Iodine is required for thyroid hormone synthesis and fetal neurogenesis. Recent population studies in the United Kingdom (UK) have found iodine deficiency among schoolgirls, women of child-bearing age and pregnant women. This review explores knowledge and awareness of iodine among women of child-bearing age and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the UK, set within a global context. We aimed to identify gaps in iodine knowledge in the current UK setting of iodine deficiency without iodine fortification and where iodine is not included in antenatal guidelines. The search terms ‘iodine knowledge’ and ‘iodine awareness’ were used to identify relevant papers. Iodine knowledge is poor among women of child-bearing age in the UK according to four studies using questionnaires and qualitative methods. They were unsure of dietary sources of iodine and were not consistently provided with relevant information from HCPs during clinical care. Midwives have been recognised as the main providers of dietary information during pregnancy and, although they recognised the importance of their role in providing nutrition advice, they did not feel equipped to do so and lacked confidence in addressing nutritional concerns. Globally, there was a similar lack of knowledge, however, this was somewhat improved by the inclusion of iodine in antenatal care guidelines. Midwives’ knowledge of iodine was poor, as was knowledge among women of child-bearing age. Improved HCP knowledge and effective communication of information to pregnant women and women planning to conceive may help to improve iodine status which is of particular concern in pregnancy.

Despite global efforts made to address anaemia, the prevalence remains high in most Sub-Saharan African countries. In Ethiopia, anaemia poses a very strong public health concern. The purpose of the present study was to examine the key risk factors related to anaemia among children aged 6–24 months (younger age group) and 25–59 months (older age group). We used the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data, collected from 11 023 mothers with under five children. Ordered logistic regression modelling was used for assessing risk factors of childhood anaemia. The results suggest that the prevalence of anaemia was 72 % in the younger and 49 % in the older age groups. The risk factors for anaemia in the younger age group were morbidity (odds ratio (OR) 1⋅77; CI 1⋅21, 2⋅60), having no piped water source (OR 1⋅76; CI 1⋅07, 3⋅01) and no toilet facility (OR 1⋅60; CI 1⋅07, 2⋅38). The key risk factors for anaemia in the older age group were no micronutrient intake (OR 1⋅69; CI 1⋅23, 2⋅31), having a young mother (15–24 years old) (OR 1⋅35; CI 0⋅84, 1⋅91) and a non-working mother (OR 1⋅50; CI 1⋅15, 1⋅96). Anaemia also varied by region, place of residence and economic factors. Multiple factors contributed to the high prevalence of anaemia. Given the structural problem that the country has intervention strategies should consider the unique characteristics of regions and rural residences where the prevalence of anaemia is above the national average.

Adaptive thermogenesis and reduced fat oxidative capacity may accompany weight loss, continuing in weight maintenance. The present study aimed (1) to determine whether weight-reduced and weight-loss relapsed women are at greater metabolic risk for weight gain compared with BMI-matched controls with no weight-loss history, and (2) to identify protective strategies that might attenuate weight loss-associated adaptive thermogenesis and support successful weight-loss maintenance. Four groups of women were recruited: reduced-overweight/obese (RED, n 15), controls (low-weight stable weight; LSW, n 19) BMI <27 kg/m2; relapsed-overweight/obese (REL, n 11), controls (overweight/obese stable weight; OSW, n 11) BMI >27 kg/m2. Body composition (bioelectrical impedance), 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, fasting and postprandial metabolic rate (MR) and substrate utilisation (RER) and physical activity (accelerometer (7 d)) were measured. Sociobehavioural questionnaires and 3 × 24 h diet recalls were completed. Fasting and postprandial MR, RER and total daily energy intake (TDEI) were not different between RED and REL v. controls (P > 0·05). RED consumed less carbohydrate (44·8 (sd 10·3) v. 53·4 (sd 10·0) % TDEI, P = 0·020), more protein (19·2 (sd 6·0) v. 15·6 (sd 4·2) % TDEI, P = 0·049) and increased physical activity, but behaviourally reported greater dietary restraint (P = 0·002) compared with controls. TDEI, macronutrient intake and physical activity were similar between OSW and REL. REL reported higher subjective fasting and lower postprandial ratings of prospective food consumption compared with OSW. Weight-reduced women had similar RMR (adjusted for fat-free mass) compared with controls with no weight-loss history. Increased physical activity, higher protein intake and greater lean muscle mass may have counteracted weight loss-associated metabolic compensation and highlights their importance in weight-maintenance programmes.

