Evidence For Diet Research Articles

The Evidence for Diet as a Treatment in Migraine-A Review.

Background/objectives: The connection between diet and migraine has gained increasing attention in migraine research due to its potential relevance as part of migraine treatment. This study reviewed the current evidence on the use of diets or specific foods in the prevention of migraine. Methods: A PubMed search was performed with the keywords "diet and migraine" OR "brain-gut-axis and migraine". One author (KVN) screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles and excluded or included them based on eligibility criteria. Results: A ketogenic diet and a "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" diet reduced attack duration (p < 0.002), frequency (p < 0.05), and severity (p < 0.01). The ketogenic diet also reduced monthly medication intake (p ≤ 0.05). A low-fat vegan diet mixed with an elimination diet reduced the attack duration (p < 0.01), frequency (p < 0.05), severity (p < 0.0001), and percentage of medicated headaches (p < 0.001). Elimination diet reduced attack duration (p < 0.05), frequency (p < 0.02), severity (p < 0.01), and medication intake (p < 0.002). Elimination diet with IgG-positive foods reduced attack frequency (p < 0.001), and total medication intake (p < 0.01). Gluten-free diet reduced frequency (p = 0.02) and severity (p = 0.013). Conclusions: Certain diets and food items may trigger attacks in some migraine patients, though the overall evidence supporting this is limited. Modifying a diet may reduce symptoms such as attack duration, frequency, severity, and medication intake. However, the included studies' small populations and diverse study designs make the results difficult to apply in clinical practise. Further high-quality, double-blinded, randomised controlled trials are necessary to confirm the association between diet and migraine.

Causes and consequences of major depressive disorder: An encompassing Mendelian randomization study.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and debilitating disorder that has been associated with a range of risk factors and outcomes. Causal pathways between MDD and other traits can be studied using genetic variants as instrumental variables. A literature review was conducted to identify 201 MDD-associated traits. For 115 traits, there were well-powered genome-wide association study (GWAS) results available that could be used to assess the genetic correlation with MDD. Of these, there were 89 meeting criteria for investigating causal associations in both directions using two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR). Of the traits that were not captured by GWAS, 43 could be included as outcomes of MDD using one-sample MR (OSMR). A range of methods and sensitivity tests was applied to gauge robustness of results, together with statistical power analyses to aid interpretation. Moderate to strong genetic overlap was found between MDD and most traits. Support for causal effects of MDD liability were found for circadian, cognitive, diet, medical disease, endocrine, functional, inflammatory, metabolic, mortality, physical activity, reproduction, risk behavior, social, socioeconomic, and suicide outcomes. Most associations were bidirectional, although there was less evidence for diet, disease, and endocrine traits causing MDD risk. Results were robust across sensitivity analyses. This study provides a systematic overview of traits putatively causally related to MDD, confirming previous findings as well as identifying new associations. Our results highlight the importance of MDD as a risk factor cross-cutting across medical, functional, and psychosocial domains and emphasize the need for concerted efforts at reducing this highly prevalent disorder.

Longitudinal analysis of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 and incident non-communicable diseases over 15 years in the 1973-1978 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

In studies that contain repeated measures of variables, longitudinal analysis accounting for time-varying covariates is one of the options. We aimed to explore longitudinal association between diet quality (DQ) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Participants from the 1973-1978 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were included, if they; responded to survey 3 (S3, 2003, aged 25-30 years) and at least one survey between survey 4 (S4, 2006) and survey 8 (S8, 2018), were free of NCDs at or before S3, and provided dietary data at S3 or S5. Outcomes were coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension (HT), asthma, cancer (except skin cancer), diabetes mellitus (DM), depression and/or anxiety, and multimorbidity (MM). Longitudinal modelling using generalised estimation equation (GEE) approach with time-invariant (S4), time-varying (S4-S8) and lagged (S3-S7) covariates were performed. The mean (± standard deviation) of Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) of participants (n = 8022) was 51·6 ± 11·0 (range: 19-91). Compared to women with the lowest DQ (AHEI-2010 quintile 1), those in quintile 5 had reduced odds of NCDs in time-invariant model (asthma: OR (95 % CI): 0·77 (0·62-0·96), time-varying model (HT: 0·71 (0·50-0·99); asthma: 0·62 (0·51-0·76); and MM: 0·75 (0·58-0·97) and lagged model (HT: 0·67 (0·49-0·91); and asthma: 0·70 (0·57-0·85). Temporal associations between diet and some NCDs were more prominent in lagged GEE analyses. Evidence of diet as NCD prevention in women aged 25-45 years is evolving, and more studies that consider different longitudinal analyses are needed.

