BackgroundB vitamins such as folate (B9), B6, and B12 are key in one carbon metabolism, which generates methyl donors for DNA methylation. Several studies have linked differential methylation to... Show moreBackgroundB vitamins such as folate (B9), B6, and B12 are key in one carbon metabolism, which generates methyl donors for DNA methylation. Several studies have linked differential methylation to self-reported intakes of folate and B12, but these estimates can be imprecise, while metabolomic biomarkers can offer an objective assessment of dietary intakes. We explored blood metabolomic biomarkers of folate and vitamins B6 and B12, to carry out epigenome-wide analyses across up to three European cohorts. Associations between self-reported habitual daily B vitamin intakes and 756 metabolites (Metabolon Inc.) were assessed in serum samples from 1064 UK participants from the TwinsUK cohort. The identified B vitamin metabolomic biomarkers were then used in epigenome-wide association tests with fasting blood DNA methylation levels at 430,768 sites from the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip in blood samples from 2182 European participants from the TwinsUK and KORA cohorts. Candidate signals were explored for metabolite associations with gene expression levels in a subset of the TwinsUK sample (n = 297). Metabolomic biomarker epigenetic associations were also compared with epigenetic associations of self-reported habitual B vitamin intakes in samples from 2294 European participants.ResultsEighteen metabolites were associated with B vitamin intakes after correction for multiple testing (Bonferroni-adj. p < 0.05), of which 7 metabolites were available in both cohorts and tested for epigenome-wide association. Three metabolites — pipecolate (metabolomic biomarker of B6 and folate intakes), pyridoxate (marker of B6 and folate) and docosahexaenoate (DHA, marker of B6) — were associated with 10, 3 and 1 differentially methylated positions (DMPs), respectively. The strongest association was observed between DHA and DMP cg03440556 in the SCD gene (effect = 0.093 ± 0.016, p = 4.07E−09). Pyridoxate, a catabolic product of vitamin B6, was inversely associated with CpG methylation near the SLC1A5 gene promoter region (cg02711608 and cg22304262) and with SLC7A11 (cg06690548), but not with corresponding changes in gene expression levels. The self-reported intake of folate and vitamin B6 had consistent but non-significant associations with the epigenetic signals.ConclusionMetabolomic biomarkers are a valuable approach to investigate the effects of dietary B vitamin intake on the human epigenome. Show less
This thesis leads to empirical insights in the relationship between anger and aggression, on the one hand, and psychopathology, on the other hand, using robust study designs and a broad spectrum of... Show moreThis thesis leads to empirical insights in the relationship between anger and aggression, on the one hand, and psychopathology, on the other hand, using robust study designs and a broad spectrum of anger manifestations. It became clear that the occurrence of anger and aggression are common among both psychiatric outpatients, including individuals with depressive-, anxiety-, and bipolar disorders, and psychiatric inpatients, including individuals with psychotic- and personality disorders. Aggressive behaviour regularly leads to a referral to long-stay inpatient care. As supported by this thesis, the costs of aggression within long-stay wards are high. However, despite the increased awareness and efforts to reduce violence in clinical care among healthcare workers and policymakers, aggression incidents remain highly prevalent in psychiatric inpatient facilities. Research suggests diet to be a modifiable factor affecting mood and behaviour. Yet, the promising effects of nutritional supplementation on aggressive incidents found in previous studies were not replicated in psychiatric inpatients. These results strengthen the need for study of additional preventative and treatment options. Furthermore, our results underline the importance of including vulnerable populations, who are often underrepresented in RCTs, to provide evidence-based care for these groups. Show less
Frel, D.L. den; Wicks, H.; Bakk, Z.; Keulen, N. van; Adrichem, V. van; Tussenbroek, N. van; ... ; Janssen, V.R. 2023
Background and aimsDiet is important in prevention and management of non-communicable disease and in particular, cardiovascular disease. Recently, more hospitals gear towards healthier dietary... Show moreBackground and aimsDiet is important in prevention and management of non-communicable disease and in particular, cardiovascular disease. Recently, more hospitals gear towards healthier dietary policies, however, a tool to assess the effect of these interventions in patient populations is currently lacking. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is generally used to assess health-related behavior and offers a framework for development of questionnaires. In this study, we aim to evaluate the reliability, internal consistency and preliminary construct validity of the newly developed Dietary Intention Evaluation Tool for In-hospital patients (DIETI) which is based on the TPB.Methods and resultsAn expert panel constructed the item list of the DIETI. A total of 312 patients admitted to the cardiology ward filled out the DIETI. Explanatory- and confirmatory factor analysis showed that our tool adequately discerns five TPB-consistent factors regarding a healthy diet in hospitalized patients. (N = 312, for the CFA model χ2 = 313.072 (df = 160, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.939, RMSEA = 0.058). Subsequent analysis of reliability showed satisfactory to strong internal consistency of the questionnaire as a whole and all subscales (Cronbach's alpha for the subscales ranging between 0.65 and 0.88).ConclusionsWe conclude that the DIETI is an internally reliable tool to assess behavioral intentions regarding a healthy diet of in-hospital patients. Thus, this questionnaire can be used to evaluate the effect of dietary interventions aimed at hospitalized patients. Show less
Suboptimal diet is a major modifiable risk factor in cardiovascular disease. Governments, individuals, educational institutes, healthcare facilities and the industry all share the responsibility to... Show moreSuboptimal diet is a major modifiable risk factor in cardiovascular disease. Governments, individuals, educational institutes, healthcare facilities and the industry all share the responsibility to improve dietary habits. Healthcare facilities in particular present a unique opportunity to convey the importance of healthy nutrition to patients, visitors and staff. Guidelines on cardiovascular disease do include policy suggestions for population-based approaches to diet in a broad list of settings. Regrettably, healthcare facilities are not explicitly included in this list. The authors propose to explicitly include healthcare facilities as a setting for policy suggestions in the current and future ESC Guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Show less
Hellbach, F.; Sinke, L.; Costeira, R.; Baumeister, S.E.; Beekman, M.; Louca, P.; ... ; Linseisen, J. 2022
Purpose Examining epigenetic patterns is a crucial step in identifying molecular changes of disease pathophysiology, with DNA methylation as the most accessible epigenetic measure. Diet is... Show morePurpose Examining epigenetic patterns is a crucial step in identifying molecular changes of disease pathophysiology, with DNA methylation as the most accessible epigenetic measure. Diet is suggested to affect metabolism and health via epigenetic modifications. Thus, our aim was to explore the association between food consumption and DNA methylation. Methods Epigenome-wide association studies were conducted in three cohorts: KORA FF4, TwinsUK, and Leiden Longevity Study, and 37 dietary exposures were evaluated. Food group definition was harmonized across the three cohorts. DNA methylation was measured using Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip in KORA and Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip in the Leiden study and the TwinsUK study. Overall, data from 2293 middle-aged men and women were included. A fixed-effects meta-analysis pooled study-specific estimates. The significance threshold was set at 0.05 for false-discovery rate-adjusted p values per food group. Results We identified significant associations between the methylation level of CpG sites and the consumption of onions and garlic (2), nuts and seeds (18), milk (1), cream (11), plant oils (4), butter (13), and alcoholic beverages (27). The signals targeted genes of metabolic health relevance, for example, GLI1, RPTOR, and DIO1, among others. Conclusion This EWAS is unique with its focus on food groups that are part of a Western diet. Significant findings were mostly related to food groups with a high-fat content. Show less
Neanderthals are known primarily from their habitation of Western Eurasia, but they also populated large expanses of Northern Asia for thousands of years. Owing to a sparse archaeological record,... Show moreNeanderthals are known primarily from their habitation of Western Eurasia, but they also populated large expanses of Northern Asia for thousands of years. Owing to a sparse archaeological record, relatively little is known about these eastern Neanderthal populations. Unlike in their western range, there are limited zooarchaeological and paleobotanical studies that inform us about the nature of their subsistence. Here, we perform a combined analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes on bone collagen and microbotanical remains in dental calculus to reconstruct the diet of eastern Neanderthals at Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains of Southern Siberia, Russia. Stable isotopes identify one individual as possessing a high trophic level due to the hunting of large- and medium-sized ungulates, while the analysis of dental calculus also indicates the presence of plants in the diet of this individual and others from the site. These findings indicate eastern Neanderthals may have had broadly similar subsistence patterns to those elsewhere in their range. Show less
