Eliseu Verly

Prevalence and correlates of calcium and vitamin D status adequacy in adolescents, adults, and elderly from the Health Survey—São Paulo

OBJECTIVE In addition to the importance of adequate calcium and vitamin D status for health and prevention of several chronic diseases, a high prevalence of both nutrient inadequacy and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) insufficiency has been observed. The aim of this study was to estimate calcium and vitamin D status correlates and adequacy from a population-based epidemiologic study. METHODS This is a subsample of a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of individuals living in São Paulo that includes 636 participants. A 24-h dietary record and a blood sample were collected. Nutrient adequacy was estimated by adjusting for the within-person variance of the nutrient intake. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and considered adequate when ≥ 50 nmol/L. RESULTS Calcium and vitamin D intake decrease according to life stages in both men and women, and increases with family income and educational level. The prevalence of calcium intake inadequacy is higher than 70% and almost 100% for vitamin D. The highest 25(OH)D concentration was observed in the fall-51.7 (20.4) nmol/L-and lowest in the summer-30.1 (8.8) nmol/L. Sex, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol and smoking habits, life stage, family income, skin color, waist circumference, and season of the year could explain 22% of the variability of 25(OH)D. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates important inadequacies regarding the nutritional status of calcium and vitamin D and indicates an urgent need not only for health professionals, but also for government and food industries to undertake new initiatives that could result in a real improvement in terms of calcium and vitamin D nutrition.

Are plasma homocysteine concentrations in Brazilian adolescents influenced by the intake of the main food sources of natural folate

Background: Folate, a B vitamin, has been associated with a reduced concentration of plasma homocysteine (phcy), a marker of cardiovascular disease. The contribution of fruits and vegetables (FV) and other natural folate-rich foods to folate intake and folate status in Brazilian adolescents has hardly been determined. Objectives: To investigate the intake of FV and beans and its association with the concentration of phcy in adolescents. Methods: This was a cross-sectional population-based study with a complex sample survey, with 198 adolescents who completed two 24-hour dietary recalls, a food frequency questionnaire, and a fasting blood draw. Usual dietary intake estimates were derived applying the Multiple Source Method. Three different generalized linear models with a gamma distribution were developed for each sex to evaluate the relationship between phcy and tertiles of FV intake as well as to evaluate the relationship between phcy and tertiles of FV and bean intake. Results: No association was found between phcy concentration and FV intake or between phcy and FV and beans. Serum folate and female sex were inversely related to phcy. Conclusion: Phcy was not related to FV or FV and beans; this may be attributable to a low intake of these food groups.

Is the food frequency consumption essential as covariate to estimate usual intake of episodically consumed foods

Backgrounds/Objectives:The aim of this paper is to verify the performance of the frequency of consumption as variable for prediction of the usual intakes of foods.Subjects/Methods:In total, 725 individuals who answered two nonconsecutive 24-h recall and one food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in the ‘Healthy Survey-Sao Paulo-Brazil’. An additional indicator variable indicating if one is usual consumer was created before analyzing. The Multiple Source Method and National Cancer Institute method were used to estimate usual intake of selected food considering different models of prediction: with no covariates; with FFQ; with FFQ plus indicator variable; and with only indicator variable.Results:For foods that are consumed every day or almost every day, the inclusion of the FFQ and/or the indicator variable as covariates resulted in similar percentiles of consumption when compared with the model with no covariates. For episodically consumed foods, the models with FFQ plus indicator variable and with only indicator variable estimated similar percentiles of intake.Conclusions:The use of the indicator variable instead the FFQ appears as a good alternative to estimate usual intake of episodically consumed foods.

Evaluation of the safety of different doses of folic acid supplements in women in Brazil

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the distribution of folic acid intake and the safety of different doses of supplements in women of childbearing age. METHODS Data were used from two non-consecutive days of food records of 6,837 women of childbearing age (19-40 years old) participants of the National Food Survey, a module of the Household Budget Survey 2008-2009. Means and percentiles of usual consumption of natural folate and folic acid were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. Five scenarios were simulated by adding different daily doses of fortification (400 mcg, 500 mcg, 600 mcg, 700 mcg and 800 mcg) to folic acid derived from food consumed by the women. To define a safe dose of the supplement, the total folate (dietary + supplement) was compared with the tolerable upper intake level (UL = 1,000 mcg). RESULTS Women with usual intake of folic acid above the tolerable upper intake levels were observed only for doses of supplement of 800 mcg (7.0% of women). Below this value, any dose of the supplement was safe. CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements of up to 700 mcg of folic acid was shown to be safe.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the distribution of folic acid intake and the safety of different doses of supplements in women of childbearing age. METHODS Data were used from two non-consecutive days of food records of 6,837 women of childbearing age (19-40 years old) participants of the National Food Survey, a module of the Household Budget Survey 2008-2009. Means and percentiles of usual consumption of natural folate and folic acid were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. Five scenarios were simulated by adding different daily doses of fortification (400 mcg, 500 mcg, 600 mcg, 700 mcg and 800 mcg) to folic acid derived from food consumed by the women. To define a safe dose of the supplement, the total folate (dietary + supplement) was compared with the tolerable upper intake level (UL = 1,000 mcg). RESULTS Women with usual intake of folic acid above the tolerable upper intake levels were observed only for doses of supplement of 800 mcg (7.0% of women). Below this value, any dose of the supplement was safe. CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements of up to 700 mcg of folic acid was shown to be safe.

