Vitamin D deficiency (VDD), defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels < 20 ng/mL to convert 25OHD ng/mL to nmol/L, multiply by 2.5) is prevalent in young adults and has been associated with ...adverse health outcomes, including stress fracture during periods of increased physical activity such as military training. Foods commonly consumed at breakfast provide an important source of vitamin D, yet breakfast skipping is common among young adults. However, whether breakfast skipping is associated with VDD in young adults is unclear.
This study aimed to determine whether breakfast skipping is associated with odds of VDD among recruits entering initial military training (IMT), and with changes in serum 25(OH)D during IMT. In addition, whether diet quality and vitamin D intake mediated these associations was determined.
Secondary analysis of individual participant data collected during five IMT studies. Breakfast skipping (≥ 3 times/week) was self-reported. Dietary intake was determined using food frequency questionnaires, and vitamin D status was assessed using circulating 25(OH)D concentrations pre- and post-IMT.
Participants were healthy US Army, US Air Force, and US Marine recruits (N = 1,569, 55% male, mean ± standard deviation age 21 ± 4 years) entering military service between 2010 and 2015 at Fort Jackson, SC; Fort Sill, OK; Lakeland Air Force Base, TX; or the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC.
Primary outcomes were VDD pre-IMT and change in 25(OH)D from pre- to post-IMT.
Associations were determined using multivariate-adjusted logistic and linear regression and mediation models.
Forty-six percent of military recruits were classified as breakfast skippers pre-IMT, and 30% were VDD. Breakfast skipping was associated with a higher odds of pre-IMT VDD (odds ratio 1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.9), and lower vitamin D intake and diet quality were partial mediators of the association. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations improved (P = 0.01) among habitual breakfast skippers versus nonskippers during IMT; however, regression to the mean could not be ruled out. Neither change in diet quality nor vitamin D intake were associated with change in 25(OH)D concentrations during IMT.
Breakfast skipping is prevalent among incoming military recruits and is associated with VDD. This relationship may be mediated by lower diet quality and vitamin D intake.
Go for Green® (G4G 2.0) is an evidence-based, comprehensive dining facility nutrition program designed to improve access, availability, and knowledge of nutrient-dense foods for Service Members. A ...key component assigns codes to recipes and ready-to-use (RTU) foods and beverages to educate diners on performance impact (Green = high, Yellow = moderate, Red = low) and sodium content (Low, Moderate, High). The authors identified a gap in that RTU items were coded repetitively at local levels, which resulted in inefficient use of limited resources and coding inconsistencies. The objective was to create a database of common RTU items on the public G4G 2.0 website to decrease resources spent coding locally and maximize consistency among coded items. The authors compiled RTU items from nutrition colleagues, quality checked G4G 2.0 codes, then created a database. Stakeholders were informed via various communication methods about the database availability. New items can be coded upon request, with the database updated quarterly. The percentage of Green-coded items increased from 14 % to 18 % in one year. A publicly available, pre-coded database of RTU items streamlines G4G coding efforts, enhances coding consistency, showcases high-performance (Green) options, but also indicates the high-prevalence of Red-coded items available in military foodservice venues.
•Military dining venues provide opportunities to optimize nutrient intake.•A ready-to-use database of pre-coded packaged items streamlines program coding efforts.•Dining platforms can utilize a database to identify more high-performance options.
Food processing alters diet digestibility and composition, thereby influencing interactions between host biology, diet, and the gut microbiota. The fecal metabolome offers insight into those ...relations by providing a readout of diet–microbiota interactions impacting host health.
The aims were to determine the effects of consuming a processed diet on the fecal metabolome and to explore relations between changes in the fecal metabolome with fecal microbiota composition and gastrointestinal health markers.
This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial wherein healthy adults 94% male; 18–61 y; BMI (kg/m2): 26 ± 3 consumed their usual diet control (CON), n = 27 or a Meal, Ready-to-EatTM (Ameriqual Packaging) military ration diet composed of processed, shelf-stable, ready-to-eat items for 21 d (MRE; n = 27). Fecal metabolite profiles, fecal microbiota composition, biomarkers of intestinal barrier function, and gastrointestinal symptoms were measured before and after the intervention. Between-group differences and associations were assessed using nonparametric t tests, partial least-squares discriminant analysis, correlation, and redundancy analysis.
Fecal concentrations of multiple dipeptides Mann-Whitney effect size (ES) = 0.27–0.50 and long-chain SFAs (ES = 0.35–0.58) increased, whereas plant-derived compounds (ES = 0.31–0.60) decreased in MRE versus CON (P < 0.05; q < 0.20). Changes in dipeptides correlated positively with changes in fecal concentrations of Maillard-reaction products (ρ = 0.29–0.70; P < 0.05) and inversely with changes in serum prealbumin (ρ = −0.30 to −0.48; P ≤ 0.03). Multiple bile acids, coffee and caffeine metabolites, and plant-derived compounds were associated with both fecal microbiota composition and gastrointestinal health markers, with changes in fecal microbiota composition explaining 26% of the variability within changes in gastrointestinal health–associated fecal metabolites (P = 0.001).
