Dairy Food Intake Is Not Associated with Measures of Bone Microarchitecture in Men and Women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study

Previous studies reported that dairy foods are associated with higher areal bone mineral density (BMD) in older adults. However, data on bone strength and bone microarchitecture are lacking. We determined the association of dairy food intake (milk, yogurt, cheese, milk + yogurt, and milk + yogurt + cheese, servings/week) with high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) measures of bone (failure load, cortical BMD, cortical thickness, trabecular BMD, and trabecular number). This cross-sectional study included participants with diet from a food frequency questionnaire (in 2005–2008 and/or 1998–2001) and measurements of cortical and trabecular BMD and microarchitecture at the distal tibia and radius (from HR-pQCT in 2012–2015). Sex-specific multivariable linear regression estimated the association of dairy food intake (energy adjusted) with each bone measure adjusting for covariates. Mean age was 64 (SD 8) years and total milk + yogurt + cheese intake was 10.0 (SD 6.6) and 10.6 (6.4) servings/week in men and women, respectively. No significant associations were observed for any of the dairy foods and bone microarchitecture measures except for cheese intake, which was inversely associated with cortical BMD at the radius (p = 0.001) and tibia (p = 0.002) in women alone. In this cohort of primarily healthy older men and women, dairy intake was not associated with bone microarchitecture. The findings related to cheese intake and bone microarchitecture in women warrant further investigation.

Allergen Risk Assessment for Specific Allergy to Small Ruminant's Milk: Development of Sensitive Immunoassays to Detect Goat's and Sheep's Milk Contaminations in Dairy Food Matrices

Despite a high level of sequence identity between cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk (CM, GM, and SM, respectively) proteins, some patients tolerant to CM are allergic to GM and SM. In most cases, this specificity is due to the presence of IgE antibodies that bind only to caprine and ovine caseins. The patients may then develop severe allergic reactions after ingestion of CM products contaminated with low amounts of GM or SM. We thus aimed to develop an assay able to detect traces of caprine/ovine β-caseins in different food matrices, irrespective of the presence of the bovine homolog. We produced monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to caprine caseins in mice tolerized to the bovine whole casein then sensitized to the caprine whole casein. In order to develop a two-site immunometric assay, we selected mAbs that could discriminate the caprine β-casein from its bovine homolog. Characteristics and performances of two tests were determined with various dairy products. Results were analyzed in relation with the IgE-immunoreactivity of the food matrices, thanks to sera from CM, GM/SM allergic patients. Our two-site immunometric assays demonstrated a high sensitivity with a detection limit of 1.6–3.2 ng/mL of caprine and ovine β-caseins. The tests were able to detect contaminations of GM in CM at the ppm level. Heat-treatment, ripening and coagulation processes, usually applied to dairy products that exhibit a very high IgE-immunoreactivity, did not impair the test sensitivity. These quantitative assays could then be useful for the risk assessment of food products potentially contaminated with GM and SM in order to prevent adverse reactions in patients specifically allergic to these milks.

Probiotic Properties, Prebiotic Fermentability, and GABA-Producing Capacity of Microorganisms Isolated from Mexican Milk Kefir Grains: A Clustering Evaluation for Functional Dairy Food Applications

Isolation and functional characterization of microorganisms are relevant steps for generating starter cultures with functional properties, and more recently, those related to improving mental health. Milk kefir grains have been recently investigated as a source of health-related strains. This study focused on the evaluation of microorganisms from artisanal Mexican milk kefir grains regarding probiotic properties, in vitro fermentability with commercial prebiotics (lactulose, inulin, and citrus pectin), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing capacity. Microorganisms were identified belonging to genera Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Kluyveromyces. The probiotic properties were assessed by aggregation abilities, antimicrobial activity, antibiotic susceptibility, and resistance to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, showing a good performance compared with commercial probiotics. Most of isolates maintained a concentration above 6 log colony forming units/mL after the intestinal phase. Specific isolates of Kluyveromyces (BIOTEC009 and BIOTEC010), Leuconostoc (BIOTEC011 and BIOTEC012), and Lactobacillus (BIOTEC014 and BIOTEC15) showed a high fermentability in media supplemented with commercial prebiotics. The capacity to produce GABA was classified as medium for L. lactis BIOTEC006, BIOTEC007, and BIOTEC008; K. lactis BIOTEC009; L. pseudomesenteroides BIOTEC012; and L. kefiri BIOTEC014, and comparable to that obtained for commercial probiotics. Finally, a multivariate approach was performed, allowing the grouping of 2–5 clusters of microorganisms that could be further considered new promising cultures for functional dairy food applications.

