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Concentrations of polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), DDT compounds (DDTs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide were determined in foodstuffs collected from different locations in Vietnam. Elevated levels of PCBs, DDTs, HCHs, and aldrin and dieldrin were found in animal fat, butter, meat, and seafood. Caviar and butter samples imported from the Soviet Union contained considerably higher amounts of PCBs, HCHs and DDTs. The average daily intake of some organochlorines by Vietnamese people were higher than those observed in most of the developed nations. The dietary intake of DDTs was the highest among various chemicals studied. Interestingly, the daily dietary intake of PCBs was comparable to those in developed countries. Fish, shellfish, prawn, and crab were the primary route of DDTs to humans, whereas cereals and vegetables were the predominant sources of PCBs and HCHs.
A study on the determinants of bone mass in young women is being carried out among 287 young Chinese women aged 21-40 years. The baseline cross-sectional data show that the mean dietary calcium intake, estimated from the quantitative food frequency method, was 448 mg/day (standard deviation = 219). About 50% of the calcium source was from vegetables and 22% from dairy products. Among women aged 21-30 years, those with a dietary calcium intake of at least 600 mg/day had a 4%-7% higher mean bone mineral density at the spine and femur when compared with those with a mean intake below 300 mg/day. In women aged 31-40 years, subjects belonging to the highest quartile of calcium density (> or = 35 mg/420 kJ) had a 3%-8% higher mean bone mineral density at the spine and femur when compared with those in the lowest quartile (< 20.8 mg/420 kJ). Favorable calcium intake is beneficial in this population of young women with habitual low dietary calcium intake.
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Women frequently consume dietary supplements but the criteria used to select supplements have received little investigation. This research identified the decision-making criteria used for dietary supplements among women aged 25 to 45 years who consumed a supplement at least four times per week. Participants (N=51) completed an in-store shopping interview that was audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed qualitatively for the criteria used to make supplement selections. Qualitative analysis revealed 10 key criteria and the number of times each person used each criterion was quantified. Cluster analysis identified five homogeneous subgroups of participants based on the criteria used. These included brand shopper, bargain shopper, quality shopper, convenience shopper, and information gatherer. Supplement users vary in the criteria used to make point-of-purchase supplement selections. Dietetics professionals can classify supplement users according to the criteria used to tailor their nutrition counseling and better meet the educational needs of consumers.
OBJECTIVE: This article discusses the role of diet in the management of asthma. Readers will gain an understanding of how evolution of the western diet has contributed to increased asthma prevalence and how dietary modification that includes management of dietary lipids may reduce symptoms of asthma. DATA SOURCES: Relevant studies published in English were reviewed. STUDY SELECTION: Medline search to identify peer-reviewed abstracts and journal articles. RESULTS: Asthma and obesity, which often occur together, have increased in prevalence in recent years. Studies suggest adaption of a western diet has not only contributed to obesity, but that increased intake of specific nutrients can cause changes in the frequency and severity of asthma. Increased asthma prevalence has also been proposed to arise from increased exposure to diesel particles or lack of exposure to infectious agents or endotoxins during childhood, generating a biased Th2 immune response, and increased cytokine and leukotriene production. Antagonists directed against these pro-inflammatory mediators include anticytokines and antileukotrienes. A reduction in the levels of inflammatory mediators associated with asthma has also been seen with dietary interventions, such as the administration of oils containing gamma-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence suggests elevated body mass index and dietary patterns, especially intake of dietary lipids, contribute to symptoms of asthma. Dietary modification may help patients manage their asthma as well as contribute to their overall health.
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Chile consumes both vegetable and animal fats. Vegetable oils are almost totally imported but animal fats, mainly from marine origin, are locally produced. The country is the second world producer of fish meal and fish oil, and fish oil has been incorporated into the human nutrition through the manufacture of blends of vegetable oil with fractions of deodorized fish oil. Consumption of such oils contributes as a significant source of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids, mainly for the low-income consumers. The use of fish meal and fish oil for animal nutrition is also an additional source of n-3 fatty acids for the Chilean population. Pork, poultry and eggs are important sources of essential fatty acids, especially long-chain n-3 fatty acids. As result of the consumption of these products, milk from low-income Chilean mothers shows significantly higher total n-3 fatty acids relative to mothers from the USA and Germany. Safety concerns about fats consumption in Chile are regulated by a Food Safety Codex recently promulgated which follows FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius directives.
Over the last 17 years there has been a significant reduction in the prevalence and severity of dietary iron overload in urban blacks of Johannesburg. This is attributed to a decrease in the consumption of traditionally brewed beer of high iron content over this period. A 40% reduction was found in hepatic iron concentrations measured in necropsy specimens from 248 male patients who died in 1976 as compared with 220 who died in 1959 and 1960. While hepatic iron concentrations rose with age in both groups there was no evidence of iron accumulation during the period between the two studies. Hepatic iron concentrations measured in 345 female subjects were many fold less than those of males and the 1976 group did not differ significantly from the 1959 to 1960 group. A paradoxical increase in the prevalence of portal fibrosis and cirrhosis was seen and may be due to the effects of increased ingestion of spirits and fortified wine in recent years. Iron overload was significantly greater in males with carcinoma of the esophagus and in those with idiopathic heart failure when compared to subjects who died of other causes. This suggests excessive exposure of these subjects to traditionally brewed beverages and the adulterants present in them.
