Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a collective term for positional and geometric isomers of octadecadienoic acid in which the double bonds are conjugated, i.e. contiguous. CLA was identified as a component of milk and dairy products over 20 years ago. It is formed as an intermediate in the course of the conversion of linoleic acid to oleic acid in the rumen. The predominant naturally occurring isomer is the cis-9, trans-11 modification. Treatment of linoleic acid-rich oils such as safflower oil, soyabean oil, or maize oil with base and heat will result in the formation of CLA. Two isomers predominate in the synthetic preparation, c9,t11 and t10,c12. CLA has been shown to inhibit chemically-induced skin, stomach, mammary or colon tumours in mice and rats. The inhibition of mammary tumours in rats is effective regardless of type of carcinogen or type or amount of dietary fat. CLA has also been shown to inhibit cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits. When young animals (mice, pigs) are placed on CLA-containing diets after weaning they accumulate more body protein and less fat. Since CLA is derived from the milk of ruminant animals and is found primarily in their meat and in products derived from their milk there is a concerted world-wide effort to increase CLA content of milk by dietary means. Its effect on growth (less fat, more protein) is also a subject of active research. The mechanisms underlying the effects of CLA are still moot.

In contrast to the promised ‘antioxidant miracle’ of the 1980s, several randomised controlled trials have shown no effect of antioxidant supplements on hard endpoints such as morbidity and mortality. The former over-optimistic attitude has clearly called for a more realistic assessment of the benefit:harm ratio of antioxidant supplements. We have examined the literature on vitamin C intervention with the intention of drawing a conclusion on its possible beneficial or deleterious effect on health and the result is discouraging. One of several important issues is that vitamin C uptake is tightly controlled, resulting in a wide-ranging bioavailability depending on the current vitamin C status. Lack of proper selection criteria dominates the currently available literature. Thus, while supplementation with vitamin C is likely to be without effect for the majority of the Western population due to saturation through their normal diet, there could be a large subpopulation with a potential health problem that remains uninvestigated. The present review discusses the relevance of the available literature on vitamin C supplementation and proposes guidelines for future randomised intervention trials.

Inulin and oligofructose, besides their effect on the gastro-intestinal tract, are also able to exert ‘systemic’ effect, namely by modifying the hepatic metabolism of lipids in several animal models. Feeding male Wistar rats on a carbohydrate-rich diet containing 10 % inulin or oligofructose significantly lowers serum triacylglycerol (TAG) and phospholipid concentrations. A lower hepatic lipogenesis, through a coordinate reduction of the activity and mRNA of lipogenic enzymes is a key event in the reduction of very low-density lipoprotein-TAG secretion by oligofructose. Oligofructose is also able to counteract triglyceride metabolism disorder occurring through dietary manipulation in animals, and sometimes independently on lipogenesis modulation: oligofructose reduces post-prandial triglyceridemia by 50 % and avoids the increase in serum free cholesterol level occurring in rats fed a Western-type high fat diet. Oligofructose protects rats against liver TAG accumulation (steatosis) induced by fructose, or occurring in obese Zucker fa/fa rats. The protective effect of dietary inulin and oligofructose on steatosis in animals, would be interesting, if confirmed in humans, since steatosis is one of the most frequent liver disorders, occurring together with the plurimetabolic syndrome, in overweight people. The panel of putative mediators of the systemic effects of inulin and oligofructose consists in either modifications in glucose/insulin homeostasis, the end-products of their colonic fermentation (i.e. propionate) reaching the liver by the portal vein, incretins and/or the availability of other nutrients. The identification of the key mediators of the systemic effects of inulin and oligofructose is the key to identify target function(s) (or dysfunction(s)), and finally individuals who would take an advantage of increasing their dietary intake.

