Greater Food Diversity Research Articles

Food as we knew it: Food processing as an evolutionary discourse

BackgroundThe Industrial Revolution presented technological advancements that improved shelflife, palatability, convenience, availability, and safety of foods. These advancements led to reduced micronutrient-related diseases, greater food diversity, and enhanced food security; however, their chronic consumption, starting in the 1960s, has been implicated in epidemics of diet-related chronic diseases. Scope and approachThis commentary implies that diet potentially alters the human genome, evidenced by isolated populations consuming high starch versus low starch over successive generations. The control of fire and subsequent application to cooking illustrate that food processing potentially acts as an evolutionary discourse, and selective pressure favors less tooth dentation. Each is important to establish that the lack of whole food structure, the introduction of xenobiotics, and refined components in ultra-processed foods is an evolutionary discourse. Key findings and conclusionsOver the past 100 years, the displacement of dietary patterns that include meals and dishes prepared from whole or minimally processed foods by those increasingly based on ultra-processed foods and drinks has occurred globally. Such rapid, neoteric changes to food choice/diet had not occurred since the onset of bipedally when Neanderthals ventured from the forest searching for new food sources in response to changing climates. Only time can tell if changes imparted by ultra-processed foods being Western Society's staple represent a significant enough environmental discourse to drive evolutionary adaptations. Epidemiological studies are already pointing to the parallel between the globalization of UPF consumption and the rapid emergence of chronic non-communicable diseases worldwide (244 words).

Determinants of aflatoxin exposures in Kenyan School-aged children

ABSTRACT Aflatoxins are naturally occurring food toxins known to contaminate cereals with a carry-over effect in milk and meat products from farm animals raised on contaminated feed. In children, continuous consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food is linked to immune suppression, vaccine interference and growth faltering while in adult populations, carcinogenesis in the liver has been established. We evaluate the main determinants of aflatoxin exposures among children recruited from primary schools in Makueni and Siaya Counties. A five-part questionnaire was administered to collect information from randomly selected participants. AflatoxinB1-lysine adducts in children’s sera and total aflatoxins in food samples were analyzed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence detection. Using Chi-squared tests and Kruskal–Wallis tests, children from low-income households had the highest aflatoxin exposure, p-value = 0.0029. Smaller family size, greater food diversity, and good farming practices were associated with low aflatoxin exposures p < 0.001. Individual households living under severe levels of poverty were evidently exposed to higher levels of aflatoxins.

The impact of an income-generating activities programme on children and mothers' undernutrition in extreme poor rural Bangladeshi households.

The current study assessed changes in children and mothers' nutritional status before and after raising Bangladeshi households out of extreme poverty through an income-generating activities (IGA) programme. Extreme poor households took part in the IGA programme for 2 years and recruitment took place over four waves in annual cycles. Children and mothers were measured with regarding their nutritional status before and after the IGA programme commenced. Rural Bangladesh. Three-hundred and eighty-two children under 5 years of age at recruitment, and their mothers. After 2 years of the IGA programme, the prevalence of stunting significantly declined from 40·3 % to 33·0 % (P = 0·003), anaemia declined from 51·6 % to 44·0 % (P = 0·020) while mothers' CED (Chronic Energy Deficiency) declined from 52·0 % to 42·7 % (P < 0·001), but no significant changes were found in children's wasting, declining from 25·4 % to 21·5 %, underweight which remained the same at 43·2 %, while mothers' anaemia rose from 39·3 % to 42·7 %. There were also highly significant improvements in household socio-economic status. Increases in socio-economic security (especially in relation to cash savings and net income) and improvements in food quantity and quality (indicated by greater food diversity and animal food intake) were associated with normal nutritional status, and cessation of open defecation was associated with reduction in mothers' and child anaemia. The IGA programme was associated with increased household socio-economic security, such as asset accumulation, food security and sanitation, and with improvements in the nutritional status of children and their mothers in extreme poor households.

Family farming and school meals in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

ABSTRACT: In Brazil, at least 30% of the total financial resources provided by the federal government for school feeding should be used to buy products from family farming. The present study examines the profile of the purchase of these products in municipalities of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), south Brazil, in 2014. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with information obtained through a questionnaire sent to the municipalities and filled by respondents. Of the 371 participating municipalities, 367 acquired products from family farming, and 86.8% of these municipalities achieved the minimum percentage required. Nutritionists and farmers were the main components involved in the articulation of this process. Difficulties faced by these individuals included the lack of organization of the producers, failure to meet the demand, and lack of interest. More than 80% of the municipalities bought food from the “Vegetables”, “Cereals, Breads, Pasta, and Tubers” and “Fruits” groups. Only 8% purchased products from socio-biodiversity. There was a great diversity of food purchased, most of which were in natura, despite the low acquisition of socio-biodiversity products. Results of this study indicated the concern and tendency of the Brazilian municipalities to support the local economy with incentives to consumption and production of regional foods.

