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Biomedical subjects

A Drewnowski

Publications and source records attributed to A Drewnowski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Is there a consumer backlash against the diet and health message?

OBJECTIVE: Anecdotal evidence exists that the public is becoming skeptical about nutrition messages. This article examines whether there is a backlash against dietary recommendations and whether it is associated with less healthful diets. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS: Data are from a 1997-1998 Washington State random-digit-dial survey of 1,751 adults designed to monitor attitudes and behavior related to cancer risk and prevention. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Responses to the nutrition backlash survey were weighted to reflect the Washington State population. Linear regression was used to examine associations of nutrition backlash with fat and fruit and vegetable intake. RESULTS: This survey did not find strong evidence that nutrition backlash was widespread. However, 70% of respondents thought that Americans are obsessed with the fat in their diet and that the government should not tell people what to eat. More than a quarter agreed with the statement that eating low-fat foods takes the pleasure out of eating. Nutrition backlash was associated with less healthful diets: individuals showing high backlash had a fat-related diet habits score of 2.11 compared with a score of 1.73 among those showing low backlash (P for trend = .001), which corresponds to a difference of roughly 4 percentage points in percentage energy from fat. Individuals showing high backlash reported eating only 2.72 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, compared with 3.35 servings among those showing low backlash (P for trend = .001). APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Nutrition professionals need to ensure that dietary recommendations are clear and positive to avoid the possibility that consumers may disregard nutrition messages entirely.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Energy and macronutrient intakes of elite figure skaters.

OBJECTIVES: Dietary guidelines for athletes emphasize complex carbohydrates. This study examined dietary intakes of elite figure skaters relative to current recommendations in sports nutrition. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects were male (n=80) and female (n=81) figure skaters taking part in a series of training camps held in Colorado between 1988 and 1995. Mean age was 18 years for men and 16 years for women. DESIGN: Measures of height, weight, and skinfold thickness were used to calculate body mass index and percent body fat. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of nutritional status. Energy and nutrient intakes were based on 3-day food records. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Multivariate regression model and correlation analyses used the SPSS for Windows program. RESULTS: Values of body mass index and percent body fat were similar to those obtained for elite athletes in other studies. Plasma chemistries were in the normal range. Energy intakes (2,329 kcal/day for men and 1,545 kcal/day for women) were below recommended values for sex and age. The skaters derived approximately 50% of their daily energy from sugars and fat. Sugars alone accounted for 25% of daily energy intakes--the skaters consumed between 100 g (women) and 142 g of sugars per day. Sugar and fat intakes, when expressed as percent of daily energy, were inversely linked, providing evidence of a fat-sugar seesaw. Higher-energy diets were higher in fat but lower in carbohydrate and protein. APPLICATIONS: High consumption of sugars and fat by elite athletes was not associated with overweight or excess body fat. Although recommended diets are usually built around complex carbohydrates, dietetics professionals can address the increased energy needs of elite athletes by recommending energy-dense foods. Sugars and fats are efficient sources of energy per unit volume.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Validation of the Healthy Eating Index with use of plasma biomarkers in a clinical sample of women.

BACKGROUND: The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a 100-point analytic scoring tool used to measure compliance with dietary recommendations and guidelines. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to calculate HEI scores for a sample of women and to link the HEI scores to plasma biomarkers of dietary exposure. DESIGN: Respondents were 340 women aged 21-80 y who were enrolled in a case-control study of diet and breast cancer. The sample included 172 patients with newly diagnosed cancer (case subjects), 149 cancer-free control subjects, and 19 women at high risk of breast cancer. Dietary intake assessment was based on 3-d food records. HEI scores were calculated for all respondents. Venous blood was collected for measurements of plasma carotenoids, vitamin C, and folate. CONCLUSIONS: Higher HEI scores were associated most strongly with greater dietary variety (r = 0.71), higher intakes of fruit (r = 0.57), and lower intakes of fat and saturated fat. HEI scores were also associated with higher intakes of energy, carbohydrates, fiber, folate, and vitamin C. Higher HEI scores were associated with higher plasma concentrations of alpha-carotene (r = 0.40), beta-carotene (r = 0.28), beta-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.41), lutein (r = 0.23), and vitamin C (r = 0.26) after age and vitamin supplement use were controlled for in a regression model. There was a further association between HEI scores and socioeconomic variables. Women with higher HEI scores were more likely to be older, married, and better educated and to have higher household incomes.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

PROP (6-n-Propylthiouracil) tasting and sensory responses to caffeine,sucrose, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone and chocolate.

