A Calorie-Restricted Diet Decreases Brain Iron Accumulation and Preserves Motor Performance in Old Rhesus Monkeys.
A calorie-restricted diet decreases brain iron accumulation and preserves motor performance in old rhesus monkeys.
Filed under: Eating Disorders
J Neurosci. 2012 Aug 22; 32(34): 11897-904
Kastman EK, Willette AA, Coe CL, Bendlin BB, Kosmatka KJ, McLaren DG, Xu G, Canu E, Field AS, Alexander AL, Voytko ML, Beasley TM, Colman RJ, Weindruch RH, Johnson SC
Caloric restriction (CR) reduces the pathological effects of aging and extends the lifespan in many species, including nonhuman primates, although the effect on the brain is less well characterized. We used two common indicators of aging, motor performance speed and brain iron deposition measured in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging, to determine the potential effect of CR on elderly rhesus macaques eating restricted (n=24, 13 males, 11 females) and standard (n=17, 8 males, 9 females) diets. Both the CR and control monkeys showed age-related increases in iron concentrations in globus pallidus (GP) and substantia nigra (SN), although the CR group had significantly less iron deposition in the GP, SN, red nucleus, and temporal cortex. A Diet X Age interaction revealed that CR modified age-related brain changes, evidenced as attenuation in the rate of iron accumulation in basal ganglia and parietal, temporal, and perirhinal cortex. Additionally, control monkeys had significantly slower fine motor performance on the Movement Assessment Panel, which was negatively correlated with iron accumulation in left SN and parietal lobe, although CR animals did not show this relationship. Our observations suggest that the CR-induced benefit of reduced iron deposition and preserved motor function may indicate neural protection similar to effects described previously in aging rodent and primate species.
HubMed – eating
Food Marketing towards Children: Brand Logo Recognition, Food-Related Behavior and BMI among 3-13-Year-Olds in a South Indian Town.
Filed under: Eating Disorders
PLoS One. 2012; 7(10): e47000
Ueda P, Tong L, Viedma C, Chandy SJ, Marrone G, Simon A, Stålsby Lundborg C
To assess exposure to marketing of unhealthy food products and its relation to food related behavior and BMI in children aged 3-13, from different socioeconomic backgrounds in a south Indian town.Child-parent pairs (n?=?306) were recruited at pediatric clinics. Exposure to food marketing was assessed by a digital logo recognition test. Children matched 18 logos of unhealthy food (high in fat/sugar/salt) featured in promotion material from the food industry to pictures of corresponding products. Children’s nutritional knowledge, food preferences, purchase requests, eating behavior and socioeconomic characteristics were assessed by a digital game and parental questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were recorded.Recognition rates for the brand logos ranged from 30% to 80%. Logo recognition ability increased with age (p<0.001) and socioeconomic level (p<0.001 comparing children in the highest and lowest of three socioeconomic groups). Adjusted for gender, age and socioeconomic group, logo recognition was associated with higher BMI (p?=?0.022) and nutritional knowledge (p<0.001) but not to unhealthy food preferences or purchase requests.Children from higher socioeconomic groups in the region had higher brand logo recognition ability and are possibly exposed to more food marketing. The study did not lend support to a link between exposure to marketing and poor eating behavior, distorted nutritional knowledge or increased purchase requests. The correlation between logo recognition and BMI warrants further investigation on food marketing towards children and its potential role in the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases in this part of India. HubMed – eating
National Approaches to Monitoring Population Salt Intake: A Trade-Off between Accuracy and Practicality?
Filed under: Eating Disorders
PLoS One. 2012; 7(10): e46727
Hawkes C, Webster J
There is strong evidence that diets high in salt are bad for health and that salt reduction strategies are cost effective. However, whilst it is clear that most people are eating too much salt, obtaining an accurate assessment of population salt intake is not straightforward, particularly in resource poor settings. The objective of this study is to identify what approaches governments are taking to monitoring salt intake, with the ultimate goal of identifying what actions are needed to address challenges to monitoring salt intake, especially in low and middle-income countries.A written survey was issued to governments to establish the details of their monitoring methods. Of the 30 countries that reported conducting formal government salt monitoring activities, 73% were high income countries. Less than half of the 30 countries, used the most accurate assessment of salt through 24 hour urine, and only two of these were developing countries. The remainder mainly relied on estimates through dietary surveys.The study identified a strong need to establish more practical ways of assessing salt intake as well as technical support and advice to ensure that low and middle income countries can implement salt monitoring activities effectively.
HubMed – eating
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