Intake Of Ingredients Research Articles

Improving the Decay Resistance of Wood through the Fixation of Different Nanoparticles Using Silica Aerogel.

Nowadays, the protection of wood is becoming more important with the increasing demand for durable wood, in addition to its limited accessibility. One possible way to increase the durability is the use of nanoparticles, which can be effective even with a low intake of active ingredients. However, avoiding their leaching is a challenge. A possible solution to leaching is the use of silica aerogel as a fixative. This study investigated the use of mesoporous silica aerogel against the leaching of different nanoparticles under laboratory conditions. Tests were performed involving beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sapwood, using Trametes versicolor as a white rot and Coniophora puteana as a brown rot fungus. The results show that the subsequent treatment of the wood with mesoporous silica aerogel effectively fixed the nanoparticles in wood. The durability of the samples without aerogel significantly decreased as a result of leaching, whereas the resistance of the samples treated with aerogel decreased only slightly. However, the silica aerogel modification itself caused the leaching of silver nanoparticles, which is a limitation in the use of this method for the fixation of nanoparticles.

Suboptimal Diets Identified Among Adults in Two Rural States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT Rural communities face unique food and nutrition challenges. Analyzing population-level survey data from 2021 to 2022 in two predominantly rural U.S. states using regression and multiple hypothesis testing procedures, we examined how well diets align with national recommendations and associations between diet, age, food security, and rurality. We found dietary intake of key foods and ingredients to differ significantly from recommendations and overall diet quality to increase with age. Food secure adults had higher diet quality than food insecure adults. Neither dietary intake nor dietary quality differed by degree of rurality. Continued action is needed to address nutrition challenges among underserved populations.

Simultaneous Intake of Chlorella and Ascidian Ethanolamine Plasmalogen Accelerates Activation of BDNF-TrkB-CREB Signaling in Rats.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and cognition. BDNF is a neurotrophin that binds to tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), a specific receptor on target cell surfaces; it acts on neuronal formation, development, growth, and repair via transcription factors, such as cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and it is involved in learning and memory. BDNF expression is decreased in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Exercise and the intake of several different foods or ingredients can increase BDNF expression, as confirmed with lutein, xanthophylls (polar carotenoids), and ethanolamine plasmalogen (PlsEtn), which are present at high levels in the brain. This study examined the effects of combining lutein and PlsEtn using lutein-rich Chlorella and ascidian extracts containing high levels of PlsEtn bearing docosahexaenoic acid, which is abundant in the human brain, on the activation of the BDNF-TrkB-CREB signaling pathway in the hippocampus of Sprague-Dawley rats. Although activation of the BDNF-TrkB-CREB signaling pathway in the hippocampus was not observed in Chlorella or ascidian PlsEtn monotherapy, activation was observed with combination therapy at an equal dose. The results of this study suggest that the combination of Chlorella and ascidian PlsEtn may have a preventive effect against dementia, including AD.

Clinical observation and influence on nutritional status of intensive nutritional nursing combined with 3-day dietary diary intervention in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Peritoneal dialysis is a commonly used treatment for chronic kidney failure patients. Studies have shown that long-term peritoneal dialysis can lead to various degrees of malnutrition. Therefore, it is of great significance to improve the nutritional conditions of patients with peritoneal dialysis. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of intensive nutritional nursing combined with a 3-day diet diary intervention on the nutritional condition of peritoneal dialysis patients. In total, 163 patients were included in this study and, after 6 months of intervention, their nutritional and biochemical indicators, body weight, body mass index (BMI) and intake of dietary ingredients were analysed. After the intervention, patients' serum albumin, haemoglobin, prealbumin, body weight, BMI and cholesterol levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Also, the daily energy and protein intake were significantly increased, whereas phosphorus intake was decreased (p < 0.05). Of note, the effective rate of intervention was 63.8%, respectively. We also found that factors such as the patient's age, education degree, income level and peritoneal dialysis age were the risk factors associated with malnutrition. Moreover, patients younger than 55 years old, with dialysis age younger than 5 years, unmarried/divorced and high school graduates, had higher chances of effective intervention, whereas the possibility of effective intervention was lower when the per capita monthly household income was less than 4000 Yuan. In conclusion, intensive nutritional nursing combined with a 3-day dietary diary intervention can significantly improve the nutritional condition and optimise the diet structure of peritoneal dialysis patients with malnutrition. These findings provide evidence for healthcare providers to develop personalised interventions to address malnutrition in this population.

