Most New Zealand soils contain relatively low concentrations of the anionic trace elements F, I and Se. Some areas of Australia also have a history of I deficiency. In view of current interest in establishing nutrient reference intakes for Se and I in New Zealand and Australia, it is timely to review current understanding of the intakes and status of these two elements. In spite of a recent increase in Se status, the status of New Zealanders remains low compared with populations of many other countries and may still be considered marginal, although the clinical consequences of the marginal Se status are unclear. There are no recent reports of blood Se levels in Australia, but earlier reports indicate that they were generally greater than those of New Zealanders. Similarly, the consequences of decreasing I status in Australia and New Zealand are unclear. Mild I deficiency in New Zealand has resulted in enlarged thyroid glands indicating an increased risk of goitre. Currently there is little evidence, however, of any associated clinical disease. Public health recommendations to reduce salt intake, together with the reduction in I content of dairy products, are likely to result in further decreases in the I status of New Zealand and Australian residents. Some action is needed to prevent this decline and it may be necessary to consider other means of fortification than iodized salt. The consequences of possible interactions between Se and I in human nutrition are also unclear and no practical recommendations can be made.

We investigated the effects of the flavonols kaempferol and quercetin on the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), endothelial cell selectin (E-selectin), inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), and on the activation of the signalling molecules NF-κB and activator protein-1 (AP-1), induced by a cytokine mixture in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Inhibition of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generation did not differ among both flavonols at 1 μmol/l but was significantly stronger for kaempferol at 5–50 μmol/l. Supplementation with increasing concentrations of kaempferol substantially attenuated the increase induced by the cytokine mixture in VCAM-1 (10–50 μmol/l), ICAM-1 (50 μmol/l) and E-selectin (5–50 μmol/l) expression. A significantly inhibitory effect of quercetin on VCAM-1 (10–50 μmol/l), ICAM-1 (50 μmol/l) and E-selectin (50 μmol/l) expression was also observed. Expression of adhesion molecules was always more strongly inhibited in kaempferol-treated than in quercetin-treated cells. The inhibitory effect on iNOS and COX-2 protein level was stronger for quercetin at 5–50 μmol/l. The effect of kaempferol on NF-κB and AP-1 binding activity was weaker at high concentrations (50 μmol/l) as compared with quercetin. The present study indicates that differences exist in the modulation of pro-inflammatory genes and in the blockade of NF-κB and AP-1 by kaempferol and quercetin. The minor structural differences between both flavonols determine differences in their anti-inflammatory properties and in their efficiency in inhibiting signalling molecules.

Skin is among the first and most heavily damaged organs upon sulphur mustard (SM) exposure. Pruritus is the most common chronic skin complication of SM, which adversely affects the quality of life (QoL). However, current therapies for the management of SM-induced pruritus are very limited and associated with side effects. The present trial investigated the efficacy of curcumin in the alleviation of SM-induced chronic pruritic symptoms. A total of ninety-six male Iranian veterans (age 37–59 years) were randomised to receive either curcumin (1 g/d, n 46) or placebo (n 50) for 4 weeks. Serum concentrations of substance P and activities of antioxidant enzymes were measured at baseline and at the end of the trial. Assessment of pruritus severity was performed using the pruritus score, visual analogue scale (VAS) and scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index. QoL was evaluated using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. Serum concentrations of substance P (P < 0·001) as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (P = 0·02), glutathione peroxidase (P = 0·006) and catalase (P < 0·001) were significantly reduced in the curcumin group, while no significant change was observed in the placebo group. Curcumin supplementation was also associated with significant reductions in measures of pruritus severity including the pruritus score (P < 0·001), VAS score (P < 0·001), overall (P < 0·001) and objective SCORAD (P = 0·009), and DLQI's first question (P < 0·001). None of these measures was significantly changed in the placebo group. As for the QoL, although DLQI scores decreased in both groups (P < 0·001 and P = 0·003 in the curcumin and placebo groups, respectively), the magnitude of reduction was significantly greater in the curcumin group (P < 0·001). In conclusion, curcumin may be regarded as a natural, safe, widely available and inexpensive treatment for the management of SM-induced chronic pruritus.