Changes in the fecal metabolomes of adults consuming a Meal, Ready-to-EatTM diet implicate interactions between diet composition, diet digestibility, and the gut microbiota as contributing to variability within gastrointestinal responses to the diet. Findings underscore the need to consider both food processing and nutrient composition when investigating the impact of diet–gut microbiota interactions on health outcomes. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02423551.
Nutritional fitness, which comprises food choices, meal timing, and dietary intake behaviors, is an important component of military service member health and performance that has garnered recent ...attention. This study utilized generalized linear mixed effects modeling (GLMM) to investigate changes in eating pathology symptoms in men and women during initial military training (Marine Corps Officer Candidates School (OCS)). Associations among eating pathology, musculoskeletal injury risk and BMI were also assessed. This investigation includes data from the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory (EPSI) and BMI at the start of OCS (n = 598: Male n = 469, Female n = 129) and end of the 10-week program (n = 413: Male n = 329, Female n = 84), and injury surveillance throughout. At baseline, female candidates presented with greater body dissatisfaction, binge eating, purging, and restricting, but lower negative attitudes toward obesity compared to male candidates (p < 0.001). Eating symptoms changed during military training indicated by decreased body dissatisfaction in women (p = 0.003), decreased excessive exercise and negative attitudes toward obesity in men (p < 0.001), decreased cognitive restraint (p < 0.001), restricting (p < 0.001), purging (p = 0.013), and muscle building (p < 0.001) and increased binge eating (p < 0.001) in both sexes. Changes in restricting were significantly related to changes in BMI during training (p < 0.05). The likelihood of future injury was 108 % higher in female candidates than males and decreased by 5 % for each unit increase in excessive exercise. Eating attitudes and behaviors change during military training environments and are associated with military health and readiness outcomes including BMI and injury risk.
•Eating pathology symptoms differ between male and female Marine Officer candidates.•Military training environments can alter eating pathology symptoms in men and women.•Exercise prior to military training may protect against musculoskeletal injury.
The study of the nutritional transition in Spain must combine sources concerning the health conditions and the nutritional profile of the population. Such an approximation to the issue is, as a rule, ...not possible until the two final decades of the 20th century. However, the report on the nutritional status of the Spanish army, undertaken by the American Interdepartmental Committee on Nutrition for National Defence (ICNND) in 1958, combines both approaches. The report is based on the medical examination of 10727 army drafts. First, the article contextualised the report's sample geographically and demographically; second, it validated the variables used statistically; and third, it explored the relationship between the diseases diagnosed, the biomarkers yielded by blood and urine tests, and the diet. The main results were as follows: (a) the report confirmed that the military population under examination did not suffer from severe dietary shortcomings; (b) the sample presents a double bias, geographical (overrepresentation of southern provinces) and institutional (underrepresentation of the land forces).
Obesity, overweight, and suboptimal eating habits are threats to U.S. active-duty service member (SM) nutritional fitness. Offering programs that improve diet quality and nutritional status is of ...high interest to military leaders.
Total force kitchen (TFK) was developed as a performance-focused multicomponent program centered around culinary skills with education and skill building in key areas of nutrition, physical activity, and mindfulness. This pilot study's objectives were to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the TFK program, to make recommendations for program modification, and to determine impact on behavior, self-efficacy, and health-related outcomes. Participants were single or geographically single active-duty SMs (
= 17) who attended the 12-week, 60-h innovative culinary education and performance optimization program at a local United Service Organization facility. A mixed-method approach assessed pre- and post-program metrics, including attrition rates and participant satisfaction.
The TFK program retention rate was 76.5%. All participants were "somewhat satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the overall TFK program. The highest satisfaction was with the cooking-related components. Improvements in other behavioral (
= 0.39, 95% confidence interval CI: -0.17 to 0.95), self-rated health (
= 0.58, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.16), and anthropometric measures (e.g., body fat percentage:
= -0.01, 95% CI: -0.12 to 0.10) were smaller than improvements in cooking attitudes (
= 0.66, 95% CI: 0.17 to 1.13) and self-efficacy for techniques (
= 1.80, 95% CI: 0.96 to 2.62). Participants reported positive changes in lifestyle related to what they eat and how they prepare their meals. They also highly valued active learning and instructor knowledge and enthusiasm.
This multidisciplinary evidence-based program offers ample opportunities for SMs to gain knowledge, build skills, and engage in a supportive community to optimize their performance through cooking. A successful pilot has the potential to leverage resources for the TFK program expanding its reach and impact to the larger military population and nonmilitary communities.
