Non-prescription remedies are becoming increasingly popular particularly amongst postmenopausal who in this market are the largest consumers. Phytoestrogens are a large family of plant derived molecules possessing various degrees oestrogen like activity. Food or food supplements containing phytoestrogen are often been advocated as an alternative to hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) ...

OBJECTIVE: Canada introduced a mandatory folic acid food fortification program in November 1998. We investigated whether the rate of folate and vitamin B12 insufficiency among adults has changed since this mandatory fortification program was implemented. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study using a large Ontario laboratory database. We included ...

Dietary folate consists of monoglutamate and polyglutamate folate species. In the small intestine, folate polyglutamate is deconjugated to the monoglutamate form before absorption takes place. This enzymatic deconjugation might limit the bioavailability of polyglutamate folate. Until now, no data have been available on dietary intake of both folate forms and ...

Food fortification is likely to have played an important role in the current nutritional health and well-being of populations in industrialized countries. Starting in the early part of the 20th century, fortification was used to target specific health conditions: goitre with iodized salt; rickets with vitamin D-fortified milk; beriberi, pellagra ...

The American public receives conflicting messages from dietitians, nutritionists, physicians, and manufacturers regarding food supplements. Consumers commonly distrust scientists and justify supplement use based upon word of mouth and friendship patterns. Scientific-based education regarding supplement use is vital in the present atmosphere where consumer misinformation is rampant.

OBJECTIVE: To report on trends in neural tube defects in Western Australia, in relation to folate promotion, periconceptional use of folic acid supplements and food fortification with folate. METHODS: Data on neural tube defects from the Western Australian Birth Defects Registry. RESULTS: A 30% fall in neural tube defects was ...

To examine diet quality of girls who do or do not take multivitamin-mineral (MVM) supplements and to evaluate predictors of girls' MVM use, including maternal eating behaviors, MVM use, beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions about child feeding, eating, and health. Participants were 192 mother and daughter pairs. Daughters were categorized as ...

Dietary advice to breastfeeding mothers in post-World War II Queensland, 1945-1965, was not evidence-based, but based on cultural beliefs. Diet-based recommendations for boosting the breastmilk yield included increased intake of milk and protein foods, food supplements, especially chocolate-flavoured supplements, and tablets. Although community beliefs about foods to be avoided during ...

Five plant-based weaning foods (WF) (Dietrend, Jot-M, Soy, Ang, and Vic-T) locally prepared in Jos, Nigeria were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography, and atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma to determine their fatty acid (FA), amino acid, and trace mineral contents, respectively. Results of these ...

For more than 50 years, the United States federal government has regulated food fortification. During this time, the nutritional situation in the United States has improved greatly, whereas scientific information about the role of vitamins and minerals in human growth and development has increased exponentially. Concurrently, government authority to regulate ...

BACKGROUND: Determining the sulfur amino acid (SAA) requirements of humans has remained elusive because of the complex nature of SAA metabolism. Current recommendations are based on nitrogen balance studies. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to determine the methionine requirement of men fed a diet devoid of cysteine ...

To examine common herbal supplements, explore potential risks associated with herbal use, and provide recommendations to the athletic trainer regarding patient care issues. We searched MEDLINE, SPORT Discus, CINAHL, and Academic Search Elite databases 1990-2000 using the key words herbals, regulation, supplements, toxicity, and adulteration. The use of herbal products ...

The effect of long-term supplementation of food reductones, 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone (DMHF) (2%, w/w), detected in many foodstuffs including soy sauce, and hydroxyhydroquinone (1,2,4-benzenetriol) (HHQ) (1.2%, w/w), detected in coffee, on mouse lipid peroxidation and type IV and I allergy responses was investigated. The effect of supplementation of these reductones combined with ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the potential impact of different models of folate fortification of Australian foods on the folate intakes of older Australians. DESIGN: Dietary data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire from people attending a population-based health study. SETTING: Two postcode areas west of Sydney, Australia. SUBJECTS: A total ...

Many athletes report using a wide range of special sports foods and supplements. In the present study of 77 elite Australian swimmers, 99% of those surveyed reported the use of these special preparations, with 94% of swimmers reporting the use of non-food supplements. The most popular dietary supplements were vitamin ...

The practice of food fortification with folic acid offers the potential to increase the folate intake of the general population. To fully exploit the potential of fortification for raising folate nutriture, appropriate food vehicles need to be selected. Selection should involve determination of the availability of folic acid as affected ...

OBJECTIVE: Mild hyperhomocysteinemia is a significant and independent risk factor for vascular diseases. Blood total homocysteine concentration (tHcy) is considered to be the product of an interaction between genetic and nutritional factors notably intake of folate, vitamin B12 and pyridoxine. The aim of the study was to determine whether regular ...

A method is described for the determination of anabolic steroids including testosterone, 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-dione, 4-androstene-3,17-dione and nandrolone in food supplements. Initial clean-up is done by HPLC followed by determination with GC/MS. A 'contaminated' food supplement was analysed and appeared to contain 19-nor-4-androstene-3,17-dione and 4-androstene-3,17-dione. One capsule of this nutritional supplement was ...

CONTEXT: Daily consumption of 400 microg of folic acid before conception and during early pregnancy dramatically reduces the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs). Before food fortification, however, only an estimated 29% of US reproductive-aged women were taking a supplement containing 400 microg of folic acid daily. The US Food ...

Flavonoids are important dietary constituents owing to their health-promoting properties. As a result, simplified analytic techniques are required for the population of databases with food values so that associations between dietary intake and disease risk/incidence can be established. The current research provides a simplified sample preparation procedure for the accurate ...

Since 1996, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed several food-matrix Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) characterized for nutrient concentrations. These include SRM 1544 Fatty Acids and Cholesterol in a Frozen Diet Composite, SRM 1546 Meat Homogenate, SRM 1548a Typical Diet, SRM 1566b Oyster Tissue, SRM 1846 Infant ...

There is an increasing public interest in foods and dietary supplements containing phytoestrogens for the maintenance of health. A workshop was convened to assess evidence for the potential benefits of phytoestrogen-containing foods or supplements on diseases or conditions affecting older populations. Preclinical, clinical, and epidemiologic data on the cardiovascular system, ...

Serratula coronata and Serratula inermis (fam. Asteraceae) have been chosen as the most perspective sources for ecdysteroids from the flora of Ukraine. Ecdysterone was the major component in both species (approximately 2%). The minor components have been identified as alpha-ecdysone, polypodine B, integristerone, pterosterone, monoacetonide and diacetonide of ecdysterone, monoacetonide ...

From a public health perspective, some of the new insights into folic acid nutrition are of significance. Folate intake recommendations vary under different conditions. Intake of 350 microg is required to maintain plasma homocysteine levels, 650 microg for those with elevated plasma homocysteine, about 400 microg for women planning to ...

An increasing number of foods fortified with varying levels of folic acid are appearing in the market place, targeted either at the general population or at specific consumer groups. Although it is assumed that the folate in these products should be highly bioavailable, there is a need to carry out ...

BACKGROUND: Determining folate intake is difficult because existing folate data in food-composition tables are scarce and unreliable. OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study were first to analyze 125 of the most important foods that contribute to folate intake in the Netherlands and second to estimate the folate intake of a ...

Esophagi were removed from northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) that were killed by hunters during the 1996-1997 (n = 39) and 1997-1998 (n = 27) hunting seasons in Wheeler County, Texas and Roger Mills County, Oklahoma to determine if they were exposed to aflatoxin (AF) by consuming either wild or supplemental ...

Neural tube defects (NTDs), which include spina bifida and anencephaly, are serious malformations that occur in the developing fetus during the first 17-30 days after conception. Consumption of supplements containing folic acid can reduce NTDs 50%-70%. In the United States, approximately 4000 pregnancies are affected by NTDs each year, including ...

BACKGROUND: The serum total homocysteine concentration (tHcy), an indicator of folate status and a possible risk factor for vascular disease, is elevated with impaired renal function and poor vitamin B-12 status, which are common in the elderly. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the association between tHcy, folate intake, alcohol ...

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is prevalent among nursing home residents in Hong Kong. Nutrient dense oral supplements and yoghurt are unpopular among the Chinese older people because of their unfamiliar tastes and relatively high costs. Vitamin and mineral supplements do not address the problem of protein calorie undernutrition. Milk powder may be ...

Data on the overall dietary folate intakes among high-risk groups in poor countries is very limited. Vegetables are considered good sources but the evaluation of their contribution is hampered by the lack of data on folate concentrations in many traditional foods. Data on the analysis of folate concentrations in 16 ...

Two types of flower explants, staminoides and petals, were used for in vitro induction of somatic embryos in cocoa. After 14 days in culture, we observed globular structures and callus formation on both types of explants. However, the better results were obtained on staminoides: 98.3% formed callus and 86.2% somatic ...

