results: 308 males and 298 females, aged 7–15 years, from 10 schools in Northern Greece participated in the study. BP and dietary minerals were measured in all children. Twenty-seven and 12.3% of boys and 21.2 and 15.1% of girls were diagnosed with prehypertension systolic BP and systolic hypertension, respectively. For diastolic BP, 19 and 13.3% of boys and 21.5 and 15.1% of girls were diagnosed with prehypertension diastolic BP and diastolic hypertension, respectively. Systolic BP was significantly positively associated with age (β: 0.283, 95% CI: 1.440–2.484, p < 0.001), BMI (β: 0.267, 95% CI: 0.830–1.489, p < 0.001) and potassium (β: 0.139, 95% CI: 0.001–0.005, p < 0.001) and negatively related to Ca (β: –0.160, 95% CI: –0.012 to 0.002, p = 0.007). Diastolic BP was positively related only to BMI (β: 0.194, 95% CI: 0.380–0.968, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The current study tried to estimate the prevalence of hypertension among children in Northern Greece. Early prevention through nutrition education programs on BP that include diet and exercise modifications is urgently needed in order to avoid certain chronic risk factors in early life.

Agreement of estimated values with measured values in dietary intakes of minerals: A validation study in Japan

This study was initiated to examine the validity of newly published food composition tables (FCT) as a tool for estimation of mineral intakes in Japan. For this purpose, 24-hour food duplicate samples were collected from residents in two areas. In practice, 24 adult women in one area and 17 adults (men and women) in the other offered complete samples (i.e. the samples with which the energy intakes were ≧1.2 times basal metabolic rates). The concentrations of nine minerals (Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P and Zn) in the duplicates were estimated by use of FCT, and compared with the values measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Close agreement was observed between the estimated values ( E) and the measured values ( M) on a group basis; the E/ M ratios were in a range of 0.92–1.26. Lower limits of the 95% confidence interval of the ratio were, however, low, i.e. 0.42 for Ca, 0.54 for Na and 0.59 for Fe. The risk of over-estimation was highest for Mg (by +26%), Fe (by +22%) and Mn (by +22%). Thus, it appeared prudent to conclude that FCT-based estimation is reliable on a group basis for the minerals studied, and that care should be practiced, however, when application is made on an individual basis, especially for Ca, Fe and Na.

Nutrient adequacy during weight loss interventions: a randomized study in women comparing the dietary intake in a meal replacement group with a traditional food group

BackgroundSafe and effective weight control strategies are needed to stem the current obesity epidemic. The objective of this one-year study was to document and compare the macronutrient and micronutrient levels in the foods chosen by women following two different weight reduction interventions.MethodsNinety-six generally healthy overweight or obese women (ages 25–50 years; BMI 25–35 kg/m2) were randomized into a Traditional Food group (TFG) or a Meal Replacement Group (MRG) incorporating 1–2 meal replacement drinks or bars per day. Both groups had an energy-restricted goal of 5400 kJ/day. Dietary intake data was obtained using 3-Day Food records kept by the subjects at baseline, 6 months and one-year. For more uniform comparisons between groups, each diet intervention consisted of 18 small group sessions led by the same Registered Dietitian.ResultsWeight loss for the 73% (n = 70) completing this one-year study was not significantly different between the groups, but was significantly different (p ≤ .05) within each group with a mean (± standard deviation) weight loss of -6.1 ± 6.7 kg (TFG, n = 35) vs -5.0 ± 4.9 kg (MRG, n = 35). Both groups had macronutrient (Carbohydrate:Protein:Fat) ratios that were within the ranges recommended (50:19:31, TFG vs 55:16:29, MRG). Their reported reduced energy intake was similar (5729 ± 1424 kJ, TFG vs 5993 ± 2016 kJ, MRG). There was an improved dietary intake pattern in both groups as indicated by decreased intake of saturated fat (≤ 10%), cholesterol (<200 mg/day), and sodium (< 2400 mg/day), with increased total servings/day of fruits and vegetables (4.0 ± 2.2, TFG vs 4.6 ± 3.2, MRG). However, the TFG had a significantly lower dietary intake of several vitamins and minerals compared to the MRG and was at greater risk for inadequate intake.ConclusionIn this one-year university-based intervention, both dietitian-led groups successfully lost weight while improving overall dietary adequacy. The group incorporating fortified meal replacements tended to have a more adequate essential nutrient intake compared to the group following a more traditional food group diet. This study supports the need to incorporate fortified foods and/or dietary supplements while following an energy-restricted diet for weight loss.