Yasmine Probst

Low plasma vitamin E levels in major depression: diet or disease?

Objective: Levels of vitamin E have been reported to be lower in patients suffering major depression, but whether this is due to inadequate dietary intake or the pathophysiology of depression is not known, and was the subject of the present study.Setting: Wollongong, Australia.Methods: Plasma vitamin E (α-tocopherol) was measured in 49 adults with major depression, age (mean±s.d.): 47±12 y. In a subset (n=19) usual dietary intake of vitamin E was determined by diet history.Results: Subjects had significantly lower plasma α-tocopherol (4.71±0.13 μmol/mmol cholesterol) than has previously been reported for healthy Australians, and plasma α-tocopherol was inversely related to depression score (by Beck Depression Inventory) (r=−0.367, P<0.009). Diet analysis indicated that 89% of subjects met or exceeded the recommended intake for vitamin E, and dietary intake was not related to plasma α-tocopherol level in this subset.Conclusion: These findings suggest that plasma levels of α-tocopherol are lower in depression, but this is not likely to be the result of inability to meet recommended dietary intake.Sponsorship: This study was supported in part by the Clover Corporation and the Australian Research Council.

Overview of computerized dietary assessment programs for research and practice in nutrition education.

Computerized dietary assessment programs are often used for nutrition education research and practice. This article provides an informal overview of 29 dietary assessment programs mentioned in the literature covered by MEDLINE from 1996 to 2003, along with the components and capabilities of these programs derived from additional sources as needed. According to the literature, the advantages of using computers for dietary assessment include standardization of the questioning sequence, fast and easy processing, immediate results, and increased flexibility. The disadvantages include the need for typing skills and computer literacy, as well as potential bias in the responses if an interviewer is required.

Weight loss effects from vegetable intake: a 12-month randomised controlled trial.

Background/Objectives:Direct evidence for the effects of vegetable intake on weight loss is qualified. The study aimed to assess the effect of higher vegetable consumption on weight loss.Subjects/Methods:A single blind parallel controlled trial was conducted with 120 overweight adults (mean body mass index=29.98 kg/m2) randomised to two energy deficit healthy diet advice groups differing only by doubling the serving (portion) sizes of vegetables in the comparator group. Data were analysed as intention-to-treat using a linear mixed model. Spearmans rho bivariate was used to explore relationships between percentage energy from vegetables and weight loss.Results:After 12 months, the study sample lost 6.5±5.2 kg (P<0.001 time) with no difference between groups (P>0.05 interaction). Both groups increased vegetable intake and lost weight in the first 3 months, and the change in weight was significantly correlated with higher proportions of energy consumed as vegetables (rho=–0.217, P=0.024). Fasting glucose, insulin and triglyceride levels decreased (P<0.001 time) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased (P<0.001 time), with no difference between groups. Weight loss was sustained for 12 months by both groups, but the comparator group reported greater hunger satisfaction (P=0.005).Conclusions:Advice to consume a healthy low-energy diet leads to sustained weight loss, with reductions in cardiovascular disease risk factors regardless of an emphasis on more vegetables. In the short term, consuming a higher proportion of the dietary energy as vegetables may support a greater weight loss and the dietary pattern appears sustainable.

Computerized dietary assessments compare well with interviewer administered diet histories for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the primary healthcare setting

OBJECTIVE To test repeatability and relative validity of a computerized and interviewer administered assessment. METHODS Using a context-based case-control trial, 41 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomized into four groups to complete dietary assessments (computerized or interviewer administered) at 0, 2 and 8 weeks and food records at 0 and 2 weeks. Repeatability of reported energy, total fat, saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids between the computerized and interviewer administered methods were assessed using repeated measures ANOVA. Paired t-tests and Pearsons correlations determined relative validity of the assessments. RESULTS Thirty-one patients completed all visits. Statistically significant differences were found between computerized and interviewer administered data for total fat (p=0.048) and saturated fatty acids (p=0.019) between 0 and 2 weeks. Computerized assessments correlated better with food records (r=0.16-0.52) compared with interviewer administered assessments (r=-0.02 to 0.51). CONCLUSION Computerized assessments saw a learning effect with repeated use indicating that users were becoming more familiar with the website with repeated use. Relative validity suggests that the website may capture more foods though this requires further investigation. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS By allowing patients to self-report their intakes on a computer, dietitians will have the ability to spend increased time with their patients counseling them toward change.

Consumers' salient beliefs regarding dairy products in the functional food era: a qualitative study using concepts from the theory of planned behaviour

BackgroundInadequate consumption of dairy products without appropriate dietary substitution may have deleterious health consequences. Social research reveals the factors that may impede compliance with dietary recommendations. This is particularly important given the recent introduction of functional dairy products. One of the challenges for public health professionals is to demonstrate the efficacy of nutrition education in improving attitudes toward nutrient rich foods. The aim of this study was to explore the salient beliefs of adult weight loss trial participants regarding both traditional and functional dairy products and to compare these with a control group not exposed to nutrition education.MethodsSix focus groups were conducted, three with weight loss trial completers (n = 15) that had received nutrition education and three with individuals from the same region (n = 14) to act as controls. Transcribed focus groups were coded using the Theory of Planned Behaviour theoretical framework.ResultsNon-trial participants perceived dairy foods as weight inducing and were sceptical of functional dairy products. A lack of time/ability to decipher dairy food labels was also discussed by these individuals. In contrast trial participants discussed several health benefits related to dairy foods, practised label reading and were confident in their ability to incorporate dairy foods into their diet. Normative beliefs expressed were similar for both groups indicating that these were more static and less amenable to change through nutrition education than control and behavioural beliefs.ConclusionsNutrition education provided as a result of weight loss trial participation influenced behavioural and control beliefs relating to dairy products. This study provides a proof of concept indication that nutrition education may improve attitudes towards dairy products and may thus be an important target for public health campaigns seeking to increase intake of this food group.

