Exposure to food promotion influences food preferences and diet. As food advertisements tend to promote ‘less healthy’ products, food advertising probably plays some role in the ‘obesity epidemic’. Amid calls for increased regulation, food manufacturers are beginning to engage in a variety of health-promoting marketing initiatives. Positioning products in the context of a ‘healthy’, balanced diet in television advertisements is one such initiative. We explored whether the wider food context in which foods are advertised on television are ‘healthier’ than the advertised foods themselves. All foods shown in food advertisements broadcast during 1 week on one commercial UK channel were identified and classified as ‘primary’ (i.e. the focus of advertisements) or ‘incidental’. The nutritional content of all foods was determined and that of primary and incidental foods were compared. Almost two-thirds of food advertisements did not include any incidental foods. When a wider food context was present, this tended to be ‘healthier’ than the primary foods that were the focus of food advertisements – particularly in terms of the food groups represented. It is not yet clear what effect this may have on consumers' perceptions and behaviour, and whether or not this practice should be encouraged or discouraged from a public health perspective.

We evaluated the absorption and metabolism of palatinose in rats by the carbohydrate load test and the 13C- and H2-breath tests. We compared the results of these tests with those of sucrose, since sucrose is an isomer of palatinose and generally known to be degraded and absorbed from the small intestine. In the carbohydrate load test, blood glucose and plasma insulin levels after oral administration of palatinose rose more gradually and reached a maximum that was lower than that after sucrose administration. In the 13C-breath test, rats were orally administrated [1-13C]sucrose or [1-13C]palatinose and housed in a chamber. The expired air in the chamber was collected, and the level of 13CO2 in the expired air was measured at appropriate intervals for 360 min. The value of time taken to reach the maximum concentration for expired 13CO2 from [1-13Cglucose] ([1-13Cglc]) and [1-13Cfructose] ([1-13Cfru]) palatinose was significantly longer than that from [1-13Cglc] and [1-13Cfru]sucrose, respectively. The value of area under the curve (AUC) for [1-13Cglc]palatinose was larger than that for [1-13Cglc]sucrose, but AUC for [1-13Cfru] showed no difference between palatinose and sucrose. In the H2-breath test, the concentration of H2 in the expired air was measured for 420 min. H2 was hardly detected with both palatinose and sucrose and no significant difference was observed between the two groups. These results suggest that palatinose is utilised in vivo at a rate equal to that of sucrose.

That ‘all foods can fit’ into a healthy diet is a long-standing principle of dietetic practice. The present study quantified the relative contributions of foods to encourage and foods to limit, using new techniques of individual diet optimisation and nutrient profiling. Individual foods from every food group were assigned to four nutrient profile classes based on the French SAIN,LIM system. Foods with the most favourable nutrient profiles were in class 1, and foods with the least favourable nutrient profiles were in class 4. An optimised diet that met the recommendations for thirty-two nutrients and that respected the existing eating habits was designed for each adult in the nationally representative ‘Enquête Individuelle et Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires 1’ dietary survey (n 1171). The relative proportions of the four nutrient profiling classes were assessed before and after the optimisation process. The contribution of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk and fish was significantly increased, whereas the contribution of refined grains, meats, mixed dishes, sugars and fats was decreased. The optimised diets derived more energy (30 v. 21 % in the observed diets) from class 1 foods and less energy (41 v. 56 %) from class 4 foods. They also derived a higher amount of class 1 foods (61 v. 51 %) and a lower amount of class 4 foods (22 v. 32 %). Thus, nutrient adequacy was compatible with the consumption of foods with an unfavourable nutrient profile (one-fifth the basket weight), provided that the diet also contained almost two-thirds of foods with the most favourable profile. Translating these results into concrete and quantified advice may have very tangible public health implications.