Two studies were designed to compare the effects on post-ingestive satiety of manipulating the degree of saturation of fatty acids, at a fixed chain length (18 C atoms), in a fixed energy (5·68 MJ for males; 3·97 MJ for females), high-fat (55 % energy) lunch meal. Two different groups of twenty subjects (ten males and ten females) took part in each study. All forty subjects were of normal weight and aged between 18 and 36 years. Study 1 compared the effects of fat A (oleic blend, high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)) with those of fat B (linoleic blend, high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)) and fat C (stearic–oleic blend, high in saturated fatty acids (SFA)). Study 2, which was designed to confirm and extend the findings of Study 1, compared the effects of fats A, B and C with those of fat D (a linoleic–oleic blend). Energy and nutrient intakes were monitored for the rest of the day and for the following day. Profiles of hunger, fullness and other sensations were monitored by continuous tracking and end-of-day questionnaires. In each meal the fat content was exclusively composed of one particular type (A, B, C or D) and was divided equally between the main course and dessert. Study 1 revealed a significant effect of fat type (degree of saturation) on intake of nutrients at the following (dinner) meal (smallest F[2,36] 3·38, P < 0·05), on post-ingestive ratings of motivation to eat (smallest F[2,36] 4·18, P = 0·02) and on energy intake over the whole test day (F[2,36] 3·39, P < 0·01). Subjects consumed significantly more energy after consumption of the lunch containing fat A than after the lunches containing fats B or C and there was a trend for these effects to continue into the second day. In Study 2, fat C produced more similar effects on appetite to fat A and there was a tendency for subjects to consume more over the whole test day when they had consumed the lunch containing fat A than when they had consumed the lunch containing fat B. Furthermore, when the data from fat conditions A and B in both studies were combined (n 40) the results of Study 1 were confirmed. Overall, the results of these short-term studies indicate that PUFA may exert a relatively stronger control over appetite than MUFA and SFA.

Different dietary fat and energy subtypes have an impact on both the metabolic health and the intestinal microbiota population of the host. The present study assessed the impact of dietary fat quality, with a focus on dietary fatty acid compositions of varying saturation, on the metabolic health status and the intestinal microbiota composition of the host. C57BL/6J mice (n 9–10 mice per group) were fed high-fat (HF) diets containing either (1) palm oil, (2) olive oil, (3) safflower oil or (4) flaxseed/fish oil for 16 weeks and compared with mice fed low-fat (LF) diets supplemented with either high maize starch or high sucrose. Tissue fatty acid compositions were assessed by GLC, and the impact of the diet on host intestinal microbiota populations was investigated using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. Compositional sequencing analysis revealed that dietary palm oil supplementation resulted in significantly lower populations of Bacteroidetes at the phylum level compared with dietary olive oil supplementation (P< 0·05). Dietary supplementation with olive oil was associated with an increase in the population of the family Bacteroidaceae compared with dietary supplementation of palm oil, flaxseed/fish oil and high sucrose (P< 0·05). Ingestion of the HF-flaxseed/fish oil diet for 16 weeks led to significantly increased tissue concentrations of EPA, docosapentaenoic acid and DHA compared with ingestion of all the other diets (P< 0·05); furthermore, the diet significantly increased the intestinal population of Bifidobacterium at the genus level compared with the LF-high-maize starch diet (P< 0·05). These data indicate that both the quantity and quality of fat have an impact on host physiology with further downstream alterations to the intestinal microbiota population, with a HF diet supplemented with flaxseed/fish oil positively shaping the host microbial ecosystem.

