OBJECTIVES: To compare the dietary intakes of Dutch nutrition and dietetics students with the Dutch RDA and the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (DNFCS), and to assess whether dietary intake changes during education.DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal research (2004-2010).SETTING: Data collection by 7 d dietary record and questionnaire.SUBJECTS: Dutch nutrition and dietetics students.RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty-two first-year and 216 fourth-year students were included. One hundred and thirty-three students in three cohorts were assessed twice. Of first-year students, >80 % met the RDA for all macronutrients. Of these students only 37 % met the RDA for fibre and in 43 % intake of saturated fat was too high. Fourth-year students more often met the RDA for fruits (55 %) and vegetables (74 %) compared with first-year students (32 % and 40 %, respectively). Intake of fruits and vegetables of both first- and fourth-year students was much higher than that of DNFCS participants (where 2 % and 7 %, respectively, met the corresponding RDA). Only <25 % of fourth-year students met the RDA for Fe, Se and vitamin D. In the cohorts, dietary intake for all macronutrients stabilised from the first to the fourth year (>80 %). Intakes of dietary fibre, Ca, Mg, Se, riboflavin, niacin, fruits, vegetables and fish improved significantly during education.CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intake of nutrition and dietetics students is much better than that of DNFCS participants and improved during education. However, there is still a gap between actual dietary intake and the RDA, especially for Fe, Se and vitamin D.
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Under- and overfeeding in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are linked to prolonged hospitalisation, increased morbidity, and elevated mortality. This study investigates whether ICU patients were optimally nourished according to the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines. Methods: A cohort of 158 COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care for severe respiratory failure, necessitating a nuanced approach to nutritional support, was analysed. Nutritional status was determined regarding kilocalories and protein using the Energy Expenditure derived from ventilator-measured VCO2 and the adjusted Weir equation, and data on intake through enteral feeding was used. The study included ventilated patients hospitalised for over five days without Extra Corporeal Life Support (ECLS) and receiving enteral nutrition. Associations between mortality and (i) calorie intake and (ii) protein intake were examined using Chi-Square statistics. Results: Conforming to the ESPEN guidelines, 45% of patients were malnourished, and 21% were over-nourished in kilocalories. Additionally, 61% were malnourished, and 16% were over-nourished in protein. The distribution between the groups of survivors and deceased relative to each of the groups well nourished, malnourished, and over-nourished was not statistically different (p = 0.21). The protein distribution among survivors and deceased groups was not statistically different (p = 0.67) regarding correct, insufficient, or excessive protein intake. Conclusions: Based on ESPEN guidelines, most ICU patients were inadequately nourished in kilocalories and protein. However, no significant survival differences were observed across groups with varying nutritional adequacy. Further research is recommended to explore the implications of nutritional interventions in critically ill patients.
This project has received funding from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 720726LIBBIO is a European research project on Andes Lupin (Lupinus mutabilis, tarwi) cropping in marginal lands for enhanced bio economy. Lupin has the ability to fix nitrogen, mobilise soil phosphate and has low nutritional requirements for cultivation. Varieties will be chosen that give high yield of green silage or high yield of seeds which contain more than 20% oil, more than 40% protein and the remaining materials are carbohydrates, mainly oligosaccharides characterized as “prebiotics”. Andes lupin will be grown as a summer crop in N-central Europe and as winter crop in Mediterranean conditions. Pre-industrial processing is developed and optimized for the lupin, properties of the different fractions analysed, their advantage for different industrial use evaluated, and a few products developed as an example. Social and environmental impact will be evaluated as well as techno-economic viability and effect on farm and biorefinery income.This project has received funding from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 720726