Variation In Intake Research Articles

The Effect of Short-Term Feeding of a High-Coconut Oil or High-Fat Diet on Neuroinflammation and the Performance of an Object-Place Task in Rats.

The consumption of high-fat and high-sugar diets, in the form of junk food, and binge eating are now common. Increasing evidence suggests that a high-fat diet (HFD) can induce neuroinflammation and alter behavior. I aimed to study the effects of diets of differing fat content on neuroinflammation and spatial memory using an object-place (OP) task. Thirty-two adult male rats were allocated to four groups and fed a regular diet (Regular diet), a control diet (Control diet), an HFD (60% of calories from lard), or a high-coconut oil diet (HCOD; 60% of calories from coconut oil) for 3 days. Their water intake, food consumption, body mass, and metabolic variables were measured. HFD-fed rats showed significantly poorer performance on the OP task, as assessed using the discrimination index (- 0.208 ± 0.094), than the Regular (0.462 ± 0.078; P < 0.0001) and Control (0.379 ± 0.081; P = 0.0003) groups. However, no significant difference was observed in spatial memory between the HCOD and Regular groups. The concentrations of neuroinflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α, and nuclear factor κB) were also measured in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. HFD-fed rats showed significantly higher levels of neuroinflammatory markers than the Regular and Control diet-fed groups. HCOD feeding did not induce neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex compared with the Regular and Control groups.

Effects of low-level mercury exposure on brain-derived neurotrophic factor in preschool children

ObjectivesMercury (Hg), a ubiquitous heavy metal, could affect the neurodevelopment of the children, however, these associations are still equivocal. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an essential role in the central nervous system development in children. This study aimed to investigate the effects of low-level mercury exposure on serum BDNF levels and the influence of sex and dietary intake on these relationships in children. MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, a total of 541 pre-school children were recruited, the blood mercury concentrations and serum BDNF levels were measured. The background information on demographic characteristics and dietary habits of the children was collected through questionnaires. Multivariable linear models after adjustment for potential confounders were used to evaluate the associations between mercury exposure and levels of BDNF in children. ResultsThe GMs of blood mercury concentrations and serum BDNF levels were 1.06 μg/L, 20.4 ng/mL, respectively. A significant positive association between blood mercury concentrations and serum BDNF levels was found. After stratification by sex, the blood mercury concentrations in children were positive associated with serum BDNF levels in girls but not in boys. However, these associations were attenuated when we further adjusted the children’s dietary intake variables. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that low-levels of mercury exposure may have sex-specific effects on BDNF levels in young children and that dietary intake may be potential confounders in these relationships. However, further studies are warranted to investigate the role of BDNF in the effects of mercury on neurodevelopment.

Applying machine learning techniques on feeding behavior data for early estrus detection in dairy heifers

The recent advances in sensor technology have allowed accurate predictions of estrus events using animal behavior information. Behavioral variables generated by electronic feed and water bins have not been explored as potential predictors for estrus detection. The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate the effect of estrus expression on feed intake and animal behavior (feeding and drinking) and (ii) to develop and evaluate predictive approaches to detect estrus expression using electronic feed and water bins data. Feed intake, animal behavior, and estrus events were measured in 57 Holstein × Gyr heifers (374 ± 21.2 kg and 22.6 ± 0.60 months). Previous to each estrus event, the following covariates were computed: total feed intake (FI, as-fed basis), number of visits at the feed bins (VF) and water bins (VW), time spent eating (TE), and time spent drinking water (TD). Three predictive approaches were evaluated: Generalized Linear Models (GLM), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Random Forest (RF). Twelve covariate sets were established to investigate: (ii.a) the prediction quality for estrus detection when long (−174 to 0 h) or short (−24 to 0 h) time series were used as predictors (6 h of time window, with estrus event at 0 h); (ii.b) the ability of machine learning algorithms to predict estrus 6 and 12 h in advance; and (ii.c) the predictive quality for estrus detection when only feeding and drinking behavior data (without intake variables) were included as predictors. The predictive approaches were evaluated through Leave-One-Out Cross-validation. Estrus events altered feeding and drinking behavior patterns, and feed intake. ANN, RF, and GLM presented similar accuracies within covariate sets. There was no benefit of using longer time series for estrus detection. Earlier detection of estrus event (6 and 12 h in advance) reduced model accuracy compared to predictions performed at 0 h. However, ANN and RF showed accuracy values ranging between 75.7% and 96.5%, which indicates a great potential for early estrus detection. The exclusion of feed intake data of the covariate sets did not reduce the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the models for estrus detection. These findings suggest that behavioral data can early predict estrus events, which could be incorporated in sensor technologies capable of generating behavioral information, such as electronic bins, wearable sensors, and computer vision systems.

