Estimating energy intake of urban women in Colombia: Comparison of diet records and recalls

As part of a larger study of energy-nutrition, we compared the performance of 24 h diet recalls with estimated diet records kept by trained observers. The subjects were economically disadvantaged women (n = 85) in the city of Cali, Colombia. A 24 h recall and an estimated diet record were collected for each woman at 0 and approximately 3 and 6 months. Energy intake obtained from the estimated dietary records was validated against energy expenditure and used as the reference method. Energy and macronutrient intake were calculated from published food composition tables and proximate analyses of common foods. The number of food items consumed per woman per day, total and in each of 16 food groups, was tabulated. Energy and macronutrient intakes were 11–13% lower in the 24 h recalls. The discrepancy energy could be largely accounted for by the lower number of food items in the recalls. The number of food items in eight of 16 food groups was significantly lower in the recalls compared to the records. Underreporting on the recalls was a general tendency in these subjects and not clearly related to average energy intake. We conclude that 24 h diet recalls underestimate energy and nutrient intake in this population and are not suitable for studies of human energetics. Am J Phys Anthropol 108:53–63, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Nutritional Ecology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ateles chamek</Emphasis> in lowland Bolivia: How Macronutrient Balancing Influences Food Choices

All free-living animals must make choices regarding which foods to eat, with the choices influencing their health and fitness. An important goal in nutritional ecology is therefore to understand what governs animals’ diet selection. Despite large variation in the availability of different food items, Peruvian spider monkeys (Ateles chamek) maintain a relatively stable daily protein intake, but allow total energy intake to vary as a function of the composition of available food items. This is referred to as protein-dominated macronutrient balancing. Here we assess the influence of this nutritional strategy on daily and seasonal nutritional intakes, estimate the nutritional value of different foods, and interpret unusual food choices. We conducted continuous all-day observations of focal spider monkeys inhabiting a semideciduous forest in Bolivia. We recorded feeding events, collected foods, and analyzed their nutrient content. By using the Geometric Framework for nutrition, we show that individuals reached their daily end-point in nutrient space —balance between protein and nonprotein energy intake— by consuming nutritionally balanced foods or by alternating between nutritionally complementary foods. The macronutritionally balanced figs of Ficus boliviana were their primary staple food and therefore dominated their overall nutritional intake. Our results also demonstrate that spider monkeys consumed a diverse array of ripe fruits to overcome periods of fig scarcity rather than vice versa; they could obtain sufficient protein on a diet of pure fruit; and unripe figs constituted a nutritionally rewarding and reliable food resource. We hope that the approaches taken and the conclusions reached in this study will catalyze further inquiries into the nutritional ecology of frugivorous primates.     

Association between serum uncarboxylated osteocalcin levels and nutritional intake in Japanese female athletes

[Purpose] The current study aimed to determine the association between serum uncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) levels and dietary vitamin K intake in female Japanese athletes.[Methods] The nutritional profile and food group intake of 52 Japanese female athletes were investigated using a digital photographic method with data obtained from 3-day dietary records. The food groups were categorized into 18 groups in line with the standard tables of food composition in Japan. Fasting blood samples were collected for serum ucOC levels, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) evaluated body composition and bone parameters.[Results] The results showed that dietary vitamin K intake level was 235 ± 148 µg/day, and approximately 70% (n = 36) of participants consumed more than the adequate intake (AI) level, based on the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese females aged 18–29. Serum ucOC levels were negatively associated with daily vitamin K intake (r = −0.388, P = 0.004) and calcium (r = −0.596, P = 0.004) after adjusting for energy intake.[Conclusion] Our study revealed that serum ucOC levels were negatively associated with dietary vitamin K intake in female Japanese athletes. Serum ucOC levels reflected dietary vitamin K intake in female athletes. In summary, female athletes consume more vitamin K than the general population to maintain bone health. Furthermore, our results indicated that serum ucOC levels might be linked to dietary calcium intake.     

Accuracy of weighed dietary records in studies of diet and health.

