Cognitive development and children's perceptions of fruit and vegetables; a qualitative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most children do not meet the recommended guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake. Since preference is an important predictor of intake, more knowledge is needed about children's preferences and about how these preferences develop. As most research about preferences has ignored cognitive development, this study was designed to explore the relation between children's perceptions and preferences for fruit and vegetables and their cognitive development.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study population consisted of eight 4–5-year-old children, eight 7–8-year-old children and twelve 11–12-year-old children, recruited via a primary school in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Qualitative in-depth information was obtained by duo-interviews and focus group discussions. A structured guide with questions and game tasks was applied to address different domains in a consistent way.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The developmental progress at the abstraction level was seen in children's reasoning across all domains. Children's preferences expanded and increased in complexity as they moved to a higher age bracket. The most important determinants for liking and disliking shifted from appearance and texture attributes in 4–5-year-olds towards taste attributes in 11–12-year-olds. Children's knowledge of basic tastes increased. Their understanding of health improved as they grew older. The emergence of social norms and perspectives of others as the children grew older was also seen in relation to fruit and vegetables. Child-reported parental strategies to stimulate healthy eating appeared to vary with age in line with cognitive development.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cognitive development is paralleled by changes in the importance given to the attributes that determine whether a child likes or dislikes fruits and vegetables; children's understanding of and reasoning about health; and parental use of strategies. These developmental differences should be incorporated in programs designed to increase long-term fruit and vegetable intake in children.</p

Effect of an individually tailored one-year energy balance programme on body weight, body composition and lifestyle in recent retirees: a cluster randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity warrants preventive actions, particularly among people in transitional stages associated with lifestyle changes, such as occupational retirement. The purpose is to investigate the effect of a one year low-intensity computer-tailored energy balance programme among recent retirees on waist circumference, body weight and body composition, blood pressure, physical activity and dietary intake.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A randomised controlled trial was conducted among recent retirees (N = 413; mean age 59.5 years). Outcome measures were assessed using anthropometry, bio-impedance, blood pressure measurement and questionnaires.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Waist circumference, body weight and blood pressure decreased significantly in men of the intervention and control group, but no significant between-group-differences were observed at 12 or at 24-months follow-up. A significant effect of the programme was only observed on waist circumference (-1.56 cm (95%CI: -2.91 to -0.21)) at 12 month follow up among men with low education (n = 85). Physical activity and dietary behaviours improved in both the intervention and control group during the intervention period. Although, these behaviours changed more favourably in the intervention group, these between-group-differences were not statistically significant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The multifaceted computer-tailored programme for recent retirees did not appear to be effective. Apparently the transition to occupational retirement and/or participation in the study had a greater impact than the intervention programme.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Clinical Trials NCT00122213.</p

DNA methylation and cognitive functioning in healthy older adults

Long-term supplementation with folic acid may improve cognitive performance in older individuals. The relationship between folate status and cognitive performance might be mediated by changes in methylation capacity, as methylation reactions are important for normal functioning of the brain. Although aberrant DNA methylation has been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders, the relationship between DNA methylation status and non-pathological cognitive functioning in human subjects has not yet been investigated. The present study investigated the associations between global DNA methylation and key domains of cognitive functioning in healthy older adults. Global DNA methylation, defined as the percentage of methylated cytosine to total cytosine, was measured in leucocytes by liquid chromatography-MS/MS, in 215 men and women, aged 50-70 years, who participated in the Folic Acid and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (FACIT) study (clinical trial registration number NCT00110604). Cognitive performance was assessed by means of the Visual Verbal Word Learning Task, the Stroop Colour-Word Interference Test, the Concept Shifting Test, the Letter-Digit Substitution Test and the Verbal Fluency Test. Using hierarchical linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, level of education, alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity, erythrocyte folate concentration and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C→T genotype, we found that global DNA methylation was not related to cognitive performance on any of the domains measured. The present study results do not support the hypothesis that global DNA methylation, as measured in leucocytes, might be associated with cognitive functioning in healthy older individual

Serum Iron Parameters, HFE C282Y Genotype, and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: Results From the FACIT Study

Although iron homeostasis is essential for brain functioning, the effects of iron levels on cognitive performance in older individuals have scarcely been investigated. In the present study, serum iron parameters and hemochromatosis (HFE) C282Y genotype were determined in 818 older individuals who participated in a 3-year randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind trial examining the effects of folic acid on carotid intima-media thickness. All participants had slightly elevated homocysteine levels and were vitamin B12 replete. Cognitive functioning was assessed at baseline and after 3 years by means of a neuropsychological test battery. At baseline, increased serum ferritin was associated with decreased sensorimotor speed, complex speed, and information-processing speed and increased serum iron was associated with decreased sensorimotor speed. Cognitive performance over 3 years was not associated with HFE C282Y genotype or iron parameters. In conclusion, serum iron parameters do not show a straightforward relationship with cognitive functioning, although elevated iron levels may decrease cognitive speed in older individuals susceptible to cognitive impairmen

Adipose Tissue Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acid Content and Breast Cancer in the EURAMIC Study

