Nutrition
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Multicenter Study
Harmonization of anthropometric measurements for a multicenter nutrition survey in Spanish adolescents.
Although the need for accurate anthropometric measurement has been repeatedly stressed, reports on growth and physical measurements in human populations rarely include estimates of measurement error. We describe the standardization process and reliability of anthropometric measurements carried out in a pilot study. ⋯ Our results are in agreement with those recommended in the literature. Therefore, these anthropometric measures seem to be adequate to assess body composition in a multicenter survey in adolescents.
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Effect of folic acid supplementation on plasma zinc concentrations of young women.
Women of reproductive age are advised to consume supplements or fortified foods containing at least 400 microg/d folic acid for the prevention of neural tubes defects. Concerns exist about the adverse effects of folic acid on zinc status. ⋯ Folic acid supplementation does not reduce plasma zinc concentrations in women of childbearing age.
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Comparative Study
Elevated plasma cholecystokinin and appetitive ratings after consumption of a liquid meal in humans.
This study had two objectives. The first was to evaluate the possibility that, in a previous study, a soup preload augmented the reduction of food intake in a test meal induced by an exogenous infusion of cholecystokinin (CCK) because the soup also endogenously released CCK. The second was to compare CCK release by soup between men and women to determine whether the increased satiating effectiveness of soup in women as opposed to men could have been partly attributable to differences in CCK release. ⋯ A large quantity of tomato soup stimulates significant CCK release; therefore, some of the satiating effects of soup preloads could have been mediated by an elevation in endogenous CCK.
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are the cause of most, if not all, cervical cancers. Women consistently positive for oncogenic type HPV infections have a greater risk of developing cervical dysplasia compared with women transiently infected. HPV infection alone appears to be insufficient to produce disease, suggesting that other cofactors may be needed. Folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine, through their role in DNA methylation, may be involved in cervical neoplasia. ⋯ Results from this small study did not support a role for folate, vitamin B12, or homocysteine in HPV persistence or cervical dysplasia.
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We evaluated the impact of malnutrition and nutrition practice in 396 hospitalized cirrhotic patients (Child stages A, B, and C: 60, 169, and 167 patients) in a readaptative unit for liver diseases. ⋯ Hospitalized cirrhotic patients have a high prevalence rate of malnutrition, and most do not satisfy their nutritional requirements. Decrease in caloric intake is an independent risk factor of short-term mortality. Enteral nutrition after failure of oral supplementation has no clinical benefit. Tube feeding may be indicated earlier in the course of the disease.