Effects of Food Diet Preparation Techniques on Radionuclide Intake and Its Implications for Individual Ingestion Effective Dose in Abeokuta, Southwestern Nigeria

The radioactivity measurements in food crops and their diet derivatives and farm soil samples from Abeokuta, one of the elevated background radiation areas in Nigeria have been carried out in order to determine the concentration levels of natural radionuclides (40K, 226Ra and 232Th). The activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides in the samples were determined via gamma-ray spectrometry using a 76 mm × 76 mm NaI(Tl) detector. Different common food crops representing the major sources of dietary requirements to the local population were collected for the measurements. The collected food crops were prepared into their different derivable composite diets using preparation techniques locale to the population. Using available food consumption data and the activity concentrations of the radionuclides, the ingestion effective doses were evaluated for the food crops and diet types per preparation techniques. For the tuberous food crop samples, the annual ingestion effective doses in the raw and different composite diets were 0.02 - 0.04 μSv and cumulatively 0.04 - 0.05 μSv while in the non-tuberous crops the doses were 0.44 - 0.70 μSv and cumulatively greater than 1 μSv respectively. Results of the study indicate that method of diet preparation is seen to play a major role in population ingestion dose reduction especially for tuberous crops than in non-tuberous crops. The study also showed that more ingestion dose could be incurred in diets prepared by roasting techniques. The result of the study will serve as a useful radiometric data for future epidemiological studies in the area and for food safety regulations and policy implementations in the country.

Diets, functional foods, and nutraceuticals as alternative therapies for inflammatory bowel disease: Present status and future trends

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) is a serious health concern among western societies. The disease is also on the rise in some East Asian countries and in Australia. Health professionals and dietitians around the world are facing an unprecedented challenge to prevent and control the increasing prevalence of IBD. The current therapeutic strategy that includes drugs and biological treatments is inefficient and are associated with adverse health consequences. In this context, the use of natural products is gaining worldwide attention. In vivo studies and clinical evidence suggest that wellplanned dietary regimens with specific nutrients can alleviate gastrointestinal inflammation by modulating inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), interleukin 1(IL-1), IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10. Alternatively, the avoidance of high-fat and highcarbohydrate diets is regarded as an effective tool to eliminate the causes of IBD. Many functional foods and bioactive components have received attention for showing strong therapeutic effects against IBD. Both animal and human studies suggest that bioactive functional foods can ameliorate IBD by downregulating the pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor κB, STAT1, STAT6, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, COX-2, TNF-α, and interferon γ. Therefore, functional foods and diets have the potential to alleviate IBD by modulating the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Future comprehensive studies are needed to corroborate the potential roles of functional foods and diets in the prevention and control of IBD.

Improving quality of life in self-reported gastrointestinal disorders: An open trial of a food elimination diet guided by the ImmunoBloodprint food sensitivity test

Purpose: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are genuine health problems that have serious consequences on a patient’s quality of life (QoL). IBS is a functional disorder characterized by chronically recurring symptoms, including abdominal pain or discomfort, altered stool frequency and consistency, and abdominal bloating in the absence of structural or biochemical abnormalities. Studies have indicated that symptoms and disability related to IBS and GI disorders correlate with QoL measures. Additionally, those who respond to therapy have an improvement in QoL. Therefore, we explored an open trial of a food elimination diet guided by the ImmunoBloodprint food sensitivity test and its effect on QoL in patients self-reporting an unresolved GI disorder. Methods: Eighty-four subjects aged 18 and above participated in the study. Subjects eliminated all IgG-mediated reactive foods from their diet for 90 days. QoL was assessed with the Irritable Bowel Syndrome-36 (IBS-36) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) at baseline and 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up. The data were analyzed with linear mixed models. Results: Subjects had statistically significant improvements in all indicators of QoL according to the IBS-36 and SF-36 from baseline to 90- day follow-up. Conclusions: Subjects with unresolved self-reported GI disorders were able to improve all indicators of QoL in response to eliminating IgG- reactive foods from the diet. Given the inconvenience of keeping track of foods and symptoms to eliminate intolerant foods, a food sensitivity test combined with an elimination diet may be an effective method for improving subjective markers of QoL and health.

