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Background: Current evidence suggests a shift from conventional dairy milk to plant‐based beverages (PBBs) for a number of lifestyles and perceived health‐related reasons. Methods: Using nationally representative cross‐sectional data from the 2004 and 2015 Canadian Community Healthy Surveys, the main objectives of the present study were to (i) examine the trend in the proportion of Canadians (≥ 2 years) consuming plain milk and PBBs and (ii) determine the percentage contribution of plain milk and PBBs to daily energy and nutrient intakes. Results: From 2004 to 2015, the percentage of Canadians consuming plain milk significantly decreased from 70.2% to 56.1%, whereas the percentage of PBBs consumers significantly increased from 1.8% to 3.0%. In 2015, plain milk provided almost 50% of the daily vitamin D intake, over 30% of calcium and vitamin B12, and over 20% of vitamin A and riboflavin among plain milk consumers. The top five nutrients provided by PBBs among PBBs consumers were vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin A and riboflavin. Although plain milk was a major contributor to saturated fat (14.5%) and protein (12.5%) intake among plain milk consumers, PBBs provided only 0.2% of saturated fat and 1.4% of protein intake in the diet of PBBs consumers. Conclusions: The consumption of plain milk by Canadians has declined and the consumption of PBBs has increased, which may differentially affect the nutritional profile of the diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Nutrition surveys suggest that <10% of Canadian adults have inadequate riboflavin intakes. However, biochemical riboflavin deficiency [erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient (EGRac) ≥1.40] has been reported in 41% of young adult women living in Metro Vancouver. Canadian Chinese ethnicity comprise >25% of Vancouver's population and are postulated to have poorer riboflavin status than those of European ethnicity because they could be less likely to consume dairy products and fortified wheat. Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine dietary riboflavin intake and food sources, and to assess the association between riboflavin intake and status in young women of European (n  = 107) and Chinese (n  = 91) ethnicities living in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted in women (aged 19–45 y). Women were healthy, not pregnant or breastfeeding, of European or Chinese ethnicities, and not taking riboflavin-containing supplements for the past 4 mo. Dietary riboflavin intake was assessed using the past-year Diet History Questionnaire II, and riboflavin status (EGRac) was measured in fasting venous blood samples. Results Only 7% of participants had dietary riboflavin intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement (0.9 mg/d), but 40% of women had biochemical riboflavin deficiency (EGRac ≥1.40). Although more Canadian women of European ethnicity than Chinese ethnicity had biochemical riboflavin deficiency (46% and 34%; P  < 0.001), median dietary riboflavin intake did not differ (1.73 and 1.82 mg/d; P  = 0.587). Dairy products and vegetables contributed the most to riboflavin intake. Energy-adjusted dietary riboflavin intake was inversely associated with EGRac (B = −0.04, 95% CI: −0.07, −0.01). However, after further adjustment the relation was not significant. Conclusions Overall, women of reproductive age living in Metro Vancouver, Canada, had a low prevalence of inadequate dietary riboflavin intake despite the high prevalence of apparent biochemical riboflavin deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Canada, regulatory changes have expanded marketing opportunities for voluntarily fortified products (VFPs), with micronutrient additions permitted at levels well in excess of human requirements. Objective: To examine how the consumption of VFPs relates to usual nutrient intakes in the Canadian population. Design: The 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey comprises single 24-h dietary intake recalls on a population-representative sample of 20,487 individuals aged 1 year and older, with second recalls on a subset of 7,608. The intake data included 15 food codes denoting VFP (e.g. energy drinks, fortified beverages, cereals, and bars). We assessed VFP consumption and estimated usual intake distributions for riboflavin, niacin, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, and C for VFP consumers and non-consumers 14-50 years old (n = 8,442) using the National Cancer Institute method. We applied the 'shrink and add' method to estimate usual intakes among supplement users and assessed apparent benefits and risks by comparing usual intake distributions to EARs and ULs. Results: Only 2.4% of the population reported any consumption of VFP on the first 24-h recall. VFP consumers were overrepresented in the upper quartile of population intake distributions for niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and zinc. The median usual intakes of VFP consumers were 24-111% higher than the median usual intakes of non-consumers, and VFP consumers had significantly lower prevalence of inadequacy for riboflavin and vitamins A, B6, B12, and C. Irrespective of VFP consumption, usual intake distributions reached the ULs for vitamin A and zinc with the addition of supplement intakes. Discussion: Given