Nutrition
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Comparative Study
Comparison of single questions and brief questionnaire with longer validated food frequency questionnaire to assess adequate fruit and vegetable intake.
The aim of this study was to determine if a single question (SQ) for fruit and a SQ or five-item questionnaire for vegetable consumption (VFQ) could replace a longer food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to screen for inadequate versus adequate intakes in populations. ⋯ The fruit SQ and the five-item VFQ are suitable replacements for longer FFQs to detect inadequate intake and assess population mean but not individual intakes.
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The aim of this study was to review and update information about food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) used by European countries. ⋯ FBDGs still seem insufficient as far as ethnic peculiarities, agreement on how to group foods, and subgroup population nutritional requirements.
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The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status and associated factors in children <5 y in the Medebay Zana District, northern Ethiopia. ⋯ The undernutrition status among children <5 y was high. Children's age group, time initiation of breast-feeding, child's sex, source of water, parents' educational status, type of food used for starting of complementary feeding, and mothers' financial decision-making ability could have an influence in undernutrition of children in this age group.
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Although green and yellow vegetables have beneficial effects against type 2 diabetes, the relationship of their nutritive content with insulin resistance is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of serum β-carotene and retinol concentrations with glucose and insulin concentrations. ⋯ Our findings suggest that higher serum β-carotene levels, associated with higher intake of green and yellow vegetables, confer beneficial effects against insulin resistance.
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Plasm adiponectin is decreased in smokers. Adiponectin is emerging as a potential key molecular marker in atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum adiponectin levels and early atherosclerosis in smokers. Furthermore, the role of the KATP channel in the down-regulation of adiponectin by smoking was preliminarily explored. ⋯ Serum adiponectin level was an independent predictor of early atherosclerosis in smokers. Nicotine might decrease adiponectin in part through altering KATP channels in adipocytes.