Due to their ubiquitous distribution, flavonoids from different classes are commonly present together in foods. However, little is known about the interactions between them. The flavonol quercetin and the flavan-3-ol (+)-catechin are among the most abundant flavonoids in the diet. In the present study, we have analysed the interactions between these two flavonoids on vascular function using two pure compounds and mixtures of these flavonoids in 1:0·1, 1:1 or 1:10 proportions. Quercetin induced a more potent concentration-dependent relaxant effect than catechin in the isolated rat aorta, and the isobolographic analysis of the mixtures showed no synergistic or antagonistic effects between them, i.e. their effects were additive. Quercetin was more potent in mesenteric than in pulmonary arteries. Catechin had weak effects in these vessels and did not modify the effects of quercetin. Endothelial dysfunction induced by increased oxidative stress by the superoxide dismutase inhibitor diethyldithiocarbamate was prevented by quercetin, whereas catechin showed a weak effect and the 1:1 mixture an intermediate effect compared with the pure compounds. Quercetin but not catechin showed a pro-oxidant and NO-scavenging effect, which was not prevented by catechin. In conclusion, catechin was less potent than quercetin as a vasodilator, pro-oxidant or to prevent endothelial dysfunction, and there were no synergistic interactions between quercetin and catechin.

The aim of the present study was to establish the optimum inclusion level of laminarin derived from Laminaria digitata on selected microbial populations, intestinal fermentation, cytokine and mucin gene expression in the porcine ileum and colon. A total of twenty-one pigs (mean body weight 17·9 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: T1 – basal (control) diet, T2 and T3 – basal diets supplemented with laminarin included at 300 and 600 parts per million (ppm), respectively. Selected intestinal bacterial populations and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations were measured in the ileum and colon. Relative gene expression levels for specific cytokine and mucin genes were investigated in ileal and colonic tissue in the absence and presence of a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. There was an up-regulation of MUC2 gene expression at the 300 ppm inclusion level in the ileum. In the colon, there was a significant reduction in the enterobacteriaceae population at the 300 ppm inclusion level (P = 0·0421). Dietary supplementation of 600 ppm laminarin led to a significant increase in MUC2 (P = 0·0365) and MUC4 (P = 0·0401) expression in the colon, and in the total VFA concentration in the caecum (P = 0·0489). A significant increase was also recorded in IL-6 (P = 0·0289) and IL-8 gene expression (P = 0·0245) in LPS-challenged colonic tissue at both laminarin inclusion levels. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 300 ppm laminarin appears to be the optimum dose in the present study due to the reduction in the enterobacteriaceae populations and enhanced IL-6 and IL-8 cytokine expression in response to an ex vivo LPS challenge.

The effect of raw cabbage and sauerkraut juices on the expression and activity of phase II enzymes, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), in the rat liver and kidney was compared with that of two commercially available products of glucosinolate degradation: indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). Male Wistar rats were treated by oral administration with cabbage juices, I3C or PEITC for 4, 10 and 30 d. The results showed that juices, particularly sauerkraut juice as with I3C and PEITC, significantly increased GST and NQO1 activities in the rat liver. The only exception was the 30 d time point of feeding with raw cabbage juice. Cabbage juices, I3C and PEITC affected the hepatic GST μ to the greatest extent and GST α to a lesser extent. The results of the present study also showed that the treatment of rats with juices and compounds tested caused the translocation of the NF-E2-related transcription factor (Nrf2) active subunit from the cytosol to the nucleus, providing an argument for the involvement of this transcription factor in the induction of GST and NQO1. In contrast to the liver, cabbage juices affected only the renal GST θ, while treatment with I3C and PEITC significantly increased the activity of NQO1. Thus, the results of the present study indicate that induction of the key detoxifying enzymes by cabbage juices, particularly sauerkraut, may be responsible for their chemopreventive activity demonstrated by epidemiological studies and in animal models. However, the final effects might be organ or tissue dependent.