OBJECTIVE--To provide an independent evaluation of seven day weighed dietary records, which are currently accepted as the most accurate technique for assessing habitual dietary intake in studies investigating the links between diet and health. DESIGN--Subjects who had previously participated in the Northern Ireland diet and health study were reselected by stratified random sampling to represent the range of energy intakes in the study as assessed by the seven day weighed dietary record. SETTING--Northern Ireland. SUBJECTS--31 Free living adults (16 men and 15 women). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Energy intake as measured by the seven day weighed dietary record and total energy expenditure estimated concurrently by the doubly labelled water technique. RESULTS--Average recorded energy intakes were significantly lower than measured expenditure in the group overall (9.66 MJ/day v 12.15 MJ/day, 95% confidence interval 1.45 to 3.53 MJ/day). Among those in the upper third of energy intakes the mean (SE) ratio of intake to expenditure was close to 1.0, indicating accurate records (men 1.01 (0.11), women 0.96 (0.08]. In the middle and lower thirds the ratios for men were only 0.74 (0.05) and 0.70 (0.07) respectively and for women 0.89 (0.07) and 0.61 (0.07). CONCLUSIONS--These results show a serious bias in reporting habitual energy intake. If substantiated they may have wide implications for the interpretation of many nutritional studies.     

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.     

豆粕和土豆蛋白替代饲料中鱼粉对异育银鲫生长及能量收支的影响

利用全能量收支同步测定呼吸仪系统测定了三种不同蛋白源(鱼粉、豆粕、土豆蛋白)饲料对银鲫生长及能量收支各组分的影响。对照饲料全部以鱼粉为蛋白源,另两种饲料中30％的蛋白质分别来自豆粕和土豆蛋白。试验结果表明,银鲫对三种蛋白源的饲料的摄食率,食物转化效率均有显差异,以鱼粉组最高,豆粕其次,土豆蛋白最低。能量收支各组分也均有显差异,能量收支式如下：鱼粉88．1C=13．77F 2．95U 24．1G 41．8R 豆粕 102．3C=17．1F 2．8U 16．4G 55．4R土豆蛋白105．5C=14．9F 1．3U 14．4G 67．4R式中C、F、U、G、R分别代表摄食能、排粪能、排泄能、生长能、代谢能。     

Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus and nutritional stress: evidence from captive studies

• 1 Numbers of Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus in the North Pacific have declined. According to the nutritional stress hypothesis, this decline is due to reduced food availability. Data from studies conducted on pinnipeds in the laboratory are used here to test if the nutritional stress hypothesis can explain the decline of Steller sea lions.
• 2 Overall, there is strong evidence for biologically meaningful differences in the nutritional quality of major prey species. Steller sea lions can partly compensate for low‐quality prey by increasing their food consumption.
• 3 There appear to be no detrimental effects of low‐lipid prey on sea lion growth or body composition when sea lions can consume sufficient quantities of prey. However, the ability to increase consumption is physiologically limited, particularly in young animals. Overall, it is more difficult to maintain energy intake on a diet of low‐quality prey than on a normal diet.
• 4 Under conditions of inadequate food intake (either due to decreased prey availability or quality, or increased energy requirements) the overall impacts of nutritional stress are complex, and are dependent upon season, prey quality, age and the duration and intensity of the nutritional stress event.
• 5 Studies on pinnipeds in the laboratory have been instrumental in identifying the conditions under which changes in sea lion prey can result in nutritional stress and the nature of the physiological impacts of nutritional stress events.

     

Evaluation of a pelleted diet in a colony of marmosets and tamarins

By offering various pelleted diet modifications to five species of Callitrichidae, a palatable 24% protein diet was developed. The animals received limited fruit supplement, and families received an additional meal of commercial baby food. The pellets supplied approximately 75% of dietary energy and 95% of total protein. In 15 months on this regimen, mortality dropped drastically and fertility improved. No signs of a nutritional deficiency were observed. It was concluded that the nutrient levels of this diet were adequate or above actual requirements.     

