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Nutrient requirements for para-athletes will be influenced by a variety of factors secondary to their impairment and, therefore, recommendations for para-athletes cannot be drawn directly from that of able-bodied athletes. Information on the dietary intakes of para-athletes is lacking and therefore needs to be examined. This study assessed the nutrient intakes and diet quality of 31 paracyclists via food frequency questionnaires. Based on the dietary reference intakes, most paracyclists consumed intakes above the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) or adequate intake (AI). Recommendations were not met for iodine (males = 87% RDA; females = 62% RDA) or fibre in males (84% AI). A 26% risk of inadequacy was noted for vitamins D and E in females. A total of 42% of females and 75% of males did not meet fibre recommendations (14 g/1000 kcal), and only three athletes (all females) consumed fatty acids in the recommended omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 4:1 or less. Athletes consumed grains, fruits, and vegetables frequently, though whole grains, pulses, and oily fish were generally consumed less often. Paracyclists appear to be consuming intakes at or above recommendations for most nutrients, though several nutrients were consumed below the recommended amounts; therefore, increasing the variety of foods consumed is suggested.

Some of the biggest changes in mineral nutrition for pigs that have occurred due to recent research were caused by the understanding that there is a loss of endogenous Ca and P into the intestinal tract of pigs. This resulted in development of the concept of formulating diets based on standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) rather than apparent total tract digestibility because the values for STTD of these minerals are additive in mixed diets. There are, however, no recent summaries of research on digestibility and requirements of macro- and microminerals and vitamin D for pigs. Therefore, the objective of this review was to summarize selected results of research conducted over the last few decades to determine the digestibility and requirements of some minerals and vitamin D fed to sows and growing pigs. Benefits of microbial phytase in terms of increasing the digestibility of most minerals have been demonstrated. Negative effects on the growth performance of pigs of over-feeding Ca have also been demonstrated, and frequent analysis of Ca in complete diets and raw materials is, therefore, recommended. There is no evidence that current requirements for vitamin D for weanling or growing-finishing pigs are not accurate, but it is possible that gestating and lactating sows need more vitamin D than currently recommended. Vitamin D analogs and metabolites such as 1(OH)D 3 and 25(OH)D 3 have beneficial effects when added to diets for sows in combination with vitamin D 3 . Recent research on requirements for macrominerals other than Ca and P is scarce, but it is possible that Mg in diets containing low levels of soybean meal is marginal. Some of the chelated microminerals have increased digestibility compared with sulfate forms, and hydroxylated forms of Cu and Zn appear to be superior to sulfate or oxide forms. Likewise, dicopper oxide and Cu methionine hydroxy analog have a greater positive effect on the growth performance of growing pigs than copper sulfate. The requirement for Mn may need to be increased whereas there appears to be no benefits of providing Fe above current requirements. In conclusion, diets for pigs should be formulated based on values for STTD of Ca and P and there are negative effects of providing excess Ca in diets. It is possible vitamin D analogs and metabolites offer benefits over vitamin D 3 in diets for sows. Likewise, chelated forms of microminerals or chemical forms of minerals other than sulfates or oxides may result in improved pig performance., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Achieving sustainable dietary change is essential for safeguarding human and environmental health. However, dietary recommendations based on broad food groups may not accurately reflect real-world realities because individuals select and consume dishes with multiple food items influenced by diverse context-specific factors. Therefore, here we explored the sustainability trade-offs of dietary choices at the dish level through an optimization modeling approach tested in Japan. We estimated the nutritional quality, price, and carbon footprint of major Japanese dishes and examined 16 dietary scenarios to identify options that meet the nutritional requirements and minimize carbon footprint. Overall, mixed diets contain more combinations of dishes that meet nutritional requirements with lower carbon footprints compared to more restrictive dietary scenarios. We argue that the approach developed here enables a better understanding of dietary trade-offs, complements existing methods, and helps identify sustainable diets by offering nuanced information at the national and sub-national levels.

Assessing dietary inadequacies can contribute to understanding the nutritional vulnerabilities of a country. This study aimed to investigate nutrient intakes and micronutrient inadequacies in the Brazilian adult population, with an interest in different age subgroups. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 1812 individuals aged 19 to 65 years from a population-based study with a representative sample of Brazilian adults. Dietary intake was assessed by two 24 h food recalls, and the probabilities of inadequate intake were estimated using the Dietary Reference Intake targets. Adequate macronutrient intake was over 99% for proteins, 84.7% for carbohydrates, and 80.7% for total fats. There was a high probability of inadequacy (above 90%) for vitamins D and E, but vitamin D inadequacy was very similar between the sexes. In contrast, vitamin E was more likely to be inadequately consumed among women. A high probability of inadequacies (above 85%) of calcium and magnesium were found in the population, regardless of age group. Except for iron, the probability of an inadequacy of other minerals increased with age. The results showed a relevant proportion of nutrient inadequacies, with those most at risk being women and older individuals, helping with the better targeting and monitoring of public-health policies that address nutritional problems in the population.

Dietary habits have been proven to have an impact on the microbial composition and health of the human gut. Over the past decade, researchers have discovered that gut microbiota can use nutrients to produce metabolites that have major implications for human physiology. However, there is no comprehensive system that specifically focuses on identifying nutrient deficiencies based on gut microbiota, making it difficult to interpret and compare gut microbiome data in the literature. This study proposes an analytical platform, NURECON, that can predict nutrient deficiency information in individuals by comparing their metagenomic information to a reference baseline. NURECON integrates a next-generation bacterial 16S rRNA analytical pipeline (QIIME2), metabolic pathway prediction tools (PICRUSt2 and KEGG), and a food compound database (FooDB) to enable the identification of missing nutrients and provide personalized dietary suggestions. Metagenomic information from total number of 287 healthy subjects was used to establish baseline microbial composition and metabolic profiles. The uploaded data is analyzed and compared to the baseline for nutrient deficiency assessment. Visualization results include gut microbial composition, related enzymes, pathways, and nutrient abundance. NURECON is a user-friendly online platform that provides nutritional advice to support dietitians' research or menu design.

Although a diet high in plant foods can provide beneficial nutritional outcomes, unbalanced and restrictive plant-based diets may cause nutrient deficiencies. Protein intake from these diets is widely discussed, but the comparison of animal and plant proteins often disregards amino acid composition and digestibility as measurements of protein quality. Poor provision of high-quality protein may result in adverse outcomes, especially for individuals with increased nutrient requirements. Several dietary modeling studies have examined protein adequacy when animal-sourced proteins are replaced with traditional and novel plant proteins, but no review consolidating these findings are available. This narrative review aimed to summarize the approaches of modeling studies for protein intake and protein quality when animal-sourced proteins are replaced with plant foods in diet simulations and examine how these factors vary across age groups. A total of 23 studies using dietary models to predict protein contribution from plant proteins were consolidated and categorized into the following themes-protein intake, protein quality, novel plant-based alternatives, and plant-based diets in special populations. Protein intake from plant-based diet simulations was lower than from diets with animal-sourced foods but met country-specific nutrient requirements. However, protein adequacy from some plant-sourced foods were not met for simulated diets of children and older adults. Reduced amino acid adequacy was observed with increasing intake of plant foods in some scenarios. Protein adequacy was generally dependent on the choice of substitution with legumes, nuts, and seeds providing greater protein intake and quality than cereals. Complete replacement of animal to plant-sourced foods reduced protein adequacy when compared with baseline diets and partial replacements., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nutrient profiling is a method that classifies foods based on their nutrient content and identifies foods that are high in micronutrients both across and within food groups. This study aimed to identify foods that are rich sources of the seven micronutrients (iron, zinc, calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin B12) of public health concern for the Bangladeshi population.. This study developed a metric termed "naturally nutrient-rich score 7 (NNR7)" specifically for third-trimester pregnant women to identify nutrient-dense foods. Further, it computed the nutrient adequacy score (NAS) of the top NNR7-scored foods for seven micronutrients to assess the extent (percent) to which foods can meet pregnant women's recommended dietary allowances (RDA). A linear programming technique was then used to construct a nutrient-adequate model diet for third-trimester pregnant women using the top ten NNR7-scored foods. According to the NNR7, food groups such as leafy vegetables, fish, meat, poultry and eggs, and vegetables are the richest sources of the problem micronutrients. Mutton liver (916.7%), soybean (39.3%), lamb liver (2160%) and duck liver (50.0%) were found to fulfill the highest percentage of the RDA of vitamin A, zinc, vitamin B12, and iron, respectively. In the formulated nutrient-adequate diets for pregnant women, rice, potato, brown wheat flour, and soya oil were universal to all three diets and Bengal gram, orange, Ganges River sprat, and duck liver were the most common ones. The study findings highlight the need for the consumption of foods such as leafy vegetables, fish, meat, poultry, eggs, pulses and vegetables to increase the intake of problematic micronutrients. Planning a nutrient-adequate diet for pregnant women using linear programming can be an alternative approach to optimize and shape food choices to meet their nutritional requirements., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Shaheen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