Coconut, Cocos nucifera L., is a tree that is cultivated to provide a large number of products, although it is mainly grown for its nutritional and medicinal values. Coconut oil, derived from the coconut fruit, has been recognised historically as containing high levels of saturated fat; however, closer scrutiny suggests that coconut should be regarded more favourably. Unlike most other dietary fats that are high in long-chain fatty acids, coconut oil comprises medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). MCFA are unique in that they are easily absorbed and metabolised by the liver, and can be converted to ketones. Ketone bodies are an important alternative energy source in the brain, and may be beneficial to people developing or already with memory impairment, as in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Coconut is classified as a highly nutritious ‘functional food’. It is rich in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals; however, notably, evidence is mounting to support the concept that coconut may be beneficial in the treatment of obesity, dyslipidaemia, elevated LDL, insulin resistance and hypertension – these are the risk factors for CVD and type 2 diabetes, and also for AD. In addition, phenolic compounds and hormones (cytokinins) found in coconut may assist in preventing the aggregation of amyloid-β peptide, potentially inhibiting a key step in the pathogenesis of AD. The purpose of the present review was to explore the literature related to coconut, outlining the known mechanistic physiology, and to discuss the potential role of coconut supplementation as a therapeutic option in the prevention and management of AD.

1. Compensatory, or ‘catch-up’, growth in eight malnourished children has been studied in relation to food intake, efficiency of food utilization and changes in body composition.

2. During recovery, growth rates were fifteen times as fast as those of normal children of similar age, and five times as fast as those of normal children of a similar height or weight.

3. Rapid growth was associated with a high food intake.

4. When the expected weight for height was reached food intakes fell abruptly by 30% and growth rates dropped to a level comparable with those of normal children of that height and weight.

5. Food conversion figures suggest an over-all increase in the efficiency of food utilization during rapid growth.

6. The percentage body fat increased, once the expected weight for height was reached.

7. Differences in the rates of weight gain from those predicted by the Miller-Payne equation were difficult to interpret: problems associated with the equation are discussed.

New technologies are promising for the use of short-term instruments for dietary data collection; however, innovative tools should be validated against objective biomarkers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the validity of a Web-based, self-administered dietary record (DR) tool using protein, K and Na intakes against 24 h urinary biomarkers (24 h U). Of the total participants, 199 adult volunteers (104 men and 95 women, mean age 50·5 (23–83 years)) of the NutriNet-Santé Study were included in the protocol. They completed three non-consecutive-day DR and two 24 h U on the first and third DR days. Relative differences between reported (DR) and measured (24 h U) intakes were calculated from the log ratio (DR/24 h U) for protein, K and Na intakes: − 14·4,+2·6 and − 2·1 % for men; and − 13·9, − 3·7 and − 8·3 % for women, respectively. The correlations between reported and true intakes were 0·61, 0·78 and 0·47 for men and 0·64, 0·42 and 0·37 for women for protein, K and Na, respectively. Attenuation factors, that represent attenuation of the true diet–disease relationship due to measurement error (a value closer to 1 indicating lower attenuation), ranged from 0·23 (Na, women) to 0·60 (K, men). We showed that the Web-based DR tool used in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study performs well in estimating protein and K intakes and fairly well in estimating Na intake. Furthermore, three non-consecutive-day DR appear to be valid for estimating usual intakes of protein and K, although caution is advised regarding the generalisability of these findings to other nutrients and general population.

