Thiamine Intake Research Articles

Intake of Foods That Could Be Fortified and of Nutrients That Could Potentially Contribute to Anemia Among Indian Women Before Fortification Implementation

Objectives1) To estimate intake of staple foods and condiments that could be fortified if 2018 fortification regulations released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for oil, wheat flour, rice, salt, and milk were implemented effectively under social protection programs; and 2) To estimate intake of nutrients that could potentially contribute to anemia among women of reproductive age (WRA) (15–49 y) in India, prior to fortification implementation. MethodsWe estimated WRA’s mean food intake and intake of iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamine, zinc, and folate by integrating single-day 24-h dietary recall from the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) Rural Survey 2009–2012 (n = 11,625) and our food composition table (FCT). This FCT was created using the 1989 and 2017 Indian FCTs, FCT for Bangladesh, and USDA’s Food Data Central to estimate WRA’s intake of nutrients that were not included in the original NNMB: copper, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and vitamin E. ResultsOn a daily basis prior to fortification, WRA consumed on average 10.5 (SD 11.6) g of oil, 78.9 (SD 133.8) g of wheat flour, 227.4 (SD 158.8) g of rice, 0.4 (SD 4.6) g of salt, and 55.4 (SD 79.7) g of milk. On a daily basis, 73.1%, 45.5%, 85.5%, 12.8%, and 59.5% of WRA consumed oil, wheat flour, rice, salt and milk, respectively. Prior to fortification, WRA consumed on average 12.3 (SD 7.4) mg of iron, 190.7 (SD 473.1) mcg of vitamin A, 37.8 (SD 36.8) mg of vitamin C, 0.7 (SD 0.3), mg of riboflavin, 1.1 (SD 0.5) mg of thiamine, 7.8 (SD 3.6) mg of zinc, 235.4 (SD 419.6) mcg of folate, 1.9 (SD 0.8) mg of copper, 1.3 (SD 3.3) mcg of vitamin B12, 1.1 (SD 0.5) mg of vitamin B6, and 3.3 (SD 3.5) mg of vitamin E. ConclusionsStaple food consumption suggests that wheat flour, rice, and milk are good fortification vehicles to reach WRA. The percentage of women consuming condiments suggests oil is a good fortification vehicle for WRA. However, WRA’s intake of nutrients that could potentially contribute to anemia is varied. Our food composition table provides a unique opportunity to analyze nutrients in addition to those included in the NNMB. The NNMB data can be used to model the potential nutrient contribution of fortified foods among WRA in India. Funding SourcesGlobal Affairs Canada.

Nutrient Consumption among the Bangladeshi Children with Autism

Background: The prevalence of Autism in South Asia is 1 in 93 children, where, prevalence is much higher, 3% in Dhaka city of Bangladesh. Consumption of daily required nutrient is essential for these children like normal ones but sometimes may be neglected. Objectives: This study was undertaken to assess the macro and micronutrient consumption among the children with autism in Dhaka city and compared to the requirement.Material & Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 100 subjects where male-female ratio was 3:2, were studied from urban autism centers Dhaka, Bangladesh. Anthropometric parameters height, weight, BMI and 24-hour dietary recall (individual 3days) were collected following predesigned questionnaire. Data was collected from face to face interview from both parents and center’s teacher as appropriate. Nutritive value of food was calculated using Food Composition Table for Bangladesh, 2014 using a food software. For statistical analysis, SPSS 20 was used.Results:The average age and BMI of subjects were 11 yrs and 21 kg/m2 respectively. The mean ±SDvalues (g/day) of protein, fat and carbohydrate intake were 38±15, 47±12 and 116±38 respectively. The average intake of (mg/day) thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, niacin, and zinc was 0.68±0.32, 0.46±0.23, 33±24, 144±87, 137±55, 6.5±2, 11±4 and 5.2±2 respectively. About 94% children consumed only 33% of the required calcium. Nearly 42% children took 67% of the required magnesium. Similarly, half of the children failed to consume 33% thiamine and zinc of the requirement. Conclusions:Consumption of calcium, thiamine, folic acid, and zinc are seemed to be lower than their requirement.

