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Background: Vitamin D homeostasis may play a critical role in glucose metabolism. Little is known on vitamin D deficiency and its association with diabetes in countries of the Arabia Gulf where the population is experiencing a rapid increase in the incidence of diabetes.Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 960 adults enrolled in the first National Nutrition Survey of the State of Kuwait (NNSSK), we examined vitamin D status in association with the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes. Vitamin D status was measured by serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitami D (25(OH)D). Prevalences of diabetes and prediabetes were determined based on fasting glucose and HbA1C levels.Results: The median level of serum 25(OH)D in Kuwaiti adults was 13.8 ng/ml. Approximately 56 % of the Kuwaiti adults had vitamin D inadequacy (25(OH)D = 12-19.9 ng/ml), and 27 % had vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D < 12 ng/ml). The prevalences of prediabetes and diabetes were 40 and 27 %, respectively. Vitamin D inadequacy (OR = 1.7, 95 % CI: 1.0-2.9) and deficiency (OR =2.0, 95 % CI: 1.1-3.3) was each associated with about two-fold increased odds of prediabetes compared to sufficient vitamin D status (25(OH)D ≥ 20 ng/ml). Vitamin D inadequacy (OR =2.1, 95 % CI: 1.2-3.7) and deficiency (OR =2.0, 95 % CI: 1.1-3.9) were also associated with two-fold increased odds of diabetes.Conclusions: Data from Kuwaiti's first nutrition nutritional survey suggests a very high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Kuwaiti adults. Associations of low vitamin D status and high prevalence of diabetes point to the need of continuous monitoring of vitamin D status and further evaluating potential health consequences in this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesTo describe nutrient intakes and prevalence of overweight and obesity in a nationally representative sample of Kuwaitis and to compare intakes with reference values.DesignCross-sectional, multistage stratified, cluster sample.SettingsNational nutrition survey covering all geographical areas of the country.SubjectsKuwaitis (n 1704) between 3 and 86 years of age.ResultsObesity was more prevalent among women than men (50 % and 70 % for females aged 19–50 years and ≥51 years, respectively, v. 29 % and 42 % for their male counterparts). Boys were more obese than girls, with the highest obesity rate among those aged 9–13 years (37 % and 24 % of males and females, respectively). Energy intake was higher than the estimated energy requirements for almost half of Kuwaiti children and one-third of adults. The Estimated Average Requirement was exceeded by 78–100 % of the recommendation for protein and carbohydrates. More than two-thirds of males aged ≥4 years exceeded the Tolerable Upper Intake Level for Na. Conversely, less than 20 % of Kuwaitis, regardless of age, consumed 100 % or more of the Estimated Average Requirement for vitamin D, vitamin E, Ca, n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. Less than 20 % of children met the recommended level for fibre.ConclusionsNutrition transition among Kuwaitis was demonstrated by the increased prevalence of obesity and overweight, increased intakes of energy and macronutrients and decreased intakes of fibre and micronutrients. Interventions to increase awareness about healthy foods combined with modifications in subsidy policies are clearly warranted to increase consumption of low-energy, nutrient-dense foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The date palm tree, which is native to the Mediterranean region and originated in the Arabian Gulf area, is now becoming an important commercial crop in Kuwait. Because of the tremendous efforts of the Public Authority for Agriculture and Fisheries Resources, date palm cultivation has developed quickly in Kuwait during the last decade. These newly planted date fruit trees, as well as tissue culture plants being produced and distributed by KISR, would start bearing fruit in a few years. It may not then be possible to consume all the fresh date fruit locally and, subsequently, newer avenues for turning this surplus fruit into value-added products will become a necessity and a commercially viable venture. Technology was developed on a laboratory scale for the production of date syrup from tamer fruits of two commercial varieties, Birhi and Safri, for further use in food products. Both the varieties were found to be high in total sugar contents (about 88%). Among the various extraction procedures employed for producing date syrup, the use of pectinase/cellulase enzymes gave the highest recovery of total soluble solids (68%) compared with control without these enzymes (35%). The CIE L&ast; a&ast; b&ast; color values for diluted as well as concentrated date syrup of Birhi variety were found to be lower than the Safri variety, indicating lighter color for the former. The results indicate the possibility of employing pectinase/cellulase enzymes to produce concentrated date syrup from tamer fruits for use in food product development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The population of