Optimal diet strategy of a large-bodied psittacine: food resource abundance and nutritional content enable facultative dietary specialization by the Military Macaw

Background:Dietary specialization should arise when there is a relatively high abundance of a particular resource,where animals may select food items to obtain an optimal diet that maximizes energy intake.Large‑bodied psittacines frequently exhibit a narrow dietary niche with specific habitat use,but few studies have determined whether psittacines select food resources,and how this influences habitat use.Methods:We established fruiting phenology transects to evaluate food resource availability for the large‑bodied Military Macaw(Ara militaris)in semi‑deciduous,deciduous,and pine‑oak forest at two sites along the coast of Jalisco,during the dry season when macaws are nesting.We also determined Military Macaw diet by observations of foraging macaws along transect routes,and conducted bromatological analysis of the nutritional content of the most consumed resource.Results:Military Macaws used six plant species as food items during the dry season,and had a narrow dietary niche(Levins’B=0.28),with 56%of foraging macaws consuming the seeds of Hura polyandra.No food resources were recorded in pine‑oak forest during the dry season,with food resources and foraging by macaws concentrated in tropical deciduous and semi‑deciduous forest,where H.polyandra was the most abundant fruiting tree species.When considering the proportional availability of food resources,we determined a broad Hurlbert dietary niche breadth of H=0.67,indicating that Military Macaws consumed food resources according to their availability.Furthermore,the seeds of H.polyandra were an important source of protein,carbohydrates,minerals and moisture,and the hard fruitcasing means that these seeds are exclusively available for macaws.Conclusions:By concentrating their diet on the most abundant resources,Military Macaws may increase foraging efficiency in the dry season.The high nutrient content also means that concentrating the diet on seeds of H.polyandra may be an optimal foraging strategy for Military Macaws to meet their energy requirements during the breeding season.

Mineral Intake in Urban Pregnant Women from Base Diet,Fortified Foods,and Food Supplements:Focus on Calcium,Iron,and Zinc

In the Chinese national nutrition surveys, fortified foods were not investigated separately from the base diet, and the contribution of fortified foods to micronutrients intake is not very clear. This study investigated the diet, including fortified foods and food supplements, of urban pregnant women and analyzed the intake of calcium, iron,and zinc to assess the corresponding contributions of fortified foods, food supplements, and the base diet. The results demonstrated that the base diet was the major source of calcium, iron, and zinc, and was recommended to be the first choice for micronutrients intake. Furthermore, consumption of fortified foods and food supplements offered effective approaches to improve the dietary intake of calcium, iron, and zinc in Chinese urban pregnant women.

A pilot study eliminating immunologically-reactive foods from the diet and its effect on symptomatology and quality of life in persons with chronic migraines and headaches

Purpose: Chronic migraines and headaches are significant public health problems, and their symptomatologies have been positively linked to diet. We explored if individuals suffering from chronic migraines/ headaches who required medication treatment had improvement in symptomatology and subjective ratings of QoL when following an immune-reactive food exclusion diet based on the results of the ImmunoBloodprint test, an IgG-mediated food sensitivity assay. Methods: Thirty-seven subjects, aged 18 and over, took part in the study. Subjects had to eliminate all reactive foods from their diet for 90 days. Migraine intensity and frequency were measured using the MTAQ, and QoL was assessed with the SF-36 survey at base- line and 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-up. Results: Sub- jects who eliminated IgG-mediated reactive foods from their diet had reductions in migraine symptomatology and had improvements in nearly all indicators of QoL, according to the SF-36, from baseline to 90-day follow-up. Conclusions: Subjects were able to improve their migraine symptoms and QoL in response to eliminating IgG reactive foods from the diet. This test may represent a strategy to help mediate chronic migraine symptomatology without the use of medication.