The effect of feeding n-3 PUFA on the fatty acid composition of muscle, adipose tissue and liver of lambs was investigated. Groups of eight ram lambs per breed, Suffolk×Lleyn (24kg live weight) and Scottish Blackface (18kg live weight), were each fed one of six diets containing one of three fat sources (50g fatty acids/kg DM; Megalac® (calcium soap of palm fatty acid distillate; Volac Ltd, Royston, Herts., UK) and formaldehyde-treated whole linseed (Trouw Nutrition UK, Northwich, Ches., UK) either alone or with fish oil (1:1, w/w) and either 100 or 500mg α-tocopheryl acetate/kg DM. Feed was offered ad libitum until slaughter at approximately half breed mature live weight. The type of dietary fat had no effect on intake, growth rate or feed conversion ratio. The 3·0-fold higher concentration of 18:3n-3 in the linseed compared with the Megalac® diet approximately doubled (P<0·001) the concentration in the neutral and polar lipid fractions of musculus semimembranosus and liver, and in adipose tissue it increased 2·5-fold. Feeding protected linseed also increased (P<0·001) concentrations of 20:5n-3 and 22:5n-3 in muscle polar lipids and both lipid fractions of liver. The linseed–fish oil raised the 20:5n-3 concentrations above those for the linseed diet and also increased 22:6n-3. Scottish Blackface lambs had lower concentrations of 18:3n-3 in all lipids compared with Suffolk x Lleyn lambs, but more 20:5n-3 in the polar lipids of muscle and liver. High levels of dietary vitamin E were associated with small decreases in the concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids and increases in PUFA. Linseed raised the PUFA:saturated fatty acid ratios in liver and adipose tissue but not in muscle, and improved the n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratio, as did the linseed–fish oil. Different combinations of dietary fatty acids and better protection against rumen biohydrogenation are required to improve muscle PUFA:saturated fatty acids ratios.

Probiotics could represent an effective alternative to the use of synthetic substances in nutrition and medicine. The data concerning the efficacy of probiotics are often contradictory. This paper focuses on the enhancement of the efficacy of probiotics by their combination with synergistically acting components of natural origin. Maltodextrins can be obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of starch and are suitable for consumption. Administration of Lactobacillus paracasei together with maltodextrin decreased the number of Escherichia coli colonising the jejunal mucosa of gnotobiotic piglets by 1 logarithm compared to the control group. Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are naturally occurring oligosaccharides, mainly of plant origin. L. paracasei administered in combination with FOS significantly increased counts of Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., total anaerobes and total aerobes compared to the control group as well as the L. paracasei group. It also significantly decreased Clostridium and Enterobacterium counts in the faeces of the weanling piglets compared with the control group. Dietary lipids influence the gastrointestinal microbiota and specifically the population of lactic acid bacteria. In gnotobiotic piglets the oral administration of an oil containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) significantly increased the number of L. paracasei adhering to jejunal mucosa compared to the control group. Our results showed that maltodextrin KMS X-70 and PUFA can be used to enhance the effect of probiotic micro-organisms in the small intestine, and similarly FOS enhance the effect of probiotic micro-organisms in the large intestine.

Thirty-two crossbred wether lambs (initial live-weight 31 kg) were fed on a diet (metabolizable energy (ME) 12.8 MJ/kg) ad lib. (ADLIB) or restricted to maintain body-weight (MAINT) for a 21 d period. On days 0, 7, 14 and 21, four lambs per treatment were slaughtered, visceral organs weighed and tissues sampled. During the 21 d period, ME intake in ADLIB lambs increased quadratically with an average rate of live-weight gain of 425 g/d. In MAINT lambs, live weight (30 kg) was maintained, and daily ME intake (kJ/kg empty body-weight (EBW)0.75) declined (P < 0.01) quadratically with time. Weights of liver, stomach and small intestines as a percentage of EBW were increased in ADLIB lambs and decreased by 10–33 % in MAINT lambs (treatment × day, P < 0.01). In vitro liver oxygen consumption was not affected by level of feed intake. Estimates of whole-liver O2 consumption (mmol O2/d per kg EBW) increased in ADLIB lambs and were relatively constant in MAINT lambs. These findings suggest that level of feed intake changes the relative proportion of visceral organs to body mass. In addition, the effect of level of feed intake on changes in the relative contribution of visceral organs to whole-body metabolic rate appears to be primarily a result of differences in organ size rather than tissue-specific metabolic activity.