Kuwait enjoys advanced healthcare facilities and an abundance of food. The life expectancy is 73.8 years, which is comparable with that of developed countries. However, nutrition-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease have become serious health problems in Kuwait. Diabetes mellitus, asthma, and hereditary hemolytic anemia were reported to be the three leading causes of morbidity in governmental hospitals in 1993. A comprehensive overview of food import, export, and domestic production data for the period 1973-1989 was conducted for 28 commodities, from which average per capita available food for consumption was calculated. Utilizing these data, a detailed analysis of the average energy, protein and nutrient supply was calculated. The data indicated that more than 75 percent of the energy supply comes from food groups of vegetable origin; animal products supplied 24 percent of the energy, whereas fats and oils contributed up to 15 percent of the energy supply. Comparing the recommended dietary allowances of the population with the nutrients available in the food supply, it was found that the food supply provided an excess of RDAs at a rate of 1.19 times of energy, 2.1 times of protein, 2.59 times of vitamin A, 1.37 times of thiamine, 1.39 times of riboflavin, 1.41 times of niacin, 2.52 times of vitamin C, 1.56 times of iron, and 1.10 times of calcium daily requirements. A detailed report on food available for consumption based on food balance sheet data is presented in this article, which gives contribution of various food groups to the dietary intake of the Kuwaiti population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kuwaiti adults have experienced a rapid increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors. Dietary patterns in the Kuwaiti diet associated with the increasingly higher CVD burden have not been adequately evaluated. The objective of this study was to identify the major dietary patterns in Kuwaiti adults and examine their associations with CVD risk factors. This cross-sectional study examined data from the 2008-2009 National Nutrition Survey of the State of Kuwait. The study included 555 Kuwaiti adults aged ≥20 years who completed a 24-hour dietary recall. The outcome measures included CVD risk factors such as obesity (body mass index), abdominal obesity (waist circumference), elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia (blood lipid levels), diabetes (glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels), and metabolic syndrome. Dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. The associations between dietary patterns and CVD risk factors were analyzed using survey-weighted multivariable linear and logistic regression models. Three dietary patterns were identified: vegetable-rich, fast food, and refined grains/poultry. Younger adults had higher adherence to the fast-food or refined-grains/poultry dietary patterns, whereas older adults had higher adherence to the vegetable-rich dietary pattern. The fast-food dietary pattern was positively associated with body mass index (β=.94, 95% CI 0.08 to 1.79), waist circumference (β=2.05, 95% CI 0.20 to 3.90 cm), and diastolic blood pressure (β=1.62, 95% CI 0.47 to 2.77 mm Hg). The refined grains/poultry dietary pattern was positively associated with plasma glucose levels (β=1.02, 95% CI 1.002 to 1.04 mg/dL [0.056 to 0.058 mmol/L]). Individuals in the highest tertile of the fast-food or refined-grains/poultry dietary patterns had higher odds of metabolic syndrome than those in the lowest tertile. The fast-food and refined grains/poultry dietary patterns were associated with high prevalence of CVD risk factors among Kuwaiti adults. The current findings underscore the need for prospective studies to further explore dietary pattern and CVD risk factor relationships among at-risk Kuwait adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting evidence suggests that meal timing and frequency are associated with cardiometabolic health by influencing circadian rhythms. However, the evidence is inconsistent and limited, especially in non-Western cultures. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the association between temporal habits of dietary intake, such as nightly fasting duration and meal frequency, and metabolic syndrome among Kuwaiti adults. A 24-hour recall was used to assess temporal habits of dietary intake. Meal frequency was defined as the number of daily eating episodes. The study included a total of 757 adults aged 20 years and older. The participants' mean age was 37.8 ± 12.3 years. After adjusting for all confounders, higher meal frequency was found to be associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adults (OR, 0.43; 95%CI, 0.19-0.96) and a lower prevalence of elevated triglycerides in men only (OR, 0.23; 95%CI, 0.09-0.60). No association was found between nightly fasting and metabolic syndrome, but a longer fasting duration was associated with a lower prevalence of elevated triglycerides (OR, 0.19; 95%CI, 0.06-0.63). The findings suggest that having frequent meals and longer durations of nightly fasting may help decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome and elevated triglycerides.

