Nutritional Status of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study

Objectives. This is a pilot study of the dietary intake and nutrient status of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Method. Nutritional assessment of 43 children aged 6–12 with ADHD was performed using a 3-day food record, 24-hour recall, and serum assessors. Results. Macronutrient intake and consumption of Low-Nutrient Foods were comparable to population norms; however, 66% were found to be deficient in zinc and 23% in copper. Conclusions. This pilot study reports the food intake and nutrient status of children with ADHD and shows a predisposition for low zinc and copper status in ADHD

Differential metabolism of eicosapentaenoic acid and decosahexaenoic acid

We hypothesized that EPA is preferentially metabolized in peripheral tissues thus making less of this acid available for storage. The three proposed mechanisms investigated to explain how EPA is preferentially utilized included; 1) EPA is oxidized at a greater rate relative to DHA in skeletal and cardiac muscle, 2) EPA is preferentially hydrolyzed from circulating triacylglycerols, and/or 3) EPA is selectively secreted in bile by the liver. -- To investigate the first proposal, fatty acid oxidation studies were conducted using soleus muscle homogenates, intact soleus muscle and cardiac myocytes. Our findings indicated that even though the rate of oxidation of EPA over DHA was doubled in the experiments which employed soleus muscle homogenates, there was no differential oxidation between EPA and DHA in muscle when these fatty acids were incubated with either the intact soleus muscle or cardiac myocytes. Since the latter two experiments are more representative of the physiological state, it appears that these results do not support our first postulated mechanism that EPA is preferentially oxidized compared to DHA by muscle. -- We also suggested that EPA is preferentially hydrolyzed compared to DHA from circulating triacylglycerols by muscle LPL with the hypothesis that if more EPA is released to the peripheral tissues for metabolism then less would be available for storage in adipose tissue. Therefore, chylomicrons were incubated with cardiac lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to determine if there was selective release of EPA. This study demonstrated no difference in the hydrolysis pattern of the two n-3 fatty acids. Thus, preferential release of EPA from chylomicrons by LPL does not appear to explain the lower storage of EPA in adipose tissue. -- The third mechanism examined the proposal that supplementation of fish oil in the diet results in more EPA compared to DHA being available for hepatic phospholipid synthesis. Consequently, more EPA is secreted in bile by the liver. In this part of the investigation, we determined the fatty acid profile as well as the proportion of fatty acids of phospholipids secreted in the bile of rats being fed a diet containing MaxEPA oil as its primary fat source. Even though biliary phospholipids were enriched in the long chain n-3 fatty acids found in dietary fish oils, no significant difference in the relative proportion of EPA and DHA was observed. The differential storage of DHA compared to EPA is thus, not due to the selective secretion of EPA into bile by the liver. -- From our data, we were able to conclude that the suggested mechanisms are not responsible for the preferential metabolism of EPA relative to DHA. We found that EPA was oxidized at a greater rate than DHA in soleus muscle homogenates. However, when more physiological models were used, i.e., cardiac myocytes or the intact skeletal muscle, there were no differences in the oxidation of either of these fatty acids. Furthermore, we determined that EPA and DHA were released from triacylglycerols in lymph-derived chylomicrons at similar rates and that both fatty adds were secreted in bile to the same extent

Oh baby! Motivation for healthy eating during parenthood transitions: a longitudinal examination with a theory of planned behavior perspective

Background: Transitioning to parenthood is a major life event that may impact parents’ personal lifestyles, yet there is an absence of theory-based research examining the impact of parenthood on motives for dietary behaviour. As a result, we are unaware of the social cognitive variables that predict eating behaviour among those transitioning to parenthood. The purpose of the study was to examine eating behaviour motives across 12 months within the framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and compare these across groups of new parents, non-parents, and established parents. Methods: Non-parents (n = 92), new parents (n = 135), and established parents (n = 71) completed TPB questionnaires assessing attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intentions and three day food records at baseline, and 6- and 12-months post-delivery (for parents) and 6- and 12-months post-baseline (for non-parents). Results: Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that among men, new- and established-parents had greater intentions to eat healthy compared to non-parents, F(2) = 3.59, p = .03. Among women, established parents had greater intentions than new- and non-parents, F(2) = 5.33, p = .01. Among both men and women during the first 6-months post-delivery, new-parents experienced decreased PBC, whereas established parents experienced increased PBC. Overall, affective attitudes were the strongest predictor of intentions for men (β = 0.55, p < .001) and women (β = 0.38, p < .01). PBC predicted changes in fruit and vegetable consumption for men (β = 0.45, p = .02), and changes in fat consumption for men (β = −0.25, p = .03) and women (β = −.24, p < .05), regardless of parent status. Conclusion: The transition to parenthood for new and established parents may impact motivation for healthy eating, especially PBC within the framework of TPB. However, regardless of parental status, affective attitudes and PBC are critical antecedents of intentions and eating behaviour. Interventions should target affective attitudes and PBC to motivate healthy eating and may need to be intensified during parenthood.Kinesiology, School ofNon UBCEducation, Faculty ofReviewedFacult