Emerging evidence suggests that maternal folate status can impact cognitive development in childhood. Folate-dependent DNA methylation may provide a biological mechanism to link folate status during ...pregnancy with cognition in the offspring.
The objective was to investigate the effect of continued folic acid (FA) supplementation beyond the first trimester of pregnancy on DNA methylation in cord blood of epigenetically controlled genes related to brain development and function.
Using available cord blood samples (n = 86) from the Folic Acid Supplementation in the Second and Third Trimesters (FASSTT) trial in pregnancy, we applied pyrosequencing techniques to analyze cord blood DNA at 9 candidate loci known to be regulated by methylation, including some previously implicated in observational studies: the widely dispersed retrotransposon long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) and 8 single-copy loci (RBM46, PEG3, IGF2, GRB10, BDNF, GRIN3B, OPCML, and APC2).
The newborns of mothers who received ongoing FA (400 µg/d) through the second and third trimesters, compared with placebo, had significantly lower overall DNA methylation levels at LINE-1 (56.3% ± 1.7% compared with 57.2% ± 2.1%; P = 0.024), IFG2 (48.9% ± 4.4% compared with 51.2% ± 5.1%; P = 0.021), and BDNF (2.7% ± 0.7% compared with 3.1% ± 0.8%; P = 0.003). The effect of FA treatment on DNA methylation was significant only in female offspring for IGF2 (P = 0.028) and only in males for BDNF (P = 0.012). For GRB10 and GRIN3B, we detected no effect on overall methylation; however, individual cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites showed significant DNA methylation changes in response to FA.
Continued supplementation with FA through trimesters 2 and 3 of pregnancy results in significant changes in DNA methylation in cord blood of genes related to brain development. The findings offer a potential biological mechanism linking maternal folate status with neurodevelopment of the offspring, but this requires further investigation using a genome-wide approach.
This trial was registered at www.isrctn.com as ISRCTN19917787.
Food neophobia describes a reluctance to eat novel foods. Levels of food neophobia vary throughout life and are thought to peak in childhood. However, the trajectory of food neophobia across the life ...course is not fully clear. Using data from five national cross-sectional surveys in Ireland we explored levels of food neophobia in males and females aged 1–87 years. In addition, we assessed the influence of sociodemographic factors, breastfeeding and parental food neophobia on food neophobia. Food neophobia was measured using the Food Neophobia Scale in adults and adolescents and with the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire in preschool and school aged children. A total of 3246 participants (female, 49.9%) were included. Food neophobia increased with age from 1 to ∼6 years, then decreased until early adulthood where it remained stable until increasing with age in older adults (>54 years). In adults, lower education level, social class and rural residency were associated with higher food neophobia. When preschool and school aged children surveys were pooled (ages 1–12), higher food neophobia was seen in males, children with lower parental education and those who were not breastfed. Sociodemographic factors were not significantly associated with food neophobia in adolescents. Breastfeeding duration was negatively associated with food neophobia in children and adolescents and parental food neophobia was positively associated with child's food neophobia in preschool and school aged children. The influence of socioeconomic factors was more pronounced in adults than in children or adolescents. However, sociodemographic factors only explained a small proportion of the variation in food neophobia across all ages. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand how changes in age or socioeconomic circumstance influence food neophobia at an individual level.
SFA intakes have decreased in recent years, both in Ireland and across other European countries; however a large proportion of the population are still not meeting the SFA recommendation of <10% of ...total energy (TE). High SFA intakes have been associated with increased CVD and type-2 diabetes (T2D) risk, due to alterations in cholesterol homoeostasis and adipose tissue inflammation. PUFA, in particular EPA and DHA, have been associated with health benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects. It is well established that dietary fat composition plays an important role in biological processes. A recent review of evidence suggests that replacement of SFA with PUFA has potential to reduce risk of CVD and T2D. The public health and molecular impact of EPA and DHA have been well-characterised, while less is known of effects of α-linolenic acid (ALA). The current dietary guideline for ALA is 0·5% TE; however evidence from supplementation trials suggests that benefit is observed at levels greater than 2 g/d (0·6-1% TE). This review highlights the gap in the evidence base relating to effects of the replacement of SFA with ALA, identifying the need for randomised controlled trials to determine the optimal dose of ALA substitution to define the efficacy of dietary fat modification with ALA.
The childhood years represent a period of increased nutrient requirements during which a balanced diet is important to ensure optimal growth and development. The aim of this study was to examine food ...and nutrient intakes and compliance with recommendations in school-aged children in Ireland and to examine changes over time. Analyses were based on two National Children’s Food Surveys; NCFS (2003–2004) (n 594) and NCFS II (2017–2018) (n 600) which estimated food and nutrient intakes in nationally representative samples of children (5–12 years) using weighed food records (NCFS: 7-d; NCFS II: 4-d). This study found that nutrient intakes among school-aged children in Ireland are generally in compliance with recommendations; however, this population group have higher intakes of saturated fat, free sugars and salt, and lower intakes of dietary fibre than recommended. Furthermore, significant proportions have inadequate intakes of vitamin D, Ca, Fe and folate. Some of the key dietary changes that have occurred since the NCFS (2003–2004) include decreased intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, milk and potatoes, and increased intakes of wholemeal/brown bread, high-fibre ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, porridge, pasta and whole fruit. Future strategies to address the nutrient gaps identified among this population group could include the continued promotion of healthy food choices (including education around ‘healthy’ lifestyles and food marketing restrictions), improvements of the food supply through reformulation (fat, sugar, salt, dietary fibre), food fortification for micronutrients of concern (voluntary or mandatory) and/or nutritional supplement recommendations (for nutrients unlikely to be sufficient from food intake alone).
