Reassessing vitamin D supplementation in preterm infants: a prospective study and review of the literature

ObjectivesRecommendations for vitamin D (VitD) intake and target serum levels of 25(OH)D in preterm infants are diverse. We hypothesized that preterm infants with low birth weight (BW) have low dietary intake of VitD and therefore should be supplemented with higher amounts of VitD.MethodsInfants with BW < 2 kg were supplemented with 600 units of VitD a day during the first 2–6 weeks of life, whereas infants with BW>2 kg continued with the routine supplementation of 400 units of VitD daily. Serum levels of 25(OH)D, calcium, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase (AP) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were assessed 24 h after birth and before discharge. The total daily intake of vitD was calculated in each infant.ResultsSixty-two infants were enrolled, 49 with BW < 2 kg. After birth, only 24% had sufficient levels of 25(OH)D, whereas before discharge 45 of 54 infants (83%) available for analysis reached sufficient levels of 25(OH)D. All 54 infants demonstrated significant elevation in serum levels of calcium, phosphorous, AP and significant reduction in PTH levels. The total daily intake of VitD was lower than recommended (800–1000 IU/d) in 16 of 45 infants with BW < 2 kg (36%) and in all nine infants with BW>2 kg. Nevertheless, only 2 of 25 infants with insufficient intake of VitD demonstrated insufficient levels of serum 25(OH)D. No case of vitamin D excess was recorded.ConclusionsIncreased supplementation of VitD (600 IU/d) for premature newborns with BW < 2 kg is effective in increasing both total daily intake of VitD and serum levels of 25(OH)D.

Zinc-quercetin complex: From determination to bioactivity

Flavonoids are a group of polyphenolic compounds widely present in the herbal world and playing an important role in the human diet. The flavanol quercetin makes up 70% of the total daily intake of flavonoids. Quercetin is able to complex with many metal ions, and it exhibits potent antioxidative ability. Using the equimolar solution variation method, it was confirmed that quercetin makes a complex with the zinc(II) ion at pH 5.25, in a stoichiometric ratio quercetin:zinc(II) ion = 2:1, with the absorption maximum l=363 nm. This fact was used to develop a simple, precise and accurate assay to determine the content of quercetin in various samples of heterogeneous composition. The proposed indirect spectrophotometric method can selectively determine quercetin in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 6.0 mgL-1, with LOD and LOQ estimated as 0.03 mgL-1 and 0.1 mgL-1, respectively. The reliability of the proposed method was confirmed by a previously developed RP-HPLC/UV method. The proposed method was successfully used to determine the quercetin content in dietary supplement tablets, capsules and two onion extracts, with high reproducibility. The antioxidative ability of quercetin and the zinc(II)-quercetin complex was determined using DPPH and FRAP methods. The same samples were tested for antimicrobial activity against seven laboratory control strains of bacteria and one strain of yeast. As a result of those tests, there are no obstacles to combine quercetin and zinc in the same supplement formulation.

Preschool meals as a source of nutrients for 3–6-year-old Finnish preschoolers

Preschool meals influence the child's growth, development and learning ability. According to the Finnish National Nutrition Council, preschool meals should cover two thirds of the daily energy requirements if the child attends to a full-time childcare. We investigated the contribution of preschool meals on a weekday's total energy and nutrient intake among Finnish preschoolers. A cross-sectional DAGIS Study was conducted in 2015–2016. Altogether 864 3- to 6-year-old children from 66 preschools participated. Parents and early educators kept 3-day food records for the child. To capture the seasonal variation in the diet, 24% of the families also kept an additional 2-day food record. To assess the nutritional contribution of preschool meals, we selected a sub-sample of children based on the criteria that they ate all three meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack) at preschool. This yielded a sub-sample of 557 children, each contributing the data with 1 to 4 full preschool days. Data was analysed using two age groups: 3–4 years (n = 324) and 5–6 years (n = 233). Mean intake of nutrients from different preschool meals and population proportions were calculated. Mean energy intake at preschool was 3.0 ± 0.8 MJ for 3–4-year-olds and 3.5 ± 0.9 MJ for 6–7-year-olds contributing 54% of the total daily energy intake in both age groups. At preschool, lunch was the main single source of energy, protein, and fat. It was also an important source of folate (27% of the total daily intake in the younger and 29 % in the older age group) and of fibre (25% of the total daily intake in both age groups). Most of the added sugar was consumed at home (61% in the younger and 63% in the older age group). Most of the polyunsaturated fatty acid intake occurred at the preschool meals, mostly at lunch. Salt intake at preschool was high (3.2 ± 1.1 g/day and 3.6 ± 1.2 g/day in the younger and older age group, respectively). Cereal products were the main sources of salt at preschool. Preschool meals did not cover two thirds of the daily energy as recommended but preschool food was an important source of fibre, polyunsaturated fatty acids, folate, and vitamin D but also of salt. Salt intake at preschool needs to be tackled by reducing salt in recipes and using low-sodium bread.

