Consensus dietary guidelines for healthy living and prevention of obesity, the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and related disorders in Asian Indians.

India is undergoing rapid nutritional transition, resulting in excess consumption of calories, saturated fats, trans fatty acids, simple sugars, salt and low intake of fiber. Such dietary transition and a sedentary lifestyle have led to an increase in obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM], cardiovascular disease [CVD], etc.) predominantly in urban, but also in rural areas.

Impact of quality of dietary fat on serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease: focus on plant sterols and other non-glyceride components.

Elevated serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is a strong risk factor for coronary heart disease; dietary as well as therapeutic regimens target reduction of serum LDL cholesterol to decrease the morbidity and mortality of coronary heart disease. The fatty acid composition of dietary fat has a marked impact on serum LDL cholesterol and other risk factors of diet-related chronic diseases (metabolic syndrome, diabetes and coronary heart disease). Besides fatty acids, which constitute > 95% of their content, fats in foods contain other fat-soluble chemicals collectively called non-glyceride components.

Effect of integration of supplemental nutrition with public health programmes in pregnancy and early childhood on cardiovascular risk in rural Indian adolescents: long term follow-up of Hyderabad nutrition trial.

Objective: To determine whether integration of nutritional supplementation with other public health programmes in early life reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in undernourished populations.

Design: Approximately 15 years' follow-up of participants born within an earlier controlled, community trial of nutritional supplementation integrated with other public health programmes.

Setting: 29 villages (15 intervention, 14 control) near Hyderabad city, south India.

Role of trans fatty acids in health and challenges to their reduction in Indian foods.

Evidence indicates that dietary trans fatty acids (TFA) obtained from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO) increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Studies have implicated TFA in increasing the risk and incidence of diabetes. Furthermore, TFA may compromise fetal and early infant growth and development.

Dietary (n-3) long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent sucrose-induced insulin resistance in rats.

This study was designed to determine the effect of substituting (n-3) long-chain PUFAs (LCPUFAs) for linoleic acid and hence decreasing the (n-6):(n-3) fatty acid ratio on sucrose-induced insulin resistance in rats. Weanling male Wistar rats were fed casein-based diets containing 100 g/kg fat for 12 wk. Insulin resistance was induced by replacing starch (ST) with sucrose (SU).

Differential effects of dietary saturated and trans-fatty acids on expression of genes associated with insulin sensitivity in rat adipose tissue.

Objective: Trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are formed during partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils and are shown to be more atherogenic than saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Our previous study showed that dietary TFAs decrease adipose tissue insulin sensitivity to a greater extent than SFAs in rats. We hypothesized that the effects of these fatty acids on insulin sensitivity could be mediated through an alteration in gene expression.

Substituting dietary linoleic acid with alpha-linolenic acid improves insulin sensitivity in sucrose fed rats.

This study describes the effect of substituting dietary linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) with alpha-linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) on sucrose-induced insulin resistance (IR). Wistar NIN male weanling rats were fed casein based diet containing 22 energy percent (en%) fat with approximately 6, 9 and 7 en% saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) respectively for 3 months. IR was induced by replacing starch (ST) with sucrose (SU).

Dietary trans-fatty acids alter adipocyte plasma membrane fatty acid composition and insulin sensitivity in rats.

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary trans-fatty acids (TFA) present in Indian vanaspati (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils) in comparison with saturated fatty acids (SFA) on adipocyte plasma membrane fatty acid composition, fluidity, and insulin action. The effects of 3% energy (% en) TFA was studied at 2% and 4% en of linoleic acid (18:2 n-6). WNIN male weanling rats were divided into 4 groups and fed casein-based diet containing 10% groundnut oil control (CON), palmolein (SFA), blend of vanaspati and safflower oil (3% en TFA and 2% en 18:2 n-6, TFA-1), or blend of vanaspati and safflower oil (3% en TFA and 4% en 18:2 n-6, TFA-2) for 12 weeks.

Sesame lignans enhance antioxidant activity of vitamin E in lipid peroxidation systems.

The antioxidant properties of sesame lignans (sesamol, sesamin and sesamolin) were evaluated in comparison to tocols (alpha- and gamma-tocopherols and alpha-tocotrienol) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) using the following in vitro lipid peroxidation systems: (i) rat liver microsomes and cumene hydroperoxide (CumOOH)/Fe2+-ADP-NADPH (enzymatic) or (ii) rat liver mitochondria and Fe2+-ascorbate (nonenzymatic) systems. Sesamol containing a free phenolic group inhibited lipid peroxidation in both the systems whereas sesamin and sesamolin having methylenedioxy groups were effective only in the microsomal system. Since detoxifying enzymes are localized in microsomes, the inhibitory effects of sesamin and sesamolin observed in the microsomal system may be attributed to their metabolites.

Dietary sesame oils inhibits iron-induced oxidative stress in rats [corrected].

The high stability of sesame oil against oxidative deterioration is attributed to lignans in its non-glycerol fraction. The present study evaluates the effects of feeding sesame lignans (sesamin and sesamolin) on Fe2+-induced oxidative stress in rats. Three groups, each of sixteen male weanling WNIN rats, were fed diets containing 200 g casein/kg and l00 g oil/kg (group 1, groundnut oil; group 2, sesame oil; group 3,sesame oil + sesamin (0.

Effects of dietary alpha-linolenic acid from blended oils on biochemical indices of coronary heart disease in Indians.

PUFA of the n-6 and n-3 series have beneficial effects on key risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD). Our earlier studies on the intake of FA and on the FA composition of plasma and platelet phospholipids suggested the need to improve the n-3 PUFA nutritional status in the Indian population. The present long-term study was conducted on 80 middle-aged Indian subjects (40 men and 40 women) using the subjects' own home-prepared diets to evaluate the effects of dietary n-3 PUFA on biochemical indices of CHD risk.

Influence of dietary partially hydrogenated fat high in trans fatty acids on lipid composition and function of intestinal brush border membrane in rats.

The effect of dietary hydrogenated fat (Indian vanaspati) high in trans fatty acids (6 en%) on lipid composition, fluidity and function of rat intestinal brush border membrane was studied at 2 and 8 en% of linoleic acid. Three groups of weanling rats were fed rice-pulse based diet containing 10% fat over a ten week period: Group I (groundnut oil), Group II (vanaspati), Group III (vanaspati + safflower oil). The functionality of the brush border membrane was assessed by the activity of membrane bound enzymes and transport of D-glucose and L-leucine.

Synthesis and estimation of calorific value of a structured lipid-potential reduced calorie fat.

The majority of reduced calorie fats and fat substitutes available today, though similar in texture and flavor to natural fats, contain fatty acids that are not usually present in edible oils and fats and thus do not fully match the chemistry and functions of natural fats. For example, such products do not provide nutritionally important essential fatty acids (EFA). In this investigation, we prepared and evaluated a reduced calorie fat, prepared entirely from natural fats, taking advantage of the fact that long-chain saturated fatty acids (LCSFA), such as behenic acid (22:0), are poorly absorbed.

Requirements of dietary fats to meet nutritional needs & prevent the risk of atherosclerosis--an Indian perspective.

To arrive at the fat requirements for Indians, invisible fat and fatty acid compositions were determined in commonly consumed foods. Taking into account the WHO guidelines and the invisible fat intake of Indians, the visible fat requirements according to age, physical activity and physiological status were calculated. The data from both dietary and plasma fatty acids showed that while the requirements of linoleic acid (18:2 n-6, LA) were fully met due to their high levels in cereals and many vegetable oils, alpha-linolenic acid (18:3, n-3 ALNA) intakes were low.

Fats in Indian diets and their nutritional and health implications.

To arrive at rat requirements for Indians, the contribution of invisible fat should be determined. Total lipids were extracted from common Indian foods, and their fatty acid compositions were determined. This data and information on intake of various foods were used to estimate the contents of "invisible" fat and fatty acids in Indian diets.

Palmolein and groundnut oil have comparable effects on blood lipids and platelet aggregation in healthy Indian subjects.

Substitution of palmolein (POL) for groundnut oil (GNO) doubles saturated fatty acids and decreases by half the linoleic acid (18:2n-6) content of Indian diets. The effects of this substitution on selected parameters of cardiovascular risk and membrane functions were studied in middle-aged subjects. Both metabolic (short-term) and "in-home" (long-term) studies were conducted, and the subjects were crossed over from GNO to POL or vice versa.

Nutrition & health implications of palm oil in Indian diets.

To boost the edible oil production and attain self-sufficiency, one of the long-term strategies undertaken by the Indian government is promotion of palm oil production through oil palm cultivation. Compared to other traditional oils (except coconut oil) used in India, palm oil and palmolein have high saturated fatty acids and low linoleic acid levels. Studies conducted to evaluate the nutritional and health implications of substituting other oils with palmolein show that despite having low linoleic acid, the use of palm oil may not adversely affect the linoleic acid status of Indian population.

Availability of linoleic acid from cereal-pulse diets.

Cereals and pulses alone provide nearly two-thirds of the daily linoleic acid requirement in habitual Indian diets. Two-thirds of the lipids present in cereals is in bound form. To investigate to what extent the essential fatty acids (EFA) present in cereals and pulses are biologically available, weanling rats were fed rice-pulse based diets either without supplementation or supplemented with one of three vegetable oils--coconut, palmolein or groundnut oil.

Fat and fatty acid contents of cereals and pulses and their relevance to Indian diets.

Invisible fat and fatty acid content of cereals and pulses were analysed by newer and more accurate methods. In all cereals (except ragi) and in all pulses (except black gram) linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) was the major fatty acid. On an average pulses contained more alpha-linolenic acid (18:3 n-3) than cereals.

Phrynoderma: is it an EFA deficiency disease?

The clinical response to various therapeutic agents was evaluated in 31 patients with phrynoderma. A complete clinical response with vitamin B-complex was noted in an average period of 5.7 weeks.

Essential fatty acid nutritional status of apparently normal Indian men.

A study was undertaken to assess the essential fatty acid (EFA) nutritional status of apparently normal Indian men belonging to different socioeconomic groups with varied intakes of energy and fat. The mean levels of linoleic acid were low in subjects of low socioeconomic groups and this could be attributed to the low intake of dietary fat and therefore of linoleic acid. The mean levels of eicosatrienoic acid (20:3 omega 9), arachidonic acid (20:4 omega 6) and their ratios, 20:3 omega 9/20:4 omega 6 were, however, not altered.

Undernutrition and fertility of male rats.

Food intake in rats was restricted so that the energy intake was 80 and 60% that of animals fed ad libitum. Although body weight gain was depressed, none of the other measurements taken (epididymal sperm count, fructolytic activity of spermatozoa, relative weights of the reproductive organs, concentration of fructose in coagulating glands and fertility in relation to females impregnated, conceiving and litter size) was affected.