The genetically determined ability to taste 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) has been linked with lowered acceptance of some bitter foods. Fifty-four women, aged 18-30 years, tasted and rated PROP-impregnated filter paper and seven solutions of PROP. Summed bitterness intensity ratings for PROP solutions determined PROP taster status. Respondents also tasted five sucrose and seven caffeine solutions, as well as seven solutions each of caffeine and PROP that had been sweetened with 0.3 mmol/l neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC). Respondents also rated three kinds of chocolate using 9-point category scales. PROP tasters rated caffeine solutions as more bitter than did non-tasters and liked them less. PROP tasters did not rate either sucrose or NHDC as more sweet. The addition of NHDC to PROP and caffeine solutions suppressed bitterness intensity more effectively for tasters than for non-tasters and improved hedonic ratings among both groups. PROP tasters and non-tasters showed the same hedonic response to sweetened caffeine solutions and did not differ in their sensory responses to chocolate. Genetic taste markers may have only a minor impact on the consumption of such foods as sweetened coffee or chocolate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Genetic taste responses to 6-n-propylthiouracil among adults: a screening tool for epidemiological studies.

Genetically mediated taste responsiveness to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) has been linked to reduced acceptance of some bitter foods. In this community-based study male (n = 364) and female (n = 378) adults enrolled in a self-help dietary intervention trial were screened for PROP taster status. Respondents, aged 18--70 years, were mailed filter papers impregnated with PROP or with aspartame solutions. They received instructions to rate taste intensity and hedonic preference using nine point category scales. Women rated PROP as more bitter than did men. Both sweetness and bitterness ratings were lower for older adults. Taste responsiveness to PROP was unrelated to body mass index in women or men. Higher bitterness ratings for PROP were weakly associated with higher sweetness ratings for aspartame, but were unrelated to sweet taste preferences. Successful administration of PROP filter papers by mail suggests new avenues for the screening of taste phenotypes in epidemiological studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Nutrition, physical activity, and quality of life in older adults: summary.

If health-related quality of life--and not longevity--is the key goal for health promotion, then it is captured only partly by the existing mortality and morbidity indexes. Researchers now urge that government agencies and health care providers begin collecting quality-of-life data on the populations they serve. Adding life to years, not years to life, is the current agenda for productive and successful aging. Policies and programs on aging are increasingly focused on identifying ways to improve quality of life and health status rather than just extending life span. In the Healthy People 2000 report, the chief goal of health promotion was to increase the span of healthy life. The focus was on mortality and morbidity data and symptom checklists as the principal measures of ill health. In contrast, the new emphasis in the Healthy People 2010 report is on quality of life and overall well-being. Helping people to increase life expectancy and improve their quality of life is the primary goal of the Healthy People 2010 report. The authors of this special issue of the Journals of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences are united in the belief that optimal nutrition and physical activity make a significant contribution to the overall quality of life at any age and especially for older adults. The key research challenge lies in deciding which aspects of improved fitness, nutrition, and diet contribute the most to quality-of-life measures. We have attempted to provide a comprehensive review of research on exercise, nutrition, diet, and health in elderly adults. Past studies on diet, nutrition, and fitness have largely addressed biomedical outcomes, pointing to substantial benefits in physical functioning, remission of disease symptoms, and improved health. This special issue goes a step further in assessing the effect of improved nutrition and physical activity on the global quality of life and its four principal domains. Although links between diet and exercise and chronic disease risks have been well documented, more needs to be known about motivations for behavioral change and perceived benefits as assessed using quality-of-life measures. No single segment of our society can benefit more from regularly performed exercise and improved diet than elderly adults. These important articles provide a link between diet and exercise and quality-of-life issues, as outlined in the Healthy People 2010 report.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Diet image: a new perspective on the food-frequency questionnaire.