English

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship of dentition status, defined by the number of occluding pairs of natural teeth (OPNT) and removable denture fit, to food diversity among older Japanese adults. The study participants were 268 Japanese (mean age: 81.7 years) classified into four groups: (i) good dentition (n = 91; ≥5 OPNT), (ii) compromised dentition (n = 43; <5 OPNT), (iii) well-fitting dentures (n = 104; self-reported), and (iv) ill-fitting denture (n = 30; self-reported). Food diversity was assessed as a measure of dietary quality using the 11-item Food Diversity Score Kyoto (FDSK-11), which evaluates frequency of consumption of 11 main food groups (grains, potatoes, beans and soybean products, meat, fish and shellfish, eggs, milk and dairy products, vegetables, seaweed, nuts and fruits). Multivariable analysis of the differences in FDSK-11 score ranging from 0 to 11, with a higher score indicating greater food diversity, among the four groups was conducted using linear regression models with robust standard errors. The compromised dentition and self-perceived ill-fitting denture groups had significantly lower FDSK-11 scores than the good dentition group after adjusting for confounders (P < 0.05). A less-varied diet, as indicated by low FDSK-11 score, was observed in participants with fewer OPNT or ill-fitting dentures. Impaired dentition was associated with poor diet quality among older Japanese. Key words: Epidemiology, elderly, diet, dental health.

Feeding practices in the first year of life

Introdução: A alimentação é especialmente importante no primeiro ano de vida quando ocorre o desmame progressivo e compete à alimentação complementar suprir as necessidades nutricionais da criança a fim de garantir o crescimento e desenvolvimento. Objetivo: Descrever a prática alimentar em crianças no primeiro ano de vida. Método: Estudo transversal, com aplicação de questionário sobre a prática alimentar da criança. A amostra foi constituída de 122 criançascom idade até 365 dias divididas em 2 grupos: com até 3 meses completos de idade (34 crianças) e o grupo 2 foi formado por 88 crianças de 4 a 12 meses. Resultados: Entre as crianças do grupo 1, apenas 35,29% estavam em aleitamento materno exclusivo porém 95,9% da população de estudo referiu ter sido amamentada e 55,68% das crianças do grupo 2 ainda tomam leite materno. Dentre os alimentos já introduzidos na alimentação das crianças do grupo 2, obtevese: 83% para frutas, 69% legumes, 52,27% caldo de carnes, 58% de carnes (bovina e frango), 76% caldo de feijão, 42% feijão, 59% arroz/macarrão, 78% batata, 22,72% gema de ovo,16% ovo inteiro e 61% pão e bolacha. Verificou-se ausência de referência a verduras entre 52,27% da população, 73,86% não introduziram peixe e 75% o fígado. Conclusão: As práticas alimentares das crianças que participaram do estudo incluem grande diversidade de alimentos, porém houve baixa proporção de aleitamento materno exclusivo, em consequência da introdução precoce da alimentação complementar. Foi verificado baixo consumo de alguns alimentos como verduras e fígado.

Habits of a lifetime: Family dining patterns over the lifecourse of older Australians

Here we examine how older Australians’ accounts of family meals mirror shifts in the Australian way of life over the second half of the twentieth century coupled with their changing personal circumstances as they age. We provide qualitative accounts of these changes drawn from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 111 men and women resident in greater Melbourne and born in the 1920s and 1930s. Mostly, study participants have retained many of the habits and practices of their youth, although changing domestic arrangements, aging and health concerns have impacted on their culinary habits. When young they learned to view food as a utilitarian necessity and this attitude has translated, in later life, into a concern for its health effects, often signalled by changing body weight and shape. The most obvious impact of evolving Australian foodscapes on their culinary habits is that they now dine out more frequently and consume a great diversity of food.

FOOD DIVERSITY IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, DEPRESSION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN COMMUNITY‐DWELLING ELDERLY PEOPLE

FOOD DIVERSITY IS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, DEPRESSION, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN COMMUNITY‐DWELLING ELDERLY PEOPLE

A new application of dental wear analyses: estimation of duration of hominid occupations in archaeological localities

Characterization of settlement patterns is one of the core concepts in archeological research. The duration of an occupation is usually estimated through zooarchaeology (e.g., density of remains, cementochronology) and is limited by taphonomic processes and sample size. We propose a new application of dental wear methods for estimating the relative duration of hominid settlements in Paleolithic sites. Dental microwear is known to be sensitive to seasonal changes in diet. In this new application we use microwear scratch counts to estimate the variation in the dietary signal of various ungulate species. We propose that this variation is correlated to the duration of site occupation. Each season presents a limited and different set of food resources available in the environment. If animals are sampled only during a specific season (i.e., during a short term occupation) then they would be expected to have a dental wear signal with little variation. On the other hand, a greater diversity of food is available across different seasons. Therefore, if game animals are hunted through various seasons during long occupation periods, then they would be expected to have more variable dental wear. The application of this technique to the Middle Paleolithic site of Arago Cave (France), where various types of occupations occurred, supports this hypothesis. When combined with multidisciplinary studies of archaeological localities (seasonality in particular), this new application of dental wear analysis presents valuable information about hominid settlements and behavior. We contextualize our data with results from lithic and zooarchaeological analyses from Arago. These results reveal the presence of both high and low mobility groups of Homo heidelbergensis throughout the sequence of the Arago Cave.