Food image classification using local appearance and global structural information

Abstract This paper proposes food image classification methods exploiting both local appearance and global structural information of food objects. The contribution of the paper is threefold. First, non-redundant local binary pattern (NRLBP) is used to describe the local appearance information of food objects. Second, the structural information of food objects is represented by the spatial relationship between interest points and encoded using a shape context descriptor formed from those interest points. Third, we propose two methods of integrating appearance and structural information for the description and classification of food images. We evaluated the proposed methods on two datasets. Experimental results verified that the combination of local appearance and structural features can improve classification performance.

Identification of dietary patterns associated with blood pressure in a sample of overweight Australian adults

The dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet provides strong evidence for an optimal dietary pattern for blood pressure (BP) control; however, investigation at the level of key foods in a dietary pattern is sparse. This study aimed to assess the relationship between dietary patterns driven by key foods with BP in a sample of obese Australian adults. Secondary analysis was conducted on baseline data of 118 participants (45.1±8.4 years, mean BP=124.1±15.8/72.6±9.2 mm Hg) recruited in a weight reduction randomized controlled trial (ACTRN12608000425392). Dietary assessment was by a validated diet history interview. The average of three office BP measurements was taken. Factor analysis extracted dietary patterns and their relation to systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) was analysed using multiple linear regression. Eight dietary patterns were identified based on leading foods: meat and alcohol; seafood; fats; fruits and nuts; legumes; confectionery; sweet foods; and yeast extracts and seasonings. A lower SBP was associated with alignment with the fruit and nuts pattern (β=−4.1 (95% confidence interval −7.5 to −0.7) mm Hg) and with seafood for DBP (β=−2.4 (−4.6 to −0.3) mm Hg). SBP and DBP were higher with yeast extract and seasonings (β=4.3 (1.4–7.3); 2.5 (0.9–4.0) mm Hg, respectively). In obese adults attending for weight loss, dietary patterns that included larger amounts of fruits and nuts and/or seafood were associated with lower BP at baseline, whereas patterns that were characterised by yeast extract and seasonings were associated with higher BP.

Dietary Assessment on a Mobile Phone Using Image Processing and Pattern Recognition Techniques: Algorithm Design and System Prototyping

Dietary assessment, while traditionally based on pen-and-paper, is rapidly moving towards automatic approaches. This study describes an Australian automatic food record method and its prototype for dietary assessment via the use of a mobile phone and techniques of image processing and pattern recognition. Common visual features including scale invariant feature transformation (SIFT), local binary patterns (LBP), and colour are used for describing food images. The popular bag-of-words (BoW) model is employed for recognizing the images taken by a mobile phone for dietary assessment. Technical details are provided together with discussions on the issues and future work.

Introduction to nutrition informatics in Australia

Aim The aim of this study was to provide an introduction to nutrition informatics, including a brief history and a rationale of its importance for Australian dietetics. Methods The study method used was a narrative review informed by a literature review and expert consultation with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Results Nutrition informatics has demonstrated potential to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, support research and ultimately enhance patient care. Governments and organisations have identified this as an emerging priority area. The Dietitians Association of Australia has launched initiatives to advocate and provide strategic advice on dietetic involvement in biomedical informatics and specifically nutrition informatics. Conclusions If nutrition standards and processes are not integrated into information systems, dietitians may inherit technologies that do not support dietetic work practices, and opportunities to enhance nutrition services may be missed. It is recommended that dietitians be aware of the opportunities and potential benefits of nutrition informatics, become familiar and involved in technology initiatives, and take the lead in guiding the development and implementation of technologies that may impact patient nutritional care.

Potential Health Benefits of Whole Grain Wheat Components

Whole grain foods are associated with reduced risk of several chronic diet-related diseases. Wheat is a staple in the Western diet and has been linked to these health effects and yet has received minimal attention for its health properties compared with other plant foods, such as oats or fruit and vegetables. Wheat should now be reexamined as a potential protective food against diet-related diseases, as whole grain wheat contains a multitude of compounds with reputed health benefits. Research has shown that consumption of wheat fiber leads to increased laxation, decreased gut transit time, and a potential reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer. Colonic fermentation of nondigestible carbohydrates may lead to favorable changes in the gut microflora and increase the production of beneficial compounds such as short-chain fatty acids. However, in addition to the effects of fibre, wheat contains numerous other components that may play a role in health and disease risk reduction, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamin E, and phytosterols. The additive and synergistic effects of these compounds may contribute to the health benefits of whole grain consumption. This article provides an overview of the major components in whole grain wheat and reviews their associated health benefits.