Polyphenol intake and cognitive decline in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project

The global growing rates of cognitive decline and dementia, together with the absence of curative therapies for these conditions, support the interest in researching potential primary prevention interventions, with particular focus on dietary habits. The aim was to assess the association between polyphenol intake and 6-year change in cognitive function in the 'Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra' (SUN) Project, a Spanish prospective cohort study. Changes (final - initial) in cognitive function were evaluated in a subsample of 806 participants (mean age 66 (sd 5) years, 69·7 % male) of the SUN Project using the validated Spanish Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-modified score. Polyphenol intake was derived from a validated semi-quantitative FFQ and matching food composition data from the Phenol-Explorer database. Multivariable linear regression models were used to evaluate the association between total polyphenol intake, polyphenol subclasses and cognitive changes. No significant association between total polyphenol intake and changes in cognitive function was found. However, a higher intake of lignans (βQuintile (Q) 5 v. Q1 0·81; 95 % CI 0·12, 1·51; Ptrend = 0·020) and stilbenes (βQ5 v. Q1 0·82; 95 % CI 0·15, 1·49; Ptrend = 0·028) was associated with more favourable changes in cognitive function over time, particularly with respect to immediate memory and language domains. Olive oil and nuts were the major sources of variability in lignan intake, and wine in stilbene intake. The results suggest that lignan and stilbene intake was associated with improvements in cognitive function.

Eucalyptus bark: A new source of fiber from the wood pulp industry for feeding to beef feedlot cattle

Our objectives were to compare the effects of feeding eucalyptus bark or eucalyptus wood chips, both by-products from the pulp industry, on voluntary feed intake, animal performance, and physiological variables of heifers finished on high-concentrate diets. Forty-eight British-breed heifers (Angus, Hereford, and their crosses) that were 22 to 24 mo of age and had an initial BW of 355 ± 8 kg were used. Four heifers were allocated to each of the 12 pens (experimental units). The experiment was a randomized complete block design with 2 treatments and 6 replications each. The 2 different fiber sources (wood chips or bark) were included in the fattening diet in the same proportion (8.9% DM basis). The rest of the ingredients in the diet were the same. The final diet was offered 3 times per day, and heifers were fed for 84 d. Fiber source (wood chips vs. bark) did not affect ADG or G:F ( P > 0.10). However, DMI ( P < 0.01), DP ( P = 0.04), and hot carcass weight ( P = 0.06) were greater in heifers fed with bark compared with those fed with wood chips. Heifers from the bark treatment spent less time ( P = 0.02) chewing than heifers from the wood chips treatment. In conclusion, bark could be used as a source of fiber for finishing cattle in high-concentrate diets at the same levels as wood chips. This finding is relevant for the feedlot industry because eucalyptus bark has no industrial uses and would represent a cheaper fiber source than wood chips.

A Global Review of Monitoring, Modeling, and Analyses of Water Demand in Dairy Farming

The production of milk must be balanced with the sustainable consumption of water resources to ensure the future sustainability of the global dairy industry. Thus, this review article aimed to collate and summarize the literature in the dairy water-usage domain. While green water use (e.g., rainfall) was found to be largest category of water use on both stall and pasture-based dairy farms, on-farm blue water (i.e., freshwater) may be much more susceptible to local water shortages due to the nature of its localized supply through rivers, lakes, or groundwater aquifers. Research related to freshwater use on dairy farms has focused on monitoring, modeling, and analyzing the parlor water use and free water intake of dairy cows. Parlor water use depends upon factors related to milk precooling, farm size, milking systems, farming systems, and washing practices. Dry matter intake is a prominent variable in explaining free water intake variability; however, due to the unavailability of accurate data, some studies have reported moving away from dry matter intake at the expense of prediction accuracy. Machine-learning algorithms have been shown to improve dairy water-prediction accuracy by 23%, which may allow for coarse model inputs without reducing accuracy. Accurate models of on-farm water use allow for an increased number of dairy farms to be used in water footprinting studies, as the need for physical metering equipment is mitigated.

