Nutrition
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To calibrate the food list and relative portion sizes of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for application to a free-living, healthy, elderly population. ⋯ Adjustments to the FFQ in particular, new portion sizes and a reduction of the food list were found to be appropriate for application to healthy, urban, free-living elderly people in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil.
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The association between serum iron status, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality remains controversial in the elderly. In the present study, we aim to determine the relevance of serum iron level on the incidences of CVD and all-cause mortality in an elderly population. ⋯ These results suggest that iron deficiency is independently associated with CVD and all-cause mortality in elderly Taiwanese living in long-term care facilities.
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Folate supplementation may be associated with an increased risk of developing several types of cancer and a derangement of immune function. Among the latter, Natural killer (NK) cells are involved in non-MHC-restricted natural immunity against malignant target cells. Abnormalities in NK cell number or function have been associated with a higher cancer risk. The aim of this study was to study in vitro the possible effect of different concentrations of 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-MTHF) or folic acid on NK cell cytotoxic function, and expression of the stimulatory and inhibitory receptors KIRDL4, KIRDL3, and NKG2D. ⋯ Our data indicate that a high dose of 5-MTHF or folic acid does not influence NK cell function in vitro.
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The aim of this study is to determine the effect of wheat germ oil (WGO) compared with groundnut oil (GNO) and mixed micelles (control) on lutein bioavailability and bioactivity in mice. The choice of carrier lipid is critical to achieve an enhanced bioavailability of lutein. ⋯ The increased lutein bioavailability in the WGO group compared with the other two groups may be attributed to the polar lipids and intestinal lipase activity found in this study. The results imply a new insight into the application of WGO for improving lutein bioavailability.