Since its introduction in 1981, the glycaemic index (GI) has been a useful tool for classifying the glycaemic effects of carbohydrate foods. Consumption of a low-GI diet has been associated with a reduced risk of developing CVD, diabetes mellitus and certain cancers. WISP (Tinuviel Software, Llanfechell, Anglesey, UK) is a nutrition software package used for the analysis of food intake records and 24 h recalls. Within its database, WISP contains the GI values of foods based on the International Tables 2002. The aim of the present study is to describe in detail a methodology for adding and amending GI values to the WISP database in a clinical or research setting, using data from the updated International Tables 2008.

That ‘all foods can fit’ into a healthy diet is a long-standing principle of dietetic practice. The present study quantified the relative contributions of foods to encourage and foods to limit, using new techniques of individual diet optimisation and nutrient profiling. Individual foods from every food group were assigned to four nutrient profile classes based on the French SAIN,LIM system. Foods with the most favourable nutrient profiles were in class 1, and foods with the least favourable nutrient profiles were in class 4. An optimised diet that met the recommendations for thirty-two nutrients and that respected the existing eating habits was designed for each adult in the nationally representative ‘Enquête Individuelle et Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires 1’ dietary survey (n 1171). The relative proportions of the four nutrient profiling classes were assessed before and after the optimisation process. The contribution of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk and fish was significantly increased, whereas the contribution of refined grains, meats, mixed dishes, sugars and fats was decreased. The optimised diets derived more energy (30 v. 21 % in the observed diets) from class 1 foods and less energy (41 v. 56 %) from class 4 foods. They also derived a higher amount of class 1 foods (61 v. 51 %) and a lower amount of class 4 foods (22 v. 32 %). Thus, nutrient adequacy was compatible with the consumption of foods with an unfavourable nutrient profile (one-fifth the basket weight), provided that the diet also contained almost two-thirds of foods with the most favourable profile. Translating these results into concrete and quantified advice may have very tangible public health implications.

The beneficial effects of green tea catechins, such as the proposed improvement in endothelial function, may be influenced by phase II metabolism during and after absorption. The methylation enzyme, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), has a missense mutation rs4680 (G to A), proposed to result in a 40 % reduction in enzyme activity. In the present pilot study, twenty subjects (ten of each homozygous COMT genotype) were recruited. Green tea extract capsules (836 mg green tea catechins) were given in a fasted state, and a high-carbohydrate breakfast was given after 60 min. Blood samples and vascular function measurements were taken at regular intervals. The change in digital volume pulse stiffness index (SI) from baseline was shown to be different between genotype groups at 120 and 240 min, with a lower SI in the GG individuals (P ≤ 0·044). The change in blood pressure from baseline also differed between genotype groups, with a greater increase in systolic (P = 0·023) and diastolic (P = 0·034) blood pressure at 120 min in the GG group. The AA group was shown to have a greater increase in insulin concentrations at 120 min (P = 0·019) and 180 min (P = 0·008) compared with baseline, despite similar glucose profiles. No genotypic differences were found in vascular reactivity measured using laser Doppler iontophoresis, total nitrite, lipids, plasma total antioxidant capacity or inflammatory markers after ingestion of the green tea extract. In conclusion, SI and insulin response to the glucose load differed between the COMT genotype groups, and this may be suggestive of a green tea extract and genotype interaction.

Previous research suggests that n-3 PUFA may play a role in bone health. The present analysis aimed to investigate the impact of n-3 PUFA supplementation on bone resorption in adult men and women. Serum samples from 113 mild–moderately depressed individuals (twenty-six males and eighty-seven females, aged 18–67 years) randomised to receive 1·48 g EPA+DHA/d (n 53) or placebo (n 60) for 12 weeks as part of a large recent randomised controlled trial were assayed for n-3 PUFA status and a bone resorption marker, C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type 1 collagen (β-CTX). Regression analyses revealed that n-3 PUFA status following supplementation was associated with randomisation (placebo/n-3 PUFA) (B = 3·25, 95 % CI 2·60, 3·91, P < 0·01). However, β-CTX status following supplementation was not associated with randomisation (B = − 0·01, 95 % CI − 0·03, 0·04). Change in β-CTX status was also not associated with change in n-3 PUFA status (B = − 0·002, 95 % CI − 0·01, 0·01). These findings provide no evidence for an association between n-3 PUFA supplementation (1·48 g EPA+DHA/d) for 12 weeks and bone resorption in humans assessed by β-CTX, and suggest that n-3 PUFA supplementation may be unlikely to be of benefit in preventing bone loss.