Since the discovery of vitamin D, it has been accepted that its physiological supply is either from food or by endogenous synthesis in skin exposed to solar UV light. Yet vitamin D is a component of very few foods and its supply as a natural nutrient is unable to maintain good vitamin D status for human populations. One aspect of vitamin D physiology that has been ignored is that the mechanisms for its transport and processing from these two sources are quite different. Excess intake of vitamin D causes hypercalcaemic toxicity. However, experiments with different animal species have shown that long-term supply of oral vitamin D in apparently non-toxic amounts causes atherosclerosis in large arteries. A mechanism for this toxicity is proposed. Alternative strategies for addressing widespread vitamin D deficiency by food fortification should be considered in light of the angiotoxicity caused by oral vitamin D in animal experiments.

Colostrum quality is of paramount importance in the management of optimal ruminant growth and infectious disease prevention in early life. Live yeast supplementation effect during the last month of gestation was evaluated on ewes’ colostrum composition. Two groups of ewes (n = 14) carrying twin lambs were constituted and twins were separated into groups (mothered or artificially fed) 12 h after birth. Nutrient, oligosaccharides (OS), IgG and lactoferrin concentrations were measured over 72 h after lambing, and bacterial community was described in colostrum collected at parturition (T0). Immune passive transfer was evaluated through IgG measurement in lamb serum. In both groups, colostral nutrient, OS concentrations and IgG concentrations in colostrum and lamb serum decreased over time (P < 0⋅01), except for lactose, which slightly increased (P < 0⋅001), and lactoferrin, which remained stable. Bacterial population was stable over time with high relative abundances of Aerococcaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae and Staphylococcaceae in T0 colostrum. No effect of supplementation was observed in nutrient and lactoferrin concentrations. In supplemented ewes, the level of colostral IgG was higher at T0 and a higher level of serum IgG was observed in lambs born from supplemented mothers and artificially fed, while no effect of supplementation was observed in the mothered lamb groups. Using a metabolomic approach, we showed that supplementation affected OS composition with significantly higher levels of colostral Neu-5Gc compounds up to 5 h after birth. No effect of supplementation was observed on bacterial composition. Our data suggest that live yeast supplementation offsets the negative impact of early separation and incomplete colostrum feeding in neonate lambs.

More than one-third of deaths during the first 5 years of life are attributed to undernutrition, which are mostly preventable through economic development and public health measures. The present study aimed to explore the potential risk factors of undernutrition among children under 5 years of age in Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) were used. A total of 974 children under 5 years of age were involved. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used at a 5 % level of significance to determine the individual- and community-level factors associated with childhood undernutrition. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight was 46⋅3, 9⋅8 and 28⋅4 %, respectively. About 23⋅1 % of children were both stunting and underweight, 7⋅3 % were both underweight and wasting and 4⋅5 % of children had all three conditions. Among the factors considered in the present study, the age of a child in months, birth weight, mother educational level, sex of household head, sources of drinking water and the type of toilet facility were significantly associated with undernutrition in the Amhara Region. Undernutrition among under-five children was one of the public health problems in the Amhara Region. The potential risk factors should be considered to develop strategies for reducing undernutrition in the Amhara Region. Finally, improving the living standards of the children is important to get better health care, to enhance the child's nutritional status and to reduce child mortality.

Adequate nutrition is essential for early childhood to ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation, and function, a strong immune system, neurological and cognitive development. The main aim of the present study was to assess the effect of maternal employment on nutritional status among children aged 6–23 months in the town of Bale Robe, Ethiopia. A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on about 597 (293 unemployed and 304 employed) having children aged 6–23-month-old children sampled were employed with a multistage sampling technique. A face-to-face interview was conducted using a structured pretested questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used for the statistical analysis. The magnitude of stunting (39.9 %), underweight (39⋅9 %) and wasting (22⋅2 %) was greater in 6–23-month-old children born to employed mothers than their counterparts in unemployed ones [stunted (31⋅3 %), underweight (24⋅0 %) and wasted (11⋅8 %)]. Being a girl [AOR 0⋅31; 95 % CI (0⋅17, 0⋅54)] in employed mothers and [AOR 0⋅29; 95 % CI (0⋅16, 0⋅51)] in unemployed people significantly protected stunting. This study demonstrated that the nutritional status of 6–23-month-old children is better among unemployed mothers than among employed mothers. Therefore, concerted efforts may decrease child undernutrition in a study area.

