- Email: [email protected]
Dietary protein and bone strength
Information
Section-Fd Chem. Toxic. Vol. 34, No. 9
epidemiology studies on cancer and cardiovascular disease (Serdula et al., Epidemiology 1996, 7, 161). Vegetarian diet The dietary intake of a group of UK vegetarian children aged 7-11 yr has been compared with that of a matched group consuming a non-vegetarian diet. The 50 vegetarians had taken a diet free from meat or meat products (but generally including dairy products, eggs and fish) for at least 3 months. While the vegetarians’ nutritional intake more closely resembled current [UK Department of Health] recommendations, they “consumed a similar proportion of their energy as ‘fat’ to that of the omnivores and, therefore, need to be as vigilant as those who eat meat to reduce their intake of fat in line with current recommendations.” The [low] haemoglobin levels of the vegetarians (35 matched pairs) suggested that “they [vegetarians] need dietary advice to ensure optimal absorption of [iron]” (Nathan et al., British Journal of Nutrition 1996, 75, 533).
923
initial serum LDL-cholesterol levels (5.3 mmol/litre or more, who would be considered to be at high risk of heart disease),the risk was found to be five times lower for the 160 men who drank three or more alcoholic drinks per day than for the 55 teetotallers. Among the 558 men considered to be at low risk (serum LDL-cholesterol levels less than 3.6 mmol/ litre), high alcohol consumption had no such beneficial effect (Hein et al., British Medical Journal 1996, 312, 736).
A group of investigators drawn from the US and The Netherlands has reviewed the available data on alcohol consumption and heart disease (12 surveys, three case-control studies and 10 prospective cohort studies) to determine whether any particular type of alcoholic drink might be associatedwith reduced risk. On the basis of the more highly valued case-control and cohort studies, they concluded that “a substantial proportion of the benefits of wine, beer or spirits are attributable to the alcohol content rather than to other components of each drink” and that “all alcoholic drinks are linked with lower risk” of heart disease (Rimm et al., ibid. 1996, 312, 731).
Overeating-the role of fat and alcohol A recent Canadian study suggests that a high-fat appetizer taken with alcohol may favour subsequent overeating. 12 adult males participated in two l-day sessionswhich only differed in the nutrient composition of the appetizer served at lunch time. When subjects had free accessto foods during the rest of lunch, energy intake following a high-fat/white wine appetizer exceededthat after a low-fat/vegetable juice starter by 812 kJ (P < 0.01) (Tremblay and St-Pierre, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1996, 63, 479). Alcohol and coronary heart disease A study of 7052 Finnish male smokers aged S&69 yr was carried out to assessthe association between death from coronary heart disease (CHD), plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentrations (the healthy fraction) and alcohol intake. During the average 6.7-yr follow-up period, 258 men died from CHD. Mortality from CHD was found to decrease with increasing serum HDL-cholesterol concentration, except at cholesterol levels greater than 1.75 mmol/litre, at which an increase in the death rate was observed among those reporting consumption of alcohol. Coronary death rates in this high HDL-cholesterol subgroup were highest in heavy drinkers, but increasesin mortality were found in all drinkers, even those drinking two drinks or fewer per day (Paunio et al., British Medical Journal 1996, 312, 1200). In a prospective study following 2826 middle-aged or elderly Danish men for 6 yr indicated that the well publicized protective effect of alcohol against heart disease may only be operating in those with high blood lipid levels. Among the 564 Danes with high
Dietary protein and bone strength The hypothesis that high protein consumption may increase the risk of bone fractures receives some support from a prospective study of almost 86,000 middle-aged female nurses in the USA, who were investigated over a 12-yr period. A small but statistically significant increase in the risk of forearm fractures was observed in women who consumed more than 95 g protein/day compared with those who consumed less than 68 g/day (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.43). The intake of animal protein, but not of vegetable protein, showed a similar association, and women who ate a lot of red meat (five or more servingsper wk) showed a significantly increased risk in comparison with those who ate it lessthan once per wk (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.01-1.50) (Feskanich et al., American Journal of Epidemiology 1996, 143, 472). Calcium supplementation during pregnancy A review of the effects of calcium supplementation during pregnancy re-examined data from 14 randomized trials (involving a total of almost 2500 women). Data pooled from all 14 studies showed blood pressure to be significantly and markedly reduced in those taking supplementary calcium during pregnancy. Analysis of the nine studies which provided adequate data on pregnancy outcome also showed a significant reduction in pre-eclampsia (Bucher et a/., Journal of the American Medical Association 1996, 275, 1113). An editorial note that “dietary calcium intake fails to meet recommended levels in virtually all categories of Americans” and that over half the [US] population consumes inadequate calcium (McCarron and Hatton ibid. 1996, 275, 1128).
