BackgroundDietary and lifestyle indices are composite tools that are used to estimate risk of health outcomes. ObjectiveWe aimed to develop a diet and a lifestyle index assessing adherence to the ...national guidelines in Norway, and to investigate adherence in a nationwide survey of healthy subjects (Norkost3). DesignCut-off values for the indices were based on the Norwegian food based dietary guidelines and national lifestyle guidelines. Adherence was evaluated in the Norkost3 (n = 1,787). ResultsTwelve dietary components were included in the diet index 1) fruit and berries, 2) vegetables, 3) whole grains, 4) unsalted nuts, 5) fish, 6) low-fat dairy products, 7) margarine/oils, 8) red meat, 9) processed meat, 10) foods rich in sugar and fat, 11) drinks with added sugar, and 12) dietary supplements. Each of the components was assigned a value of 0, 0.5 or 1 corresponding to low, intermediate and high adherence, except for plant-based foods, which were assigned a value of 0, 1.5 or 3, providing a composite diet index ranging from 0 to 20 points. The five components in the lifestyle index (i.e. diet, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, tobacco and alcohol) was assigned a value of 0, 0.5 or 1, giving a final score ranging from zero to five points. In Norkost3, 49% (95% CI: 47, 52) of the participants had low adherence to the diet component, whereas only 2% (95% CI: 2, 3) achieved high adherence, although most of the subjects had high educational level. High adherence to the recommendations of BMI, tobacco and alcohol intake was observed in 50% (95% CI: 47, 52), 72% (95% CI: 70, 74) and 68% (95% CI: 66, 70) of the participants, respectively. Due to the lack of data on physical activity, adherence to this component in the lifestyle index is not presented in this study. ConclusionThe new diet and lifestyle indices assess adherence to the Norwegian food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) and other national lifestyle guidelines. In this study, half of the subjects had low diet and lifestyle index scores. There is a need to implement interventions to improve this by focusing on the specific lifestyle components with low adherence.
Background
: There is convincing evidence that replacing dietary saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) decreases risk of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, PUFA rich foods such as ...vegetable oils, fatty fish, and marine omega-3 supplements are recommended. However, PUFA are easily oxidizable and there is concern about possible negative health effects from intake of oxidized lipids. Little is known about the degree of lipid oxidation in such products.
Objective
: To assess the content of lipid oxidation products in a large selection of vegetable oils and marine omega-3 supplements available in Norway. Both fresh and heated vegetable oils were studied.
Design
: A large selection of commercially available vegetable oils and marine omega-3 supplements was purchased from grocery stores, pharmacies, and health food stores in Norway. The content of lipid oxidation products were measured as peroxide value and alkenal concentration. Twelve different vegetable oils were heated for a temperature (225°C) and time (25 minutes) resembling conditions typically used during cooking.
Results
: The peroxide values were in the range 1.04-10.38 meq/kg for omega-3 supplements and in the range 0.60-5.33 meq/kg for fresh vegetable oils. The concentration range of alkenals was 158.23-932.19 nmol/mL for omega-3 supplements and 33.24-119.04 nmol/mL for vegetable oils. After heating, a 2.9-11.2 fold increase in alkenal concentration was observed for vegetable oils.
Conclusions
: The contents of hydroperoxides and alkenals in omega-3 supplements are higher than in vegetable oils. After heating vegetable oils, a large increase in alkenal concentration was observed.
Background & Aims Gut-associated dendritic cells (DC) metabolize vitamin A into all-trans retinoic acid (RA), which is required to induce lymphocytes to localize to the gastrointestinal tract and ...promotes the differentiation of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and IgA antibody−secreting cells. We investigated whether RA functions in a positive-feedback loop in DC to induce its own synthesis. Methods We measured levels of retinoids in intestinal tissues from mice and assessed the role of RA in the functional specialization of gut-associated DC in cell cultures and mice. We used pharmacologic antagonists to determine the signaling pathways involved in regulation of DC and used MyD88 −/− mice to determine the contribution of Toll-like receptor signaling in RA-mediated effects on DC. Results The concentration of retinoids decreased in a proximal-to-distal gradient along the intestine, which correlated with the activity of gut-specific DC. Importantly, RA regulated the ability of gut-associated DC to produce RA, induce T cells to localize to the gastrointestinal tract, and generate regulatory T cells and IgA-secreting cells. RA was sufficient to induce its own production by extraintestinal DC in vitro and in vivo. RA-mediated regulation of DC required signaling through the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway and unexpectedly required MyD88, which is conventionally associated with Toll-like receptor, interleukin-1, and interleukin-18 signaling. Conclusions RA is necessary and sufficient to induce DC to regulate T-cell localization to the gastrointestinal tract and IgA secretion. Our findings also indicate crosstalk between the RA receptor and MyD88-dependent Toll-like receptor signaling pathways.
