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.

The Caerphilly Prospective Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) Study is based on a sample of 2512 men aged 45–59 years when first seen. Nutrient intakes, estimated using a self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, are available for 2423 men (96%). Amongst these, 148 major IHD events occurred during the first 5 years of follow-up. Associations were examined between these events and baseline diet. Incident IHD (new events) was negatively associated with total energy intake: men who went on to experience an IHD event had consumed 560 kJ (134 kcal)/d (6%) less at baseline than men who experienced no event (P = 0.01). The relative odds of an IHD event was 1.5 among men in the lowest fifth of energy intake, compared with 1.3,1.2,0.9 and 1.0 respectively for the other four fifths (P < 0.05). The difference in energy intake was reflected in lower intakes of every nutrient examined. When expressed as a percentage of total energy, mean intakes of men who experienced an IHD event were virtually identical to those of men who did not. There was some evidence suggesting a positive association between total fat intake and IHD risk, but the trend was not consistent and not statistically significant. There was no association for animal fat. Alcohol consumption was negatively associated with subsequent IHD, but only in men who already had evidence of IHD at baseline (P < 0.05). Dietary fibre, particularly from fruit and vegetables, was 7% lower in men who had an incident IHD event (P < 0.05), but the difference was not independent of total energy. There was a trend of increasing IHD risk with decreasing vitamin C intake, the relative odds of an IHD event being 1.6 among men in the lowest one-fifth of the vitamin C distribution, but this was not statistically significant.

Information on current-, never- and ex-smokers (including duration of cessation) was obtained in a cross-sectional survey of risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), the Scottish Heart Health Study. Diet was also assessed by food frequency questionnaire in a total of 4265 men and 4770 women. Nutrient intakes were computed by sex and smoking group and, according to their diet, the ex-smokers were categorized as current- or never-smokers using discriminant analysis techniques.

The current- and five ex-smoking groups differed negligibly in past smoking characteristics. Energy-adjusted intake of polyunsaturated fat, fibre and the antioxidant vitamins were lowest in current-smokers, and for men, intakes increased progressively with duration of ex-smoking to reach the level of never-smokers. In a similar manner, energy, sugar and alcohol decreased with duration of ex-smoking. Fewer trends were observable for women, and the diets of ex-smokers more immediately resembled that of never-smokers.

Discriminant analysis for the combined nutrients correctly categorized 72 and 69 % of male, and 66 and 65 % of female current- and never-smokers respectively. By 4 years of smoking cessation the general dietary pattern of ex-smokers was similar to never-smokers for both sexes. Whether this represents a change in diet over time or a cohort effect is unclear, but the results do suggest that the apparent healthier diet of ex-smokers may contribute to their reduction in CHD risk compared with life-long current-smokers.

Two formulas were derived to estimate the energy content of the human body which use only body mass, total body water by 3H2O dilution space and body minerals assessed by anthropometry. The formulas were tested in a body composition database of 561 patients and 151 normal volunteers using established metabolizable energy values for protein, fat and glycogen. Total body protein was determined by in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA), body water by dilution of tritium and body minerals from skeletal frame size. Body glycogen was assumed to be 14.6 % of the mineral component. Body fat was obtained by difference, body mass less the sum of water, protein, minerals and glycogen. The standard deviation in the estimate of body energy content was 30 MJ or 4.1 % of the energy content of reference man. Two formulas for body energy content were derived by regression with body mass, total body water and body minerals or height. Two formulas for energy density and formulas for percentage body fat were similarly derived.

Vegetarians of three types were studied in Greater London:thirty-four meat-avoiders, fifty-two lacto- ovo-vegetarians, and thirty-eight vegans. Weighed dietary intake measures were made over 3 d. Cereals were the mainstay of the diet, supplemented by dairy products (demi-vegetarians and lacto-ovo- vegetarians), vegetables and fruit, and soya-bean products (vegans). Many vegans progressed by stages to complete avoidance of animal foods; some had retreated, but most were highly committed. Demi- vegetarians were the least involved in a ‘vegetarian lifestyle’. All groups had mean energy intakes close to the current dietary reference values (DRV), with adequate protein intakes. Only vegans had fat intakes close to current recommendations; all groups had high dietary po1yunsaturated:saturated fatty acid ratios. Mean intakes of all micronutrients studied for demi- and lacto-ovo-vegetarians met the UK DRV. Intakes of iodine, riboflavin, and vitamin B12 for vegans were below DRV; more than half considered their diets supplied all necessary vitamins. About 25% took some type of dietary supplement during the survey. The impact of low I intakes should be further studied, and it is recommended that ‘new’ vegetarians and vegans should use appropriate dietary supplements.