PENGARUH PEREBUSAN SAYUR BAYAM MERAH (Amaranthacea gangeticus) TERHADAP KANDUNGAN NITRIT (NO₂⁻) DENGAN BERBAGAI VARIASI WAKTU

The red spinach is a complementary vegetable dish that has a characteristic feature that the stems and leavesof red. Chemical substances that can be found are protein, fat, carbohydrates, potassium, iron, amaranthin,routine and purin, and vitamin A, B and C. In general, people already know that spinach vegetable stew canheated, but many do notknow how much influence a change in the nitrite content of boiling red spinach witha variety of time. The purpose of this study was to analysis effect of boiling red spinach to the nitrite (NO₂⁻)content with variety of time for 0 hours, 3 hours, and 5 hours. The maximum limit allowed nitrite levels inaccordance ADI (Total Daily Intake) established by WHO is 8 mg Nitrite per 60 kg body weight orequivalent to 0,133 mg Nitrite/kg body weight. Nitrite content in a vegetable stew ofred spinach wasdetermined using quantitative methods that measuring the value of nitrite contentin the boiled red spinachwith variety of time for 0 hours, 3 hours, and 5 hours with diazo method and using a spectrophotometer.From the results of the research it was obtained with variations in time 0 hours, 3 hours, and 5 hours were5,14 mg/kg; 10,25 mg/kg; dan 13,05 mg/kg. During stroge 0 hours to 3 hours increased 100% and for 3hours to 5 hours had 30%. Storage red spinach vegetable stewfor 5 hours was seaved for consumption forthe people with its weight body 60 kg’s in the result of boiled vegetable red spinach according to totalamount ±611,4 grams of the result according with maximum limit of Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)established by WHO. By knowing the nitrite content in a vegetable stew of red spinach is expected toconsumers to immediately process the red spinach after purchase and consume immediately after cookingand not for too long vegetable red spinach store in the refrigerator.

Gastrointestinal Tolerance of D-Allulose in Healthy and Young Adults. A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial

D-allulose has recently received attention as a sugar substitute. However, there are currently no reports regarding its association with gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance. Thus, we performed a GI tolerance test for D-allulose in order to establish its daily acceptable intake level. When the dose of D-allulose was gradually increased in steps of 0.1 g/kg·Body Weight (BW) to identify the maximum single dose for occasional ingestion, no cases of severe diarrhea or GI symptoms were noted until a dose of 0.4 g/kg·BW was reached. Severe symptoms of diarrhea were noted at a dose of 0.5 g/kg·BW. Similarly, the GI tolerance test did not show any incidences of severe diarrhea or GI symptoms until a dose of 0.5 g/kg·BW was reached. A correlation analysis of the GI tolerance test for D-allulose and sugar revealed significantly higher frequencies of symptoms of diarrhea (p = 0.004), abdominal distention (p = 0.039), and abdominal pain (p = 0.031) after D-allulose intake. Increasing the total daily D-allulose intake gradually to 1.0 g/kg·BW for regular ingestion resulted in incidences of severe nausea, abdominal pain, headache, anorexia, and diarrheal symptoms. Based on these results, we suggest a maximum single dose and maximum total daily intake of D-Allulose of 0.4 g/kg·BW and 0.9 g/kg·BW, respectively.

Breakfast Consumption in French Children, Adolescents, and Adults: A Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Survey Examined in the Context of the International Breakfast Research Initiative

This study examines the consumption of breakfast on the basis of a 7-day dietary record (Comportements et Consommations Alimentaires en France 2012–2013) in a representative sample of French children (n = 426), adolescents (n = 250), and adults (n = 1045). A large majority of the participants were regular consumers of breakfast (5–7 times per week). Breakfast accounted for 17.6% of total daily energy (339.4 kcal). Breakfast was rich in carbohydrates (24% of total daily intake) and simple sugars (31% of total daily intake). Relative to its contribution in daily energy intake, breakfast contributed higher proportions in the daily intake of many vitamins (B, C), and minerals (calcium, iron, iodine, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium). The main foods/beverages contributing to breakfast changed with age, with increasing contributions of non-wholegrain “bread and toasts” and “fruits”, and a decreasing contribution of milk. Better quality of the diet, as measured by tertiles of the Nutrient Rich Food Index 9.3, was associated with higher intakes of cereal products (bread and breakfast cereals, particularly wholegrain), dairy (milk, fresh dairy), and fruit at breakfast. In conclusion, breakfast is regularly consumed in France and contributes significantly to diet quality but could be improved in terms of content in fiber and protein.