Demand for organic meat is partially driven by consumer perceptions that organic foods are more nutritious than non-organic foods. However, there have been no systematic reviews comparing specifically the nutrient content of organic and conventionally produced meat. In this study, we report results of a meta-analysis based on sixty-seven published studies comparing the composition of organic and non-organic meat products. For many nutritionally relevant compounds (e.g. minerals, antioxidants and most individual fatty acids (FA)), the evidence base was too weak for meaningful meta-analyses. However, significant differences in FA profiles were detected when data from all livestock species were pooled. Concentrations of SFA and MUFA were similar or slightly lower, respectively, in organic compared with conventional meat. Larger differences were detected for total PUFA and n-3 PUFA, which were an estimated 23 (95 % CI 11, 35) % and 47 (95 % CI 10, 84) % higher in organic meat, respectively. However, for these and many other composition parameters, for which meta-analyses found significant differences, heterogeneity was high, and this could be explained by differences between animal species/meat types. Evidence from controlled experimental studies indicates that the high grazing/forage-based diets prescribed under organic farming standards may be the main reason for differences in FA profiles. Further studies are required to enable meta-analyses for a wider range of parameters (e.g. antioxidant, vitamin and mineral concentrations) and to improve both precision and consistency of results for FA profiles for all species. Potential impacts of composition differences on human health are discussed.

It has been reported that green tea has a thermogenic effect, due to its caffeine content and probably also to the catechin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). The main aim of the present study was to compare the effect of a mixture of green tea and Guarana extracts containing a fixed dose of caffeine and variable doses of EGCG on 24 h energy expenditure and fat oxidation. Fourteen subjects took part to this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study. Each subject was tested five times in a metabolic chamber to measure 24 h energy expenditure, substrate oxidation and blood pressure. During each stay, the subjects ingested a capsule of placebo or capsules containing 200 mg caffeine and a variable dose of EGCG (90, 200, 300 or 400 mg) three times daily, 30 min before standardized meals. Twenty-four hour energy expenditure increased significantly by about 750 kJ with all EGCG–caffeine mixtures compared with placebo. No effect of the EGCG–caffeine mixture was observed for lipid oxidation. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased by about 7 and 5 mmHg, respectively, with the EGCG–caffeine mixtures compared with placebo. This increase was significant only for 24 h diastolic blood pressure. The main finding of the study was the increase in 24 h energy expenditure with the EGCG–caffeine mixtures. However, this increase was similar with all doses of EGCG in the mixtures.

Malnutrition predicts preterm death, but whether this is valid irrespective of the cause of death is unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine whether malnutrition is associated with cause-specific mortality in older adults. This cohort study was conducted in Sweden and included 1767 individuals aged ≥65 years admitted to hospital in 2008–2009. On the basis of the Mini Nutritional Assessment instrument, nutritional risk was assessed as well nourished (score 24–30), at risk of malnutrition (score 17–23·5) or malnourished (score <17). Cause of death was classified according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, into twenty different causes of death. Data were analysed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. At baseline, 55·1 % were at risk of malnutrition, and 9·4 % of the participants were malnourished. During a median follow-up of 5·1 years, 839 participants (47·5 %) died. The multiple Cox regression model identified significant associations (hazard ratio (HR)) between malnutrition and risk of malnutrition, respectively, and death due to neoplasms (HR 2·43 and 1·32); mental or behavioural disorders (HR 5·73 and 5·44); diseases of the nervous (HR 4·39 and 2·08), circulatory (HR 1·95 and 1·57) or respiratory system (HR 2·19 and 1·49); and symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (HR 2·23 and 1·43). Malnutrition and risk of malnutrition are associated with increased mortality regardless of the cause of death, which emphasises the need for nutritional screening to identify older adults who may require nutritional support in order to avoid preterm death.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the consumption of wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium), a concentrated source of non-nutritive antioxidant phytochemicals, would enhance postprandial serum antioxidant status in healthy human subjects. A single-blinded crossover study was performed in a group of eight middle-aged male subjects (38–54 years). Subjects consumed a high-fat meal and a control supplement followed 1 week later by the same high-fat meal supplemented with 100·0 g freeze-dried wild blueberry powder. Upon brachial vein catheterization, fasting and postprandial serum samples were taken sequentially and analysed for lipids and glucose and for serum antioxidant status. Serum antioxidant status was determined using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay and the total antioxidant status (TAS) assay. The wild-blueberry treatment was associated with a significant treatment effect as determined by the ORAC assay (water-soluble fraction ORACperchloric acid (PCA), P=0·04). Significant increases in serum antioxidant status above the controls were observed at 1 h (ORACPCA (8·5 % greater), P=0·02; TAS (4·5 % greater), P=0·05), and 4 h (ORACtotal (15·0 % greater), P=0·009; ORACacetone (16·0 % greater), P=0·007) post-consumption of the high-fat meal. In conclusion, the consumption of wild blueberries, a food source with high in vitro antioxidant properties, is associated with a diet-induced increase in ex vivo serum antioxidant status. It has been suggested that increasing the antioxidant status of serum may result in the reduced risk of many chronic degenerative diseases.