In twenty-eight healthy subjects, ten men and eighteen women, with a range in body mass index (BMI) of 17.9–31.6 kg/m2 and an age range 20–60 years, body composition was estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), skinfold anthropometry (SFA) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) of the ‘whole body’and body segments. In thirteen subjects muscle mass was also estimated by 24 h urinary creatinine excretion. The relationship between fat-free mass (FFM) determined by DEXA and the impedance index of each body segment (calculated as Iength2/impedance (Z)) was analysed. The strongest correlation was between FFM (DEXA) and height2/‘whole-body’Z (Zw) (r 0.97 for the combined sexes, standard error of estimate (SEE) 2.72 kg). Separate prediction equations were found to be necessary for males and females when estimating FFM from BIA measurement of the arm (for men, r 0.93, SEE 1.98 kg; for women, r 0.75, SEE 2.87 kg). Muscle mass derived from 24 h creatinine excretion showed weak correlation with FFM (DEXA) (r 0.57, P = 0.03) and no correlation with FFM (SFA). FFM (SFA) correlated well with both FFM (DEXA) (r 0.96, SEE = 3.12 kg) and with height2/Zw (r 0.92, SEE 4.52 kg). Measurement of the impedance of the arm offers a simple method of assessing the composition of the whole body in normal individuals, and it appears comparable with other methods of assessment.

The relationship between non-protein respiratory quotient (RQnp) and total fat retention (RFAT) or fat retained from synthesized carbohydrates (RFAT(CHO)) was evaluated from experiments with fattening–growing pigs in the live weight (LW) range from 45 to 120 kg. A commercial feed compound (31 g fat/kg) was fed at low (LI) or high (HI) feed intake in Expt 1, while a semi-purified diet (9.5 g fat/kg) was given without (LO) or with (HO) supplement of 90 g soya-bean oil/kg in Expt 2. RQnp was calculated from 24 h measurements of the gas exchange, RFAT from 7 d N and C balances and RFAT(CHO) from differences between RFAT and digested fat. The measurements showed that about 85 % of the total gas exchange was caused by oxidation of non-protein nutrients and the RQnp varied from 1.00 to 1.34. In Expt 1 RFAT increased with LW from 46 to 141 and from 199 to 335 g/d on LI and HI respectively, whilst in Expt 2 RFAT increased from 191 to 377 and from 267 to 511 g/d on LO and HO respectively. A pronounced linearity was found between RQnp and RFAT for all diets, but the curve for Expt 2 on HO had a lower position than the common curve for the other diets. By relating RQnp to RFAT(CHO) a common linear curve and regression equation could be established in spite of the great variation in dietary composition, intake of fat and fat deposition.

There is a paucity of data on which to base estimates of the energy requirements of the elderly. In general, ageing appears to be associated with a reduction in energy requirement arising from a reduction in physical activity and loss of fat-free mass. The aim of the present study was to measure the total energy expenditure (TEE), basal metabolic rate (BMR), and energy expended on physical activity (calculated as TEE–BMR) in a group of healthy elderly women living in the community in Southampton. Mean rates of TEE (9.21 (SD 1.48) MJd) and energy expended on physical activity (4.12 (SD 1.19) MJ/d) were higher than those observed in some studies of younger adults in the UK, and higher than the factors used to estimate the average energy requirement for the elderly. The results suggest that an age-related reduction in energy requirement is not inevitable and support the hypothesis that the effects of ageing on physical activity, body composition, and hence energy requirements, are variable.

Fat-free mass (FFM) was estimated in forty-seven premenopausal Chinese women, aged 18–43 years, from anthropometric data (skinfolds, body mass index (weight/height2; BMI)) or bioelectrical impedance, using several prediction formulas for body composition from the literature, and values compared with the mean of these three individual methods used as a frame of reference. In thirty-six women these values could be compared with FFM calculated from total body water (TBW) determined by D2O dilution. The prediction formulas used were developed from studies on Caucasian adults and their validity will have to be shown in populations with different ethnic backgrounds. The mean difference between FFM predicted from BMI and the frame of reference was 0.1 kg (95 % confidence interval (CI) -0.1, 0.4), from bioelectrical impedance it was 0.5 kg (95% CI 0.3, 0.7), and from skinfolds it was -0.6 kg (95% CI -0.9, -0.4). The mean difference between FFM calculated from TBW and the frame of reference was higher (2.2 kg, 95 % CI 1.2,3.3). The results of the present study indicate that the three methods may be valid for predicting body composition in adult Chinese females, but further research is needed on development and cross-validation of prediction equations for body composition for Chinese.

