The American journal of clinical nutrition
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Recommendations for energy intake in obese children rely on accurate methods for measuring energy expenditure that cannot be assessed systematically. ⋯ These new predictive equations allow clinicians to estimate REE in an obese pediatric population with sufficient and acceptable accuracy. This estimation may be a strong basis for energy recommendations in childhood obesity.
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Adequate vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy are necessary to ensure appropriate maternal responses to the calcium demands of the fetus and neonatal handling of calcium. The purpose of this report is to review studies that investigated maternal and neonatal outcomes of vitamin D deficiency or supplementation during pregnancy. ⋯ Results concerning benefits for fetal growth and bone development are inconclusive. There is no evidence of a benefit of supplementation during pregnancy above amounts routinely required to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
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The effects of supplementation with B vitamins and of common polymorphisms in genes involved in homocysteine metabolism on plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in trisomy 21 are unknown. ⋯ This study provides information on the relation between several polymorphisms in genes involved in homocysteine and folate metabolism in adults with trisomy 21.
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Phase angle, determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), detects changes in tissue electrical properties and has been found to be a prognostic indicator in several chronic conditions-such as HIV, liver cirrhosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer-and in patients receiving dialysis. ⋯ Phase angle is a prognostic indicator in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Similar studies of other cancer types with larger sample sizes are needed to further validate the prognostic significance of phase angle in cancer treatment settings.
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An overwhelming body of evidence for a protective effect of periconceptional folic acid supplementation against neural tube defects (NTDs) led to mandatory folic acid fortification in the United States. The effectiveness of folic acid fortification in improving folate status has already been shown to be quite striking, with a dramatic increase in blood measurements of folate in the United States. Preliminary reports also suggest a significant reduction ( approximately 15-50%) in NTDs in the United States. ⋯ In this regard, an emerging body of evidence suggests that folic acid supplementation may enhance the development and progression of already existing, undiagnosed premalignant and malignant lesions. Over the past few years, the US population has been exposed to a significant increase in folate intake, for which essentially no data on safety exist. The potential cancer-promoting effect of folic acid supplementation needs to be considered in carefully monitoring the long-term effect of folic acid fortification on the vast majority of the US population, who are not at risk of NTDs.