Composition and protein quality of Lupinus mutabilis.

The chemical composition and the protein quality of three samples of Lupinus mutabilis (a raw, semi-sweet variety; cooked, water-extracted seeds; and alcohol-extracted oil cake) were studied. The protein content varied from 47.7% dry weight (raw seeds) to 65.3% (oil-cake). Compared to the FAO reference pattern sulfur- containing amino acids are first limiting. The water-extracted sample contained 26.9% oil and the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio of 30 seed samples was 5.3. Alkaloid content of raw seed was high (3.3%), but could be reduced or nearly eliminated by water-and-alcohol extraction or plant breeding. Other anti-nutritive substances were present only in trace quantities. Protein quality measured as protein efficiency ratio (PER) gave low values for the non-supplemented lupin proteins (1.34 semi-sweet variety; 1.53 water-extracted seeds; 1.19 oil-cake; 3.09 casein), but the PER's were improved by the addition of 0.2% DL-methionine to the diets (3.05, 2.69, 2,81, respectively). Raw as well as processed lupin protein showed an excellent apparent digestibility (80.0-85.8%, casein 87.1%). Studies of net protein utilization (NPU) and biological value (BV) confirmed the importance of methionine supplementation, The true digestibility of 92% was equivalent to that of casein.

The effect of dietary carbohydrate:fat ratio on energy intake by adult women.

The effect of the dietary carbohydrate:fat (C:F) ratio on the spontaneous energy intake by healthy adults was investigated by comparing a high-carbohydrate diet (fat 24%, carbohydrate 58%, protein 18% of energy) and a high-fat diet (fat 47%, carbohydrate 35%, protein 18% of energy) in a 2 X 2 week cross-over design. Subjects were 22 healthy nuns in a Trappist convent with very regular activities. The diets consisted of combinations of liquid formula (75%) and standardized snacks (25%). The difference in C:F ratio was concealed: energy density, taste and appearance were similar. Energy consumption was recorded continuously. The mean daily energy intakes remained constant: 8276 kJ (1978 kcal). The difference in mean daily energy intake between diets was 73 kJ +/- 180 (SEM). Small changes in body weight were observed, but these are argued not to indicate definitive effects. It is concluded that changing the C:F ratio within commonly occurring ranges does not influence the spontaneous energy intake of healthy adults. The composition of the dietary fat was kept constant. Under practical conditions a change in the C:F ratio will also induce a change in the fatty acid composition of the diet, which might affect the energy intake regulation. Other experiments are required to see whether the C:F ratio can affect body composition or other physiological parameters in the long run.

[Meeting of calory and protein requirements in developing countries]. / Deckung des Kalorien- und Eiweissbedarfs in Entwicklungsländern

While we have definite ideas regarding the requirements for energy and proteins, we have to rely on statistical data whether these requirements are actually met. In spite of the common unreliability of these data, they serve as an useful indicator of the general situation. The supply of nutritional energy represents the average energy requirement for the populations of most developing countries. However, the insufficient supply of high grade protein remains the main nutritional problem of most of these countries. To solve these problems, the following possibilities exist: --Ensuring a sufficient calorie supply so that valuable protein is not wasted for the production of energy --Improving the supply of protein-rich staple food --Supplementing of food with local protien-rich products --Introducing lifestock only when the foodstuff available cannot be used directly for human consumption -- Improving the staple food, introducing higher grade strains of cereals --Producing protein-rich vegetable mixture from local foodstuff --Utilization of synthetic amino acids and of new protein sources. To meet the requirements for calories, and especially for hgih grade protein, is possible only by international and interdisciplinary efforts of all experts concerned with nutrition in any way.

[Malnutrition as an international problem (author's transl)]. / Fehlernährung als Weltproblem

The importance of malnutrition as an international problem is illustrated by some examples. Attention is mainly focussed on the bipolarity of this problem: malnutrition, both qualitative and quantitative, as the main nutritional problem of most of the developing countries of the Third World, overfeeding nowadays so associated with qualitative malnutrition - as the most important alimentary problem in the Federal Republic of Germany, but applying equally to other highly industrialized and civilized countries in Western Europe, the United States and Australia. Perhaps it would be more to the point to speak of prosperous countries or populations because these diseases found in technically highly developed countries increasingly occur also in developing countries among those social classes who believe they are able to afford a "better" nutrition and fall from one extreme of malnutrition into the other. Correct nutrition considered to be a privilege or a direct consequence of social prosperity is certainly not justified. The improvement in the standard of living as such by no means guaranties well-balanced nutrition. To quote an example: in developing countries when people live by trading with certain limited products, alimentary habits tend to change when the prices of the products go up. However, this is by no means invariably a change for the better, but quite often for the worse. It has repeatedly been found that in tropical countries where copra is the staple trading product, nutrition did not improve as the copra price rose. On the contrary, nutrition deteriorated because the people increasingly turned from the self-cultivated "natural products" to imported, refined food stuffs and tinned foods purely for reasons of increased prestige associated with such a diet. The consequences of malnutrition in the developing countries are dealt with in greater detail. In dealing with the consequences of malnutrition in highly industrialized countries a restriction to a few pointers was necessary because this subject is discussed in the following paper.