The fatty acid content of adipose tissue in postmenopausal breast cancer cases and controls from five European countries in the European Community Multicenter Study on Antioxidants, Myocardial Infarction, and Cancer (EURAMIC) breast cancer study (1991 -1992) was used to explore the hypothesis that fatty acids of the omega-3 family inhibit breast cancer and that the degree of inhibition depends on background levels of omega-6 polyunsaturates. Considered in isolation, the level of omega-3 or omega-6 fat in adipose tissue displayed little consistent association with breast cancer across study centers. The ratio of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to total omega-6 fat showed an inverse association with breast cancer in four of five centers. In Malaga, Spain, the odds ratio for the highest tertile relative to the lowest reached 0.32 (95% confidence interval 0.13-0.82). In this center, total omega-6 fatty acid was strongly associated with breast cancer. With all centers pooled, the odds ratio for long-chain omega-3 to total omega-6 reached 0.80 for the second tertile and 0.65 for the third tertile, a downward trend bordering on statistical significance (p for trend = 0.055). While not definitive, these results provide evidence for the hypothesis that the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fat may play a rolein breast cancer. Am J Epidemiol 1998; 147: 342-5

Lycopene and Myocardial Infarction Risk in the EURAMIC Study

A multicenter case-control study was conducted to evaluate the relations between antioxidant status assessed by biomarkers and acute myocardial infarction. Incidence cases and frequency matched controls were recruited from 10 European countries to maximize the variance in exposure within the study. Adipose tissue needle aspiration biopsies were taken shortly after the infarction and analyzed for levels of carotenoids and tocopherols. An examination of colinearity including all covariates and the three carotenoids, α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene, showed that the variables were sufficiently independent to model simultaneously. When examined singularly, each of the carotenoids appeared to be protective. Upon simultaneous analyses of the carotenoids, however, using conditional logistic regression models that controlled for age, body mass index, socioeconomic status, smoking, hypertension, and maternal and paternal history of disease, lycopene remained independently protective, with an odds ratio of 0.52 for the contrast of the 10th and 90th percentiles (95% confidence interval 0.33-0.82, p= 0.005). The associations for α- and β-carotene were largely eliminated. We conclude that lycopene, or some substance highly correlated which is in a common food source, may contribute to the protective effect of vegetable consumption on myocardial infarction ris

Low Mutational Burden of Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma of Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue in Patients with Primary Sjogren's Syndrome

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) are at risk of developing extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (ENMZL) of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in the parotid glands. The genetic mechanism underlying development of MALT lymphoma in the context of pSS is unknown. The aim of our study was to define the genomic landscape of pSS-associated MALT lymphoma. For 17 localized pSS-associated MALT lymphomas, we analyzed the presence of nonsynonymous mutations, copy number alterations (CNAs) and MALT1 translocations. pSS-associated MALT lymphomas were characterized by a low mutational load (median number of nonsynonymous somatic variants per case was 7, range 2–78) and a limited number of CNAs. Unlike the recurrent genomic aberrations observed in MALT lymphoma, which were not associated with pSS, pSS-associated MALT lacked a clear lymphoma-related profile. The data suggest that localized pSS-associated MALT lymphomas are a distinct type of ENMZL, which are genomically stable and most likely depend on a stimulatory micro-environment. ABSTRACT: Patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) are at risk of developing extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (ENMZL) of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in the parotid glands. Unlike recurrent genomic aberrations observed in MALT lymphoma, which were not associated with pSS (non-pSS), it is unknown which somatic aberrations underlie the development of pSS-associated MALT lymphomas. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on 17 pSS-associated MALT lymphomas. In total, 222 nonsynonymous somatic variants affecting 182 genes were identified across the 17 cases. The median number of variants was seven (range 2–78), including three cases with a relatively high mutational load (≥24/case). Out of 16 recurrently mutated genes, ID3, TBL1XR1, PAX5, IGLL5 and APC are known to be associated with lymphomagenesis. A total of 18 copy number alterations were detected in eight cases. MALT1 translocations were not detected. With respect to outcome, only two cases relapsed outside of the salivary glands. Both had a high mutational load, suggesting a more advanced stage of lymphoma. The low mutational load and lack of a clear lymphoma-related mutation profile suggests that localized pSS-associated MALT lymphomas are genomically more stable than non-pSS MALT lymphomas and most likely depend on a stimulatory micro-environment

The effect of vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation on routine haemotological parameters in older people ::an individual participant data meta-analysis

Background/objectives Low vitamin B12 and folate levels in community-dwelling older people are usually corrected with supplements. However, the effect of this supplementation on haematological parameters in older persons is not known. Therefore, we executed a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials (RCTs). Subjects/methods We performed a systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane and CENTRAL for RCTs published between January 1950 and April 2016, where community-dwelling elderly (60+ years) who were treated with vitamin B12 or folic acid or placebo. The presence of anaemia was not required. We analysed the data on haematological parameters with a two-stage IPD meta-analysis. Results We found 494 full papers covering 14 studies. Data were shared by the authors of four RCTs comparing vitamin B12 with placebo (n = 343) and of three RCTs comparing folic acid with placebo (n = 929). We found no effect of vitamin B12 supplementation on haemoglobin (change 0.00 g/dL, 95% CI: −0.19;0.18), and no effect of folic acid supplementation (change −0.09 g/dL, 95% CI: −0.19;0.01). The effects of supplementation on other haematological parameters were similar. The effects did not differ by sex or by age group. Also, no effect was found in a subgroup of patients with anaemia and a subgroup of patients who were treated >4 weeks. Conclusions Evidence on the effects of supplementation of low concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate on haematological parameters in community-dwelling older people is inconclusive. Further research is needed before firm recommendations can be made concerning the supplementation of vitamin B12 and folate