Associate Professor Surinder Baines

© 2014 Elsevier B.V.A mixture of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and novel potential probiotic Propionibacterium jensenii 702 was resuspended in reconstituted (20% w/v) goat's milk, spray dried in a mini spray dryer (inlet temperature=195°C and outlet temperature=85°C) and the spray dried powder was stored in air tight glass jars at 4°C and 30°C for 24 weeks. Powder quality and probiotic viability after spray drying and subsequent storage were measured. Spray drying probiotics in reconstituted goat's milk resulted in a significant reduction in the viability of all three probiotics. However, all three probiotics were able to maintain satisfactory viability levels (106-108cfu/g) after spray drying. While storage temperature did not appear to have a significant effect on moisture content, the viability of all three strains declined dramatically when stored at 30°C but lactobacilli and propionibacteria remained virtually unaffected under storage at 4°C, satisfying recommendations regarding the level of viable cells in probiotic foods.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of tongue and handgrip strength and endurance measurements in healthy adults using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument. Fifty-one healthy participants (21 males, 30 females; age range = 19-57 years) were tested on four occasions 1 week apart to determine test-retest reliability. The primary outcome measures were isometric tongue and handgrip strength (best of three trials) and sustained isometric endurance. Small increases (changes in group mean) in both anterior (1.7 %) and posterior (2.5 %) tongue strength and handgrip strength (5 %) between weeks 1 and 2 were observed with no change in subsequent weeks, suggesting that there is only a small learning effect for these measurements. The within-subject variation (mean-typical error expressed as a coefficient of variation [CV]) indicated higher than desirable initial variation for anterior (CV 10.8 %) and posterior (CV 11.8 %) tongue strength and handgrip strength (CV 15.2 %) but this was reduced in weeks 2-4. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) indicated acceptable and improved reliability for both anterior (ICC 0.77-0.90) and posterior (ICC 0.79-0.86) tongue strength and handgrip strength (ICC 0.69-0.91) after week 1. Additional exploratory analyses were conducted with a subset of data to determine whether two values within 5 kPa (tongue) or 15 kPa (handgrip) provide superior strength reliability. Neither tongue nor hand endurance measurements were sufficiently reliable. These findings suggest that tongue and handgrip strength values demonstrate acceptable reliability, especially if familiarization is provided. Further investigation is needed to reduce sources of variability in tongue endurance measurements. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Gastrointestinal tolerance, adhesion to intestinal epithelium and immunomodulation are critical factors in maintaining probiotic efficacy. Seven different types of fermented milk were made from goat's milk using various culture compositions of three probiotics: Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and Propionibacterium jensenii 702 and in vitro gastrointestinal tolerance, adhesion ability and stimulation of cytokine production by probiotics were evaluated. All probiotics and combinations demonstrated significantly lower viability after exposure to simulated gastric (pH 2.0) and intestinal (with 0.3% bile, pH 8.0) fluids (p < 0.05). The ability of probiotics to adhere to Caco-2 cells appeared to be influenced by the specific probiotic strains with which they were combined in the manufacturing of fermented milk. Only monocultures of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria and their co-cultures were able to induce low levels of IL-6 and TNF-a production from Caco-2 cells. It seems likely that co-cultures of various probiotics may affect their functional properties. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Inappropriate complementary feeding is one of the major causes of undernutrition among young children in Tanzania. Prevalence of newly developed World Health Organization complementary feeding indicators and their associated factors were determined among 2402 children aged 6-23 months in Tanzania using data from the 2010 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey. The survey used a multistage cluster sample of 10300 households from the eight geographical zones in the country. The prevalence of the introduction of soft, semi-solid or solid foods among infants aged 6-8 months was 92.3%. Of all the children aged 6-23 months, the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity, meal frequency and acceptable diet were 38.2%, 38.6% and 15.9%, respectively. Results from multivariate analyses indicated that the main risk factors for inappropriate complementary feeding practices in Tanzania include young child's age (6-11 months), lower level of paternal/maternal education, limited access to mass media, lack of post-natal check-ups, and poor economic status. Overall, complementary feeding practices in Tanzania, as measured by dietary diversity, meal frequency and acceptable diet, are not adequately met, and there is a need for interventions to improve the nutritional status of young children in Tanzania.