Section-Fd Chem. Toxic. Vol. 34, No. 9
epidemiology studies on cancer and cardiovascular disease (Serdula et al., Epidemiology 1996, 7, 161). Vegetarian diet The dietary intake of a group of UK vegetarian children aged 7-11 yr has been compared with that of a matched group consuming a non-vegetarian diet. The 50 vegetarians had taken a diet free from meat or meat products (but generally including dairy products, eggs and fish) for at least 3 months. While the vegetarians’ nutritional intake more closely resembled current [UK Department of Health] recommendations, they “consumed a similar proportion of their energy as ‘fat’ to that of the omnivores and, therefore, need to be as vigilant as those who eat meat to reduce their intake of fat in line with current recommendations.” The [low] haemoglobin levels of the vegetarians (35 matched pairs) suggested that “they [vegetarians] need dietary advice to ensure optimal absorption of [iron]” (Nathan et al., British Journal of Nutrition 1996, 75, 533).
923
initial serum LDL-cholesterol levels (5.3 mmol/litre or more, who would be considered to be at high risk of heart disease),the risk was found to be five times lower for the 160 men who drank three or more alcoholic drinks per day than for the 55 teetotallers. Among the 558 men considered to be at low risk (serum LDL-cholesterol levels less than 3.6 mmol/ litre), high alcohol consumption had no such beneficial effect (Hein et al., British Medical Journal 1996, 312, 736).
A group of investigators drawn from the US and The Netherlands has reviewed the available data on alcohol consumption and heart disease (12 surveys, three case-control studies and 10 prospective cohort studies) to determine whether any particular type of alcoholic drink might be associatedwith reduced risk. On the basis of the more highly valued case-control and cohort studies, they concluded that “a substantial proportion of the benefits of wine, beer or spirits are attributable to the alcohol content rather than to other components of each drink” and that “all alcoholic drinks are linked with lower risk” of heart disease (Rimm et al., ibid. 1996, 312, 731).
Overeating-the role of fat and alcohol A recent Canadian study suggests that a high-fat appetizer taken with alcohol may favour subsequent overeating. 12 adult males participated in two l-day sessionswhich only differed in the nutrient composition of the appetizer served at lunch time. When subjects had free accessto foods during the rest of lunch, energy intake following a high-fat/white wine appetizer exceededthat after a low-fat/vegetable juice starter by 812 kJ (P < 0.01) (Tremblay and St-Pierre, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1996, 63, 479). Alcohol and coronary heart disease A study of 7052 Finnish male smokers aged S&69 yr was carried out to assessthe association between death from coronary heart disease (CHD), plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentrations (the healthy fraction) and alcohol intake. During the average 6.7-yr follow-up period, 258 men died from CHD. Mortality from CHD was found to decrease with increasing serum HDL-cholesterol concentration, except at cholesterol levels greater than 1.75 mmol/litre, at which an increase in the death rate was observed among those reporting consumption of alcohol. Coronary death rates in this high HDL-cholesterol subgroup were highest in heavy drinkers, but increasesin mortality were found in all drinkers, even those drinking two drinks or fewer per day (Paunio et al., British Medical Journal 1996, 312, 1200). In a prospective study following 2826 middle-aged or elderly Danish men for 6 yr indicated that the well publicized protective effect of alcohol against heart disease may only be operating in those with high blood lipid levels. Among the 564 Danes with high
Dietary protein and bone strength The hypothesis that high protein consumption may increase the risk of bone fractures receives some support from a prospective study of almost 86,000 middle-aged female nurses in the USA, who were investigated over a 12-yr period. A small but statistically significant increase in the risk of forearm fractures was observed in women who consumed more than 95 g protein/day compared with those who consumed less than 68 g/day (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.43). The intake of animal protein, but not of vegetable protein, showed a similar association, and women who ate a lot of red meat (five or more servingsper wk) showed a significantly increased risk in comparison with those who ate it lessthan once per wk (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.01-1.50) (Feskanich et al., American Journal of Epidemiology 1996, 143, 472). Calcium supplementation during pregnancy A review of the effects of calcium supplementation during pregnancy re-examined data from 14 randomized trials (involving a total of almost 2500 women). Data pooled from all 14 studies showed blood pressure to be significantly and markedly reduced in those taking supplementary calcium during pregnancy. Analysis of the nine studies which provided adequate data on pregnancy outcome also showed a significant reduction in pre-eclampsia (Bucher et a/., Journal of the American Medical Association 1996, 275, 1113). An editorial note that “dietary calcium intake fails to meet recommended levels in virtually all categories of Americans” and that over half the [US] population consumes inadequate calcium (McCarron and Hatton ibid. 1996, 275, 1128).