Lactococcus lactis bacteraemia in a patient on probiotic supplementation therapy

A 59-year-old woman presented with fever and malaise and was found to have Lactococcus lactis bacteraemia. L. lactis infection is rare in humans with few reported cases, with most associated with dairy food product ingestion. The patient reported use of a multistrain over-the-counter probiotic supplement. After isolation of L. lactis from blood culture, the patient was treated empirically with ertapenem and amoxicillin and displayed clinical improvement. She remained well after completion of antibiotic regimen and discontinued probiotic supplementation use. We review the clinical presentation of L. lactis infection including diagnosis, identification and treatment.

MILK FOOD OF THE NOMADS OF INNER ASIA: MEANING, FUNCTION AND SYMBOLISM

Целью данной работы является анализ практического и символического значения молочной пищи в культуре кочевников Внутренней Азии. Хронологические рамки работы охватывают конец XIX — середину XX в. Исследование основывается на историко-этнографических и фольклорных материалах. Сравнительно-исторический и сравнительно-типологический анализ мировоззрения, хозяйственных практик, обрядовой сферы кочевников, связанных с пищевым комплексом, позволили выявить общий мировоззренческий пласт, формировавший представления о практической и сакральной значимости молочной пищи, ее функций соционормативного регулирования жизни общества. Высокая значимость молока в пищевом комплексе, и его белый цвет предопределили сакральность молока и обосновали широкий спектр его ритуального использования. Исследование повседневных практик получения, переработки, хранения и употребления в молочной пищи в среде кочевников Внутренней Азии на длительном хронологическом срезе и в широких территориальных рамках показывает, что молочная пища обладала статусом «ритуальной» всегда, а не только в ситуациях сакрального порядка. Сакральный статус белой пищи, как символа изобилия определил систему особых ограничений и запретов, сопутствующих получению молока, его переработке и хранению. Именно с молочной пищей наиболее тесно связано понятие «пищевая норма», воплощенное в разных формах. В отличие от другой основной пищи кочевников — мяса, молочная пища была призвана объединять общество, уравнивая богатых и бедных, своих и чужих. Выявлено, что в бурятской культуре один из видов молочной пищи — кисломолочный продукт курунга, выступает одним из ключевых маркеров социальной общности — рода наравне с родовыми огнем, тамгой, с которым связываются представления о силе рода, его благополучии. The aim of this work is to analyze the practical and symbolic significance of milk food in the culture of the nomads of Inner Asia. The chronological framework of the work covers the late 19th — mid of 20th centuries. The research is based on historical, ethnographic and folklore materials. Comparative-historical and comparative-typological analysis of the worldview, economic practices, ritual sphere of nomads associated with the food complex, made it possible to identify a general worldview layer that formed the idea of the practical and sacred significance of dairy food, its functions of socio-normative regulation of society. The high importance of milk in the food complex and its white color predetermined the sacredness of milk and substantiated a wide range of its ritual use. The study of the daily practices of obtaining, processing, storing and consuming dairy food among the nomads of Inner Asia on a long chronological cut and in a wide territorial framework shows that dairy food has always had the status of “ritual”, and not only in situations of a sacred order. The sacred status of white food as a symbol of abundance determined the system of special restrictions and prohibitions accompanying the receipt of milk, its processing and storage. Milk food is the closest to the concept of “food norm” is most closely related, embodied in various forms. Unlike other main food of nomads — meat, milk food was intended to unite society, making the rich and the poor, insiders and outsiders equal. It was revealed that in the Buryat culture, one of the types of dairy food, the fermented milk product of kurunga (Buryat. kürenge), is one of the key markers of social community — the clan along with the ancestral fire, tamga, with which ideas about the power of the clan and its well-being are associated.

Evaluating the Robustness of Biomarkers of Dairy Food Intake in a Free-Living Population Using Single- and Multi-Marker Approaches

Studies examining associations between self-reported dairy intake and health are inconclusive, but biomarkers hold promise for elucidating such relationships by offering objective measures of dietary intake. Previous human intervention studies identified several biomarkers for dairy foods in blood and urine using non-targeted metabolomics. We evaluated the robustness of these biomarkers in a free-living cohort in the Netherlands using both single- and multi-marker approaches. Plasma and urine from 246 participants (54 ± 13 years) who completed a food frequency questionnaire were analyzed using liquid and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The targeted metabolite panel included 37 previously-identified candidate biomarkers of milk, cheese, and/or yoghurt consumption. Associations between biomarkers and energy-adjusted dairy food intakes were assessed by a ‘single-marker’ generalized linear model, and stepwise regression was used to select the best ‘multi-marker’ panel. Multi-marker models that also accounted for common covariates better captured the subtle differences for milk (urinary galactose, galactitol; sex, body mass index, age) and cheese (plasma pentadecanoic acid, isoleucine, glutamic acid) over single-marker models. No significant associations were observed for yogurt. Further examination of other facets of validity of these biomarkers may improve estimates of dairy food intake in conjunction with self-reported methods, and help reach a clearer consensus on their health impacts.