A combination of arterio–venous difference, kinetic isotope transfer and blood flow rate techniques were used to measure tyrosine metabolism across hindlimb tissues of nine growing lambs (average live weight 36.5 kg) fed on a range of dry matter intakes. Muscle protein synthesis was measured using a continuous infusion technique and compared with simultaneous estimates of hindlimb protein turnover calculated from the values for tyrosine metabolism. When the specific radioactivity (SRA) of tyrosine in the arterial plasma free pool was assumed to be the same as the SRA of tyrosine in the direct precursor pool of protein synthesis, hindlimb protein synthesis (ksav; 3.66 (SEM 0.50) %/d) was significantly (P < 0.001) higher (68%) than muscle protein synthesis (ksp; 2.18 (SEM 0.31) %/d) but was similar to the value for muscle protein synthesis calculated using the homogenate free tyrosine SRA (ksh; 3.35 (SEM 0.42) %/d). Hindlimb and muscle protein synthesis (y) were both significantly related to dry matter intake (x) (ksav, r2 0.667, P = 0.007; ksh, r2 0.968, P < 0.001) and there was no significant difference between the slopes (P = 0.532) and intercepts (P = 0.945) of the two regression lines. The results demonstrate that hindlimb protein turnover cannot be quantitatively compared with muscle protein synthesis, probably due to high protein metabolic activity in non-muscular tissues within the hindlimb, although similar responses in protein synthetic rate to the level of feed intake were observed between hindlimb and muscle tissues.

Eleven 14–15-year-old schoolgirls were investigated four times within 1 year to determine variations in energy expenditure between individuals (inter-individual variability) and within subjects (intra-individual variability). Indirect calorimetry was used to determine metabolic rates in the fasting and resting state (RMR), and during physical activities which were grouped into standardized and non-standardized activities. Analyses of variance supplied information about intra- and inter-individual variabilities of rates of energy expenditure. The mean resting metabolic rate in adolescent girls was 4.41 (SD 0.40) kJ/min. The overall coefficient of variation (9.1 %) was approximately twice as high as the mean coefficient within subjects (4.3%). The reproducibility of the RMR of the girls was high (significant F value of variance analysis), even over a prolonged investigation of 1 year. This seemed to depend primarily on the constant body weight during the period of investigation. A workload of 30 W on a bicycle ergometer and walking at an individually chosen speed did not reveal significant differences between inter- and intra-individual variabilities of energy metabolic rates. However, in most non- standardized activities, e.g. relaxation at home, washing dishes and vacuum cleaning, inter-individual variability was significantly higher than intra-individual variability. There are true differences in energy expenditure rates between subjects which may be demonstrated by duplicated measurements. Conclusions on future experimental design were drawn, where differences between groups rather than between individuals are to be studied.

Nutritional assessment and adequacy of spontaneous dietary intake was evaluated in thirty-seven clinically stable hospitalized patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. About two-thirds of the patients had ascites or oedema, or both, and, therefore, body weight could not be used for assessment of nutritional status. Lean body mass (LBM; measured by three consecutive 24 h creatinine excretions) was 62 (range 40–95)% of reference values, mid-arm-muscle area (MAMA) was 70 (range 43–115)% and triceps skinfold (TSF) was 45 (range 20–113)% of reference values (all median values). In patients without ascites or oedema, or both, there was a rectilinear correlation between body weight and LBM and between body weight and MAMA (r 0.93 and 0.85 respectively). In patients with ascites or oedema, or both, the correlation between body weight and LBM was poor as could be expected. We suggest that LBM is a useful measure of nutritional status when body weight is unreliable because of ascites or oedema, or both. Energy balance for the group was calculated from energy intake recorded by a 24 h dietary recall and energy expenditure calculated by the factorial method. Median intake was 102 (range 34–176)% of expenditure. N loss was calculated from the average of three 24 h urea excretions. Protein intake was calculated from the 24 h dietary recall. The N balance was positive in the patients as a group (median intake was 120 (range 26–183)% of output). The most malnourished patients tended to have the most positive N balance which was due to a significantly lower N excretion. The protein requirement for N balance was 0.83 (SE 0.05) g/kg per d and only at an intake above 1.20 g/kg per d were all patients in positive N balance. The median intakes of thiamin, folacin, vitamin D, vitamin E, Mg, and Zn were judged to be insufficient. It is concluded that impaired nutritional status is common among patients with liver cirrhosis, even in a stable clinical condition. It is suggested that nutritional status in these patients is evaluated by dietary recalls, in combination with measurement of body weight in patients without ascites or oedema, or both, or in combination with determination of LBM by three 24 h creatinine excretions in patients with ascites or oedema, or both. Criteria for selection of patients that might benefit from nutritional therapy are discussed.