Systematic reviews (SRs) constitute a major part of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNRs). The step-by-step procedure used to develop SRs has evolved considerably over time and is often ...tailored to fit the exposure and outcomes in focus.
To describe a detailed procedure for developing qualified SRs commissioned by the NNR2022 project.
Scrutinizing procedures of recent SRs commissioned by leading national food and health authorities or international food and health organizations.
The following eight steps must be included when developing qualified SRs for the NNR2022 project: 1) define research question, 2) protocol development, 3) literature search, 4) screening and selection of studies, 5) data extraction, 6) assessing risk of bias, 7) synthesis and grading of total strength of evidence, and 8) reporting according to certain standards.
This guide is based on the guidelines developed for the fifth edition of NNR but includes some important new domains in order to adhere to more recent, authoritative standards.
All qualified SRs in the NNR2022 project will follow the protocol described here.
Context: Blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D is the generally accepted indicator of vitamin D status, but no universal reference level has been reached.
Objective: The objective of the study ...was to determine the threshold at which low plasma 25(OH)D levels are associated with fractures in elderly men and clarify the importance of low levels on total fracture burden.
Design and Participants: In the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men, a population-based cohort (mean age, 71 yr, n = 1194), we examined the relationship between 25(OH)D and risk for fracture. Plasma 25(OH)D levels were measured with high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Setting: The study was conducted in the municipality of Uppsala in Sweden, a country with a high fracture incidence.
Main Outcome Measure: Time to fracture was measured.
Results: During follow-up (median 11 yr), 309 of the participants (26%) sustained a fracture. 25(OH)D levels below 40 nmol/liter, which corresponded to the fifth percentile of 25(OH)D, were associated with a modestly increased risk for fracture, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio 1.65 (95% confidence interval 1.09–2.49). No risk difference was detected above this level. Approximately 3% of the fractures were attributable to low 25(OH)D levels in this population.
Conclusions: Vitamin D insufficiency is not a major cause of fractures in community-dwelling elderly men in Sweden. Despite the fact that cutaneous synthesis of previtamin D during the winter season is undetectable at this northern latitude of 60°, only one in 20 had 25(OH)D levels below 40 nmol/liter, the threshold at which the risk for fracture started to increase. Genetic adaptations to limited UV light may be an explanation for our findings.
In a Nordic country with limited UV light, only 3% of the fractures among community-dwelling elderly men were attributable to low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
Based on animal models, dietary polyphenols are predicted to be promising chemopreventive agents in humans. Allspice, clove, and thyme extracts as well as defined dietary polyphenolic compounds were, ...therefore, tested for their ability to activate mechanisms related to phase 1 enzymes, i.e., the PXR-regulated CYP3A4 promoter, and phase 2 enzymes, i.e. the EpRE-regulated promoters of gastrointestinal glutathione peroxidase (GI-GPx) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), examples of Nrf2-regulated genes. From the compounds tested, clove and thyme extracts as well as curcumin and resveratrol activated the PXR. PXR activation correlated with the activation of the CYP3A4 promoter in the case of thyme extract, curcumin, and resveratrol, but not in the case of clove extract. Allspice extract, EGCG, and quercetin did not activate PXR but enhanced CYP3A4 promoter activity. Thyme extract and quercetin activated the EpRE of HO-1. Both significantly activated the GI-GPx promoter, effects that depended on a functional EpRE. Resveratrol did not activate the isolated EpRE but enhanced the GI-GPx promoter activity, whereas clove extract even inhibited it. It is concluded that individual polyphenols as well as polyphenol-rich plant extracts may affect phase 1 and 2 enzyme expression by distinct mechanisms that must be elucidated, before potential health effects can reliably be predicted.
