Graham W. Horgan

Sustainable diets for the future: can we contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by eating a healthy diet?

BACKGROUND Food systems account for 18-20% of UK annual greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs). Recommendations for improving food choices to reduce GHGEs must be balanced against dietary requirements for health. OBJECTIVE We assessed whether a reduction in GHGEs can be achieved while meeting dietary requirements for health. DESIGN A database was created that linked nutrient composition and GHGE data for 82 food groups. Linear programming was used iteratively to produce a diet that met the dietary requirements of an adult woman (19-50 y old) while minimizing GHGEs. Acceptability constraints were added to the model to include foods commonly consumed in the United Kingdom in sensible quantities. A sample menu was created to ensure that the quantities and types of food generated from the model could be combined into a realistic 7-d diet. Reductions in GHGEs of the diets were set against 1990 emission values. RESULTS The first model, without any acceptability constraints, produced a 90% reduction in GHGEs but included only 7 food items, all in unrealistic quantities. The addition of acceptability constraints gave a more realistic diet with 52 foods but reduced GHGEs by a lesser amount of 36%. This diet included meat products but in smaller amounts than in the current diet. The retail cost of the diet was comparable to the average UK expenditure on food. CONCLUSION A sustainable diet that meets dietary requirements for health with lower GHGEs can be achieved without eliminating meat or dairy products or increasing the cost to the consumer.

Effect of increased consumption of whole-grain foods on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk markers in healthy middle-aged persons: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND Three daily portions of whole-grain foods could lower cardiovascular disease risk, but a comprehensive intervention trial was needed to confirm this recommendation. OBJECTIVES We aimed to assess the effects of consumption of 3 daily portions of whole-grain foods (provided as only wheat or a mixture of wheat and oats) on markers of cardiovascular disease risk in relatively high-risk individuals. DESIGN This was a randomized controlled dietary trial in middle-aged healthy individuals. After a 4-wk run-in period with a refined diet, we randomly allocated volunteers to a control (refined diet), wheat, or wheat + oats group for 12 wk. The primary outcome was a reduction of cardiovascular disease risk factors by dietary intervention with whole grains, which included lipid and inflammatory marker concentrations, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure. RESULTS We recruited a total of 233 volunteers; 24 volunteers withdrew, and 3 volunteers were excluded. Systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly reduced by 6 and 3 mm Hg, respectively, in the whole-grain foods groups compared with the control group. Systemic markers of cardiovascular disease risk remained unchanged apart from cholesterol concentrations, which decreased slightly but significantly in the refined group. CONCLUSIONS Daily consumption of 3 portions of whole-grain foods can significantly reduce cardiovascular disease risk in middle-aged people mainly through blood pressure-lowering mechanisms. The observed decrease in systolic blood pressure could decrease the incidence of coronary artery disease and stroke by ≥15% and 25%, respectively. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as ISRCTN27657880.

Genetic polymorphisms in the human selenoprotein P gene determine the response of selenoprotein markers to selenium supplementation in a gender-specific manner (the SELGEN study)

Selenium (Se), a micronutrient essential for human health, is incorporated into at least 25 selenoproteins including selenoprotein P (SePP)′ which transports Se within the body. This research identified two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SePP gene, one in the coding region (position 24731, causing an Ala to Thr change) and one in the 3′untranslated region (position 25191). Their frequency was similar in Caucasian, Chinese, and South Asian populations. Prospectively geno‐typed volunteers were supplemented for 6 wk with 100 μg sodium selenite/day. Blood samples were analyzed for plasma Se and selenoprotein biomark‐ers at baseline, after supplementation, and during a washout period. Plasma Se, SePP, and glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) levels increased with supplementation. Baseline plasma Se content depended on both SePP genotypes and body mass index. Pre‐supplementation SePP concentration was associated with gender and genotype at SNP 24731 and post‐supplementation concentration with SNP 25191. Both SNPs and gender were associated with differences in GPx3 activity, plasma, and erythrocyte thioredoxin reductase 1 concentrations and lymphocyte glutathione peroxidase 1 and 4 activities and concentrations. In conclusion, the data reveal two common functional SNPs within the human SePP gene that may predict behavior of biomarkers of Se status and response to supplementation and thus susceptibility to disease.—Méplan, C., Crosley, L. K., Nicol, F., Beckett, G. J., Howie, A. F., Hill, K. E., Horgan, G., Mathers, J. C., Arthur, J. R., Hesketh, J. E. Genetic polymorphisms in the human selenoprotein P gene determine the response of selenoprotein markers to selenium supplementation in a gender‐specific manner (the SELGEN study) FASEB J. 21, 3063–3074 (2007)

Energy density of foods: effects on energy intake.