To test the proposition that sheep are able to select a diet that meets their crude protein (N × 6.25; CP) requirements, feeds L, A, B, C and H with the same energy content (11 MJ metabolizable energy/kg feed) but different CP contents (78, 109, 141, 172 and 235 g CP/kg fresh feed respectively) were formulated. In addition, feed U, which was feed L plus 21.4 g urea/kg (CP content 132 g/kg), was also made. The feeds were offered ad lib. either singly (n 4 per treatment) or as a choice between feed H and another feed (pairs LH, AH, BH, CH and UH; n 9 per feed pair) to individually penned Suffolk × Scottish mule wether lambs, over the live-weight range 25–45 kg. On the single feeds the rates of live-weight gain were 273, 326, 412, 418, 396 and 407 g/day (SE of difference (SED) 34; P < 0.01) and protein (excluding wool) gain were 27, 32, 44, 45, 41 and 39 g/d (SED 4; P < 0.001) for feeds L, A, B, C, H and U respectively. When sheep were given a choice between a feed below (L or A) and a feed above their CP requirements (H; as judged by the single-feeding treatments) the CP concentration selected was not different between the two pairs: 131 (SE 4) v. 133 (SE 4) g CP/kg feed for pairs LH and AH respectively. On the choices BH and CH (a choice between two feeds above requirements) the feed lower in CP was constantly preferred (874 (SE 33) and 910 (SE 33) g feed B and C respectively per kg total feed intake; CP selected was 157 and 178 g CP/kg respectively). However, this was not the case with the UH choice on which sheep consumed only 599 (SE 61) g feed U/kg total feed intake, resulting in a selection of a higher CP in their diet (173 g CP/kg). The live-weight gains of the animals given a choice between two feeds were 416, 387, 415, 410 and 383 g/d (SED 37) and protein gains were 45, 40, 46, 50 and 43 (SE 7) for pairs LH, AH, BH, CH and UH respectively, which were comparable with the best performance achieved on a single feed. The results suggest that sheep were able to select a diet that meets their CP requirements and avoid, at least to a certain extent, excess of protein intake. It is also possible that sheep discriminate against a property of feed U, such as an excess of urea, when this feed is paired with a feed high in CP.

During the past few years, there have been two major developments, if not revolutions, in the field of energy balance and weight regulation. The first at the molecular level, which was catalysed by developments in DNA screening technology together with the mapping of the human genome, has been the tremendous advances made in the identification of molecules that play a role in the control of food intake and metabolic rate. The second, at the systemic level, which centered upon the use of modern technologies or more robust analytical techniques for assessing human energy expenditure in response to starvation and overfeeding, has been the publication of several papers providing strong evidence that adaptive thermogenesis plays a much more important role in the regulation of body weight and body composition than previously thought. Within these same few years, several new members of the mitochondrial carrier protein family have been identified in a variety of tissues and organs. All apparently possess uncoupling properties in genetically-modified systems, with two of them (uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 and UCP3) being expressed in adipose tissues and skeletal muscles, which are generally recognised as important sites for variations in thermogenesis and/or in substrate oxidation. Considered as breakthrough discoveries, the cloning of these genes has generated considerable optimism for rapid advances in our molecular understanding of adaptive thermogenesis, and for the identification of new targets for pharmacological management of obesity and cachexia. The present paper traces first, from a historical perspective, the landmark events in the field of thermogenesis that led to the identification of these genes encoding candidate UCP, and then addresses the controversies and on-going debate about their physiological importance in adaptive thermogenesis, in lipid oxidation or in oxidative stress. The general conclusion is that UCP2 and UCP3 may have distinct primary functions, with UCP3 implicated in regulating the flux of lipid substrates across the mitochondria and UCP2 in the control of mitochondrial generation of reactive oxygen species. The distinct functions of these two UCP1 homologues have been incorporated in a conceptual model to illustrate how UCP2 and UCP3 may act in concert in the overall regulation of lipid oxidation concomitant to the prevention of lipid-induced oxidative damage.

Four ruminally and duodenally cannulated multiparous Finnish Ayrshire cows were fed on diets consisting of grass silage (0·6 kg/kg DM) and one of four concentrates: barley, barley + urea, barley + rapeseed meal and barley + rapeseed cake. The objective of the present study was to compare omasal canal and duodenal digesta flows. Values for digesta flow into the omasal canal and duodenum were determined using a triple-marker method based on Co-EDTA, Yb-acetate and indigestible neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) markers. Microbial non-NH3 N (NAN) flow was assessed by purine flow. Microbial samples to determine the bacterial purine: N ratio were harvested from the rumen, omasum and duodenum. Organic matter flow was significantly lower into the omasum than the duodenum, indicating an endogenous organic matter secretion into the abomasum. In contrast, NDF and acid-detergent fibre flows were significantly higher into the omasum indicating digestion of fibre in the omasum. Microbial NAN flows were significantly different (P < 0·001) when estimates were based on bacterial samples harvested from different sites. Differences in total NAN, microbial NAN and dietary NAN flows entering the omasal canal and duodenum were non-significant. The results indicated that the omasal sampling technique provides a promising alternative to the duodenal sampling technique to investigate forestomach digestion in dairy cows and offers an alternative means to study rumen N metabolism.