Interaction between drinking and dietary inflammatory index affects prostate specific antigen: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNumerous studies have shown that the dietary inflammatory index (DII) is associated with adverse health effects. However, the relationship between DII and prostate cancer (PCa) remains controversial. Although alcohol is included in DII as a dietary factor, the various adverse health effects of alcohol consumption are not only related to inflammation. On the other hand, it has been a long-standing debate whether alcohol consumption is linked to the risk of PCa. Therefore, to clarify whether drinking affects the relationship between DII and PCa, we evaluated the correlation between DII and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database.MethodsWe used data from the NHANES spanning from 2005 to 2010 to analyze the relationship between PCa and DII. Out of the 31,034 NHANES participants, we enrolled 4,120 individuals in our study, utilizing dietary intake data from a twenty-four-hour period to determine DII scores. Demographic data, physical and laboratory test results were collected to compare between low PSA and high PSA groups, and to calculate the odds ratio between both groups, we employed a logistic regression analysis.ResultsIn this cross-sectional investigation of PCa, drinkers and non-drinkers had different relationships between DII and PSA levels (OR: 1.2, 95% Cl: 1-1.44 vs. OR: 0.98, 95% Cl: 0.9–1.07), and DII and abstaining from alcohol were effective in reducing the incidence of PSA (p-value for significant interaction = 0.037).ConclusionThe results of our study suggest that drinking may influence the relationship between DII and PSA levels. DII is likely to be a reliable indicator for estimating PSA levels among non-drinkers, who may limit their intake of pro-inflammatory ingredients to lower the incidence and death of PCa.

Importance of "meal first" strategy and effective situations of supplement use in elite athletes: Japan high performance sport center position stand.

The "meal first" strategy is traditionally recommended for athletes' conditioning. However, the importance of the "meal first" principle has not been detailly well documented in athletes' lives. Supplement use has recently become a common part of athletes' diets, but unmonitored supplement use can cause negative consequences, such as anti-doping violations and health issues. Therefore, this review summarizes how the "meal first" strategy and planned supplement use are important for enhancing athletes' health and performance. We believe that the "meal first" strategy is beneficial in terms of the following aspects: (1) consumption of multi-nutrients and other functional components simultaneously; (2) positive effects on psychological well-being; (3) contribution to athletes' health by way of mastication; and (4) less risk for anti-doping violations. Before supplement use, we recommend that athletes first verify their basic factors (e.g., diet, training, and sleep), given that the benefits of supplements are examined and demonstrated with the control of those factors. Otherwise, athletes cannot obtain maximal benefits from the supplements. In contrast, there are situations in which supplements in athletes' lives can be advantageous, such as (1) nutrient deficiency due to ongoing dietary characteristics; (2) interruption of meals due to disease; (3) inaccessibility of quality food during athletic travel; (4) difficulty preparing food due to societal restrictions associated with disasters or infection outbreaks; (5) having a meal before, during, or after exercise is difficult; and (6) achieving targeted intake of performance-enhancing ingredients is not practical. In summary, we emphasize that the "meal first" strategy is recommended for athletes' conditioning, but there are several contexts when supplement use can be more useful in athletes' lives.