A copula-based approach for creating an index of micronutrient intakes at household level in Pakistan

Deficiency of micronutrients is considered as the basic cause of health issues. There are a large number of micronutrients to be considered for good health, which are analyzed separately. However, such analyses involve practical as well as methodological complications and it requires construction of an index representing malnutrition of micronutrients. This study proposes copula methodology to categorize malnutrition of micronutrients at household level by combining the dependence structure of various correlated variables. Data of eleven micronutrients are extracted from HIICS- 2015–16 published by Pakistan -Bureau of Statistics. Seven out of the eleven variables are highly correlated, which are considered to construct the index. These include calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, riboflavin, thiamine and phosphorus intakes per capita at household level. Normal probability distribution is found as the best fit to the sample data of all variables. Gaussian copula function is used to derive multivariate probability distribution by combining univariate marginal probability distribution of each micronutrient. The Multivariate distribution of Gaussian copula model is used to calculate cumulative probabilities, which provide a base to categorize households’ malnutrition w.r.t. micronutrients. The results show that 60% households lie in very low or low category of micronutrient intakes, 20% of households fall into medium category while 20% fall into high or very high category of micronutrient consumption. The proposed methodology might be helpful to combine other micronutrients as well as a variety of correlated variables in many other fields having a survey data

Validation of an instrument to assess food diversity in women of childbearing age in Medellín, Colombia.

To validate a Food Diversity Questionnaire (CDA, for its name in Spanish) that identifies the prevalence of the risk of deficiency in the intake of eleven micronutrients. The CDA paper form, an online application for data entry and handling, was designed and compared with the 24-h recall (24HR) as a reference method. All data were processed in Personal Computer Software for Intake Distribution Estimation (PC-SIDE) v1 software. A descriptive analysis and comparisons between prevalence, concordance and reproducibility analyses were performed. Medellín, Colombia. Women of childbearing age between 19 and 50 years (n 186) who worked for the Buen Comienzo programme in 2019. When comparing the adjusted 24HR technique and the CDA, there was no significant difference in population-level data at risk of deficiency in any micronutrient intake. However, based on individual-level data of the best linear unbiased predictor, the concordance analyses were weak, and although agreements were high according to the diagnostic performance tests, a good ability to detect deficiency was only observed in a few nutrients: vitamin A 100·0 %, Ca 98·7 %, Fe 92·8 %, folates 91·6 %, and pyridoxine 81·8 %. The CDA validated in this study is useful and faster at evaluating population-level data at risk of deficiency in the intake of Ca, Fe, Zn, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folates, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin A. Based on individual-level data, a good ability to detect deficiencies was observed in the intake of vitamin A, Ca, Fe, folates and pyridoxine.

An increased intake of thiamine diminishes the risk of metabolic syndrome in the Korean population with various comorbidities

Background and aimsThere is growing evidence that thiamine supplementation could reverse non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of thiamine in metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear. We hypothesized whether an increased intake of thiamine diminishes the risk of MetS in the Korean population with various comorbidities. This study aimed to assess the association between thiamine intake and MetS among adults with comorbidities. Methods57,523 eligible participants aged over 18 years between 2009 and 2019 were recruited to obtain data on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, current medications, lifestyle, and family history. A 24-h recall was used to determine thiamine intake. Odds ratio (OR) for MetS was calculated for log2-transformed thiamine intake values, subsequently predicting the risk of MetS based on the marginal effect. ResultsThe risk of MetS was significantly higher in subjects with comorbidities than in those without comorbidities. A doubling of daily thiamine intake was significantly associated with a decrease in MetS among adults with comorbidities by 7% (OR 0.93; 95%CI 0.89–0.97). ConclusionsThe potential health benefits result from the intake of thiamine through an ordinary diet in the clinical management of MetS. Therefore, there is an ongoing need to look into these links between thiamine supplementation and MetS in well-characterized cohorts of participants with comorbidities.