Changes in glucocorticoids, IGF-I and thyroid hormones as indicators of nutritional stress and subsequent refeeding in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

Physiological responses to changes in energy balance are tightly regulated by the endocrine system through glucocorticoids, IGF-I and thyroid hormones. Changes in these hormones were studied in eight captive female Steller sea lions that experienced changes in food intake, body mass, body composition, and blood metabolites during summer and winter. During a period of energy restriction, one group of sea lions was fed reduced amounts of Pacific herring and another was fed an isocaloric diet of walleye pollock, after which both groups returned to their pre-experimental diets of herring. Cortisol was negatively and IGF-I was positively associated with changes in body mass during periods of energy restriction (mass loss associated with increase in cortisol and decrease in IGF-I) and refeeding (body mass maintenance associated with stable hormone concentrations in summer and compensatory growth linked to decrease in cortisol and increase in IGF-I in winter). Cortisol and IGF-I were also correlated with changes in lipid and lean mass, respectively. Consequently, these two hormones likely make adequate biomarkers for nutritional stress in sea lions, and when combined provide indication of the energetic strategy (lipid vs lean mass catabolism) animals adopt to cope with changes in nutrient intake. Unlike type of diet fed to the sea lions, age of the animals also impacted hormonal responses, with younger animals showing more intense hormonal changes to nutritional stress. Thyroid hormones, however, were not linked to any physiological changes observed in this study.     

Biosocial responses to seasonal food stress in highland Peru

This paper examines patterns of seasonal variation in food consumption and responses to food stress in the highland community of Nu?oa, Peru. Dietary and anthropometric data collected from January through August of 1985 on a sample of 26 households (127 individuals) are analyzed. This study finds sharp seasonal differences in energy intake (pre-harvest = 1150 calories/day; post-harvest = 1519/day; p less than 0.01) associated with variation in the availability of locally-produced products (e.g., tubers and cereals). Seasonal energy reduction, however, does not uniformly affect all sectors of this population. Children experience little seasonal change in energy intake and have a more adequate pre-harvest diet and better nutritional status than adults. The responses used to "protect" children from energy stress and minimize the overall impact of seasonal food scarcity on this community include: 1) reduction of pre-harvest household caloric needs through emigration of adolescent and adult males, 2) preferential allocation of food to children during the pre-harvest period, 3) seasonal reduction of activity levels and the year-round use of children for many productive activities, and 4) seasonal changes in meal patterns that minimize post-prandial energy loss during periods of stress. Evaluation of similar data from other anthropological populations underscores the diversity of responses to seasonal change in food availability. Moreover, these data indicate that the protection of children from seasonal energy stress is more common than previously thought. Variation in adaptive responses to food stress appears to be dependent upon 1) the nature of the subsistence economy, 2) the relative contributions of children and adults to household production, and 3) the demographic structure of the population.     

Adaptive behaviour of laboratory rats feeding in hot conditions

1. A group of six rats, living at thermoneutrality, but with access to food only under a high heat load, was compared with a similar group living and eating at thermoneutrality. 2. Animals eating in the heat reduced total food intake, meal duration, total feeding time, and rate of weight gain; they increased frequency of feeding and had higher water intakes. 3. Identifiable behavioral and nutritional responses explained some of the difference in adaptation between the groups through other factors may also have played a role.     

Food insecurity is not associated with lower energy intakes

We examined the association between food insecurity and total daily energy intakes in American men and women. We estimated the number of daily snacks and meals consumed by individuals in different food security categories. Also, we calculated the energy contribution, energy density, and food group sources of those snacks and meals. Using the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we examined the Food Security Survey Module (FSSM) and dietary information from the 24-h recall. Differences in energy intakes between groups were not significant. Women who were food insecure without hunger (FIWOH) and food insecure with hunger (FIWH) had significantly fewer meals than food secure (FS) women. The energy contribution of each meal and the total energy contributed from snacking were both significantly greater for FIWOH women than for FS women. The number of meals was significantly lower whereas the daily number of snacking occasions and the total energy from snacking were significantly increased for FIWOH men relative to FS men. FIWOH men consumed snack foods that had significantly lower energy density than those consumed by FS men. Among men and women, the major sources of meal energy were the grain group, the meat, poultry, and fish group, and the sugar, sweets, and beverages group whereas the major source of snacking energy was the sugar, sweets, and beverages group. Total energy intakes were not different for FI individuals; however, their meal and snack behaviors were different. Focusing solely on total energy intake would miss important consequences of food insecurity.     