The Added Value of Technology in Food Integration - Holistic Approach

The increasingly widespread consequences of globalization, and of an incongruous and unbalanced distribution of food, between geographical areas with reduced threshold of access to food, and industrialized areas where there is excess food and overeating, raise the urgent problem of proper regulation and management of all available food resources. The emergence and expansion of diseases related to malnutrition and hypernutrition have reached pandemic and irreversible dimensions and, despite the excessive exploitation of water resources and primary food sources and the total depletion of natural resources, a positive solution has not yet been found. Industrial food production has been introducing new standards in the quality and consumption of nutrients, which are increasingly poor, with increasingly intensive and less controlled production systems. The attempt to correct the wrong eating habits and inadequate lifestyle, with the intake of nutrients and active ingredients to fill dietary deficiencies, has not been producing the desired effects. Nutraceuticals and the related sciences Nutrigenomics and Microbiomics, which should provide the basis for healthy nutrition and the correct information for the use of functional foods, too often are at the service of food multinationals, to promote the spread of an indiscriminate and massive use of supplements.

Measuring consumers’ demand for nutrition attributes: an application to ready-to-heat meals

AbstractThis study analyzes consumers’ preferences for nutrition and convenience attributes in ready-to-heat meals, using grocery scanner data applied to a Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes model. Households’ preferences for convenience meals stem on saving time. Also, households prefer convenience meals with higher contents of sugar, fat, sodium, cholesterol, and fiber, and lower in calorie content. Results prove that consumption of convenience foods implies a high intake of ingredients with negative consequences on dietary quality and health. Findings showcase the importance of the advancement and adoption of alternative food processing technologies that would circumvent the production of convenient foods high in non-healthy ingredients.

From designing diets for animals to designing food of animal origin – overview

In recent times, food is not only observed from the point of view of the required intake for growth, development and regeneration of the body, but also has a leading role in the quality of human life. Therefore, the diet focuses on optimizing the daily intake of both nutrients and non-nutritive ingredients of food, all in order to preserve health and, above all, reduce the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. Functional food can be considered food that has been scientifically proven to have a positive effect on certain body functions (in addition to the usual nutritional value) that contribute to human health and reduce the risk of disease. At the same time, it is important that the food has a standard form and that the positive effect on health is manifested by consuming the usual amount of food. The functionality of food is achieved by the presence in it of bioactive components (one or more) which have been scientifically proven to have positive effects on human health in the quantities in which they are present in food. The nutritional value of foods of animal origin depends on many factors, but certainly animal diet has the greatest impact. In human nutrition the so-called designed products of animal origin (meat, milk, eggs) are used, which are due to the specific animal diets enriched with n-3 fatty acids, vitamins, carotenoids or trace elements. Today, there are nutritional strategies by which we can access functional foods for the purpose of health promotion.

Hygienic and chemical-analytical support for the safe use of pesticides of the dithiocarbamate group

Introduction. There is continued trend in recent years of increasing the use of new chemicals, most of which are potential sources of risk to human health. The hygienic assessment of their application in the regions of the Russian Federation using various technologies is becoming more and more relevant. The aim of the work was to determine the exposure levels of mankoceb, tiram and metiram (pesticides of the dithiacarbamate group), to establish the threshold of the acceptable risk of exposure to pesticides for workers while complying with technical recommendations and safety requirements. Materials and methods. The determinations of the mancozeb, thiram and metiram were carried out by the gas-liquid chromatography with a flame-photometric detector (GC, FPD); the risk assessment was carried out by exposure (KBsumm) and absorbed dose (KBp) with a complex intake of active ingredients into the body of workers, under the Methodological Instructions № 1.2.3017-12. Results. There were analyzed more than 350 samples of air of the working zone and washing from workers’ skin. There was shown an absence of active substances mancozeb and metiram in them. The insignificant content of thiram at a level close to the limit of its quantitative determination was found. Conclusion. The results obtained allow assessing the risk of safe use of drugs based on dithiocarbamates in agriculture, which is the basis for predicting the total chemical exposure to humans, and accurately evaluating the levels of pollutants.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Up-Regulation by the Methanol Extract of Foxtail Millet in Human Peripheral Cells.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays important roles in synaptic plasticity and neuronal differentiation. The neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, which suggests that reduced BDNF in the hippocampus underlies depression, has attracted increasing attention. Stress, a major cause of depression, leads to decreased BDNF levels, and administration of BDNF into the hippocampus shows an antidepressant effect. BDNF is synthesized in peripheral tissues as well as in the brain. Since BDNF crosses the blood-brain barrier, intake of food ingredients that elevate BDNF in peripheral tissues may be useful for the prevention and treatment of depression. However, no screening method for BDNF up-regulators in peripheral tissues has been reported. In this study, we revealed that ACHN human kidney adenocarcinoma cells secreted BDNF. In addition, we demonstrated that the methanol extract of foxtail millet up-regulated BDNF levels in ACHN cells. Our results indicate that ACHN cells could be useful in the screening for peripheral-BDNF up-regulators, and that foxtail millet may have the potential to elevate BDNF levels in peripheral tissues.