(1) Background: Sub-optimal feeding practices and dietary intakes in childhood are associated with poor health outcomes in adulthood. This mixed methods study aims to profile feeding practices, parent perceptions, and dietary diversity in a sample of children aged 0-5 years ( n = 29) from Western Sydney, Australia. (2) Methods: In 2019, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents, exploring their child's feeding practices. An online quantitative survey was used to assess children's feeding history. Nutrient intakes and dietary diversity scores were assessed using an online 24-h dietary recall. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA, while qualitative data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. (3) Results: The analysis showed that 27.6% of children were exclusively breastfed until 6 months of age and that 62.1% of children were introduced to solids before 6 months. Over 60% of children achieved minimum dietary diversity. The thematic analysis identified four themes, including mothers' feeding choices, mothers' perceptions of their children's diet, influences on feeding choices, and mothers' personal experiences. (4) Conclusions: The feeding history of over half the children in this sample indicated non-compliance with Australian and WHO infant feeding guidelines. The thematic analysis revealed various possible influences on parent feeding choices that can be used to inform targeted support.

Two experiments evaluated the effects of precision feeding standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys during lactation. Sows were blocked by parity and allotted to treatment on day 2 of lactation. In both experiments, sow body weight (BW), backfat (BF), loin depth (LD), and estimated N excretion were evaluated as well as litter growth performance. In experiment 1, 95 sows and litters were used. Three dietary treatments were provided using 2 diets: a low (0.25% SID Lys) and high Lys diet (1.10% SID Lys). Treatments included a control diet (1.10% SID Lys) fed throughout lactation, and NRC or INRA treatment curves for Lys intake. Sows fed NRC or INRA treatment curves received blends of low and high Lys diets using a computerized lactation feeder (Gestal Quattro Opti Feeder, Jyga Technologies, St-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Quebec, CA) to target a specific Lys intake each day of lactation based on NRC and INRA models for parity and litter size. In experiment 2, 56 sows and litters were used with 3 treatments, a control diet (1.10% SID Lys fed throughout lactation) and either a static or dynamic blend curve. For both curve treatments, low (0.40% SID Lys) and high Lys (1.10% SID Lys) diets were blended to reach target Lys intake. The difference between the static and dynamic curves was that the dynamic curves were adjusted based on actual Lys intake and static curves were not. Lysine intake curves were based on NRC model estimates, but targets were increased by 20% to target average Lys intake of 60 g/d across parities based on results of experiment 1. In both experiments, no differences (P > 0.05) in sow average daily feed intake or sow BW, BF, or LD change were observed. Sows fed the control diets had greater Lys intake (grams per day; P < 0.05) compared to sows fed either of the blended treatment curves. In experiment 1, pigs from sows fed the control diet had greater (P < 0.05) BW at weaning and preweaning average daily gain (ADG) compared to sows fed the INRA treatment curve, with pigs from sows fed the NRC treatment curve intermediate. However, in experiment 2, no differences (P > 0.05) were observed in pig weight at weaning or ADG. In both experiments, sows fed the blended treatment curves had lower (P < 0.05) calculated N excretion. In summary, for a litter size of 13.5 weaned pigs, 60 g/d of SID Lys is sufficient to maximize litter weight gain and can be achieved through blending low and high Lys diets. Precision feeding reduced N excretion compared to feeding a single diet throughout lactation., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study aimed to update the first-liming amino acid (lysine) requirements of fattening pigs maintained and raised in Japan using 146 fattening pigs with an average weight of 62 kg. Five diets were prepared with total lysine concentrations of 0.45%, 0.65%, 0.85%, 0.95%, and 1.05%. Six replicates were used for each lysine concentration. The feeding trial lasted for 4 weeks until the average weight of the pigs reached 92 kg. The total lysine concentration of the diets affected feed efficiency throughout the 4 weeks and was lowest in pigs fed diets with a total lysine concentration of 0.45% and highest in pigs fed 0.85%. The total lysine requirement was estimated using feed efficiency as the response index. The linear and quadratic models estimated 0.68% and 0.75% of the requirement for the first 2 weeks and 0.66% and 0.72% for the 4-week period, respectively. These estimates were equivalent to the total lysine requirement of 0.72% for the 50-70 kg body weight (expected gain of 850 g/d) in the Japanese Feeding Standard for Swine 2013 and higher than the 0.59% for the 70-115 kg body weight (expected gain of 1000 g/d)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Animal Science Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Beef industry needs alternative feeding strategies to enhance both economic and environmental sustainability. Among these strategies, adjusting the diet dynamically according to the change of nutritional requirements (multiphase diet) has demonstrated its economic and environmental benefits in pig production systems. Therefore, this retrospective study aims to assess, through simulation, the theoretical economic and environmental benefits of introducing a multiphase diet for crossbreed bulls feeding (one or more diet changes). For this, individual data of BW, BW gain, and daily intake were recorded from 342 bulls during the last fattening period (112 days). These data were used to estimate individual trajectory of energy and protein requirements, which were subsequently divided by individual intake to calculate the required dietary energy and protein concentrations. The area between two functions (i.e., ƒ1: constant protein concentration in the original diet during fattening and ƒ2: estimated protein concentration requirements) was minimised to identify the optimal moments to adjust the dietary concentration of energy and protein. The results indicated that both energy and protein intake exceeded requirements on average (+16% and +28% respectively, P < 0.001), justifying the adoption of a multiphase diet. Modelling the individual trajectories of required metabolisable protein (MP, g/kg DM) during the fattening period resulted in exponential decay model in relation to BW [32120 × exp(-0.026 × BW) + 59.9], while the dietary net energy concentration followed a slightly quadratic model [2.26-0.0026 × BW + 0.000003 × BW 2 ]. Minimisation of the area between curves showed two optimal moments to adjust the diet: at 312 kg and 385 kg of BW, indicating three diet phases: (a) <312 kg, (b) 312-385 kg, and (c) 385-600 kg. For the second and third phases, the dietary energy and protein concentration should be 70 g MP/kg DM and 1.70 Mcal/kg DM and 61 g MP/kg DM and 1.65 Mcal/kg DM, respectively. These diet adjustments might improve economic profitability by 29 €/animal, reduce estimated nitrogen excretions by 16% (P < 0.001), and maintain similar weight gain (P > 0.16) compared to the commercial diet. However, the decrease in dietary energy concentration led to increased fibre concentration, which in turn increased the estimated CH 4 emissions of animals with the multiphase diet (+44%, P < 0.001). Hence, multiphase diet could theoretically reduce feeding cost and nitrogen excretion from fattening cattle. Further in vivo studies should confirm these results and find optimal nutritional strategies to improve economic profitability and environmental impact., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to describe the eating habits of para-athletes who attended a specialized training center in Brazil., Methods: Participants were recruited from the Sports Training Center at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. Energy, macronutrient (expressed in absolute terms and relative to body weight), fiber, cholesterol, and micronutrient intakes were assessed via a food frequency questionnaire, based on intakes over the preceding 12 mo. Sociodemographic factors were assessed using a purpose-designed survey, which included self-reported weight and height. Differences in nutrient intake based on sex, age, body mass index, and sporting factors were evaluated., Results: A total of 30 para-athletes (in para athletics, para-powerlifting, para-swimming, and para-taekwondo) were included in the study. The median total energy intake was 4089 (2855-5829) kcal. The median consumption of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats was 512.3 (358.7-853.5), 184.5 (118.5-246.4), and 137.1 (96.8-189.5) g/d, respectively. Adolescent athletes had higher protein intakes than adult athletes (P = 0.02). Para-athletes with a longer sports career had lower consumption of fiber (P = 0.01) and thiamine (P = 0.02). Participants with a higher body mass index had higher intake of alcohol (P = 0.04) and monounsaturated fats (P = 0.01). Higher consumption of alcohol was also reported by older para-athletes (P = 0.02)., Conclusions: We identified a higher saturated fat intake in male than in female para-athletes as well as higher protein intake (g/kg) in younger compared with older athletes. In addition, sociodemographic characteristics influenced the dietary intake of some para-athletes, such as length of sports career, age, and income., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We aimed to estimate the protein requirements of pregnant Holstein × Gyr cows. A total of 61 Holstein × Gyr (HG) cows were used, with an average initial body weight (BW) of 480 ± 10.1 kg and age 5 ± 0.5 yr. Cows were divided into 3 groups: pregnant (n = 43), nonpregnant (n = 12), and baseline (n = 6). Baseline animals were slaughtered before starting the experiment to estimate the initial body composition of the remaining animals. Pregnant and nonpregnant cows received 2 diets: maintenance and ad libitum. Pregnant cows were slaughtered at 139, 199, 241, and 268 gestation days (GD). First, we used data only from nonpregnant cows to determine the requirements for maintenance and growth in adult cows. The requirements of metabolizable protein for maintenance (MP m ; grams of empty metabolic BW [EBW 0.75 ] per day) were estimated using a linear regression between the metabolizable protein intake (MPI, g/d) and average daily gain (g/d), and the MP m was defined as the intercept divided by the average metabolic BW. Net protein requirements for gain (NP g ; g/d) were estimated by the first derivative of the allometric equation between final crude protein in the body (kg) and the final empty BW (EBW; kg). The efficiency of use of metabolizable protein for gain (k) was calculated from the regression between the retained protein (g EBW 0.75 /d) and the MPI (g EBW 0.75 /d), and k was the slope of this regression. The MPI was estimated by combining microbial protein synthesis (purine derivatives) with the digestible rumen undegradable protein [(total protein intake - rumen-degradable protein) × intestinal digestibility]. Second, an exponential model was used to fit the protein accumulation in the gestational components in the function of GD. The first derivative of that model was considered the net requirement for gestation (NP gest ). The efficiency of protein utilization for gestation (k gest ) was calculated by the iterative method using the equation Δ = MPI - (MP m + NP g /k g + NP gest /k gest ), where k g is efficiency of protein utilization for gain. The iteration was performed aiming at a zero deviation between observed MPI and metabolizable protein (MP) estimated by the requirements determined herein. We obtained a value of 3.88 g EBW 0.75 /d for MP m . The estimation of NP g can be calculated according to the following equation: NP g = 0.716 × (EBW open -0.308 ) × EBG c , where EBW open is the EBW (kg) for nonpregnant animals and EBG c is the empty body gain (kg/d) corrected for the gestational component. The k was determined as 0.347. The NP gest requirements were determined as NP gest (g/d) = 0.0008722 × exp (0.01784 × GD) × (calf weight/35). The k gest was 0.625. It is important to highlight that different methods of MP estimates should not be mixed and that the proposed method requires the estimation of microbial protein (estimated via urinary estimates), which might limit practical application. In conclusion, new studies should be conducted to validate our results and the methodology adopted to determine protein requirements for pregnancy in dairy cows. Due to the pattern of protein accumulation in the gestational components, we suggest an exponential model to describe protein requirements for pregnancy for dairy cows., (© 2024, The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. and Fass Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Introduction: To meet the food and nutritional needs of a growing population and, at the same time, guarantee natural and productive resources, food systems must undergo changes in production models and consumption patterns, adopting more sustainable diets. The recommendations of different organizations and institutions are aimed at adopting a varied and balanced dietary pattern, with a greater predominance of plant-based food and a lower presence of animal food, to improve the state of health and well-being, while reducing the environmental impact. These types of diets have important health benefits, especially if diets are well planned and foods are properly combined. However, in some stages of life (schoolchildren, adolescents, elders) and in some special physiological situations (pregnancy, athletes), special attention should be paid to the increase of certain nutritional requirements that could compromise the health status if a correct dietary planning is not carried out. Therefore, well-designed strategies should be put in place to facilitate the transition to a sustainable diet, including nutrition education programs for consumers with specific instructions on the most appropriate food choices to increase the nutritional value of the diet. In addition, in specific physiological situations, where meeting nutritional requirements may be compromised, the consumption of fortified foods and/or supplementation could be considered.

