Functional Foods — Lebensmittel der Zukunft?: Maßgeschneiderte Ernährung

Functional foods might be helpful in improving the nutritional status and preventing certain diseases. In order to inform the consumer about the benefit of a product it will be necessary to enable scientifically proved health claims. These health claims have to be supported by studies and should make clear how a product can influence health. Only if there are proven facts, functional foods could establish on the market as foods of the future in the longer term beside the naturally healthful products. It will be of no use neither to the consumer nor to the food industry to promote these product group with exaggerated promises as a kind of miracle cure which can help against all diseases. The acceptance of the consumer will depend on credible product concepts. Another important precondition for functional foods is that there are absolutely no health risks associated with the consumption of these products. Recommendations regarding fortification and intake of functional foods must consider this aspect. Side effects by excessive doses or imbalances are to be avoided. The consumer should know that the point is not to take as much as possible of potentially healthful single substances but to show clearly that physiological dosages, which can also be attained by a higher intake of traditional food are associated with the best benefit‐risk relation, i.e. show the greatest benefit and minimal risk. In general functional foods do not resolve any nutritional problem. The effects are limited, especially if the nutrition is imbalanced (e.g. hyperenergetic, high fat). In these cases the addition of functional foods offers no or only small corrective effects. Functional foods represent no substitute for a fully balanced nourishment with a high amount of naturally healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grain products as well as milk and milk products.     

The efficacy and safety of nutrient supplements in the treatment of mental disorders: a meta‐review of meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials

The role of nutrition in mental health is becoming increasingly acknowledged. Along with dietary intake, nutrition can also be obtained from “nutrient supplements”, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids and pre/probiotic supplements. Recently, a large number of meta‐analyses have emerged examining nutrient supplements in the treatment of mental disorders. To produce a meta‐review of this top‐tier evidence, we identified, synthesized and appraised all meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting on the efficacy and safety of nutrient supplements in common and severe mental disorders. Our systematic search identified 33 meta‐analyses of placebo‐controlled RCTs, with primary analyses including outcome data from 10,951 individuals. The strongest evidence was found for PUFAs (particularly as eicosapentaenoic acid) as an adjunctive treatment for depression. More nascent evidence suggested that PUFAs may also be beneficial for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, whereas there was no evidence for schizophrenia. Folate‐based supplements were widely researched as adjunctive treatments for depression and schizophrenia, with positive effects from RCTs of high‐dose methylfolate in major depressive disorder. There was emergent evidence for N‐acetylcysteine as a useful adjunctive treatment in mood disorders and schizophrenia. All nutrient supplements had good safety profiles, with no evidence of serious adverse effects or contraindications with psychiatric medications. In conclusion, clinicians should be informed of the nutrient supplements with established efficacy for certain conditions (such as eicosapentaenoic acid in depression), but also made aware of those currently lacking evidentiary support. Future research should aim to determine which individuals may benefit most from evidence‐based supplements, to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms.     

Vollwertige Ernährung schützt vor Herzinfarkt: Nahrungsfette

High intake of dietary fats, especially of saturated fatty acids, is an important risk of premature coronary heart disease. LDL‐cholesterol and HDL‐cholesterol in plasma are influenced by several dietary factors and are determining by different ways the development of arteriosclerosis. n‐3 and n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential and in a suitable ratio play a beneficial role in prevention of arteriosclerosis. The benefit of vitamins as supplements is not convincing. In view of today's knowledge it makes little sense to ingest individual nutrients in high doses, instead one should encourage consumption of a wholesome diet moderate in fat and with high dietary fibre food.     