The effects of dietary carbohydrate and fat on feline health are not well understood. The effects of feeding diets moderately high in fat (HF; n 10; 30 % fat, 26 % carbohydrate as fed) or carbohydrate (HC; n 10; 11 % fat, 47 % carbohydrate), for 84 d, were investigated in healthy, adult cats (3·5 (sd 0·5) years). Data on indirect calorimetry, blood biomarkers, activity, play and cognition were collected at baseline, and at intervals throughout the study. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and on day 85. There were no significant main effects of diet on body weight and composition. When data were analysed over study day within diet, cats fed HF diets experienced a significant increase in body fat (P = 0·001) and body weight (P = 0·043) in contrast to cats consuming the HC diet that experienced no change in body fat or body weight (P = 0·762) throughout the study. Overall, energy expenditure was similar between diets (P = 0·356 (fasted), P = 0·086 (postprandial)) and respiratory quotient declined with exposure to the HF diet and increased with exposure to the HC diet (P < 0·001; fasted and postprandial). There was no difference in insulin sensitivity as an overall effect of diet (P = 0·266). Activity declined from baseline with exposure to both diets (HC: P = 0·002; HF: P = 0·01) but was not different between diets (P = 0·247). There was no effect of diet on play (P = 0·387) and cats consuming either the HF or HC diet did not successfully learn the cognitive test. Overall, cats adapt to dietary macronutrient content, and the implications of feeding HC and HF diets on risk for adiposity as driven by metabolic and behavioural mechanisms are discussed.

Insufficient vitamin D during pregnancy increases risk of adverse outcomes, with known differences by race/ethnicity. We sought to determine whether predictors of vitamin D insufficiency vary by race/ethnicity in an ethnically diverse pregnancy cohort. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and patient characteristics were measured at first prenatal visit to prenatal clinics in south-eastern USA between 2009 and 2011 (n 504). Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95 % CI were estimated using multivariable regression to quantify predictors of vitamin D insufficiency, overall and by race/ethnicity. In race/ethnicity-stratified models, season was most associated with vitamin D insufficiency among non-Hispanic white women; PR for winter v. summer were 3·58 (95 % CI 1·64, 7·81) for non-Hispanic white, 1·52 (95 % CI 1·18, 1·95) for Hispanic and 1·14 (95 % CI 0·99, 1·30) for non-Hispanic black women. Although women with darker skin tones are most vulnerable to prenatal vitamin D insufficiency, season may be more strongly associated with insufficiency among women with lighter skin tones.

Dietary fat is normally in TAG form, but diacylglycerol (DAG) is a natural component of edible oils. Studies have shown that consumption of DAG results in metabolic characteristics that are distinct from those of TAG, which may be beneficial in preventing and managing obesity. The objective of the present study was to investigate if food items in which part of the TAG oil is replaced with DAG oil combined with high α-linolenic acid (ALA) content would influence metabolic markers. A 12-week double-blinded randomised controlled parallel-design study was conducted. The participants (n 23) were healthy, overweight men and women, aged 37–67 years, BMI 27–35 kg/m2, with waist circumference >94 cm (men) and >88 cm (women). The two groups received 20 g margarine, 11 g mayonnaise and 12 g oil per d, containing either high ALA and sn-1,3-DAG or high ALA and TAG. Substitution of TAG oil with DAG oil in food items for 12 weeks led to an improvement of the predicted 10 years cardiovascular risk score in overweight subjects by non-significantly improving markers of health such as total body fat percentage, trunk fat mass, alanine aminotransferase, systolic blood pressure, γ-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase and total fat-free mass. This may suggest that replacing TAG oil with DAG oil in healthy, overweight individuals may have beneficial metabolic effects.

