Women in resource-poor settings are at risk of inadequate intakes of multiple micronutrients.

A systematic review was conducted to identify all studies that were published between 1988 and 2008 reporting micronutrient intakes of women in resource-poor settings. Inclusion criteria were study location (resource-poor), dietary assessment method (24-h recall, estimated/weighed record, or locally validated FFQ), energy and 1 or more micronutrient intakes reported (vitamin A, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, iron, or zinc), age range (15-50 y), sample size (≥30), and sex (female). Of the 1560 papers identified, 52 papers were included. Results showed that, except for vitamin A (29%), vitamin C (34%), and niacin (34%), the reported mean/median intakes in over 50% of studies were below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Folate intake was most often below EAR (91% of studies). Regional differences were apparent for intakes of vitamins A, C, and B-6 and riboflavin; mean/median intakes in Latin America exceeded the EAR, whereas in Asia, reported mean/median intakes of vitamin C, vitamin A, and riboflavin were below the EAR in 47, 50, and 77% of the studies, respectively, as was the case for vitamin B-6 in 75% of the studies in Africa. These results suggest that inadequate intakes of multiple micronutrients are common among women living in resource-poor settings and emphasize the need for increased attention to the quality of women's diets. There is a need for more high-quality studies of women's micronutrient intakes

Correlation of calcium and magnesium intakes to frequency of muscle cramps in female college athletes

Muscle cramps are involuntary, painful, sudden contractions of skeletal muscles that can cause detrimental effects on athletic performance. Recent data suggest that low intakes of dietary calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) can enhance or cause muscle cramps. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between Ca and Mg intakes and muscle cramping in female college athletes. Athletes completed a 24-hour dietary recall and a survey on frequency and location of muscle cramps. Of those surveyed, 8 participated in basketball, 21 in softball, and 10 in gymnastics. Calcium and Mg intakes were calculated from dietary recall data using Food Processor® nutrient analysis software. Data are reported as means ± standard deviation (SD). T-tests were performed to determine significant differences between groups. The average daily intakes of Ca above and below the dietary reference intake (DRI) were 1516 ± 559 mg/day and 504 ± 296 mg/day, respectively, for the athletes that cramped and 1620 ± 299 mg/day and 645 ± 250 mg/day, respectively, for the athletes that did not experience cramping. The average daily intakes above and below the DRI for Mg in the cramping group were 423 ± 103 mg/day and 180 ± 65 mg/day, respectively. The average daily intakes for those consuming Mg above and below the DRI in the non-cramping group were 476 ± 80 mg/day and 190 ± 64 mg/day, respectively. No significant differences in the intakes of Ca and Mg were found between groups that cramped and those that did not report cramping. The results of this study suggest that a high intake of Ca coupled with a low intake of Mg is positively correlated to muscle cramping

Associations between dietary added sugar intake and micronutrient intake: a systematic review

Original article can be found at: http://journals.cambridge.org/ Copyright The Authors. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114507617206There is increasing concern that high intakes of added sugars might compromise intakes of micronutrients. The objectives of this systematic review were (1) to determine whether dietary added sugar intake was associated with micronutrient intakes, and if so, whether there was evidence of micronutrient dilution as a result of higher dietary added sugar intake and (2) if micronutrient dilution was present, to determine whether there was sufficiently robust evidence to support a threshold effect above which there was a significant decline in micronutrient intake or status relative to the recommended intakes. A systematic computerised literature search was undertaken, limited to studies written in English published from 1980 onwards and further studies identified through hand searching papers. Fifteen studies that assessed associations between intakes of added sugars or non-milk extrinsic sugars and micronutrients were included. Overall, there are insufficient data and inconsistency between studies in relationships between added sugars and micronutrient intakes, with no clear evidence of micronutrient dilution or a threshold for a quantitative amount of added sugar intake for any of the micronutrients investigated. The current evidence base is considerably constrained by methodological issues. Further research is required to determine which food products high in added sugars might adversely affect micronutrient intakes by displacing other food items from the diet. Analyses should take into account the magnitude of any observed associations to determine their true biological significance.Peer reviewe

Prescriptions for Produce: An intervention with nutrition education, cooking instruction and produce vouchers to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

In this pilot study, we evaluated the feasibility of nutrition education, cooking instruction and produce vouchers for pregnant low income mothers to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants were first trimester pregnant mothers receiving prenatal care at a local Federally Qualified Health Clinic (FQHC) in San Antonio. They attended a grocery shopping tour and cooking class conducted by a registered dietitian, focusing incorporating fruit and vegetables into meals, and a monthly $40 voucher, redeemable for fruit and vegetables. Mothers with high menu planning and grocery shopping skills and more fruit at home reported higher fruit intakes. Mothers with high grocery shopping skills reported higher vegetable intakes. Compared to baseline, the reported home availability of fruit, and fruit and vegetable intakes were significantly improved at post 1; fruit and vegetable home availability, menu planning and grocery shopping skills, and fruit and vegetable intakes were significantly higher at post 2