Probiotics and prebiotics, mainly commercialised as food ingredients and also as supplements, are considered highly profitable niche markets. However, in recent years, the food industry has suffered from a series of health claim restrictions on probiotics and prebiotics in many parts of the world, including those made by the European Food Safety Authority. Therefore, we reviewed the core benefits of probiotic and prebiotic consumption on health. A number of studies have examined the prevention and/or management of intestinal infections, respiratory tract infections, CVD, osteoporosis, urogenital infections, cavities, periodontal disease and halitosis, allergic reactions, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome and Helicobacter pylori gastric infections. In fact, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in human microbiota and immune system modulation by probiotics and prebiotics relies on continuous efforts to establish suitable biomarkers of health and diseases risk factors for the design of clinical trials required for health claim approval. In spite of the promising results, the performance of large, long-term, well-planned, well-aligned clinical studies is crucial to provide more reliability and a more solid basis for the outcomes achieved and to support the potential use of probiotics and prebiotics in clinical practice.

Tree nuts have a fatty acid profile that favourably affects blood lipids and lipoproteins. They are low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fatty acids and are rich sources of other nutrients. An extensive database consistently shows total and LDL cholesterol-lowering effects of diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in unsaturated fat provided by a variety of tree nuts. Collectively, a summary of studies conducted to date shows that tree nuts reduce LDL cholesterol by 3–19 % compared with Western and lower-fat diets. Nuts also contain many nutrients and bioactive compounds that appear to contribute to the favourable effects on lipids and lipoproteins – these include plant sterols, dietary fibre and antioxidants. Because of their unique nutrient profile, nuts can be part of a diet that features multiple heart-healthy foods resulting in a cholesterol lowering response that surpasses that of cholesterol-lowering diets typically used to reduce CVD risk.

The effects of either low (25 μmol/min) or high (235 μmol/min) infusion of NH4Cl into the mesenteric vein for 5 d were determined on O2 consumption plus urea and amino acid transfers across the portal-drained viscera (PDV) and liver of young sheep. Kinetic transfers were followed by use of 15NH4Cl for 10 h on the fifth day with simultaneous infusion of [1-13C]lleucine to monitor amino acid oxidation. Neither PDV nor liver blood flow were affected by the additional NH3 loading, although at the higher rate there was a trend for increased liver O2 consumption. NH3-N extraction by the liver accounted for 64–70% of urea-N synthesis and at the lower infusion rate the additional N required could be more than accounted for by hepatic removal of free amino acids. At the higher rate of NH3 administration additional sources of N were apparently required to account fully for urea synthesis. Protein synthesis rates in the PDV and liver were unaffected by NH3 infusion but both whole-body (P < 0·05) and splanchnic tissue leucine oxidation were elevated at the higher rate of administration. Substantial synthesis of [15N]glutamine occurred across the liver, particularly with the greater NH3 supply, and enrichments exceeded considerably those of glutamate. The [15N]urea synthesized was predominantly as the single labelled, i.e. [14N15N], species. These various kinetic data are compatible with the action of ovine hepatic glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.2) in periportal hepatocytes in the direction favouring glutamate deamination. Glutamate synthesis and uptake is probably confined to the perivenous cells which do not synthesize urea. The implications of NH3 detoxification to the energy and N metabolism of the ruminant are discussed.