Lower conventional complete dentures were converted to overdentures retained by two implants with an immediately loaded bar-clip system (n 16). The masticatory performance test was carried out using ‘Optocal’ after forty chewing strokes. Nutritional condition was evaluated by means of a Mini-Nutritional-Assessment questionnaire. No individual was classified as malnourished. The masticatory performance test demonstrated a statistically significant difference before conversion (baseline) and 3 and 6 months after conversion of the lower conventional complete denture to an implant-retained overdenture (paired-samples t test; P < 0·05). A statistically significant difference before and after 6 months of conversion for nutritional condition (Wilcoxon test; P < 0·05) was also observed. The association between masticatory performance and nutritional assessment demonstrated that a statistically significant difference between masticatory performance of the subgroups classified at baseline as nourished (22·43 %) and those at risk of malnutrition (3·9 %) was only evidenced before conversion (P = 0·006). After the conversion from a lower conventional complete denture to an implant-retained overdenture, at 3 months, the risk of malnutrition and nourished at baseline did not present significant differences in masticatory performance. Nonetheless, the mean masticatory performance potential was 19·86 and 31·98 % for subgroups classified at baseline as at risk of malnutrition and nourished, respectively (P = 0·187). The results before conversion were less favourable for masticatory performance and nutritional condition. The increased retention of the mandibular prosthesis allowed improvement in masticatory performance and nutritional condition.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the mechanism by which n-3 PUFA regulates the inhibitor of κBα (IκBα)/NF-κB/muscle RING finger 1 (MuRF1) pathway in C2C12 myotubes. After treatment with 150, 300 or 600 μm-α-linolenic acid (ALA) or -EPA for 24 h in C2C12 myotubes, the levels of phosphorylated IκBα (p-IκBα) and total IκBα were measured by Western blot. Compared with the bovine serum albumin (BSA) control, 150 and 300 μm-ALA and -EPA, respectively, did not affect the total IκBα protein level (P>0·05). However, 600 μm-EPA, but not 600 μm-ALA, prevented IκBα phosphorylation and increased the total IκBα levels (P < 0·01). Furthermore, total nuclear protein was isolated and analysed by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay for NF-κB DNA-binding activity after treatment with 600 μm-ALA or -EPA for 24 h. EPA (600 μm), but not ALA (600 μm), decreased the NF-κB DNA-binding activity when compared with BSA (P < 0·01). It was further observed that 600 μm-EPA caused a 3·38-fold reduction in the levels of MuRF1 mRNA expression compared with BSA (P < 0·01). Additionally, 600 μm-EPA resulted in a 2·3-fold induction of PPARγ mRNA expression (P < 0·01). In C2C12 myotubes, PPARγ knockdown by RNA interference significantly decreased PPARγ mRNA and protein expression to approximately 50 and 60 % (P < 0·01), respectively. Interestingly, in C2C12 myotubes with PPARγ knockdown, 600 μm-ALA and -EPA did not affect the levels of p-IκBα and total IκBα, NF-κB DNA-binding activity or MuRF1 mRNA expression when compared with BSA (P>0·05). These results revealed that EPA, but not ALA, inhibited the IκBα/NF-κB/MuRF1 pathway in C2C12 myotubes in a PPARγ-dependent manner.

Moderate wine consumption has been shown to lower cardiovascular risk. One of the mechanisms could involve the control of postprandial hyperlipaemia, a well-defined risk factor for atherosclerosis, reasonably by reducing the absorption of lipid oxidised species from the meal. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether wine consumption with the meal is able to reduce the postprandial increase in plasma lipid hydroperoxides and cholesterol oxidation products, in human subjects. In two different study sessions, twelve healthy volunteers consumed the same test meal rich in oxidised and oxidisable lipids (a double cheeseburger), with 300 ml of water (control) or with 300 ml of red wine (wine). The postprandial plasma concentration of cholesterol oxidation products was measured by GC–MS. The control meal induced a significant increase in the plasma concentration of lipid hydroperoxides and of two cholesterol oxidation products, 7-β-hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol. The postprandial increase in lipid hydroperoxides and cholesterol oxidation products was fully prevented by wine when consumed with the meal. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence that consumption of wine with the meal could prevent the postprandial increase in plasma cholesterol oxidation products.

Flavonoids are the active components of Herba epimedii (HEP), a commonly used herb for the management of osteoporosis in China over the centuries. The present study aims to characterise the in vivo effects of its total flavonoid (TF) fraction on bone properties and mineral metabolism as well as to study the mechanism involved in achieving its protective effects against ovariectomy (OVX)-induced bone loss. TF suppressed OVX-induced increase in urinary Ca excretion as well as loss of bone mass and strength at the distal femur in mice in a dose-dependent manner. The changes in urinary Ca excretion were inversely correlated with the expressions of renal Ca transport protein (CaBP-28K) and vitamin D receptor mRNA in OVX mice. TF (100 μg/g) treatment prevented the deterioration of trabecular bone microarchitecture induced by OVX in mice. In addition, TF treatment increased the expression of type I collagen and osteocalcin mRNA and the ratio of osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of NF-κB ligand mRNA, and suppressed the increase in IL-6 mRNA induced by OVX in the femur of mice. The present results indicate that the optimal dosage of the TF fraction of HEP for the improvement of bone properties and mineral metabolism in OVX mice was between 50 and 100 μg/g. Mechanistic studies indicated that TF might increase renal Ca reabsorption, stimulate the process of osteoblast formation as well as suppress the process of osteoclastogenesis in OVX mice.