Dietary intake of bioactive ingredients impacts liver and adipose tissue transcriptomes in a porcine model of prepubertal early obesity

Global prevalence of obesity has increased to epidemic proportions over the past 40 years, with childhood obesity reaching alarming rates. In this study, we determined changes in liver and adipose tissue transcriptomes of a porcine model for prepubertal early obesity induced by a high-calorie diet and supplemented with bioactive ingredients. A total of 43 nine-weeks-old animals distributed in four pens were fed with four different dietary treatments for 10 weeks: a conventional diet; a western-type diet; and a western-type diet with Bifidobacterium breve and rice hydrolysate, either adding or not omega-3 fatty acids. Animals fed a western-type diet increased body weight and total fat content and exhibited elevated serum concentrations of cholesterol, whereas animals supplemented with bioactive ingredients showed lower body weight gain and tended to accumulate less fat. An RNA-seq experiment was performed with a total of 20 animals (five per group). Differential expression analyses revealed an increase in lipogenesis, cholesterogenesis and inflammatory processes in animals on the western-type diet while the supplementation with bioactive ingredients induced fatty acid oxidation and cholesterol catabolism, and decreased adipogenesis and inflammation. These results reveal molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of bioactive ingredient supplementation in an obese pig model.

Design of an anti-inflammatory diet (ITIS diet) for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that affects synovial joints, leading to inflammation, joint destruction, loss of function, and disability. Although recent pharmaceutical advances have improved treatment of RA, patients with RA often inquire about dietary interventions to improve RA symptoms, as they perceive rapid changes in their symptoms after consumption of certain foods. There is evidence that some ingredients have pro- or anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, recent literature has shown a link between diet and microbiome changes. Both diet and the gut microbiome are linked to circulating metabolites that may modulate inflammation. However, evidence of the effects of an anti-inflammatory and probiotic-rich diet in patients with RA is scarce. There is also a need for biological data to support its anti-inflammatory effects. MethodsThe main goal of this study is to delineate the design process for a diet tailored to our RA population. To achieve this goal, we collected information on diet, supplements, cooking methods, and intake of different ingredients for each patient. Different groups were interviewed, and their feedback was assessed to design a diet that incorporates suggested anti-inflammatory ingredients in a manner that was easy for patients to adopt based on their lifestyles and backgrounds. ResultsWe designed a diet that includes a high intake of potential anti-inflammatory ingredients. Feedback from highly motivated patients was critical in constructing an anti-inflammatory diet (ITIS diet) with elevated adherence. ConclusionIn order to tailor our diet, we surveyed our patients on several different parameters. We obtained important feedback on how feasible our ITIS diet is for RA patients. Using this feedback, we made minor improvements and finalized the design of the ITIS diet. This diet is being used in an on-going pilot study to determine their anti-inflammatory effect in pain and joint swelling in RA patients. Trial registrationNot applicable.