Bariatrik cerrahi sonrası gelişen papil ödeminin eşlik ettiği Wernicke ensefalopatisi: bir olgu sunumu

Wernicke encephalopathy is an acute encephalopathy, characterized by the triad of mental confusion, ophthalmoplegia, and gait ataxia. Many reasons have been reported in the etiology that may be related to insufficient intake or malabsorption of thiamine. Here, we present a case of Wernicke's encephalopathy that developed after gastric bypass surgery, whose diagnosis was delayed because there was no feature other than papillary edema and obesity at early examination. During follow-up, the patient developed ophthalmoplegia and tetraparesis, and a change in consciousness was added. When Wernicke's encephalopathy was considered in the diagnosis, her clinic improved progressively under high dose intravenous thiamine treatment. The fact that this case had papillary edema, being obese, and the characteristic findings of the picture were obscure at the beginning caused a delay in diagnosis. This case was thought to be important as it would increase awareness of the uncommon findings of Wernicke's encephalopathy.

The relationship between daily calorie and thiamine intake and whole blood thiamine status in obese subjects

Rationale: There is limited information on how thiamine status change with overfeeding situation in obese patients. The aim of this study was to determine thiamine status, factors associated with it and its relationship between daily thiamine and calorie intake in obese subjects.

Dietary diversity score as an indicator of micronutrient intake in Filipino children and adolescents.

The study objective was to assess if Dietary diversity score (DDS) based on counting 10 food groups consumed can be used as an indicator of adequacy of micronutrient intake in Filipino children and adolescents. Dietary data of 7448 Filipinos age 3 to 18 years old included in the National Nutrition Survey in 2013 were used to assess the adequacy of intake of iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) for each micronutrient was computed and these were used to calculate the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) for each individual. Linear association for MAR and the different scores of DDS was verified using Pearson's correlation. Sensitivity and specificity were analyzed through the receiver operating characteristics curve to determine the DDS cut-off point that can be used to ascertain adequacy of micronutrient intake. The mean DDS is 6 and the mean MAR is 0.69. There was significant positive correlation between MARs and NARs (p<0.0001), as well as between MAR and DDS (r=0.29; p<0.0001). A DDS of 6 showed the highest sensitivity (74.2%) and specificity (44.6%) for achieving MAR of 0.5, while a DDS of 7 had the highest sensitivity (54.9%) and specificity (67.6%) in achieving MAR of 0.75. DDS is significantly correlated with micronutrient intake and a score of 6 or 7 can be used as a cutoff in screening for those with possible dietary micronutrient inadequacy in Filipino children and adolescents.

Nutritional status and birth outcomes among pregnant adolescents in Ashanti Region, Ghana

Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy can lead to adverse birth outcomes, and more importantly for pregnant adolescents as they require nutrients to meet their needs for their growth and the fetus. The study examined the relationship between nutritional status and birth outcomes among Ghanaian pregnant adolescents in selected districts of the Ashanti Region, Ghana. In this prospective cohort study, we followed 416 pregnant teenagers recruited at health centers during antenatal care until delivery. We measured weight and height to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), and Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), and nutrient intakes using a repeated 24 hr dietary recall were collected. Hemoglobin (Hb), serum levels of ferritin, prealbumin, vitamin A, Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Zinc Protoporphyrin (ZPP) were analyzed. Birth outcome data of interest were low birth weight (LBW) and preterm births (PTB). About 15.2 % had LBW, 12.5 % had PTB, and 3.1 % neonatal deaths. The majority of the pregnant adolescents consumed below Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) for thiamin (75.7 %), riboflavin (84.6 %), folate (82.9 %), vitamin A (87.3 %), iron (93.5 %), zinc (83.7 %), and calcium (96.9 %) intakes, while energy (96.6 %), protein (84.6 %), and dietary fiber (74.4 %) were below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Anemia and wasting prevalences were 57.1 % and 27.8 %. The mean intakes for carbohydrates ( p = 0.042) and dietary fiber ( p = 0.012) were significantly higher among adolescent mothers with term birth (276.7 ± 111.2 g, 23.7 ± 11.2 g) than those with PTB (237.3 ± 83.7 g, 19.4 ± 9.0 g), respectively. Preterm birth proportions were higher in severely wasted (18.8 %) adolescents than moderately wasted (6.2 %) and normal MUAC (14.0 %) adolescents ( p = 0.184). LBW proportions were higher among anemic (18.1 %) than the non-anemic (12.1 %), among low (30 %) compared with normal (14.9 %) serum ferritin, among low (15.7 %) compared with normal (0 %) serum prealbumin, and among low (16.2 %) compared with normal (11.1 %) serum vitamin A status pregnant adolescents. Pregnant adolescents with moderate wasting had lower odds (Adjusted odds ratio = 0.2, p = 0.017, 95 % confidence interval = 0.1–0.8) of having LBW infants compared with those with normal MUAC. The odds of preterm births were significantly higher among pregnant adolescents with dietary fiber intake below the RDA (Unadjusted OR = 2.8, p = 0.042, 95 % CI = 1.0–7.3). In conclusion, adverse birth outcomes were associated with poor nutritional status among pregnant adolescents studied. • 15.9 % had low birth weight, 12.5 % had preterm birth, 11.5 % had a postpartum hemorrhage, and 3.1 % neonatal deaths. • Majority of the participants had inadequate intakes of energy (81.4 %), protein (77.2 %), riboflavin (88.4 %), folate (93.0 %), vitamins A (97.1 %) and E (97.7 %), iron (97.6 %), and zinc (83.7 %). • Anaemia and wasting prevalence were 57.1 % and 27.8 %. • MUAC (p=0.002), BMI (p=0.015), gestational age (p<0.001) and ZPP (p=0.057) were significantly associated with birth weight.

Analysis and Evaluation of Nutritional Intake and Nutrition Quotient of Korean Athletes with Disabilities in the Tokyo Paralympic Games

This study analyzed and evaluated the nutritional intake and nutrition quotient for adults (NQ-A) among 21 disabled national athletes preparing for the Tokyo Paralympic competition. A 24-h recall nutrition survey was conducted on the second day of training and one day of the weekend (holidays) to analyze daily nutritional intake. Dietary information was analyzed using the NQ-A questionnaire, which comprises 21 items. The athletes were divided into three groups based on the NQ-A score (High, Middle, Low). A comparative analysis of dietary intake of disabled athletes with the recommended dietary intake amount (RDA) was performed. The intake of carbohydrates (166.9%), proteins (112.3%), vitamin E (112.0%), thiamine (124.6%), riboflavin (100.2%), vitamin B6 (110.6%), vitamin B12 (120.7%), sodium (216.6%), phosphorus (118.3%), iron (146.5%), iodine (143.2%), and selenium (114.2%) was higher than the Korean-recommended amount. In particular, as the results of comparing dietary intake between the three groups showed, the low NQ-A score group had significantly lower intake compared to the %RDA for vitamin E (67.1%), C (26.3%), and Potassium (42.8%). However, with most nutrients, nutritional intake deficiency was not shown to be a problem.