The present work was undertaken to study the microbial activity in various segments of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of pigs as influenced by the source and level of wheat and oat dietary fibre (DF). Eight experimental diets were prepared from wheat and oat fractions and studied in a series of two experiments using wheat flour as the DF-depleted control. The diets in Expt 1 were based on wheat flour and three iso-DF enriched diets comprising fractions rich in wheat aleurone, pericarp/testa or bran. In Expt 2, oat bran was added to wheat flour to achieve the same DF intake level as in Expt 1. This series included further diets based on rolled oats and rolled oats plus oat bran. The eight diets were given to thirty-two ileal-cannulated pigs, with sixteen pigs in each experiment. After a total period of 34 d (Expt 1) and 42 d (Expt 2), the pigs were slaughtered 4 h post-feeding and samples taken for adenine nucleotides (adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP); adenylate energy charge (AEC)), organic acids (lactic acid (LA); short chain fatty acids (SCFA)) and pH at twelve sites of the GI tract. The microbial activity as measured by the ATP concentration was low in the stomach and the cranial two-thirds of the small intestine, but tended to increase in the distal third. In the caecum a sharp rise in microbial activity was observed; the highest level was found for the diet providing most fermentable substrates. In all the diets but the rolled oats+oat bran diets, microbial activity showed a descending pattern as the digesta moved through the colon. In the large intestine source and level of residues had a marked influence on microbial activity. LA was the chief organic acid in the stomach and small intestine (10–40 mmol/l) while LA relative to SCFA was a minor component in the caecum and colon (10–20 mmol/l). The contribution of SCFA to total organic acids was reciprocal to LA, i. e. low in the stomach and small intestine (<20 mmol/l) and high in the caecum and colon. In the large intestine the concentration of SCFA decreased from 100–140 mmol/l in the caecum and proximal colon to 40–80 mmol/l in the distal colon. The acetic: propionic acid ratio increased from the caecum to the distal colon. With the diets based on oat alone (rolled oats; rolled oats+oat bran) the increase was less significant. DF addition and oats in particular increased the butyric acid molar ratio, from 0.06–0.08 for the wheat flour diet to 0.10–0.12 for the diet based on rolled oats+oat bran. For the same two diets the proportion of isobutyric and isovaleric acids increased more rapidly with the wheat-flour diet compared with the rolled oats+oat bran diet.

The second German National Nutrition Survey (NVS II) aimed to evaluate food consumption and other aspects of nutritional behaviour of a representative sample of the German population, using a modular design with three different dietary assessment methods. To assess usual food consumption, 15 371 German speaking subjects 14–80 years of age completed a diet history interview between November 2005 and November 2006. With reference to the guidelines of the German Nutrition Society (DGE), NVS II observed that the German population did not eat enough foods of plant origin, especially vegetables and consumed too much of meat and meat products. While generally similar food consumption is observed in other European countries, consumption of bread, fruit juices/nectars and beer is higher in Germany. On average, men consumed two times more meat and soft drinks as well as six times more beer than women did, whereas the consumption of vegetables, fruit as well as herbal/fruit tea was higher in women. Older participants showed a lower consumption of meat, fruit juice/nectars, soft drinks and spirits as well as a higher consumption of fish, vegetables, fruit, and herbal/fruit tea than adolescents and younger adults did. There are also differences in food consumption with regard to socio-economic status (SES). Persons with higher SES consumed more vegetables, fruit, fish, water, coffee/tea and wine, while persons with lower SES consumed more meat and meat products, soft drinks and beer. In general, the food consumption of women, the elderly and the higher SES group tends to be closer to the official dietary guidelines in Germany.

