The estrogen-synthesizing enzyme aromatase is expressed in adipose tissue where it controls the local concentration of estrogen. It has been suggested that the organic solvents ethanol and ethylene glycol can induce estrogen synthesis by inhibiting PPARγ activity. Since elevated estrogen synthesis in adipose tissue is a risk factor for breast cancer development, it is of interest to further characterize the mechanisms regulating aromatase expression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood literacy is theorized to be associated with healthy dietary intake. However, empirical knowledge on the association between adolescents' food literacy and dietary intake is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between food literacy and dietary intake among Danish schoolchildren aged 11-13 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDue to mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency in Denmark, health authorities initiated a voluntary iodine fortification (IF) program in 1998, which became mandatory in 2000. In line with recommendations from the World Health Organization, the Danish investigation on iodine intake and thyroid disease (DanThyr) was established to monitor the effect on thyroid health and disease. The program involved different study designs and followed two Danish sub-populations in the years before IF and up till 20 years after.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Despite international efforts, the number of individuals struggling with obesity is still increasing. An important aspect of obesity prevention relates to identifying individuals at risk at early stage, allowing for timely risk stratification and initiation of countermeasures. However, obesity is complex and multifactorial by nature, and one isolated (bio)marker is unlikely to enable an optimal risk stratification and prognosis for the individual; rather, a combined set is required.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Iodine fortification (IF) induces an initial increase followed by a decrease in the incidence of hyperthyroidism in the general population. Within the population of hyperthyroid patients, the sex-, age- and subtype distribution changes after IF. The risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in hyperthyroid patients may be influenced by these factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAromatase is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of estrogens and a key risk factor for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. In postmenopausal women, estrogens synthesized in adipose tissue promotes the growth of estrogen receptor positive breast cancers. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in adipose stromal cells (ASCs) leads to decreased expression of aromatase and differentiation of ASCs into adipocytes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisruption of signalling mediated by the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is associated with risk of cancer, metabolic diseases, and endocrine disruption. The purpose of this study was to identify environmental chemicals acting as PPARγ antagonists. Data from the Tox21 PPARγ antagonism assay were replicated using a reporter system in HEK293 cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConsumption of linseeds has been suggested to have beneficial effects on human health. However, toxic constituents of linseed may compromise these benefits. We conducted a quantitative risk-benefit assessment to evaluate the overall health impact of increasing linseed intake up to 45 g/day in the Danish population (15-74 years).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the school-based educational intervention "FOODcamp" on dietary habits among 6th-7th graders (aged 11-13 years), focusing on the food groups: fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, discretionary food, and sugar-sweetened beverages. In this cluster-based quasi-experimental controlled intervention study, 16 intervention classes (322 children) and 16 control classes (267 children) from nine schools were recruited during the school year 2019-2020. The children were asked to record their food intake for four consecutive days (Wednesday to Saturday) before (baseline) and after (follow-up) attending FOODcamp, using a validated self-administered web-based dietary record.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Trace Elem Med Biol
September 2023
Background: To protect from toxicity at supra-essential doses of selenium, it is important to determine dose levels at which adverse effects occur.
Methods: We identified relevant literature on the repeated dosage of selenium and extracted dose descriptors on reported endpoints, except on genotoxicity/carcinogenicity.
Results: Selenium forms with toxicological data were organic ones: selenomethionine, selenocystine/selenocysteine; and inorganic ones, including selenite (SeO), selenate (SeO), selenium sulphide (SeS), selenide (Se) and selenium nanoparticles.