Gluten-free diet intervention reduces thiamine intake in two weeks, increases glycaemic response and decreases body weight in four weeks, with no long term nutritional deficiencies

This research investigated the effects of gluten free diet (GFD) on nutritional intake, glycaemic and insulin response. In a cross-sectional study, participants who consumed gluten-containing diet (GCD; n = 11) and GFD (n = 11) completed a food diary, blood glucose and insulin measurements. In a pre-post intervention study (n = 11), glycaemic and insulin responses were tested before and after four weeks of a GFD. Food intake was recorded before and after two weeks. No significant differences in nutrient intake, glycaemic or insulin responses were found in the cross-sectional study. In the intervention study, there was a significant reduction in body weight (p = .007) and body mass index (BMI) (p = .004) after four weeks and lower thiamine intake (p = .021) after two weeks of GFD. Glycaemic response was significantly higher (p < .05) following GFD with no differences in insulin response. These differences were not evident if GFD was followed for a longer period, possibly due to improved food choices.

A new method for calculating thiamin content and determining appropriate thiamin levels in foods

The thiamin content of some foods is inappropriately calculated per 100 kcal, 100 g or 100 mL, or the reference amount customarily consumed (RACC). So, making some food choices based on them to achieve adequate thiamin intake may increase the risks of some chronic diseases. Calculating the thiamin content and determining appropriate thiamin levels based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), and the proposed method were performed in 7990 food items. Making some food choices based on the FDA and CAC per serving (the serving is derived from the RACC) or CAC per 100 g or 100 mL to achieve adequate thiamin intake exceeded energy needs, which could lead to overweight or obesity. Making some food choices based on the CAC per 100 kcal or CAC per 100 g or 100 mL to achieve adequate thiamin intake did not meet thiamin requirements, which could lead to thiamin deficiency. Some foods that met thiamin requirements were not appropriate food choices based on the CAC per 100 g or 100 mL or CAC per serving to achieve adequate thiamin intake. Making food choices based on the proposed method met thiamin requirements and did not exceed energy needs.

Low-dose thiamine supplementation of lactating Cambodian mothers improves human milk thiamine concentrations: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACTBackgroundInfantile beriberi–related mortality is still common in South and Southeast Asia. Interventions to increase maternal thiamine intakes, and thus human milk thiamine, are warranted; however, the required dose remains unknown.ObjectivesWe sought to estimate the dose at which additional maternal intake of oral thiamine no longer meaningfully increased milk thiamine concentrations in infants at 24 wk postpartum, and to investigate the impact of 4 thiamine supplementation doses on milk and blood thiamine status biomarkers.MethodsIn this double-blind, 4–parallel arm randomized controlled dose–response trial, healthy mothers were recruited in Kampong Thom, Cambodia. At 2 wk postpartum, women were randomly assigned to consume 1 capsule, containing 0, 1.2 (estimated average requirement), 2.4, or 10 mg of thiamine daily from 2 through 24 weeks postpartum. Human milk total thiamine concentrations were measured using HPLC. An Emax curve was plotted, which was estimated using a nonlinear least squares model in an intention-to-treat analysis. Linear mixed-effects models were used to test for differences between treatment groups. Maternal and infant blood thiamine biomarkers were also assessed.ResultsIn total, each of 335 women was randomly assigned to1 of the following thiamine-dose groups: placebo (n = 83), 1.2 mg (n = 86), 2.4 mg (n = 81), and 10 mg (n = 85). The estimated dose required to reach 90% of the maximum average total thiamine concentration in human milk (191 µg/L) is 2.35 (95% CI: 0.58, 7.01) mg/d. The mean ± SD milk thiamine concentrations were significantly higher in all intervention groups (183 ± 91, 190 ± 105, and 206 ± 89 µg/L for 1.2, 2.4, and 10 mg, respectively) compared with the placebo group (153 ± 85 µg/L; P < 0.0001) and did not significantly differ from each other.ConclusionsA supplemental thiamine dose of 2.35 mg/d was required to achieve a milk total thiamine concentration of 191 µg/L. However, 1.2 mg/d for 22 wk was sufficient to increase milk thiamine concentrations to similar levels achieved by higher supplementation doses (2.4 and 10 mg/d), and comparable to those of healthy mothers in regions without beriberi. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03616288.