Evidence indicates that cruciferous vegetables are protective against a range of cancers with glucosinolates and their breakdown products considered the biologically active constituents. To date, epidemiological studies have not investigated the intakes of these constituents due to a lack of food composition databases. The aim of the present study was to develop a database for the glucosinolate content of cruciferous vegetables that can be used to quantify dietary exposure for use in epidemiological studies of diet–disease relationships. Published food composition data sources for the glucosinolate content of cruciferous vegetables were identified and assessed for data quality using established criteria. Adequate data for the total glucosinolate content were available from eighteen published studies providing 140 estimates for forty-two items. The highest glucosinolate values were for cress (389 mg/100 g) while the lowest values were for Pe-tsai chinese cabbage (20 mg/100 g). There is considerable variation in the values reported for the same vegetable by different studies, with a median difference between the minimum and maximum values of 5·8-fold. Limited analysis of cooked cruciferous vegetables has been conducted; however, the available data show that average losses during cooking are approximately 36 %. This is the first attempt to collate the available literature on the glucosinolate content of cruciferous vegetables. These data will allow quantification of intakes of the glucosinolates, which can be used in epidemiological studies to investigate the role of cruciferous vegetables in cancer aetiology and prevention.

Women of childbearing age are at risk of Fe deficiency if insufficient dietary Fe is available to replace menstrual and other Fe losses. Haem Fe represents 10–15 % of dietary Fe intake in meat-rich diets but may contribute 40 % of the total absorbed Fe. The aim of the present study was to determine the relative effects of type of diet and menstrual Fe loss on Fe status in women. Ninety healthy premenopausal women were recruited according to their habitual diet: red meat, poultry/fish or lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Intake of Fe was determined by analysing 7 d duplicate diets, and menstrual Fe loss was measured using the alkaline haematin method. A substantial proportion of women (60 % red meat, 40 % lacto-ovo-vegetarian, 20 % poultry/fish) had low Fe stores (serum ferritin <10 μg/l), but the median serum ferritin concentration was significantly lower in the red meat group (6·8 μg/l (interquartile range 3·3, 16·25)) than in the poultry/fish group (17·5 μg/l (interquartile range 11·3, 22·4) (P<0·01). The mean and standard deviation of dietary Fe intake were significantly different between the groups (P=0·025); the red meat group had a significantly lower intake (10·9 (sd 4·3) mg/d) than the lacto-ovo-vegetarians (14·5 (sd 5·5) mg/d), whereas that of the poultry/fish group (12·8 (sd 5·1) mg/d) was not significantly different from the other groups. There was no relationship between total Fe intake and Fe status, but menstrual Fe loss (P=0·001) and dietary group (P=0·040) were significant predictors of Fe status: poultry/fish diets were associated with higher Fe stores than lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets. Identifying individuals with high menstrual losses should be a key component of strategies to prevent Fe deficiency.

The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the short-term effects of exercise of different intensities on energy intake. Eleven young men were submitted to three randomly assigned sessions (one control and two exercise sessions) in which they ate, ad libitum, foods from a buffet-type meal. The energy cost of exercise was the same in the two exercise sessions. Results showed that there was no significant change in post-exercise subjective levels of hunger and fullness as well as total energy and macronutrient intakes in comparison with the control session. However, when energy intake relative to expenditure was considered by subtracting the surplus of energy expended during exercise from total energy intake, high-intensity exercise exerted a greater reducing effect on this variable compared with the control and low-intensity exercise sessions. These results suggest that for a given level of energy expenditure, high-intensity exercise favours negative energy balance to a greater extent than low-intensity exercise.