Health benefit application of functional oligosaccharides

There is no doubt that the functional oligosaccharides have positive effects on human health, both in the prevention and in treatment of chronic diseases. Therefore, there is great interest in health benefits of the functional oligosaccharides. The functional oligosaccharides of various origins (viruses, bacteria, plants and fungi) have been used extensively both as pharmacological supplements, food ingredients, in processed food to aid weight control, to regulation of glucose control for diabetic patients and reducing serum lipid levels in hyperlipidemics and other some acute and chronic diseases. Keeping in view, the pharmacological importance of the functional oligosaccharides and its derivatives, this article discusses the potential of the functional oligosaccharides to modulate the gut flora, to affect different gastrointestinal activities and lipid metabolism, to enhance immunity, and to reduce diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular risk for further exploitation of health benefits of the functional oligosaccharides.     

Effects of antioxidant vitamin supplements on Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis in Mongolian gerbils

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies show that high intake of food-bound vitamin C and E reduces the risk of gastric cancer. Whether dietary supplementation with antioxidant micronutrients interferes with Helicobacter pylori infection and associated diseases is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate if dietary vitamin C or E supplementation influences the progression of gastritis, gastric mucosal nitrosative and oxidative protein damage, gastric mucosal lipid peroxidation, or gastric mucosal oxidative DNA damage in H. pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gerbils were divided into four groups: H. pylori-infected animals fed with vitamin C- or vitamin E-supplemented food, and infected and uninfected animals given standard rodent food. Subgroups of animals were killed at different time-points until 52 weeks postinfection. Concentrations of 3-nitrotyrosine and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the gastric mucosa were determined with an immunodot blot and a fluorometric method, respectively. Mucosal concentrations of carbonyl carbons on proteins and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Gastritis was scored semiquantitatively. RESULTS: Vitamin supplements had no effect on the colonization with H. pylori. Vitamin C as well as vitamin E supplements reduced mucosal 3-nitrotyrosine concentrations to normal levels in infected animals. Vitamin E supplements decreased mucosal protein carbonyls and TBARS in short-term gastritis. In addition, vitamin C supplements caused attenuated mucosal oxidative DNA damage and milder mucosal inflammation in short-term gastritis. CONCLUSION: Vitamin C or vitamin E supplementation leads to some short-term protective effects on H. pylori-induced gastritis in Mongolian gerbils. These effects seem to subside over time when the infection persists.     

Comparative study of fatty-acid composition of table eggs from the Jeddah food market and effect of value addition in omega-3 bio-fortified eggs

Health consciousness has increased the desire of people around the world to consume functional foods. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are one among these beneficial and important health supplements without which a general predisposition to degenerative and stress related disorders can occur. Saudi Arabia has shown an alarming increase in obesity (Al-Nozha et al., 2005), diabetes (Alqurashi et al., 2011), and cardiovascular disease (Al-Nozha et al., 2004) in the last few decades mainly due to nutritional transitions and lifestyle alterations (Amuna and Zotor, 2008). Lack of nutrient dense foods and the prevailing food related disorder of obesity (Popkin, 2001; Prentice, 2014) especially render egg as a choice food to be value-added for attaining nutritional security in Saudi Arabia and in effect reverse the increasing incidences of lifestyle diseases. Nutritional intervention through a commonly consumed food product would be an important step in improving the health of the people, and reducing health care costs. As eggs are a frequently consumed food item in Saudi Arabia, enriching them with omega-3 fatty acids would be an excellent way to alleviate the existing problems. A significant deposition of omega-3 fatty acids in the eggs was observed when the diet of hens was supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids from either flaxseed or fish oil source. Inadequacy of omega-3 fatty acids could thus be rectified by producing omega-3 enriched eggs from hens supplemented with flaxseed or fish oil source, and thus contribute toward better health choice of the consumer.     