A healthy, balanced diet is essential for both physical and mental well-being. Such a diet must include an adequate intake of micronutrients, essential fatty acids, amino acids and antioxidants. The monoamine neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline, are derived from dietary amino acids and are involved in the modulation of mood, anxiety, cognition, sleep regulation and appetite. The capacity of nutritional interventions to elevate brain monoamine concentrations and, as a consequence, with the potential for mood enhancement, has not been extensively evaluated. The present study investigated an extract from oregano leaves, with a specified range of active constituents, identified via an unbiased, high-throughput screening programme. The oregano extract was demonstrated to inhibit the reuptake and degradation of the monoamine neurotransmitters in a dose-dependent manner, and microdialysis experiments in rats revealed an elevation of extracellular serotonin levels in the brain. Furthermore, following administration of oregano extract, behavioural responses were observed in mice that parallel the beneficial effects exhibited by monoamine-enhancing compounds when used in human subjects. In conclusion, these data show that an extract prepared from leaves of oregano, a major constituent of the Mediterranean diet, is brain-active, with moderate triple reuptake inhibitory activity, and exhibits positive behavioural effects in animal models. We postulate that such an extract may be effective in enhancing mental well-being in humans.

Hypoxia frequently occurs under several different cellular circumstances. Excess reactive oxygen species that are induced by hypoxia may result in cell injury and dysfunction. Recently, garlic has been found to possess some biological and pharmacological activities. The present study examined the effects of garlic saponins (GSP) on the survival of differentiated PC12 (dPC12) cells and the oxidative–antioxidant system. dPC12 cells were exposed to 2 % O2 in order to establish a neuronal insult model. Cell viability was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide reduction assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. The expression of selected genes (catalase (CAT), p65 and neuron-specific class III β-tubulin) was evaluated by real-time PCR and immunoblot assays. CAT activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) concentrations were also determined. The data showed that hypoxia dramatically damaged dPC12 cells, while treatment with approximately 5 × 10− 2–10 ng/ml GSP improved cell viability, decreased LDH leakage and caused the cells to maintain neuronal-like characteristics in hypoxia. The production of MDA and 8-OH-dG was attenuated by GSP. CAT activity in dPC12 cells pretreated with GSP was higher than that of the hypoxic control. Moreover, GSP up-regulated CAT expression and decreased the total protein expression as well as the nuclear expression of p65 in hypoxic cells. These data indicate that GSP has antioxidant properties that can protect dPC12 cells from hypoxia-induced damage, which may be related to the up-regulation of CAT expression and activity as well as a decrease in the expression and nucleus distribution of p65 through effects on redox-sensitive signalling pathways.

The reported effects of different families of fatty acids (FA; SFA, MUFA, n-3 and n-6 PUFA) on human health and the importance of macrophage respiratory burst and cytokine release to immune defence led us to examine the influence of palmitic acid (PA), oleic acid (OA), linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, EPA and DHA on macrophage function. We determined fungicidal activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytokine production after the treatment of J774 cells with non-toxic concentrations of the FA. PA had a late and discrete stimulating effect on ROS production, which may be associated with the reduced fungicidal activity of the cells after treatment with this FA. OA presented a sustained stimulatory effect on ROS production and increased fungicidal activity of the cells, suggesting that enrichment of diets with OA may be beneficial for pathogen elimination. The effects of PUFA on ROS production were time- and dose-dependently regulated, with no evident differences between n-3 and n-6 PUFA. It was worth noting that most changes induced after stimulation of the cells with lipopolysaccharide were suppressed by the FA. The present results suggest that supplementation of the diet with specific FA, not classes of FA, might enable an improvement in host defence mechanisms or a reduction in adverse immunological reactions.