The aim of the present study was to identify and describe the factors influencing feeding practices of children aged 6–23 months in Rwanda. This is a cross-sectional descriptive qualitative study. A total of ten focus group discussions were conducted separately with mothers, fathers, grandmothers and community health workers (CHWs) from five different districts in Rwanda. The discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed using qualitative data analysis software, Atlas.ti. The study participants were mothers, fathers and grandmothers of children aged 6–23 months and CHWs in charge of child health. Caregivers’ knowledge and beliefs about the benefits of breast-feeding and timely introduction of complementary food were found to be the primary individual factors facilitating good infant and young child feeding practices. The common belief of caregivers that infants should be given liquids (thin gruel, fruit juices and meat broth) as first foods instead of semi-solid foods was a barrier to good feeding practices. The community-based nutrition education and counselling programmes were facilitators of good complementary practices at the group level. At the society level, poverty in rural agrarian households was a barrier to optimal feeding practices. The study shows that there is a need to empower caregivers with more specific guidelines, especially on complementary feeding.

We investigated the effect of feeding a skin barrier function-augmenting diet early in dogs' lives on the appearance of clinical signs associated with canine atopic dermatitis. Pregnant bitches (starting 5 weeks after mating) and their subsequent litters (up to 1 year of age) were fed either supplemented or unsupplemented diets. Nutrients supplemented were nicotinamide, pantothenate, histidine, inositol and choline. Circulating IgE levels to dust mute allergens Der f and Der p were measured when the puppies were 6 and 12 months old. Two owner questionnaires were used to assess the occurrence of typical signs associated with atopic dermatitis when dogs were between the ages of 22 and 36, and 34 and 48 months. Using linear mixed models we observed higher levels of circulating anti-Der f (P = 0·021) and -Der p IgE (P = 0·01) during the first year in the dogs fed the unsupplemented than in those fed the supplemented diet. The owner-assessed incidence of atopic dermatitis signs amongst the dogs was significantly greater in the unsupplemented group at the time of the second follow-up questionnaire (10/33 dogs v. 2/24 dogs). These outcomes suggest that a nutritionally derived improvement to barrier function early in life may reduce the frequency of signs associated with atopic dermatitis. The effect is possibly the result of making the epidermis, now thought to be a major route of environmental allergen exposure, more resistant to penetration.

A previous analysis of the Alpha-Tocopherol Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Study on male smokers found that β-carotene supplementation increased the risk of pneumonia 4-fold in those who started smoking at the age of ≥21 years and smoked ≥21 cigarettes/d (a subgroup of 7 % of the study population). The present study hypothesised that β-carotene increases mortality in the same subgroup. The ATBC Study (1985–1993) recruited 29 133 Finnish male smokers (≥5 cigarettes/d) aged 50–69 years. Cox regression models were constructed to estimate the effect of β-carotene supplementation in subgroups. β-Carotene increased mortality (risk ratio 1·56; 95 % CI 1·06, 2·3) in those who started to smoke at ≥21 years and smoked ≥21 cigarettes/d. Within this subgroup, there was strong evidence of further heterogeneity. The effect of β-carotene supplementation was further modified by dietary vitamin C intake, fruit and vegetable intake (P = 0·0004), and by vitamin E supplementation (P = 0·011). Thus, harm from β-carotene was not uniform within the study population. Interactions between β-carotene and vitamins C and E were seen only within a subgroup of 7 % of the ATBC participants, and therefore should not be extrapolated to the general population. Heterogeneity of the β-carotene effect on mortality challenges the validity of previous meta-analyses that have pooled many diverse antioxidants for one single estimate of effect using the assumption that a single estimate equally applies to all antioxidants and all people. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00342992.

Polyphenols have been suggested as protective factors for a range of chronic diseases. However, studying the impact of individual polyphenols on health is hindered by the intrinsic inter-correlations among polyphenols. Alternatively, studying foods rich in specific polyphenols fails to grasp the ubiquity of these components. Studying overall dietary patterns would allow for a more comprehensive description of polyphenol intakes in the population. Our objective was to identify clusters of dietary polyphenol intakes in a French middle-aged population (35–64 years old). Participants from the primary prevention trial SUpplementation en VItamines et Minéraux AntioXydants (SU.VI.MAX) study were included in the present cross-sectional study (n 6092; 57·8 % females; mean age 48·7 (sd 6·4) years). The fifty most consumed individual dietary polyphenols were divided into energy-adjusted tertiles and introduced in a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), leading to comprehensive factors of dietary polyphenol intakes. The identified factors discriminating polyphenol intakes were used in a hierarchical clustering procedure. Four clusters were identified, corresponding broadly to clustered preferences for their respective food sources. Cluster 1 was characterised by high intakes of tea polyphenols. Cluster 2 was characterised by high intakes of wine polyphenols. Cluster 3 was characterised by high intakes of flavanones and flavones, corresponding to high consumption of fruit and vegetables, and more broadly to a healthier diet. Cluster 4 was characterised by high intakes of hydroxycinnamic acids, but was also associated with alcohol consumption and smoking. Profiles of polyphenol intakes allowed for the identification of meaningful combinations of polyphenol intakes in the diet.