Induction of low-nutritious food intake by subsequent nutrient supplementation in sheep (Ovis aries)

Acceptance of and preference for a particular food depends not only on its intrinsic (e.g. nutritional) properties but also on expected or recent food experiences. An instance of this type of phenomenon has been called induction effect, which consists of an increased intake of a type of food when it precedes a hedonically preferred food in a sequence familiar to the animal, relative to controls that have access only to the less-preferred food. The purpose of our study was to assess intake induction of a low-nutritious food when followed by different high-nutritious supplements in sheep (Ovis aries). In this experiment, we ran a supplemented phase where animals fed oat hay (a low-nutritious food) in the first part of the daily feeding sessions followed by a supplement with either a high (soya bean meal; group GS) or a low (ground corn; group GC) protein–energy ratio in the second part ate more oat hay than controls that were fed oat hay in both parts of sessions (group GH). In addition, supplemented animals presented a stronger preference for oat hay over alfalfa hay than controls in a subsequent choice. When all animals received no food in the second part of the sessions (Non-supplemented phase), intake of oat hay converged to the control's intake level in all the groups, suggesting that the presence of supplements after access to oat hay was responsible for intake induction. Lastly, we repeated the supplemented phase with a different control group where animals received oat hay in the first part of the sessions and no food in the second part (group NF), thus equalizing groups in terms of the time of access to oat hay in a session. Groups GS and GC still developed higher intake of oat hay than group NF. In both supplemented phases of the experiment, we estimated animals’ daily metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) intake. CP intake was higher in group GS than in groups GC, GH and NF, but there was no difference between group GC and the controls. In turn, groups did not differ in ME intake in the First supplemented phase, and only group GS presented higher ME intake than the rest of the groups in the Second supplemented phase. Therefore, a nutritional account of the present induction effect seems insufficient. We propose that a learned association between oat hay and the post-ingestive feedback from the subsequent high-nutritious supplements underlay sheep's intake induction and increased preference for oat hay.     

Ochratoxin A in Brewer’s Yeast Used as Nutrient Supplement

Brewer’s yeast comprises different strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae used for beermaking. It is additionally used as a nutrient supplement to increase the intake of B vitamins and is recommended primarily for children in growth, women during pregnancy and lactation and persons during convalescence. A total of 51 samples of brewer’s yeast from the German market were analysed for the occurrence of ochratoxin A (OTA) by means of immunoaffinity clean up and HPLC with fluorescence detection. Thirty-two samples (63%) were found to be naturally contaminated with OTA in the range from the detection limit (0.03) to 1.53 ng/g. Mean values of the positive samples varied between 0.10 ng/g (powder) and 1.2 ng/g (dragees). In a worst case scenario, the consumption of brewer’s yeast could enhance the calculated daily intake for the German population by 10 to 14 ng OTA/day and person and increase the intake particularly for children from 1.3 up to about 1.9 ng/kg body weight.Thus, the results document that food supplements consisting of natural brewer’s yeast from the brewing process are a yet unknown source for the intake of ochratoxin A and a potential exposure risk. The screening of brewer’s yeast food supplements for OTA is therefore recommended in the context of food safety and quality control.     

食物营养成分变化对卡氏小鼠和黄毛鼠摄食消化的影响

动物从环境中获取足够营养和能量的能力决定着其生存和繁殖。为探讨同域分布不同体型的鼠类对不同营养成分食物的摄食消化对策,以三种不同营养成分食物分别饲喂卡氏小鼠和黄毛鼠,在第10天和20天,以食物平衡法测定日摄食量、日粪便量、净摄入量和表观消化率。结果发现,在整个驯化过程中,两种鼠的不同食物组间体重无显著差异,表明均能够适应食物营养的变化维持收支平衡。在驯化第10天时,高蛋白组卡氏小鼠的日摄食量显著高于高淀粉组,但两组与普通组均无差异;高蛋白组卡氏小鼠的日粪便量显著高于高淀粉组和普通组;而净摄入量无组间差异;高淀粉组和普通组的表观消化率显著高于高蛋白组。至第20天时,三组动物日摄食量无差异;高蛋白组的日粪便量高于高淀粉组和普通组。黄毛鼠仅在第10天时高淀粉组和普通组表观消化率高于高蛋白组,三组黄毛鼠其他消化参数在第10天和第20天均无显著组间差异。结果表明,体型不同的鼠类因消化冗余能力的差异,面对相同的食物营养成分变化,会以不同的摄食消化策略调节适应。     

Do Pollinators Contribute to Nutritional Health?