Food-frequency questionnaires have become the dominant method for assessing dietary intakes in epidemiologic studies. However, their accuracy continues to be questioned. In a recent study, volunteers consumed three diets of varying fat content over 6 weeks. Compared with diet records, the food-frequency questionnaire provided less reliable estimates of the absolute amounts of fats and cholesterol consumed. Advocates of the food-frequency approach argue that attempting to validate the instrument against standard diets represented a highly contrived situation. In their view, food-frequency questionnaires critically depend on the participants' long-term knowledge of their own dietary patterns and are intended to measure intakes averaged over at least a year. That viewpoint tacitly acknowledges that food-frequency questionnaires have less to do with memory for what was consumed than with subjective inferences about the nature of the habitual diet. Food frequencies, much like food preferences or body image, appear to be a measure of attitude. As such, they may not be subject to absolute validation procedures.

Attitude↗
PubMed2001

The science and complexity of bitter taste.

Food choices and eating habits are largely influenced by how foods taste. Without being the dominant taste sensation, bitter taste contributes to the complexity and enjoyment of beverages and foods. Compounds that are perceived as bitter do not share a similar chemical structure. In addition to peptides and salts, bitter compounds in foods may include plant-derived phenols and polyphenols, flavonoids, catechins, and caffeine. Recent studies have shown that humans possess a multitude of bitter taste receptors and that the transduction of bitter taste may differ between one compound and another. Studies of mixture interactions suggest further that bitter compounds suppress or enhance sweet and sour tastes and interact with volatile flavor molecules. Caffeine, a natural ingredient of tea, coffee, and chocolate, has a unique flavor profile. Used as a flavoring agent, it enhances the sensory appeal of beverages. Research developments on the genetics and perception of bitter taste add to our understanding of the role of bitterness in relation to food preference.

Aging↗
PubMed2001

Genetic taste markers and food preferences.

Sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) is an inherited trait. Although some people find PROP to be extremely bitter, others cannot distinguish PROP solutions from plain water. In a series of studies, greater PROP sensitivity was linked with lower acceptability of other bitter compounds and with lower reported liking for some bitter foods. Women, identified as "super-tasters" of PROP, had lower acceptance scores for grapefruit juice, green tea, Brussels sprouts, and some soy products. Many of these foods contain bitter phytochemicals with reputed cancer-protective activity. These include flavonoids in citrus fruit, polyphenols in green tea and red wine, glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, and isoflavones in soy products. Consumer acceptance of these plant-based foods may depend critically on inherited taste factors. This review examines the role of genetic taste markers in determining taste preferences and food choices.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗
PubMed2001

Does aging change nutrition requirements?

The current adult guidelines for a healthy diet make no distinctions between adults aged 25-50 y and those aged 51 y and over. The question is whether dietary guidelines ought to be stratified by age, in recognition of the dietary and nutrient needs of the growing population of elderly adults. There are limited data on nutrient requirements of older adults. Aging is accompanied by a variety of physiological, psychological, economic and social changes that may adversely affect nutritional status. Older people have a higher prevalence of chronic disease, take multiple medications and supplements, and tend to be sedentary. Higher prevalence of obesity is difficult to reconcile with sharply lowered energy intakes. While basal metabolic rate does decline with age, lack of physical activity among the elderly is the more likely answer. The USDA Food Guide Pyramid is the key tool for communicating dietary advice to consumers. Researchers at Tufts University have produced a 70+ pyramid to reflect the nutrient needs of elderly adults. An additional focus has been on quality of life issues. Increased longevity is not always associated with continued good health. The Healthy People 2010 Objectives now use quality of life as a national health standard. Whereas health related quality of life (HRQOL) measures assess physical and mental health and their determinants, global quality of life measures focus on life satisfaction. Optimal nutrition promotes both functional health status and mental well-being. Dietary diversity and variety promotes enjoyment and satisfaction with the diet. Regular physical activity promotes strength and endurance, helps to maintain appropriate body weight, and contributes to independent physical functioning. Improving health-related quality of life is a key element in promoting the health and well-being of older adults.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Impact of aging on eating behaviors, food choices, nutrition, and health status.

