Study on Dietary Pattern, Nutritional Status and Socio-Demographic Determinants of the Preschool Children Aged 3-6 Years.

This study was undertaken to analyze the dietary pattern and nutritional status of preschool children and to check the association between diet and socio-demographic factors. Dietary Pattern of 390 preschool children from Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand state of India was assessed. 24-Hour dietary recall and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used for collecting information regarding dietary intake for three consecutive days. Nutritional indices (weight for age, height for age, weight for height, and BMI for age Z score) were studied using WHO Anthro software. Results indicated that the nutrient intake was inadequate, with major children consuming less than 60% of the recommended intake. Family income, community, type of family, birth order (ordinal position), and the number of siblings were associated with dietary insufficiency (p < 0.05). Stunting and wasting were commonly prevalent in more number of girls as compared to boys, on the contrary; more boys were underweight as compared to girls. A higher proportion of girls 18% (95% C.I. 10.8, 25.3) were thin as compared to boys 15% (95% C.I. 8.4, 21.6).

Gluten-Free Products for Celiac Susceptible People.

The gluten protein of wheat triggers an immunological reaction in some gluten-sensitive people with HLA-DQ2/8 genotypes, which leads to Celiac disease (CD) with symptomatic damage in the small intestinal villi. Glutenin and gliadin are two major components of gluten that are essentially required for developing a strong protein network for providing desired viscoelasticity of dough. Many non-gluten cereals and starches (rice, corn, sorghum, millets, and potato/pea starch) and various gluten replacers (xanthan and guar gum) have been used for retaining the physical-sensorial properties of gluten-free, cereal-based products. This paper reviews the recent advances in the formulation of cereal-based, gluten-free products by utilizing alternate flours, starches, gums, hydrocolloids, enzymes, novel ingredients, and processing techniques. The pseudo cereals amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat, are promising in gluten-free diet formulation. Genetically-modified wheat is another promising area of research, where successful attempts have been made to silence the gliadin gene of wheat using RNAi techniques. The requirement of quantity and quality for gluten-free packaged foods is increasing consistently at a faster rate than lactose-free and diabetic-friendly foods. More research needs to be focused on cereal-based, gluten-free beverages to provide additional options for CD sufferers.