Difructose anhydride III decreases body fat as a low-energy substitute or by decreasing energy intake in non-ovariectomized and ovariectomized female rats

We evaluated the effects of difructose anhydride III (DFAIII) on body weights of ovariectomized rats, which are a good model for obesity by estrogen deficiency-induced overeating. Female rats (10 weeks old) were subjected to ovariectomy or sham operation and then fed with or without a diet containing 3% or 6% DFAIII for 33 days or pair-fed control diet during the same period. Rats fed DFAIII showed significantly decreased food intake, energy intake, body weight gain, body energy accumulation, and fat tissue weight than control group, regardless of ovariectomy. DFAIII may decrease body fat dependent of reduced food/energy intake. Compared with the respective pair feeding groups, rats fed DFAIII showed significantly decreased body energy and fat tissue weight, regardless of ovariectomy, suggesting its potential as a low-energy substitute for high-energy sweeteners. The low energy of DFAIII may contribute to decreased body fat, which may not be dependent on obesity.     

Nutrient intake and meal patterns of Micmac indian and Caucasian women in Shubenacadie,NS.

North American Indians have a higher morbidity from gallbladder disease, diabetes mellitus and obesity than other North Americans; this may result from their food intake. Nutrient intake and meal patterns were compared in 120 Micmac Indian and 115 Caucasian women in Shubenacadie, NS. Findings were compared with the Canadian Dietary Standard (CDS) and the Nutrition Canada national and Indian survey reports. The diet of Indian women had higher carbohydrate, lower protein and lower fibre content than that of Caucasian women, who derived a higher percentage of energy from protein and had a higher intake of vitamin A, niacin and ascorbic acid. Overnight fast was longer among Indian women. A high percentage of all women studied reported diets that did not reach the CDS for total energy intake in kilocalories or for calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin or riboflavin.     

Variation in body composition of female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) during lactation

Most small mammals support the nutritional requirements of milk production by increasing food intake. However, when nutrient intake is low, maternal body reserves may be mobilized to maintain adequate milk output. We examined patterns of body composition, including dry matter, fat, protein, and mineral content in big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, during lactation. Concentrations of fat and phosphorus were markedly lower in lactating mothers during week three of lactation than during the first two weeks, but these constituents rebounded to previous levels in the fourth and fifth week. Rapid recovery from fat depletion suggests that females are able to adjust to changes in demands for energy. The decrease in phosphorus during mid-lactation suggests bone demineralization, but an interspecific comparison of adult concentrations of minerals prevalent in bone suggests that mineral concentrations may never reach critically low levels in reproductively active females.     

Modeling Energy Dynamics in Mice with Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Fed High Calorie Diets

Retrospective and prospective studies show that lean mass or strength is positively associated with metabolic health. Mice deficient in myostatin, a growth factor that negatively regulates skeletal muscle mass, have increased muscle and body weights and are resistant to diet-induced obesity. Their leanness is often attributed to higher energy expenditure in the face of normal food intake. However, even obese animals have an increase in energy expenditure compared to normal weight animals suggesting this is an incomplete explanation. We have previously developed a computational model to estimate energy output, fat oxidation and respiratory quotient from food intake and body composition measurements to more accurately account for changes in body composition in rodents over time. Here we use this approach to understand the dynamic changes in energy output, intake, fat oxidation and respiratory quotient in muscular mice carrying a dominant negative activin receptor IIB expressed specifically in muscle. We found that muscular mice had higher food intake and higher energy output when fed either chow or a high-fat diet for 15 weeks compared to WT mice. Transgenic mice also matched their rate of fat oxidation to the rate of fat consumed better than WT mice. Surprisingly, when given a choice between high-fat diet and Ensure® drink, transgenic mice consumed relatively more calories from Ensure® than from the high-fat diet despite similar caloric intake to WT mice. When switching back and forth between diets, transgenic mice adjusted their intake more rapidly than WT to restore normal caloric intake. Our results show that mice with myostatin inhibition in muscle are better at adjusting energy intake and output on diets of different macronutrient composition than WT mice to maintain energy balance and resist weight gain.     

