To study the relationship between diet and growth, a longitudinal anthropometric study was conduc... more To study the relationship between diet and growth, a longitudinal anthropometric study was conducted in a Dutch population consuming a macrobiotic diet. Measurements (anthropometry and food habit questionnaire) were taken in 1985 (0-7 y), 1987, and in 1993 (7-16 y, n = 209). Z-scores were calculated for anthropometric measures and changes expressed as the differences between 1993 and the mean of 1985 and 1987. Analysis indicated significant (P < 0.002) catch-up in height [(mean Z-score +/-sEM) +0.59 +/- 0.071 and arm circumference (+0.34 +/- 0.09) for age (boys and girls combined). In 1993, both girls and boys were still significantly (P < 0.05) below the reference for height and sum of four skinfolds for age, and girls were below reference for weight-for-height and arm circumference for age. In girls, multiple regression analyses showed a significant positive effect of the consumption frequency of dairy products on catch-up growth in height, weight and arm circumference, afte...
The primary aim of this study was to assess the biochemical vitamin B12 and folate status of a re... more The primary aim of this study was to assess the biochemical vitamin B12 and folate status of a representative group of elderly women (70-80 y) living in Dunedin, New Zealand. A second aim was to determine the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia and to explore the determinants of homocysteine (hcy) concentration in this population. A cross-sectional study was carried out between June and August of 2000. Two hundred and fifty women were randomly selected from the 1998 electoral roll. Fasting blood samples were analysed for folate, vitamin B12, total hcy, creatinine, and haematological parameters. Of the women selected, 87 did not respond, 37 were not traceable, 23 were not eligible or had died, and 103 agreed to participate. The overall response rate was 46%. Based on a cut-off of 150 pmol/L for serum B12, 13% of participants would be classified as having sub-optimal vitamin B12 status. Of the women, 3 and 5%, respectively, had low serum (< 6.6 nmol/L) and erythrocyte folate (< ...
The fish ingredient N3-docosahexaenoic acid 22:6 n-3 (DHA) stimulates brain development. On the o... more The fish ingredient N3-docosahexaenoic acid 22:6 n-3 (DHA) stimulates brain development. On the other hand methylmercury (MeHg) in fish disturbes the developing central nervous system.Here the IQ score in children is considered as an aggregate measure of in utero brain development.To determine the effect of DHA exposure on prenatal neurodevelopment the maternal DHA intake during pregnancy was compared with its
The regulations and/or directives in force for functional foods primarily focus on the warrant of... more The regulations and/or directives in force for functional foods primarily focus on the warrant of safety before the particular foods reach the consumer. Aspects that come into the picture after marketing are not structurally and/or regulatory dealt with at this moment. This absence of clear guidelines about responsibility, timing and contents of a postlaunch monitoring (PLM) system hamper the establishment of an internationally standardized and stakeholder-adopted framework. The current paper describes a proposal for PLM and is illustrated with a case study on phytosterols/-stanols.
The importance of selenium and zinc in the immune functioning of the aged is widely recognized. S... more The importance of selenium and zinc in the immune functioning of the aged is widely recognized. Seniors in New Zealand are at particularly high risk of low selenium status because of the low selenium soil environment. The zinc status of the New Zealand elderly has never been assessed. In this cross-sectional study, the biochemical selenium, zinc and lipid levels, physical
Current regulations focus on the mandatory safety evaluation of functional foods before they come... more Current regulations focus on the mandatory safety evaluation of functional foods before they come to market, but Nynke de Jongand colleagues argue that the effects of such foods should also be evaluated after they have been launched
With the introduction of novel and functional foods, there is increasing need for an integrated q... more With the introduction of novel and functional foods, there is increasing need for an integrated quantitative risk–benefit assessment of foods. Consensus about a quantitative risk–benefit assessment mirroring the risk assessment approach has been reached during a recent EFSA workshop. In line, we propose a risk–benefit model that consists of: (1) hazard and benefit identification, (2) hazard and benefit characterization through