Relationship of Benzene Exposure to Trans, Trans-Muconic Acid and Blood Profile of Shoe Workers in Romokalisari Surabaya, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND:Benzene is a hazardous ingredient for health. Benzene is used as a latex glue solvent in the shoe industry.AIM:The purpose of the study was to analyse the relationship between benzene exposure with trans, trans-muconic acid (t, t-MA) and the blood profile of shoe workers in Romokalisari Surabaya.METHODS:The study was a cross-sectional design conducted in the shoe industry in Romokalisari Surabaya with some subjects of 20 shoe workers. Data collection was carried out by measuring benzene levels conducted at 8 measurement points in Surabaya Romokalisari, taking workers’ blood, measuring body weight and conducting interviews with respondents. Data were analysed using correlation tests.RESULTS:The results showed that there was no relationship between benzene levels with t, t-MA (p-value = 0.205), there was no relationship between benzene Risk Quotient (RQ) and t, t-MA (p-value = 0.271) and there was no relationship between the Excess Cancer Risk (ECR) and blood profile of workers in Romokalisari. However, there were some abnormal blood profile parameters due to exposure to benzene although it was small.CONCLUSIONS:It seems another factors such as length of work, nutritional status, duration of exposure, weight, and frequency of exposure have a considerable contribution in the determination of intake of xenobiotic ingredients in the body to cause health effects especially blood profiles.

THE ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME-INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF THE PEPTIDE ISOLEUCINE-TRYPTOPHAN AFTER ORAL INTAKE VIA WHEY HYDROLYSATE IN MEN

Objective: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE)-inhibitors are treatment of choice in hypertensive patients. In former studies we revealed the ACE-inhibitory activity and antihypertensive effect of the natural dipeptide isoleucine-tryptophan (IW) and its effect on cardiac remodelling and coronary flow reserve in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The aim in this project was to determine in volunteers the ACE-inhibiting effect and the bioavailability of IW after oral intake of whey hydrolysate. A second aim was to study the influence of combined intake of IW-containing hydrolysate with further food ingredients. Design and method: 8 fasted normotensive volunteers received IW containing whey hydrolysate in different doses, intact whey protein, or water. Compounds were applied alone or with parallel intake of specific food ingredients (fiber, protein, carbohydrates and fat). Blood samples were taken at fixed time points for analysis of ACE activity and assessment of IW concentration in plasma by LC-MS/MS method. Results: Baseline concentrations of IW differed individually ranging from 1.2 to 2.1 nM. The intake of 10 g hydrolysate (equivalent to 50 mg IW) induced a significant increase in plasma IW concentrations (maximum values 8.5–27.5 nM after 25–30 min). The activity of plasma ACE was significantly reduced to 72 – 87% of baseline activity during this time interval. The maximum of ACE inhibition coincided with the peak of IW concentration. Increasing the applied hydrolysate to 50 g caused IW concentrations to increase to 18–159 nM after 29–65 min. In parallel, ACE activity was decreased to 62–77%. However, after intake of intact whey protein IW concentrations increased only slightly to 2.3–4.9 nM and ACE activity was 88–91% of baseline activity. No changes in IW concentration and ACE activities were observed following placebo application. Combined intake of either protein, fiber or fat delayed IW resorption and extended IW rise of plasma concentration and ACE inhibition. Carbohydrates did not affect IW resorption, however, ACE inhibition was diminished compared to the single application of hydrolysate. Conclusions: In healthy volunteers oral intake of IW via whey hydrolysate shows a marked increase of IW plasma concentration and inhibition of plasma ACE activity. In addition, effects are retarded by parallel intake of food ingredients.

A multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial assessing the effects of a multicomponent nutritional supplement for treating photoaged skin in healthy women.