Determining the position of southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma on the reproductive energy allocation spectrum using an essential fatty acid as a maternal dietary biomarker

Energy allocation strategies of fishes during vitellogenesis fall along a spectrum from rapid transfer of ingested nutrients into yolk (income breeding) to drawing upon reserves stored in somatic tissues (capital breeding). Southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, migrate from estuaries to offshore habitats to spawn, likely resulting in variability in nutrient intake. The effect of variable nutrient intake on egg composition depends upon the position of southern flounder on the income—capital breeding continuum. The essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 22:6(n-3)] was used as a biomarker to determine energy allocation strategy by measuring whether a shift in maternal diet at the start of the spawning season results in changes in the proportion of DHA in eggs. Treatment groups of flounder were fed a common diet and then switched to a high DHA diet, low DHA diet, or no change (control) diet after the first spawn, and spawned weekly for 8 weeks. DHA content of eggs changed within a few weeks of the diet change to reflect the dietary DHA content, consistent with an income breeding strategy. However, after about five weeks, females receiving the low DHA diet mobilized DHA stored in liver and white muscle tissues to reverse a decreasing trend in DHA content of eggs, evidence of a capital breeding strategy. These results suggest that southern flounder are income breeders under nutritionally favorable conditions but have the flexibility to use somatic stores to build yolk when nutrient availability is limited.

High variability of food and nutrient intake exists across the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern-A systematic review.

A Mediterranean style dietary pattern (MDP) is considered beneficial for health. The MD Score (MDS) definition has evolved, resulting in considerable variability in the foods and nutrients associated with MDS adherence. We systematically investigated food and nutrient composition of the MD between studies, countries, and methods of classifying the MDS. We searched Embase for MD systematic reviews and selected observational studies reporting intakes of foods, macronutrients, or micronutrients by categories of MDS adherence. The percentage differences in food and nutrient intakes between categories of high and low adherence to the MDS were calculated for each study. A total of 369 full‐text primary papers were reviewed from the included systematic reviews and 74 papers selected (66 adults, 8 children). We found considerable differences in MDS definitions and scoring criteria. Between‐study variation in food intake between high‐ and low‐adherence MDS adherence categories ranged from a mean of −23% for meat, to 119% for fruit, and 278% for fish. Greater variability was evident in non‐Mediterranean than Mediterranean regions. We conclude that few studies report food and nutrient intakes across the range of the MDP in adults and even fewer in children. The considerable variability in the foods and nutrients reported makes comparison of results from studies and translation into dietary guidelines difficult. We recommend that future publications of MD studies include full details of the range of food and nutrient intakes across the distribution of MD adherence in order to facilitate translation into health policy and practice.

Adherence to Mediterranean diet is inversely associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods among Spanish children: the SENDO project.

To assess whether higher adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was associated with lower consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and lower free sugar intake. Cross-sectional analysis of baseline information among participants in the SENDO project, a Spanish paediatric cohort. Dietary information was collected through a semi-quantitative FFQ. Food items were classified according to the NOVA classification. Adherence to the MedDiet was evaluated through the KIDMED index. Spain. Three hundred eight-six children (52 % boys) with a mean age of 5·3 years old (sd 1·0) were included in the analysis. 74·4 % of the children had moderate adherence to the MedDiet (mean KIDMED score: 5·9 points; sd 1·7) and overall, 32·2 % of the total energy intake came from UPF. Each two additional points in the KIDMED score was associated with 3·1 % (95 % CI 2·1, 4·0) lower energy intake from UPF. Compared to those with low adherence to the MedDiet, children with medium and high adherence reported 5·0 % (95 % CI 2·2, 7·7) and 8·5 % (95 % CI 5·2, 11·9) lower energy intake from UPF, respectively. We also found that 71·6 % of the variability in free sugar intake was explained by the variability in UPF consumption. Adherence to the traditional MedDiet was inversely associated with energy intake from UPF. Furthermore, most of the variability in free sugar intake was explained by the variability of UPF consumption. Public health strategies are needed to strengthen the adherence to the MedDiet in pre-schoolers while regulating the production, marketing and advertising of UPF.