Association between Chronotype and Nutritional, Clinical and Sociobehavioral Characteristics of Adults Assisted by a Public Health Care System in Brazil.

Chronotype (CT) has been associated with predisposition to chronic noncommunicable diseases (CNCDs), such as diabetes mellitus and obesity. However, the effects of CT on individuals assisted by public health systems (PHSs) in middle-up economies are still poorly explored. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between CT and clinical, sociobehavioral and nutritional aspects in adults assisted by a PHS in Brazil. This is a population-based cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 380 individuals, selected through probabilistic sampling by clusters, in all health units in a city of approximately 100 thousand inhabitants. Data collection was performed during home visits, by means of general and nutritional interviews, anthropometric measurements and the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Statistical analysis comprised chi-square test and principal component analysis (CPA) followed by Fisher’s discriminant analysis to determine aspects associated with each CT (morning, evening or intermediate). With the aim of explaining the variation in the CT scores, the consumption of micronutrients (corrected to the total energy intake) and other individual and sociodemographic variables were used as explanatory factors in the adjustment of a linear regression model. The morning group was characterized by older men, with less than eight years of schooling, with low body mass index (BMI) and with low intake of omega-6, omega-3, sodium, zinc, thiamine, pyridoxine and niacin. The evening group, on the other hand, was composed of younger individuals, with a high consumption of these same nutrients, with high BMI and a higher frequency of heart diseases (p < 0.05). It was concluded that most morning CT individuals were elderly thin males with lower consumption of omega-6 and -3, sodium, zinc, thiamine, pyridoxine and niacin, whereas evening individuals were younger, had higher BMI and had higher consumption of the studied micronutrients. The identification of circadian and behavioral risk groups can help to provide preventive and multidisciplinary health promotion measures.

Thiamine supplementation holds neurocognitive benefits for breastfed infants during the first year of life.

Women reliant on mostly rice‐based diets can have inadequate thiamine intake, placing breastfed infants at risk of thiamine deficiency and, in turn, physical and cognitive impairments. We investigated the impact of maternal thiamine supplementation doses on infants’ cognitive, motor, and language development across the first year. In this double‐blind, four‐parallel‐arm, randomized controlled trial, healthy mothers of exclusively breastfed newborn infants were recruited in Kampong Thom, Cambodia. At 2 weeks postnatal, women (n = 335) were randomized to one of four treatment groups to consume one capsule/day with varying amounts of thiamine for 22 weeks: 0, 1.2, 2.4, and 10 mg. At 2, 12, 24, and 52 weeks of age, infants were assessed with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and the Caregiver Reported Early Development Instrument (CREDI). Multiple regression and mixed effects modeling suggest that by 6 months of age, the highest maternal thiamine dose (10 mg/day) held significant benefits for infants’ language development, but generally not for motor or visual reception development. Despite having achieved standardized scores on the MSEL that approximated U.S. norms by 6 months, infants showed a significant drop relative to these norms in both language domains following trial completion, indicating that nutritional interventions beyond 6 months may be necessary.

Consumption of Ready-to-Eat Cereal and Its Associations With Nutrient Intake and Nutrition Adequacy in the United States, NHANES 2017–2018

