Breakfast in Latin America: Evaluation of Nutrient and Foot Group Intake Toward a Nutrient-Based Recommendation

Background: Little is known about breakfast habits of the Latin American (LA) population to support nutritional recommendations for a balanced breakfast in this region. Objective: To evaluate the nutritional composition of breakfast in the LA population and to propose recommendations for a balanced breakfast. Design: This multicenter cross-sectional study evaluated food and nutrient intake of nationally representative samples of urban populations of 8 LA countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela) in 2014-2015. Participants/setting: The sample comprised 8714 participants from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health, aged 15 to 65 years, randomly recruited according to geographical location, sex, age, and socioeconomic level. Main outcome measures: Two 24-hour recalls were used to examine dietary intake. Breakfast consumers were stratified by tertiles of Nutrient-Rich Foods Index 9.3 (NRF9.3) to assess the overall diet quality of individuals. Nutrient intake at breakfast of those in the upper tertile of NRF9.3 pooled for the 8 countries was used as a reference for the development of recommendations for LA adolescents and adults. Statistical analyses: Comparison of food and nutrient intake of breakfast across NRF9.3 tertiles were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. Results: Overall breakfast was an important contributor to protein, carbohydrate, and B vitamin intakes but also to added sugar and total and saturated fat intakes relative to daily intakes. Individuals in the upper NRF9.3 tertile had higher intake of key micronutrients such as calcium and potassium at breakfast compared with other tertiles. White breads/rolls/tortillas were the most consumed food group (60%), followed by butter/margarine (40%) and coffee/tea without milk (34%-50%). Conclusions: Breakfast contributed to the daily intake of B vitamins, protein, and carbohydrates but also added sugar and total and saturated fat intakes for all countries. The proposed recommendations support the nutrient density of existing highest-quality breakfast in the LA population while addressing concerns about nutrients to be encouraged or reduced.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Salud::Facultad de Medicina::Escuela de Medicin

Nematofauna asociada a la zona urbana de la bahía de Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México

En junio y diciembre de 1995 se recolectaron sedimentos en 15 estaciones distribuidas en cinco transectos en la bahía de Chetumal. Los sedimentos fueron, en su mayoría arena fina y mediana, con un máximo de 15.62% de materia orgánica. En junio se recolectaron 2 239 organismos pertenecientes a 20 familias y 37 géneros, en diciembre se obtuvieron 1 426 nematodos que se ubicaron en 21 familias y 35 géneros. Neotonchoides, Desmodora, Bathylaimus, Pseudochromadora, Desmolaimus, Chromadorina y Steineria fueron los generos más abundantes. El transecto 3 en ambas temporadas fue el de mayor abundancia y riqueza, con 957 y 744 individuos y 28 y 25 géneros respectivamente. La menor abundancia ocurrió en el transecto 1 con 48 individuos y 6 géneros. La diversidad osciló entre 0.53 y 2.53 beles/ind. En general existe una homogeneidad en la composición de géneros en la bahía, aunque es notorio que muchos géneros considerados estrictamente marinos estén representados en aguas salobres, lo que muestra su capacidad de adaptación.<br>Sediments were collected at fifteen stations in five transects at Chetumal Bay (June and December 1995). Sediments were medium and fine sands with 15.62% organic matter. In June, 2 239 individuals represented 20 families and 37 genera; in December, 1 426 individuals represented 21 families and 35 genera. Neotonchoides, Desmodora, Bathylaimus, Pseudochromadora, Desmolaimus, Chromadorina and Steineria were the most abundant. In both months the same transect had the highest abundance and richness (957 and 744 individuals, 28 and 25 genera, respectively). The lowest abundance in a transect was 48 individuals and six genera. Diversity fluctuated among 0.53 and 2.53 beles/ind. In general, the genus composition in Chetumal bay is homogeneous. The noteworthy occurrence of marine genera in this brackish environment shows their adaptability

Impact of the Cooking Process on Metabolite Profiling of Acanthocereus tetragonus, a Plant Traditionally Consumed in Mexico

Acanthocereus tetragonus (L.) Hummelinck is used as an alternative food source in some Mexican communities. It has been shown that the young stems of A. tetragonus provide crude protein, fiber, and essential minerals for humans. In this work, we analyzed the phytochemical profile, the total phenolic content (TPC), and the antioxidant activity of cooked and crude samples of A. tetragonus to assess its functional metabolite contribution to humans. The phytochemical profile was analyzed using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-HESI-Orbitrap-MS/MS). Under the proposed conditions, 35 metabolites were separated and tentatively identified. Of the separated metabolites, 16 occurred exclusively in cooked samples, 6 in crude samples, and 9 in both crude and cooked samples. Among the detected compounds, carboxylic acids, such as threonic, citric, and malic acids, phenolic acids, and glycosylated flavonoids (luteolin-O-rutinoside) were detected. The TPC and antioxidant activity were analyzed using the Folin&ndash;Ciocalteu method and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical inhibition method, respectively. The TPC and antioxidant activity were significantly reduced in the cooked samples. We found that some metabolites remained intact after the cooking process, suggesting that A. tetragonus represents a source of functional metabolites for people who consume this plant species

Isotope ratios of H, C, and O in CO2 and H2O of the Martian atmosphere

Stable isotope ratios of H, C, and O are powerful indicators of a wide variety of planetary geophysical processes, and for Mars they reveal the record of loss of its atmosphere and subsequent interactions with its surface such as carbonate formation. We report in situ measurements of the isotopic ratios of D/H and O-18/O-16 in water and C-13/C-12, O-18/O-16, O-17/O-16, and (CO)-C-13-O-18/(CO)-C-12-O-16 in carbon dioxide, made in the martian atmosphere at Gale Crater from the Curiosity rover using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)'s tunable laser spectrometer (TLS). Comparison between our measurements in the modern atmosphere and those of martian meteorites such as ALH 84001 implies that the martian reservoirs of CO2 and H2O were largely established similar to 4 billion years ago, but that atmospheric loss or surface interaction may be still ongoing