In captivity the diversity of prey items for obligate insectivores is limited and nutritionally inadequate, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Zoological institutions utilize gut-loading, an insect supplementation technique, to compensate for these nutrient shortcomings. This study developed a gut-loading diet (GLD) to enhance the nutritive quality of the domestic house cricket (Acheta domestica) for insectivorous amphibians and reptiles, with the requisite that it also met cricket foraging and palatability needs. Gut-loaded cricket analysis established its effectiveness such that the targeted level of most nutrients required by the end consumers were met after consuming the diet for 24 hrs (Ca:P of 1.127; vitamin A (retinyl acetate) level of 12,607 IU/kg; vitamin E level of 342 IU/kg and a linoleic fatty acid level of 4.62%), peaking at 2 days for some and remained above targeted amounts for at least 4 days. A list of cricket gut-loading optimization husbandry procedures has also been recommended.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. Despite high prevalence of PAD, data regarding the dietary patterns of Canadian individuals with PAD is required. Biomarkers are used as an alternative to dietary assessment methods and are generally used to measure true dietary intake. A total of 30 participants with established PAD were recruited for this study. Dietary intakes were estimated using a 3 day food record (3DFR) and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status was analyzed in plasma, plasma PL and RBC membrane PL. The determined mean dietary macronutrient distribution consisted of 18% protein, 33% fat and 47% carbohydrate with 3DFR and 19% protein, 36% fat and 43% carbohydrate with FFQ. The mean intakes using 3DFR and FFQ, respectively, were: saturated fat = 24.2, 22.8 g; sodium = 4156.6, 2852.3 mg; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) = 90.0, 50.0 mg and DHA = 128.5, 110.0 mg. FFQ showed significant (p<0.05) correlation (r=0.48) with plasma and plasma PL DHA. As compared to national guidelines, the participants consumed a diet that was 61% higher than National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommendations for saturated fat. Also, the participants consumed a diet which was 177% and 246% higher than NCEP and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations for sodium, respectively. Hence, PAD patients should be encouraged to eat a diet that is lower in saturated fat and sodium. None of the participants met the American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations for established cardiovascular disease of 1g of combined EPA and DHA.

Currently no ideal method for the assessment of dietary intake of individuals or groups exists. All diet assessment methods have their limitations; much debate exists as to which method is best. The goal is to design an assessment tool that is comprehensive in that it reflects dietary variety but that is not too burdensome for participants. The FCM integrates an interview tool with a computerized program that quantifies food and nutrients in real time. The present study was undertaken to determine if the FCM is appropriate to use with community living older adults. This exploratory study used a mixed method approach to determine differences in recall between the FCM and three 24 HRs. Quantitative findings show significant differences between the methods in reports of energy, zinc, and calcium intakes and consumption of “other” foods. Qualitative findings show that the abstract thinking required to complete the FCM may be difficult for this population.

Earlier studies of the diet of frogs indicate that most adult frogs are mainly insectivorous. Overall, frogs are viewed more as generalists than specialists in terms of their diet. However, despite earlier studies, there are still gaps in our knowledge regarding what frogs tend to eat and the degree of specialization. The aim of this study was to investigate the diet choice of frogs in a tropical ecosystem. The present study was conducted in a well-known hotspot for frogs with 66 of the 156 known frog species in Borneo found in a protected area comprising of primary rainforest.   Frogs were caught in the field and their stomachs were flushed. The stomach content was retrieved, sorted to prey categories, and the diet analysed. In addition, the frogs were identified to species level. The frogs belonged to five families: Bufonidae, Dicroglossidae, Megophryidae, Microhylidae and Ranidae. My results show that the most common food source was ants, which constituted 63.7 % of the total food for all studied frog families. Termites, beetles and spiders made up 11.7 %, 4.2 % and 2.8 % of the total prey, respectively. The results from the analysis of Shannon’s diversity index supported two diet specialist families, the Bufonidae and Megophridae, which had a significantly lower mean diversity index compared to the generalist Dicroglossidae. To better reveal differences in frog’s diet in this ecosystem, further studies using larger sample size are needed.