Background: Japanese quail breeders are the basis for genetic improvement and multiplication for commercial layers, however, there have been no known studies on the optimal lysine level for these birds. Thus, study the egg output response to the lysine (Lys) supply using different e-functions and evaluate the that best fit, have allowed the partition the lysine requirements for maintenance, both weight and egg output maximum., Methods: The objectives of this study were to identify the responses to various Lys levels, identify the functions related to these responses and determine the ideal Lys intake amount for Japanese quail breeders. A completely randomized design of seven treatments with seven replicated was used. Treatments consisted of diet supplementation by Lys in concentrations of 16.8, 11.8, 8.4, 6.7, 5.0, 3.4, and 1.7 g/kg. Six exponential models were adjusted., Results: The level of Lys was found to affect bird responses ( P  < 0.001). The birds responded to the levels provided, allowing for the creation of a lysine response curve. A monomolecular function with four parameters was balanced against the statistics of adjustment and selection of models. It was possible to estimate the level of lysine required for maintenance as 133 ± 2 mg/kg BW 0.67 , and based an average of 41% efficiency, 22 mg Lys produced 1 g of egg output (EO). The daily intake calculated by the monomolecular factorial model was 284 mg Lys for a bird with 0.170 kg body weight and production of 10 g EO/day. The four-parameter monomolecular function proposed in this study is adequate for interpreting the animal response and calculating lysine intake for breeders., Competing Interests: Tadia Emanuele Stivanin is employed by Vicami Codornas., (©2023 Carvalho et al.)

Dietary supplement users tend to have a better diet quality and overall prudent lifestyle. The main goals of this research were to report the prevalence and type of dietary supplements among Croatian adolescents and to examine the differences in the diet quality among dietary supplement users vs. non-users at the beginning (15/16 y) and at the end of high school education (18/19 y). This research is based on results of the longitudinal CRO-PALS study in which 607 adolescents participated, who had complete dietary, anthropometric, and physical activity data at the beginning (15/16 y) and at the end of their high school education (18/19 y). The dietary assessment method used was a single multi-pass 24 h recall. Dietary supplement users were divided into two groups for the purposes of statistical analysis-users of vitamin and multivitamin preparations (VMV) and users of mineral and multivitamin preparations (MMV). As they aged, there was an increase in the consumption of dietary supplements, and the most frequently used preparation in both age groups was vitamin C (23.7% of users). Dietary supplement users had a higher intake of non-carbonated sweetened drinks and a lower intake of fruits and vegetables in both genders and both age groups. Fast food intake was higher among dietary supplement girl users and boys who were not dietary supplements users in both age groups. Dietary supplement users had a higher achieved average intake of most micronutrients (values obtained only from food) in both genders and both age groups (with exceptions for certain vitamins and minerals). By observing other parameters for assessing the diet quality in this research, we can conclude that girls who do not use dietary supplements have a better diet quality in both age groups.