Dietary habits, including meal frequency, meal timing, and skipping meals, have been extensively studied due to their association with the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This study describes dietary habits, meal timing, frequency, skipping meals, and late-night eating in Kuwaiti adults. Kuwait National Nutrition Surveillance System data were utilized to reach the objectives of this study. The findings reveal that approximately 54% of the adults in Kuwait eat after 10 p.m., 29% skip breakfast, and 9.8% skip dinner. Furthermore, adults in Kuwait consume 4.4 meals per day on average. Women skip breakfast more often and have more extended night fasting than men ( p < 0.001). Married adults skip breakfast and dinner less than unmarried adults ( p < 0.001). In conclusion, this descriptive study provides valuable insights into the dietary habits of Kuwaiti adults, emphasizing the importance of further investigating the association between meal timing, meal frequency, and the prevalence of NCDs in Kuwait.

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency (ID) of a nationally representative sample of the Kuwait population. We also determined if anemia differed by socioeconomic status or by RBC folate and vitamins A and B12 levels. The subjects who were made up of 1830 males and females between the ages of 2 months to 86 years, were divided into the following age groups (0-5, 5-11, 12-14, 15-19, 20-49, ≥50 years). Results showed that the prevalence of anemia was 3% in adult males and 17% in females. The prevalence of ID varied according to age between 4% (≥50 years) and 21% (5-11 years) and 9% (12-14 years) and 23% (15-19 years), respectively, in males and females. The prevalence of anemia and ID was higher in females compared to males. Adults with normal ferritin level, but with low RBC folate and vitamins A and B12 levels had higher prevalence of anemia than those with normal RBC folate and vitamins A and B12 levels. This first nationally representative nutrition and health survey in Kuwait indicated that anemia and ID are prevalent and ID contributes significantly to anemia prevalence.

Adverse sensory changes prevent the addition of highly bioavailable ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) to most wheat flours. Poorly absorbable reduced Fe powders are commonly used. Encapsulation of FeSO4 can overcome these sensory changes, but the particle size of commercial compounds is too large to be used by flour mills. The first objective of the study was to measure the efficacy in wheat flour of two newly developed Fe compounds, an H-reduced Fe powder (NutraFine RS; North America Höganäs High Alloys LLC, Johnstown, PA, USA) and small particle-sized (40 microm) encapsulated FeSO4. As a second objective, the microcapsules were evaluated as a vehicle for iodine fortification. A randomised, double-blind controlled intervention trial was conducted in Kuwaiti women (n 279; aged 18-35 years) with low body Fe stores (serum ferritin (SF) < 25 microg/l) randomly assigned to one of three groups (20 mg Fe as NutraFine RS, 10 mg Fe as encapsulated FeSO4 and 150 microg iodine, or no fortification Fe) who consumed wheat-based biscuits 5 d per week. At baseline and 22 weeks, Hb, SF, transferrin receptor, urinary iodine and body Fe stores were measured. Relative to control, mean SF in the encapsulated FeSO4 group increased by 88 % (P < 0.001) and body Fe stores increased from - 0.96 to 2.24 mg/kg body weight (P < 0.001), while NutraFine RS did not significantly increase SF or body Fe stores. The median urinary iodine concentration increased from 140 to 213 microg/l (P < 0.01). NutraFine RS added at double the amount of Fe as FeSO4 was not efficacious in improving Fe status. The newly developed microcapsules were highly efficacious in improving both Fe stores and iodine status.