Poor, Hungry and Stupid: Numeracy and the Impact of High Food Prices in Industrializing Britain, 1780-1850

This paper argues that low levels of nutrition impaired cognitive development in industrializing England, and that welfare transfers mitigated the adverse effects of high food prices. Age heaping is used as an indicator of numeracy, as derived from census data. For the cohorts from 1780-1850, we analyse the effect of high grain prices during the Napoleonic Wars. We show that numeracy declined markedly for those born during the war years, especially when wheat was dear. Crucially, where the Old Poor Law provided for generous relief payments, the adverse impact of high prices for foodstuffs was mitigated. Finally, we show some tentative evidence that Englishmen born in areas with low income support selected into occupations with lower cognitive requirements.

Poor, hungry and ignorant: Numeracy and the impact of high food prices in industrializing Britain, 1780-1850

This paper uses the ability to recall one s age correctly as an indicator of numeracy.We show that low levels of nutrition impaired numeracy in industrializing England, 1780-1850.Numeracy declined markedly among those born during the war years, especially where wheatwas dear. England s nascent welfare state mitigated the negative effect of high food prices oncognitive skills. Nutrition during early development mattered for labor market outcomes:individuals born in periods or countries with high age heaping were more likely to sort intooccupations with limited intellectual requirements.

Foodborne norovirus outbreak: the role of an asymptomatic food handler

Background: In July 2005 an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis occurred on a residential summer camp in the province of Barcelona (northeast of Spain). Forty-four people were affected among residents and employees. All of them had in common a meal at lunch time on 13 July (paella, round of beef and fruit). The aim of this study was to investigate a foodborne norovirus outbreak that occurred in the residential summer camp and in which the implication of a food handler was demonstrated by laboratory tests. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed. Personal or telephone interview was carried out to collect demographic, clinical and microbiological data of the exposed people, as well as food consumption in the suspected lunch. Food handlers of the mentioned summer camp were interviewed. Ten stool samples were requested from symptomatic exposed residents and the three food handlers that prepared the suspected food. Stools were tested for bacteries and noroviruses. Norovirus was detected using RT-PCR and sequence analysis. Attack rate, relative risks (RR) and its 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the association between food consumption and disease. Results: The global attack rate of the outbreak was 55%. The main symptoms were abdominal pain (90%), nausea (85%), vomiting (70%) and diarrhoea (42.5%). The disease remitted in 24-48 hours. Norovirus was detected in seven faecal samples, one of them was from an asymptomatic food handler who had not eaten the suspected food (round of beef), but cooked and served the lunch. Analysis of the two suspected foods isolated no pathogenic bacteria and detected no viruses. Molecular analysis showed that the viral strain was the same in ill patients and in the asymptomatic food handler (genotype GII.2 Melksham-like). Conclusions: In outbreaks of foodborne disease, the search for viruses in affected patients and all food handlers, even in those that are asymptomatic, is essential. Health education of food handlers with respect to hand washing should be promoted.

The metabolic syndrome, a multifaceted disease of affluence

Metabolic syndrome developed in consequence of an evolutionary inadequacy: the human body was unprepared for a dietary excess of nutrients, especially lipids (largely in detriment of carbohydrate). This excess awakens metabolic signals akin to those of starvation, in which the main energy staple is the body"s own lipid reserve. Lipid dietary abundance prevents the use of glucose, which in turn limits the oxidation of amino acids. To ward against a subsequent avalanche of substrates, the immune system and hypertrophied tissues (for example, adipose) elicit a series of defence responses. This response is probably the ultimate basis of a disease that is manifested as various pathologies, which were initially defined as distinct entities but which are slowly being seen as a single pathognomic unit in the literature. Based on their common origin of the ample availability of food in our modern society, the cluster of diseases comprising the metabolic syndrome is probably best described as a single multifaceted disease.

Effect of cocoa powder in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: biological, consumption and inflammatory biomarkers. A metabolomic approach

Numerous health benefits have been attributed to cocoa and its derived products in the last decade including antioxidant, anti-platelet and positive effects on lipid metabolism and vascular function. Inflammation plays a key role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. However, cocoa feeding trials focused on inflammation are still rare and the results yielded are controversial. Health effects derived from cocoa consumption have been partly attributed to its polyphenol content, in particular of flavanols. Bioavailability is a key issue for cocoa polyphenols in order to be able to exert their biological activities. In the case of flavanols, bioavailability is strongly influenced by several factors, such as their degree of polymerization and the food matrix in which the polyphenols are delivered. Furthermore, gut has become an active site for the metabolism of procyanidins (oligomeric and polymeric flavanols). Estimation of polyphenol consumption or exposure is also a very challenging task in Food and Nutrition Science in order to correlate the intake of phytochemicals with in vivo health effects. In the area of nutrition, modern analytical techniques based on mass spectrometry are leading to considerable advances in targeted metabolite analysis and particularly in Metabolomics or global metabolite analysis. In this chapter we have summarized the most relevant results of our recent research on the bioavailability of cocoa polyphenols in humans and the effect of the matrix in which cocoa polyphenols are delivered considering both targeted analysis and a metabolomic approach. Furthermore, we have also summarized the effect of long-term consumption of cocoa powder in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the inflammatory biomarkers of atherosclerosis.

