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This study aims to report on the nutritional profile of preschool children of 4 to 5 years.

The data on raw food intake of the randomly selected subjects were collected by 24hr recall method for three consecutive days and the mean was taken. Daily intake of various nutrients by each subject was calculated using MSU Nutriguide and this was further compared with RDA recommended by ICMR to assess the adequacy of their diets.

The analysis revealed that the intake of protein, fat, calcium, thiamine, folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ was more than or equal to Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) as recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research, while the intake of energy, iron, vitamin C, niacin and riboflavin was less than their respective RDAs. The intake of β‐carotene was marginally adequate. Boys consumed significantly more amount of energy and folic acid than girls.

A large number of samples could not be taken owing to practical difficulties.

The study is original and innovative. The findings are useful for the policy makers and nutritionists who have to implement supplementary feeding programmes.

The aim of the present nutritional survey was to assess the food consumption pattern of 183 Indian preschool children (four to five years) in Fatehabad district of Haryana.

Data regarding food frequency, myths and intake were collected with the help of questionnaires and structured interviews. Food consumption patterns were recorded using a 24‐hour recall for three consecutive days.

The food frequency pattern indicated that wheat was the most accepted cereal among almost all the families and the consumption of pulses was weekly or on alternate days. They consumed roots and tubers frequently but the consumption of green leafy vegetables, fruits and other vegetables depended on the availability only. Most of the families consumed buffalo's milk (93 per cent) and desi ghee (73 per cent) daily. More than half of the respondents' mothers believed bajra, maize (corn), some pulses, bathua (Chenopodium album) and fenugreek leaves, onion, garlic, ginger, desi ghee and sweets are hot foods. According to the 24‐hour recall method for three consecutive days, the daily mean intake of all foodstuffs, namely, cereals, pulses, green leafy vegetables, roots and tubers, other vegetables, fruits, fats and oils, milk and milk products and sugar and jaggery was lower than their respective recommended dietary intake in the daily diets of preschool children.

On the basis of findings of this study, nutrition policy makers can plan the strategies for improving the nutritional status of preschool children who are an important segment of the Indian population.

The study aimed to analyse the nutritional quality of self-proposed or prescribed weight-loss diets shared by female Korean adolescents through a social media platform and identified potential dietary problems.

A total of 317 weight-loss diets, shared by 107 female adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 in April 2019, were collected from three Kakao Open Chat rooms of which the main topic was “weight-loss diet”. The weight-loss diets were converted to daily energy and nutrient intake.

Approximately two-thirds of the subjects were normal or underweight, and more than half of them were limiting energy intake to less than half of the recommended daily amounts. The average daily intake of energy and most nutrients did not meet the standard intake levels. Approximately 20% of the subjects were breakfast skippers, while 8 and 5% were dinner and lunch skippers, respectively. Notably, meal skippers tended to fast longer and have an uneven distribution of daily energy intake per meal. The percentages of energy contribution from macronutrients, particularly carbohydrates, also deviated more from the acceptable range in the meal skippers. The weight-loss diets of the subjects with particularly low daily energy intake were categorised into simplified, unbalanced and nutrient-poor, energy-dense meals. Overall, the nutritional quality of the self-proposed or prescribed weight-loss diets was poor. More effective and proactive educational interventions in school environments should be developed to promote positive eating behaviours in adolescents and free them from their obsession with body image.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to analyse the nutritional quality of female adolescents' self-proposed or prescribed weight-loss diets.

Blood lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities are common among patients with diabetes. The study aimed to assess dietary fat intake and its association with blood lipids among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) considering sex differences.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with patients (207 males and 197 females) with T2DM. The daily food intake and its contents of fat and fat types were assessed through face-to-face interview. Anthropometric measurements, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglyceride, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were initially recorded.