Dietary or supplementary intake of nutrients and other ingredients positively affects skin appearance. Evaluate a multicomponent nutritional supplement on photoaged skin. This multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized healthy 35- to 65-year-old women with Fitzpatrick skin types I-IV and Glogau classification types II-III to a multicomponent nutritional supplement or placebo for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was Investigator Global Assessment of overall facial appearance at week 24. Secondary endpoints included investigator- and subject-rated assessments of the face, décolletage, and hands; facial photography assessments (conducted by an independent panel of dermatologists); and instrumental measures. Analysis of variance was used to assess between-group differences (P ≤ 0.05). Of 194 randomized subjects, 171 completed the study. Subjects had a mean age of 53 years and were primarily white (81%), had Glogau II (58%) and Fitzpatrick III (45%; significantly more supplement subjects had Fitzpatrick III [54%] vs. placebo [35%]; P = 0.039). At week 24, Investigator Global Assessment of overall facial appearance was numerically but not statistically better for supplement over placebo (mean difference: 0.14 [95% confidence interval: -0.16-0.44]; P = 0.358). A significant treatment-by-site interaction (P = 0.073) was observed; by-site analyses revealed a significant difference at one of three geographical sites for supplement vs. placebo (P = 0.001). Differences on secondary endpoints were generally not significant. In the first multicenter study conducted with this multicomponent nutritional supplement, no significantly greater effects vs. placebo were observed on the primary endpoint, perhaps because of significant between-site variability.

Forage plants as an alternative feed resource for sustainable pig production in the tropics: a review

Globally, pressure on concentrate feed resources is increasing, especially in the tropics where many countries are net importers of food. Forage plants are a possible alternative, but their use as feed ingredients for pigs raises several issues related to their higher fibre and plant secondary metabolites contents as well as their lower nutritive value. In this paper, the nutritive value of several forage species and the parameters that influence this nutritive value in relationship to the plant family, the physiological stage, the plant part and the preservation method (fresh, hay and silage) are reviewed. The influence of the breed and the physiological status of the animal on animal voluntary intake of fibre-rich ingredients, digestibility as related to gastrointestinal volume and transit time and growth performances are also discussed. The final section highlights the advantages and drawbacks of forage plants in pig diets and stresses the need for proper economic evaluation to conclude on the benefits of the use of forage plants in pig feed.

New Development in Osteoporosis Treatment: The Synergistical Osteogenic Effects with Vitamin D3, Menaquinone-7, Genistein and Zinc

Copyright: © 2013 Yamaguchi M. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Bone is a dynamic tissue that undergoes continual adaptation during vertebrate life to attain and preserve skeletal size, shape, and structural integrity and to regulate mineral homeostasis. Two processes, remodeling and modeling, underpin development and maintenance of the skeletal system [1]. Bone modeling is responsible for growth and mechanically induced adaptation of bone and requires the processes of bone formation and bone removal (resorption). Bone remodeling is responsible for removal and repair of damaged bone to maintain integrity of the adult skeletal and mineral homeostasis. Bone homeostasis, which maintains bone mass, is skillfully regulated through osteoclasts, osteoblasts and osteocytes, which are major cells in bone tissues. Bone homeostasis is regulated through various physiological systems including many hormones and cytokines and immune systems, and it is disturbed through various pathophysiological states that induce osteoporosis. Aging induces a reduction in bone mass with a decrease in osteoblastic bone formation and an increase in osteoclastic bone resorption. Osteoporosis with its accompanying decrease in bone mass is widely recognized as a major public health problem. The most dramatic expression of the disease is represented by fractures of the proximately femur, and the number of which increase as the population ages [2,3]. Moreover, bone loss has been shown to stimulate in various pathophysiologic states including inflammation, obesity, diabetes, and cancer cell bone metastasis [4]. Malnutrition or undernutrition is often observed with increasing ages, and it appears to be more intense in patients with hip fracture than in the general aging population [5]. The deficiency in both micronutrients and macronutrients appears to be strongly implicated in the pathogenesis and consequences of hip fracture in the osteoporotic elderly. This may generate the concept that bone homeostasis is regulated through various nutritional and food factors in maintaining bone health in long life. There is growing evidence that nutritional and functional food factors have a role in the prevention of bone loss with increasing age [6]. Food life style may help to prevent bone loss with aging. Chemical factors including vitamins and minerals in food and plants, which regulate bone homeostasis, have been to be notice. Recent studies have been shown that these factors stimulate osteoblastic bone formation and suppress osteoclastic bone resorption in osteoporosis animal models and human subjects [6], thereby increasing bone mass. Supplemental intake of ingredients plays an important role in maintaining bone health and in the prevention of bone loss. This may provide a new tool in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Iron status and dietary intake of Chinese pregnant women with anaemia in the third trimester.

