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PubMed2001

Methane and hydrogen exhalation in normal children and in lactose malabsorption.

UNLABELLED: Methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2) are gases produced in the colon by the breakdown of carbohydrates, due to the action of anaerobic methanogenic bacteria. No papers have been published in pediatrics concerning these gases production and exhalation. Understanding of the pattern of H2, CH4, carbon dioxide (CO2), butyrates, indolellipsis,etc., production and exhalation, which may differ in gastrointestinal diseases, may be helpful as far as the diagnosis and treatment of some gastrointestinal conditions is concerned. Exhalation of H2, CH4 and CO2 by breath air was studied in basal conditions in 338 normal infants and in 27 lactose malabsorbers. Moreover, stools collected and stored for 10-12 h in anaerobic and aerobic conditions were incubated in anaerobiosis at 38 degrees C. After a 4-h incubation period, H2, CH4 and CO2 were determined. RESULTS: Methane production is independent of hydrogen production; the number of children producing CH4 increases from 0% at 12 months of age to 44% at the age of 9 years. In lactose malabsorption, we found 26 children producing increased quantities of H2 and no methane, and only one producing methane but no hydrogen, which proves that methanogenic bacteria are independent of H2-producing bacteria, and that CH4 determination is compulsory in the study of lactose malabsorption. The incubation of stools in an anaerobic milieu at 38 degrees C for 4 h, in an attempt to imitate the human colon, showed a great production of methane and less of H2 in the stools collected and stored in anaerobic conditions. The same incubation method was applied to the stools collected and stored in aerobic conditions: production of H2 and CH4 was much lower than in the collected and stored anaerobic group. The appearance of CH4 in the stools of the aerobic group proves that methanogenic bacteria are, to a small degree, resistant to oxygen. CONCLUSIONS: The study of gas exhalation in pediatrics merits more study by researchers, with a view to defining a special pattern of gas production in pathological conditions. The anaerobic stool incubation method is a good model for studying gas production under the effect of different diets and the gas production pattern in gastrointestinal diseases.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1981

Dietary influences on the development of sucrose acceptability in rats.

Weanling rats were placed on a high-fat diet or chow. Beginning at 5 weeks of age, they were tested for acceptability of 4 sucrose solutions of different concentrations once a week until they showed the previously established adult pattern of acceptability. Subjects on the chow diet showed a gradual transition from a juvenile to adult pattern of acceptability, that is, a progressive downward shift in the concentration of solution that is most acceptable. Subjects on the high-fat diets never showed the adult pattern but continued to display a juvenile pattern of acceptability throughout the experiment. The data obtained from the subjects on the high-fat diets are similar to those on taste preferences in obese humans.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Reproducibility and validity of dietary patterns assessed with a food-frequency questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the analysis of dietary patterns has emerged as a possible approach to examining diet-disease relations. OBJECTIVE: We examined the reproducibility and validity of dietary patterns defined by factor analysis using dietary data collected with a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). DESIGN: We enrolled a subsample of men (n = 127) from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study in a diet-validation study in 1986. A 131-item FFQ was administered twice, 1 y apart, and two 1-wk diet records and blood samples were collected during this 1-y interval. RESULTS: Using factor analysis, we identified 2 major eating patterns, which were qualitatively similar across the 2 FFQs and the diet records. The first factor, the prudent dietary pattern, was characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, and fish and other seafood, whereas the second factor, the Western pattern, was characterized by a high intake of processed meat, red meat, butter, high-fat dairy products, eggs, and refined grains. The reliability correlations for the factor scores between the 2 FFQs were 0.70 for the prudent pattern and 0.67 for the Western pattern. The correlations (corrected for week-to-week variation in diet records) between the 2 FFQs and diet records ranged from 0.45 to 0.74 for the 2 patterns. In addition, the correlations between the factor scores and nutrient intakes and plasma concentrations of biomarkers were in the expected direction. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate reasonable reproducibility and validity of the major dietary patterns defined by factor analysis with data from an FFQ.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Food and nutrient intakes and eating patterns in functional and organic dyspepsia.