Effect of oral or intragastric delivery of the bitter tastant quinine on food intake and appetite sensations: a randomised crossover trial.

Stimulation of gastrointestinal taste receptors affects eating behaviour. Intraduodenal infusion of tastants leads to increased satiation and reduced food intake, whereas intraileal infusion of tastants does not affect eating behaviour. Currently, it is unknown whether oral- or intragastric administration of tastants induces a larger effect on eating behaviour. This study investigated the effects of oral- and/or intragastric administration of quinine on food intake, appetite sensations and heart rate variability (HRV). In a blinded randomised crossover trial, thirty-two healthy volunteers participated in four interventions with a 1-week washout: oral placebo and intragastric placebo (OPGP), oral quinine and intragastric placebo (OQGP), oral placebo and intragastric quinine (OPGQ) and oral quinine and intragastric quinine (OQGQ). On test days, 150 min after a standardised breakfast, subjects ingested a capsule containing quinine or placebo and were sham-fed a mixture of quinine or placebo orally. At 50 min after intervention, subjects received an ad libitum meal to measure food intake. Visual analogue scales for appetite sensations were collected, and HRV measurements were performed at regular intervals. Oral and/or intragastric delivery of the bitter tastant quinine did not affect food intake (OPGP: 3273·6 (sem 131·8) kJ, OQGP: 3072·7 (sem 132·2) kJ, OPGQ: 3289·0 (sem 132·6) kJ and OQGQ: 3204·1 (sem 133·1) kJ, P = 0·069). Desire to eat and hunger decreased after OQGP and OPGQ compared with OPGP (P < 0·001 and P < 0·05, respectively), whereas satiation, fullness and HRV did not differ between interventions. In conclusion, sole oral sham feeding with and sole intragastric delivery of quinine decreased desire to eat and hunger, without affecting food intake, satiation, fullness or HRV.

Associations of physical activity with vitamin D status depends on obesity status in old adults.

Obesity has been associated with low 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25OHD). The causes of hypovitaminosis D in obese individuals are not known. The present work aimed to investigate 25OHD in obese and normal-/overweight subjects with consideration of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). Community-dwelling old adults (N=229, 73.7±5.7yrs, 58.2% female) from the Reykjavik capital area in Iceland participated in this cross-sectional study. LTPA, vitamin D intake, body composition and background variables were assessed. 25OHD was measured in fasting blood samples. Mean LTPA was 5.7±5.6h/week and the common activities were walking and gardening. Mean 25OHD was 66.7±28.1nmol/L and 8.5/21.2% were below 30 and 50nmol/L, respectively. Obese participants (n=84) had lower 25OHD (-11.0±3.8nmol/L,P<0.001) and lower LTPA (-2.5+0.8h/week,P=0.001) than normal-/overweight subjects (n=145). Linear models showed that LTPA (h/week) was associated with higher 25OHD in normal-/overweight participants only (1.3nmol/L, P<0.001) but not in obese (-0.7nmol, P=0.245). Fish oil intake was associated with higher 25OHD both in normal-/overweight (19.2±4.5nmol/L, P=0.001) and obese subjects (13.4±5.3nmol/L, P=0.013). Obese community-dwelling old adults in Iceland have lower 25OHD than their normal-/overweight counterparts. LTPA was associated with a higher 25OHD in normal-/overweight, but not in obese participants. However, fish oil was associated with higher 25OHD independently from obesity status. Thus, vitamin D supplementation is important for obese old adults to maintain vitamin D levels.

The Association Between Glycemic Variability and Macronutrients in Young Children with T1D.

