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Background and Aims: Epidemiological investigations include dietary intakes as primary exposures or potential confounders. To reduce bias, data collection protocols include the administration of questionnaires together with measurements of biomarkers. Some error, however, remains and needs to be considered in the analysis and interpretation of results. The European Food Safety Authority supported a ring-trial to compare the precision and reproducibility of dietary assessment methods applied in Europe., Methods and Results: Software applications used to collect 24-hour recalls and food records in six countries (Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden) were assessed. The intake of 256 foods was identically reported to each method. Experienced interviewers participated and were instructed to repeat national protocols closely. The error in recording quantities, compared with reference values, was variable but in about 60% of recorded quantities was in the range of ±20%. Errors were however unsystematic and independent of the food type or quantification method used - although food pictures performed better. The reproducibility of some tools was limited. The methods generally captured additional ingredients (usually flavoring agents), but not sweetening agents or fortification and failed to record packaging information in about 60% of the cases., Conclusion: In a design that eliminated respondent bias, this study indicates that softwares, supporting databases and interviewers generally introduce random error in dietary assessments. The inclusion of large sample sizes and food pictures to quantify portions, together with enhanced attention on interviewers' training, standardisation of procedures and regular tool upgrades are essential in assuring a study's quality and comparability., (Copyright © 2018 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This article reviews the fat content and fatty acid composition of meats in the human diet and discusses nutritional facts related to meat, meat products and other meat-containing foods as sources of dietary fats. Meat is an increasingly important source of high-value animal protein worldwide. Meat fat comprises mostly monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids, with oleic (C18:1), palmitic (C16:0), and stearic acid (C18:0) being the most ubiquitous. Meat and meat products are considerable sources of cholesterol in the diet. In most industrialized countries, a high meat intake contributes to a higher than recommended total and saturated fat and cholesterol intake. Another concern is that meat may replace sources of other important nutrients in the diet. Therefore, the advice to consumers is to prefer lean meats and low-fat meat products and use meat in moderation only.

Background: The lignan enterolactone, which is produced by the intestinal microflora from dietary precursors, may protect against hormone-dependent cancers and cardiovascular diseases., Objective: We examined the cross-sectional associations between the serum enterolactone concentration and variables related to diet and health in Finnish adults., Design: Serum enterolactone was measured by using time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay in 2380 Finnish men and women aged 25-64 y who were participating in a cross-sectional national survey in 1997. Background information was collected with self-administered questionnaires and the diet was assessed with a food-frequency questionnaire., Results: The median serum enterolactone concentration was 13.8 nmol/L (range: 0-95.6 nmol/L) in men and 16.6 nmol/L (range: 0-182.6 nmol/L) in women. Multiple regression analyses showed positive associations in men between the serum enterolactone concentration and constipation, consumption of whole-grain products, and intake of fruit and berries. In women, the serum enterolactone concentration was positively and independently associated with consumption of vegetables, subject age, and constipation and was negatively associated with smoking. Furthermore, female subjects of normal weight had significantly higher serum enterolactone concentrations than did their underweight or obese peers., Conclusions: The serum enterolactone concentration varies widely in the population. Of the variables we examined, the most important determinants of the serum enterolactone concentration were consumption of lignan-containing foods and constipation; however, these appeared to explain only a small part of the variation. Therefore, the role of gut microflora in the metabolism of lignans might be very important. Further studies will also be needed to determine the bioavailability and absorption rate of lignans.

There is interindividual variation in plasma lipid response to dietary changes. The polymorphisms which are associated with plasma lipid levels could possibly explain part of this variation. Therefore, the apolipoprotein B (apo B) signal peptide insertion/deletion (ins/del) and XbaI restriction fragment length polymorphisms are possible regulators of plasma lipid responses. We examined their role in the regulation of plasma lipid responses in 87 North Karelians (43 men, 44 women). The dietary study consisted of a 2-week baseline period (34-35% of energy from fat), followed by an 8-week low-fat (24 En%), low-cholesterol (279 mg/d) diet period and an 8-week switchback period. In this study population the apo B ins/del and XbaI polymorphisms exhibited mainly similar and partly significant effects on the responses of plasma very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high density lipoprotein2 (HDL2) cholesterol to dietary changes. After consumption of the low saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet, ins/ins X - /X - homozygotes showed the greatest increase in VLDL cholesterol (p < 0.05 for differences between ins/del genotypes) and the greatest fall in HDL2 cholesterol (p = 0.01 for ins/del and p = 0.05 for XbaI), while only minimal alterations were seen in the del/del and X + /X + groups. After returning to the original diet, the changes of these lipids were reversed, ins/ins and X -/X - homozygotes having the greatest reductions in VLDL cholesterol (p < 0.05 for XbaI) and the greatest increases in HLDL2 cholesterol (p < 0.001 for XbaI). The findings suggest that plasma VLDL and HDL2 cholesterol responsiveness to diet may be partly explained by variation at the apo B gene.