Aplastic anaemia (AA) is a disease characterised by bone marrow hypocellularity and peripheral blood pancytopenia. AA is also associated with mitochondrial aberrations. The present study was undertaken primarily to test the hypothesis that a nutrient mixture could affect the nutritional rehabilitation of mitochondrial aberrations in AA mice. BALB/c AA mice were induced by a combination of hypodermic injections of acetylphenylhydrazine (100 mg/kg), X-rays (2·0 Gy) and intraperitoneal injections of cyclophosphamide (80 mg/kg). We treated these mice with nutrient mixture-supplemented diets in a dose-dependent manner (1445·55, 963·7, 674·59 mg/kg per d), and the effects of the nutrient mixture for mitochondrial rehabilitation were analysed in AA mice. Transmission electron microscopy showed that mitochondrial ultrastructural abnormalities in bone marrow cells, splenocytes and hepatocytes of the nutrient mixture groups were restored markedly, compared with the AA group. Mitochondrial membrane potentials of the nutrient mixture groups were increased remarkably. Western blot analysis also revealed that the nutrient mixture significantly inhibited cytochrome c release of mitochondria in the AA group. Furthermore, the mitochondrial DNA content of the nutrient mixture groups was also increased. Our data suggest that the nutrient mixture may promote the rehabilitation of mitochondrial aberrations, and consequently protects against mitochondrial dysfunction in AA mice.

The present study investigates whether the replacement of dietary casein by soya protein isolate could be able to improve and/or even revert the morphological and metabolic abnormalities underlying the adipose tissue dysfunction of dyslipidaemic rats chronically fed (8 months) a sucrose-rich (62·5 %) diet (SRD). For this purpose, Wistar rats were fed a SRD for 4 months. From months 4 to 8, half the animals continued with the SRD and the other half were fed a SRD in which the source of protein, casein, was substituted by soya. The control group received a diet in which the source of carbohydrate was maize starch. Compared with the SRD-fed group, the results showed that: (1) soya protein decreased body-weight gain, limited the accretion of visceral adiposity and decreased adipose tissue cell volume without changes in total cell number; (2) soya protein increased the protein mass expression of PPARγ, which was significantly reduced in the fat pad of the SRD-fed rats; (3) the activity of the enzymes involved in the de novo lipogenesis of adipose tissue was significantly decreased/normalised; (4) soya protein corrected the inhibitory effect of SRD upon the anti-lipolytic action of insulin, reduced basal lipolysis and normalised the protein mass expression of GLUT-4. Dyslipidaemia, glucose homeostasis and plasma leptin levels returned to control values. The present study provides data showing the beneficial effects of soya protein to improve and/or revert the adipose tissue dysfunction of a dyslipidaemic insulin-resistant rat model and suggests that soya could maintain the functionality of the adipose tissue–liver axis improving/reverting lipotoxicity.

Results from a pilot project indicate that isoflavones and exercise could have an additive effect on body composition and clinical risk factors of CVD in postmenopausal women. The objective of the present study was to assess the combined effect of exercise and isoflavones in overweight-to-obese postmenopausal women. In this double-blind randomised controlled trial, 100 overweight-to-obese (BMI 29·9 (sd 3·2) kg/m2) postmenopausal women were assigned to four groups: (1) placebo (PLA); (2) isoflavones (ISO); (3) exercise and placebo (Ex+PLA); (4) exercise and isoflavones (Ex+ISO). The supplementation contained 70 mg/d of isoflavones. Exercise consisted of three weekly sessions of resistance training and aerobics. Outcome measures included fat mass (FM), lean body mass (LBM), bone mineral density, lipid profile, fasting glucose, fasting insulin and insulin resistance (homeostasis assessment model). The main effects of exercise were observed for total FM (P = 0·02), FM% (P < 0·01), trunk FM% (P = 0·05), arm FM% (P < 0·01), leg FM% (P = 0·02), arm LBM (P < 0·01), leg LBM (P = 0·02) and C-reactive protein (P < 0·01). A main effect was detected for isoflavones in improving leg FM% (P = 0·05). No interactions were observed between isoflavones and exercise. In conclusion, it was observed that 6 months of exercise brought favourable changes in total FM, FM% and LBM in overweight postmenopausal women. No synergistic effects were observed between exercise and isoflavones. However, isoflavones could have a beneficial effect on leg FM%.