Food diversity and validity of semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire.

We hypothesized that validity of semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire would be affected by food diversity (variety of foods consumed), because greater food diversity may be related to greater within-individual variation of nutrient intake, which can attenuate the correlation coefficient measuring validity of the questionnaire. We obtained 12 one-day diet records over one year and responses to a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire from 37 subjects. The food diversity score for each subject was determined by the total number of different foods consumed during the 12 days for the diet records, and the subjects were divided into two groups according to the score. The within-individual variances were similar in those with higher and lower food diversity scores. We never observed a significantly lower correlation coefficient for any nutrient in those with higher food diversity scores. The observed and corrected correlations for most of the micronutrients were higher in those with higher food diversity scores, and the differences were statistically significant for crude fiber, vitamin C, iron, and potassium. The validity of the semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire did not appear to be lowered greatly by greater food diversity.

Water flux and energy use in wild house mice (Mus domesticus) and the impact of seasonal aridity on breeding and population levels.

Water turnover rate (WTR), urine concentration and field metabolic rate (FMR) were examined in house mice, Mus domesticus, permanently inhabiting roadside verge areas and seasonally invading crops in semi-arid wheatlands in South Australia. FMR was approximately proportional to body mass0.5 and mean values varied from 4.8 ml CO2 g-1h-1 (2.9 kJ g-1d-1) in autumn and winter, to 7.0 ml CO2 g-1h-1 (4.2 kJ g-1d-1) in maturing crops during spring. WTR was independent of body mass, indicating that larger mice were selecting a diet containing moister foods. WTR was low in summer and high in winter, and in mice from crops varied from 165 ml l-1 body water d-1 (122 ml kg-1d-1) to 1000 ml l-1d-1 (725 ml kg-1d-1). Seasonal changes in WTR were less extreme on the roadside, where a greater diversity of food was available. In the crops, breeding occurred throughout summer during two of three years, but the population increased only in the one summer when mice had marginally higher WTR. On the roadside breeding and population growth were continuous during summer, except in a drought year. Avcrage urine concentration was inversely related to WTR, and varied from 2.0 to 4.8 Osm l-1. The data indicate that the water conserving abilities of mice equal those of many desert rodents. The water conserving abilities of mice living in crops during summer were fully extended, and in some years aridity limited breeding success and population levels. The degree of moisture stress to which mice are exposed during summer appears to depend not only on rainfall but also on other factors such as availability of food and shelter, and the level of weed infestation in crops.

Genotype studies in a groundnut-pigeonpea intercropping system

Intercropping has been recognized as an important farming practice, particularly under rainfed conditions, for its greater stability in production, equal distribution of labour throughout the growing season and greater diversity of food and income sources. Evidence for higher productivity from intercropping through more efficient use of resources has been demonstrated (Andrews, 1972; De &amp; Singh, 1979; Willey &amp; Natarajan, 1978). Groundnutpigeonpea intercropping, which is prevalent in semiarid conditions of India on alfisols, does not produce good yields because of the traditional practice of having low pigeonpea density. Also, unsuitable genotype and poor arrangement of the crops often prove to be disadvantageous.

The food of suburban foxes (Vulpes vulpes), with special reference to London

AbstractThe food of foxes in suburban London was examined using stomach contents and den litter analysis. A great diversity of food was taken. Adult foxes killed nearer to the city centre were found to eat significantly fewer earthworms, domestic pets and wild mammals, but more scavenged food items, than foxes killed closer to the suburban fringe. Cubs killed closer to the city centre ate significantly fewer earthworms and insects, and more pet birds, pet mammals and scavenged food items than cubs killed nearer the periphery of the suburban area. Although seasonal trends in food selection were apparent, they were not as pronounced as those observed in studies of rural foxes. At no time of the year did a single food item predominate in the diet of adult foxes. Passeriformes were the most important single food item in the diet of young cubs, but there was no correlation between the number of Passeriformes eaten and their abundance, nor between annual changes in the abundance of small birds and mean fox birth litter size and productivity. Most foxes examined were in good body condition; there was no seasonal variation in body weight, although fat content did vary seasonally. A complementary survey in Bristol on losses of domestic pets to foxes revealed that 07% of pet cats and 80% of other pets kept outdoors were killed in a year. Damage to garden Crops was negligible.

Asiatic Clam (Corbicula manilensis) and Other Foods Used by Waterfowl in the James River, Virginia

Corbicula manilensis was found in the gizzards of 24 ducks of 5 species taken from the James River, Virginia, between 1973 and 1976. Percent average volume in these species ranged from trace to 6%. This is the first known occurrence of this exotic clam in the food of duck in Chesapeake Bay. A total of 135 other food items was identified from the 116 gizzards of 9 species that were examined. Food that predominated includedCyperus spp.,Leersia oryzoides, Polygonum spp., andZea mays. The great diversity of food consumed in this fresh tidal section of the James River indicates the high value of these wetlands to waterfowl. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY015 00008