Forty organic dyspepsia patients and 40 functional dyspepsia patients, endoscopically diagnosed, were recruited from a gastroenterology outpatient unit and were age- and sex-matched with an equal number of patient controls. A diet history of typical eating patterns for a 7-day period was taken and food portions quantified using a photographic atlas. An interviewer-assisted questionnaire was used to identify present eating habits, dietary patterns reported to exacerbate or relieve symptoms and alterations in eating habits as a result of symptoms. Females with organic or functional dyspepsia reported significantly lower energy intakes (P < 0.01) than controls. Females with organic dyspepsia had significantly lower intakes of fat, carbohydrate, fibre and a wide range of micronutrients compared to controls. Females with functional dyspepsia had significantly lower intakes of fat, sugars and vitamin C (P < 0.05) than controls. Organic dyspepsia patients (male and female) had significantly lower intakes of alcohol and vitamin C than controls (P < 0.05). Patients with organic dyspepsia had higher intakes of milk and lower intakes of fresh fruit and/or fruit juice than controls. The main difference in eating pattern noted was that a significantly lower percentage (P < 0.05) of functional dyspepsia patients than controls regularly ate three meals per day. Large numbers of dyspepsia patients in both groups associated certain eating habits and the consumption of specific foods with exacerbation of dyspeptic symptoms and over 80% of both groups reported food avoidance as a result of this.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Effects of high-fat diet and fasting on levels of acyl-coenzyme A binding protein in liver, kidney, and heart of rat.

Acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) binding protein (ACBP) is a 10-kd protein that binds acyl-CoA moieties and stimulates medium-chain fatty acid synthesis by goat mammary gland fatty acid synthetase. Its exact role in intermediary lipid metabolism has not been fully elucidated. It is hypothesized that ACBP is directly involved in the metabolism of lipid. In the present study, purified rat liver ACBP was used to generate a polyclonal antisera for radioimmunoassay of ACBP in tissue specimens isolated from fasted rats and rats fed normal rat chow and a high-fat diet. In addition, purified ACBP was used to examine its effect on the activity of mitochondrial outer membrane (OM) carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT0). Fasting for 24 hours significantly decreased tissue levels of ACBP in the liver (69.0 +/- 7.2 v 46.7 +/- 5.0 pg/ng DNA), whereas feeding of a high-fat diet for 48 hours caused ACBP levels to increase (69.0 +/- 7.2 v 103.9 +/- 18.0). Hepatic levels of this protein continued to increase and remained elevated with prolonged exposure to the high-fat diet (28 days). A similar pattern of change was observed in the kidney, but the magnitude of change was less. Heart ACBP did not respond acutely to the high-fat diet, but did increase after prolonged exposure (28 days). Fasting had no effect on ACBP levels in kidney and heart. Addition of ACBP to an in vitro assay system significantly increased the activity of CPT0 (from 5.2 +/- 0.8 to 72.1 +/- 5.3 nmol palmitoylcarnitine formed.min-1.mg-1 protein) when measured under inhibiting concentrations of palmitoyl-CoA (40 mumol/L).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Spontaneous mutation frequency and pattern in Big Blue mice fed a vitamin E-supplemented diet.

Endogenous oxidative DNA damage caused by normal cellular processes may play a vital role in carcinogenesis. To directly test the hypothesis that antioxidants will protect DNA from oxidative damage in vivo, Big Blue((R)) mice were fed either a control diet (66 IU vitamin E/kg diet) or a high-dose vitamin E diet containing 1000 IU vitamin E/kg diet of racemic d,l-alpha-tocopherol acetate from conception until 3 months of age. Using the standard Big Blue((R)) protocol, 15.5 million plaque forming units (pfu) were examined from five tissues (heart, liver, adipose tissue, thymus, and testis) of three control and three high-dose vitamin E supplemented male mice generating 433 mutants, which represented 373 independent mutations upon sequencing the lacI transgene. The alpha-tocopherol tissue concentration increased with high-dose vitamin E supplementation. In four of the tissues, individually or combined, mutation frequency changed little if any with vitamin E supplementation. In adipose tissue, which accumulated the highest levels of vitamin E, mutation frequency was significantly reduced with high-dose vitamin E supplementation (P = 0.047). Within the constraints of sample size, the pattern of mutation in adipose tissue was not altered significantly (P = 0.40). When data from all tissues were combined, a reduction in G:C --> T:A transversions was observed (P = 0.044). These results may have implications for cancer chemoprevention and provide insight into the efficacy of vitamin E supplementation in reducing spontaneous oxidative DNA damage in vivo. More dramatic alterations of mutation frequency and pattern may be observed with higher doses of vitamin E and substitution of the racemic supplement with d-alpha-tocopherol acetate.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Long-term subclinical infection with Trichostrongylus colubriformis: effects on food intake, diet selection and performance of growing lambs.