the limited differentiation of VFP in this survey, we have likely underestimated nutrient exposure levels. Conclusions: VFP consumption was associated with elevated usual nutrient intakes, but we found limited evidence that it protected consumers from nutrient inadequacies or propelled intakes above tolerable upper levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Riboflavin is required for several redox reactions. Clinical riboflavin deficiency occurs mainly in low-income countries, where it is associated with anemia. The functional significance of suboptimal riboflavin status in different populations and its role in anemia is not well understood.Objectives: We assessed the biomarker status of riboflavin and its association with hemoglobin concentration and anemia in women living in Vancouver, Canada, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Methods: Healthy nonpregnant, nonbreastfeeding women (19-45 y) were recruited from Canada ( n = 206) and Malaysia (n = 210) via convenience sampling. Fasting blood was collected to assess riboflavin status [erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient (EGRac)], hematological indicators, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), ferritin, vitamin A, folate, and vitamin B-12 concentrations. Linear and logistic regression models were used to assess the association of riboflavin status with hemoglobin concentration and anemia.Results: EGRac (mean ± SD) values were higher, indicating poorer riboflavin status, in Malaysian compared with Canadian women (1.49 ± 0.17 compared with 1.38 ± 0.11). Likewise, riboflavin biomarker deficiency (EGRac ≥1.40) was significantly more prevalent among Malaysians than Canadians (71% compared with 40%). More Malaysian than Canadian women were anemic (hemoglobin <120 g/L; 18% compared with 7%). With use of linear regression (pooled sample; n = 416), EGRac values were negatively associated with hemoglobin concentration (r = -0.18; P < 0.001). This relation remained significant (P = 0.029) after adjusting for age, parity, ethnicity, vitamin B-12, folate, sTfR, ferritin, and vitamin A. Women with riboflavin deficiency (EGRac ≥1.40) were twice as likely to present with anemia (adjusted OR: 2.38; 95% CI: 1.08, 5.27) compared with women with EGRac <1.40.Conclusions: Biochemical riboflavin deficiency was observed in Canadian and Malaysian women, with higher rates of deficiency among Malaysian women. Deficient biomarker status of riboflavin was a weak but significant predictor of hemoglobin and anemia, suggesting that the correction of riboflavin deficiency may potentially play a small protective role in anemia, but this requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrient status during pregnancy influences maternal and fetal health, birth outcomes, and the risk of chronic disease in offspring. Research reporting dietary intake during pregnancy in nationally representative population samples, however, is limited. This review summarizes the micronutrient intakes of pregnant women from developed countries and compares them with relevant national recommendations. A systematic search without date limits was conducted. All studies reporting the micronutrient intakes of pregnant women were considered, irrespective of design. Two authors independently identified studies for inclusion and assessed methodological quality. Nutritional adequacy was summarized, with confounding factors considered. Meta-analysis data are reported for developed countries collectively, by geographical region, and by dietary methodology. Pregnant women in developed countries are at risk of suboptimal micronutrient intakes. Folate, iron, and vitamin D intakes were consistently below nutrient recommendations in each geographical region, and calcium intakes in Japan were below the Japanese recommendations and the average intake levels in other developed countries. Research examining the implications of potential nutrient insufficiency on maternal and offspring health outcomes is needed along with improvements in the quality of dietary intake reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Traditional food resources of indigenous peoples provide a wealth of information on use of unique food species, and their harvest and preparation. In conjunction with a larger study associated with the Northern Contaminants Program, traditional food items most frequently consumed in Inuit, Dene/Metis and Yukon First Nations communities of the Canadian North, were identified following a large-scale dietary assessment that included monitoring and collection of traditional and market foods in five regions of the Canadian North. Fifty out of 200 traditional food samples, collected as eaten, were prioritized for water-soluble vitamin analysis (folate, pyridoxine, riboflavin and niacin) based upon parameters that included frequency of consumption, lack of nutrient data and expectation of nutrient content. This paper reports on contents of selected B vitamins in the prioritized food samples, as eaten and expressed per 100g of food sample. This is the first report of the levels of these water-soluble vitamins in many of these food sources. This study strongly suggests that traditional foods have the potential to contribute significantly to the water-soluble vitamin requirements of Northern Indigenous Peoples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]