This article examines the importance of dietary energy density (ED) as a major factor that may influence human appetite and energy intake (EI). The article examines whether the effects of diet composition on appetite and EI can be explained in terms of ED. There is clear evidence that dietary macronutrients exert differential effects on energy intake (EI), both in the laboratory and in real life. Under normal conditions where fat contributes disproportionately to ED, protein, carbohydrate, and fat exert hierarchical effects on satiety in the order protein >carbohydrate > fat. Alcohol appears to stimulate EI. In human appetite studies the main effect of controlling ED is to diminish the impact of differences in the satiating effects of fat and carbohydrate. ED exerts profound effects in constraining EI in short-to-medium term studies. Subjects behave differently in longer term interventions. In short-to-medium term laboratory studies, increases in ED are more effective at increasing EI than at decreasing food intake. In longer term and cross-sectional studies conducted in naturalistic environments, increased ED appears more effective at decreasing food intake and less effective at elevating EI. The available evidence suggests that we should be evolving more complex, multifactor models to account for the observations that both macronutrients and ED affect EI rather than substituting one simplistic model with another.

The effect of graded levels of exercise on energy intake and balance in free-living women †

Aim: We assessed the effect of graded increases in exercised-induced energy expenditure (EE) on appetite, daily energy intake (EI), total daily EE and body weight in six lean women using a within-subject, repeated measures design.Method: Subjects were each studied three times during 7 day treatments, corresponding to no-exercise (control; Nex; 0 MJ/day), medium exercise level (Mex; ∼1.9 MJ/day) and high exercise level (Hex; ∼3.4 MJ/day), with 2 day maintenance beforehand. Subjects self-weighed ad libitum food intake. EE was assessed by continual heart rate monitoring. During waking hours subjects recorded hourly sensations of hunger and appetite.Results: EE amounted to 9.2, 11.0 and 12.1 MJ/day (F (2, 10)=5.67; P=0.023 (s.e.d.=0.87)) on the Nex, Mex and Hex treatments, respectively. The corresponding values for EI were 8.9, 9.2 and 10.0 MJ/day (F (2, 10)=4.80; P=0.035 (s.e.d.=0.36)). There were very weak treatment effects on hunger. Weight loss was significantly different from zero on the Mex and Hex treatments.Conclusion: Markedly increasing EE through exercise produced significant but partial compensations in EI (∼33% of EE due to exercise). Accurate adjustments of El to acute increases in EE are likely to take weeks rather than days.

The relationship between BMI and percent body fat, measured by bioelectrical impedance, in a large adult sample is curvilinear and influenced by age and sex.

OBJECTIVE The study aimed to establish the effects of age, gender and age-gender interactions on BMI-% fat relationships over a wide range of BMI and age. It also aimed to examine controversies regarding linear or curvilinear BMI-% fat relationships. METHODS Body composition was measured using validated bio-impedance equipment (Bodystat) in a large self-selected sample of 23,627 UK adults aged 18-99 (99% ≤70) years, of which 11,582 were males with a mean BMI of 26.3±4.7 (sd) kg/m(2), and 12,044 females, with a mean BMI of 25.7±5.1 kg/m(2). Multiple regression analysis was used. RESULTS BMI progressively increased with age in women and plateaued between 40 and 70 years in men. At a fixed BMI, body fat mass increased with age (1.9 kg/decade), as did % fat (1.1-1.4% per decade). The relationship between BMI and % fat was found to be curvilinear (quadratic) rather than linear, with a weaker association at lower BMI. There was also a small but significant age-gender interaction. CONCLUSION The association between BMI and % body fat is not strong, particularly in the desirable BMI range, is curvilinear rather than linear, and is affected by age.

The influence of soil gas transport properties on methane oxidation in a selection of northern European soils

The oxidation of atmospheric methane in soils was measured in situ at a selection of sites in northern Europe, mainly under forest but also under moorland and agricultural arable land and grassland. Our objective was to examine how land use, soil type, and location affected methane oxidation through their impact on gas diffusivity and air permeability. Gas diffusivity at the soil surface and, in some cases, after removal of any surface organic layer was measured in situ using Freon-22 tracer in a portable probe. For about half of the sites, gas diffusivity was also measured in intact topsoil core samples in the laboratory using krypton 85. Air permeability and porosity were also measured on these cores. Although the method of measurement of CH4 oxidation varied between sites, the same techniques were used to measure soil physical properties at all sites. CH4 oxidation rates ranged from 0 to 2.5 mg m−2 d−1. Diffusivity also covered a very wide range, being lowest in loam cores from wet grassland in Norway and highest in relatively dry, sandy soils in Denmark and Scotland. CH4 oxidation tended to increase with gas diffusivity measured in situ at the soil surface, though the relationship was poor at high diffusivities, presumably because CH4 oxidation was not limited by diffusion. Removal of the surface organic layer reduced in situ diffusivity at the surface and improved its relationship with CH4 oxidation rate. Sites where soils had well-developed structure and a loose and permeable organic layer at the surface tended to have the highest CH4 oxidation rates. Core measurements, particularly of air permeability, could not be obtained at some sites owing to the inability to take suitable samples. Diffusivity measured in cores generally decreased with increasing depth of sampling in the topsoil, with the 50-to 100-mm depth giving the best correlation with CH4 uptake; cores from within this layer also gave the highest CH4 oxidation during laboratory incubation. Effective comparisons between sites were hampered by the differing responses of CH4 oxidation and diffusivity to soil properties. However, multivariate cluster analysis that included the above transport variables plus others relevant to CH4 oxidation (namely, soil texture; bulk density; airfilled porosity; pH; carbon, nitrogen, and water contents; presence and depth of organic layers; and N deposition) confirmed the importance of soil water content, structure and texture in distinguishing different soil and site conditions.