•The National Adult Nutrition Survey food composition database was updated to current vitamin D food concentrations.•Vitamin D intakes and patterns of intake of older adults in Ireland were ...estimated.•Fortifying milk or bread would increase the proportion of older adults meeting vitamin D recommendations to ∼30% when milk is fortified and ∼55% when bread is fortified.•Fortifying milk and bread simultaneously would result in ∼70% of older adults meeting recommendations.•Fortifying foods with vitamin D is safe and would improve the vitamin D intakes of older adults.
The aim of this study was to determine the best foods for potential vitamin D food fortification and to model the efficacy and safety of different food fortification scenarios in adults ≥50 y of age in Ireland.
National Adult Nutrition Survey vitamin D data for participants ≥50 y of age were updated. Vitamin D from foods with natural and added vitamin D was estimated and daily vitamin D intake patterns were examined. Data modeling was used to estimate the effects of target food fortification scenarios.
Almost two-thirds of the mean daily vitamin D intake of adults ≥50 y of age (7 ± 7 µg) comes from foods with added vitamin D. Milk and bread are the most frequently consumed foods across all meals and were subsequently targeted for the data modeling exercise. Results from the data modeling show that vitamin D intake increased between 9 and 17 µg/d, depending on the fortification scenario. Fortifying milk or bread resulted in ∼30% or ∼55% of individuals meeting the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA); however, fortifying both simultaneously resulted in ∼70% meeting the RDA.
Currently, the majority of Irish adults ≥50 y of age are not meeting dietary recommendations for vitamin D. Fortification of commonly consumed foods such as milk and bread could improve daily intakes such that ∼70% of the cohort would meet the minimum recommendation. Future research should examine the efficacy of different food fortification scenarios to improve vitamin D intakes for older adults.
The global population is rapidly ageing. Adequate nutritional status can play a key role in preventing or delaying the progression of age-related diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate the ...usual intake of energy, macronutrients, dietary fibre and salt in order to determine compliance with recommendations and to identify the sources of these nutrients in older adults (≥65 years) in Ireland. This study is based on data from the cohort of older adults aged ≥65 years (
= 226) in the Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS) (2008-2010) which estimated food and nutrient intakes in a representative sample of adults 18-90 years using a 4 day weighed food record. This study found that while intakes of macronutrients are generally sufficient in this population group, older adults in Ireland have high intakes of total fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt and low intakes of dietary fibre. Future strategies to address the nutritional issues identified in older adults could include the promotion of healthy food choices together with improvements of the food supply including reformulation (fat, sugar and salt) to support successful ageing of our population.
Periconceptional folic acid prevents neural tube defects (NTDs), but it is uncertain whether there are benefits for offspring neurodevelopment arising from continued maternal folic acid ...supplementation beyond the first trimester. We investigated the effect of folic acid supplementation during trimesters 2 and 3 of pregnancy on cognitive performance in the child.
We followed up the children of mothers who had participated in a randomized controlled trial in 2006/2007 of Folic Acid Supplementation during the Second and Third Trimesters (FASSTT) and received 400 μg/d folic acid or placebo from the 14th gestational week until the end of pregnancy. Cognitive performance of children at 7 years was evaluated using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) and at 3 years using the Bayley's Scale of Infant and Toddler Development (BSITD-III).
From a total of 119 potential mother-child pairs, 70 children completed the assessment at age 7 years, and 39 at age 3 years. At 7 years, the children of folic acid treated mothers scored significantly higher than the placebo group in word reasoning: mean 13.3 (95% CI 12.4-14.2) versus 11.9 (95% CI 11.0-12.8); p = 0.027; at 3 years, they scored significantly higher in cognition: 10.3 (95% CI 9.3-11.3) versus 9.5 (95% CI 8.8-10.2); p = 0.040. At both time points, greater proportions of children from folic acid treated mothers compared with placebo had cognitive scores above the median values of 10 (girls and boys) for the BSITD-III, and 24.5 (girls) and 21.5 (boys) for the WPPSI-III tests. When compared with a nationally representative sample of British children at 7 years, WPPSI-III test scores were higher in children from folic acid treated mothers for verbal IQ (p < 0.001), performance IQ (p = 0.035), general language (p = 0.002), and full scale IQ (p = 0.001), whereas comparison of the placebo group with British children showed smaller differences in scores for verbal IQ (p = 0.034) and full scale IQ (p = 0.017) and no differences for performance IQ or general language.