Previous research has shown that resveratrol can increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the absence of improved cognitive performance in healthy, young human subjects during the performance of cognitively demanding tasks. This lack of cognitive effects may be due to low bioavailability and, in turn, reduced bioefficacy of resveratrol in vivo. Piperine can alter polyphenol pharmacokinetics, but previous studies have not investigated whether this affects the efficacy of the target compound. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to ascertain whether co-supplementation of piperine with resveratrol affects the bioavailability and efficacy of resveratrol with regard to cognition and CBF. The present study utilised a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects design, where twenty-three adults were given placebo, trans-resveratrol (250 mg) and trans-resveratrol with 20 mg piperine on separate days at least a week apart. After a 40 min rest/absorption period, the participants performed a selection of cognitive tasks and CBF was assessed throughout the period, in the frontal cortex, using near-IR spectroscopy. The presence of resveratrol and its conjugates in the plasma was confirmed by liquid chromatography–MS analysis carried out following the administration of the same doses in a separate cohort (n 6). The results indicated that when co-supplemented, piperine and resveratrol significantly augmented CBF during task performance in comparison with placebo and resveratrol alone. Cognitive function, mood and blood pressure were not affected. The plasma concentrations of resveratrol and its metabolites were not significantly different between the treatments, which indicates that co-supplementation of piperine with resveratrol enhances the bioefficacy of resveratrol with regard to CBF effects, but not cognitive performance, and does this without altering bioavailability.

Oligomers and polymers of flavan-3-ols (proanthocyanidins) are very abundant in the Mediterranean diet, but are poorly absorbed. However, when these polyphenols reach the colon, they are metabolised by the intestinal microbiota into various phenolic acids, including phenylpropionic, phenylacetic and benzoic acid derivatives. Since the biological properties of these metabolites are not completely known, in the present study, we investigated the effect of the following microbial phenolic metabolites: 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (3,4-DHPPA), 3-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (3,4-DHPAA), 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 4-hydroxyhippuric acid (4-HHA), on modulation of the production of the main pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6). The production of these cytokines by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) pre-treated with the phenolic metabolites was studied in six healthy volunteers. With the exception of 4-HHA for TNF-α secretion, only the dihydroxylated compounds, 3,4-DHPPA and 3,4-DHPAA, significantly inhibited the secretion of these pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated PBMC. Mean inhibition of the secretion of TNF-α by 3,4-DHPPA and 3,4-DHPAA was 84·9 and 86·4 %, respectively. The concentrations of IL-6 in the culture supernatant were reduced by 88·8 and 92·3 % with 3,4-DHPPA and 3,4-DHPAA pre-treatment, respectively. Finally, inhibition was slightly higher for IL-1β, 93·1 % by 3,4-DHPPA and 97·9 % by 3,4-DHPAA. These results indicate that dihydroxylated phenolic acids derived from microbial metabolism present marked anti-inflammatory properties, providing additional information about the health benefits of dietary polyphenols and their potential value as therapeutic agents.

The present study was designed to determine the quantitative effects of starchy meals containing guar gum on rates of net apparent glucose absorption and net apparent insulin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) production in growing pigs. The effects of these meals on the viscosity of jejunal digesta were also examined and correlated to changes in glucose absorption. Four growing pigs were each given either a low-fat semi-purified diet (control) or the same diet supplemented with a high-molecular-weight guar gum at concentrations in the diet of 20 or 40 g/kg. Blood samples were removed simultaneously via indwelling catheters from the mesenteric artery and the hepatic portal vein. Samples of jejunal digesta were removed via a T-piece cannula and used immediately for viscosity measurements at 39°. The ‘zero-shear’ viscosity of each sample was then calculated. Blood-flow measurements were made using an ultrasonic flow probe fitted to the hepatic portal vein. All measurements were made at intervals of 10 or 30 min during a 4 h postprandial period. Meals containing guar gum significantly increased (P < 0·05) the viscosity of jejunal digesta, an effect that was strongly dependent on the concentration of guar gum in the original diet. No significant differences in blood-flow rates were found between the control and guar-containing diets. Both concentrations of guar gum significantly reduced (P < 0·05) glucose absorption and insulin and GIP secretion rates over the 4 h postprandial period. An inverse relationship between the rate of glucose absorption and the ‘zero-shear’ viscosity of jejunal digesta was found. This study also provides direct evidence for the important role played by the entero-insular axis in modifying the glycaemic response to a meal containing guar gum.