Folate in pregnancy and imprinted gene and repeat element methylation in the offspring

BACKGROUND Epigenetic regulation of imprinted genes and transposable elements has been implicated in human disease and may be affected by maternal diet. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine the effect on offspring epigenetic status of nutritional and genetic factors that influence folate exposure in pregnancy. DESIGN We measured folate intake from diet, the use of folic acid supplements and the period of consumption, maternal and cord red blood cell (RBC) folate, and genotypes for 5 methylation cycle enzymes in a prospective cohort study of pregnancies in the United Kingdom between 2000 and 2006. We related these to offspring methylation status within 3 maternally methylated imprinted genes: paternally expressed gene 3 (PEG3), insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N, and the long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1) in genomic DNA extracted from whole blood in 913 pregnancies. RESULTS Supplement use after 12 wk of gestation was associated with a higher level of methylation in IGF2 (+0.7%; 95% CI: 0.02, 1.4; P = 0.044) and reduced methylation in both PEG3 (-0.5%; 95% CI: -0.9, -0.1; P = 0.018) and LINE-1 (-0.3%; 95% CI: -0.6, -0.04; P = 0.029). The same pattern was observed in relation to RBC folate in the cord blood at birth: IGF2 (P = 0.038), PEG3 (P < 0.001), and LINE-1 (P < 0.001). LINE-1 methylation was related to maternal RBC folate (P = 0.001) at 19 wk. No effect of supplement use up to 12 wk (current recommendation) was found. CONCLUSIONS Folic acid use after 12 wk of gestation influences offspring repeat element and imprinted gene methylation. We need to understand the consequences of these epigenetic effects.

The effect of feeding salmon oil to sows throughout pregnancy on pre-weaning mortality of piglets

Salmon oil (16·5 kg /t), a source of long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids, was included in diets offered to multiparous sows during pregnancy and lactation to measure responses in pre-weaning mortality and performance of piglets in two studies. The first study, carried out under commercial conditions, included 196 sows which were offered salmon oil and control diets from immediately post service until weaning. The same diets were also offered to 10 sows per treatment from day 58 of pregnancy in a controlled nutritional study which measured the effects of salmon oil on piglet tissue fatty acid composition. Offering salmon oil to the sow significantly increased gestation length and decreased individual piglet birth weight but had no effect on litter size at birth. Overall, salmon oil reduced pre-weaning mortality from 11·7% to 10·2% mainly by reducing the incidence of deaths from crushing by the sow. More detailed analysis of mortality using a general linear mixed model and 2294 piglet records, demonstrated that the incidence of pre-weaning mortality was significantly decreased with increasing individual piglet birth weight and by inclusion of salmon oil in the diet; the incidence of mortality increased with average piglet birth weight in a litter. Salmon oil inclusion had no effect on weight of litter weaned, sow lactation food intake or subsequent reproductive performance. In both studies, dietary salmon oil increased the proportions of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in colostrum to a similar extent. In the nutritional study, inclusion of salmon oil reduced the proportions of 20: 4 n-6 in piglet liver and brain at birth and increased the proportions of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, despite reducing piglet birth weight, offering sows salmon oil reduced pre-weaning mortality of piglets. The nutritional study showed that the amount and type of marine oil used may not have been optimal.

Placental weight and efficiency in relation to maternal body mass index and the risk of pregnancy complications in women delivering singleton babies

Herein we report placental weight and efficiency in relation to maternal BMI and the risk of pregnancy complications in 55,105 pregnancies. Adjusted placental weight increased with increasing BMI through underweight, normal, overweight, obese and morbidly obese categories and accordingly underweight women were more likely to experience placental growth restriction [OR 1.69 (95% CI 1.46-1.95)], while placental hypertrophy was more common in overweight, obese and morbidly obese groups [OR 1.59 (95% CI 1.50-1.69), OR 1.97 (95% CI 1.81-2.15) and OR 2.34 (95% CI 2.08-2.63), respectively]. In contrast the ratio of fetal to placental weight (a proxy for placental efficiency) was lower (P < 0.001) in overweight, obese and morbidly obese than in both normal and underweight women which were equivalent. Relative to the middle tertile reference group (mean 622 g), placental weight in the lower tertile (mean 484 g) was associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia, induced labour, spontaneous preterm delivery, stillbirth and low birth weight (P < 0.001). Conversely placental weight in the upper tertile (mean 788 g) was associated with a higher risk of caesarean section, post-term delivery and high birth weight (P < 0.001). With respect to assumed placental efficiency a ratio in the lower tertile was associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, induced labour, caesarean section and spontaneous preterm delivery (P < 0.001) and a ratio in both the lower and higher tertiles was associated with an increased risk of low birth weight (P < 0.001). Placental efficiency was not related to the risk of stillbirth or high birth weight. No interactions between maternal BMI and placental weight tertile were detected suggesting that both abnormal BMI and placental growth are independent risk factors for a range of pregnancy complications.