Objective: To study the association between usual dietary factors (dietary energy density, nutrient intake, food group consumption, and dietary pattern) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) volume/F-18... Show moreObjective: To study the association between usual dietary factors (dietary energy density, nutrient intake, food group consumption, and dietary pattern) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) volume/F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18-FDG) uptake after personalized cold exposure in young healthy adults.Methods: A total of 122 young adults (n = 82 women; 22.0 +/- 2.1 years old; 24.8 +/- 4.8 kg/m(2)) took part in this cross-sectional study. Dietary factors were measured via a food frequency questionnaire and three non-consecutive 24 h recalls. Dietary energy density (foods and caloric beverages included) and macronutrient intakes were subsequently estimated using EvaIFINUT (R) software, food group consumption was estimated from the food frequency questionnaire, and different dietary patterns and quality indices were determined according to the reference methods. BAT volume, BAT F-18-FDG uptake, and skeletal muscle F-18-FDG uptake were assessed by static F-18-FDG positron-emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) scans after a 2 h personalized exposure to cold.Results: A direct association was detected between dietary energy density and BAT Standardized Uptake Value (SUV)mean (beta = 0.215; R-2 = 0.044; P = 0.022), and between ethanol consumption and BAT volume (beta = 0.215; R-2 = 0.044; P = 0.022). The a priori Mediterranean dietary pattern was inversely associated with BAT SUVmean and SUVpeak (beta = -0.273; R-2 = 0.075; P = 0.003 and beta = -0.255; R-2 = 0.066; P = 0.005 respectively). In addition, the diet quality index for a Mediterranean diet and a pro-inflammatory dietary pattern (as determined via the dietary inflammatory index) were directly associated with BAT SUVmean and SUVpeak (SUVmean: beta = 0.238; R-2 = 0.053; P = 0.013 and beta = 0.256; R-2 = 0.052; P = 0.012 respectively; SUVpeak: beta = 0.278; R-2 = 0.073; P = 0.003 and beta = 0.248; R-2 = 0.049; P = 0.016 respectively). After controlling for multiplicity and possible confounders (sex, the evaluation wave and BMI), all the detected associations persisted.Conclusion: Dietary factors are slightly associated with BAT volume and/or F-18-FDG uptake after a personalized cold exposure in young adults. Our results provide an overall picture of the potential relationships between dietary factors and BAT-related variables in humans. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved. Show less
Brouwer, J.G.M.; Snellen, M.; Bisseling, T.M.; Koornstra, J.J.; Vasen, H.F.A.; Kampman, E.; Duijnhoven, F.J.B. van 2020
A cancer diagnosis is suggested to be associated with changes in dietary and lifestyle habits. Whether this applies to persons with familial cancer, such as Lynch syndrome (LS) is unknown. We... Show moreA cancer diagnosis is suggested to be associated with changes in dietary and lifestyle habits. Whether this applies to persons with familial cancer, such as Lynch syndrome (LS) is unknown. We investigated whether a colorectal neoplasm (CRN) diagnosis in persons with LS is associated with changes in dietary and lifestyle habits over time. We used data of confirmed LS mutation carriers from the GEOLynch study, a prospective cohort study. Information on dietary intake and lifestyle habits was collected with a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and a general questionnaire administered at baseline (2006-2008) and follow-up (2012-2017). Participants' medical records were used to identify CRN diagnoses. Changes in dietary and lifestyle habits in the CRN and the no-CRN group were compared using multivariable linear regression models for continuous variables and cross-tables with percentage change at follow-up compared with baseline for categorical variables. Of the 324 included participants, 146 developed a CRN (CRN group) between baseline and follow-up, while 178 did not (no-CRN group). Smoking cessation was more often reported in the CRN than in the no-CRN group (41.4% vs. 35.0%). There were no differences in changes of energy intake, alcohol, red meat, processed meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables and dietary fiber consumption, BMI, physical activity and NSAID use. Apart from a potentially higher likelihood of smoking cessation, we found little evidence that a CRN diagnosis is associated with changes in lifestyle habits in persons with LS. Show less
Schaft, N. van der; Schoufour, J.D.; Nano, J.; Kiefte-de Jong, J.C.; Muka, T.; Sijbrands, E.J.G.; ... ; Voortman, T. 2019
Introduction: The ageing process can be influenced by different dietary patterns and dietary factors.Aim: To analyse the association of dietary factors, which include the Mediterranean diet... Show moreIntroduction: The ageing process can be influenced by different dietary patterns and dietary factors.Aim: To analyse the association of dietary factors, which include the Mediterranean diet adherence, the compliance with the "Sociedad Espanola de Nutricion Comunitaria" food portion recommendations, and the intake of different food groups, with the secreted form of the alpha-Klotho gene (S-Klotho as an anti-ageing marker) in middle-aged sedentary adults.Methods: A total of 74 (39 women) middle-aged sedentary adults participated in the study. Dietary factors were assessed with a food frequency questionnaire and the PREDIMED questionnaire. The S-Klotho plasma levels were measured using a soluble alpha-Klotho ELISA assay kit.Results: We observed: (i) a negative association between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the S-Klotho plasma levels (beta = - 53.219; R-2 = 0.078; P = 0.020), (ii) a higher intake of wine (> 7 glasses/week), was associated with lower S-Klotho plasma levels (P = 0.039), and (iii) a positive association between nuts portion intake and the S-Klotho plasma levels (beta = 26.087; R-2 = 0.070; P = 0.029). All the associations disappeared after controlling for lean mass index (LMI) (all P > 0.05).Conclusion: Our study suggests that, although dietary factors could be related to S-Klotho plasma levels in middle-aged sedentary adults, LMI is the main determinant in this regard. Show less