ObjectivesReady-to-eat cereal (RTEC) has been associated with improved intake of under-consumed nutrients. This study was conducted to examine consumption of RTEC and its association with nutrient intake and nutrition adequacy in the United States using the most recent nationally representative data. MethodsData from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017–2018 was used. Participants were classified as RTEC eaters or non-eaters depending on whether RETC was reported in their day-1 dietary recall. Total daily nutrient intake was compared by RTEC consumption status using ANOVA for survey data. Percentages below Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for selected vitamins and minerals that are usually fortified in RTEC products were calculated using the National Cancer Institute method as estimate of usual intake. Data were analyzed in children (2–17 y, N = 2135), adults 18–64 y (N = 3675), and older adults (65 y or older, N = 1221) separately. ResultsAmong children, 34% reported RTEC consumption. The percentage of RTEC consumers was 14% in adults 18–64y and 22% in adults 65y or older. Consumption of RTEC was associated with significantly higher intake of carbohydrate, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D (all P < 0.05), but not with intake of protein, saturated fat, and vitamin E, in all three groups examined. Children who consumed RTEC also had a significantly lower intake of sodium (2735 mg vs 2929 mg, P = 0.02) and total fat (70 g vs 76 g, P = 0.005) than non-eaters, whereas energy intake was significantly higher in RTEC eaters than non-eaters in adults 18–64y (2390 kcal vs 2171 kcal, P = 0.03) and older adults (2081 kcal vs 1921 kcal, P = 0.03). Percentages below EAR for vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, iron were lower in RTEC eaters than non-eaters in all age groups examined. ConclusionsWe found that consumption of RTEC was associated with higher intake of nutrients to encourage and RTEC consumers were more likely to meet nutrient recommendations compared to RTEC non-consumers. Funding SourcesThe study was supported by Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, General Mills, Inc.

The Association Between Ready-to-eat Cereal Consumption, Stratified by Sugar Content, and Nutrient Intakes in American Children and Adults: Results From NHANES 2017–2018

ObjectivesThe study was conducted to report the average nutrient intakes for RTEC eaters, stratified by sugar content, compared to RTEC non-eaters. Our hypothesis was that regardless of RTEC sugar content, RTEC eaters would have higher intakes of under-consumed nutrients compared to non-eaters. Methods“What We Eat in America” food categories were used to define higher-sugar (HS; ≥21.2 g sugar/100 g RTEC) and lower-sugar (LS; < 21.2 g sugar/100 g RTEC) RTEC. Using cross-sectional day 1 24-hr dietary recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2018 for participants 2 years of age and older, we defined HS-RTEC eaters (n = 1008, 13%) as eating any quantity of HS-RTEC; LS-RTEC eaters (n = 419, 7%) as consuming any quantity of LS-RTEC and no HS-RTEC; and non-eaters as not consuming RTEC (n = 5604, 80%). Differences in nutrient intakes (presented as mean ± SE) were evaluated using ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons. A P ≤ 0.001 was considered statistically significant to account for multiple comparisons. ResultsThere were no differences in intake of energy, protein, total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and vitamins C and E between the groups (all P ≥ 0.02). Added sugar intake was significantly different across the 3 groups (HS-RTEC 20.2 ± 0.9 tsp. eq./d; LS-RTEC 15.1 ± 1.5 tsp. eq./d; non-eaters 16.5 ± 0.5 tsp. eq./d; ANOVA P = 0.0005) but post-hoc comparisons didn’t reach statistical significance. HS- and LS-RTEC eaters had higher intake of calcium, fiber, folate, riboflavin, thiamin, zinc, and vitamins A, B12, B6 and D compared to non-eaters (all ANOVA P < 0.0001; post-hoc LS-RTEC vs. HS-RTEC all P ≥ 0.07; LS-RTEC vs. non-eaters all P ≤ 0.001; HS-RTEC vs. non-eaters all P ≤ 0.001). E.g. calcium intake was 30% higher in HS-RTEC and 25% higher in LS-RTEC compared to non-eaters. Whole grain and iron, and magnesium intakes were significantly different across the three groups with LS-RTEC having the highest intake (all ANOVA P < 0.0001). E.g. whole grain intake was 143% higher in LS-RTEC and 71% higher in HS-RTEC compared to non-eaters. ConclusionsRTEC consumption was associated with higher intake of many under-consumed nutrients regardless of sugar content. Funding SourcesThe study was supported by Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, General Mills, Inc.