There is limited information regarding the potential effect macronutrients have on postprandial glycemic variability in young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). To date, studies examining nutrition and glycemic outcomes either assess these factors at a single timepoint, or aggregate large datasets for group level analyses. This study examined how inter- and intraindividual fluctuations in carbohydrate, fat, and protein intake impact glycemic variability in the postprandial period for young children with T1D. Thirty-nine young children, aged 2-6 years, wore a continuous glucose monitor for 72 hr, while their parents completed detailed diet records of all food intake. The analyses tested three multilevel models to examine intra- and interindividual differences between food intake and postprandial glycemic variability. The results suggest carbohydrate intake, relates to greater postprandial glycemic variability. In contrast, the results reveal the inverse effect for protein, suggesting a tendency for young children who ate more protein at some meals to have lower postprandial glycemic variability, with the exception of lunch. There was no effect for fat on postprandial glycemic variability. These results suggest protein consumption may be an important consideration when aiming for optimal glycemic levels for some meals. When counseling parents of young children with T1D on common behaviors underlying glycemic excursion, pediatric psychologists may consider discussing the nutritional make up of children's meals. Further, the results demonstrate retaining longitudinal data at the person level, versus aggregating individual data for group level analyses, may offer new information regarding macronutrient intake and glycemic outcomes.

Protein intake is more stable than carbohydrate or fat intake across various US demographic groups and international populations

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe optimal macronutrient composition of the diet is controversial and many adults attempt to regulate the intake of specific macronutrients for various health-related reasons.ObjectiveThe objective was to compare stability and ranges of intakes of different macronutrients across diverse adult populations in the USA and globally.MethodsUS dietary intake data from NHANES 2009–2014 were used to determine macronutrient intake as a percentage of total energy intake. Variability in macronutrient intake was estimated by calculating the difference between 75th and 25th percentile (Q3–Q1) IQRs of macronutrient intake distributions. In addition, intake data from 13 other countries with per capita gross domestic product (GDP) over $10,000 US dollars (USD) were used to assess variability of intake internationally since there are large differences in types of foods consumed in different countries.ResultsProtein, carbohydrate, and fat intake (NHANES 2009–2014) was 15.7 ± 0.1, 48.1 ± 0.1, and 32.9 ± 0.1% kcal, respectively, in US adults. The IQR of protein intake distribution (3.73 ± 0.11% kcal) was 41% of carbohydrate intake distribution (9.18 ± 0.20% kcal) and 58% of fat intake distribution (6.40 ± 0.14% kcal). The IQRs of carbohydrate and fat intake distributions were significantly (P <0.01) influenced by age and race; however, the IQR of protein intake was not associated with demographic and lifestyle factors including sex, race, income, physical activity, and body weight. International mean protein intake was 16.3 ± 0.2% kcal, similar to US intake, and there was less variation in protein than carbohydrate or fat intake.ConclusionProtein intake of the US population and multiple international populations, regardless of demographic and lifestyle factors, was consistently ∼16% of total energy, suggesting biological control mechanism(s) tightly regulate protein intake and, consequently, influence intake of other macronutrients and food constituents. Substantial differences in intake of the other macronutrients observed in US and international populations had little influence on protein intake. This trial was registered at the ISRCTN registry as ISRCTN46157745 (https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN4615774).

Large variability in feeding behavior among crossbred growing cattle.

The purpose of this study was to define an extensive suite of feeding behavior traits in growing crossbred cattle and to investigate their phenotypic inter-relationships as well as relationships with other performance and efficiency traits. Time-series feeding behavior data, as well as feed intake and liveweight records, were available for 624 growing crossbred cattle, of which 445 were steers and 179 were heifers. Feeding behavior repeatability estimates were calculated using linear mixed models. Additionally, partial Spearman correlations were estimated among 14 feeding behavior traits, as well as between feeding behavior with both performance and feed efficiency traits, using residuals retained from linear mixed models. The marginal contribution of several feeding behavior traits to the variability in metabolizable energy intake (MEI) was also determined. Repeatability estimates of 0.57, 0.36, and 0.48 were calculated for the number of feed events per day, the total time spent feeding per day, and the feeding rate, respectively. Cattle that ate more frequently each day, ate at a faster rate and consumed less energy in each visit to the feed bunk. More efficient cattle fed less often per day and fed for a shorter duration per day; they also had a slower feeding rate and fed for longer in each visit to the feed bunk. Moreover, heavier cattle fed for a longer duration per day had a faster feeding rate, but fed less often per day; heavier animals also fed first in the pen after the fresh feed was offered. The number of feed events per day and feeding time per day together explained an additional 13.4 percentage points of the variability in MEI above that already explained by all of growth rate, liveweight, and backfat depth. The results from the present study suggest that several repeatable time-series-related feeding behavior traits, that are less resource intensive to measure, may have a role as useful predictor traits of important but relatively difficult to record traits, such as feed intake and efficiency.