Continued folic acid supplementation in pregnancy beyond the early period recommended to prevent NTD may have beneficial effects on child cognitive development. Further randomized trials in pregnancy with follow-up in childhood are warranted.
ISRCTN ISRCTN19917787 . Registered 15 May 2013.
Dietary changes are required to mitigate the climatic impact of food consumption. Food consumption databases can support the development of sustainable food based dietary guidelines (SFBDG) when ...linked to environmental indicators. An improved knowledge base is crucial to the transition to sustainable diets, and multiple environmental indicators should be considered to ensure this transition is evidence based and accounts for trade-offs. The current study aimed to quantify the environmental impact of daily diets across population groups in Ireland. Nationally representative food consumption surveys for Irish children (NCFSII; 2017-2018), teenagers (NTFSII; 2019-2020), and adults (NANS; 2008-2010) were used in this analysis. Blue water use (L) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe; kgCO
eq) were assigned at food level to all surveys. Cropland (m
), nitrogen (kgN/t), and phosphorous use (kgP/t) were assigned at the agricultural level for adults. Multiple linear regressions, Spearman correlations, and ANCOVAs with Bonferroni corrections were conducted. Higher environmental impact diets were significantly associated with demographic factors such as age, education status, residential location, and sex, but these associations were not consistent across population groups. The median greenhouse gas emissions were 2.77, 2.93, and 4.31 kgCO
eq, and freshwater use per day was 88, 144, and 307 L for children, teenagers, and adults, respectively. The environmental impact of the Irish population exceeded the planetary boundary for GHGe by at least 148% for all population groups, however the boundary for blue water use was not exceeded. Meat and meat alternatives (27-44%); eggs, dairy, and dairy alternatives (15-21%); and starchy staples (10-20%) were the main contributors to GHGe. For blue water use, the highest contributors were meat and meat alternatives in children; savouries, snacks, nuts, and seeds in teenagers; and eggs, dairy, and dairy alternatives in adults (29-52%). In adults, cropland use, nitrogen use, and phosphorous use exceeded planetary boundaries by 277-382%. Meat, dairy, and grains were the main contributors to cropland, nitrogen, and phosphorous use (79-88%). The quantified environmental impact of Irish diets provides a baseline analysis, against which it will be possible to track progress towards sustainable diets, and the basis for the development of Sustainable Food Based Dietary Guidelines in Ireland.
To establish the factors that determine food fussiness, to explore if child age determines the extent to which these factors influence food fussiness and to identify whether parental neophobia is an ...independent determinant of food fussiness.
Cross-sectional data from the National Children's Food Survey (2003-2004). The Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) assessed eating behaviours in children. The Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) assessed parental food neophobia. Young children were classified as 5-8 years old with older children classified as 9-12 years old.
Republic of Ireland.ParticipantsNationally representative sample of Irish children aged 5-12 years (n 594).
Parents identifying child's food preferences as a barrier to providing their child with a healthy diet was significantly associated with increased food fussiness in younger (P<0·001) and older children (P<0·001). Higher levels of parental neophobia were significantly associated with an increase in food fussiness in younger (P<0·05) and older (P<0·001) children. Food advertising as a barrier to providing a healthy diet was inversely associated with food fussiness in younger children (P<0·05). In older children, there was a significant inverse association between child's BMI and food fussiness (P<0·05), but not to the extent that a difference in weight status was noted. Family mealtimes in older children were associated with significantly lower levels of food fussiness (P<0·05).
Findings from the present study identify that a child's age does determine the extent to which certain factors influence food fussiness and that parental neophobia is an independent determinant of food fussiness.
Scope
The objectives are to develop a metabolomic‐based model capable of classifying individuals into dietary patterns and to investigate the reproducibility of the model.
Methods and Results
K‐means ...cluster analysis is employed to derive dietary patterns using metabolomic data. Differences across the dietary patterns are examined using nutrient biomarkers. The model is used to assign individuals to a dietary pattern in an independent cohort, A‐DIET Confirm (n = 175) at four time points. The stability of participants to a dietary pattern is assessed. Four dietary patterns are derived: moderately unhealthy, convenience, moderately healthy, and prudent. The moderately unhealthy and convenience patterns has lower adherence to the alternative healthy eating index (AHEI) and the alternative mediterranean diet score (AMDS) compared to the moderately healthy and prudent patterns (AHEI = 24.5 and 22.9 vs 26.7 and 28.4, p < 0.001). The dietary patterns are replicated in A‐DIET Confirm, with good reproducibility across four time points. The stability of participants’ dietary pattern membership ranged from 25.0% to 61.5%.
Conclusion
The multivariate model classifies individuals into dietary patterns based on metabolomic data. In an independent cohort, the model classifies individuals into dietary patterns at multiple time points furthering the potential of such an approach for nutrition research.
A multivariate model based on metabolomic data derives four distinct dietary patterns: moderately unhealthy, convenience, moderately healthy, and prudent in a subset of participants. The model is replicated in an independent cohort across four time points. The dietary patterns across the time points are reproducible; however, the stability of the participants’ dietary pattern membership varies across the visits.
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