Determination of indispensable amino acid (IAA) requirements necessitates a range of intakes of the test IAA and monitoring of the physiological response. Short-term methods are the most feasible for studying multiple intake levels in the same individual. Carbon oxidation methods measure the excretion of 13 CO 2 in breath from a labelled amino acid (AA) in response to varying intakes of the test AA following a period of adaptation. However, the length of adaptation to each AA intake level has been a source of debate and disagreement among researchers. The assertion of the minimally invasive indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) technique is that IAA requirements can be estimated after only a few hours (8 h) of adaptation to each test AA intake, suggesting that adaptation occurs rapidly in response to dietary adjustments. On the contrary, the assertion of most other techniques is that 6-7 d of adaptation is required when determining IAA needs. It has even been argued that a minimum of two weeks is needed to achieve complete adaptation. This review explores evidence regarding AA oxidation methods and whether long periods of adaptation to test IAA levels are necessary when estimating IAA requirements. It was found that the consumption of experimental diets containing lower test IAA intake for greater than 7 d violates the terms of a successful adaptive response. While there is some evidence that short-term 8 h IAAO is not different among different test amino acid intakes up to 7 d, it is unclear whether it impacts assessment of IAA requirements.

A priori dietary indices provide a standardized, reproducible way to evaluate adherence to dietary recommendations across different populations. Existing nutrient-based indices were developed to reflect food/beverage intake; however, given the high prevalence of dietary supplement (DS) use and its potentially large contribution to nutrient intakes for those that use them, exposure classification without accounting for DS is incomplete. The purpose of this article is to review existing nutrient-based indices and describe the development of the Total Nutrient Index (TNI), an index developed to capture usual intakes from all sources of under-consumed micronutrients among the U.S. population. The TNI assesses U.S. adults' total nutrient intakes relative to recommended nutrient standards for eight under-consumed micronutrients identified by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: calcium, magnesium, potassium, choline, and vitamins A, C, D, E. The TNI is scored from 0 to 100 (truncated at 100). The mean TNI score of U.S. adults (≥19 y; n = 9,954) based on dietary data from NHANES 2011-2014, was 75.4; the mean score for the index ignoring DS contributions was only 69.0 (t-test; p < 0.001). The TNI extends existing measures of diet quality by including nutrient intakes from all sources and was developed for research, monitoring, and policy purposes.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1967872.

Adequate consumption of nutrients that support infant neurodevelopment is critical among pregnant women and women of childbearing age. Understanding the potential effects of socioeconomic inequalities on nutrient gaps in these life stages is thus important for informing strategies to mitigate negative health consequences. Usual intake (foods and dietary supplements) of neurodevelopment-related nutrients was determined from 24 h recalls among women of childbearing age and pregnant women (20−44 years) using data from 2007−2018 NHANES. Usual intake was compared across household food security, poverty-to-income ratio (PIR), and household participation in federal food and nutrition assistance programs. Intake of EPA + DHA was universally low with >95% of all women (pregnant and non-pregnant) below the DGA recommendation from foods alone. Women in households that participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program had a significantly lower intake of multiple nutrients relative to those who did not participate. For example, 50% had intakes below the estimated average requirement (EAR) for vitamin A (versus 32%), 42% were below the EAR for calcium (versus 33%) and 65% were below the EAR for magnesium (versus 42%). Similar gradients were observed by PIR and household food security, and among pregnant women whereby gaps were more evident in those experiencing socioeconomic inequalities. The use of dietary supplements attenuated shortfalls for most nutrients. These findings highlight a critical need to support the nutritional requirements for women of childbearing age and pregnant women.

Advances in the medical field and healthcare sector during the last few decades have resulted in increased longevity. Increased lifespans have in turn led to a rapid global rise of the elderly population. However, ensuring the health and quality of life, especially in the context of chronic age-related ailments, among the growing geriatric population is a challenge. Ageing is associated with several changes in body composition including a decline in the lean body mass usually accompanied by an increase in body fat content which have a bearing on the nutrient requirements for the elderly. The nutrient requirements currently recommended for Indian adults are primarily computed using a factorial approach, that considers the cumulative loss of nutrients and is adjusted for optimal body weights and bioavailability. It is logical that physiological and metabolic changes associated with ageing influence several of these factors: body weight, lean mass, energy expenditure, nutrient retention and bioavailability and thus alter nutrient requirements compared to the adult population. Acknowledging these age-related changes, some international organizations have suggested nutrient requirements specific to the elderly. Given the contextual differences in physiology, caution needs to be exercised in adopting these guidelines for the Indian elderly. In addition, in the Indian context, there is sparse information on the diet and nutrient intakes vis-à -vis nutritional status and physiology of the elderly. This status paper highlights some of the pertinent issues related to nutritional requirements for the elderly that advocate a need for deriving nutritional requirements for the elderly in India.

An elaborate multiple regression analysis was done to arrive a nutrient requirement equation for goat including dry matter intake, DMI (kg/day), total digestible nutrient, TDN (g/day) and crude protein, CP (g/day) based on animal body weight (BW) (kg) and average daily gain (ADG)(g/day). The derived equations were highly significant (p < 0.001) and had high R 2 (0.99) values. The estimated values of TDN, CP and DMI are compared with NRC (1981), Kearl (Nutrient Requirements of Ruminants in Developing Countries, All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, 1982), as well as ICAR (Livestock Management, 2013). The estimated total TDN and CP requirements at different body weights and ADG are close to the values of recommended feeding standards of Mandal et al. (Small Ruminant Res., 58, 2005, 201). The estimated DMI values are close to the values of ICAR (Livestock Management, 2013) but lower (26.5%-43.8%) as compared to NRC (1981). Regressed values are used to develop a linear programming (LP) model and a stochastic model (SM) for least-cost ration formulation for the Indian goat breed, whose average BW is about 45 kg and ADG is 130 (g/day), and which is solved using LP simplex and Generalised Reduced Gradient (GRG) nonlinear of Microsoft Excel. The models satisfy the nutrient requirement calculated by regression equations with minimum specified level of variation (usually 5%-10%) in CP and TDN. Both methods adequately meet the nutritional requirements. Therefore, an electronic sheet is developed in Excel to calculate DMI, TDN and CP for different body weights, ADG and formulate the ration by LP and stochastic model., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The food served in Canadian penitentiaries was scrutinized following food service reform where Correctional Service Canada (CSC) created a standardized menu to feed incarcerated male individuals. Food in prison is a complex issue because penitentiaries are responsible for providing adequate nutrition to the prison population, who are vulnerable to poor health outcomes but are often seen as undeserving. This study aimed to analyse the national menu served in Canadian penitentiaries, in order to compare them with Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for male adults and the internal nutritional assessment reported by CSC. The goal was to verify if the menu served was adequate and to validate CSC's nutritional assessment. The diet analysis software Nutrific R was used to analyse the 4-week cycle menu. Both analyses were within range for DRIs for most nutrients. However, some nutrients were not within target. The sodium content (3404.2 mg) was higher than the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) of 2300 mg, the ω-6 (linolenic acid) content (10.8 g) was below the AI of 14 g, and the vitamin D content (16.2 μg) was below the target of 20 μg for individuals older than 70 years. When these outliers were analysed in-depth, the menu offering was consistent with the eating habits of non-incarcerated individuals. Based on this nutritional analysis and interpretation of the results in light of the complex nature of prison food, this study concludes that CSC meets its obligation to provide a nutritionally adequate menu offering to the general population during incarceration., Competing Interests: Claire Johnson currently works as a researcher for Correctional Service Canada. The data and their interpretation are fully represented in the paper, and no censorship has occurred.