Of 8,006 men of Japanese ancestry living in Hawaii who were followed from 1966 to 1983 for incident cardiovascular disease, 1,381 died and 290 had a protocol autopsy which included determination of the extent of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and aorta. More than 50 biologic, lifestyle, and dietary characteristics, measured in 258 of the men who did not have existing evidence of definite coronary disease or stroke at the baseline examination, were examined for association with the measures of atherosclerosis using models which did and did not include adjustments for autopsy selection bias. Blood pressure and serum cholesterol were the strongest and most consistent predictors of atherosclerosis in both the coronary arteries and aortas. Cigarette smoking was also consistently associated with aortic atherosclerosis and inconsistently with coronary atherosclerosis. Several other variables often associated with clinical coronary artery disease in this cohort were not found to be independently associated with atherosclerosis. These included alcohol use, physical activity, serum glucose, triglyceride, and uric acid levels. None of more than 25 measures of dietary patterns and 24-hour dietary intake was associated with atherosclerosis in any statistical model. Examination of age-adjusted and age-specific levels of atherosclerosis over time from 1966 to 1983 showed a slight decrease in coronary atherosclerosis and a slight increase in aortic atherosclerosis; however, these trends were not significant. Both myocardial scars measured at autopsy and clinical evidence of myocardial infarction were significantly associated with the coronary atherosclerosis scores.
The USDA issued the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) to help Americans choose healthy diets. We examined whether adherence to the 1992 and 2005 FGP was associated with moderate energy and adequate nutrient intakes. We used data for 2138 men and 2213 women > 18 y old, from the 2001-2002 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Quadratic programming was used to generate diets with minimal departure from intakes reported for the NHANES 2001-02. We examined the effect of the number of servings/d of Food Pyramid groups set at 1992 and at 2005 FGP recommendations for 1600, 2200, and 2800 kcal (1 kcal = 4.184 kJ) levels. We calculated energy and nutrients provided by different FGP dietary patterns. Within current U.S. dietary practices, following the 1992 FGP without sodium restriction may provide 200 more kcal than recommended for each energy level. Although it can meet most of old nutrient recommendations (1989), it fails to meet the latest dietary reference intakes, especially for the 1600 kcal level. The 2005 FGP appears to provide less energy and more adequate nutrient intakes, with the exception of vitamin E and potassium for some groups. However, without discretionary energy restriction, Americans are at risk of having excessive energy intake even if they follow the 2005 FGP food serving recommendations. Our analysis suggests that following the 2005 FGP may be associated with lower energy and optimal nutrient intake. Careful restriction of discretionary calories appears necessary for appropriate energy intakes to be maintained.
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An assessment of the food and nutrient intake of 81 male and 35 female University students was conducted using structured questionnaires and 24-hr. diet recall procedures. The contribution of Street Foods (SF) to their nutrients intakes was also assessed. The major dietary sources of nutrients for both groups were Cereals, Roots and Tubers and Legumes. Energy intake by males (9.81 MJ or 83.9% RDA) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than intake (8.59 MJ or 81.8% RDA) by female subjects. Street Foods contributed 50.3% and 48.3% of energy to male and female subjects respectively. Total Protein intake approximated RDA for both groups although on average only 25% of this was from animal sources. Intakes of minerals and vitamins were generally below RDA except for Calcium and vitamin A. Female subjects had significantly higher intakes of Iron, Thiamin and vitamin A than males. Overall Street food's contribution to RDA ranged from 23.0% (Iron in males) to 80.0% (vitamin A, also in males).
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Patterns of eating habits were analyzed to elucidate its relationship to the temporal change of body build from childhood through school age in subjects of the Toyama study. Survey questionnaires at the time of entrance to elementary school were used. Subjects were 6,452 (males 3,293, and females 3,159). Subjects were classified into 6 clusters among the males, 8 clusters among females based on the results of cluster analysis of eating habits. The cluster in males that preferred egg, milk, dairy products, fats, fish and shellfish, soybeans, fruits, green yellow vegetables indicated more frequent subjects whose BMI were less that 14. The cluster in girls that preferred fats indicated more frequent subjects whose BMI were more or equal to 18. The ANOVA showed significant relation of parental body build on their children. Even after grouping by parental body build, the cluster based on patterns of eating habits showed different frequencies of obese children. Preference for intake of milk indicated less frequent obese children among the similar parental body build for boys, while preference for intake of fats indicated more frequent obese children among a similar parental body build for girls. In conclusion, the obesity of a school child has a close relationship to parent's body build. However, the temporal changes of obesity were seen among eating habits clusters even if body builds of their parents are the same. It was shown that patterns of eating habit are important in school children's obesity development.
Everything in the diet can affect cholesterolemia and experimental atherosclerosis. Dietary cholesterol has relatively little effect on blood cholesterol. Saturated fat is a major factor in cholesterolemia. In rabbits, triglyceride structure affects atherosclerosis but not blood cholesterol. Protein and carbohydrate effects are secondary to those of fat. Soluble fiber lowers blood lipid levels. In the United States the mortality from heart disease (age adjusted cases per 100,000) has been falling since 1968. The "French Paradox" is attributed variably to red wine, exercise or other factors but no generally accepted explanation is available. One area of nutrition research that is almost untouched is that of interaction of nutrients which may explain some of the dichotomies. A new trend to study dietary patterns rather than specific dietary components may help to elucidate observed effects. For healthy people the most reasonable dietary advice is moderation, balance and variety.
To study behavioural factors associated with diet and to investigate body mass index distribution, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in Ahwaz. A composite dietary behaviour score obtained from self-reported responses to a 24-item food-frequency questionnaire was used to categorize eating habits as more/less healthy. Responders were 1600 heads of households from 150,000 randomly selected residences. Less healthy diets were shown to be associated with age and economic status, and greater obesity with women and age (reversed after ages > 65 years). Interventions targeted at less healthy eaters need to be evidence-based, and further research into factors determining access to healthy diets in developing communities is required.
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