The dietary vitamin D intake of the Danish population is low, and food fortification is a strategy to increase intake. This paper explores the possibility of vitamin D fortification on the current population food intake in Denmark, such that the population receives adequate amounts of vitamin D without having to change current dietary patterns. A mixed-integer programming approach is used to arrive at a solution for the optimal fortification required at each food group level so that the majority of the population receive the minimum intake of average requirement (AR) and do not exceed the tolerable upper intake level (UL).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSixty-three men (15-35 years of age) regularly training in Danish gyms and supplement users were interviewed about the use of supplemental protein and food supplements, intake of caffeine- and (-)-epigallocathechin-3-gallate (EGCG)-containing supplements and beverages and any experienced adverse effects. Protein powder (60%), fish oil (54%) and multivitamin/mineral supplements (41%) were the most popular products. The daily supplementary protein intake (mean 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood fortification is a strategy to increase low vitamin D intake. In order to avoid the intake of a population exceeding the upper tolerable intake level, the right choice of food groups to fortify is of crucial importance. An automated fortification tool was developed based on dietary intake data from the Danish National Survey of Dietary Habits and Physical Activity 2011-2013 (DANSDA), taking into account the energy contribution of the fortified food.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIodine deficiency is one of the most common nutritional disorders worldwide. In Denmark, the mandatory iodine fortification of salt of 13 ppm was introduced in 2000 to eradicate mild to moderate iodine deficiency and the fortification level was increased to 20 ppm in 2019. However, the optimal iodine intake is a narrow interval, and the risk of disease increases with intakes both below and above this interval.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: We assessed the effect of the current iodine fortification level (20 µg/g household salt and salt included in bread and bakery products) on inadequate and excessive intake in the general Danish population. Intake models with/without the contribution from food supplements and effects of excluding specific food groups were evaluated.
Method: Data from the Danish National Survey of Dietary Habits and Physical Activity in 2011-13 (N = 3946, aged 4-75 years) stratified by age-group and sex were used to estimate habitual dietary iodine intakes, and compared with established dietary reference values.
Seaweed has a high potential for nourishing the future planet. However, besides being beneficial, it also contains adverse components; this poses the question whether consumption of seaweed foods overall contributes beneficially or detrimentally to human health, and hence if their consumption should be promoted or restricted. This study evaluated the impact of substituting regular foods with seaweed foods in the diet, both in terms of nutritional quality ( iodine and sodium) and food safety ( arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood literacy (FL) refers to an individual's prerequisites for their engagement with food. Schoolchildren's FL has been defined in terms of five competencies: "to know"(e.g food-related knowledge), "to do" (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne of the challenges in quantitative risk-benefit assessment (RBA) of foods is the choice of approach for health effect characterization to estimate the health impact of dietary changes. The purpose of health effect characterization is to describe an association between intake of a food or food component and a health effect in terms of a dose-response relationship. We assessed the impact of the choice of approach for health effect characterization in RBA in two case studies based on substitution of (i) white rice by brown rice and (ii) unprocessed red meat by vegetables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Trace Elem Med Biol
September 2021
Background: Selenium is a trace element traditionally ingested either in its organic form via food or in its inorganic form through nutritional supplements, while selenium formulated as nanoparticles is a putative long-acting alternative. To understand the physiology and toxicology of the different selenium formulations, it is important to determine how their selenium content is absorbed, distributed, metabolised and excreted; therefore, we reviewed their biokinetics following oral exposure.
Methods: We retrieved and reviewed the literature on the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of oral exposure to different forms of selenium.
Accurately segmenting foods from optical images is a challenging task, yet becoming possible with the help of recent advances in Deep Learning based solutions. Automated identification of food items opens up possibilities of useful applications like nutrition intake monitoring. Given large variations in food choices, Deep Learning based solutions still struggle to generate human level accuracy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Trace Elem Med Biol
March 2020
Background: Although selenium is an essential element for humans, acute toxicity has been reported after high oral exposure.
Methods: The published literature on the acute toxicity of oral selenium was gathered and reviewed.
Results: Reported symptoms and signs include abdominal symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, pain, and nausea, as well as garlic-like odor on the breath.
Recent findings show that cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles may undergo in vivo-induced size transformation with the formation of smaller particles that could result in a higher translocation following pulmonary exposure compared to virtually insoluble particles, like titanium dioxide (TiO2). Therefore, we compared liver deposition of CeO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles of similar primary sizes 1, 28 or 180 days after intratracheal instillation of 162 μg of NPs in female C57BL/6 mice. Mice exposed to 162 μg CeO2 or TiO2 nanoparticles by intravenous injection or oral gavage were included as reference groups to assess the amount of NPs that reach the liver bypassing the lungs and the translocation of NPs from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver, respectively.
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