Bulk and fatty acid-specific stable isotope analysis coupled with multivariate modeling for differentiating free-range grass-fed and captive grain-fed yak meat

The husbandry pattern of yak meat is a crucial factor for its market price and competitiveness; deliberately mislabeling of the production information will cause consumer confidence crisis. In this work, stable isotope signatures of free-range grass-fed (FRG) and captive grain-fed (CG) yak meat were analyzed for their discrimination. δ13C, δ2H, δ18O, δ15N, δ34S of bulk muscle and δ13C of six fatty acids were respectively determined by EA–IRMS and GC–C–IRMS. ANOVA and correlation analysis of stable isotope ratios of yak muscle and fatty acids against its feed indicated that their δ13C, δ15N, δ34S significantly are related, which provides the evidence of diet and trophic information. δ13C of six fatty acids (FAs) are significantly different (p < 0.05) between two patterns; all FAs of FRG yak meat are highly related to grass silage (R > 0.70), but saturated and unsaturated FAs of CG yak meat are respectively related to soybean silage (R > 0.70) and maize silage (R > 0.56). PLS-DA and LDA modeling based on stable isotope ratios of yak muscle and FAs together discriminate yak meat from these two husbandry patterns with accuracies of 100 %. This strategy may be promising as a feasible method for confirming the husbandry patterns of yak meat, ensuring label authenticity and food safety.

Diet and bowel function in children with Hirschsprung’s disease: development and content validation of a patient-reported questionnaire

BackgroundAlthough dietary adjustments are recommended frequently for bowel symptoms, evidence of diet’s impact on bowel function is lacking. The aim was to develop a patient-reported outcome instrument, for children with and without Hirschsprung’s disease (HD), to explore experiences of dietary effects on bowel function.MethodsChildren with and without HD and their parents participated. Questionnaire items regarding the impact of diet on bowel function originated from focus group discussions. Specific food items, reported in the literature or in focus groups to cause bowel functional effects, were listed requesting each item’s effect size and effect type. Content validity was tested within two separate semistructured interviews. A pilot test was performed. Assessing comprehension, relevance and wording clarity structurally, revisions were made accordingly. Children’s bowel function was assessed through the validated Rintala Bowel Function Score.ResultsA total of 13 children with and without HD, median age 7 (range 2–15) years, and 18 parents participated in the validation. Each question’s relevance had been ranked highly early in the validation process but most questions needed refining for improving clarity and comprehension. Wordings regarding bowel symptoms and emotions connected to food in particular were perceived to be sensitive and complex. Specifically wording regarding some bowel symptoms (gases, pain) and parental stress emotions (guilt, ambivalence) were, consistent with participants’ opinions, subjected to multiple step revisions. Following the validation process, which included two semistructure interviews with different participants and then a pilot test with a third cohort, a full track overview of changes and rewording made in all steps of the validation process was presented. The final questionnaire then comprised 13 questions assessing foods’ significance for bowel function, emotions, social impact and 90 specific food items’ possible effects and effect sizes on bowel function.ConclusionsThe Diet and Bowel Function questionnaire, enabling answering by children, was developed and the content validated qualitatively. This report presents insights into the whole validation process, declaring reasons for the selected question- and answering options, and their wordings. The Diet and Bowel Function questionnaire can be used as a survey questionnaire to enhance understanding of dietary effects on bowel function in children, and its results can be supportive in improving dietary-treatment programs.

Role of nutritional supplements in selected dermatological disorders: A review.