The ingestion of fatty meals is associated with a transient, low-grade systemic inflammatory response in human subjects, involving the activation of circulating monocytes and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, it is not yet clear how different foodstuffs may promote inflammatory signalling. In a screen of forty filter-sterilised soluble extracts from common foodstuffs, seven were found to induce the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 from human monocytes in vitro. To investigate what may differentiate inflammatory from non-inflammatory food extracts, stimulants of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 were quantified using human embryonic kidney-293 cells transfected with each TLR, and calibrated with defined bacterial lipopeptide (BLP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) standards. These assays revealed that while most foods contained undetectable levels of TLR2 or TLR4 stimulants, all TNF-α-inducing foods contained stimulants of either TLR2 (up to 1100 ng BLP-equivalent/g) or TLR4 (up to 2700 ng LPS-equivalent/g) in both the soluble and insoluble fractions. TLR stimulants were present mainly in meat products and processed foods, but were minimal or undetectable in fresh fruit and vegetables. The capacity of food extracts to induce TNF-α secretion in monocytes correlated with the content of both TLR2 (r 0·837) and TLR4 stimulants (r 0·748), and was completely abolished by specific inhibition of TLR2 and TLR4. LPS and BLP were found to be highly resistant to typical cooking times and temperatures, low pH and protease treatment. In conclusion, apparently unspoiled foodstuffs can contain large quantities of stimulants of TLR2 and TLR4, both of which may regulate their capacity to stimulate inflammatory signalling.

The beneficial effects of green tea catechins, such as the proposed improvement in endothelial function, may be influenced by phase II metabolism during and after absorption. The methylation enzyme, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), has a missense mutation rs4680 (G to A), proposed to result in a 40 % reduction in enzyme activity. In the present pilot study, twenty subjects (ten of each homozygous COMT genotype) were recruited. Green tea extract capsules (836 mg green tea catechins) were given in a fasted state, and a high-carbohydrate breakfast was given after 60 min. Blood samples and vascular function measurements were taken at regular intervals. The change in digital volume pulse stiffness index (SI) from baseline was shown to be different between genotype groups at 120 and 240 min, with a lower SI in the GG individuals (P ≤ 0·044). The change in blood pressure from baseline also differed between genotype groups, with a greater increase in systolic (P = 0·023) and diastolic (P = 0·034) blood pressure at 120 min in the GG group. The AA group was shown to have a greater increase in insulin concentrations at 120 min (P = 0·019) and 180 min (P = 0·008) compared with baseline, despite similar glucose profiles. No genotypic differences were found in vascular reactivity measured using laser Doppler iontophoresis, total nitrite, lipids, plasma total antioxidant capacity or inflammatory markers after ingestion of the green tea extract. In conclusion, SI and insulin response to the glucose load differed between the COMT genotype groups, and this may be suggestive of a green tea extract and genotype interaction.

Hepcidin, the Fe-regulatory peptide, has been shown to inhibit Fe absorption and reticuloendothelial Fe recycling. The present study was conducted to explore the mechanism of in vivo Fe regulation through genetic disruption of hepcidin1 and acute effects of hepcidin treatment in hepcidin1 knockout (Hepc1− / − ) and heterozygous mice. Hepcidin1 disruption resulted in significantly increased intestinal Fe uptake. Hepcidin injection inhibited Fe absorption in both genotypes, but the effects were more evident in the knockout mice. Hepcidin administration was also associated with decreased membrane localisation of ferroportin in the duodenum, liver and, most significantly, in the spleen of Hepc1− / −  mice. Hypoferraemia was induced in heterozygous mice by hepcidin treatment, but not in Hepc1− / −  mice, 4 h after injection. Interestingly, Fe absorption and serum Fe levels in Hepc1− / −  and heterozygous mice fed a low-Fe diet were not affected by hepcidin injection. The present study demonstrates that hepcidin deficiency causes increased Fe absorption. The effects of hepcidin were abolished by dietary Fe deficiency, indicating that the response to hepcidin may be influenced by dietary Fe level or Fe status.