This present study investigated the effect of a 17-week intervention programme with nutrient-dens... more This present study investigated the effect of a 17-week intervention programme with nutrient-dense foods (enriched with vitamins and minerals at 25-100% of the Dutch recommended dietary allowance) and/or physical exercise in 159 frail elderly subjects (forty-six men, 113 women, mean age 78.7 (SD 5.6) years). Subjects were randomized into four groups: (1) control, (2) nutrition intervention, (3) exercise or (4) both nutrition intervention and exercise. Main outcome variables were sensory perception (smell test and questionnaire), appetite (questionnaire), energy intake (3 d food record) and body weight (on a weighing scale and with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements). At baseline, moderate but significant correlations were found between appetite and energy intake (r 0.30, P &lt; 0.0001), between smell test and smell perception assessed by questionnaire (r 0.40, P &lt; 0.0001) and between lean body weight and energy intake (r 0.50, P &lt; 0.0001). Results after 17-weeks intervention revealed neither change in smell test scores (P = 0.19) nor in appetite (P = 0.17). A slight positive effect of exercise compared with non-exercising groups on energy intake (difference 0.5 MJ, P = 0.05) was shown next to a preserving effect of exercise on lean body mass (+0.08 kg) compared with a decrease (-0.4 kg) in non-exercisers (P &lt; 0.02). The correlation between the change in lean body mass and change in energy intake was 0.18 (P = 0.05). In conclusion, an interesting preserving effect on lean body mass in frail elderly subjects due to 17 weeks of exercise was shown. Since a decline in lean body mass was observed in the non-exercisers, effects may be attributable to change in activity pattern. Changes in lean mass were also slightly, but significantly, correlated with changes in energy intake. In turn, energy intake was not related to a change in reported appetite or sensory perception. Nutrient-dense foods were not able to improve any of the outcome variables in this study.
If a diet, food or food constituent is recognised to have both health benefits and health risks, ... more If a diet, food or food constituent is recognised to have both health benefits and health risks, the benefits have to be compared with the risks to develop coherent scientific evidence-based dietary advice. This means that both risk and benefit assessment should follow a similar paradigm and that benefits and risks are expressed in a common currency. Dose-response functions are vital for that purpose. However, the construction of these functions is often of second interest in the currently available (epidemiological) literature. In order to bring forward the potential of epidemiological studies for the construction of the dose-response functions for benefit-risk purposes, the scientific (nutrition and health) community is asked to expand on their data presentation, either by presenting more detailed data focusing on dose-response necessities, and/or by sharing primary data.
To study the relationship between diet and growth, a longitudinal anthropometric study was conduc... more To study the relationship between diet and growth, a longitudinal anthropometric study was conducted in a Dutch population consuming a macrobiotic diet. Measurements (anthropometry and food habit questionnaire) were taken in 1985 (0-7 y), 1987, and in 1993 (7-16 y, n = 209). Z-scores were calculated for anthropometric measures and changes expressed as the differences between 1993 and the mean of 1985 and 1987. Analysis indicated significant (P < 0.002) catch-up in height [(mean Z-score +/-sEM) +0.59 +/- 0.071 and arm circumference (+0.34 +/- 0.09) for age (boys and girls combined). In 1993, both girls and boys were still significantly (P < 0.05) below the reference for height and sum of four skinfolds for age, and girls were below reference for weight-for-height and arm circumference for age. In girls, multiple regression analyses showed a significant positive effect of the consumption frequency of dairy products on catch-up growth in height, weight and arm circumference, afte...
The primary aim of this study was to assess the biochemical vitamin B12 and folate status of a re... more The primary aim of this study was to assess the biochemical vitamin B12 and folate status of a representative group of elderly women (70-80 y) living in Dunedin, New Zealand. A second aim was to determine the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia and to explore the determinants of homocysteine (hcy) concentration in this population. A cross-sectional study was carried out between June and August of 2000. Two hundred and fifty women were randomly selected from the 1998 electoral roll. Fasting blood samples were analysed for folate, vitamin B12, total hcy, creatinine, and haematological parameters. Of the women selected, 87 did not respond, 37 were not traceable, 23 were not eligible or had died, and 103 agreed to participate. The overall response rate was 46%. Based on a cut-off of 150 pmol/L for serum B12, 13% of participants would be classified as having sub-optimal vitamin B12 status. Of the women, 3 and 5%, respectively, had low serum (< 6.6 nmol/L) and erythrocyte folate (< ...