The results revealed that TC, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher in females than in males. However, the TC: HDL ratio was significantly higher in males than in females. The results also showed that the daily intake of saturated fatty acid (SFA) slightly exceeded the daily recommended allowance. However, the monounsaturated fatty acid + polyunsaturated fatty acid/SFA (MUFA + PUFA/SFA) ratio was within the recommended ratio. In addition, this study found that the main sources of SFA and cholesterol intake were milk and milk products. A significant association between high fat intake and HbA1c levels was observed (r = 0.234, p < 0.001).

As it is a cross-sectional observational study, this study has the natural limitation where it can only demonstrate an association.

The types of dietary fat intake may contribute to blood lipid abnormalities and differences effects may exist among male and female. Studies on the effect of daily fat intake and its types on blood lipids in patients with diabetes, in particular Saudi patients with diabetes are limited. This study focused on the amount and type of the consumed fat among male and female Saudi patients with T2DM and studied the relationship between the type of consumed fat and blood lipid profiles.

Iron deficiency is the number one nutritional disorder in the world and is quite common in Pakistan. Iron deficiency anaemia may result from a low dietary intake, inadequate intestinal absorption, excessive blood loss, and/or increased needs. While iron overload is also responsible of number of diseases. The normal iron status of our body is usually maintained by controlling amount of iron absorbed from food. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adult male and female in the age from 19 to 50 years is 8 and 18mg, respectively. While RDA above 50 years is it for both genders i.e. 8mg (NIH, 2002). Nutritional status of dietary iron was estimated to combat the iron related diseases in Pakistani population.

Food samples were collected from major cities/districts of the country using market basket method. Daily diets were prepared and analyzed for iron contents using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS).

An average value of iron concentration was measured to be 52±15μg/g, which leads to an average daily dietary intake of 31±9.5mg/d, with a variation of 12 to 52mg/d. The estimated values of our daily iron intake are about 2 times higher than the recommended daily allowance set by international committee of radiological protection (ICRP) and US food and nutrition board (FNB). Apparently our diet seems enriched in iron contents. But its bioavailability may be low due to dietary composition. Major portion of our diet is based on plant food (71 per cent), followed by milk products (17 per cent) and other miscellaneous items, whereas consumption of animal food is only 5 per cent. This dietary composition and our food intake habits in the presence of iron inhibiters (i.e. phytate in plant food, tannin and polyphenols in tea and calcium) could be the leading cause of iron deficiency anemia among the Pakistani population.

Iron deficiency anemia is quiet common and cause of concern in Pakistan. The findings of the study indicate that bioavailability of iron to Pakistani population can be enhanced/improved with slight alterations/adjustments in dietary habits.

Beta‐carotene producers and food manufacturers have collated information about the usage of beta‐carotene as a colourant and in fortified foods and food supplements. These data have been combined with food consumption data from some European countries consuming higher amounts of processed foods, to generate estimates of high‐level intake to compare with official advice. Intake estimates of beta‐carotene from food colour uses for German, French and British adults ranged from 0.4 to 1.9 mg/day. Pack dosage directions and beta‐carotene content were used to estimate intakes from supplements, which could range from less than 1 mg/day to 100 mg/day. However, for the majority of products recommended daily doses were less than 10 mg/day. Theoretical intakes from fortified drinks could exceed 5 mg/day, but this level of intake is unlikely to be maintained in the longer term. The most important sources of intake appeared to be from food supplements and fortified foods. Intakes of isolated beta‐carotene were comparable to intakes of natural beta‐carotene from the diet.

Previous research has shown that in contemporary societies, women have a healthier dietary intake than men. However, no research has examined how this gender gap develops over the long term. The present study examined how gender differences in fresh vegetable intake frequency have evolved from 1979 to 2017 in Finland and whether differences are affected by age or educational level.

The data were derived from annually repeated, nationally representative “Health Behaviour and Health among the Finnish Adult Population” and “Regional Health and Well-being (RHW)” surveys on the health habits of the Finnish population. The dataset is a time series of repeated cross-sectional surveys. In total, the data sample comprised 161,996 Finns aged 20–64 years. Descriptive methods and logistic regression were used for the analysis.

