Studies on iodine content in daily diets, particularly elderly people's diets.

Poland represents moderate degree of severity of iodine deficiency. In 1997 a national program has been introduced of obligatory iodine prophylaxis including the iodination of household salt. In order to assess the extent of iodine consumption, the assessment were carried out on iodine content in average Polish diets with regard elderly people's diets. The aim of the study was also to analyse the composition of supplements allowed for trade in Poland, with regard to iodine content in these products. The assessment of iodine content in Polish diets was performed on the basis of the data of the household budgets and the data of iodine content in food products (without kitchen salt). The calculated iodine content in average Polish daily diets (adults and children) ranged from 40.4 microg to 50.7 microg. The iodine content in elderly people's diets was 75.5 microg/daily diets. In all studied diets the amount of iodine coming from food products, not taking into account iodinated salt, was insufficient for the realization of Polish RDA for this element. It shows that iodination of kitchen salt in Poland is necessary. Moreover on the Polish market exist supplements including iodine (20-200 microg iodine in tablet).

[Foodstuffs intended for special dietary uses for infants and young children in the light of the directives of the European Union and standards of the Codex Alimentarius FAO/WHO]. / Srodki spozywcze specjalnego zywieniowego przeznaczenia dla niemowlat i malych dzieci w swietle wymagan unii Europejskiej i standardów kodeksu zywnosciowego FAO/WHO.

Food products for infants and young children are included in the group of foodstuffs intended for special dietary uses. The classification of these products comprises the following groups: newborns infant formulas, infant formulas, processed cereal foods and other baby foods for infants and young children and gluten-free products. In the European Union countries the detailed requirements concerning their qualitative and quantitative composition, labeling, advertising and release on the market as well as the health quality of these products have been laid down in the Council Directive of 3 May 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses (89/398/EEC with later amendments) and in the detailed directives. Presently, work is being continued on preparing standards of the Codex Alimentarius FAO/WHO for infant formulas for processed cereal foods for infants and young children and for gluten-free foods. In the successive sessions of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses drafts of these standards are discussed. In the last session of the Committee in Berlin (19-23.06.2000) it was not possible to reach an agreement of views of the various delegations on the standards or their formulation. The work on them and trials at establishing international recommendations has been deferred to the next meeting.

[Nutritional value of daily diets prepared in several regions of the country. Part VI. Value of retinol, beta-carotene and vitamin E]. / Wartosc odzywcza calodziennych racji pokarmowych odtwarzanych w kilku regionach kraju. Cz. VI. Zawartosc retinolu, beta-karotenu i witaminy E.

Determinations of retinol, beta-carotene and vitamin E were carried out in daily diets of manual and mental workers with medium incomes. The diets were prepared on the basis of the analysis of the Central Statistical Office in 1986 under laboratory conditions in five regions of Poland (Warszawa, Lublin, Olsztyn, Poznan, Wroclaw). It was found that these diets contained respectively: vitamin A (retinol and beta-carotene) 844 and 859 micrograms, retinol 466 and 496 micrograms, beta-carotene 2267 and 2167 micrograms and vitamin E 4.82 and 5.12 mg per day. In relation to the realization of daily recommended dietary allowances by these diets, for vitamin A were met respectively 102 and 104% and for vitamin E 58 and 61%. There were considerable differences in the content of beta-carotene and vitamin E between diets prepared in all five regions of Poland.

[Current recommendations concerning rational use of fats. II. Value of polyunsaturated fatty acids from the n-6 and n-3 groups and general recommendations]. / Aktualne zalecenia w zakresie racjonalnego spozycia tluszczów. Cz. II. Znaczenie wielonienasyconych kwasów tluszczowych z rodziny n-6 i n-3 oraz zalecenia ogólne.

The number of scientific proofs of a close correlation between health state and diet is increasing. The present suggestions on the consumption of fats and PUFA effect on the human organism are discussed on the basis of current literature and statements of the panel conference on "Fat and cholesterol". The survey of the pertinent literature seems to suggest the following conclusions. Blood lipid level decrease by low-fat diet depends more on the composition of fatty acids than on the total dietary fat content and on replacement of fats with carbohydrates. Long-chain n-3 fatty acids from seafish oil exert a beneficial effect on plasma lipid level. They participate in the mechanisms of blood clotting, inhibit atherosclerosis progression and reduce the arterial blood pressure. In the assessment of the effect of dietary fatty acids on lipid metabolism the dietary content of three groups of fatty acids must be considered: saturated (S), monounsaturated (M) and polyunsaturated (P). Diets containing the same P:S proportions but different amounts of saturated fatty acids produce various effects on the blood cholesterol level. The need is perceived of making the population aware of the importance of rational fat consumption and introduction of modifications of food processed by food product industry.

[Recommendations concerning the rational consumption of fats. I. Population and clinical studies on the role of monounsaturated fatty acids]. / Zalecenia w zakresie racjonalnego spozycia tluszczów. Czesc I. Badania populacyjne i kliniczne, rolá jednonienasyconych kwasów tluszczowych.

On the basis of world literature a review is presented of the achievements of the science and practice of the principles of rational nutrition concerning fats. A particular attention was paid to the amount of fat in the diet of healthy and ill people and the role of monounsaturated fatty acids. These acids present in high amounts in olive oil and repeseed oil may be very useful in replacing saturated fatty acids for decreasing the serum cholesterol level. In accordance with the results of recent investigations (Ziemlanski et al.) no-erucic acid repeseed oil shows a strong antiatheromatous action, and, similarly as sunflower oil, it reduces the serum level of cholesterol.