Anaemia in pregnancy is a major public health problem in China. Anaemia in pregnant women may be related to dietary intake of nutrients. To examine the relationship between iron status and dietary nutrients, a cross-sectional study in pregnant women was carried out. The intake of foods and food ingredients were surveyed by using 24-h dietary recall. Blood haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum iron, serum ferritin, transferrin and soluble transferrin receptor were measured in 1189 clinically normal pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The results showed that the average daily intake of rice and wheat was 504.2 g in the anaemia group and 468.6 g in the normal group. Carbohydrates accounted for 63.69% and 63.09% of energy in the anaemia and normal groups, respectively. Intake of fat was very low; 18.38% of energy in anaemia group and 19.23% of energy in normal group. Soybean intake was 109.4 g/day and 63.6 g/day in the anaemia and normal groups, respectively (P < 0.001). There were lower intakes of green vegetables (172.1 g/day) and fruits (154.9 g/day) in the anaemia group than in the normal group (246.2 g/day green vegetables (P < 0.001) and 196.4 g/day fruit (P < 0.001)). Intakes of retinol and ascorbic acid were much lower in the anaemia than in the normal group (P < 0.001). In the anaemia group, vitamin A intake was only 54.76% of the Chinese recommended daily allowance (RDA) and ascorbic acid intake was 53.35% of the Chinese RDA. Intake of total vitamin E was 14.55 mg/day in the anaemia group compared with 17.35 mg/day in the normal group (P < 0.016). Moreover, intake of iron in pregnant women with anaemia was slightly lower than that in the normal group. Comparison of iron status between the anaemia and normal groups found serum iron in women with anaemia at 0.89 microg/L, which was significantly lower than 1.09 microg/L in the normal group (P < 0.001). There were lower average values of ferritin (14.70) microg/L) and transferrin (3.34 g/L) in the anaemia group than in the normal group (20.40 microg/L ferritin (P < 0.001) and 3.44 g/L transferrin (P < 0.001)). Soluble transferrin receptor was significantly higher (32.90 nmol/L) in the anaemia than in the normal group (23.58 nmol/L; P < 0.001). The results of this study indicate that anaemia might be attributed to a low iron intake, a low intake of enhancers of iron absorption and a high intake of inhibitors of iron absorption from a traditional Chinese diet rich in grains.

Comparison of two methods to assess the intake of flavouring substances

It is important to assess the intake of flavouring substances in order to be confident that exposure to the substance from its intended use presents no significant risk. A number of methods exist to estimate intake of food ingredients. Two such methods, one using a detailed dietary analysis based on food consumption and composition and one using 10 times the annual volume of use on a per capita basis (per capita x 10), were compared for their precision and practicality in assessing the intake of 10 flavouring substances. The detailed dietary analysis method of determining exposure resulted in good estimates of the distribution of intakes across the population, as well as patterns of intake of individuals. This method is both expensive and labour intensive. The per capita x 10 method yields results that, compared with those obtained by detailed dietary analysis, tend consistently to overstate exposure. Thus, this method is a conservative and practical approach to assessing exposure to flavouring substances and other food ingredients.