Postprandial metabolism and aversive response in rats fed a threonine-devoid diet

Lack of an indispensable amino acid in the diet induces a rapid reduction in food intake. In this study, we assessed whether the anorectic signal after ingestion of a meal lacking threonine originated from either direct perception of the decrease in plasma threonine or from an indirect effect related to increased postprandial amino acid catabolism and energy expenditure. We observed that 3 g of such a meal was sufficient to induce an aversive response to the diet within 2 h. Postprandial changes to plasma ammonia and urea, urinary urea, and energy metabolism did not differ from those measured after a control meal. In contrast, plasma threonine levels fell within 1 h after the meal. It is concluded that an increase in postprandial energy expenditure is not involved in the anorectic response to eating a threonine-devoid diet. The drop in plasma threonine levels may be a potential signal, but the fact that the decrease in food intake occurred 1 h after the decrease in plasma threonine questions a direct causal relationship.     

Fruit-eating in brids and its nutritional consequences

Fruits comprise a large protion of the diet in many bird species. Several species switch diet composition seasonally, from a diet consisting almost entirely of invertebrates to one that comprises even exclusively fruits, and vice versa. The adaptive significance of these dietary shifts has rarely been investigated. The present article reviews some recent data revealing much evidence that seasonal frugivory is highly adaptive, and that fruits may be an adequate food to satisfy the birds' daily nutritional demands. There is further evidence that fruits may provide particular nutritional qualities to meet particular demands. Secondary plant metabolites considered to act as feeding deterrents seem to be less detrimental to avian frugivores than observed in many herbivores. The birds appear to be able to counteract the detrimental effects of secondary compounds taken with their fruit diets. In addition, there is evidence that secondary plant compounds may even stimulate food intake and metabolism in avian frugivores, although the mechanisms of counteradaptation need to be clarified.     

Replacing sweetened caloric beverages with drinking water is associated with lower energy intake

Objective: Reduced intake of sweetened caloric beverages (SCBs) is recommended to lower total energy intake. Replacing SCBs with non‐caloric diet beverages does not automatically lower energy intake, however. Compensatory increases in other food or beverages reportedly negate benefits of diet beverages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate drinking water as an alternative to SCBs. Research Methods and Procedures: Secondary analysis of data from the Stanford A TO Z intervention evaluated change in beverage pattern and total energy intake in 118 overweight women (25 to 50 years) who regularly consumed SCBs (>12 ounces/d) at baseline. At baseline and 2, 6, and 12 months, mean daily beverage intake (SCBs, drinking water, non‐caloric diet beverages, and nutritious caloric beverages), food composition (macronutrient, water, and fiber content), and total energy intake were estimated using three 24‐hour diet recalls. Beverage intake was expressed in relative terms (percentage of beverages). Results: In fixed effects models that controlled for total beverage intake, non‐caloric and nutritious caloric beverage intake (percentage of beverages), food composition, and energy expenditure [metabolic equivalent (MET)], replacing SCBs with drinking water was associated with significant decreases in total energy intake that were sustained over time. The caloric deficit attributable to replacing SCBs with water was not negated by compensatory increases in other food or beverages. Replacing all SCBs with drinking water was associated with a predicted mean decrease in total energy of 200 kcal/d over 12 months. Discussion: The results suggest that replacing SCBs with drinking water can help lower total energy intake in overweight consumers of SCBs motivated to diet.     

Energy turnover in European hares is centrally limited during early,but not during peak lactation

We investigated metabolizable energy intake (MEI) and milk energy output in European hares throughout gestation and lactation in females raising three young, i.e., close to maximum litter size in this precocial species. We hypothesized that herbivorous hares may face a central limitation of energy turnover during lactation, imposed by maximum capacity of the gastrointestinal tract. Females were provided with low-energy or high-energy diets, either continually, or during lactation only. Unexpectedly, females on either diet reached identical peak MEIs (>6 times BMR) during late lactation, with females on low-energy diet increasing food intake proportionally. Thus, we reject our hypothesis that in lactating hares, peak MEI is centrally limited. During early lactation, MEI and milk transfer was, however, significantly impaired in females on the low-energy diet, indicating a temporal central limitation due to a time-lag caused by the readjustment of energy intake capacity. Importantly, irrespective of the diet, females significantly increased peak MEI late in the breeding season. Consequently, earlier in the season, when energy reserves are still high, energy throughput was not limited by physiological constraints at all. We conclude that extreme MEI may have fitness costs, and that females maximize lifetime reproductive success by actively down-regulating MEI whenever possible.