Dairy Food Intake Is Not Associated With Frailty or Frailty Progression Over Time in Adults: Framingham Offspring Study

Objectives High-fat dairy foods are calorically dense, which may prevent anorexia and malnutrition that are often seen in frail persons. We determined the association of dairy food intake [milk, yogurt, cheese, total dairy (milk + yogurt + cheese), low-fat, and high-fat dairy, serv/wk] with frailty and frailty progression in older adults from the Framingham Offspring study. Methods This prospective cohort study included non-frail participants at index exam (1998–01) with food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) and ≤2 follow-up frailty assessments (2005–08, 2011–14). Average dairy food intakes were calculated from index and prior FFQs (1998–01 and 1995–98). Fried's frailty phenotype was used: presence of ≥3 criteria of unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, slow gait speed, low physical activity, and low grip strength. Frailty progression was defined as an increased number of frailty criteria over follow-up. Repeated measures logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for frailty and frailty progression (separate models) adjusting for age, sex, energy intake (residual analysis), current smoking, multivitamin use, and self-reported health status. Results Mean baseline age was 60y ± 9 (range 33–86 y) and 45% were female. Mean dairy food intakes [serv/wk] were: 5.7 ± 5 (milk), 1.1 ± 1.9 (yogurt), 2.8 ± 3.0 (cheese), 9.6 ± 6.9 (total dairy), 6.2 ± 6.0 (low-fat dairy), and 4.5 ± 4.3 (high-fat dairy). Of the 2550 non-frail individuals at baseline, 8.8% (2005–08) and 13.5% (2011–14) became frail over time. Frailty progression was seen in 34% (2005–08) and 40% (2011–14) of the participants. In age and sex adjusted models, high-fat dairy foods were associated with 2% increased odds of frailty (95%CI: 1.00–1.04, P = 0.01). This association did not change after further adjustment (OR: 1.02, 95%CI: 0.99–1.05, P = 0.07). Other dairy foods were not associated with frailty (P range: 0.23–0.78) or with frailty progression (P range: 0.32–0.86). Conclusions In this study of healthy older adults, most dairy food intake was not associated with frailty or frailty progression after considering important covariables. The observed trend for slightly increased odds of frailty with high-fat dairy intake should be re-examined in other studies with frailty assessed over time. Funding Sources Boston Pepper Center OAIC, NHLBI & Dairy Management Inc.

Lipoprotein Particle Size Distributions in Response to a 6-Week Dietary Intervention Using Different Dairy Food Matrices Including Cheese and Butter

Objectives Most dietary guidelines recommend saturated fat (SFA) intakes to be < 10% of total energy intake, since SFA increase low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, within LDL-c, small, dense LDL particles are more strongly related to CVD risk than large buoyant particles, and response to SFA vary for different foods. Dairy fat, when eaten as cheese, significantly lowers total cholesterol compared to butter. Here, we aimed to test the effect of the cheese matrix on lipoprotein particle size distribution response in overweight adults aged ≥ 50 years. Methods In this secondary analysis of a 6-week randomised parallel intervention(1); participants received ∼40g dairy fat in 1 of 4 treatments: (A) 120 g of full-fat cheddar cheese (FFCC); (B) reduced-fat cheese plus butter (RFC + B); (C) butter, calcium caseinate powder, and calcium supplement (CaCO3) (BCC); or (D) 120 g FFCC as per (A). Fasting EDTA blood samples at wk. 0 (baseline) and wk. 6 were analysed for lipoprotein particle size distribution via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. To examine extremes in response, those with greatest reduction in LDL-c (n = 15, ‘positive’ responders) were compared to those with the greatest increase in LDL-c (n = 15, ‘negative’ responders). Results Correlation analyses between the change in cholesterol levels and change in particle size distribution suggest a relationship between change in LDL-c, HDL-c, and corresponding particle sizes, which differs dependent on the dairy fat matrix. The correlation of LDL-c and LDL particle (LDL-p) concentration weakened as less fat was present within a cheese matrix, as LDL-c decreased so did total LDL-p, due to larger LDL particles. The positive responders displayed a stronger relationship between change in cholesterol and lipoprotein levels, with the changes in cholesterol driven by the large LDL-p and large HDL-p. Conclusions Lipoprotein particle distribution is correlated with change in cholesterol levels after a 6-week intervention of dairy fat. The changes in LDL-c and HDL-c were driven by the less atherogenic, large LDL-p and large HDL-p which are inversely associated with CVD risk. The overall response in LDL-p to SFA appears to vary, dependent on the dairy food matrix in which the fat was eaten. Funding Sources Food for Health Ireland (FHI). Enterprise Ireland.