Growing lambs (mean liveweight 22.4 kg) were used to test for the effects of long-term subclinical infection with Trichostrongylus colubriformis (2500 larvae per day) on the voluntary food intake (VFI), diet selection and performance of sheep given a choice between two foods of different protein content (low versus high). Sheep were either uninfected controls or parasitised for 27 weeks (Group 27P). Additional sheep were infected for either 9 or 18 weeks (before and after the development of complete resistance to parasites, as assessed by faecal egg counts) and then treated with anthelmintic to remove the parasites (Groups 9P and 18P). Group 18P remained uninfected after anthelmintic treatment whereas Group 9P was infected again for the last 9 weeks after a 9 week worm-free period. The VFI declined or remained static from Week 5 up to Week 11/12 of continuous infection, for the 27P and 18P groups. For 9P sheep, VFI recovered within a few days after the anthelmintic administration and was unaffected during re-infection over the last 9 weeks of the experiment. Diet selection changed in such a pattern that the proportion of the high protein food (prop H) in the selected diet started to increase from Week 6 of the infection. The prop H selected remained higher over the interval 10-18 weeks of the continuous infection for 27P and 18P groups than the uninfected controls. There were no significant differences in diet selection among any of the groups beyond Week 18 of the experiment. The infection caused a growth check from Week 7 to approximately Week 12/14 of dosing; these was no evidence of compensatory growth following the development of resistance or recovery. The results are consistent with the view that sheep given a choice between two appropriate foods will modify their diet selection in order to moderate the adverse effects of subclinical nematode infection. The performance and diet selection of all sheep beyond Week 18 of infection suggest that no obvious nutritional penalties are incurred with the continuation of the infection once the animals have become resistant to parasites.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

A maternal diet high in n - 6 polyunsaturated fats alters mammary gland development, puberty onset, and breast cancer risk among female rat offspring.

We hypothesized that feeding pregnant rats with a high-fat diet would increase both circulating 17beta-estradiol (E2) levels in the dams and the risk of developing carcinogen-induced mammary tumors among their female offspring. Pregnant rats were fed isocaloric diets containing 12% or 16% (low fat) or 43% or 46% (high fat) of calories from corn oil, which primarily contains the n - 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) linoleic acid, throughout pregnancy. The plasma concentrations of E2 were significantly higher in pregnant females fed a high n - 6 PUFA diet. The female offspring of these rats were fed with a laboratory chow from birth onward, and when exposed to 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene had a significantly higher mammary tumor incidence (60% vs. 30%) and shorter latency for tumor appearance (11.4 +/- 0.5 weeks vs. 14.2 +/- 0.6 weeks) than the offspring of the low-fat mothers. The high-fat offspring also had puberty onset at a younger age, and their mammary glands contained significantly higher numbers of the epithelial structures that are the targets for malignant transformation. Comparable changes in puberty onset, mammary gland morphology, and tumor incidence were observed in the offspring of rats treated daily with 20 ng of E2 during pregnancy. These data, if extrapolated to humans, may explain the link among diet, early puberty onset, mammary parenchymal patterns, and breast cancer risk, and indicate that an in utero exposure to a diet high in n - 6 PUFA and/or estrogenic stimuli may be critical for affecting breast cancer risk.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Effects of food texture change on metabolic parameters: short- and long-term feeding patterns and body weight.

