Sex Differences in the Associations of Nutrient Patterns with Total and Regional Adiposity: A Study of Middle-Aged Black South African Men and Women

The study evaluated the association between nutrient patterns with body fat and regional adiposity in middle-aged black South African (SA) men and women and determined if this differed by sex. Body fat and regional adiposity (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), and dietary intake (7-day quantified food frequency questionnaire) were measured in black SA men (n = 414) and women (n = 346). Using principal component analysis, nutrient patterns were computed from 25 nutrients in the combined sample. Four nutrient patterns were extracted, explaining 67% of the variance in nutrient intake. Animal and fat, as well as the vitamin C, sugar, and potassium driven patterns, were positively associated with total adiposity. In contrast, the retinol and vitamin B12 pattern was associated with the centralisation of fat. Notably, the strength of the association between the animal-driven nutrient pattern and BMI was greater in men (1.14 kg/m2, 95% CI (0.63–1.66)) than in women (0.81 kg/m2, 95% CI (0.25–1.36)) (Pint = 0.017). In contrast, the plant-driven pattern was associated with higher abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in women (44 cm2, 95% CI (22–67)) but not men (Pint = 1.54 × 10−4). These differences suggest that although men and women have similar nutrient patterns, their associations with the whole body and regional body fat are different.

Sex Differences in the Associations of Nutrient Patterns with Total and Regional Adiposity: A Study of Middle-Aged Black South African Men and Women

The study evaluated the association between nutrient patterns and body fat and regional adiposity in middle-aged black South African (SA) men and women and determined if this differed by sex. Body fat and regional adiposity (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), and dietary intake (7-day quantified food frequency questionnaire) were measured in black SA men (n=414) and women (n=346). Using principal component analysis, nutrient patterns were computed from 25 nutrients in the combined sample. Four nutrient patterns were extracted, explaining 67% of the variance in nutrient intake. Animal and fat, as well as the vitamin C, sugar and potassium driven patterns, were positively associated with total adiposity. In contrast, the retinol and vitamin B12 pattern was associated with the centralisation of fat. Notably, the strength of the association between the animal-driven nutrient pattern and BMI was greater in men (1.14 kg/m2, 95%CI (0.63-1.66)) than women (0.81 kg/m2, 95%CI (0.25-1.36)) (Pint=0.017). In contrast, the plant driven pattern was associated with higher abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in women (44 cm2, 95%CI (22-67)) but not men (Pint =1.54 x 10-4). These interactions suggest that although men and women have similar nutrient patterns, the associations with the whole body and regional body fat are different.

Nutrient Patterns are Associated with Discordant Apolipoprotein B and Low-Density Lipoproteins: A Population-Based Analysis

Individuals with discordantly high ApoB to LDL-C levels carry a higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease compared to those with average or discordantly low ApoB to LDL-C. We aimed to determine associations between ApoB and LDL-C discordance in relation to nutrient patterns (NPs) using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Participants were grouped by established LDL-C and ApoB cut-offs (Group 1: Low ApoB/Low LDL-C, Group 2: Low ApoB/High LDL-C, Group 3: High ApoB/Low LDL-C, Group 4: High ApoB/High LDL-C). Principle component analysis was used to define NPs. Machine learning (ML) and structural equation models were applied to assess associations of nutrient intake with ApoB/LDL-C discordance using the combined effects of ApoB and LDL-C. Three NPs explained 63.2% of variance in nutrient consumption. These consisted of NP1 rich in saturated fatty acids, carbohydrate and vitamins, NP2 high in fibre, minerals, vitamins and PUFA and NP3 rich in dietary cholesterol, protein, and sodium. The discordantly high ApoB to LDL-C group had the highest consumption of the NP1 and the lowest consumption of the NP2. ML showed nutrients which had the greatest unfavourable dietary contribution to individuals with discordantly high ApoB to LDL-C were total fat, saturated fatty acids and thiamine and the greatest favourable contributions were MUFA, folate, fibre and selenium. Individuals with discordantly high ApoB in relation to LDL-C had greater adherence to NP1, whereas those with lower levels of ApoB, irrespective of LDL-C, are more likely to consume NP3.

Identifying Nutrient Patterns in South African Foods to Support National Nutrition Guidelines and Policies

Food composition databases (FCDBs) provide the nutritional content of foods and are essential for developing nutrition guidance and effective intervention programs to improve nutrition of a population. In public and nutritional health research studies, FCDBs are used in the estimation of nutrient intake profiles at the population levels. However, such studies investigating nutrient co-occurrence and profile patterns within the African context are very rare. This study aimed to identify nutrient co-occurrence patterns within the South African FCDB (SAFCDB). A principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to 28 nutrients and 971 foods in the South African FCDB to determine compositionally similar food items. A second principal component analysis was applied to the food items for validation. Eight nutrient patterns (NPs) explaining 73.4% of the nutrient variation among foods were identified: (1) high magnesium and manganese; (2) high copper and vitamin B12; (3) high animal protein, niacin, and vitamin B6; (4) high fatty acids and vitamin E; (5) high calcium, phosphorous and sodium; (6) low moisture and high available carbohydrate; (7) high cholesterol and vitamin D; and (8) low zinc and high vitamin C. Similar food patterns (FPs) were identified from a PCA on food items, yielding subgroups such as dark-green, leafy vegetables and, orange-coloured fruit and vegetables. One food pattern was associated with high sodium levels and contained bread, processed meat and seafood, canned vegetables, and sauces. The data-driven nutrient and food patterns found in this study were consistent with and support the South African food-based dietary guidelines and the national salt regulations.