The objective of the present study was to assess to what extent fruit and vegetable intakes track over a 24-year time period and to assess longitudinal associations between fruit and vegetable intakes and (change in) BMI and sum of skinfolds. Dietary intake and anthropometrics were repeatedly assessed for 168 men and women between the ages of 12 and 36 years. Linear general estimating equations analyses were applied (1) to estimate tracking coefficients, (2) to estimate predictability for meeting the national recommendation for fruit and vegetable intake and for being in the highest quartile for fruit and vegetable intake, and (3) to estimate the association between fruit and vegetable intake and BMI and sum of skinfolds. We found that tracking coefficients were 0·33 (P < 0·001) for fruit intake and 0·27 (P < 0·001) for vegetable intake. Mean fruit intake decreased over a 24-year period. For fruit intake, predictability was higher in men than in women (OR 6·02 (P < 0·001) and 2·33 (P = 0·001) for meeting the recommendation for men and women respectively). After adjustment, fruit intake was not associated with BMI, but being in the lowest quartile of fruit intake was significantly associated with a lower sum of skinfolds. Women in the lowest quartiles of vegetable intake had significantly higher BMI and sum of skinfolds and also greater positive changes in these parameters. In conclusion, tracking and predictability for fruit and vegetable intake appear to be low to moderate, which might indicate that fruit and vegetable promotion should be started at an early age and continued into adulthood. Despite the fact that we only observed beneficial weight-maintaining effects of vegetable intake in women, promoting vegetables is important for both sexes because of other positive properties of vegetables. No evidence was found for promoting fruit intake as a means of weight maintenance.

The effects of polysaccharides and tannins present in the hulls of field beans (Vicia faba L.) on the digestion of amino acids, starch and lipid were studied in poultry. A control diet without hulls and the same diet substituted with 400 g hulls/kg diet from three different varieties of beans were fed to 3-week-old chicks for 4 d. Digestibility coefficients for amino acids, starch and lipid were calculated from measurements made of these nutrients in the diets and the freeze-dried excreta with the aid of titanium dioxide as a marker. Activities of trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4), α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1), and lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) in digesta removed from the upper jejunum, sucrase (EC 3.2.1.48) in the gut mucosa from the upper jejunum, and α-amylase and lipase in the pancreas were measured. The hulls were analysed for their polysaccharide and tannin contents. Results showed that the hulls were mostly carbohydrate in composition, with cellulose the predominant polysaccharide. Tannins present in the hulls of two coloured-flowering varieties (Brunette and Minica) were of the condensed type. The diet with tannin-free hulls (white-flowering variety Medes) lowered slightly the digestion of amino acids, starch and lipid compared with the control diet. This effect was believed to be due to inhibition of digestive enzymes, possibly through their adsorption onto the hulls. Diets with tannin-rich hulls (varieties Brunette and Minica) caused a large reduction in the digestion of amino acids, starch and lipid compared with the control diet mainly due to inactivation of digestive enzymes by the formation of tannin–enzyme complexes in the digestive tract. Enzyme activities could be partially restored by the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone to the digesta. Tannins inactivated trypsin the most, α-amylase to a lesser extent and lipase the least and as a consequence lowered the digestion of amino acids the most, starch to a lesser extent and lipid the least. Tannins did not induce an increased pancreatic production of digestive enzymes, nor did they affect activity of jejunum mucosal sucrase. Condensed tannins from Brunette and Minica hulls were partially extractable in methanol alone, but required acidic methanol for fuller extraction. The vanillin: anthocyanidin ratio suggested that tannins were polymerized to the same degree in the Brunette and Minica varieties, both in the methanol and acidic methanol extracts. Hulls from the variety Minica contained a greater amount of methanol-extractable tannins, the quantity of remaining tannins that required acidic methanol for extraction being the same for both varieties.