Animal studies were conducted to evaluate the influence of dietary spice compounds, piperine, capsaicin and ginger, on the absorption of orally administered β-carotene and its conversion to vitamin A. In rats maintained on these spice-containing diets for 8 weeks, concentrations of β-carotene and retinol were determined in the serum, liver and intestine 4 h after a single oral administration of β-carotene. β-Carotene concentration was significantly increased in the serum, liver and intestine of piperine- and ginger-fed rats, suggesting improved absorption of β-carotene. However, retinol concentration was not significantly changed in these animals, suggesting that the bioconversion of β-carotene to vitamin A was not similarly influenced. Between the two enzymes involved in the bioconversion of β-carotene to vitamin A, the activity of intestinal and hepatic β-carotene 15,15′-dioxygenase was either unaffected or lowered by these spice treatments. The activity of intestinal and hepatic retinal reductase was unaffected by the dietary spices. Activities of these two enzymes involved in the bioconversion of β-carotene to retinal were inhibited by the test spices in vitro, thus corroborating with the in vivo observation. Although the bioconversion of β-carotene was not promoted, increased absorption and tissue levels of β-carotene by the dietary spices may contribute to a higher antioxidant protection.

Accumulating evidence suggests that changes in dietary folate intake may modulate the risks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) through as yet unknown mechanisms. The aims of the present study were to investigate how dietary folate affects the brain folate distribution, levels of oxidised lipid and DNA damage in the absence/presence of β-amyloid(25–35) (Aβ) peptide challenge, a pathogenic hallmark of AD. Male Wistar rats were assigned to diets with folic acid at 0 (folate deprivation; FD), 8 (moderate folate; MF) and 8 mg folic acid/kg diet+0·003 % in drinking-water (folate supplementation; FS) for 4 weeks. A single injection of Aβ peptide (1 mg/ml) or the vehicle solution was intracerebroventricularly (icv) administrated to rats a week before killing. Brain folate, a marker of oxidative injury, and neuronal death were assayed. In the absence of an Aβ injection, FD rats showed reduced folate levels, and increased 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and a mitochondrial (mt)DNA 4834 bp large deletion (mtDNA4834 deletion) in the hippocampus compared with the counterpart brains of control rats (P < 0·05). A single icv injection of Aβ peptide potentiated lipid peroxidation in the medulla of FD rats, which was ameliorated by feeding FD rats with the MF and FS diets (P < 0·05). Feeding the FS diet to Aβ-injected rats enriched brain folate levels and reduced mtDNA4834 deletion in the hippocampal and medullary regions compared with corresponding tissues of Aβ+FD rats (P < 0·05). Aβ+FS rats had reduced rates of neuronal death in the frontal cortex compared with Aβ+FD rats (P < 0·05). Taken together, our data revealed that folate deprivation differentially depleted brain folate levels, and increased lipid peroxidation and mtDNA4834 deletions, particularly, in the hippocampus. Upon Aβ challenge, the FS diet may protect various brain regions against lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial genotoxicity and neural death associated with folate deprivation.

Moderate-intensity exercise can lower the TAG response to a high-fat meal; however, the British diet is moderate in fat, and no study to date has compared the effect of such exercise on responses to high-fat and moderate-fat meals. The present work investigated the effect of brisk walking performed 13 h before intake of both high-fat and moderate-fat meals on postprandial plasma TAG concentrations. Eight inactive, overweight men completed four separate 2 d trials, i.e. rest (Con) or a 90-min treadmill walk (Ex) on the evening of day 1, followed by the ingestion of a moderate-fat (Mod) or high-fat (High) meal on the morning of day 2. High-fat meals contained 66 % of total energy as fat, while the percentage was 35 % for moderate-fat meals; both the meals were, however, isoenergetic. On day 2, venous blood was sampled in the fasted state, 30 and 60 min after ingesting the test meal and then hourly until 6 h post-meal. Exercise reduced plasma TAG concentrations significantly (P < 0·001), with no exercise × meal interaction (P = 0·459). Walking reduced the total TAG response to a high-fat meal by 29 % (relative to High Con); the same bout of exercise performed before ingesting a moderate-fat meal lowered total TAG by 26 % (compared with Mod Con). The ability of a single moderate-intensity aerobic exercise bout to lower postprandial TAG concentrations is just as great, in percentage terms, when the test meal ingested is of a moderate rather than a high fat content.