The fish ingredient N3-docosahexaenoic acid 22:6 n-3 (DHA) stimulates brain development. On the o... more The fish ingredient N3-docosahexaenoic acid 22:6 n-3 (DHA) stimulates brain development. On the other hand methylmercury (MeHg) in fish disturbes the developing central nervous system.Here the IQ score in children is considered as an aggregate measure of in utero brain development.To determine the effect of DHA exposure on prenatal neurodevelopment the maternal DHA intake during pregnancy was compared with its
The regulations and/or directives in force for functional foods primarily focus on the warrant of... more The regulations and/or directives in force for functional foods primarily focus on the warrant of safety before the particular foods reach the consumer. Aspects that come into the picture after marketing are not structurally and/or regulatory dealt with at this moment. This absence of clear guidelines about responsibility, timing and contents of a postlaunch monitoring (PLM) system hamper the establishment of an internationally standardized and stakeholder-adopted framework. The current paper describes a proposal for PLM and is illustrated with a case study on phytosterols/-stanols.
The importance of selenium and zinc in the immune functioning of the aged is widely recognized. S... more The importance of selenium and zinc in the immune functioning of the aged is widely recognized. Seniors in New Zealand are at particularly high risk of low selenium status because of the low selenium soil environment. The zinc status of the New Zealand elderly has never been assessed. In this cross-sectional study, the biochemical selenium, zinc and lipid levels, physical
Current regulations focus on the mandatory safety evaluation of functional foods before they come... more Current regulations focus on the mandatory safety evaluation of functional foods before they come to market, but Nynke de Jongand colleagues argue that the effects of such foods should also be evaluated after they have been launched
With the introduction of novel and functional foods, there is increasing need for an integrated q... more With the introduction of novel and functional foods, there is increasing need for an integrated quantitative risk–benefit assessment of foods. Consensus about a quantitative risk–benefit assessment mirroring the risk assessment approach has been reached during a recent EFSA workshop. In line, we propose a risk–benefit model that consists of: (1) hazard and benefit identification, (2) hazard and benefit characterization through
This present study investigated the effect of a 17-week intervention programme with nutrient-dens... more This present study investigated the effect of a 17-week intervention programme with nutrient-dense foods (enriched with vitamins and minerals at 25-100% of the Dutch recommended dietary allowance) and/or physical exercise in 159 frail elderly subjects (forty-six men, 113 women, mean age 78.7 (SD 5.6) years). Subjects were randomized into four groups: (1) control, (2) nutrition intervention, (3) exercise or (4) both nutrition intervention and exercise. Main outcome variables were sensory perception (smell test and questionnaire), appetite (questionnaire), energy intake (3 d food record) and body weight (on a weighing scale and with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements). At baseline, moderate but significant correlations were found between appetite and energy intake (r 0.30, P &lt; 0.0001), between smell test and smell perception assessed by questionnaire (r 0.40, P &lt; 0.0001) and between lean body weight and energy intake (r 0.50, P &lt; 0.0001). Results after 17-weeks intervention revealed neither change in smell test scores (P = 0.19) nor in appetite (P = 0.17). A slight positive effect of exercise compared with non-exercising groups on energy intake (difference 0.5 MJ, P = 0.05) was shown next to a preserving effect of exercise on lean body mass (+0.08 kg) compared with a decrease (-0.4 kg) in non-exercisers (P &lt; 0.02). The correlation between the change in lean body mass and change in energy intake was 0.18 (P = 0.05). In conclusion, an interesting preserving effect on lean body mass in frail elderly subjects due to 17 weeks of exercise was shown. Since a decline in lean body mass was observed in the non-exercisers, effects may be attributable to change in activity pattern. Changes in lean mass were also slightly, but significantly, correlated with changes in energy intake. In turn, energy intake was not related to a change in reported appetite or sensory perception. Nutrient-dense foods were not able to improve any of the outcome variables in this study.
If a diet, food or food constituent is recognised to have both health benefits and health risks, ... more If a diet, food or food constituent is recognised to have both health benefits and health risks, the benefits have to be compared with the risks to develop coherent scientific evidence-based dietary advice. This means that both risk and benefit assessment should follow a similar paradigm and that benefits and risks are expressed in a common currency. Dose-response functions are vital for that purpose. However, the construction of these functions is often of second interest in the currently available (epidemiological) literature. In order to bring forward the potential of epidemiological studies for the construction of the dose-response functions for benefit-risk purposes, the scientific (nutrition and health) community is asked to expand on their data presentation, either by presenting more detailed data focusing on dose-response necessities, and/or by sharing primary data.
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