A reduced protein diet (RPD) is known to increase the level of intramuscular lipid in pig meat with a smaller effect on the amount of subcutaneous adipose tissue. This might be due to tissue-specific activation of the expression of lipogenic enzymes by the RPD. The present study investigated the effect of a RPD, containing palm kernel oil, soyabean oil or palm oil on the activity and expression of one of the major lipogenic enzymes, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) and on the level of total lipids and the fatty acid composition of muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue in pigs. The RPD significantly increased SCD protein expression and activity in muscle but not in subcutaneous adipose tissue. The level of MUFA and total fatty acids in muscle was also elevated when the RPD was fed, with only small changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue. A positive significant correlation between SCD protein expression and total fatty acids in muscle was found. The results suggest that an increase in intramuscular but not subcutaneous adipose tissue fatty acids under the influence of a RPD is related to tissue-specific activation of SCD expression. It is suggested that the SCD isoform spectra in pig subcutaneous adipose tissue and muscle might be different.

An increasing amount of fructose in the diet is suggested to play a causal role in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver. Our aim was to investigate and compare the effects of very high fructose and very high glucose in hyperenergetic diets on glucose and lipid metabolism and on fat depots in healthy humans. We conducted an exploratory, prospective, randomised, single-blinded, intervention trial. Participants in addition to a balanced weight-maintaining diet received 150 g of fructose or glucose/d for 4 weeks. Insulin sensitivity was estimated from oral glucose tolerance tests. Visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat was determined with MRI. Liver fat and intramyocellular lipids of the tibialis anterior muscle were measured with 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A total of twenty healthy subjects (fructose group n 10 and glucose group n 10; twelve males and eight females) completed the study. They had a mean age of 30·5 (sem 2·0) years and a mean BMI of 25·9 (sem 0·5) kg/m2. Insulin sensitivity appeared to decrease both in the fructose and glucose groups. TAG markedly increased in the fructose group. No strong alterations or treatment effects were found for liver fat, visceral fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat and intramyocellular lipids of the tibialis anterior muscle. In conclusion, the effects of very high fructose and very high glucose in hyperenergetic diets on glucose metabolism and body fat composition were not different in the healthy participants of the present study. However, elevation of plasma TAG seemed to be fructose-specific.

Presently used dietary-assessment methods often present difficulties for researchers and respondents, and misreporting errors are common. Methods using information and communication technologies (ICT) may improve quality and accuracy. The present paper presents a systematic literature review describing studies applying ICT to dietary assessment. Eligible papers published between January 1995 and February 2008 were classified into four assessment categories: computerised assessment; personal digital assistants (PDA); digital photography; smart cards. Computerised assessments comprise frequency questionnaires, 24 h recalls (24HR) and diet history assessments. Self-administered computerised assessments, which can include audio support, may reduce literacy problems, be translated and are useful for younger age groups, but less so for those unfamiliar with computers. Self-administered 24HR utilising computers yielded comparable results as standard methods, but needed supervision if used in children. Computer-assisted interviewer-administered recall results were similar to conventional recalls, and reduced inter-interviewer variability. PDA showed some advantages but did not reduce underreporting. Mobile phone meal photos did not improve PDA accuracy. Digital photography for assessing individual food intake in dining facilities was accurate for adults and children, although validity was slightly higher with direct visual observation. Smart cards in dining facilities were useful for measuring food choice but not total dietary intake. In conclusion, computerised assessments and PDA are promising, and could improve dietary assessment quality in some vulnerable groups and decrease researcher workload. Both still need comprehensive evaluation for micronutrient intake assessment. Further work is necessary for improving ICT tools in established and new methods and for their rigorous evaluation.

The effectiveness of low-fat milk, alone and with an additional 20 mmol/l NaCl, at restoring fluid balance after exercise-induced hypohydration was compared to a sports drink and water. After losing 1·8 (sd 0·1) % of their body mass during intermittent exercise in a warm environment, eleven subjects consumed a drink volume equivalent to 150 % of their sweat loss. Urine samples were collected before and for 5 h after exercise to assess fluid balance. Urine excretion over the recovery period did not change during the milk trials whereas there was a marked increase in output between 1 and 2 h after drinking water and the sports drink. Cumulative urine output was less after the milk drinks were consumed (611 (sd 207) and 550 (sd 141) ml for milk and milk with added sodium, respectively, compared to 1184 (sd 321) and 1205 (sd 142) ml for the water and sports drink; P < 0·001). Subjects remained in net positive fluid balance or euhydrated throughout the recovery period after drinking the milk drinks but returned to net negative fluid balance 1 h after drinking the other drinks. The results of the present study suggest that milk can be an effective post-exercise rehydration drink and can be considered for use after exercise by everyone except those individuals who have lactose intolerance.