Fetal exposure to maternal undernutrition has lifelong consequences for physiological and metabolic function. Maternal low-protein diet is associated with an age-related phenotype in rats, characterised by a period of resistance to development of obesity in early adulthood, giving way to an obesity-prone, insulin-resistant state in later adulthood. Offspring of rats fed a control (18 % casein) or low-protein (9 % casein; LP) diet in pregnancy were challenged with a high-fat diet at 9 months of age. To assess whether other maternal factors modulated the programming effects of nutrition, offspring were studied from young (2–4 months old) and older (6–9 months old) mothers. Weight gain with a high-fat diet was attenuated in male offspring of older mothers fed LP (interaction of maternal age and diet; P = 0·011) and adipose tissue deposition was lower with LP feeding in both males and females (P < 0·05). Although the resistance to weight gain and adiposity was partially explained by lower energy intake in offspring of LP mothers (P < 0·001 males only), it was apparent that energy expenditure must be influenced by maternal diet and age. Assessment of locomotor activity indicated that energy expenditure associated with physical activity was unlikely to explain resistance to weight gain, but showed that offspring of older mothers were more anxious than those of younger mothers, with more rearing observed in a novel environment and on the elevated plus-maze. The data showed that in addition to maternal undernutrition, greater maternal age may influence development and long-term body composition in the rat.

Chickens adapt to P and Ca restriction during the very first days of life by improving P utilisation efficiency. The present study was built to identify the mechanisms underlying this adaptive capacity, and to identify the optimal window of application of the restriction (depletion). A total of 1600 Cobb 500TM male broilers were used. During each phase (from age 0 to 4 d, 5 to 8 d, 9 to 18 d and 19 to 33 d), the animals received either a control diet (H) or a restricted diet (L) with reduced levels of non-phytate P (nPP) and Ca (between −14 and −25 % for both) with four dietary sequences: HHHH, HLHL, LHHL and LLHL. None of the feeding strategies affected growth. Tibia ash content at day 4 and 8 was impaired when the L diet was fed from 0 to 4 and 5 to 8 d, respectively (P = 0⋅038 and P = 0⋅005). Whatever the early restriction period or length between 0 and 8 d of age, the mineralisation delay was compensated by day 18. This was accompanied by an increased mRNA expression of the Ca transporter, CALB1, and an increased apparent ileal digestibility of Ca at day 8 (P < 0⋅001). This adaptation was limited to the starter phase in restricted birds. No effect was seen on P transporters mRNA or protein expression. In conclusion, birds adapted to mineral restriction by increasing Ca and nPP utilisation efficiencies. Depletion−repletion strategies are promising in improving the sustainability of broiler production but need to be validated in phytase-supplemented diets.

More than one-third of humans and companion dogs in Western societies are overweight or obese. In people, vitamin D deficiency is widespread and associated with obesity, a now recognised inflammatory state. Low vitamin D status occurs in dogs with inflammatory conditions, but its relationship with obesity has not been investigated. In otherwise healthy privately owned adult dogs of ideal body condition (control, n 7) and dogs with overweight to obese body condition (treatment, n 8), serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and body composition as inferred from 2H-labelled water dilution space were evaluated. Subsequently, the dogs were transitioned to a commercial canine therapeutic weight-loss diet; control dogs were fed to maintain body weight and treatment dogs were energy-restricted to achieve a safe weight-loss rate. Thereafter, serum 25(OH)D concentration was re-evaluated 8 weeks after diet transition, and at the study end, which was 6 months or when ideal body condition was achieved. At study end, body composition analysis was repeated. Initial body condition scores and percentage body fat were positively correlated (ρ = 0·891; P < 0·001). However, percentage body fat and serum 25(OH)D concentration were not significantly correlated. Final serum 25(OH)D concentrations were greater (P < 0·05) than initial concentrations for control and treatment groups, indicating a diet but not weight-loss effect on vitamin D status. These findings suggest that vitamin D status of dogs is not affected by obesity or loss of body fat with therapeutic weight reduction.