Investigating risk of suboptimal macro and micronutrient intake and their determinants in older Danish adults with specific focus on protein intake:a cross-sectional study

Suboptimal intake of nutrients is associated with adverse health outcomes. The current study investigated the risk of suboptimal macro and micronutrient intake and their potential determinants in a cross-sectional study of community-dwelling older Danish adults (65–81 years). Nutrient intake was obtained through a 3-day weighted dietary record and information on personal characteristics and attitudes towards specific foods and dietary habits and nutrition through questionnaires. Dietary Reference Values (DRV) from the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations were used for the assessment. Among 157 participants, 68% and 66% had risk of suboptimal intake of dietary fiber and saturated fatty acids (SFA). For mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the numbers were 47% and 62%, respectively. Increased risk of suboptimal protein intake was estimated in 3 to 45% of the participants, depending on the criteria used for the DRV and of the mode of expressing protein intake. Fifty percent had intakes of alcohol above the maximum recommended intake. Risk of micronutrient inadequacy was particularly high for vitamin D and thiamine (80 and 45%, respectively). Total energy intake and attitude regarding healthy eating were associated with lower nutrient intake. The current study illustrates that there is room for improvements in the dietary quality of community dwelling older Danish adults

Deciphering the association networks of mycobiome communities among the elderly Danes

Changes of microbial communities have been linked to frailty in elderly, yet the presence of fungal communities and their associations are little understood. This study attemps to identify biologically meaningful gut microbial fungal associations during aging. Faecal samples of 100 Danes of 65 years or older were collected, and sequenced by high-throughput tag-encoded sequencing of ITS2 gene fragments. The sequences were analysed using QIIME and CoNet to characterise fungal communities, and generate association networks, respectively. HbA1c, identified as the principal node, was grouped into 3 clusters based on glycated glucose levels. The clusters correspond to the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota, with the genera Penicillium, Candida, and Aspergillus being particularly abundant within each cluster. Interestingly, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrices showed significant (P<0.05) variation between clusters. These findings suggest that the presences of specific gut mycobiome members are associated with glycemic behaviours among the healthy individuals of the elderly Danish population