Effectiveness of dietary interventions among adults of retirement age: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Retirement from work involves significant lifestyle changes and may represent an opportunity to promote healthier eating patterns in later life. However, the effectiveness of dietary interventions during this period has not been evaluated. Methods We undertook a systematic review of dietary interventions among adults of retirement transition age (54 to 70 years). Twelve electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials evaluating the promotion of a healthy dietary pattern, or its constituent food groups, with three or more months of follow-up and reporting intake of specific food groups. Random-effects models were used to determine the pooled effect sizes. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to assess sources of heterogeneity. Results Out of 9,048 publications identified, 68 publications reporting 24 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria. Twenty-two studies, characterized by predominantly overweight and obese participants, were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, interventions increased fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake by 87.5 g/day (P <0.00001), with similar results in the short-to-medium (that is, 4 to 12 months; 85.6 g/day) and long-term (that is, 13 to 58 months; 87.0 g/day) and for body mass index (BMI) stratification. Interventions produced slightly higher intakes of fruit (mean 54.0 g/day) than of vegetables (mean 44.6 g/day), and significant increases in fish (7 g/day, P = 0.03) and decreases in meat intake (9 g/day, P <0.00001). Conclusions Increases in F&V intakes were positively associated with the number of participant intervention contacts. Dietary interventions delivered during the retirement transition are therefore effective, sustainable in the longer term and likely to be of public health significance

Sodium and saturated fat content of foods : Changes in food composition in the Netherlands in 2012

Dit rapport bevat een erratum op de laatste pagina (01-07-2013) De overheid heeft de voedingsmiddelensector opgeroepen om de gehalten aan natrium en verzadigd vet in voedingsmiddelen te verlagen. Uit de rapportage van het RIVM en het Voedingscentrum blijkt dat de natriumgehalten in brood en in groenteconserven in 2012 significant zijn afgenomen. Het gemiddelde natriumgehalte nam ook af voor kaas, koude sauzen, pindasauzen en chips, maar deze daling was niet significant. In vlees en soepen is geen verschil in het natriumgehalte waargenomen. Inspanningen om het verzadigd vetgehalte te verlagen waren afkomstig van de olie- en vetsector en de aardappelverwerkende industrie. Zij hebben het gebruik van vloeibare vetten gestimuleerd en de vetzuursamenstelling van hun producten verbeterd. Vanwege de negatieve gezondheidseffecten van een te hoge inname van natrium en verzadigd vet wil de minister van VWS dat het voor de consument makkelijker wordt om gezondere voedingsmiddelen te kiezen. In dat verband volgen het RIVM en het Voedingscentrum kritisch de gehalten van natrium en verzadigd vet van voedingsmiddelen. Dat gebeurt op basis van recente gegevens die fabrikanten en de desbetreffende sectoren vrijwillig aanleveren, plus onafhankelijke natriumanalyses door de NVWA. Deze gegevens zijn vervolgens vergeleken met de gegevens over de samenstelling van voedingsmiddelen in het Nederlandse Voedingsstoffenbestand (NEVO) 2011 (http://nevo-online.rivm.nl/). Voor de komende jaren bereiden bedrijven (producenten en een supermarktketen) zich erop voor de natriumgehalten van vleeswaren en vleesbereidingen, kaas, hartige snacks, diverse sauzen, soep, kant- en klaarmaaltijden, pizza's en bewerkte visproducten stapsgewijs (verder) aan te passen. Dit blijkt uit de plannen die zij tot eind 2015 hiervoor hebben opgesteld.The Dutch governments asked the food industry to contribute to a lower intake by decreasing the sodium and saturated fat content of processed foods. This report, performed by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Dutch Nutrition Centre (VCN), shows that the sodium content in bread and in vegetables in glass or tins was significantly lower in 2012 compared with 2011. The average sodium content of cheese, cold sauces, satey (peanut) sauces and crisps was lower, although not significantly. No changes in sodium contents were observed for meat cold cuts and soups. With respect of saturated fat, the oil and fat sector and the potato-industry have stimulated the use of liquid fats and enhanced the fatty acid composition of their products in 2012. The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport ordered this research. This Ministry stimulates the reformulation of foods for a healthier food supply. This makes a healthier food choice easier. The RIVM and VCN set up a monitoring system to follow the sodium and saturated fat content of foods. Manufacturers and food sectors supplied food composition data on a voluntary basis. The Dutch Food Safety Authority shared data on sodium contents of foods from their independent monitoring system on sodium contents of foods. The data provided are compared with sodium and saturated fat contents in the Dutch Food Composition Database (NEVO) version 2011 (http://nevoonline. rivm.nl/). For the next couple of years, food sectors (manufacturers(sectors) and one supermarket chain) intent to further lower the sodium content in meat cold cuts and meat products, cheese, savoury snacks, various sauces, soup, ready to eat meals, pizza's and fish products in a stepwise approach. This is shown in the plans until 2015.VW

Size-adjusted muscle power and muscle metabolism in patients with cystic fibrosis are equal to healthy controls – a case control study

Background Skeletal muscle function dysfunction has been reported in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Studies so far showed inconclusive data whether reduced exercise capacity is related to intrinsic muscle dysfunction in CF. Methods Twenty patients with CF and 23 age-matched controls completed an incremental cardiopulmonary cycling test. Further, a Wingate anaerobic test to assess muscle power was performed. In addition, all participants completed an incremental knee-extension test with 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess muscle metabolism (inorganic phosphate (Pi) and phosphocreatinine (PCr) as well as intracellular pH). In the MRI, muscle cross-sectional area of the M. quadriceps (qCSA) was also measured. A subgroup of 15 participants (5 CF, 10 control) additionally completed a continuous high-intensity, high-frequency knee-extension exercise task during 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess muscle metabolism. Results Patients with CF showed a reduced exercise capacity in the incremental cardiopulmonary cycling test (VO2peak: CF 77.8 ± 16.2%predicted (36.5 ± 7.4 ml/qCSA/min), control 100.6 ± 18.8%predicted (49.1 ± 11.4 ml/qCSA/min); p < 0.001), and deficits in anaerobic capacity reflected by the Wingate test (peak power: CF 537 ± 180 W, control 727 ± 186 W; mean power: CF 378 ± 127 W, control 486 ± 126 W; power drop CF 12 ± 5 W, control 8 ± 4 W. all: p < 0.001). In the knee-extension task, patients with CF achieved a significantly lower workload (p < 0.05). However, in a linear model analysing maximal work load of the incremental knee-extension task and results of the Wingate test, respectively, only muscle size and height, but not disease status (CF or not) contributed to explaining variance. In line with this finding, no differences were found in muscle metabolism reflected by intracellular pH and the ratio of Pi/PCr at submaximal stages and peak exercise measured through MRI spectroscopy. Conclusions The lower absolute muscle power in patients with CF compared to controls is exclusively explained by the reduced muscle size in this study. No evidence was found for an intrinsic skeletal muscle dysfunction due to primary alterations of muscle metabolism