J Am Diet Assoc
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Low intake of nutrients is associated with poor health outcomes. We examined the contribution of dietary supplementation to meeting recommended dietary intakes of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C in participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a cohort of white, African-American, Hispanic, and Chinese-American participants ages 45 to 84 years. We also assessed the prevalence of intakes above Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs). ⋯ Although supplement use is associated with meeting DRI guidelines for calcium, vitamin C and magnesium, many adults are not meeting the DRI guidelines even with the help of dietary supplements, and the effect of supplementation can vary according to ethnicity and sex. However, supplementation was not significantly associated with meeting DRIs for potassium. Also, high-dose supplement use is associated with intakes above ULs for calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C.
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Although thirst and hunger have historically motivated drinking and feeding, respectively, the high and increasing consumption of energy-yielding beverages and energy-diluted foods may have degraded the predictive value of these sensations on ingestive behavior. Our within subject (ie, multiple responses from the same individuals), observational (ie, free-living, with no intervention) study explored the relationships between thirst, hunger, eating, and drinking patterns in 50 weight-stable adults (39 women and 11 men aged 30+/-11 years with body mass index 26.3+/-5.9). Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls were obtained for a consecutive 7-day period. ⋯ Further, energy-yielding beverages were the main contributor to fluid intake during both periprandial and drink-only events. These data fail to reveal associations between either thirst or hunger and ingestion of energy-yielding beverages, or strong associations between hunger and eating or thirst and drinking. These data raise questions about the predictive power of appetitive sensations for ingestive behavior.
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Children's food intakes do not meet dietary recommendations. Meals offered through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program make substantial contributions to school-aged children's diets. ⋯ Consumption of school meals is positively related to children's intakes of key food groups at lunch and breakfast. Offering more fresh fruit, whole grains, and a greater variety of vegetables could lead to additional health benefits.
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Concerns about the diets of school-aged children and new nutrition recommendations for the US population have increased interest in the nutritional quality of meals available through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. ⋯ For school meals to meet nutrient standards and promote eating behaviors consistent with the Dietary Guidelines, future policy, practice, and research should focus on reducing levels of fat and sodium and increasing fiber.