Most randomised placebo-controlled trials show no benefit of phytoestrogens in managing menopausal vasomotor symptoms. Concentrated phytoestrogen supplements appear to have oestrogenic actions in the breast and may interfere with the therapeutic use of tamoxifen. Unlike concentrated supplements, foods rich in phytoestrogens, such as vegetables, grains and legumes, are also excellent ...

OBJECTIVES: To measure the changes in folate consumption and the prevalence of neural tube defects in the British and Irish populations during the past two decades. DESIGN: Ecological study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Average daily dietary folate consumption for Britain for the period 1980-1996 was estimated from the National Food Survey. ...

Committees worldwide have set almost identical folate recommendations for the prevention of the first occurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs). We evaluate these recommendations by reviewing the results of intervention studies that examined the response of red blood cell folate to altered folate intake. Three options are suggested to achieve ...

The Institute of Medicine Panel for Folate and Other B Vitamins and Choline considered data from population-based and metabolic studies to revise the dietary intake standards for pregnancy. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for pregnant women is the average daily dietary intake sufficient to meet the requirements of 97-98% of ...

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the possible role of niacin fortification of the US food supply and other concurrent influences in eliminating the nutritional deficiency disease pellagra. METHODS: We traced chronological changes in pellagra mortality and morbidity and compared them with the development of federal regulations, state laws, and other national activities ...

In a double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of folic acid supplementation in 82 alcoholic subjects, it was found that whole blood folate levels, determined by a mass spectrometric method, do not increase in subjects whose baseline folate levels are above the third quartile (folate sufficiency). Since a state of folate sufficiency can ...

In recent years, folates have come into focus due to their protective role against child birth defects, for example, neural tube defects. In addition, folates may have a protective role to play against coronary heart disease and certain forms of cancer. During the last few years most countries have established ...

T lymphocyte function is strongly depressed in vitro and in vivo under low-g conditions in space as well as simulated in clinostat. Here we describe the effect of a food supplement based on yeast plasmolysate on T cells activated in vitro with Concanavalin A and cultured in a random positioning ...

In 1992, recommendations were disseminated aimed at reducing the incidence of neural tube defects. Women were advised to increase consumption of folic acid supplements and dietary folates during the periconceptional period and a major integrated national campaign was launched to help achieve this. In this study we found that only ...

The demand for dietary supplements by the public has transformed this once cottage industry into a 12-billion-dollar-per-year business. Restrictive actions against dietary supplements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prompted Congress to enact new and more permissive amendments governing dietary supplements (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, DSHEA) to ...

In an open study the clinical efficacy of milk serum (whey) protein (Immunocal; cysteine content: 7.6-fold higher than that of casein) isolated from fresh milk and purified without heating was evaluated in 25 patients with chronic hepatitis B or C. Immunocal (12 g as protein) food (mousse) was given twice ...

The 1998 Dietary Reference Intakes express the new Recommended Dietary Allowances for folate in dietary folate equivalents ("DFEs"), which account for differences in the absorption of naturally occurring food folate and the more bioavailable synthetic folic acid. The quantity of dietary folate equivalents occurring naturally in food equals the micrograms ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate regular use of a liquid nutrition supplement by subjectively healthy elderly persons in terms of body mass index, nutrient intake, selected biochemical parameters, and perceived quality-of-life changes, and to identify advantages and limitations of use. DESIGN: A 16-week intervention study in which subjects were assigned randomly to ...

We have previously shown that addition of short chain fructo-oligosaccharides (indigestible carbohydrates) to food prevented colon tumors in C57BL/6-Apc(Min/+) mice, a model for human colon cancer. As gut-associated lymphoid tissue was concomitantly developed, we suggested that the immune response generated by this food may interfere with carcinogenesis due to involvement ...

BACKGROUND: Mandatory fortification of grain products with folic acid was introduced recently in the United States, a policy expected to result in a mean additional intake of 100 microgram/d. One way of predicting the effectiveness of this measure is to determine the effect of removing a similar amount of folic ...

BACKGROUND: There is a critical need to estimate dietary folate intakes for nutrition monitoring and food safety evaluations, but available intake data are seriously limited by several factors. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to update 2 national food consumption surveys to reflect folate intakes as a result of the recently initiated ...

1. Supplements of between 2 and 8 g of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)/l in drinking water provided between 21 and 49 d of age to broilers at 31 degrees C increased growth after 35 d of age and food intake after 42 d of age compared to unsupplemented controls. The most ...

Results of dietary assessment are influenced by quality of food composition tables used for nutrient calculation. The Japanese food composition table has considerable missing values for fatty acid compositions. Substitution is often used for filling missing values. We examined reliability of the following 4 major substitution methods using available values ...