Background: Access to high-quality dietary intake data is central to many nutrition, epidemiology, economic, environmental, and policy applications. When data on individual nutrient intakes are available, they have not been consistently disaggregated by sex and age groups, and their parameters and full distributions are often not publicly available., Objectives: We sought to derive usual intake distributions for as many nutrients and population subgroups as possible, use these distributions to estimate nutrient intake inadequacy, compare these distributions and evaluate the implications of their shapes on the estimation of inadequacy, and make these distributions publicly available., Methods: We compiled dietary data sets from 31 geographically diverse countries, modeled usual intake distributions for 32 micronutrients and 21 macronutrients, and disaggregated these distributions by sex and age groups. We compared the variability and skewness of the distributions and evaluated their similarity across countries, sex, and age groups. We estimated intake inadequacy for 16 nutrients based on a harmonized set of nutrient requirements and bioavailability estimates. Last, we created an R package-nutriR-to make these distributions freely available for users to apply in their own analyses., Results: Usual intake distributions were rarely symmetric and differed widely in variability and skewness across nutrients and countries. Vitamin intake distributions were more variable and skewed and exhibited less similarity among countries than other nutrients. Inadequate intakes were high and geographically concentrated, as well as generally higher for females than males. We found that the shape of usual intake distributions strongly affects estimates of the prevalence of inadequate intakes., Conclusions: The shape of nutrient intake distributions differs based on nutrient and subgroup and strongly influences estimates of nutrient intake inadequacy. This research represents an important contribution to the availability and application of dietary intake data for diverse subpopulations around the world., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of voluntary fortified foods and supplements to reducing micronutrient shortfalls in the UK population. A secondary analysis of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey was conducted (2012/13-2013/14, N 2546, 1·5-95 years). Micronutrient intakes were derived from food consumption intake data and food composition data and calculated as the proportion below or above the Dietary Reference Values for males and females of different age groups, for those on a base diet only, users of fortified foods but no supplements and users of fortified foods and supplements. Of the population consuming a base diet only, 21-45 % and 5-29 % fell below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for minerals and vitamins, respectively. About 3-13 % fewer consumers of fortified foods fell below the EAR for vitamins and minerals. Supplements barely reduced the prevalence of intakes below the EAR. Among supplement non-users and users, 99 and 96 % failed to meet the reference intakes for vitamin D. More women than men were at risk of inadequacies of micronutrient intakes. The prevalence of inadequacies declined with increasing age. Voluntary fortified foods but not supplements made a meaningful contribution to intakes of vitamin and minerals, without risk of unacceptably high intakes. These insights may help the UK to define approaches to address micronutrients of concern in vulnerable groups., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Dietary patterns high in meat compromise both planetary and human health. Meat alternatives may help to facilitate meat reduction; however, the nutritional implications of displacing meat with meat alternatives does not appear to have been evaluated. Here, the ninth cycle of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey was used as the basis of models to assess the effect of meat substitution on nutritional intake. We implemented three models; model 1 replaced 25 %, 50 %, 75 % or 100 % of the current meat intake with a weighted mean of meat alternatives within the UK market. Model 2 compared different ingredient categories of meat alternative; vegetable, mycoprotein, a combination of bean and pea, tofu, nut and soya. Model 3 compared fortified v . unfortified meat alternatives. The models elicited significant shifts in nutrients. Overall, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars and Na increased, whereas reductions were found for protein, total and saturated fat, Fe and B 12 . Greatest effects were seen for vegetable-based (+24·63g/d carbohydrates), mycoprotein-based (-6·12g/d total fat), nut-based (-19·79g/d protein, +10·23g/d fibre; -4·80g/d saturated fat, +7·44g/d sugars), soya-based (+495·98mg/d Na) and tofu-based (+7·63mg/d Fe, -2·02μg/d B 12 ). Our results suggest that meat alternatives can be a healthful replacement for meat if chosen correctly. Consumers should choose meat alternatives low in Na and sugar, high in fibre, protein and with high micronutrient density, to avoid compromising nutritional intake if reducing meat intake. Manufacturers and policy makers should consider fortification of meat alternatives with nutrients such as Fe and B 12 and focus on reducing Na and sugar content.

(1) Background: Breastmilk provides all the nutrition an infant requires between 0−6 months. After that, complementary foods are needed to meet the child’s increasing energy and nutrient requirements. Inadequate energy and nutrient intake may lead to growth faltering, impaired neurodevelopment, and increased disease risk. While the importance of early life nutrition is well recognized, there are few investigations assessing the nutritional adequacy of Australian children <24 months. Here, we describe usual energy and nutrient intake distributions, including the prevalence of inadequate intakes and exceeding the upper limit (UL), in a national sample of Australian children 6− 24 months and infants < six months who had commenced solids and/or formula. (2) Methods: Dietary intakes were assessed using a one-day food record for 976 children with a repeat one-day record in a random subset. (3) Results: Based on the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand, children’s intakes were above the Adequate Intake or Estimated Average Requirement for most nutrients. Exceptions were iron and zinc where the prevalence of inadequacy was estimated to be 90% and 20%, respectively, for infants aged 6−11.9 months. Low iron intake was also observed in one quarter of toddlers 12−24 months. On average, children consumed 10% more energy than predicted based on Estimated Energy Requirements, and ~10% were classified as overweight based on their weight for length. One third of toddlers exceeded the tolerable upper limit for sodium and consumed > 1000 mg/day. Of the children under six months, 18% and 43% exceeded the UL for vitamin A (retinol) and zinc. (4) Conclusions: Compared to nutrient reference values, diets were sufficient for most nutrients; however, iron was a limiting nutrient for infants aged 6−11.9 months and toddlers 12−24 months potentially putting them at risk for iron deficiency. Excessive sodium intake among toddlers is a concern as this may increase the risk for hypertension.

Information on dietary adequacy is needed to assess food and nutrition security in a modern society, especially in the transition towards climate-friendly food systems. In this study, differences in the nutritional adequacy of diets among Finnish adults were evaluated in population groups of different education, income and urbanisation levels. The study used data from the FinDiet 2017 Survey ( n = 1655, 18-74 years). Modelled usual intakes of foods and nutrients were evaluated relative to food-based dietary guidelines issued by the National Nutrition Council of Finland (FNNC) and with respect to nutrient adequacy following the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and FNNC. For about half of the nutrients studied, intakes were found to be adequate. Intakes of protein, fat, saturated fatty acids and salt were estimated to be high. By contrast, inadequate intakes were seen in folate and vitamins A, D, B1, B2 and C in almost all groups studied. Groups with a higher education and income, groups that lived in urban areas and, in particular, women adhered more closely to recommended food consumption and nutrient intakes than others. However, major challenges posed by the Finnish diet are common to all groups studied, and only certain dietary features evaluated in view of nutritional adequacy are associated with socioeconomic differences.

Consumption of high-quality animal protein plays an important role in improving human nutrition, growth, development, and health. With an exponential growth of the global population, demands for animal-sourced protein are expected to increase by 60% between 2021 and 2050. In addition to the production of food protein and fiber (wool), animals are useful models for biomedical research to prevent and treat human diseases and serve as bioreactors to produce therapeutic proteins. For a high efficiency to transform low-quality feedstuffs and forages into high-quality protein and highly bioavailable essential minerals in diets of humans, farm animals have dietary requirements for energy, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and water in their life cycles. All nutrients interact with each other to influence the growth, development, and health of mammals, birds, fish, and crustaceans, and adequate nutrition is crucial for preventing and treating their metabolic disorders (including metabolic diseases) and infectious diseases. At the organ level, the small intestine is not only the terminal site for nutrient digestion and absorption, but also intimately interacts with a diverse community of intestinal antigens and bacteria to influence gut and whole-body health. Understanding the species and metabolism of intestinal microbes, as well as their interactions with the intestinal immune systems and the host intestinal epithelium can help to mitigate antimicrobial resistance and develop prebiotic and probiotic alternatives to in-feed antibiotics in animal production. As abundant sources of amino acids, bioactive peptides, energy, and highly bioavailable minerals and vitamins, animal by-product feedstuffs are effective for improving the growth, development, health, feed efficiency, and survival of livestock and poultry, as well as companion and aquatic animals. The new knowledge covered in this and related volumes of Adv Exp Med Biol is essential to ensure sufficient provision of animal protein for humans, while helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, minimize the urinary and fecal excretion of nitrogenous and other wastes to the environment, and sustain animal agriculture (including aquaculture)., (© 2022. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