Spices which show hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activities may have a role in the treatment of diabetes and its complications. The present study aimed to compare the modulatory effects of garlic, ginger, turmeric and their mixture on the metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ)–nicotinamide diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in overnight fasted rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (65 mg/kg body weight) and nicotinamide (110 mg/kg body weight, 15 min before STZ injection). Diabetic rats orally received either distilled water (as vehicle) or 200 mg/kg body weight of garlic bulb, ginger rhizome or turmeric rhizome powder suspension separately or mixed together (GGT mixture) for twenty-eight consecutive days. The results showed that these spices and their mixture significantly alleviated (80–97 %, P < 0·05–0·001) signs of the metabolic syndrome (hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia), the elevation in atherogenic indices and cellular toxicity in STZ–nicotinamide diabetic rats by increasing the production of insulin (26–37 %), enhancing the antioxidant defence system (31–52 %, especially GSH) and decreasing lipid peroxidation (60–97 %). The greatest modulation was seen in diabetic rats that received garlic and the GGT mixture (10–23 % more than that in the ginger and turmeric groups). In conclusion, garlic or the mix including garlic appears to have an impact on each of the measures more effectively than ginger and turmeric and may have a role in alleviating the risks of the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular complications.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells, leading to deficiency of insulin production. Successful islet transplantation can normalise hyperglycaemia in T1D patients; however, the limited availability of the islets, loss of islet cell mass through apoptosis after islet isolation and potential autoimmune destruction of the transplanted islets prevent the widespread use of this procedure. Therefore, the search for novel and cost-effective agents that can prevent or treat T1D is extremely important to decrease the burden of morbidity from this disease. In the present study, we discovered that ( − )-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, 0·05 % in drinking-water), the primary polyphenolic component in green tea, effectively delayed the onset of T1D in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. At 32 weeks of age, eight (66·7 %) out of twelve mice in the control group developed diabetes, whereas only three (25 %) out of twelve mice in the EGCG-treated group became diabetic (P < 0·05). Consistently, mice supplemented with EGCG had significantly higher plasma insulin levels and survival rate but lower glycosylated Hb concentrations compared with the control animals. EGCG had no significant effects on food or water intake and body weight in mice, suggesting that the glucose-lowering effect was not due to an alteration in these parameters. While EGCG did not modulate insulitis, it elevated the circulating anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 level in NOD mice. These findings demonstrate that EGCG may be a novel, plant-derived compound capable of reducing the risk of T1D.

Trans-fatty acids (TFA) and cis-monounsaturated fat appear to exert detrimental and beneficial effects, respectively, on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Adipose tissue and skeletal muscle are a source of signalling proteins (adipokines and myokines), some of which have been related to the control of insulin sensitivity. Here, we investigated the possible differential effects of elaidic acid (EA; trans-9-18 : 1) – the major component in industrially produced TFA – and oleic acid (OA; cis-9-18 : 1) – its cis-isomer naturally present in food – on cellular glucose uptake and the expression of selected myokines and adipokines using cell models. Differentiated C2C12 myotubes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes were pretreated with the vehicle (control cells) or fatty acids for 24 h, after which basal and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake and the expression of selected signalling proteins were measured. In C2C12 myotubes, pretreatment with OA, but not with EA, led to increased insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake and IL-6 expression levels, while pretreatment with EA, but not with OA, led to reduced IL-15 mRNA levels and increased TNF-α expression levels. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, exposure to OA, but not to EA, resulted in reduced resistin gene expression and increased adiponectin gene expression. The results show evidence of distinct, direct effects of OA and EA on muscle glucose uptake and the expression of target myokines and adipokines, thus suggesting novel mechanisms by which cis- and trans-monounsaturated fat may differentially affect systemic functions.

