Nutrition reviews
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A high-salt diet increases urinary calcium excretion. Its effect on bone, however, is less clear. Recent research suggests that a high-salt diet increases the rate of bone resorption in postmenopausal women over a 4-week period, but increased potassium intake (as potassium citrate) ameliorates this adverse effect. These findings may have implications for the development of dietary guidelines for osteoporosis prevention.
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The purpose of this review is to examine the relationship between glycemic carbohydrate and its effect on body weight regulation. By contrast to fat, carbohydrate has a positive impact on energy intake, energy expenditure, and body weight control. ⋯ So far there are no indications that carbohydrate classes differ greatly with respect to energy expenditure and energy balance. However, the impact of carbohydrate source and class, as well as the form in which carbohydrate is consumed (i.e., solid or liquid) on body weight control requires further consideration.
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Review
Is a re-evaluation of WHO body mass index cut-off values needed? The case of Asians in Singapore.
This paper describes body composition and dietary intakes of the three major ethnic groups residing in Singapore and how these are related to cardiovascular risk factors in these groups. When the relationship between body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and body fat percentage was studied, Singaporeans were found to have higher percentage of body fat compared with Caucasians with the same BMI. At BMIs that are much lower than WHO-recommended cut-off values for obesity, both the absolute and relative risks of developing cardiovascular risk factors are markedly elevated for all three ethnic groups. The excessive fat accumulation and increased risks at lower BMIs signal a need to re-examine cut-off values for obesity among Chinese, Malays, and Indians.