Demographic, spatial and temporal dietary intake patterns among 526 774 23andMe research participants.

To characterise dietary habits, their temporal and spatial patterns and associations with BMI in the 23andMe study population. We present a large-scale cross-sectional analysis of self-reported dietary intake data derived from the web-based National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010 dietary screener. Survey-weighted estimates for each food item were characterised by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education and BMI. Temporal patterns were plotted over a 2-year time period, and average consumption for select food items was mapped by state. Finally, dietary intake variables were tested for association with BMI. US-based adults 20-85 years of age participating in the 23andMe research programme. Participants were 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research (n 526 774) and completed web-based surveys on demographic and dietary habits. Survey-weighted estimates show very few participants met federal recommendations for fruit: 2·6 %, vegetables: 5·9 % and dairy intake: 2·8 %. Between 2017 and 2019, fruit, vegetables and milk intake frequency declined, while total dairy remained stable and added sugars increased. Seasonal patterns in reporting were most pronounced for ice cream, chocolate, fruits and vegetables. Dietary habits varied across the USA, with higher intake of sugar and energy dense foods characterising areas with higher average BMI. In multivariate-adjusted models, BMI was directly associated with the intake of processed meat, red meat, dairy and inversely associated with consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. 23andMe research participants have created an opportunity for rapid, large-scale, real-time nutritional data collection, informing demographic, seasonal and spatial patterns with broad geographical coverage across the USA.

Inhibition of methanogenesis by nitrate, with or without defaunation, in continuous culture

Within the rumen, nitrate can serve as an alternative sink for aqueous hydrogen [H2(aq)] accumulating during fermentation, producing nitrite, which ideally is further reduced to ammonium but can accumulate under conditions not yet explained. Defaunation has also been associated with decreased methanogenesis in meta-analyses because protozoa contribute significantly to H2 production. In the present study, we applied a 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to dual-flow continuous culture fermentors (n = 4). Treatments were control without nitrate (-NO3-) versus with nitrate (+NO3-; 1.5% of diet dry matter), factorialized with normal protozoa (faunated, FAUN) versus defaunation (DEF) by decreasing the temperature moderately and changing filters over the first 4 d of incubation. We detected no main effects of DEF or interaction of faunation status with +NO3-. The main effect of +NO3- increased H2(aq) by 11.0 µM (+117%) compared with -NO3-. The main effect of +NO3- also decreased daily CH4 production by 8.17 mmol CH4/d (31%) compared with -NO3-. Because there were no treatment effects on neutral detergent fiber digestibility, the main effect of +NO3- also decreased CH4 production by 1.43 mmol of CH4/g of neutral detergent fiber degraded compared with -NO3-. There were no effects of treatment on other nutrient digestibilities, N flow, or microbial N flow per gram of nutrient digested. The spike in H2(aq) after feeding NO3- provides evidence that methanogenesis is inhibited by substrate access rather than concentration, regardless of defaunation, or by direct inhibition of NO2-. Methanogens were not decreased by defaunation, suggesting a compensatory increase in non-protozoa-associated methanogens or an insignificant contribution of protozoa-associated methanogens. Despite adaptive reduction of NO3- to NH4+ and methane inhibition in continuous culture, practical considerations such as potential to depress dry matter intake and on-farm ration variability should be addressed before considering NO3- as an avenue for greater sustainability of greenhouse gas emissions in US dairy production.

Body Composition of Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants Fed Fortified Human Milk: A Pilot Study.

Although donor milk is increasingly fed to preterm infants, the resultant quality of growth and body composition is unknown. The aim of this pilot study was to describe the body composition of very low-birth-weight infants fed human milk in the neonatal intensive care unit and explore the association between the proportion of donor human milk intake and fat-free and fat mass deposition. Body composition of 30 preterm infants fed maternal and donor human milk was measured by air displacement plethysmography. Regression models were developed to associate each parameter of body composition with the proportion of donor milk intake and other explanatory variables. The proportion of donor milk intake was negatively associated with body fat percentage (P = .01). Fat-free mass z-scores ranged from -4.6 to 1.11 (mean z-score of -0.95, 17th percentile). Donor human milk intake is negatively associated with body fat percentage in this pilot study of very low-birth-weight preterm infants.