Neurocognitive Benefits of Maternal Thiamine Supplementation for Breastfed Cambodian Infants

ObjectivesWomen reliant on rice-heavy diets can have inadequate thiamine intakes, placing breastfed infants at risk of thiamine deficiency and, in turn, neurocognitive impairments. We investigated the impact of maternal thiamine supplementation doses on infants’ cognitive, motor, and language development across the first year. MethodsIn this double-blind, four-parallel arm, randomized controlled trial, healthy mothers of exclusively breastfed newborn infants were recruited in Kampong Thom, Cambodia. At 2-weeks postnatal, women (n = 335) were randomized to one of four treatment groups to consume one capsule/day with varying amounts of thiamine for 22 weeks: 0 mg, 1.2 mg, 2.4 mg, and 10 mg. At 2-, 12-, 24- and 52-weeks of age, infants were assessed with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). ResultsMixed effects modeling suggest that by 6 months of age, the highest maternal thiamine dose (10 mg/day) held significant benefits for infants’ language development, F’s (3,659) > 33.2, P’s < 0.001, but generally not for motor or visual reception development. Despite having achieved standardized scores on the MSEL that approximated US norms by 6 months, infants showed a significant drop in all cognitive domains following trial completion, indicating that nutritional interventions beyond 6 months may be necessary. ConclusionsFindings provide the first experimental evidence that thiamine supplementation among lactating mothers at risk of thiamine deficiency protects their infants’ neurocognitive development, with particular benefit to developing language capacities. Results are consistent with studies that report a widening gap in cognitive test scores over time between children from high vs. low-risk contexts. Important questions remain, particularly with respect to the appropriate duration of thiamine supplementation and/or alternate interventions such as mandatory fortification, with potential to build protective stores of thiamine in preconception or pregnancy. Funding SourcesBill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences (Opportunity ID OPP1176128).

Patterns of Nutrient Intake in Relation to Gastric Cancer: A Case Control Study

Gastric Cancer (GC) is the most common cancer among Iranian men. We conducted a case-control study to investigate the association between patterns of nutrient intake and the risk of GC in Iran. We enrolled 178 GC patients and 271 controls matched for age and sex. We collected dietary intakes using a validated diet history questionnaire. We performed factor analysis on 28 nutrients using multivariate logistic regression models on tertiles of factor scores and estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). We identified three nutrient patterns. The first pattern included pantothenic acid, riboflavin, zinc, animal protein, and calcium. Selenium, thiamin, carbohydrate, vegetable protein, niacin and low intake of vitamin E loaded the second pattern, and the third pattern was abundant in fiber, carotene, vitamin C and A. We found no significant association between GC and any of the dietary patterns. However, in the first patterns, men in the highest tertile had significantly higher odds of GC than the lowest (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.13–4.09, p trend = 0.02). A dietary pattern loaded by animal products may increase the risk of GC among Iranian men. Larger studies are required to approve these findings in overall and in different subgroups. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2021.1931697

Nutritional Adequacy and Diet Quality Are Associated with Standardized Height-for-Age among U.S. Children.

Nutritional status affects linear growth and development. However, studies on the associations between nutritional status, diet quality, and age-standardized height in children are limited. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between macro- and micronutrient intake and food consumption and height-for-age Z score (HAZ) among US children in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). This cross-sectional population-based study included 6116 US children aged 2–18 years. The usual dietary intake of nutrients and food groups was estimated by the multiple source method (MSM) using two-day food consumption data from NHANES 2007–2014. After adjusting for covariates, HAZ was positively associated with intakes of energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins A, D, E, B6, and B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, and iron. Children in the highest tertile of HAZ were less likely to consume lower than the EAR for vitamin E and calcium. Major foods consumed by children with lower HAZ were soft drinks, high-fat milk products, cakes, cookies, pastries, and pies, whereas children with higher HAZ tended to consume low-fat milk products, tea, and low-calorie fruit juice. These findings suggest that adequate nutritional intake, diet quality, and nutrient-dense food are important factors for height in children.