Avaliação da segurança de diferentes doses de suplementos de ácido fólico em mulheres do Brasil

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the distribution of folic acid intake and the safety of different doses of supplements in women of childbearing age. METHODS Data were used from two non-consecutive days of food records of 6,837 women of childbearing age (19-40 years old) participants of the National Food Survey, a module of the Household Budget Survey 2008-2009. Means and percentiles of usual consumption of natural folate and folic acid were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. Five scenarios were simulated by adding different daily doses of fortification (400 mcg, 500 mcg, 600 mcg, 700 mcg and 800 mcg) to folic acid derived from food consumed by the women. To define a safe dose of the supplement, the total folate (dietary + supplement) was compared with the tolerable upper intake level (UL = 1,000 mcg). RESULTS Women with usual intake of folic acid above the tolerable upper intake levels were observed only for doses of supplement of 800 mcg (7.0% of women). Below this value, any dose of the supplement was safe. CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements of up to 700 mcg of folic acid was shown to be safe.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the distribution of folic acid intake and the safety of different doses of supplements in women of childbearing age. METHODS Data were used from two non-consecutive days of food records of 6,837 women of childbearing age (19-40 years old) participants of the National Food Survey, a module of the Household Budget Survey 2008-2009. Means and percentiles of usual consumption of natural folate and folic acid were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. Five scenarios were simulated by adding different daily doses of fortification (400 mcg, 500 mcg, 600 mcg, 700 mcg and 800 mcg) to folic acid derived from food consumed by the women. To define a safe dose of the supplement, the total folate (dietary + supplement) was compared with the tolerable upper intake level (UL = 1,000 mcg). RESULTS Women with usual intake of folic acid above the tolerable upper intake levels were observed only for doses of supplement of 800 mcg (7.0% of women). Below this value, any dose of the supplement was safe. CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements of up to 700 mcg of folic acid was shown to be safe.

Evaluación de la seguridad de uso de diferentes dosis de suplementos de ácido fólico en mujeres de Brasil

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the distribution of folic acid intake and the safety of different doses of supplements in women of childbearing age. METHODS Data were used from two non-consecutive days of food records of 6,837 women of childbearing age (19-40 years old) participants of the National Food Survey, a module of the Household Budget Survey 2008-2009. Means and percentiles of usual consumption of natural folate and folic acid were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. Five scenarios were simulated by adding different daily doses of fortification (400 mcg, 500 mcg, 600 mcg, 700 mcg and 800 mcg) to folic acid derived from food consumed by the women. To define a safe dose of the supplement, the total folate (dietary + supplement) was compared with the tolerable upper intake level (UL = 1,000 mcg). RESULTS Women with usual intake of folic acid above the tolerable upper intake levels were observed only for doses of supplement of 800 mcg (7.0% of women). Below this value, any dose of the supplement was safe. CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements of up to 700 mcg of folic acid was shown to be safe.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the distribution of folic acid intake and the safety of different doses of supplements in women of childbearing age. METHODS Data were used from two non-consecutive days of food records of 6,837 women of childbearing age (19-40 years old) participants of the National Food Survey, a module of the Household Budget Survey 2008-2009. Means and percentiles of usual consumption of natural folate and folic acid were estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. Five scenarios were simulated by adding different daily doses of fortification (400 mcg, 500 mcg, 600 mcg, 700 mcg and 800 mcg) to folic acid derived from food consumed by the women. To define a safe dose of the supplement, the total folate (dietary + supplement) was compared with the tolerable upper intake level (UL = 1,000 mcg). RESULTS Women with usual intake of folic acid above the tolerable upper intake levels were observed only for doses of supplement of 800 mcg (7.0% of women). Below this value, any dose of the supplement was safe. CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements of up to 700 mcg of folic acid was shown to be safe.