People eat less and make different food choices as they get older. It is unclear what impact these dietary changes may have on health status. However, lower food intake among the elderly has been associated with lower intakes of calcium, iron, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin E. Low energy intakes or low nutrient density of the diet may increase the risk of diet-related illnesses and so pose a health problem. Several factors may influence this observed decline in energy intake. Older adults tend to consume less energy-dense sweets and fast foods, and consume more energy-dilute grains, vegetables and fruits. Daily volume of foods and beverages also declines as a function of age. Physiological changes associated with age, including slower gastric emptying, altered hormonal responses, decreased basal metabolic rate, and altered taste and smell may also contribute to lowered energy intake. Other factors such as marital status, income, education, socioeconomic status, diet-related attitudes and beliefs, and convenience likely play a role as well. Many age-related nutritional problems may be remedied to some extent by providing nutrient-dense meals through home delivery or meal congregate programs. Management of medical and dental problems and the provision of vitamin and mineral supplements may also be effective. More studies that integrate nutrition research, public health intervention, and outcomes research are needed to determine the impact of diet on nutrition, health, and overall quality of life.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Genetic taste markers and preferences for vegetables and fruit of female breast care patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore links between genetic responsiveness to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and self-reported preferences for vegetables and fruit of female breast care patients. METHODS: PROP tasting was defined by detection thresholds and by perceived bitterness and hedonic ratings for PROP solutions. Nontasters, medium tasters, and supertasters were identified by their PROP thresholds and by the ratio of perceived bitterness of PROP to the perceived saltiness of sodium chloride solutions. Subjects rated preferences for vegetables and fruit using 9-point category scales. SUBJECTS/SETTING: A clinical sample of 170 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer and 156 cancer-free control subjects were recruited from the University of Michigan Breast Care Center. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Principal components factor analysis, one-way analyses of variance, and Pearson correlations and chi 2 tests were used to analyze taste and food preference data. RESULTS: Genetic responsiveness to PROP was associated with lower acceptance of cruciferous and selected green and raw vegetables (P < .05). Women who reported disliking such foods were medium tasters or supertasters of PROP. Preference ratings for fruit were unrelated to PROP taster status. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Women who are PROP tasters may be less likely to comply with dietary strategies for cancer prevention that emphasize consumption of cruciferous vegetables and bitter salad greens. Alternatively, PROP-sensitive women may seek to reduce bitter taste by adding fat, sugar, or salt.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2000

Both food preferences and food frequency scores predict fat intakes of women with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether self-reported frequencies of food use were linked to self-reported preferences for the same foods. The hypothesis was that both food frequencies and food preferences can predict nutrient intakes. RESPONDENTS: Participants were adult women patients (n = 339), recruited through the University of Michigan Breast Care Center. The sample included both persons with breast cancer and persons who were cancer-free. DESIGN: All women completed a 98-item food frequency questionnaire and rated preferences for many of the same foods using a 9-point category scale. Percent energy from fat and saturated fat, and intakes of dietary fiber and vitamin C were estimated from analyses of 4-day food records. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Pearson correlations coefficients were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Dislike was a strong predictor of nonuse. In contrast, the more preferred foods were also reported as more frequently consumed. Significant correlations between preference and frequency scores were obtained for virtually all item pairs. Median Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.30 (range 0.04 to 0.56). Correlations improved when foods were aggregated into the chief dietary sources of fat, saturated fat, and vitamin C. Food frequencies and food preferences showed the same strength of association with percent energy from fat and saturated fat (r = 0.20 to 0.25). Food frequencies showed a stronger association with vitamin C intakes than did preferences for vegetables and fruit. APPLICATIONS: Food preferences may provide a potential alternative to the food frequency approach.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Young women's food preferences and taste responsiveness to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP).