THE EFFECT OF NEW FOOD LABELING ON NUTRIENT INTAKES: AN ENDOGENOUS SWITCHING REGRESSION ANALYSIS

This paper examines the effect of the new labeling regulations on nutrient intakes using an endogenous switching regression model. Using the 1994 - 96 CSFII/DHKS, we evaluate the impact of food label use on intakes of selected nutrients.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Development of food photographs for use with children aged 18 months to 16 years:comparison against weighed food diaries – The Young Person’s Food Atlas (UK)

Traditional dietary assessment methods, used in the UK, such as weighed food diaries impose a large participant burden, often resulting in difficulty recruiting representative samples and underreporting of energy intakes. One approach to reducing the burden placed on the participant is to use portion size assessment tools to obtain an estimate of the amount of food consumed, removing the need to weigh all foods. An age range specific food atlas was developed for use in assessing children’s dietary intakes. The foods selected and portion sizes depicted were derived from intakes recorded during the UK National Diet and Nutrition Surveys of children aged 1.5 to 16 years. Estimates of food portion sizes using the food atlas were compared against 4-day weighed intakes along with in-school / nursery observations, by the research team. Interviews were conducted with parents the day after completion of the diary, and for children aged 4 to 16 years, also with the child. Mean estimates of portion size consumed were within 7% of the weight of food recorded in the weighed food diary. The limits of agreement were wide indicating high variability of estimates at the individual level but the precision increased with increasing age. For children 11 years and over, agreement with weighed food diaries, was as good as that of their parents in terms of total weight of food consumed and of intake of energy and key nutrients. The age appropriate food photographs offer an alternative to weighed intakes for dietary assessment with children

The nutrition and growth of lambs reared artificially with or without meal : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Animal Science at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand.

Content removed from thesis due to copyright reasons: figure 1.1 (page 14). FAO (2011) Rearing young ruminants on milk replacers and starter feeds, Rome, FAO Animal Production and Health Manual No. 13. http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2439e/i2439e00.pdf ; figure 1.2 (page 24). Lane, M., Baldwin, R. L. & Jesse, B. (2000) Sheep rumen metabolic development in response to age and dietary treatments. Journal of Animal Science, 78, 1990-1996. https://www.animalsciencepublications.org/publications/jas/articles/78/7/1990 ; figure 1.3 (page 34). Bimczok, D., Rohl, F. W. & Ganter, M. (2005) Evaluation of lamb performance and costs in motherless rearing of German Grey Heath sheep under field conditions using automatic feeding systems. Small Ruminant Research, 60(3), 255-265. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921448805000027Artificial rearing is routinely used in large-scale dairy sheep farms. One approach is to offer milk replacer (MR) and meal ad libitum to lambs. The aim was to evaluate the growth of female lambs in the first 12 weeks of rearing with (M) and without (NM) grain-based meal access (n=30/group) during four feeding periods. In period 1 (week 0-3), lambs were offered MR and meal ad libitum, and in period 2 (week 4-5) were transitioned outdoors onto pasture with continued access to MR and meal. Lambs were weaned off MR in period 3 (week 6-10), and meal in period 4 (week 10-12). The NM lambs received identical management, but meal was excluded. A treatment-by-time interaction was found whereby NM lambs had lower average daily gain (ADG) (P0.05), and higher ADG in period 4 (157±18 vs. -55±18 g/d, P<0.05) than M lambs. These results indicate that when lambs fed MR ad libitum are offered unrestricted access to good-quality pasture before weaning, meal may not be required to achieve a similar live weight at 12 weeks of age. Data from the aforementioned experiment were further investigated by week to allow investigations of the relationship between nutrient intake and growth, describe variation in ADG in relation to environmental and feeding transitions, and to estimate pasture intakes, which were not measured. The different feeding transitions, nutrient intakes, and feeds were most likely causing the differences in ADG that occurred between treatment groups and weeks. The greatest variation in ADG of lambs occurred in the M lambs after meal weaning, which was likely due to a poor adaption to a pasture-only diet. Pasture intakes were estimated by calculating lamb requirements for maintenance and growth from actual ADG and live-weight measurements, assuming that pasture intake made up the difference between actual intakes and theoretical intakes. It was found there were significant differences in estimated pasture intakes between M and NM lambs (P<0.0001) and intakes changed over weeks. In weeks seven, eight, and nine, M lambs were estimated to not consume any pasture, due to a high intake of meal, to achieve the observed growth rates. However, NM lambs consumed pasture over these weeks as pasture was their only feed source. These results allow speculation that pasture intake was very low in M lambs before meal was removed. It has been previously reported that high meal intakes when combined with low roughage intake can negatively impact rumen health and development, and transitioning from high meal to high roughage diets requires alterations in the ruminal microbe population and fermentation. The estimated low pasture intake before meal weaning, combined with the high meal intake recorded, may have contributed to the growth check that occurred once meal was removed, as lambs required a period to adapt to the pasture diet, as their rumen underwent the changes associated with transitioning between these diets. Further investigation into differences in pasture intake between lambs reared with and without meal, and more evidence as to what caused the growth check after meal weaning may allow further optimisation of different lamb-rearing systems