A complete diet was prepared with cooked pieces of meat, beans, cream starch, and water and presented to the rats in two different textures: a blended purée and a rough mixture that required a lot of chewing. We hypothesized that this texture modification might change both anticipatory reflexes and feeding behavior. Feeding rate, meal size, intermeal intervals, and their correlation were monitored in response to each texture. The long-term (6 wk) effect on body weight was assessed. Periprandial plasma glucose, insulin, glucagon, and lipid concentrations were assayed. Whole and background metabolism, respiratory quotient, and locomotion were measured using a computerized calorimeter of original design. In the short term, rats preferred the mixture. However, after 3 wk, they ingested more purée than mixture and gained more body weight per gram of food ingested as purée. Insulin response declined earlier with the mixture. During meals, glycerol and free fatty acid increased earlier with purée, whereas in the postprandial period, glycerol increased earlier with mixture. The metabolic rate, however, was not significantly affected. We concluded that texture, an everyday manipulation performed on food for human consumption, affects not only palatability of ingestants but also their metabolic management in the short and long term.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Dietary behavior of French men according to alcohol drinking pattern.

Relationships of alcohol consumption with diet were studied in 216 French men aged 18-44. The sample was divided on the basis of alcohol intake in the preceding 7 days: controls (less than or equal to 43 g/day), moderate drinkers (44-87 g/day) and heavy drinkers (88-200 g/day). Moderate and heavy drinkers consumed more meat and meat products, bread and toast, dried vegetables and potatoes than controls but fewer nonalcoholic drinks and less milk, yogurt, cooked vegetables, raw and cooked fruits, pastries and confectioneries. Total energy intake was higher in drinkers than in controls but nonalcoholic energy intake was not significantly different; alcohol was simply added to food intake. Moderate and heavy drinkers consumed significantly less carbohydrates but more fat and protein than controls. Vitamins A and C intakes were lower in the moderate and heavy drinkers than in controls but folate and iron intakes were higher. The differences in dietary habits between controls and drinkers were not related to age nor to socioprofessional status since after adjustment for these two parameters the same relationships were still found.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Lipid and apolipoprotein patterns during erythropoietin therapy: roles of erythropoietin, route of administration, and diet.

BACKGROUND: Long-term effects of rHuEpo on the blood lipid profile have not been well documented. The aim of this paper is to prospectively evaluate whether rHuEpo therapy affects lipid metabolism, and whether these effects are influenced by changes in dietary habits and by route of rHuEpo administration. METHODS: The study was performed in 33 maintenance haemodialysis patients (MHP) treated for one year with rHuEpo either intravenously (n = 15) or subcutaneously (n = 18), three times per week at the end of each dialysis session. The doses were 50 IU/kg intravenously or 35 IU/kg subcutaneously during the first 6 months and 20 IU/kg during the following months. The control group consisted of 17 MHP not treated with rHuEpo. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoproteins Al and B, haemoglobin, serum albumin, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, Kt/V, protein catabolic rate, and plasma erythropoietin were assessed at months 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 2 weeks after rHuEpo discontinuation. Changes in food intake were evaluated on the basis of weekly dietary diaries before, and 3 and 9 months after treatment. Patients were divided into two groups: group A consisted of 19 patients who showed an increase in their energy intake (10% or more of basal value), and group B was formed by 14 patients without or with slight changes in their food intake. After the 6th month, dialysis schedules were adapted to new protein catabolic rate values in patients who increased their food intake. RESULTS: During follow-up, there were no significant changes in any of the parameters in the control group. In group A, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, protein catabolic rate, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B increased significantly since the first months of rHuEpo treatment, and changes in cholesterol and apolipoprotein B correlated significantly with changes in protein catabolic rate. In group B, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B decreased significantly after the 6th month of treatment, without changes in blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and protein catabolic rate values. In both groups A and B, HDL cholesterol decreased significantly until the 6th month and returned to basal values in the following months and apolipoprotein Al decreased until the 4th month and rose to levels higher than basal values in the following months. First rHuEpo administration and rHuEpo suspension at end of follow-up did not show any acute effect on lipid profile, despite significant changes in plasma erythropoietin values. Changes in lipid profile were similar with intravenous and subcutaneous administration of rHuEpo. CONCLUSIONS: We infer that long-term rHuEpo treatment positively affects the lipid profile, but in some patients who show exaggerated increase in their food intake these effects may be balanced and overcome by increment in some atherogenic blood lipid fractions. The changes in lipid and apolipoprotein patterns during rHuEpo therapy are not influenced by route of rHuEpo administration.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Diet, exercise and behavioural intervention: the nonpharmacological approach.