Large carnivores and humans, along with their livestock, have co-existed for thousands of years. However, human population growth and an increase in economic activities are modifying the landscape... Show moreLarge carnivores and humans, along with their livestock, have co-existed for thousands of years. However, human population growth and an increase in economic activities are modifying the landscape for large carnivores and their prey. I studied the interaction between tiger and leopard in a human dominated landscape around Bardia National Park, Nepal. Due to the increase in number of tigers inside the park leopards may be pushed out of the park, where they become involved in conflicts while there may also be a spill-over of young tigers moving to the buffer zone. Tigers were not directly involved in conflict with people which were found from the presence of prey remains in their scats. Elephants were killing most of the humans whereas leopards were found to kill most of the livestock. For future conservation programs we need to focus on the conservation of tiger and leopard in human dominated landscape. Due to interaction with tigers, the leopards are living in close proximity with people and thereby get more involved in conflicts with local communities. Tigers enjoy a religious and cultural tolerance among the people living in the buffer zone whereas leopards lack such religious and cultural tolerance. Show less
This thesis investigates the subsistence behaviour of Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) Homo sapiens based on the remains of molluscs and terrestrial fauna recovered from the Ksâr ‘Akil rockshelter ... Show moreThis thesis investigates the subsistence behaviour of Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) Homo sapiens based on the remains of molluscs and terrestrial fauna recovered from the Ksâr ‘Akil rockshelter (Lebanon). The results tie into the debate around the dispersal of modern humans into Europe. In this thesis, a multi-proxy chronological approach was applied providing ages for the modern human occupation and behavioural adaptations just outside Europe. At the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic groups at Ksâr ‘Akil relied mainly on terrestrial food resources, which shifted later, during the early Ahmarian, gradually to more extensive exploitation of smaller bodied taxa including the introduction of marine and terrestrial snails into the diet. Oxygen isotope analysis of marine mollusc taxa showed that shellfish exploitation was practiced in all seasons and thus played a central role in EUP foraging strategies. Equally this implies that the site was occupied during different times of the year. With regard of the implications for EUP Homo sapiens, shellfish as a dietary supplement throughout the year enhances the diet nutritionally and likely contributes to healthier populations. This in turn might have facilitated population growth and increased population density in an area that fuelled the modern human dispersals into Europe. Show less
Molendijk, M.; Molero, P.; Sanchez-Pedreno, F.O.; Does, W. van der; Martinez-Gonzalez, M.A. 2018
Palaeoanthropologists have proposed that Neanderthals, the Middle Palaeolithic hominin occupant of Eurasia, differed from modern human relatives by having specialised diets focused on big game. A... Show morePalaeoanthropologists have proposed that Neanderthals, the Middle Palaeolithic hominin occupant of Eurasia, differed from modern human relatives by having specialised diets focused on big game. A narrow dietary niche at the top of the terrestrial food chain is inherently prone to instability, potentially contributing to extinction of the Neanderthals. However, limitations in detecting plant consumption imply that scientists are unaware of much of Neanderthal diet. My dissertation revises the role of plants in Neanderthal subsistence using dental calculus, a material that is recognised to contain food traces, as a source of dietary data. To do this I assessed how accurately calculus records diet, by testing it with a variety of techniques on a population of chimpanzees with decades of documented dietary history. Then, my dissertation examined if it is possible to explore the resilience of the Neanderthal dietary niche by assessing for changes in plant use over time. Comparing diets from different habitats, data suggests a broad range of diets on the Mediterranean rim and in the cooler areas of the Neanderthal range. Surprisingly, the study found no evidence of changes in plant dietary breadth despite variation in environments. This stability implies a deeply resilient ecological niche across their range. Show less
