It was founded in 1978 by Alex Malaspina, a former Coca-Cola executive (who was affiliated with ILSI until 2001), and it is partially financed by its 300+ members, which includes food and chemical corporations like BASF, McDonald’s, Syngenta and Pepsi. In 2020, the organization's revenue was $10.1 million.
Sarcopenia, defined as age-related muscle loss, has significant implications on the physical performance and health of older adults. An adequate dietary protein intake plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle mass and function. In Japan, the “Take 10!” assessment method, focusing on 10 food groups with an emphasis on 5 protein-rich foods, has been used for older adults. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the protein-rich food intake frequency score (PFFS) and muscle mass, strength, muscle-specific strength, and physical performance in older Japanese women. This study included 309 Japanese women aged 65–92 years. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass and skeletal muscle index were assessed. Hand grip strength and knee extension strength were measured, and muscle-specific strength was calculated. Chair stand test, shuttle stamina walk test, 10-m walk test, and timed up-and-go test were conducted. The Take 10 food frequency score (Take10-FFS) and PFFS were obtained. A one-way analysis of covariance was conducted, adjusted for age, percent body fat, exercise habits, smoking habits, alcohol habits, preexisting conditions, polypharmacy, fall incidence within 1 year, subjective economic status, and years of education. Higher Take 10-FFS and PFFS were associated with better muscle mass, strength, and physical performance (P < 0.05), emphasizing the importance of protein intake in preventing sarcopenia. However, no direct association was found between PFFS and muscle-specific strength (P > 0.05). This underscores the complexity of the factors influencing muscle-specific strength.
Dietary bioactives, which are commonly found in food, beverages, and dietary supplements, include nonessential food components that can support health beyond preventing nutrient deficiencies. Despite their known health benefits and potential for adverse effects, there is limited guidance on appropriate intake levels, safety, and efficacy of these ingredients, particularly those present in dietary supplements. This lack of guidance can be challenging for individuals attempting to make informed decisions about products marketed for health benefits. A previously published perspective proposed a 4-step framework for developing quantitative intake recommendations for bioactive constituents in food. This framework addressed bioactive characterization, safety evaluation, efficacy assessment, and how to develop intake levels from foods. However, it did not account for the unique considerations of bioactives consumed in dietary supplement form. The current paper builds on the original framework by addressing the specific factors that must be considered when developing intake guidance for bioactive constituents found in dietary supplements. These include differences in dose, matrix, purity, bioavailability, and intended use. In doing so, this paper aims to advance the development of evidence-based recommendations for supplements, while also highlighting the fundamental distinctions between bioactive constituents delivered through food and diet compared with those delivered through dietary supplements.
BACKGROUND:Calcium intake shortfalls are common worldwide, yet calcium adequacy is typically estimated from total calcium content without accounting for differences in bioavailability. As a result, the amount of calcium available for absorption across the global food supply remains unclear. OBJECTIVES:The objective of this study was to apply the Weaver et al. calcium bioavailability algorithm, which incorporates calcium load, phytate, and oxalate, to estimate bioavailable calcium in the global food supply, compare total and bioavailable calcium against recommended intakes, and identify regional differences in calcium adequacy. METHODS:Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization Food Balance Sheets were integrated with nutrient composition data from FoodData Central to estimate total and bioavailable calcium availability by country and region. Food Balance Sheets provide standardized national-level estimates of per capita food availability for human consumption; therefore, results reflect food supply availability rather than actual intake and do not account for dietary needs across life stages. Calcium, phytate, and oxalate values were mapped to food composition databases, adjusted for serving size, and used to calculate bioavailable calcium for individual foods. Country-level estimates were generated by summing daily per capita bioavailable calcium across foods. RESULTS:The Weaver et al. calcium bioavailability algorithm was successfully applied to global food supply data, yielding an estimated mean calcium bioavailability of 30.7%, consistent with the general estimate that ∼30% of dietary calcium is absorbed. Predicted bioavailable calcium was lower than total calcium across all food categories, reflecting reduced absorption associated with calcium load and the presence of phytate and oxalate in the food supply. The greatest shortfalls in bioavailable calcium supply were observed in Africa and Southeast Asia, where predicted bioavailability was below recommended intakes for healthy adults. CONCLUSIONS:These findings demonstrate that accounting for bioavailability can improve assessment of calcium adequacy and help identify regions where public health strategies are needed to improve access to bioavailable calcium.
Two groundbreaking technologies transforming the scene of modern industry and government are blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI). Blockchain provides a distributed, unchangeable, safe ledger system for data exchange and transaction recording. AI, in the meantime, gives robots the capacity to examine data, identify trends, learn from mistakes, and make independent decisions. Combining these two technologies produces a symbiotic relationship whereby blockchain guarantees data trust and transparency, and artificial intelligence helps cognitive processing and dynamic automation. Their combined potential is investigated in this work using Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS), Blockchain-as-a-Cloud (BaaC), AI-enhanced smart contracts, and distributed autonomous systems. We evaluate present tools, investigate practical uses, and handle issues including scalability, computational expenses, and regulatory issues. These technologies are great assets to sectors including banking, supply chain, healthcare, and government since their combination shows an accuracy potential of over 90% in important uses.