While a plethora of literature continues to be published on the role of nutritional agents both in lay press and indexed journals, the data is not on a firm footing and leaves the dermatologist in a quandry and the patient confused. The various agents include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, diets & gluten. A proper knowledge of the role of nutritional supplements in dermatological diseases can be a useful tool in advising the patients and in certain cases ameliorating the disorder. Literature review of last 15 years was made using the terms "diet in dermatology," "nutrition and skin," "nutritional supplements in dermatology," "nutritional agents and acne," "nutritional agents and alopecia," and "nutritional agents and psoriasis." While there are multiple publications on the use of nutritional supplements for amelioration of skin diseases, most of them are based on either associations or in vitro studies, but very few transcend the rigors of a clinical trial or the holey grail of a double-blinded randomized controlled trial. There seem to be some evidence in acne, psoriasis, telogen effluvium, urticaria & vitiligo. Coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis have a strong link with diet. Rosacea has a strong link with certain foods, but the other disorders like melasma, aphthous stomatitis do not have any scientifically validated association with diet. Our updated review examines the role of nutritional supplements and antioxidants in various dermatological disorders. We have found that there are varying levels of evidence with notable associations of low glycemic diet & acne, fish oil & weight loss with psoriasis, fish oils & probiotics with atopic dermatitis & vitamins & botanical extracts with vitiligo. The evidence for diet and nutrition in bullous disorders and photoageing is scarce. The role of low histamine diet in urticaria is useful in select cases of episodic urticaria. Rosacea is triggered by hot and spicy food . Apart from gluten and Dermatitis Herpetiformis, no diet can be considered disease modifying in our reveiw. The lack of comparison of nutritional or dietary modiffication with conventional validated agents, makes the data difficult to translate in real world patient management.

Diet plays a central role in parental self-treatment of children with Hirschsprung's disease-a qualitative study.

Hirschsprung's disease is a congenital disorder requiring surgery. Most children operated on for Hirschsprung's disease experience postoperative bowel dysmotility. Although various food is known to influence bowel motility, evidence of diet's role and dietary guidelines in treatment of bowel dysfunction in Hirschsprung's disease is lacking. The aim was to explore parental experiences of dietary effects on bowel function in children with Hirschsprung's disease. A qualitative study including three focus groups with ten parents of children with Hirschsprung's disease at a national Hirschsprung's disease centre. Data were analysed through content analysis. Parents emphasised diet as a strong influencer on their child's bowel function in Hirschsprung's disease. They expressed great concerns about their responsibility and strived hard to explore and adjust dietary habits to control the child's bowel function. Families' daily and social lives were influenced by the child's diet and bowel function. The parents desired dietary support and guidelines to improve their confidence in self-treatment of Hirschsprung's disease. Dietary habits play a key role in parental self-treatment of bowel function in their children with Hirschsprung's disease. Dietary guidelines for patients with Hirschsprung's disease are anticipated.

Diet and Lifestyle in the First Villages of the Middle Preceramic: Insights from Stable Isotope and Osteological Analyses of Human Remains from Paloma, Chilca I, La Yerba III, and Morro I

We present stable isotope and osteological data from human remains at Paloma, Chilca I, La Yerba III, and Morro I that offer new evidence for diet, lifestyle, and habitual mobility in the first villages that proliferated along the arid Pacific coast of South America (ca. 6000 cal BP). The data not only reaffirm the dietary primacy of marine protein for this period but also show evidence at Paloma of direct access interactions between the coast and highlands, as well as habitual mobility in some parts of society. By locating themselves at the confluence of diverse coastal and terrestrial habitats, the inhabitants of these early villages were able to broaden their use of resources through rounds of seasonal mobility, while simultaneously increasing residential sedentism. Yet they paid little substantial health penalty for their settled lifestyles, as reflected in their osteological markers of stature and stress, compared with their agriculturalist successors even up to five millennia later. Contrasting data for the north coast of Chile indicate locally contingent differences. Considering these data in a wider chronological context contributes to understanding how increasing sedentism and population density laid the foundations here for the emergence of Late Preceramic social complexity.

Investigating Possible Gastroliths in a Referred Specimen of Bohaiornis guoi (Aves: Enantiornithes)

Gastroliths, where preserved, can provide indirect evidence regarding diet in extinct avian and non-avian dinosaurs. Masses of gastroliths consistent with the presence of a gastric mill are preserved in many Early Cretaceous Jehol birds mostly belonging to the Ornithuromorpha. Gastroliths are also present in basal birds Sapeornis and Jeholornis in which herbivory is supported by direct evidence these taxa consumed seeds in the form of crop or stomach contents. Although gastroliths have been correlated with herbivory in non-avian dinosaurs, the presence of gastroliths and bone together in Ambopteryx calls this association in to question. Despite being known from greater numbers of specimens than other avian lineages, no unequivocal direct or indirect evidence of diet has been recovered from Jehol deposits for the Enantiornithes. A referred specimen of Bohaiornis guoi IVPP V17963 was described as preserving a small number of gastroliths interpreted as rangle, gastroliths whose function is cleaning the stomach in extant raptorial birds. However, based on comparison with gastroliths in other Jehol birds, it has alternatively been suggested that the identified structures are not ingested stones at all but some unusual mineral precipitate. Considering the limited evidence regarding diet in Enantiornithes and the importance of accurately identifying the traces in Bohaiornis in order to understand the enantiornithine digestive system, we extracted two samples of these purported gastroliths and explored these traces using computerized laminography scanning, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, ground sections, and body size to gastral mass regressions. Similar analyses were conducted on gastroliths extracted from undisputed gastral masses of two Jehol ornithuromorphs and the non-avian pennaraptoran Caudipteryx. The combined results contradict the hypothesis that these traces are gastroliths and supports the interpretation they are mineral precipitate, most likely authigenic quartz (chalcedony). Although authigenesis is commonly responsible for the preservation of soft tissues, it is unclear if these traces record part of the tissues of this Bohaiornis. This study highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in understanding unusual traces in the fossil record and reveal a previously unidentified taphonomic phenomenon in fossils from Jehol deposits.

Evidence of diet, deification, and death within ancient Egyptian mummified animals

The clues to life and death of mummified animals can remain hidden beneath their wrappings. Developments in non-invasive imaging have enabled detailed study of their internal structures. Laboratory-based X-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT) and focussed imaging protocols permit smaller mummified remains, such as animals, to be studied at higher resolution. In this study, we use microCT to image three different animal mummies. Revealing the internal structures provides insights into their biography, the conditions in which they were kept, complex mummification practices, possible causes of death, and subsequent handling damage. Thousands of years after the production of these mummified animals, the X-ray microCT technique facilitates new investigations, revealing ‘harder’ skeletal structures, mummification materials, and even desiccated soft tissues. Potential evidence for an ‘opening of the mouth’ procedure was found in a snake, along with indicators of the poor conditions in which the snake was kept when alive, leading to dehydration. Examination of a cat mummy revealed it was less than five months old and had its neck purposefully broken. It was also possible to identify a bird mummy to species level from the X-ray data. Improved understanding of animal mummification through scientific imaging can thus inform conservation and understanding of past human-animal relationships.

New evidence for diet and subsistence economy in Early and Middle Bronze Age Cyprus

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from the settlement of Marki Alonia provides new evidence for dietary patterns and aspects of livestock management during the Early and Middle Cypriot Bronze Age. Animal data indicate exploitation of a mainly C3 ecosystem and hint at the possibility that caprines and cattle were subjected to different herding practices; they currently constitute the sole available isotopic baseline for this region and time period. As for the few analysed humans, a primarily C3 terrestrial protein-based diet can be suggested.

Stomach contents of the Early Jurassic fish †Lepidotes Agassiz, 1832 (Actinopterygii, Lepisosteiformes) and their palaeoecological implications

ABSTRACT Ginglymodian fishes formed one of the most dominant actinopterygian lineages during the Mesozoic, occurring in fully marine to freshwater depositional environments. However, although commonly preserved in Mesozoic strata around the world, there is little information on the feeding ecology of these fishes, which is mainly due to the scarcity of direct evidence of diet. Here we report two specimens of the ginglymodian fish †Lepidotes (Lepisosteiformes) from the Lower Jurassic of Germany that exhibit gastric contents consisting of small crustacean cuticle fragments indicative of shrimp-like taxa. The dentition of †Lepidotes, which is well adapted to such a diet, combined with its robust body shape and the position and shape of its fins, suggests that other potential food of the Early Jurassic †Lepidotes may have included moderately elusive, relatively soft-shelled or unprotected, free-living invertebrates. urn:lsid:zoobank.org

Assessment of the invasion process of the common raccoon Procyon lotor (Carnivora: Procyonidae) on a Mediterranean island a decade after its introduction

The common raccoon, Procyon lotor was introduced at the Balearic Islands (Spain) in 2006. Since then, a colonization process has been carried out, with captures of specimens in 24.30% of the surface of the whole Mallorca Island. For the first time, information has been provided on the invasive process of P. lotor in an insular ecosystem. 257 specimens of P. lotor were captured during the period 2007–2018, of them 104 were analysed to estimate population parameters. Demographic data showed that the population had a sex ratio of 1.00:1.21 (males:females), high BMI values and up to 40% of females were lactating when captured. Related to diet data, the composition was mainly the same as previous studies around its natural and introduced distribution area. Plant residues represented the 53.25 ± 38.66% followed by invertebrates with 12.22 ± 22.54%, inorganic remains with 11.9 ± 22.07% and finally the vertebrates with 4.94 ± 18.27%. Thus, it is shown how an opportunistic omnivorous species has adapted to the resources provided by the island. Cultivated plants' remains and plastic content in diet evidence that P. lotor is entering in contact with human settlements and agricultural areas. As occurred in other islands where P. lotor was introduced, it is expected that it could become a future problem for the conservation biodiversity in insular ecosystems, as well as for agriculture and human activity. Due to the potential impact on native biodiversity it is necessary to reinforce the implementation of control actions and prevent its expansion to the rest of the island.

Higher fish consumption and lower risk of central nervous system demyelination.

The evidence for diet as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) is inconclusive. We examined the associations between fish consumption and risk of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination (FCD), a common precursor to MS. The 2003-2006 Ausimmune Study was a case-control study examining environmental risk factors for FCD, with participants recruited from four regions of Australia and matched on age, sex, and study region. Dietary intake data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire. We used conditional logistic regression models to test associations between fish consumption (total, tinned, grilled, and fried) and risk of FCD (249 cases and 438 controls), adjusting for history of infectious mononucleosis, smoking, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, socio-economic status, omega-3 supplement use, dietary under-reporting, and total energy intake. Higher total fish consumption (per 30 g/day, equivalent to two serves/week) was associated with an 18% reduced risk of FCD (AOR 0.82; 95% CI 0.70, 0.97). While we found no statistically significant associations between grilled and fried fish consumption and risk of FCD, higher tinned fish consumption (per 30 g/day) was associated with a 41% reduced risk of FCD (AOR 0.59; 95% CI 0.39, 0.89). Tinned fish is predominantly oily, whereas grilled and fried fish are likely to be a combination of oily and white types. Oily fish is high in vitamin D and very long chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, both of which may be beneficial in relation to MS.

Middle Holocene menus: dietary reconstruction from coprolites at the Connley Caves, Oregon, USA

Multiproxy data from coprolites at the Connley Caves in central Oregon provide new evidence for diet, seasonal subsistence strategies, and human health during the middle and late Holocene. Macrobotanical, palynological, and faunal components show that plant taxa from wetland and dryland habitats functioned as dietary staples. Repeated and abundant representation of wetland resources coupled with small dryland seeds provide strong evidence for dietary continuity between ~ 5700 and 3200 calendar years ago. Seasonal availability of represented taxa indicates late summer and early fall habitation. Minimal evidence for parasitic infection and unusual constituents such as cordage raise questions regarding health and cultural behavior. As the first coprolite analysis for this time period in the northern Great Basin, this study contributes unique datasets that complement and clarify the regional understanding of hunter-gatherer settlement-subsistence strategies and food economy.

Inflammatory potential of diet and risk of knee osteoarthritis: data from the osteoarthritis initiative