Effect of dietary fats on experimental hypertension.

In an experiment on 95 Wistar rats weighing 330 g the effect was studied of partially hydrogenated marine oil and cod-liver oil as well as sunflowerseed oil and animal fat on arterial hypertension induced with administration of 1.5% NaCl in drinking water. During 5 weeks the animals received diets containing 37.8 kcal% derived from the studied fats. After the first week of 1.5% NaCl solution administration a significant rise of the systolic blood pressure and heart rate was observed in all animals without regard to the fat received by them with the diet. The rise of the blood pressure was greatest in the group of rats kept on the diet with animal fat, while in the groups of rats receiving diets with sunflowerseed oil or marine oils this rise was significantly smaller, especially with cod-liver oil. The hypotensive effect of marine oils, particularly cod-liver oil, was more pronounced than that of sunflowerseed oil. The hypotensive effect of partially hydrogenated fish oil was less pronounced than that of cod-liver oil. Our experiments demonstrated a significant effect of the amount of dietary fat on the development of experimental hypertension. Greater intake of salt and animal fats in human diet may be one of the causes of essential hypertension.

The effect of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on the serum lipid peroxide level in elderly people.

The aim of this work was to study the relationship between the state of saturation of the organism with vitamin E and vitamin C and the serum level of lipid peroxides in elderly people. The determinations were carried out in 100 subjects, mainly women, aged 60-100 years living in old people's homes, who were given daily vitamin E, 200 mg, or vitamin C, 400 mg, or both vitamins during 1 year. A correlation was found between the degree of saturation of the organism with vitamin E and the level of lipid peroxides. The daily intake of vitamin E for 4 months decreased the serum peroxide level by a mean value of 14%; a similar intake of vitamin C decreased it by 8%, and both vitamins decreased it by 20% compared with the initial level. After 1 year, these levels were decreased by 26% (vitamin E), 13% (vitamin C) and 25% (both vitamins).

The levels of essential unsaturated fatty acids in human milk on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th days after labour.

The composition of fatty acids in human milk lipids was determined in 41 women on the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th days after labour by the method of gas chromatography. In these investigations no significant differences were demonstrated in the fatty acids in the lipid fractions between these consecutive days. The level of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-6 and n-3 groups was about 11.9-13.6%, including linoleic acid (18:2, n-6) about 7.7-9.8%, and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3, n-3) about 0.7-1%. In the analysis group of n-6 fatty acids the determined acids were: linoleic acid (18:2, n-6), gamma-linolenic acid (18:3, n-6), eicosadienoic acid (20:2, n-6), eicosatrienoic acid (20:3, n-6), arachidonic acid (20:4, n-6), docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n-6). From the group of n-3 acids the identified ones were: alpha-linolenic acid (18:3, n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5, n-3), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5, n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n-3). The obtained quotients of fatty acids n-6 through n-3 on the consecutive days were: 7.2:1-7.8:1, indicating a too low level of the n-3 acids in the investigated milk. The acids prevailing in human milk lipids were: oleic (18:1, n-9) and palmitic (16:0) which accounted for 37-39% and 25-26% respectively. The polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (P:S) ranged from 0.28 to 0.33.

[Physiological effects of diet enriched in essential fatty acids in young men]. / Effets physiologiques de l'alimentation enrichie en acides gras essentiels chez le jeune homme.

The investigations were carried out on healthy young males aged 20-21 years. Those young men, whose previously different diets were determined by the dietary habits of their families, were selected and grouped under uniform conditions (feeding, housing, physical activity). After 4 months staying under these uniform conditions their diet was changed adding E.F.A. to their previous food rations. Food rations enriched with E.F.A. were given to these young males for 3 months. Then E.F.A. additions to the diet was stopped and the observed subjects received food rations, identical as during the initial 4-month period prior to E.F.A. enrichment, these rations were given during 5 months. Immediately after grouping these men were subjected to biochemical investigation of the serum and to anthropometric and general medical examinations (examination I). The subsequent examinations (II, III, IV) were carried out while the subjects were living under uniform conditions: II) after 4 months on the diet without E.F.A. enrichment, III) after 3 months on the diet enriched with E.F.A., and IV) after 5 months of diet without E.F.A. enrichment (after withdrawal of additional E.F.A.). The investigations were begun on 97 young males (examination I). The consecutive examinations (II, III, IV) were carried out on smaller groups of subjects for reasons on with the authors had no influence. During the experiment, 2-3 times in a month, sample of daily food rations given to the studied subjects and residual food on the plates were taken for analysis. This was done for determination of actual food intake. Through the whole period of the experiment the observed subjects were inquired about additional food consumed. The biochemical investigations of the nutritional state of these young subjects included hematological indices, serum proteins, selected biochemical components in the serum, activity of certain enzymes in the serum, serum lipid components and serum level of certain vitamins. The results of these investigations show the enrichment of diets during 3 months with vegetable fats (sunflower oil, margarine containing 40% of E.F.A.) for increasing the amount of E.F.A. in the whole daily food (together with additional food calculated on the basis of inquiry information) from 14.7 g to 27.7 g (3,2% kcal and 5,8% kcal respectively) has a favorable effect on selected serum lipids. The following changes appeared: decrease of total lipid level, total cholesterol level, cholesterol content of beta and prebeta-lipoproteins levels, free fatty acid level and the favorable changes in the composition of fatty acid in total lipid and selected lipid fractions in the serum. Food enrichment with E.F.A. led to rise the level of linoleic acid and total E.F.A. level and to fall the level of saturated fatty acids. The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids changes favorably both in total serum lipids and in different lipid fraction...