This study examined the contribution of food to nutrient intake, meal and dietary patterns among children aged 4-8 and 9-13 years in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria. Multi-pass 24-hour dietary recalls were used to assess intakes. Prudent and traditional Southwestern Nigerian dietary patterns were identified among children. The top foods and beverages were defined by frequency and amount consumed. Meal patterns were described by the eating occasions, while cluster analysis probed dietary patterns. About 88% of children had at least three meals including breakfast (95%), lunch (85%), dinner (92%) and midmorning meals (48%), while about 60% ate snacks at least once daily. Sources of energy and key nutrients were limited (yam, cassava, rice, maize, bread and beans/peas/legumes). The amount consumed per consumer of cassava products (192.2, 256.0 g), yam (169.7, 256.0 g), legumes (115.3, 150.7 g), corn/maize (160.4, 195.2), and rice (138.4, 182.3 g) were high, while beef (15.2, 17.9 g), eggs (50.6, 49.2 g), fish (27.5, 30.6 g), milk (24.2, 27.0 g) and nuts and seeds (18.2, 19.7 g) were low for children ages 4-8 and 9-13 years, respectively. In conclusion, while the frequency of meals suggests a healthy pattern, the top foods could not provide adequate nutrient (especially micronutrient) intake, which is key to the development of the target population.

While the household in which a child grows up is considered a critical environment that influences nutrition outcomes, there is little research examining the influence of household composition and structure on complementary feeding practices. This study examined the influence of household structure and composition on complementary feeding practices, using the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS), 2000 to 2016. The composition variables were calculated from the attributes of household members (alters) and the structure variables from their kinship status. A multilevel mixed-effects regression model, specifying survey rounds as the random effect, was used to examine the association between household structure/composition and the Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF) and Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD). The average Marginal Effects (MEs) were calculated to facilitate practical interpretation. Children of caregivers with a higher number of alters (degree), unique number of kinship category (effect size), closely related (constraint), and mixed-age alters (age diversity) seemed to increase the probability of meeting the MDD. Degree and effective size decreased the probability of meeting MMF, while constraint increased it. Overall, this study revealed some associations between household structure and composition and complementary feeding practices. Hence, complementary feeding interventions could be adapted to account for the household structure and composition variations.

The Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (JFGST) indicates optimal intake of five food groups (grain, fish and meat, vegetables, milk, and fruits) and sugar and confectionaries. We aimed to investigate whether adherence to the JFGST in 8th grade junior high school students ( n = 3162) was associated with cardiometabolic risks and how different scorings of the JFGST influenced the associations. Metabolic risks were assessed from anthropometrics, blood pressure measurements, and blood glucose and lipid profile measurements. Three types of scoring adherent to the JFGST were analyzed (10 points were given for each item with optimal intake; range: 0-60): the original scoring (ORG scoring); first modified scoring, which had no upper limits for vegetables and fruits (MOD1 scoring); and MOD2 scoring without upper limits for five dishes (MOD2 scoring). The MOD2 scoring was positively associated with dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, and vitamins. All types of scorings were associated with low glucose levels ( p ≤ 0.001); the MOD2 scoring was associated with low systolic blood pressure ( p = 0.001) and low cardiometabolic risk ( p = 0.003). Our findings suggest that Japanese adolescents adherent to the JFGST had low cardiometabolic risks and should not fall below lower limits for intake of the abovementioned five food groups.

This study aimed to investigate whether the Kenyan Food Pyramid (FP) can evaluate excess or insufficient nutrient intake. Participants were farmers (56 men and 64 women, aged 18-60 years) in Wangige Village, Kiambu County-a peri-urban area of Kenya. Cross-sectional data were collected for demographic characteristics, physical measurements, and 2-day and 24-h dietary recalls. The average adherence level to the FP (hereafter, "FP score") was 25.0 out of 50.0, with a minimum and maximum of 14.1 and 41.5, respectively. Energy and protein % energy ratio were significantly higher ( p for trend < 0.05) in the higher FP score group. A higher FP score was also associated with a higher energy-adjusted micronutrient intake, and it was more likely to meet nutrient requirements. However, the higher FP score group had a higher risk of excess sodium intake ( p for trend < 0.001). The Kenyan FP could be a useful tool for avoiding the risk of insufficient nutrient intake, but not for avoiding high energy and sodium intake. It is necessary to include appropriate evaluations to limit energy, sugar, and salt. Food groups and recommendations of the FP should be optimised according to the dietary environment of the target population so as to promote their health.

Objective: To estimate the carbon footprint of the Brazilian diet and of sociodemographic strata of this population., Methods: Carbon footprint of the diet was estimated based on data from two 24-hour diet records, obtained in 2008 and 2009, from a probabilistic sample of the Brazilian population aged 10 years and over (n = 34,003) and on environmental impact coefficients of food and culinary preparations consumed in Brazil (gCO2e/kg). Means with 95% confidence intervals of food consumption (kcal/person/day) and the carbon footprint of the diet (gCO2e/person/day and in gCO2e/2,000kcal) were calculated for the population as a whole and for strata according to sex, age, income, education, macro-regions and Federative Unit. Linear regression models were used to identify significant differences (p < 0.05) in the dietary carbon footprint of different sociodemographic strata., Results: The average carbon footprint of the Brazilian diet was 4,489gCO2e/person/day. It was higher for males, for the age group from 20 to 49 years and for the North and Midwest regions, and tended to increase with income and education. The pattern of association of footprint with sociodemographic variables did not change substantially with adjustment for differences in the amount of food consumed, except for a reduction in the relative excess of the footprint among males and an increase in the relative excess of the footprint in the Midwest region., Conclusion: The carbon footprint of the Brazilian diet exceeds by about 30% the footprint of the human diet, which could simultaneously meet the nutritional requirements of a healthy diet and the global goal of containing the increase in the planet's average temperature. The pattern of association of this footprint with sociodemographic variables can help identify priority targets for public actions aimed at reducing the environmental impacts of food consumption in Brazil.

Background: Where families eat together from a common dish, the shared meal must be nutrient dense enough in each nutrient to meet the needs of the highest-need member., Objectives: This study aimed to develop an aggregate household nutrient requirement benchmark that satisfies all members' needs in a context in which meals are shared and to illustrate how that metric could inform food and nutrition policy making., Methods: We merged nationally representative survey data for Malawi in 2010, 2013, and 2016-2017 with individual nutrient requirements and local food composition data to compute the adequacy of each household's aggregate consumption given its demographic composition and primary occupation. To meet each person's nutrient needs at any level of energy balance, the nutrient density of their shared diet needs to be within boundaries of the most restrictive member. We classified the adequacy of each household's diet using these energy-adjusted densities and examined differences by sociodemographic characteristics., Results: Accounting for meal sharing and nutrient density needs of the highest-need member, virtually all households' food consumption is insufficiently nutrient dense in riboflavin, selenium, lipids, and vitamin B-12, and most consumption is insufficiently nutrient dense in zinc and phosphorus as well. Meeting needs of women, adolescent girls, and young children using shared diets would on average require 145% more iron, 98% more zinc, and approximately 70% more phosphorus and vitamin C than if their needs were met with individualized diets., Conclusions: Establishing shared nutrient requirements is feasible using existing survey data and can help set sufficiency criteria in settings in which families share meals. In Malawi, current diets and food composition are inadequate for many nutrients, especially in households with more women and adolescent girls. The results call for concerted investment to increase access to and use of more nutrient-dense foods., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