Purpose: Diet plays a fundamental role in prevention of many chronic diseases by regulating inflammation and body weight. The evidence of diet in OA development is accumulating. We aimed to examine the relation of inflammatory potential of diet, a modifiable risk factor, to incident knee osteoarthritis (OA) and the role of BMI in the association of interest. Methods: We used data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Dietary inflammatory index®(DII®) was calculated based on theBlock Brief 2000 Food Frequency Questionnaire and categorized into sex-specific quartiles. DII® is a literature-derived population-based scoring algorithm to assess the inflammatory potential of diet as a whole and was evaluated for validity and shown to predict inflammatory markers. A higher score of DII® indicates a greater inflammatory potential of diet (i.e., pro-inflammatory effect of diet). Outcomes were incident radiographic knee OA (ROA) (i.e., a KL grade ≥2) and incident symptomatic knee OA (SxOA) (i.e., a combination of a frequent knee pain and ROA). We examined the association of DII® with the risk of knee ROA (or SxOA) by comparing a higher quartile (Q2, Q3 and Q4) with the lowest quartile (Q1: reference category) using generalized estimating equations to account for the correlation between two knees for each participant. In the base model (model 1), we adjusted for age, sex (men vs. women), race (white vs. non-white) and total energy intake (kcal/day). In model 2, we further adjusted for educational attainment (below college vs college or above), annual income (<50,000 US$ vs ≥50,000 US$), tobacco use (non-smoker vs former and current smoker) and PASE score. We tested linear trends using the median value of each quartile of DII®as a continuous variable in the regression model. We conducted sensitivity analyses by including knee replacement due to knee OAduring the follow-up period as incident knee ROA or SxOA, respectively. We performed mediation analyses to assess mediation effect of BMI in DII®-OA relation. Results: We included 1786 and 2940 eligible participants in the final analyses for the association of DII®with incident knee ROA and SxOA, respectively (Figure 1). We identified 232 and 978 knees developed ROA and SxOA among eligible participants over 48-month follow-up period, respectively. Compared with the lowest quartile of DII®, odds ratio (OR) of incident ROA for the highest quartile of DII®was 1.73 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15 to 2.62, P for trend= 0.007) (Table 1). The corresponding OR of SxOA was 1.43 (95% CI: 1.16 to 1.76, P for trend = 0.001) (Table 1). When total knee replacement due to knee OA was counted as an incident case of either ROA or SxOA, the results did not change materially.The DII®-OA association was significantly mediated via BMI with an indirect effect of 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02,1.08) for ROA and 1.05 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.11) for SxOA, accounting for 15.6% and 36.0% of total effect, respectively (Table 2). Conclusions: A higher inflammatory potential of diet increased the risk of knee OA. The association was significantly mediated via BMI. A role of inflammatory potential in dietary strategy for OA was indicated.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of surface food residues in pre-Columbian ceramics from the southern Pacific of Costa Rica as evidence of prehistoric human diets

Introduction: to understand and interpret the consumption of plants and animals by humans in the past requires the investigation of different lines of evidence. Identifiable macroscopic remains of plants and animals, for example seeds and bones, are frequently found at archaeological sites and provide key data on food resources. Their analysis is complemented by the study of pollen grains or phytoliths of cultivated plants within archaeological horizons or in sediment cores recovered from lakes and wetlands near archaeological sites. Another important source of information on human diets in the past consists of food residues preserved in or on artefacts excavated from archaeological sites. Objective: to examine food residues in archaeological pottery from coastal and interior sites in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica. Methods: we focus on isotopic analysis of carbonized food residues preserved on the inner surfaces of ceramic pots, plates, and other ceramic pieces from archaeological excavations in the intermediate zone (elevations 500-1500m) and coastal zone of the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica. Isotopic analysis of surface food residues on pottery relies on the fact that stable isotopes of carbon (12C and 13C) and nitrogen (14N and 15N) in foods differ based on the photosynthetic pathway of plants and on trophic level. Results: in our analysis of material from twelve sites we found evidence of diets with high amounts of C4 plants (likely maize), legumes, herbivores, and mixtures, but we did not find robust evidence of food residues with isotopic signatures characteristic of reef animals and mollusks, even though some sites are shell mounds. Conclusion: our research represents one of the first studies of surface food residues from Costa Rican pottery, and indicates the potential for studies of this type to strengthen understanding of indigenous subsistence patterns through time and across Costa Rican archaeological regions.

Two for one? Effects of a couples intervention on partners of persons with Type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.