This study examined links between taste responsiveness to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), a heritable trait, and sensory responses to six common foods. Sixty-three young women subjects were divided into PROP tasters (n = 25) and nontasters (n = 25), based on their responses to PROP-impregnated filter paper and mean bitterness intensity ratings for seven PROP solutions. Thirteen subjects were excluded as unclassifiable. The 50 subjects sampled Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, black coffee, soy milk, and soybean tofu. Sensory ratings for bitter intensity; pleasantness of taste, odor, and texture, and overall food acceptability scores were obtained using nine-point category scales. All subjects completed a food-preference checklist and a modified food-frequency questionnaire. PROP tasters rated Brussels sprouts as more bitter than did nontasters (p<0.05). Subjects who perceived the foods as more bitter also rated them as less pleasant and less acceptable. Taste preferences and food preferences were linked. Self-reported food preferences and self-reported frequencies of consumption for the same foods were also linked. Taste factors and food preferences may impact dietary choices and the frequency of food consumption.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Long-term maintenance of weight loss: current status.

Intervention strategies for promoting long-term weight loss are examined empirically and conceptually. Weight control research over the last 20 years has dramatically improved short-term treatment efficacy but has been less successful in improving long-term success. Interventions in preadolescent children show greater long-term efficacy than in adults. Extending treatment length and putting more emphasis on energy expenditure have modestly improved long-term weight loss in adults. Fresh ideas are needed to push the field forward. Suggested research priorities are patient retention, natural history, assessment of intake and expenditure, obesity phenotypes, adolescence at a critical period, behavioral preference-reinforcement value, physical activity and social support, better linkage of new conceptual models to behavioral treatments, and the interface between pharmacological and behavioral methods.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Bitter taste, phytonutrients, and the consumer: a review.

Dietary phytonutrients found in vegetables and fruit appear to lower the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Studies on the mechanisms of chemoprotection have focused on the biological activity of plant-based phenols and polyphenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, terpenes, and glucosinolates. Enhancing the phytonutrient content of plant foods through selective breeding or genetic improvement is a potent dietary option for disease prevention. However, most, if not all, of these bioactive compounds are bitter, acrid, or astringent and therefore aversive to the consumer. Some have long been viewed as plant-based toxins. As a result, the food industry routinely removes these compounds from plant foods through selective breeding and a variety of debittering processes. This poses a dilemma for the designers of functional foods because increasing the content of bitter phytonutrients for health may be wholly incompatible with consumer acceptance. Studies on phytonutrients and health ought to take sensory factors and food preferences into account.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2000

Sensory control of energy density at different life stages.

Taste preferences, food choices and eating habits all change with age. The transition from childhood to adolescence and adult life is associated with reduced sweet taste preferences, lower sugars consumption and reduced energy density of the diet. Ageing is associated with elevated acceptance of bitter tastes, elevated preferences for vegetables and salad greens, and increased consumption of whole grains, vegetables and fruit. The age-associated drop in energy intakes is achieved through a reduction in the weight and volume of food consumed, as well as a reduction in the overall energy density of the diet. Energy density drops from a peak of 5 kJ (1.2 kcal)/g in adolescence and early adult life to a low of 3.1 kJ (0.75 kcal)/g for adult women aged 45-54 years. Older adults, particularly women, consume less fat and saturated fat and more fibre and vitamin C, suggesting a shift in consumption from snacks, sweets and desserts towards grains, vegetables and fruit. These changes in food preferences and eating habits are associated, on a population level, with a decline in preferences for sweet taste and with increased acceptance of bitter tastes. At present there are no data to show a causal relationship between age-related changes in sensory function and the selection of a more bulky energy-dilute diet. However, it is a plausible hypothesis that sensory factors mediate adjustments in energy density of foods at different life stages.

Adolescent↗