In hospitals through Europe and worldwide, the practices regarding hospital diets are very heterogeneous. Hospital diets are rarely prescribed by physicians, and sometimes the choices of diets are based on arbitrary reasons. Often prescriptions are made independently from the evaluation of nutritional status, and without taking into account the nutritional status. Therapeutic diets (low salt, gluten-free, texture and consistency modified, …) are associated with decreased energy delivery (i.e. underfeeding) and increased risk of malnutrition. The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) proposes here evidence-based recommendations regarding the organization of food catering, the prescriptions and indications of diets, as well as monitoring of food intake at hospital, rehabilitation center, and nursing home, all of these by taking into account the patient perspectives. We propose a systematic approach to adapt the hospital food to the nutritional status and potential food allergy or intolerances. Particular conditions such as patients with dysphagia, older patients, gastrointestinal diseases, abdominal surgery, diabetes, and obesity, are discussed to guide the practitioner toward the best evidence based therapy. The terminology of the different useful diets is defined. The general objectives are to increase the awareness of physicians, dietitians, nurses, kitchen managers, and stakeholders towards the pivotal role of hospital food in hospital care, to contribute to patient safety within nutritional care, to improve coverage of nutritional needs by hospital food, and reduce the risk of malnutrition and its related complications., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The expert members of the working group were accredited by the ESPEN Guidelines Group, the ESPEN Education and Clinical Practice Committee, and the ESPEN executive. All expert members have declared their individual conflicts of interest according to the rules of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). If potential conflicts were indicated, they were reviewed by the ESPEN guideline officers and, in cases of doubts, by the ESPEN executive. None of the expert panel had to be excluded from the working group or from co-authorship because of serious conflicts. The conflict of interest forms are stored at the ESPEN guideline office and can be reviewed by ESPEN members with legitimate interest upon request to the ESPEN executive., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Background: Slovenia similar to some European countries has a long tradition of the organized system of school meals. The present survey aimed to compare school lunch composition in Slovene primary schools ( n = 40) with the national dietary guidelines; Methods: The survey took place from January to September 2020. Sampling of a 5-day school lunch ( n = 200) for adolescents aged 10 to 13 years, were performed in schools. Chemical analysis was provided by an accredited national laboratory., Results: The median energy value of school lunches was 2059 kJ (24% of the recommended daily energy intake). The school lunches contained 24.8 g of proteins, 52.9 g of carbohydrates and 16.7 g of dietary fats. Saturated fatty acids represent 4.7 g, polyunsaturated fatty acids 4.7 g, monounsaturated fatty acids 5.8 g, and industrial trans fats 0.2 g/100 g of a meal (1.2 g/meal). Dietary fibre represented 7.8 g, free sugars for 14.7 g and salt for 3.9 g; Conclusions: The survey showed lower values for energy, carbohydrates and total fats in school lunches as recommended, and exceeded values of salt, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Background: Food production accounts for 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Less environmentally sustainable diets are also often more processed, energy-dense and nutrient-poor. To date, the environmental impact of diets have mostly been based on a limited number of broad food groups., Objectives: We link GHG emissions to over 3000 foods, assessing associations between individuals' GHG emissions, their nutrient requirements and their demographic characteristics. We also identify additional information required in dietary assessment to generate more accurate environmental impact data for individual-level diets., Methods: GHG emissions of individual foods, including process stages prior to retail, were added to the UK Composition Of Foods Integrated Dataset (COFID) composition tables and linked to automated online dietary assessment for 212 adults over three 24-hour periods. Variations in GHG emissions were explored by dietary pattern, demographic characteristics and World Health Organization Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs)., Results: GHG emissions estimates were linked to 98% (n = 3233) of food items. Meat explained 32% of diet-related GHG emissions; 15% from drinks; 14% from dairy; and 8% from cakes, biscuits and confectionery. Non-vegetarian diets had GHG emissions 59% (95% CI 18%, 115%) higher than vegetarian. Men had 41% (20%, 64%) higher GHG emissions than women. Individuals meeting RNIs for saturated fats, carbohydrates and sodium had lower GHG emissions compared to those exceeding the RNI., Discussion: Policies encouraging sustainable diets should focus on plant-based diets. Substituting tea, coffee and alcohol with more sustainable alternatives, whilst reducing less nutritious sweet snacks, presents further opportunities. Healthier diets had lower GHG emissions, demonstrating consistency between planetary and personal health. Further detail could be gained from incorporating brand, production methods, post-retail emissions, country of origin, and additional environmental impact indicators., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The nutrient adequacy of a diet is typically assessed by comparing estimated nutrient intakes with established average nutrient requirements; this approach does not consider total energy consumed. In this multinational survey investigation in Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa, we explore the applications of the "critical nutrient-density approach"-which brings energy requirements into the equation-in the context of public health epidemiology. We conducted 24 h dietary recalls in convenience samples of normal-weight (BMI 18.5-25 kg/m 2 ) or obese (BMI > 30 kg/m 2 ), low-income women in three settings ( n = 290). Dietary adequacy was assessed both in absolute terms and using the nutrient density approach. No significant differences in energy and nutrient intakes were observed between normal-weight and obese women within any of the three samples ( p > 0.05). Both the cut-point method (% of EAR) and critical nutrient density approach revealed a high probability of inadequate intakes for several micronutrients but with poor concordance between the two methods. We conclude that it may often require some approximate estimate of the habitual energy intake from an empirical source to apply a true critical nutrient density reference for a population or subgroup. This will logically signify that there would be more "problem nutrients" in the diets examined with this nutrient density approach, and efforts toward improved food selection or food- or biofortification will frequently be indicated.

Recognizing the importance of standardized experimental diets, the AIN endorsed the generation of diets for rodents, AIN-93G and -93M, that are composed of purified ingredients and meet the nutrient requirements of rodents at different stages of life. Use of these diets was intended to allow for comparability and reproducibility of studies among laboratories and over time. Although it was anticipated that commercial manufacturers would follow the published formulations precisely, this is not always the case. Here, we present the diversity in macronutrient and micronutrient profiles across 15 commercial manufacturers of AIN-93G and -93M. Given the important implications of diet variability for many physiologic responses, the introduction of changes to the formulation of AIN-93 diets by manufacturers defeats the purpose of having such a diet and must be avoided., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)

The first studies concerning nutrient requirements for preweaned dairy calves were from the 1920s and 1930s; however, few studies were published in the following decades. We aimed to determine energy and protein requirements of preweaning Holstein and Holstein × Gyr dairy calves in a multistudy meta-regression. We used a database composed of individual measurements of 166 preweaned male calves (138 submitted to treatments and 28 used as the reference group) from 4 studies that used the methodology of comparative slaughter. Animals with less than 15/16 of Holstein genetic composition were considered crossbred Holstein × Gyr, whereas other animals were considered Holstein. Net energy requirements for maintenance (NE M ) were determined by the regression between heat production and metabolizable energy intake (MEI). The metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance were calculated by the iterative method, and the efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for maintenance was obtained by NE M divided by the metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance. Net energy requirements for gain (NE G ) were estimated using a regression of the retained energy (RE) as a function of empty body weight (EBW) and empty body gain (EBG). The efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for gain was estimated by the regression of RE as a function of MEI, but with partitioning the MEI into MEI from liquid feed and MEI from starter feed. Additionally, the effect of a liquid feed (milk or milk replacer) was tested on the slope of the regression. The metabolizable protein requirements for maintenance (MP M ) were estimated using the intercept of the regression between the metabolizable protein intake (MPI) and average daily gain. The MP M was determined as the ratio between the intercept and the metabolic body weight. Net protein requirements for gain (NP G ) were estimated by the regression between retained protein, EBG, and RE. The efficiency of use of metabolizable protein for gain was estimated by the regression of the retained protein as a function of MPI, but with partitioning the MPI into MPI from liquid feed and MPI from starter feed. Additionally, the effect of a liquid feed (milk or milk replacer) was tested on the regression slope. Breed did not influence any of the nutrient requirements' estimates. The NE M was estimated as 70.2 kcal/metabolic body weight per day. The efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for maintenance observed was 66%. The NE G was estimated by the equation NE G = 0.0901 × EBW 0.75 × EBG 0.9539 . The efficiency of use of metabolizable energy for gain was estimated as 57.6, 49.3, and 41.2% for milk, milk replacer, and starter feed, respectively. The MP M was estimated as 4.22 g/EBW 0.75 per day, and the NP G was determined by the equation: NP G = 30.06 × EBG + 70.98 × RE. The efficiency of use of metabolizable protein for gain was estimated as 71.9, 59.2, and 44.4% for milk, milk replacer, and starter feed, respectively. We concluded that no differences were observed in energy and protein requirements between Holstein and Holstein × Gyr crossbred cows. The efficiencies of use of metabolizable energy and protein are greater for milk when compared with milk replacer and starter feed. Therefore, we propose that the equations generated herein should be used to estimate energy and protein requirements of preweaned Holstein and Holstein × Gyr crossbred dairy calves raised under tropical conditions., (Copyright © 2021 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An athlete's diet is influenced by external and internal factors that can reduce or exacerbate exercise-induced food intolerance/allergy symptoms. This review highlights many factors that influence food choices. However, it is important to remember that these food choices are dynamic, and their effectiveness varies with the time, location, and environmental factors in which the athlete chooses the food. Therefore, before training and competition, athletes should follow the recommendations of physicians and nutritionists. It is important to study and understand the nutritional strategies and trends that athletes use before and during training or competitions. This will identify future clinical trials that can be conducted to identify specific foods that athletes can consume to minimize negative symptoms associated with their consumption and optimize training outcomes.