In vitro gut fermentation systems are relevant tools to study health benefits of foodstuffs. Most of them are commonly used to investigate the degradation of nutrients or the development of gut flora. Using these models, strong cytotoxic effects of the resulting samples on cultured cells were observed. Hence, the aim of the present study was to develop a modified in vitro fermentation model that simulates the whole digestive tract and generates fermented samples that are suitable for testing in cell culture experiments. Wholemeal wheat flour (wwf) was digested and fermented in vitro with a fermentation model using different ox gall concentrations (41·6 and 0·6 g/l). The resulting fermentation supernatants (fs) were characterised for metabolites and biological effects in HT29 cells. The fermentation of wwf increased chemopreventive SCFA and decreased carcinogenic deoxycholic acid (DCA). The strong cytotoxic effects of the fs, which were partly due to cholic acid and DCA, were diminished by lowering the ox gall concentration, allowing the use of the samples in cell culture experiments. In conclusion, an in vitro digestion model, which can be used to study the effects of foodstuffs on chemoprevention and gut health in colon cells, is introduced and its physiological relevance is demonstrated.

NO has several putative atheroprotective properties but its precursor, l-arginine, and inhibitors of its synthesis have had inconsistent effects on the extent of experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits. The location and character of experimental atherosclerosis differ between immature and mature rabbits; both phenomena have been attributed to changes with age in the NO pathway. We investigated whether the influence of dietary l-arginine on experimental atherosclerosis is also age-related. The frequency of lesions was mapped in the descending thoracic and upper abdominal aorta of immature and mature rabbits fed 1 % cholesterol, with or without supplementary l-arginine, for 8 weeks. Consistent with earlier data, the distribution of lesions around the branch points changed with age in control rabbits. The mean frequency of lesions was essentially the same at both ages. l-Arginine supplements had no effect on the distribution of lesions at either age. They significantly reduced the mean frequency of lesions in mature animals but not in immature animals. Thus, the atheroprotective effect of dietary l-arginine in cholesterol-fed rabbits increases with age.

Although dietary nutrient intake is often adequate, nutritional supplement use is common among elite athletes. However, high-dose supplements or the use of multiple supplements may exceed the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of particular nutrients or even result in a daily intake above tolerable upper limits (UL). The present case report presents nutritional intake data and supplement use of a highly trained male swimmer competing at international level. Habitual energy and micronutrient intake were analysed by 3 d dietary reports. Supplement use and dosage were assessed, and total amount of nutrient supply was calculated. Micronutrient intake was evaluated based on RDA and UL as presented by the European Scientific Committee on Food, and maximum permitted levels in supplements (MPL) are given. The athlete's diet provided adequate micronutrient content well above RDA except for vitamin D. Simultaneous use of ten different supplements was reported, resulting in excess intake above tolerable UL for folate, vitamin E and Zn. Additionally, daily supplement dosage was considerably above MPL for nine micronutrients consumed as artificial products. Risks and possible side effects of exceeding UL by the athlete are discussed. Athletes with high energy intake may be at risk of exceeding UL of particular nutrients if multiple supplements are added. Therefore, dietary counselling of athletes should include assessment of habitual diet and nutritional supplement intake. Educating athletes to balance their diets instead of taking supplements might be prudent to prevent health risks that may occur with long-term excess nutrient intake.

Previous research suggests that n-3 PUFA may play a role in bone health. The present analysis aimed to investigate the impact of n-3 PUFA supplementation on bone resorption in adult men and women. Serum samples from 113 mild–moderately depressed individuals (twenty-six males and eighty-seven females, aged 18–67 years) randomised to receive 1·48 g EPA+DHA/d (n 53) or placebo (n 60) for 12 weeks as part of a large recent randomised controlled trial were assayed for n-3 PUFA status and a bone resorption marker, C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type 1 collagen (β-CTX). Regression analyses revealed that n-3 PUFA status following supplementation was associated with randomisation (placebo/n-3 PUFA) (B = 3·25, 95 % CI 2·60, 3·91, P < 0·01). However, β-CTX status following supplementation was not associated with randomisation (B = − 0·01, 95 % CI − 0·03, 0·04). Change in β-CTX status was also not associated with change in n-3 PUFA status (B = − 0·002, 95 % CI − 0·01, 0·01). These findings provide no evidence for an association between n-3 PUFA supplementation (1·48 g EPA+DHA/d) for 12 weeks and bone resorption in humans assessed by β-CTX, and suggest that n-3 PUFA supplementation may be unlikely to be of benefit in preventing bone loss.