Two different epidemiological scenarios of border disease in the populations of Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica) after the first disease outbreaks

Since 2001 several outbreaks of a new disease associated with Border disease virus (BDV) infection have caused important declines in Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) populations in the Pyrenees. The goal of this study was to analyze the post-outbreak BDV epidemiology in the first two areas affected by disease with the aim to establish if the infection has become endemic. We also investigated if BDV infected wild and domestic ruminants sharing habitat with chamois. Unexpectedly, we found different epidemiological scenarios in each population. Since the disease outbreaks, some chamois populations recuperated quickly, while others did not recover as expected. In chamois from the first areas, prevalence was high (73.47%) and constant throughout the whole study period and did not differ between chamois born before and after the BDV outbreak; in all, BDV was detected by RT-PCR in six chamois. In the other areas, prevalence was lower (52.79%) and decreased during the study period; as well, prevalence was significantly lower in chamois born after the disease outbreak. No BDV were detected in this population. A comparative virus neutralisation test performed with four BDV strains and one Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) strain showed that all the chamois had BDV-specific antibodies. Pestivirus antibodies were detected in all the rest of analyzed species, with low prevalence values in wild ruminants and moderate values in domestic ruminants. No viruses were detected in these species. These results confirm the hypothesis that outbreaks of BDV infection only affect the Pyrenean chamois, although other wild ruminants can occasionally be infected. In conclusion, two different scenarios have appeared since the first border disease outbreaks in Pyrenean chamois: on the one hand frequent BDV circulation with possible negative impact on population dynamics in some areas and on the other, lack of virus circulation and quick recovery of the chamois population.

Effect of cocoa powder in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: biological, consumption and inflammatory biomarkers. A metabolomic approach

Numerous health benefits have been attributed to cocoa and its derived products in the last decade including antioxidant, anti-platelet and positive effects on lipid metabolism and vascular function. Inflammation plays a key role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. However, cocoa feeding trials focused on inflammation are still rare and the results yielded are controversial. Health effects derived from cocoa consumption have been partly attributed to its polyphenol content, in particular of flavanols. Bioavailability is a key issue for cocoa polyphenols in order to be able to exert their biological activities. In the case of flavanols, bioavailability is strongly influenced by several factors, such as their degree of polymerization and the food matrix in which the polyphenols are delivered. Furthermore, gut has become an active site for the metabolism of procyanidins (oligomeric and polymeric flavanols). Estimation of polyphenol consumption or exposure is also a very challenging task in Food and Nutrition Science in order to correlate the intake of phytochemicals with in vivo health effects. In the area of nutrition, modern analytical techniques based on mass spectrometry are leading to considerable advances in targeted metabolite analysis and particularly in Metabolomics or global metabolite analysis. In this chapter we have summarized the most relevant results of our recent research on the bioavailability of cocoa polyphenols in humans and the effect of the matrix in which cocoa polyphenols are delivered considering both targeted analysis and a metabolomic approach. Furthermore, we have also summarized the effect of long-term consumption of cocoa powder in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on the inflammatory biomarkers of atherosclerosis.

Risk factors for colorectal cancer in subjects with family history of the disease.

The relationship between lifestyle factors, past medical conditions, daily meal frequency, diet and the risk of 'familial' colorectal cancer has been analysed using data from a case-control study conducted in northern Italy. A total of 1584 colorectal cancer patients and 2879 control subjects were admitted to a network of hospitals in the Greater Milan area and the Pordenone province. The subjects included for analysis were the 112 cases and the 108 control subjects who reported a family history of colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives. Colorectal cancer cases and control subjects with family history were similarly distributed according to sex, age, marital status, years of schooling and social class. Familial colorectal cancer was associated with meal frequency, medical history of diabetes (relative risk, RR = 4.6) and cholelithiasis (RR = 5.2). Significant positive trends of increasing risk with more frequent consumption were observed for pasta (RR = 2.5, for the highest vs the lowest intake tertile), pastries (RR = 2.4), red meat (RR = 2.9), canned meat (RR = 1.9), cheese (RR = 3.5) and butter (RR = 1.9). Significant inverse associations and trends in risk were observed for consumption of poultry (RR = 0.4), tomatoes (RR = 0.2), peppers (RR = 0.3) and lettuce (RR = 0.3). Significant inverse trends in risk with increasing consumption for beta-carotene and ascorbic acid were observed (RR = 0.5 and 0.4 respectively, highest vs lowest intake tertile). These results suggest that risk factors for subjects with a family history of colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives are not appreciably different from recognized risk factors of the disease in the general population.