Behaviour is an important factor in both the aetiology and treatment of obesity. Successful long-term weight management ultimately depends on the ability of patients to change their behaviour patterns, particularly with regard to diet and exercise. Many patients find such changes extremely difficult to initiate and maintain. The failure to properly address behavioural modification is part of the reason why so many weight loss programmes cannot produce long-term weight loss, even though initial weight loss is often achieved with relative ease. Four examples of lifestyle changes are discussed in this paper: exercise; relapse prevention; the concept of a reasonable weight; and attribution theory. Behavioural therapy should be an integral part of a multifaceted approach for managing obesity and associated conditions, such as type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1987

Suppression by methionine and choline of onco-fetal patterns of liver tRNA methyltransferase activities in carcinogen-treated rats.

When male Fischer rats were fed Purina chow supplemented with 2% D,L-methionine and 1% choline chloride, the rapid increase in N2-guanine tRNA methyltransferase II (NMG2) activity otherwise seen in response to cancer-promoting doses (0.02% in the diet) of 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) was prevented, and the increase in NMG2 activity otherwise caused by carcinogenic doses of AAF (0.06% in the diet) was decreased by 50%. In addition, the return of NMG2 activity to a normal level after completion of a 3-week regimen of 0.06% AAF was accelerated in animals fed the methionine plus choline supplemented diet. As shown earlier in this laboratory, liver tRNA methylating enzyme activities are shifted rapidly to an onco-fetal pattern in rats receiving methyl-deficient diets. This pattern is characterized by selectively elevated NMG2 activity while the activities of other base-specific tRNA methylating enzymes are relatively unchanged. Our combined results indicate that the exogenous supply of methyl groups is a factor in regulating NMG2 activity and can modulate at least one response of animals to carcinogens.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗
PubMed1977

Sulfur amino acid requirement of channel catfish: L-methionine and L-cystine.

Growth studies, utilizing a 24% crude protein diet containing an amino acid pattern similar to whole egg protein, indicate that the methionine requirement in the absence of cystine for fingerling channel catfish (Ictalurus punctalus) is about 0.56% of the diet (dry weight basis) or 2.34% of the dietary protein. The dietary requirement was confirmed by serum free methionine analysis. A marked increase in serum free methionine occurred at a dietary methionine level between 0.50% and 0.75% of the diet. The cystine replacement value for methionine on a mmole sulfur basis was found to be about 60%.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Dieting and the family context of eating in young adolescent children.

OBJECTIVES: The potential for undernutrition and links with eating disorders make early dieting an issue of concern. The aim of this research was to examine the eating patterns, social circumstances of eating, and parental use of food in young adolescent dieters. METHODS: Four hundred and two 12-year-old children (200 girls, 202 boys) completed assessments of dieting, eating patterns, food-related nurturance, and parental control of eating, together with body weight, height, and self-perception. RESULTS: Current dieting (20% girls, 8% boys) was strongly associated with fasting and dietary restraint. Highly restrained children ate fewer meals and snacks and reported significantly greater parental control of their eating. However, they did not differ in the social context of eating or in food-related nurturance. Dieting status was a stronger determinant than body weight of all these differences. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that 12-year-old dieters are quite serious in their nutritional intentions. They also confirm an active role for parents in their children's dieting. Both children and their parents are in need of age and gender-specific advice concerning eating and weight.

Child↗
PubMed2000

Garlic powder, effect on plasma lipids, postprandial lipemia, low-density lipoprotein particle size, high-density lipoprotein subclass distribution and lipoprotein(a).