Well planned vegetarian diets can provide adequate amounts of zinc from plant sources. Vegetarians appear to adapt to lower zinc intakes by increased absorption and retention of zinc. Good sources of zinc for vegetarians include whole grains, tofu, tempeh, legumes, nuts and seeds, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products. The inhibitory effects of phytate on absorption of zinc can be minimised by modern food-processing methods such as soaking, heating, sprouting, fermenting and leavening. Absorption of zinc can be improved by using yeast-based breads and sourdough breads, sprouts, and presoaked legumes. Studies show vegetarians have similar serum zinc concentrations to, and no greater risk of zinc deficiency than, non-vegetarians (despite differences in zinc intake).

A vegetarian diet can easily meet human dietary protein requirements as long as energy needs are met and a variety of foods are eaten. Vegetarians should obtain protein from a variety of plant sources, including legumes, soy products, grains, nuts and seeds. Eggs and dairy products also provide protein for those following a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. There is no need to consciously combine different plant proteins at each meal as long as a variety of foods are eaten from day to day, because the human body maintains a pool of amino acids which can be used to complement dietary protein. The consumption of plant proteins rather than animal proteins by vegetarians may contribute to their reduced risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Surveys over the past 10 years have shown that Australians are increasingly consuming more plant-based vegetarian meals. Many studies demonstrate the health benefits of vegetarian diets. As with any type of eating plan, vegetarian diets must be well planned to ensure nutritional needs are being met. This clinical focus project shows that well planned vegetarian diets can meet almost all the nutritional needs of children and adults of all ages. Sample single-day lacto-ovo-vegetarian meal plans were developed to comply with the nutrient reference values - including the increased requirements for iron and zinc at 180% and 150%, respectively, for vegetarians - for both sexes and all age groups set by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council and the New Zealand Ministry of Health. With the exception of vitamin D, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and extended iron requirements in pregnancy for vegetarians, the meal plans meet key requirements with respect to energy; protein; carbohydrate; total fat; saturated, poly- and monounsaturated fats; a-linolenic acid; fibre; iron; zinc; calcium; folate; and vitamins A, C, E and B12.

Background: This study aimed to describe eating behaviors, food tolerance, and dietary intake after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB); explore associations between these variables; and examine the relationship between diet-related factors and percentage weight loss and quality of life after surgery. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was mailed to subjects who had previously undergone LAGB in Newcastle, Australia. Results: Sixty-seven subjects responded (55 females; mean age 49±11.5 years; postoperative body mass index [BMI] 34.5±5.4 kg/m2). Reported average weight loss since surgery was 20.5±9.2% (26.6±13.0 kg). Restraint (including flexible and rigid control) and disinhibition were higher than community norms and hunger trended toward being lower. The majority of respondents rated their eating ability as good (n=27, 40.3%) or excellent (n=15, 22.4%). Median reported energy intake was 4,833 kJ (3,823-5,961) per day. Protein and fat intake as a percentage of daily energy intake was within acceptable distribution ranges, although saturated fat intake exceeded recommendations. Fiber and several micronutrients were below estimated average requirements. BMI at time of surgery and satisfaction with eating ability were significantly associated with reported weight loss after surgery (adjusted R2=0.32, p<0.001), and satisfaction with eating ability and rigid control were significantly associated with physical well-being (adjusted R2=0.19, p=0.001). Conclusions: This study highlights that potential remains to improve aspects of eating behavior, food tolerance, and diet quality in some individuals who have undergone LAGB, and endorses the need for further development of multifactorial interventions to help optimize a range of diet-related factors after LAGB. © 2013 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.