This study analyzed and evaluated the nutritional intake and nutrition quotient for adults (NQ-A) among 21 disabled national athletes preparing for the Tokyo Paralympic competition. A 24-h recall nutrition survey was conducted on the second day of training and one day of the weekend (holidays) to analyze daily nutritional intake. Dietary information was analyzed using the NQ-A questionnaire, which comprises 21 items. The athletes were divided into three groups based on the NQ-A score (High, Middle, Low). A comparative analysis of dietary intake of disabled athletes with the recommended dietary intake amount (RDA) was performed. The intake of carbohydrates (166.9%), proteins (112.3%), vitamin E (112.0%), thiamine (124.6%), riboflavin (100.2%), vitamin B6 (110.6%), vitamin B12 (120.7%), sodium (216.6%), phosphorus (118.3%), iron (146.5%), iodine (143.2%), and selenium (114.2%) was higher than the Korean-recommended amount. In particular, as the results of comparing dietary intake between the three groups showed, the low NQ-A score group had significantly lower intake compared to the %RDA for vitamin E (67.1%), C (26.3%), and Potassium (42.8%). However, with most nutrients, nutritional intake deficiency was not shown to be a problem.

Background & Aims: Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) restrict their dietary intake leading to malnutrition. Information is scarce on nutrition status during recovery. The aim of the study was to investigate dietary intake, body composition, biochemistry, and status in young women three years after hospital treatment due to severe restrictive AN., Methods: Dietary intake from four-day food records were compared to a reference group and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Serum levels of vitamin A, E, D, folate, and ferritin were assessed., Results: Three years after hospital treatment for AN, 12 subjects (60%) were recovered or in partial remission from AN. Subnormal values of body fat and skeletal muscle mass were present in 30% and 25%. Energy intake was 1730 kcal/day (min-max 705-2441) or 33 kcal/kg/day (16-54). Most (80%) had a total energy intake/day below the estimated needs and 6 (32%) had energy intakes below 1550 kcal/day. Micronutrient intakes from food were low; 16 (85%) had intakes below recommendations of iron, folate, and vitamin D. Serum levels of vitamins A, E, D, and folate were on average adequate; but a subnormal value (<50 nmol/L) of vitamin D was found in 20%. Ferritin levels were significantly lower at follow-up, and 25% had values below reference range. Return of menstruation was dependent of energy intake and body fat., Conclusions: A regular and careful assessment of nutritional status along with nutritional counseling during recovery is recommended to reduce malnutrition in patients with AN., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The food security crisis and disproportionately high burden of dietary related disease amongst northern Indigenous populations in Canada continues to be a troubling reality with little sign of improvement. The Government of Canada is responding by developing programs to support local food initiatives for northern isolated communities. While such investments appear commendable, the impact of local food harvesting to improve food security has yet to be determined. While there are clear nutritional and cultural benefits to traditional food sources, communities face considerable barriers acquiring it in sufficient amounts because of historically imposed lifestyle changes that have increased food insecurity rates. This study responds by providing a novel multidisciplinary approach that draws from firsthand experiences working with First Nations community members in a remote subarctic region in northwestern, Ontario, to estimate their community's total food requirement and the amount of wild animal food sources needed to sustain yearly food intake. This transferrable energy demand approach will be critical for policy makers to put into perspective the amount of wild food needed to have an impact on food security rates and ultimately improve dietary related diseases. Novelty: Provide government policy makers information about current harvest yields in a remote northern First Nation to understand the potential contribution of traditional food to improve local food security. Provide Indigenous communities a means to assess local food resources to measure the caloric contributions of traditional foods toward household food security.

Background & Aims: Bronchiectasis is a heterogeneous, chronic respiratory condition, in which the role of nutrition remains unclear and nutritional guidance is lacking. Few studies have explored the role of nutrition in disease management, and little is known about nutritional requirements during periods of stability or metabolic stress. The aim of this study was to characterise nutritional status and intakes in a cohort of patients and identify potential associations with body composition and functional capacity., Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was undertaken in an adult population (>17 years). Bronchiectasis was confirmed by high-resolution computerised tomography (HRCT). Anthropometric (weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), mid upper-arm circumference (MUAC) and mid arm muscle circumference (MAMC)] lung function and nutritional intakes were measured. Results were analysed as a whole and by disease aetiology [primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), Idiopathic cause (IC), bronchiectasis in association with asthma and other] and associations tested., Results: In total, 128 participants (65.5% female) completed the study. Median handgrip strength (HGS) in the total sample was only 66.5% (IQR 60.5-89.8) of reference population norms and was low for those with PCD [58.0% (IQR 43.5-70.0))]. Univariate regression indicated that BMI was a statistically significant predictor of lung function in the whole population with HGS and weight identified as statistically significant predictors of lung function in PCD. The total population and each sub-group failed to meet estimated average requirements for energy but exceeded the Reference nutrient intake (RNI) for protein. Vitamin D was consistently <35% of the RNI., Conclusion: BMI lay within normal to overweight ranges within the whole population and sub-groups, but masked important functional, body composition and nutritional deficits. This was particularly so within a younger sub-group with PCD, who had impaired muscle function, when compared to other causal and associative diseases., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The author declares they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

In an ageing society, the preservation of health and function is becoming increasingly important. The present paper acknowledges that ageing is malleable and focuses on diets and key nutritional concerns later in life. It presents evidence for the importance of healthful dietary patterns and points towards specific nutritional concerns later in life and conveys three main messages: (1) considering health maintenance and malnutrition risk, both dietary quality in terms of healthful dietary patterns and dietary quantity are important later in life, (2) ageing-related changes in nutrient physiology and metabolism contribute to the risk of inadequacies or deficiencies for specific nutrients, e.g. vitamin D, vitamin B12 and protein and (3) that current food-based dietary guidelines propagate a shift into the direction of Mediterranean type of diets including more plant-based foods. Limited scientific evidence on nutritional requirements of older adults, along with envisaged shifts towards diets rich in plant foods, are challenges that need to be addressed in order to develop tailored nutritional recommendations and dietary guidance for older adults.

Dietary reference values (DRV) are estimates of the daily amounts of nutrients or food energy that meet the needs of healthy people. In the UK, three terms are used to express these estimates, assuming a normal distribution of requirements in a population. These are the estimated average requirement, the lower reference nutrient intake and the reference nutrient intake. DRV are for use in a variety of settings, including the assessment of adequacy and safety of nutrient or energy intake in a population group, in the design of meal provision in care settings, in food labelling and in considering food fortification strategies. DRV, and other expressions of nutrient requirements, assume a relationship between the intake of a nutrient and some criterion of adequacy, the outcome. Estimates of requirements are based on a diverse range of measures of adequacy, according to available evidence. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is the body responsible for reviewing and setting DRV for the UK population. The work of SACN is guided by a framework of evidence that relates food and nutrients to health. There have been calls for the harmonisation of approaches used in the setting of nutrient requirements, globally, and an increased transparency in the decision-making process. Some progress has been made in this regard, but there is a great deal of work to be done.