A predominantly plant-based diet reduces the risk for development of several chronic diseases. It is often assumed that antioxidants contribute to this protection, but results from intervention ...trials with single antioxidants administered as supplements quite consistently do not support any benefit. Because dietary plants contain several hundred different antioxidants, it would be useful to know the total concentration of electron-donating antioxidants (i.e., reductants) in individual items. Such data might be useful in the identification of the most beneficial dietary plants. We have assessed systematically total antioxidants in a variety of dietary plants used worldwide, including various fruits, berries, vegetables, cereals, nuts and pulses. When possible, we analyzed three or more samples of dietary plants from three different geographic regions in the world. Total antioxidants was assessed by the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ (i.e., the FRAP assay), which occurred rapidly with all reductants with half-reaction reduction potentials above that of Fe3+/Fe2+. The values, therefore, expressed the corresponding concentration of electron-donating antioxidants. Our results demonstrated that there is more than a 1000-fold difference among total antioxidants in various dietary plants. Plants that contain most antioxidants included members of several families, such as Rosaceae (dog rose, sour cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry), Empetraceae (crowberry), Ericaceae (blueberry), Grossulariaceae (black currant), Juglandaceae (walnut), Asteraceae (sunflower seed), Punicaceae (pomegranate) and Zingiberaceae (ginger). In a Norwegian diet, fruits, berries and cereals contributed 43.6%, 27.1% and 11.7%, respectively, of the total intake of plant antioxidants. Vegetables contributed only 8.9%. The systematic analysis presented here will facilitate research into the nutritional role of the combined effect of antioxidants in dietary plants.
Activation of dendritic cells (DC) by microbial products via Toll-like receptors (TLR) is instrumental in the induction of immunity. In particular, TLR signaling plays a major role in the instruction ...of Th1 responses. The development of Th2 responses has been proposed to be independent of the adapter molecule myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) involved in signal transduction by TLRs. In this study we show that flagellin, the bacterial stimulus for TLR5, drives MyD88-dependent Th2-type immunity in mice. Flagellin promotes the secretion of IL-4 and IL-13 by Ag-specific CD4(+) T cells as well as IgG1 responses. The Th2-biased responses are associated with the maturation of DCs, which are shown to express TLR5. Flagellin-mediated DC activation requires MyD88 and induces NF-kappaB-dependent transcription and the production of low levels of proinflammatory cytokines. In addition, the flagellin-specific response is characterized by the lack of secretion of the Th1-promoting cytokine IL-12 p70. In conclusion, this study suggests that flagellin and, more generally, TLR ligands can control Th2 responses in a MyD88-dependent manner.
Abstract Objective Our aim was to examine relations of serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) to cardiovascular risk factors, and prevalent metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) ...in a large community-based sample of elderly. Methods We evaluated cross-sectional relations of serum RBP4 to cardiovascular risk factors including anthropometrical measures, blood pressure, lipid measures, fasting glucose and insulin, body fat distribution including truncal fat by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and prevalent MetS in one thousand eight 70-year old participants (50% women) of the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS), and in five hundred seven 82-year old men from Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM). In ULSAM, we also examined associations with prevalent CVD. Results RBP4 concentrations were positively correlated with serum triglycerides ( r = 0.30; P < 0.0001 in both samples), whereas correlations with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, sagittal abdominal diameter, total and truncal fat mass, total cholesterol, fasting glucose and HOMA-IR were weak. In multivariable-adjusted models, RBP-4 was associated with MetS (odds ratio (OR), 1.16 and 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.99–1.37 and 1.05–1.67 per 1-standard deviation (SD) increase in PIVUS and ULSAM, respectively), and prior cerebrovascular disease (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.00-1.88 per 1-SD increase in ULSAM), but not with prior myocardial infarction. Conclusion In elderly, RBP4 concentrations were associated with MetS and its components in both sexes, and prior cerebrovascular disease in men. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that circulating RBP4 could be a marker of metabolic complications and possibly also atherosclerosis and overt CVD.
Scope
Lycopene is a lipophilic carotenoid and provides the red colour to tomatoes and tomato product. Various studies indicated that lycopene and tomatoes/tomato products are able to positively ...influence various diseases associated with a chronic inflammation. The mechanism of action of lycopene to elicit these effects is partly unknown. A possible mechanism is that biological metabolites of lycopene may activate nuclear hormone receptors in mammalian cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of orally administered lycopene and all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for the induction of the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) in a transgenic retinoic acid response‐element (RARE)‐reporter mouse system.
Methods and results
Orally administered lycopene (100 mg/kg bw in beadlets, n = 6) and ATRA as an endogenous RAR ligand (50 mg/kg bw, n = 6) for the induction of the retinoic acid receptor in male mice using a transgenic RARE‐reporter mouse system.
Conclusion
Lycopene treatments induced RARE‐mediated cell signalling indicated by quantified bioimaging, increased luciferase activity and up‐regulated the retinoid target genes in selected organs of the mice. We conclude that lycopene can induce RAR‐transcriptional activation in mice and lycopene might be a precursor of still non‐identified biologically active metabolites.
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