Certain Grain Food Patterns Are Associated with Improved 2015 Dietary Guidelines Shortfall Nutrient Intakes, Diet Quality, and Lower Body Weight in US Adults: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2010

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify commonly consumed grain food patterns in US adults (≥19 years old;N = 14,384) and compare nutrient intakes, with focus on 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines’ shortfall nutrients, diet quality, and health parameters of those consuming various grain food patterns to those not consuming grains. Methods: This study conducted secondary analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2010. Cluster analysis was used and identified 8 grain patterns: 1) no consumption of main grain groups, 2) crackers and salty snacks, 3) yeast breads and rolls, 4) cakes, cookies, and pies, 5) cereals, 6) pasta, cooked cereals and rice, 7) quick breads, and 8) mixed grains. Results: Adults consuming “cereals”, “pasta, cooked cereals and rice”, and “mixed grains” had a better diet quality compared to no grains. Consuming many, but not all, of the grain food patterns resulted in less saturated fat and lower added sugars. Adults consuming “cereals”, “pasta, cooked cereals and rice” and “quick breads” had greater dietary fiber intake vs. no grains group. Calcium intake was increased in the cereals group, while magnesium intake was greater in adults consuming “cereals” and “pasta, cooked cereals and rice” vs. no grains. Vitamin D (D2 + D3) intake was higher in adults consuming “cereals”, “pasta, cooked cereals and rice”, and “mixed grains” vs. no grain group. Adults consuming “pasta, cooked cereals and rice” had lower body weights (79.1 ± 0.7 vs. 82.5 ± 1.2 kg;P = 0.009) and waist circumference (95.2 ± 0.6 vs. 98.2 ± 1.0 cm;P = 0.004) in comparison to those consuming no grains. Conclusions: Certain grain food patterns are associated with greater 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines’ shortfall nutrients, better diet quality and lower body weights in adults. Additionally, certain grain food patterns are associated with lower intake of nutrients to limit, including saturated fat and added sugars.

国内外“食”旅游:“Food Tourism”“美食旅游”“饮食旅游”研究比较

基于文献研究法,对国内外1996—2020年721篇文献进行了梳理、归纳与总结,从年度载文量、来源期刊类型、基金项目资助等入手,比较了国内外“食”旅游:“Food Tourism”“美食旅游”“饮食旅游”的研究现状、热点及进展。结果表明:①国外“食”旅游研究已进入成熟阶段,国内正处拓展阶段。②国内外均采用定性与定量相结合的研究方法,国内以定性分析为主,而定量方法相对简单,国外定量方法趋于多元化、复杂化。③国内学者对“美食旅游”“饮食旅游”分别进行了研究。④文献研究得知,韩国“食”旅游研究对全球“食”旅游研究贡献巨大。

Food web structure and trophic levels in a saltwater pond sea cucumber and prawn polyculture system

The food sources of aquacultured Apostichopus japonicus and the trophic levels of organisms in a sea cucumber（A. japonicus） and prawn（Penaeus japonica） polyculture system in a saltwater pond in Zhuanghe, Liaoning Province were examined using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. Across organisms, δ13C ranged from（–25.47±0.20）‰ to（–16.48±0.17）‰（mean±SD）, and δ15N ranged from（4.23±0.49）‰ to（12.44±0.09）‰. The δ13C and δ15N contents of A. japonicus, P. japonica and Fenneropenaeus chinensis were comparatively higher than those of other organisms. Values of δ13C and δ15N revealed that P. japonica, Hemigrapsus sanguineus and Neomysis japonica comprised the largest component of the diet of A. japonicus. The mean trophic level of the organisms in this saltwater pond polyculture system was（2.75±0.08）. P. japonica, A. japonicus, F. chinensis,Synechogobius hasta and Neomysis japonica were in the 3rd trophic level（2–3）; jellyfish, H. sanguineus and zooplankton were in the 2nd trophic level（1–2）; and Enteromorpha prolifera, benthic microalgae, periphyton and suspended matter primarily consisting of phytoplankton, bacteria and humus were in the primary trophic level（0–1）.

Antidepressant foods:An evidence-based nutrient profiling system for depression

AIM To investigate which foods are the most nutrient dense sources of nutrients demonstrated by the scientific literature to play a role in the prevention and promotion of recovery from depressive disorders. METHODS A systematic literature review was conducted to derive a list of Antidepressant Nutrients from the 34 nutrients known to be essential for humans using level of evidence criteria. Nutritional data was extracted for a subset of foods with a high content of at least 1 Antidepressant Nutrient using a USDA database. These foods were analyzed for Antidepressant Nutrient density resulting in an Antidepressant Food Score(AFS). Plant and animal foods were analyzed separately. RESULTS Twelve Antidepressant Nutrients relate to the prevention and treatment of depressive disorders: Folate, iron, longchain omega-3 fatty acids(EPA and DHA), magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and zinc. The highest scoring foods were bivalves such as oysters and mussels, various seafoods, and organ meats for animal foods. The highest scoring plant foods were leafy greens, lettuces, peppers, and cruciferous vegetables. CONCLUSION The AFS is based on a nutrient profiling system devised to identify foods with the highest nutrient density of nutrients with clinical evidence to support theirrole in depressive disorders. This list of foods and food categories with the highest density of the 12 Antidepressant Nutrients, the Antidepressant Foods, should be considered by researchers in the design of future intervention studies and clinicians as dietary options to support prevention and recovery from depression disorders.

Diet characteristics of wild sheep(Ovis ammon darwini) in the Mengluoke Mountains,Xinjiang,China

In most arid and semi-arid regions of the world, domestic livestock and native wildlife share pastures, and their competition for forage and habitat is thought to be a serious conservation issue. Moreover, unmanaged grazing by livestock can cause the population decline in wild ungulates. The diet of an animal species is a determining aspect of its ecological niche, and investigating its diet has been one of the initial steps in basic ecology study of a new species. To get an approximate understanding of the interspecific food relationships of argali（Ovis ammon darwini） between sexes, and sympatric domestic sheep and goats, we compared the diet compositions and diet-overlaps among these herbivores, i.e., male argali, female argali, domestic sheep, and domestic goats in the Mengluoke Mountains of Xinjiang, China by using micro-histological fecal analysis. Female argali, male argali, domestic sheep and domestic goat primarily consumed forbs（43.31%±4.86%）, grass（36.02%±9.32%）, forbs（41.01%±9.18%）, and forbs（36.22%±10.61%）, respectively in warm season. All these animals consumed mostly shrubs（female argali： 36.47%±7.56%; male argali： 47.28%±10.75%; domestic sheep： 40.46%±9.56%; and domestic goats： 42.88%±9.34%, respectively） in cold season. The diet-overlaps were relatively high among all species in cold season with values ranging from 0.88 to 0.94. Furthermore, Schoener＇s index measured between each possible pair of 4 herbivores increased from the warm season to the cold season. The results illustrate that the high degree of diet-overlap of argali and domestic livestock（sheep and goat） may pose a threat to the survival of the argali in cold season. From the viewpoint of rangeland management and conservation of the endangered argali, the numbers of domestic sheep and goats should be limited in cold season to reduce food competition.

Development of Food Formulations for Individual Nutrition

This paper proposes a method for the developing of nutrition formulations for various population groups categorized by gender, age, body type and nature of labor activity. Meat formulations were developed, taking into account dietitian re- commendations, rationality of the amino acid composition, processing characteristics, organoleptic evaluation and cost indicators.

Associations of lifestyle and diet with the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Singapore:a case–control study

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) is a commonly diagnosed cancer in Southeast Asia. Many studies have examined the risk factors for NPC, yet the roles of some risk factors remain inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between modifiable lifestyle factors and the risk of NPC in the Singaporean population.Methods: We conducted a case–control study in Singapore with 300 patients and 310 controls who were recruited between 2008 and 2012. Each control was selected and individually matched to each patient based on sex, ethnicity, and age(±5 years). A total of 290 pairs of cases and controls were matched successfully. We examined lifestyle factors such as tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, various salted and preserved food consumption, and weaning practices.Results: After adjusting for covariates, multivariate analysis showed that those participants who were current smokers and had ever smoked tobacco had a higher risk of NPC than participants who had never smoked, with odds ratios(ORs) of 4.50(95% confidence interval [CI] 2.58–7.86; P < 0.001) and 2.52(95% CI 1.54–4.12; P < 0.001), respectively. Those who consumed salted vegetables at least once a week also showed a significantly increased risk of NPC than those who never or rarely consumed salted vegetables, with an OR of 4.18(95% CI 1.69–10.38; P = 0.002).Conclusion: Smoking(currently and ever-smoked) and consuming salted vegetables once a week or more were lifestyle risk factors for NPC, and changes of these factors for the better may reduce the risk of NPC.

Safety Food in Celiac Disease Patients: A Systematic Review

The prevalence of Celiac Disease (CD), an autoimmune enteropathy, characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, atrophy of intestinal villi and several clinical manifestations has increased in recent years. Epidemiological studies have shown that CD is very common and affects about one in 250 people. The mechanism of the intestinal immune-mediated response is not completely clear, but involves an HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 restricted T-cell immune reaction in the lamina propria as well as an immune reaction in the intestinal epithelium. Subjects affected by CD cannot tolerate gluten protein, a mixture of storage proteins contained in several cereals (wheat, rye, barley and derivatives). Gluten free-diet remains the cornerstone treatment for celiac patients. Therefore the absence of gluten in natural and processed foods represents a key aspect of food safety of the gluten-free diet. In this review, we evaluate the main studies about the safety food in CD patients.

Diet and functional dyspepsia: Clinical correlates and therapeutic perspectives

Hypervigilance and symptoms anticipation,visceral hypersensitivity and gastroduodenal sensorimotor abnormalities account for the varied clinical presentation of functional dyspepsia(FD)patients.Many patients recognize meals as the main triggering factor;thus,dietary manipulations often represent the first-line management strategy in this cohort of patients.Nonetheless,scarce quality evidence has been produced regarding the relationship between specific foods and/or macronutrients and the onset of FD symptoms,resulting in nonstandardized nutritional approaches.Most dietary advises are indeed empirical and often lead to exclusion diets,reinforcing in patients the perception of“being intolerant”to food and self-perpetuating some of the very mechanisms underlying dyspepsia physiopathology(i.e.,hypervigilance and symptom anticipation).Clinicians are often uncertain regarding the contribution of specific foods to dyspepsia physiopathology and dedicated professionals(i.e.,dietitians)are only available in tertiary referral settings.This in turn,can result in nutritionally unbalanced diets and could even encourage restrictive eating behaviors in severe dyspepsia.In this review,we aim at evaluating the relationship between dietary habits,macronutrients and specific foods in determining FD symptoms.We will provide an overview of the evidence-based nutritional approach that should be pursued in these patients,providing clinicians with a valuable tool in standardizing nutritional advises and discouraging patients from engaging into indiscriminate food exclusions.

Food allergy in irritable bowel syndrome:The case of non-celiac wheat sensitivity

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, having a prevalence of 12%-30% in the general population. Most patientswith IBS attribute their symptoms to adverse food reactions. We review the role of diet in the pathogenesis of IBS and the importance of dietary factors in the management of these patients. The MEDLINE electronic database(1966 to Jan 2015) was searched using the following keywords: "food", "diet", "food allergy", "food hypersensitivity", "food intolerance", "IBS", "epidemiology", "pathogenesis", "pathophysiology", "diagnosis", "treatment". We found 153 eligible papers; 80 were excluded because: not written in English, exclusive biochemical and experimental research, case reports, reviews, and research otherwise not relevant to our specific interest. We selected 73 papers: 43 original papers, 26 reviews and 4 letters to the editor. These papers focused on IBS pathogenesis, the association between IBS and atopy, and between IBS and food allergy, the relationship between IBS and non-celiac wheat sensitivity, the role of diet in IBS. Pending further scientific evidence, a cautious approach is advisable but the concept of food allergy should be included as a possible cause of IBS, and a dietary approach may have a place in the routine clinical management of IBS.