Association between empirically derived dietary patterns and liver function tests in adults: Shahedieh cohort study.

Limited data exist on the association between dietary patterns (DPs) and enzymes mainly produced by the liver. This study aimed to examine the relationship between empirically derived DPs and serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels in addition to the alanine/aspartate aminotransferase ratio. This cross-sectional study was conducted on adults in the baseline phase of the Shahedieh cohort study in Yazd, Iran. Blood samples were taken from participants in a fasted state to provide data on dietary intake and other variables. Major DPs were derived using a principal component analysis. In total, 4973 participants (age 46.33 ± 9.08 y) were included in the study. Three DPs were derived: Traditional diet (high in vegetables, fruits, tomatoes, dairy, dried fruits, fruit juice, yogurt, olive and olive oil, sweet desserts, and high-fat dairy products), western diet (high in pizza, refined grains, soft drinks, high-fat dairy products, processed meats, mayonnaise, and snack foods), and hydrogenated fat and sugar diet (high in hydrogenated fat, potatoes, sugars, and legumes). After adjustment for all confounders, the western DP had a significant linear association with serum GGT (P < 0.001). This diet was also associated with higher odds for developing abnormal levels of serum GGT (Ptrend < 0.001). Although the other DPs had some linear associations with enzymes levels, they were not associated with the likelihood for developing abnormally high liver enzymes levels. A higher consumption of a western DP might adversely affect serum GGT levels. Prospective studies are recommended to confirm our results.

Fruit and vegetable intake is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in Chinese women: results from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

This study aimed to evaluate the associations between fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and the risk of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is a cross-sectional study that involved 6802 participants aged 18–65 years. Dietary intake and other variables were assessed by questionnaires. The prevalence of prediabetes and T2D was ascertained by self-report and analyses of fasting blood samples. In the multiple logistic regression models, FV intake was negatively associated the risk of T2D in women (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.71), whereas no such association was observed in men (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.65, 1.47). Furthermore, FV consumption was inversely associated with prediabetes risk in men and women. Results suggested that higher intake of FV was associated with a decreased risk of T2D or prediabetes in Chinese women and a reduced risk of prediabetes in men only.

Maternal Obesity and Diet Quality Modulate the Villous Placental Metabolome

Abstract Objectives Maternal diet and body composition are important determinants of offspring obesity risk, which may be mediated via changes in placental function. Here we examined the influence of maternal obesity and diet quality on the placental metabolome using untargeted metabolomics. Methods Placenta were collected from a longitudinal observational study in which maternal anthropometrics, body composition, dietary intake (3 d food records) and other variables were collected every trimester. Untargeted metabolomics of villous placental tissues from normal weight (NW, n = 72), overweight (OW, n = 49), and obese women (OB, n = 29) based on BMI at first trimester, were performed using GC-TOF MS. Differential metabolite features were identified using univariate comparisons (ANOVA/Mann Whitney U tests) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Results Principal component analysis did not reveal global shifts in the metabolome with maternal OW or OB. While no differences survived multiple testing corrections (P &amp;lt; 0.05), univariate analysis indicated that OW/OB subjects showed increased abundance of 2-deoxypentitol and decreases in maltotriose and 3-hydroxybutanoic acid relative to NW subjects (un-adjusted P &amp;lt; 0.05). Alterations in a number of non-annotated metabolites were also observed between NW, OW and OB groups. PLS-DA models predicted maternal OB status with ∼80% accuracy in held out samples. Predictive metabolites were enriched for aspartate metabolism and ammonia recycling. The global placental metabolome was significantly associated with maternal diet quality (Healthy Eating Index 2010 score averaged over pregnancy; PC1 ANOVA P &amp;lt; 0.01) which was characterized by differences in 138 metabolites (ANOVA, un-adjusted P &amp;lt; 0.05). Abundance of heptadecanoic acid and glycerol-3-galactoside increased with HEI score. Conclusions Maternal obesity appears to alter amino acid or protein metabolism, whereas diet quality seemed to affect metabolism of fatty acids and BCAA. These results suggest a potential shift in nutrient delivery to the offspring. Funding Sources Supported by USDA-ARS Project 6026–51,000-010–05S.