Seasonal variation in food pattern but not in energy and nutrient intakes of rural Beninese school-aged children

Background: Inadequate energy and nutrient intakes are a major nutritional problem in developing countries. A recent study in Beninese school-aged children in different seasons revealed a high prevalence of stunting and poor iron status that might be related to the food pattern. Objective: To analyse the food pattern and resulting energy and nutrient intakes of rural Beninese school-aged children in relation to season and school attendance. Subjects and methods: The study was performed in northern Benin in eighty randomly selected children aged 6¿8 years. Dietary intake was assessed using observed weighed records. Food, energy and nutrient intakes were measured in post- and pre-harvest seasons. Complete food consumption data sets were available for seventy-five children. Results: Food pattern showed seasonal variations. Cereals, roots and tubers were the main staple foods. Contributions of animal products to the diet were very small. The food pattern was not different for either boys v. girls or for children attending v. not attending school. Median daily energy intakes were 5?0 and 5?3 MJ in the post- and pre-harvest season, respectively. Only fat and vitamin C showed seasonal differences (P,0?05). Energy and nutrient intakes were different for boys and girls but, unexpectedly, not for children attending v. not attending school. Conclusions: Seasonal variations in food pattern did not result in seasonality in energy and nutrient intakes. Because the children¿s diet was low in animal products, protein, fat and vitamin C and high in fibre, the absorption of fat, fatsoluble vitamins, carotenoids, Fe and Zn might be low. Fe and Zn bioavailability from such a diet needs further investigation

Non-home prepared foods : contribution to energy and nutrient intake of consumers living in two low-income areas in Nairobi

Objective: To determine the nutritional importance of non-home prepared foods for men, women and schoolchildren living in two low-income residential areas of Nairobi, and the sources of these non-home prepared foods. Design, setting and subjects: A survey was conducted in Korogocho, a slum area, and Dandora, a low-middle-income residential area. Some 241 men, 254 women and 146 children aged 9 to 14 years were included in the study. Food intake was measured using three 24-hour recalls per individual, with special attention on the sources of all foods consumed. Results: The median proportion of daily energy intake of consumers provided by non-home prepared foods ranged from 13% for schoolchildren in Korogocho to 36% for men in Dandora. The median contribution to fat intake was higher than to energy, but the contributions to iron and vitamin A intakes were lower than to energy intake. Men consumed more non-home prepared foods on weekdays than at the weekend. Intakes of energy and most nutrients were below Kenyan Recommended Daily Intakes in all groups, but similar for consumers and non-consumers. In Korogocho, street foods were the main source of non-home prepared foods. In Dandora, both kiosks and street foods were major sources. Conclusions: Non-home prepared foods are an important source of energy and nutients for men, women and schoolchildren in Nairobi. In Korogocho, street foods, and in Dandora, both kiosks and street foods are the main sources of non-home prepared foods. The adequacy of energy and nutrient intakes does not differ between consumers and non-consumers of non-home prepared foods

An Economic Analysis of the Diet, Growth, and Health of Young Children in the United States

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which family income and education are obstacles to the provision of adequate diets for young children in the United States. An examination of the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reveals the following: 1. Average nutrient intakes of young children are well above recommended dietary standards, with the exception of iron. 2. Average nutrient intakes for children in households of lower economic status are very similar to intakes of children in households of higher economic status. Rates of children's growth are also similar in these households. 3. Family income and education of the household head have statistically significant but very small positive effects on the nutrient intake levels of young children. 4. There are substantial effects of protein intakes on children's height and head growth, even though protein is consumed in excess of dietary standards. This finding and the apparent correlation between children's growth and their intellectual development brings to question the adequacy of present protein standards. Could American mothers, who provide very high protein diets for their children in households at all levels of socioeconomic status know more about what constitutes an adequate diet for their children than the experts do?