During 1979–2017, the prevalence of daily vegetable intake increased from 12 to 35% among men and from 18 to 56% among women. Thus, the magnitude of the gap between genders doubled across the study period. The increased vegetable intake was partly explained by the changing education and age structures of society. Potential explanations and avenues for future research are also discussed. Policy implications depend on whether the findings are interpreted as a case of health differences or health inequality.

This study used a long time series to analyse how gender differences in vegetable intake have evolved in a Nordic welfare state context. It showed that the gap in fresh vegetable intake between men and women has widened.

Food fortification with common kitchen ingredients has been suggested to improve nutritional intake. The purpose of this paper was to systematically review the efficacy of food fortification on calorie and protein intake among older adults.

A systematic search was conducted using Boolean search logic and seven research databases to identify interventions using fortified foods to increase calorie and protein intake among older adults. Ten studies published in English since 1996 were eligible for inclusion. Study quality was evaluated using an adapted Modified Jadad Questionnaire.

Food fortification was associated with increased calorie intake in eight studies, increased protein intake in five studies, and increased body weight in three studies. However, studies were limited by lack of rigor in methodology and small sample sizes.

Food fortification may improve calorie and protein intake, but results are limited by study weaknesses. Additionally, it is unclear whether improved intake results in improved clinical outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between pH of water or other daily fluid intake and risk of kidney stones in adult men.

This case–control study included 120 adult men with kidney stones and 240 healthy controls matched by age. Participants were selected from the Urmia Imam Khomeini Educational Hospital in the northwest of Iran by the available sampling method between 2017 and 2018. The mean total daily fluid intake of the subjects over the past one year period was collected using a validated 139-item Food Frequency Questionnaire, and the pH of drinking water samples consumed over the past six months was determined using an electrochemical pH meter. Information on physical activity level and socio-demographic characteristics of all participants was collected.

The mean pH of daily water consumption was 7.1 ± 250.3 and 7.4%± 250.3 in case and control groups, respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjusting for the covariates 25 a significant relationship was detected between the pH of drinking water (not for other fluid intake26) and kidney stone disease (OR = 0.15, CI 0.06–0.4, P > 1. Moreover, no association was found between the volume of total fluid intake and risk of kidney stones.

These findings support potential protective effects of drinking water intake with higher pH level on preventing kidney stones.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mineral content of seven Brazilian infant dairy product categories (petit Suisse cheeses, fermented milks, yogurts, fermented dairy beverage, dairy dessert, Requeijão cremoso spreadable cheese and UHT dairy beverages) and estimate their contribution to daily intake.

The composition of major (Ca, K, Mg, and Na) and trace (Pb, Cd, Cu and Mn) minerals was determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the mineral levels with the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) at different child development stages was carried out.

High Ca levels were observed in petit Suisse (3.44±1.66 mg g⁻¹), dairy dessert (3.88±0.02 mg g⁻¹) and Requeijão cremoso (4.14±0.07 mg g⁻¹). Dairy dessert presented the highest K level (2.57±0.07 mg g⁻¹), while the Requeijão cremoso presented the highest Na content (4.78±0.10 mg g⁻¹), and both products had the highest Mg contents (238.55±16.27 and 197.39±5.18 µg g⁻¹, respectively). Trace elements (Cd, Cu, Mn and Pb) were below the limit of detection for all commercial dairy foods. Among food products analyzed, petit Suisse cheese and dairy dessert can be considered good sources of calcium, while Requeijão cremoso is high in both calcium and sodium.

This study is the first to analyze the mineral levels of several Brazilian infant dairy foods and the daily intake contribution during important child development stages. These findings provide valuable guidance for researchers and practitioners trying to develop healthy and nutritious dairy products for infants and children.