To compare the outcomes of partners who participated in a telephone couples behavioural intervention to improve glycaemic control in persons with Type 2 diabetes with those of untreated partners of participants in an individual intervention or education; to explore 'ripple effects', i.e. positive behaviour changes seen in untreated partners. The Diabetes Support Project was a three-arm randomized telephone intervention trial comparing outcomes of couples calls (CC), individual calls (IC) and diabetes education calls (DE). Couples included one partner with Type 2 diabetes and HbA1c ≥58mmol/mol (7.5%). All arms received self-management education (two calls). CC and IC arms participated in 10 additional behaviour change calls. CC included partners, emphasizing partner communication, collaboration and support. Blinded assessments were performed at 4, 8 and 12 months. Partner outcomes were psychosocial (diabetes distress, relationship satisfaction, depressive symptoms), medical (BMI, blood pressure) and behavioural (fat intake, activity). Partners' (N=268) mean age was 55.8years, 64.6% were female and 29.9% were from minority ethnic groups. CC (vs. IC and DE) partners had greater reductions in diabetes distress, greater increases in marital satisfaction (4 and 8 months), and some improvements in diastolic BP. There were no consistent differences among arms in other outcomes. There was no evidence of a dietary or activity behaviour ripple effect on untreated partners, i.e. comparing partners in the IC and DE arms. A collaborative couples intervention resulted in significant improvements in partner diabetes distress and relationship satisfaction. There were no consistent effects on behavioural or medical partner outcomes, and no evidence of diet or activity behaviour ripple effects, suggesting that partners should be targeted directly to achieve these changes. (Clinical Trial Registry No: NCT01017523).

Abstract IA12: Food and nutrition and colorectal cancer: Patterns for prevention

Abstract Diet is a complex environmental exposure. Evidence from epidemiologic studies and experimental studies in animal models has indicated that diet and components of diet have an important role in modulating risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The WCRF/AICR Continuous Update Project Report routinely evaluates epidemiologic studies of diet and cancer risk. In the 2011 report on diet and CRC, the reviewers determined that the evidence was convincing that consumption of foods containing dietary fiber protect against CRC and intake of red meat, processed meat, ethanol from alcoholic beverages are causes of CRC. The evidence that physical activity protects against colon cancer and that body fatness and abdominal fatness (consequences of diet and inactivity) contribute to CRC was also labeled as convincing. Consumption of garlic, milk, and calcium was reported as probably protective, while the evidence was limited that non-starchy vegetables, fruits and foods containing vitamin D protect against CRC, or that foods containing iron, and also cheese, foods containing animal fats, and foods containing sugars are causes of CRC. Experimental studies in animals and randomized controlled trials in humans have helped to expand our understanding of the wide array of mechanisms by which dietary constituents may cause or prevent CRC, including through modulation of inflammation and immune function, carcinogen metabolism, hormone and growth-factor regulation, DNA repair capacity, cell-cycle control, and proliferation and apoptosis. Increasingly, the importance of diet-gut microbe interactions are being recognized; diet can influence the amount and types of microbes present in the gut, and gut microbial metabolism of dietary constituents produces compounds that may have positive or adverse effects on CRC risk. In the past decade, there has been a growing emphasis on identifying dietary patterns associated with lower cancer risk, with the recognition that, although many dietary constituents have been suggested to have preventive effects, they are not consumed in isolation and the role of diet in cancer prevention might be maximized when dietary patterns are considered versus any one single component. Diet quality has been studied using statistical clustering or factor analysis within a data set, an agnostic approach that can potentially identify new patterns important to CRC risk. Another approach is to use diet quality scoring systems defined a priori. These are derived based on emerging evidence of diet and disease risk, have algorithms that can be applied across multiple data sets, and provide the potential for more direct translation to public health messages. A variety of diet quality indices have been developed, including Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2005; HEI-2010), Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) index, and indices based on the Mediterranean diet. A role for diet quality in CRC risk has been reported in the context of several prospective cohort studies. Reedy et al. (Am. J. Epidemiol., 2008), testing associations between scores on 4 diet quality indices and CRC risk in the National Institutes of Health-AARP (NIH-AARP) Diet and Health Study, reported that higher scores on all 4 indices were associated with a lower risk of CRC in men, but that, in women, only the HEI-2005 score showed an association. In the same NIH-AARP population, 4 different methods of indexing adherence to the DASH diet were associated with lower risk of CRC in men, but only 2 of the DASH indexing methods were associated with a significantly lower CRC risk in women (Miller et al, Am. J. Clin Nutr., 2013). Recently, in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, a cohort of postmenopausal US women, higher HEI-2010 diet quality index scores were associated with lower risk of CRC and, similarly, higher DASH diet quality index scores were associated with a 22%–28% lower risk of CRC (Vargas et al, Am. J. Epidemiol., 2016). In these studies, indices of Mediterranean-diet adherence have been less consistently associated with CRC risk. Future use of experimental diets in animal studies that capture the complexity of the human diets may help to further characterize the effectiveness of these diet patterns and the components of them. Understanding the impact of the totality of complex diet patterns is needed further inform approaches for CRC prevention. Citation Format: Johanna W. Lampe. Food and nutrition and colorectal cancer: Patterns for prevention. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Colorectal Cancer: From Initiation to Outcomes; 2016 Sep 17-20; Tampa, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(3 Suppl):Abstract nr IA12.