The Effect and Mechanism of Cholesterol and Vitamin B12 on Multi-Domain Cognitive Function: A Prospective Study on Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Background: Nutrients are associated with cognitive function, but limited research studies have systematically evaluated on multi-domain cognitive function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of specific nutrient on multi-domain cognitive function, and provide nutrition guidance for improving cognitive function.Methods: Participants were selected based on a multicenter prospective study on middle-aged and older adults in China. Global cognitive function was evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Nutrients intake was assessed according to food frequency questionnaire and China Food Composition Database, and principal component analysis was performed to extract nutrient patterns. Associations between specific nutrients and cognitive function were assessed using log-binomial regression. Restricted cubic spline was used to illustrate the dose-response relationship of nutrients with multi-domain cognitive function. Mediation analysis was used to determine the mechanism of nutrients in cognitive function.Results: Four nutrient patterns were identified (vitamin-mineral, protein-carbohydrate, fatty acid-vitamin E, and cholesterol-vitamin B12), and only a nutrient pattern rich in cholesterol and vitamin B12 was found associated with cognitive function (RR = 0.891, 95%CI = 0.794–0.999). In multi-domain cognitive function, dietary cholesterol and vitamin B12 were related to better performance of visual memory function (P = 0.034, P = 0.02). In dose-response relationship, it suggested a U-shaped association between vitamin B12 and MMSE (P = 0.02) within a certain range.Conclusions: Dietary intake rich in cholesterol and vitamin B12 was associated with better cognitive function, and vitamin B12 had a U-shaped dose-response relation with MMSE. Thus, ensuring moderate cholesterol and vitamin B12intake may be an advisable strategy to improve cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults.Clinical Trial Registration: EMCOA, ChiCTR-OOC-17011882, Registered 5th, July 2017-Retrospectively registered, http://www.medresman.org/uc/project/projectedit.aspx?proj=2610

Carotenoid-Rich Brain Nutrient Pattern Is Positively Correlated With Higher Cognition and Lower Depression in the Oldest Old With No Dementia

Background: Healthy dietary patterns are related to better cognitive health in aging populations. While levels of individual nutrients in neural tissues are individually associated with cognitive function, the investigation of nutrient patterns in human brain tissue has not been conducted.Methods: Brain tissues were acquired from frontal and temporal cortices of 47 centenarians from the Georgia Centenarian Study. Fat-soluble nutrients (carotenoids, vitamins A, E, K, and fatty acids [FA]) were measured and averaged from the two brain regions. Nutrient patterns were constructed using principal component analysis. Cognitive composite scores were constructed from cognitive assessment from the time point closest to death. Dementia status was rated by Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). Pearson's correlation coefficients between NP scores and cognitive composite scores were calculated controlling for sex, education, hypertension, diabetes, and APOE ε4 allele.Result: Among non-demented subjects (GDS = 1–3, n = 23), a nutrient pattern higher in carotenoids was consistently associated with better performance on global cognition (r = 0.38, p = 0.070), memory (r = 0.38, p = 0.073), language (r = 0.42, p = 0.046), and lower depression (r = −0.40, p = 0.090). The findings were confirmed with univariate analysis.Conclusion: Both multivariate and univariate analyses demonstrate that brain nutrient pattern explained mainly by carotenoid concentrations is correlated with cognitive function among subjects who had no dementia. Investigation of their synergistic roles on the prevention of age-related cognitive impairment remains to be performed.

Establishment of leaf nutrient patterns for the nutritional diagnosis of Urochloa brizantha pastures in two seasons

To diagnose and monitor the nutritional status of commercial crops, reference standards must be established based on chemical analyses of soils and leaf tissues. Therefore, the objective of this study was to establish sufficiency ranges, DRIS standards and leaf nutritional diagnoses for palisade grass pastures in the rainy and dry seasons. Of a total of 105 sampled pastures, the 20 highest-yielding areas were used to establish reference standards. In the other, low-productivity pastures, the nutritional status was diagnosed in both the rainy and dry seasons for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), boron (B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn). A productivity of 15 tons ha-1 year-1 was determined as the threshold to separate high-yielding (> 15 tons ha-1 year-1) pastures from low-productivity pastures (< 15 tons ha-1 year-1). Sufficiency ranges and foliar DRIS standards were established for palisade grass pastures in the rainy and dry seasons, which resulted in the recommendation of region- and season-specific sufficiency ranges and DRIS leaf standards. In the rainy season, in more than 50% of the evaluated pastures, nutritional deficiencies in all nutrients except K, B and Zn were observed, while in the dry season, only N, P, Cu, and Mn were deficient.

A Priori and a Posteriori Dietary Patterns among Pregnant Women in Johannesburg, South Africa: The NuPED Study

Dietary pattern analyses allow assessment of the diet as a whole. Limited studies include both a priori and a posteriori dietary pattern analyses. This study aimed to explore the diet of pregnant women in urban South Africa through both a priori and a posteriori dietary pattern analyses and associated maternal and household factors. Dietary data were collected during early pregnancy using a quantified food frequency questionnaire from 250 pregnant women enrolled in the Nutrition During Pregnancy and Early Development (NuPED) cohort. A priori dietary patterns were determined using the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I), and a posteriori nutrient patterns using exploratory factor analysis. Based on the DQI-I, the study population followed a borderline low-quality diet. Three a posteriori nutrient patterns were identified: Pattern 1 “plant protein, iron, thiamine, and folic acid”; pattern 2 “animal protein, copper, vitamin A, and vitamin B12”; pattern 3 “fatty acids and sodium”. Pattern 1 was associated with higher dietary quality (p < 0.001), lower maternal educational level (p = 0.03) and socioeconomic status (p < 0.001). Pattern 3 was significantly associated with lower dietary quality. The low dietary quality among pregnant women residing in urban South Africa should be addressed to ensure optimal maternal and offspring health outcomes.