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that a garlic supplement alters plasma lipoproteins, postprandial lipemia, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) size and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclass distribution differently in 50 moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects classified as LDL subclass pattern A or B. BACKGROUND: Garlic has been variably reported to reduce or not affect plasma cholesterol values. Low-density lipoprotein pattern B is a common inherited disorder of lipoprotein metabolism that has been shown to have a significantly greater response to several lipid lowering treatments including low fat diet when compared with LDL pattern A individuals. METHODS: A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial in an outpatient lipid research clinic was performed and included fifty moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects (mean LDL cholesterol = 166 +/- 22 mg/dl) classified as LDL subclass pattern A (predominantly large LDL, n = 22) or B (predominantly small LDL, n = 28). Following a two-month stabilization period, subjects were randomly assigned to a placebo or 300 mg three times a day of a standardized garlic tablet for three months. RESULTS: For all subjects, LDL pattern A and B subjects combined, garlic treatment for three months resulted in no significant change in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, HDL subclass distribution, postprandial triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein (a) (Lp[a]), LDL peak particle diameter or LDL subclass distribution. There was no significant difference in response for the same parameters among subjects classified as LDL pattern A or B with the exception of significantly greater (p = 0.01) reduction in mean peak particle diameter in pattern A subjects treated with either garlic or placebo. There was no significant change in LDL subclass distribution. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation confirms that garlic therapy has no effect on major plasma lipoproteins and further, that it has no impact on HDL subclasses, Lp(a), apolipoprotein B, postprandial triglycerides or LDL subclass distribution. Garlic may have a greater effect on LDL particle diameter in LDL pattern A compared with pattern B subjects. This difference was not reflected in other plasma lipid measurements.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1982

Nutritional studies in the weanling rat with normophagic hypothalamic obesity.

Weanling male hypothalamic-obese Sprague-Dawley rats (VMNL) and sham-operated controls (CON) fed stock diet for 2 weeks postoperatively ate similar amounts, but VMNL laid down more fat and less body weight per calories. Three equicaloric diets of different macronutrient (MN) content each were fed for 21 days. Diet selection: VMNL selected more carbohydrate (CHO) diet and protein diet but similar amounts of fat diet; total caloric intake was comparable. Percent diet selection showed the identical pattern. MN intake: VMNL ingested more percent CHO, less percent protein and similar percent fat as CON. Refeeding after 2-day fast: both groups selected similar amounts of diets, but VMNL ingested less protein. High protein diet along (9 days): both groups increased caloric intake over previous regimens, weight gain and caloric intake were similar, but Lee Index was higher in VMNL. Stock diet (32 days): VMNL showed normal body weight gains but higher Lee Index despite hypophagia. They utilized calories similarly for body weight gains but more poorly for fat deposition than CON. After death several key plasma substrates were similar in both groups but epididymal fat pads were heavier in VMNL.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2004

Prudent diet and the risk of insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Diet is a potentially modifiable risk factor for diabetes. Dietary patterns may exert greater effects on health than individual foods, nutrients or food groups. Data on associations between dietary patterns and the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are sparse. The aim of the study was to examine associations between dietary patterns and the risk of insulin resistance. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a cross sectional study involving a group of 1018 men and women, sampled from 17 general practice lists in the South of Ireland, with a response rate of 69%. Participants completed a detailed health and lifestyle questionnaire and provided fasting blood samples for analysis of glucose, insulin and lipids. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. The food frequency questionnaire was a modification of the UK arm of the European Prospective Investigation into cancer, EPIC study, which was based on that used in the US Nurses' Health Study. Dietary patterns were assessed by K cluster analysis. Insulin resistance was estimated on the basis of fasting glucose and insulin, using the glucose homeostasis model (HOMA scores). Insulin resistance was defined as the upper quartile of the HOMA scores. Three dietary patterns were identified by cluster analysis (traditional Irish diet, a prudent diet and an alcohol and convenience foods diet). Participants in clusters 1 (traditional Irish diet) and 3 (high alcohol and convenience foods) had a lower intake of more 'healthy' food groups (such as fruit, vegetables, low fat dairy products, poultry, fish and whole grain products) and higher intake of foods richer in total and SFA content (such as high fat dairy products, butter, meat and meat products). Cluster 2 (prudent dietary pattern) was characterized by a higher intake of food groups that are typically recommended in health promotion programs and a lower intake of meat (read meat), meat products, sweets, high fat dairy and white bread (white bread and unrefined cereal). The prudent diet had the lowest HOMA scores in analysis of covariance. The prevalence of insulin resistance in the prudent diet was lower than that in the traditional diet (OR=0.53; 95%CI, 0.33-0.85 in fully adjusted analysis). CONCLUSION: A prudent diet may be associated with enhanced insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Aged↗