Despite suggestions that animal pollinators are crucial for human nutritional health, no studies have actually tested this claim. Here, we combined data on crop pollination requirements, food nutrient densities, and actual human diets to predict the effects of pollinator losses on the risk of nutrient deficiency. In four developing countries and across five nutrients, we found that 0 to 56% of populations would become newly at risk if pollinators were removed. Increases in risk were most pronounced for vitamin A in populations with moderate levels of total nutrient intake. Overall, the effects of pollinator decline varied widely among populations and nutrients. We conclude that the importance of pollinators to human nutrition depends critically on the composition of local diets, and cannot be reliably predicted from global commodity analyses. We identify conditions under which severe health effects of pollinator loss are most likely to occur.     

Zinc requirements and the risks and benefits of zinc supplementation.

The adult human contains 2-3g of zinc, about 0.1% of which are replenished daily. On this basis and based on estimates of bioavailability of zinc, dietary recommendations are made for apparently healthy individuals. Absent chemical, functional, and/or physical signs of zinc deficiency are assumed indicative of adequacy. More specific data are seldom available. Changing food preferences and availability, and new food preparation, preservation, and processing technologies may require re-evaluation of past data. Conservative estimates suggest that 25% of the world's population is at risk of zinc deficiency. Most of the affected are poor, and rarely consume foods rich in highly bioavailable zinc, while subsisting on foods that are rich in inhibitors of zinc absorption and/or contain relatively small amounts of bioavailable zinc. In contrast, among the relatively affluent, food choice is a major factor affecting risk of zinc deficiency. An additional problem, especially among the relatively affluent, is risk of chronic zinc toxicity caused by excessive consumption of zinc supplements. High intakes of zinc relative to copper can cause copper deficiency. A major challenge that has not been resolved for maximum health benefit is the proximity of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) and the reference dose (RfD) for safe intake of zinc. Present recommendations do not consider the numerous dietary factors that influence the bioavailability of zinc and copper, and the likelihood of toxicity from zinc supplements. Thus the current assumed range between safe and unsafe intakes of zinc is relatively narrow. At present, assessment of zinc nutriture is complex, involving a number of chemical and functional measurements that have limitations in sensitivity and specificity. This approach needs to be enhanced so that zinc deficiency or excess can be detected early. An increasing number of associations between diseases and zinc status and apparently normal states of health, where additional zinc might be efficacious to prevent certain conditions, point at the pharmacology of zinc compounds as a promising area. For example, relationships between zinc and diabetes mellitus are an area where research might prove fruitful. In our opinion, a multidisciplinary approach will most likely result in success in this fertile area for translational research.     

Application of HACCP to identify hygiene risks in the home

Hygiene related health hazards in the home include ingestion of microorganisms or toxins, inhalation of toxins, allergens or microorganisms and infections through the skin. Bacteria, fungi and viruses may all be involved. For any particular family these hazards translate into different risks ranging from mild irritations to serious health threats. These will require different responses in terms of hygiene practice and hygiene product use. The consumer needs help to identify which hazards in his/her home pose a high risk and which are insignificant. Risk analysis techniques especially HACCP (Hazard analysis—critical control point) have been proven as effective tools in controlling hazards in the food industry. We have applied HACCP principles to a risk analysis of a typical home. We conclude that further studies are warranted and to focus on particular groups (e.g. families with infants, pensioners). Such information could be valuable in drawing up hygiene codes of practice and for forming the basis of educational material aimed at different target groups.     

Risk Associated with the Use of Selected Ingredients in Food Supplements

This review focuses on four new product categories of food supplements: pre-workout, fat burner/thermogenic, brain/cognitive booster, and hormone/testosterone booster. Many food supplements have been shown to be contaminated with unauthorized substances. In some cases, the ingredients in the new categories of dietary supplements were medicinal products or new synthetic compounds added without performing clinical trials. Some of the new ingredients in dietary supplements are plant materials that are registered in the pharmacopoeia as herbal medicines. In other cases, dietary supplements may contain plant materials that have no history of human use and are often used as materials to ‘camouflage’ stimulants. In the European Union, new ingredients of dietary supplements, according to European Food Safety Authority or unauthorized novel food. Furthermore, selected ingredients in dietary supplements may be prohibited in sports and are recognized as doping agents by World Anti-Doping Agency.     