THE 18TH CENTURY SEA FORTRESS OF RUOTSINSALMI, KOTKANSAARI IN FINLAND: ARCHAEOBOTANICAL DATA OF A LOG LATRINE

In archaeobotany, plant remains from latrines have been used to derive information on historical food consumption. In this interdisciplinary paper, we present new archaeological and archaeobotanical data from the 1790s sea fortress of Ruotsinsalmi in Kotkansaari, Finland. Archaeological research revealed the remains of an infantry barracks and a well-preserved log latrine at the sea fortress. The contents of the latrine were excavated, and waterlogged human faeces were found. To reconstruct the food consumption of the soldiers at the sea fortress, we carried out archaeobotanical analyses on the faeces. The waterlogged human faeces consisted purely of plant remains and fish bone fragments. The analysis of the plant remains gave records of 77 different plant taxa, and common millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) and sage (Salvia officinalis L.) were identified for the first time from archaeological layers in Finland. The remarkable number of cultivated and exotic plants recorded from the faeces shows that imported as well as locally produced food was used. Latrines offer evidence of consumed food in the past Latrines are a type of primitive toilet that collects human faeces, and the word latrine originates from Latin 'latrina' or 'lavatrina' meaning 'to wash'. Latrines provide excellent preservation conditions, and therefore the content consists of a range of biological materials such as seeds, fruits and plant tissue. Latrines are historically also used as waste pits, where the household rubbish and sometimes even animal dung was thrown. Therefore, archaeological latrines are an excellent source of information on the past diet and waste disposal, and they also provide information about the natural surroundings of the latrine (Markle 2005, 427; Smith 2013, 526). Macrofossil, pollen, and zoological analyses of latrines have been conducted e.g. in Turkey (Baeten et al. 2012), England (Moffet 1992; Smith 2013), Germany (Wiethold 1995; Markle 2005), and Denmark (Andersen & Moltsen 2007). From Estonia over 30 latrines have been excavated (Bernotas 2008). Latrines have been excavated in Finland as well, from the medieval (AD 13th-16th c.) layers of Turku (Sartes & Lehtonen 2007; Seppanen 2012). However, no botanical analyses of these latrines have been carried out. Therefore, there has been little direct evidence of the diet. What cereals were eaten? Were exotic fruits parts of the diet? [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] The sea fortress of Ruotsinsalmi (1790-1855) in Kotkansaari was the predecessor of the present town of Kotka (1878-, Fig. 1). During the past ten years, some twenty archaeological studies have been conducted on the Island of Kotkansaari (Kykyri 2013a, 60; 2015, 38 f.). These investigations have shed new light on the history of the island, but so far only limited knowledge has been acquired concerning everyday life at the sea fortress. New information was gained when the Museum of Kymenlaakso carried out excavations at the sea fortress in the summer of 2013. During the excavations a log latrine containing waterlogged human faeces was discovered (Kykyri 2014a; Kykyri & Lempiainen-Avci 2014). These faeces were archaeobotanically analysed in order to find evidence of past human diet, and to gain detailed knowledge about the food consumed at the sea fortress. In this paper, we present new archaeological and archaeobotanical data from the sea fortress of Ruotsinsalmi in Kotkansaari, in addition to discussing the usage and origin of the plants which yielded archaeobotanical remains. The history of the fortress The sea fortress of Ruotsinsalmi was built in the 1790s on the Island of Kotkansaari and some smaller surrounding islands, by order of Empress Catherine the Great. The Gustavian war (1788-1790) between Sweden and Russia had shown that Russian defenses in south-eastern Finland were in need of prompt strengthening. In order to ensure the defense of St. …