There is a relationship between the fatty acid profile in skeletal muscle phospholipids and peripheral resistance to insulin in adults, but similar data have not been reported in infancy and childhood. The objective of this study was to investigate the fatty acid composition of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue across the paediatric age range. The fatty acid profile of skeletal muscle phospholipids and adipose tissue triacylglycerols was analysed in ninety-three healthy Spanish infants and children distributed into four groups: group 1 (0 to <2 years, n 10); group 2 (2 to <5 years, n 41); group 3 (5 to <10 years, n 24); group 4 (10 to 15 years, n 18). In skeletal muscle phospholipids, oleic acid (18: 1n-9cis) content decreased significantly whereas that of linoleic (18: 2n-6) acid increased significantly with age (P for trend <0·01). In adipose tissue, the contents of triacylglycerol and linoleic acid increased significantly across the paediatric age range (P for trend <0·01), whereas dihomo-γ-linolenic (20: 3n-6) and arachidonic (20: 4n-6) showed significant differences between groups. The variations in fatty acid composition observed with age indicated an imbalance in dietary n-3/n-6 long-chain PUFA.

A community-based, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was conducted from March 2001 to March 2002 in Kilosa, a rural district of Morogoro Region in Tanzania. One hundred and fifty-eight infants were selected randomly from lists of local Maternal and Child Health Care Centres and received either processed complementary food (PCF) or unprocessed complementary food (UPCF) from age 6 to 12 months. Processing increased Zn solubility and energy density of the porridge prepared from the complementary food (CF) as determined in vitro. Phytate:Zn molar ratio of the PCF and UPCF was 25·8 and 47·5, respectively. Under the study conditions, the processing of CF did not improve Zn status as measured by hair analysis. No significant correlations were found between hair Zn values and anthropometric measurements. Our findings suggest that processing alone of cereal-based CF may be insufficient to ensure an adequate supply of Zn to improve growth and Zn status of infants. Dietary modification to tackle Zn deficiencies in similar target groups may therefore only be successful when other Zn-rich foods such as meat and fish are included.

Data on folate absorption from food from validated human studies using physiological folate doses are still needed to estimate dietary requirements and to formulate recommendations. The aim of the present work was to study the effects from fortified and processed foods on folate absorption in ileostomy volunteers (n 9) using the area under the plasma concentration curve (AUC) and kinetic modelling. Using a standardized single-dose protocol, dairy products fortified with a candidate fortificant (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate ((6S)-5-CH3-H4folate), folic acid-fortified bread and a dessert crème containing natural yeast folate polyglutamates were compared with folate supplements. Absorbed folate was estimated by AUC and a kinetic model, and non-absorbed folate by ileostomal folate excretion. Median apparent absorption from test foods ranged from 55 to 86%. Added folate-binding proteins (FBP) significantly reduced folate absorption from dairy products, as in the absence of FBP, AUC–dose-corrected ratios were increased and ileal folate excretion decreased. After in vivo gastrointestinal passage of dairy products containing FBP, up to 43% of the ingested FBP was found in ileostomal effluent. Folate absorption was similar for (6S)-5-CH3-H4folate fortificant from fermented milk and for folic acid from fortified bread. Folic acid, ingested as food fortificant in bread, was significantly less absorbed compared with an isolated supplement. We conclude that all tested foods were suitable matrices for folate fortification. However, dairy products, fortified with the new candidate fortificant (6S)-5-CH3-H4folate, are suitable if no active FBP is present.

UC (ulcerative colitis) patients have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with the normal population. The cause underlying this higher risk is not fully defined but includes nutritional and environmental factors concomitant with genetic alterations. We aimed to evaluate genetic stability in the colonic tissue of UC patients in clinical remission compared with the healthy population, and to establish a possible correlation between nutritional habits and these molecular assessments. UC patients (n 42) and healthy controls (n 37) participated in the study. All participants were histopathologically and medically diagnosed. Participants completed five separate 7d dietary records, food-frequency questionnaires and validated 24h recalls for nutritional assessment. The extent of chromosome 17 loss and the calculated chromosome index was determined in colon tissue biopsies by fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Correlations between the molecular and nutritional assessments were performed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Significant differences in the nutritional intake of total fat (65 (SD 15) v. 89 (SD 25) g), cholesterol (330 (SD 168) v. 464 (SD 177) mg), dietary fibre (32 (SD 4·7) v. 9 (SD 4) g), vitamin A (1009 (SD 209) v. 506 (SD 204) μg), vitamin C (308 (SD 108) v. 72 (SD 53) mg) and folic acid (412 (SD 89 μg) v. 187 (SD 107)) were recorded for UC patients compared with controls. Significant correlations were found for the consumption of different food groups and the chromosome index for chromosome 17. The results of our study suggest that the nutritional habits adopted by UC patients during clinical remission may affect key cellular components of the colonic tissue, inducing a high degree of aneuploidy and genetic instability, and probably affecting the development of colon cancer.

I deficiency is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation. A number of surveys in Afghanistan show goitre prevalence rates more than 20% amongst children and women. Access to iodised salt remains low, with disparate coverage by region, despite the recent implementation of a national salt iodisation programme. The objectives were to identify whether the presence of goitre is a satisfactory marker of I deficiency and to examine the relationship between goitre and thyroid function. A case–control study was carried out in children and women of childbearing age, stratified on the presence of goitre. Adequate levels of urinary I were observed in 6·8% of all the subjects, and amongst the subjects without goitre, this figure was only 9%. The presence of goitre was significantly associated with severe urinary I deficiency; however, the difference between the cases and controls was not as great as expected. An association between the presence of goitre and elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels was observed, but 14% of the children without palpable goitre also showed abnormal TSH levels.Given that the majority of subjects showed some degree of I deficiency and that children without goitre may have elevated TSH levels, the absence of goitre is an insufficient indicator to determine adequate I status. The risk of subsequent development of goitre, in the currently non-goitre population, is elevated. This suggests that short-term I supplementation should be considered independently of the presence of goitre or urinary I level, until the access to and consumption of iodised salt is generalised.

The principal phyto-oestrogens (PO) in food are isoflavones, lignans, coumestans and prenylated flavonoids, with isoflavones and lignans being the most commonly found in UK diets. Until recently obtaining accurate data on the PO content of foods was hampered by lack of suitable analytical methods and validation techniques. Furthermore, although PO data exist for some foods, these foods may not be available in the UK. The aim of the present study was to construct a new, comprehensive isoflavone (total genistein + daidzein) database. Using data, mainly from recent GC–MS analysis, for approximately 300 foods available in the UK, and extensive recipe calculations, a new database was constructed containing approximately 6000 foods allocated an isoflavone value. By analysing 7d weighed food diaries, the database was subsequently used to estimate isoflavone intake in two groups of healthy volunteers, omnivores (n 9) and vegetarians (n 10). Mean isoflavone intake in the vegetarian and omnivorous group was 7·4 (sem 3·05) and 1·2 (sem 0·43) mg/d, respectively. Mean intake for the total group was 4·5 (sem 1·89) mg/d. Main food sources of isoflavones for the vegetarian group were soya milk (plain), meat-substitute foods containing textured vegetable protein and soya protein isolate, soya mince, wholemeal bread and rolls, white bread and rolls, croissants and pitta breads, beans, raisins and soya sauce. Main food sources of isoflavones for the omnivorous group were soya yogurts, wholemeal bread and rolls, white bread and rolls, garlic bread, nan bread and brown bread, sultanas and scones.