The present study aimed at assessing the counts and species distribution of intestinal lactobacilli and exploring if the data are associated with BMI and blood glucose level in healthy adults and elderly persons. The BMI (P < 0·01), the level of fasting blood glucose (P < 0·001) and the total counts of lactobacilli (P < 0·01 by bacteriology; P < 0·001 by real-time PCR) were higher in the elderly. The number of species in adults was lower (P < 0·05), who were more often colonised with Lactobacillus acidophilus (P = 0·031) and L. helveticus (P < 0·001). In contrast, L. plantarum (P = 0·035), L. paracasei (P < 0·001) and L. reuteri (P = 0·031) were more prevalent in the elderly. L. rhamnosus was detected in adults (P < 0·001), but not in any elderly person. BMI was associated with counts of lactobacilli, adjusted for age and sex (P = 0·008). The higher BMI in both groups of persons was associated with the presence of obligate homofermentative lactobacilli and L. sakei, both adjusted for age and sex. Plasma glucose values were positively correlated with BMI and negatively correlated with colonisation with L. paracasei (P = 0·0238) in adults and on the borderline with L. fermentum (P = 0·052) in the elderly. Thus, the species-specific PCR analysis of Lactobacillus sp. combined with viable plating data indicates substantial age-related structural differences in the intestinal lactobacilli communities. The higher counts of intestinal Lactobacillus sp. are associated with higher BMI and blood glucose content, while their specific fermentative groups and species of lactobacilli appear at different glucose levels both in adults and in the elderly.

Fe absorption from water-soluble forms of Fe is inversely proportional to Fe status in humans. Whether this is true for poorly soluble Fe compounds is uncertain. Our objectives were therefore (1) to compare the up-regulation of Fe absorption at low Fe status from ferrous sulphate (FS) and ferric pyrophosphate (FPP) and (2) to compare the efficacy of FS with FPP in a fortification trial to increase body Fe stores in Fe-deficient children v. Fe-sufficient children. Using stable isotopes in test meals in young women (n 49) selected for low and high Fe status, we compared the absorption of FPP with FS. We analysed data from previous efficacy trials in children (n 258) to determine whether Fe status at baseline predicted response to FS v. FPP as salt fortificants. Plasma ferritin was a strong negative predictor of Fe bioavailability from FS (P < 0·0001) but not from FPP. In the efficacy trials, body Fe at baseline was a negative predictor of the change in body Fe for both FPP and FS, but the effect was significantly greater with FS (P < 0·01). Because Fe deficiency up-regulates Fe absorption from FS but not from FPP, food fortification with FS may have relatively greater impact in Fe-deficient children. Thus, more soluble Fe compounds not only demonstrate better overall absorption and can be used at lower fortification levels, but they also have the added advantage that, because their absorption is up-regulated in Fe deficiency, they innately ‘target’ Fe-deficient individuals in a population.

Although several nutrients and foods are suggested to be preventive against postpartum depression, all previous studies have primarily focused on single nutrients or foods. In contrast, studies on dietary patterns, namely the measurement of overall diet by considering the cumulative effects of nutrient, may provide new insights into the influence of diet on postpartum depression. We prospectively examined the association between dietary patterns during pregnancy and the risk of postpartum depression among 865 Japanese women. Diet was assessed with a validated, self-administered diet history questionnaire. Dietary patterns from thirty-three predefined food groups (energy-adjusted food (g/d)) were extracted by factor analysis. Postpartum depression was defined as present when the subjects had an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of ≥ 9 at 2–9 months postpartum. A total of 121 women (14·0 %) were classified as having postpartum depression. Three dietary patterns were identified: ‘Healthy’, ‘Western’ and ‘Japanese’ patterns. After adjustment for potential confounders, neither the ‘Healthy’ nor the ‘Japanese’ pattern was related to the risk of postpartum depression. Compared with the first quartile of the ‘Western’ pattern, only the second quartile was independently related to a decreased risk of postpartum depression (multivariate OR 0·52, 95 % CI 0·30, 0·93), although no evident exposure–response associations were observed (P for trend = 0·36). The present study failed to substantiate clear associations between dietary patterns and the risk of postpartum depression. Further studies with more accurate measurements are warranted to confirm the relationship between dietary patterns and the risk of postpartum depression.