No description available.

This thesis explored the paradoxes of CHD and diet in Europe. A correlational study which examined the relationship between mortality from CHD in men below 65 years with national food and cigarette consumption in 19 western European countries showed that cross-sectionally, wine, vegetables and vegetable oils were the most strongly related with CHD death rates during 1985-87 (r = -0.80, -0.65 and -0.62 respectively). When the data on foods were converted to nutrients, the antioxidant α-tocopherol was the most strongly related to CHD across western Europe (r = -0.78). The major determinant of α-tocopherol supply was usually sunflowerseed oil. The cross sectional finding on α-tocopherol is important because it explains more than 60% of the variability of heart disease in western Europe and also the French and other European paradoxes of CHD. Longitudinal correlations of CHD deaths and α-tocopherol supplies during 1970 to 1987 within most of the countries studied supported the cross-sectional negative relationship. The rest of this thesis focused on the development and validation of two vitamin E indices which could be useful markers of vitamin E status. The first assay investigated whether binding of α-tocopherol to RBC reflected the longer-term intake of vitamin E and possibly also of vitamin E status if bone marrow metabolism reflects the body's demands for free radical scavenging and catabolism of α-tocopherol. The second marker of vitamin E status was the α-tocopherol concentration of the RBC. α-Tocopherol measurements predicted normal individual vitamin E intakes, assessed by a food frequency questionnaire, with good degree of accuracy (r = 0.9, p<0.05). This assay was also sensitive to an increase in intake of 30 mg α-tocopherol daily for 18 weeks, demonstrated by the significantly higher concentration of α-tocopherol in the RBC of the supplemented subjects compared with the controls.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a 6-week ketogenic diet on maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), high-intensity Wingate sprints, and work output during a 45-minute cycling bout. Twenty subjects were placed into either an intervention group (N=12) or a control group (N=8). Subjects in the dietary intervention group ingested a diet consisting of 61± 4% fat, 8± 3% carbohydrate, and 30± 5% protein while subjects in the control group were instructed to continue following their normal moderate carbohydrate diet. All subjects were instructed to maintain their current training status. On the first day subjects performed a VO2max test on an electronically braked cycle ergometer. On the second day subjects performed two 30-second Wingate sprints followed by a 30-minute rest. Following this subjects performed a 45-minute timed ride on a cycle ergometer set on isokinetic mode. Absolute VO2max decreased significantly (P<_ 0.05) in the ketogenic group while relative VO2max was unchanged. Rate of perceived exertion increased significantly at 9 and 11 minutes during the VO2max test. Absolute peak and mean power output during the first Wingate sprint was significantly less after the ketogenic diet compared with week 0. When analyzed relative to body weight, however, only peak power output was significantly decreased. Power output during the second sprint remained unchanged. Fat oxidation increased but work output decreased during the 45-minute cycling bout in the ketogenic group. The results of the present study suggest that a 6-week ketogenic diet results in metabolic adaptations that increase fat oxidation. However, the overall decreased performance during a VO2max test, 30-second Wingate sprints, and a 45-minute endurance test indicate that some aspect of the diet has an adverse effect on exercise performance. / School of Physical Education

As role models and experts in nutrition, registered dietitians have the responsibility of educating the public about appropriate nutrition practices. The purpose of this study was to compare physical characteristics and dietary intake of entry-level dietitians(ELD) and non-entry level dietitians (HELD) in Indiana through a mailed personal history questionnaire and food frequency questionnaire. Most of the dietitians reported a weight that was normal or overweight when compared to their ideal body weight. Very few were underweight, yet an average of 36.2 % of all the dietitians were overweight. Statistically, the findings of this study indicated that there was no significant difference in compliance with the established standards of the Food Guide Pyramid between the ELD and HELD in any of the food groups. Secondly, there was not a significant difference in overall compliance between the two groups of dietitians. These results could indicate that registered dietitians are not forgetting the importance of proper nutrition and are continuing to model positive dietary behaviors as they continue in the profession. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences