Association of lifestyle factors, polymorphisms in adiponectin, perilipin and hormone sensitive lipase, and clinical markers in Japanese males.

According to recent genome-wide association studies, a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms is reported to be associated with diseases or several clinical markers. Among them, adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and perilipin (PLIN) polymorphisms are major factors of obesity. However, the association between lifestyle factor, these polymorphisms and obesity-related clinical markers in Japanese is not well researched.

A statistical approach for estimating the distribution of usual dietary intake to assess nutritionally at-risk populations based on the new Japanese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs).

The health of individuals is not markedly affected by the nutrients ingested in a single day; rather it is influenced by dietary habits over a long period of time. However, it is impossible to survey usual intake directly because recording diet over a long period of time is burdensome for the subjects, so usual dietary intake is rarely measured directly. Instead, we estimated the distribution of selected nutrients in subjects' usual dietary intake using a statistical method (Best-Power method) described previously.

Relationship between dietary folate intakes, maternal plasma total homocysteine and B-vitamins during pregnancy and fetal growth in Japan.

Background: Adequate folate status in pregnancy is important for satisfactory pregnancy outcome.

Aim Of The Study: The objective of the present study was to evaluate folate status in healthy pregnant women by assessing dietary folate intakes and measuring changes in folate-related biomarkers including plasma tHcy, serum vitamin B(12) (B(12)), and serum and RBC folate concentrations in each trimester and to examine their relation to fetal growth.

Methods: From 94 pregnant women, 3-day-dietary records were obtained and blood was collected for plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), serum B(12), and serum and red-blood cell (RBC) folate measurements.

Folate intakes and folate biomarker profiles of pregnant Japanese women in the first trimester.

Objective: To assess the status of dietary folate intake, serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate, and related nutritional biomarkers in healthy Japanese women in early pregnancy.

Design: A cross-sectional, observational study.

Subjects: Pregnant women in the first trimester, at 7-15 weeks gestation (n=70), who were not consuming any folate supplements or folate fortified foods.