The Arctic is currently a strategic region of Russia and it requires military protection. Good nutrition is a prerequisite for successful performance of the servicemen in such extreme conditions. The ...Russian armed forces do not have a special ration for the Arctic region. The existing rations lack products enriched with biologically ac- tive substances, probiotics, prebiotics, or vitamin and mineral complexes. Subcaloric nutrition, even with short-term physical exertion, in combination with low temperatures deprives the human body of vitamins and minerals. There- fore, the development of freeze-dried bioproducts with functional properties is highly relevant. This article presents the results of a study aimed to develop new freeze-dried milk-based bioproducts for the Russian military in the Arc- tic. For this, we created a microbial consortium of lactic acid bacteria with a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity. We also used a range of functional ingredients, namely pectin, pine nut meal, a ‘Lactobel’ prebiotic protein-and-car- bohydrate product, rowan puree, and rosehip syrup in the amounts established during the study. The new freeze- dried milk-based bioproducts named ‘Pobeda’, enriched with combiotics and metabiotics, will provide the Russian military with better nutrition in the extreme conditions of the Arctic.
Australian military ration packs contain a variety of processed foods, including some that are fortified with vitamins. In this study, freeze-dried meals, a key component of lightweight patrol ration ...packs, were fortified at the time of packing by direct addition of a vitamin premix containing vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E. Fortification was at three levels: 50%, 100% and 200% of the recommended vitamin content for military ration packs. Vitamin stability was determined following storage at temperatures of 1 °C, 30 °C and 40 °C for up to 24 months. HPLC methods were used to measure vitamin content; water activity and colour were also determined. Mean 24-month retention rates across all temperatures and fortification levels were 94%, 97%, 86% and 77% for vitamins B1, B2, B6 and E, respectively. Water activity increased with storage temperature, whereas colour changes due to fortification and storage temperature were at the threshold of visual detection. Fortification of freeze-dried meals would be an effective means of improving the quality of light weight military ration packs by addressing shortfalls in vitamin levels.
The United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) celebrated its 50th anniversary on July 1, 2011. This article reviews its history, evolution, and transition of its ...research programs as well as its scientific and military accomplishments, emphasizing the past 25 yr. During the 1990s, USARIEM published a series of pocket guides providing guidance for sustaining Warfighter health and performance in Southwest Asia, Somalia, the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Haiti. Issues identified during Operation Desert Storm elicited research that improved nutritional guidelines for protracted desert operations; safer use of nuclear, chemical, and biological protective clothing; equipment, development, and fielding of efficient microclimate cooling systems; and effective evaluation of pharmaceuticals to protect soldiers from chemical and biological threats. During the first decade of the 21st century, USARIEM and the Department of the Army published official medical/performance doctrines for operations in the heat and cold and at high altitude. The current Global War on Terrorism focused research to improve doctrines for hot, cold, and high-altitude operations, reduce musculoskeletal training injuries, provide improved field nutrition, more efficient planning for operational water requirements, and improve both military clothing and materiel. This article also describes the critically important interactions and communications between USARIEM and deployed units and the benefits to Warfighters from this association. This report presents USARIEM's unique and world-class facilities, organizational changes, scientific and support personnel, and major research accomplishments, including the publication of 2,200 scientific papers over the past 25 yr. (Contains 1 figure.)
Moore's Extended Nutrient (MENu) database first had its beginnings at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center as The Extended Table of Nutrient Values (ETNV) in 1990, having originated in the early ...1960s as one of the first computerized nutrient databases in the US. The ETNV received its prominence in the scientific community as the database of the long-term Bogalusa Heart Study. In 1993, its movement from a mainframe designed computerized nutrient database system to a PC-based system was initiated. During the early to late 1990s the MENu database supported two NIH-funded clinical applications, DELTA (Dietary Effects on Lipids and Thrombogenic Activity) and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension); it was used for menu design in these feeding trials. This database has undergone many changes over the years to meet the needs of researchers at Pennington and those needs identified by collaborators in federally funded projects. Over the past few years, Pennington has been involved in several different types of military nutrition research projects. One such project involved the need to access the MENu database components from remote locations via the internet. Several security issues needed to be dealt with since we were working with the Department of Defense. The system access was designed to deal with these issues and yet support use from any remote location with internet access. Dietitians and other military nutrition professionals were issued the client software along with individual logon IDs and passwords. They accessed the recipe entry and menu design applications, in addition to the entire nutrient composition files which includes the USDA Standard Reference and Survey Databases and other special user foods, including the special formulations used by the military. The tree design of the MENu database allows for the ease of location of menus and recipes by the military nutrition division personnel and facilitates the revision/entry of other items needed. Efforts are currently underway to address additional internet-based application development, including dietary assessment modules.
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