Assessment of the Retail Food Environment Using Integrated GIS and Modified Measures in Wuhan, China

The retail food environment (RFE) has a significant impact on people’s dietary behavior and diet-related outcomes. Although RFE research has received a lot of attention, there are very few studies that shed light on the foodscape and assessment methodologies in the China context. Based on open data obtained from Dianping.com and AutoNavi map, we classified all food outlets into six types. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques were employed to create two network buffer areas (1-km and 3-km) and calculate the absolute measures and relative measures (i.e., mRFEI and Rmix). We modified the calculation of relative measures by adding items and assigning weights. The mean mRFEI using the 1-km and 3-km buffer sizes across the communities were 10.45 and 20.12, respectively, while the mean mRmix of the two buffer sizes were 20.97 and 58.04, indicating that residents in Wuhan have better access to fresh and nutritious food within 3-km network buffers. Residents in urban areas are more likely to be exposed to an unhealthy food environment than those in rural areas. Residents in Xinzhou and Qiaokou districts are more likely to be subjected to unfavorable neighborhood RFE. The open data-driven methods for assessing RFE in Wuhan, China may guide community-level food policy interventions and promote active living by shifting built environments to increase residents’ access to healthy food.

关于不同烹调方法对食品营养素的影响探讨

本文探讨了不同烹调方法对食品营养素的影响,强调了食品营养价值对健康的重要性,提出了保留食物营养素的措施,旨在帮助人们选择更加健康的烹调方法。

Cross-Reaction between Gliadin and Different Food and Tissue Antigens

A subgroup of coeliac disease patients continues to experience symptoms even on a gluten-free diet (GFD). We attempted to determine whether these symptoms could be due to either cross-contamination with gluten-containing foods or cross-reactivity between α-gliadin and non-gluten foods consumed on a GFD. We measured the reactivity of affinity-purified polyclonal and monoclonal α-gliadin 33-mer peptide antibodies against gliadin and additional food antigens commonly consumed by patients on a GFD using ELISA and dot-blot. We also examined the immune reactivity of these antibodies with various tissue antigens. We observed significant immune reactivity when these antibodies were applied to cow’s milk, milk chocolate, milk butyrophilin, whey protein, casein, yeast, oats, corn, millet, instant coffee and rice. To investigate whether there was cross-reactivity between α-gliadin antibody and different tissue antigens, we measured the degree to which this antibody bound to these antigens. The most significant binding occurred with asialoganglioside, hepatocyte, glutamic acid decarboxylase 65, adrenal 21-hydroxylase, and various neural antigens. The specificity of anti-α-gliadin binding to different food and tissue antigens was demonstrated by absorption and inhibition studies. We also observed significant cross-reactivity between α-gliadin 33-mer and various food antigens, but some of these reactions were associated with the contamination of non-gluten foods with traces of gluten. The consumption of cross-reactive foods as well as gluten-contaminated foods may be responsible for the continuing symptoms presented by a subgroup of patients with coeliac disease. The lack of response of some CD patients may also be due to antibody cross-reactivity with non-gliadin foods. These should then be treated as gluten-like peptides and should also be excluded from the diet when the GFD seems to fail.

黄精药食同源价值研究进展

药食同源思想源远流长,体现了中医药特色。黄精作为药食同源传统中药材,对延缓衰老、预防和治疗疾病有显著效果,在医药、保健食品等领域开发前景广阔。本文综述了药食同源文化来源及现状,分析了黄精的药膳起源、化学成分、药理作用以及加工应用方面的最新进展,结合湖南黄精的种植情况,为黄精资源进一步开发提供参考依据。