Assessing Children's Exposures and Risks to Drinking Water Contaminants: A Manganese Case Study

Background: Compared to adults, children maybe more highly exposed to toxic substances in drinking water because they consume more water per unit of body weight. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has developed new guidance for selecting age groups and age-specific exposure factors for assessing children's exposures and risks to environmental contaminants. Research Aim: To demonstrate the application and importance of applying age-specific drinking water intake rates, health reference values, and exposure scenarios when assessing drinking water exposures because these approaches illustrate the potential for greater potential for adverse health effects among children. Methods: manganese, an essential nutrient and neurotoxicant, was selected as a case study and chemical of potential concern for children's health. A screening-level risk assessment was performed using age-specific drinking water intake rates and manganese concentrations from U.S. public drinking water systems. Results: When age-specific drinking water intake rates are used to calculate dose, formula-fed infants receive the highest dose of manganese from drinking water compared to all other age groups. Estimated hazard quotients suggest adverse health effects are possible. Use of USEPA's standardized childhood age groups and childhood exposure factors significantly improves the understanding of childhood exposure and risks.     

Food Inequality Negatively Impacts Cardiac Health in Rabbits

Background

Individuals with lower socioeconomic status experience higher rates of mortality and are more likely to suffer from numerous diseases. While some studies indicate that humans who suffer from social inequality suffer generally worse health, to our knowledge no controlled experiments of this nature have been done in any species. Lipofuscin is a highly oxidized cross-linked aggregate consisting of oxidized protein and lipid clusters. This eminent terminal oxidation outcome accumulates within cells during aging process.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Thirty two rabbits were assigned into four groups randomly of eight each. The first group encountered food deprivation for eight weeks and was kept in an isolated situation. The second group was food deprived for eight weeks but encountered to other groups continuously. The third group suffered two weeks of deprivation and then received free access to food. The fourth group had free access to diet without any deprivation. All hearts were removed for histopathological evaluation. Cross-sections of hearts were examined by light microscopy for the presence of yellow-brown Lpofuscin pigment granules. Here we show that relative food deprivation can cause accumulation of Lipofuscin pigmentation. We find that cardiac Lipofuscin deposition increases the most in the inequitable condition in which food deprived individuals observe well-fed individuals.

Conclusions/Significance

Our findings demonstrate that a sense of inequality in food intake can promote aging more than food deprivation alone. These findings should be considered as a basis for further studies on the physiological mechanisms by which inequality negatively impacts health and well-being.     

Vitamin D in foods and as supplements

Numerous studies have shown that the vitamin D status is far from optimal in many countries all over the world. The main reason for this is lack of sunshine. Only a limited number of foods naturally contain vitamin D. Good sources of vitamin D(3) are fish (not only fatty fish), egg yolk, and offal such as liver. Some foods such as milk are fortified with vitamin D in some countries. Dietary vitamin D intake is low in many countries, especially as the dietary sources are limited. The use of supplements is important and seems to be high in some countries. Current dietary intake recommendations are too low to preserve/reach optimal S-25-OHD concentrations, when UVB radiation is not available. We suggest that the recommendations should be increased to at least 10 microg per day in all age groups when solar UVB is scarce. The elderly may need a daily vitamin D intake of 25 microg. If dietary intake of vitamin D is to be increased, food habits will have to change. From a public health point of view it is better to increase the potential sources of vitamin D by fortifying specific products that are consumed commonly in a whole population, or if necessary by especially vulnerable groups. Supplement use is probably the right alternative for vulnerable groups such as infants and inactive elderly in whom this is more easily implemented.     