An in vitro enzymic method was used to study the kinetics of digestion of casein and rapeseed proteins. After a predigestion step with pepsin (EC 3.4.23.1), the protein substrates were submitted to a 24 h hydrolysis either with pancreatin or pancreatic juices of pigs adapted either to casein or rapeseed diets and whose enzyme activities were different. After 3, 6 and 24 h of in vitro digestion, dialysates were collected and analysed for content of nitrogen, amino acids and low-molecular-weight peptides. For a long-term hydrolysis (24 h), overall digestibility of both substrates was not affected by the composition of pancreatic enzyme mixtures. However, at the beginning of hydrolysis a significant effect of pancreatic juices was observed, i.e. individual amino acid digestibility was generally higher when casein pancreatic juice was used for hydrolysis and their relative pattern of release was modified. For both substrates the proportion of amino acids released as low-molecular-weight peptides was not affected by the enzyme mixture used and made up about two-thirds of the total digested material. It is concluded that exocrine pancreatic adaptation to protein sources does not affect the total capacity of protein digestion. However, the changes in initial kinetics of release of amino acids are more dependent on the nature of the protein tested than on the composition of pancreatic enzyme mixtures.

Three peptides structurally related to gastrin and known to be full agonists of antral motility in the conscious cat, pentagastrin (PG), cholecystokinin (CCK) and synthetic octapeptide of cholecystokinin (OP-CCK), were compared in relation to antral and duodenal electrical activity. They induced the same antral effect in eliciting an increase in the basal electrical rhythm (BER) and a short-lasting decrease in the frequency of the bursts of spikes. The electrical changes were correlated with lumen pressure changes measured in parallel, consisting of a decrease in the frequency of high-amplitude peaks and an increase in low-amplitude peaks. The additive effect of PG and CCK shows that the peptides are full agonists for antral electrical activity, as they are for antral motility and acid secretion. In contrast to the antrum, the three peptides increased the frequency of the duodenal spike bursts, CCK and OP-CCK decreased the BER frequency, while PG increased BER slightly. The increase in antral and duodenal BER obtained after a beef-liver meal, which produced a large endogenous gastrin release, suggests a major role for gastrin in antral motility induced by feeding, at least in the cat.

1. Sheep with oesophageal fistulas were used in sham-feeding experiments to assess how sham intakes were affected by (a) physical form of straw (finely and coarsely ground; ground and pelleted), (b) type of food (straw pellets v. lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay pellets) and (c) additions of monosodium glutamate (MSG) with or without NaCl to the various straw diets. Normal animals were also fed on diets with and without MSG. Sham intakes of fine-ground loose straw (25 g/30 min) were markedly less (P = 0.002) than those of ground and pelleted straw (711 g/30 min). However, MSG at 5–40 g/kg fine and coarse ground straw increased sham intakes by 146 (P = 0.04) and 164% (P = 0.01) respectively. These findings indicated that the intakes of poor-quality diets can be increased by compacting them or by improving their palatability with MSG, or both. Sham intakes of straw pellets in two experiments were 32 (P = 0.02) and 45% (P = 0.008) of those of lucerne pellets (436 v. 1366 and 737 v. 1640 g/30 min). However, MSG at 20 g/kg straw pellets increased sham intakes from 674 to 1100 g/30 min (P = 0.05). When the MSG was mixed with NaCl (20 g/kg), the intakes of straw pellets were increased from 1089 to 1512 g/30 min (P = 0.02). Thus, the addition of MSG with or without NaCl increased the intakes of straw pellets. The highest intakes of the straw pellets treated with MSG were similar to those for lucerne pellets. When MSG-treated ammoniated barley straw (10 g/kg) was fed to normal sheep, the MSG increased DM intakes by 10 % (719–789 g/d; P = 0.04). MSG sprayed onto grass hay (10 g/kg) did not, however, affect daily DM intakes by these sheep. In general, the findings indicate that the intake of straw by ruminants may be increased by compressing it to form pellets or cubes and by adding MSG.