Findings on dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) as risk factors for type 2 diabetes have been controversial. We examined the associations of dietary GI and GL and the associations of substitution of lower-GI carbohydrates for higher-GI carbohydrates with diabetes risk in a cohort of Finnish men. The cohort consisted of 25 943 male smokers aged 50–69 years. Diet was assessed, at baseline, using a validated diet history questionnaire. During a 12-year follow-up, 1098 incident diabetes cases were identified from a national register. Cox proportional hazard modelling was used to estimate the risk of diabetes, and multivariate nutrient density models were used to examine the effects of substitution of different carbohydrates. Dietary GI and GL were not associated with diabetes risk; multivariate relative risk (RR) for highest v. lowest quintile for GI was 0·87 (95 % CI 0·71, 1·07) and for GL 0·88 (95 % CI 0·65, 1·17). Substitution of medium-GI carbohydrates for high-GI carbohydrates was inversely associated with diabetes risk (multivariate RR for highest v. lowest quintile 0·75, 95 % CI 0·59, 0·96), but substitution of low-GI carbohydrates for medium- or high-GI carbohydrates was not associated with the risk. In conclusion, dietary GI and GL were not associated with diabetes risk, and substitutions of lower-GI carbohydrates for higher-GI carbohydrates were not consistently associated with a lower diabetes risk. The associations of dietary GI and GL with diabetes risk should be interpreted by considering nutritional correlates, as foods may have different properties that affect risk.

The relative contributions of fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) to body weight are key indicators for several major public health issues. Predictive models could offer new insights into body composition analysis. A non-parametric equation derived from a probabilistic Bayesian network (BN) was established by including sex, age, body weight and height. We hypothesised that it would be possible to assess the body composition of any subject from easily accessible covariables by selecting an adjusted FFM value within a reference dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurement database (1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), n 10 402). FM was directly calculated as body weight minus FFM. A French DXA database (n 1140) was used (1) to adjust the model parameters (n 380) and (2) to cross-validate the model responses (n 760). French subjects were significantly different from American NHANES subjects with respect to age, weight and FM. Despite this different population context, BN prediction was highly reliable. Correlations between BN predictions and DXA measurements were significant for FFM (R2 0·94, P < 0·001, standard error of prediction (SEP) 2·82 kg) and the percentage of FM (FM%) (R2 0·81, P < 0·001, SEP 3·73 %). Two previously published linear models were applied to the subjects of the French database and compared with BN predictions. BN predictions were more accurate for both FFM and FM than those obtained from linear models. In addition, BN prediction generated stochastic variability in the FM% expressed in terms of BMI. The use of such predictions in large populations could be of interest for many public health issues.

The model developed by Forbes (1987) of how body fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) change during periods of weight loss or gain (Δ body weight (BW)) assumed that they change in relationship to a constant C = 10·4, where ΔFFM/ΔBW = 10·4/(10·4+FM). Forbes derived C based on aggregated, cross-sectional data from a small sample of women. The objective of the present study was to reanalyse the relationship described by Forbes and to explore whether this relationship is consistent across ethnicity and sex groups using cross-sectional data from a large sample of white and African-American men and women. Baseline data from white and African-American men and women aged 18–60 years, who participated in a clinical study at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center since 2001 and who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans, were available for analysis. To overcome differences in BMI distributions among the ethnicity-by-sex groups, a stratified random sample of participants was selected within each group such that numbers in each BMI category ( < 25, 25–29·9, 30–34·9, 35–39·9, 40+ kg/m2) were proportional to those within the group with the smallest sample size, yielding a sample of 1953 individuals. Linear regression models assessed the FM–FFM relationship across the four ethnicity-by-sex groups. The FM–FFM relationship varied little by ethnicity (P = 0·57) or by sex (P = 0·26). The constant describing the FM–FFM relationship was estimated to be 9·7 (95 % CI 9·0, 10·3). In conclusion, results from our large, biethnic sample of men and women found a FM–FFM relationship very close to that originally described by Forbes, absent of significant variability by ethnicity or sex.

The present report summarises a workshop convened by the UK Food Standards Agency (Agency) on 25 March 2010 to discuss the current Agency's funded research on the use of metabolomics technologies in human nutrition research. The objectives of this workshop were to review progress to date, to identify technical challenges and ways of overcoming them, and to discuss future research priorities and the application of metabolomics in public health nutrition research and surveys. Results from studies nearing completion showed that by using carefully designed dietary and sampling regimens, it is possible to identify novel biomarkers of food intake that could not have been predicted from current knowledge of food composition. These findings provide proof-of-principle that the metabolomics approach can be used to develop new putative biomarkers of dietary intake. The next steps will be to validate these putative biomarkers, to develop rapid and inexpensive assays for biomarkers of food intake of high public health relevance, and to test their utility in population cohort studies and dietary surveys.