Protecting Future Children from In‐Utero Harm

The actions of pregnant women can cause harm to their future children. However, even if the possible harm is serious and likely to occur, the law will generally not intervene. A pregnant woman is an autonomous person who is entitled to make her own decisions. A fetus in‐utero has no legal right to protection. In striking contrast, the child, if born alive, may sue for injury in‐utero; and the child is entitled to be protected by being removed from her parents if necessary for her protection. Indeed, there is a legal obligation for health professionals to report suspected harm, and for authorities to protect the child's wellbeing. We ask whether such contradictory responses are justified. Should the law intervene where a pregnant woman's actions risk serious and preventable fetal injury? The argument for legal intervention to protect a fetus is sometimes linked to the concept of ‘fetal personhood’ and the moral status of the fetus. In this article we will suggest that even if the fetus is not regarded as a separate person, and does not have the legal or moral status of a child, indeed, even if the fetus is regarded as having no legal or moral status, there is an ethical and legal case for intervening to prevent serious harm to a future child. We examine the arguments for and against intervention on behalf of the future child, drawing on the example of excessive maternal alcohol intake.     

Brent Geese Branta bernicla and Zostera; factors affecting the exploitation of a seasonally declining food resource

Brent Geese Branta bernicla wintering at Lindisfarne, northeastern England, fed almost exclusively on intertidal habitats. Their main food supply was two species of Eelgrass Zostera noltii and Zostera angustifolia. Although abundant when the birds arrived in September, this Zostera was rapidly depleted during the period October-December. Brent Goose food intake rate declined with the decreasing food supply, and the birds responded by extending the time that they spent feeding. When it was no longer possible to extend the time spent feeding (i.e. they were feeding for all of the time that the food supply was available to them), they moved away from the site. The geese fed extensively at night in order to achieve their daily feeding requirements, especially later in the season. Conversion of daily food intake to energetic intake suggested that there may have been an energetic trigger acting: the geese left the site when they were unable to satisfy their basic energy demand. No evidence was found for direct interference competition between Brent Geese and the other grazer in the system, Wigeon Anas penelope: the two species showed no spatial segregation in their feeding areas at the scale investigated nor any temporal avoidance of each other.     

Nutrient intakes in women and risks of anophthalmia and microphthalmia in their offspring

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of information about risk factors for the human eye anomalies anophthalmia and microphthalmia. In this population-based case-control study we investigated whether periconceptional intakes of supplemental folic acid, dietary folate, vitamin A, and several other nutrients were associated with these eye defects. METHODS: This study included data on deliveries that had estimated due dates from 1997-2002 and were part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (the National Birth Defects Prevention Study is a population-based case-control study of a wide spectrum of birth defects, incorporating data from 10 birth defects surveillance systems in the United States [Arkansas, California, Georgia/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah]). Cases were those infants or fetuses born with either anophthalmia or microphthalmia. Liveborn infants without major malformations were eligible as controls. Maternal interviews were conducted, primarily by telephone, in English or Spanish. Participation in the interview was 71% among case mothers and 68% among control mothers. Interviews were completed with 89 case mothers and 4,143 control mothers. A shortened version of the food frequency questionnaire from the Nurse's Health Study was used to assess frequency of intake of 58 food items during the year before pregnancy. RESULTS: Our results did not indicate reduced risks for these eye malformations associated with maternal intake of vitamin supplements containing folic acid. The data did not show an association between malformation risk and higher or lower intakes of vitamin A. We also did not observe strong evidence that an abundance or a lack of dietary intake of any other nutrient was associated with increased risk of the studied eye malformations. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations contribute to a limited body of findings on these rare eye defects.     

Vitamin E: supplement versus diet in neurodegenerative diseases

Contradicting outcomes have been observed in numerous studies investigating the benefits of vitamin E supplements in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. By reviewing epidemiological studies and clinical trials, it is found that dietary intake of vitamin E exhibits beneficial effects on neurodegeneration, whereas α-tocopherol supplements failed in most interventional trials. Potential reasons for why α-tocopherol supplements exhibit disappointing effects, especially compared with dietary intake, are put forward and implications for future studies are discussed.