Insulin resistance is central for the aetiology of the metabolic syndrome cluster of disease: blood lipid disorders, hypertension, propensity for thrombus formation, abdominal obesity and Type II (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus [1]. Although genetic predisposition is a factor, the prevalence of obesity and diabetes is increasing rapidly in both developed and developing countries [2] arguing that lifestyle factors such as dietary and physical activity patterns, which are amenable to change, modulate insulin action and hence disease development.Experimental and clinical data suggest that the amount and quality of fat in the diet could be important for the development of insulin resistance and related metabolic disorders [3]. A high proportion of Diabetologia (2001) AbstractAims/hypothesis. The amount and quality of fat in the diet could be of importance for development of insulin resistance and related metabolic disorders. Our aim was to determine whether a change in dietary fat quality alone could alter insulin action in humans. Methods. The KANWU study included 162 healthy

Fatty acid (FA), total lipid, protein, amino acid, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus content was analyzed in 24 samples of freshwater microalgae. The samples originated from batch, continuous, or mass cultures in various growth phases and from net samples from lakewater. FA were analyzed quantitatively by using an internal standard in a GLC system and expressed as mg·g−1 dry weight (DW). The FA of one group of blue‐greens (e.g. Oscillatoria and Microcystis) were similar to those of the greens with higher amounts of 18C acids of the ω3 type compared to the ω6 type, whereas the other group (e.g. Anabaena and Spirulina) contained mostly ω6 acids. The flagellates, a taxonomically diverse group, were characterized by high amounts of long‐chained (20–22 C) polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), particularly of the ω3 type. The ω3/ω6 ratio appears to be highest in algae in the exponential growth phase. The increased lipid content in stressed algae was mostly due to increased saturated fatty acids and ω6 acids, whereas the valuable ω3 acids were unchanged or even decreased. Amino acid composition (% of total amino acids) did not vary much betaken species, but when analyzed quantitatively (mg‐g−1 DW), varied considerably between species and within species in different growth phases. The nitrogen and phosphorus contents were variable in all three algal groups. The relationship between PUFA and phosphorus content differed among the algal groups. The data suggest that PUFA in the phospholipids consist mostly ω3 acids.

Insulin resistance is characterized by specific changes of the composition of fatty acids in the serum lipids and in the skeletal muscle membranes. Impaired insulin sensitivity is associated with high proportions of palmitic (16:0) acid and low levels of linoleic (18:2 n‐6) acid in serum. In addition, there are apparent changes of the fatty acid desaturase activities, suggesting an increased activity of the Δ9 and Δ6 desaturases and a decreased activity of the Δ5 desaturase. The activity of the fatty acid desaturases is regulated by long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and insulin and is probably also dependent on the degree of physical activity. A high ratio between arachidonic (20:4 n‐6) and dihomo‐gamma linolenic (20:3 n‐6) acid, as a measure of Δ5 desaturase activity, in the skeletal muscle phospholipids has been related to good insulin sensitivity. Available knowledge seems to indicate that the degree of saturation of the body lipids, and especially the proportion of palmitic acid in the lipid membranes, may be critical for insulin sensitivity. The strong relationships between the Δ5 desaturase activity, a high content of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the skeletal muscle, and insulin sensitivity may be due to parallel effects of diet and/or physical activity on the fatty acid composition and on insulin sensitivity.

Background:The fatty acid composition of the diet is known to be partially reflected by the fatty acid composition of serum lipids. Objective: We examined whether pentadecanoic acid (15:0) in serum lipids can be used as a marker for intake of milk fat, the major dietary source of 15:0. We also investigated the relations between intake of milk fat and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Design: Sixty-two 70-y-old men completed 7-d dietary records. The intake of milk products was studied in relation to the proportions of 15:0 in serum cholesterol esters and phospholipids, as well as to the clinical characteristics of these men, by using Spearman's rank correlation. Results: The proportions of 15:0 in serum cholesterol esters were positively related to butter intake (r = 0.36, P = 0.004) and to the total amount of fat from milk products (r = 0.46, P < 0.0001); 15:0 in phospholipids was related to the amount of fat from milk and cream (r = 0.34, P = 0.008) and to the total amount of fat from milk products (r = 0.34, P = 0.008). Inverse associations were found between intake of milk products and body mass index, waist circumference, LDL-HDL ratio, HDL triacylglycerols, and fasting plasma glucose, whereas relations to HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I tended to be positive. Conclusions:The results suggest that 15:0 in serum can be used as a marker for intake of milk fat. The explanation for the inverse associations between the intake of milk products and certain cardiovascular risk factors is not known. 1999;69:22-9. Am J Clin Nutr

Preparing, planning and serving meals require several important steps before you can enjoy a meal. The meal takes place in a room ( room ), where the consumer meets waiters and other consumers ( meeting ), and where dishes and drinks ( products ) are served. Backstage there are several rules, laws and economic and management resources ( management control system ) that are needed to make the meal possible and make the experience an entirety as a meal ( entirety -expressing an atmosphere ). These five factors are the major ones for developing meal service in restaurants, and together form the Five Aspects Meal Model (FAMM). Several studies have shown that the context of a meal is important for the acceptance and consumption of a meal. Accordingly, the context has to include the food product itself, the consumer and the environment. These three factors need to be considered in an integrated manner, because they affect each other. A qualitative study of restaurant consumers found that there are at least eight main categories of importance for the experience of the meal: restaurant atmosphere, core items of consumption, restaurant scene, personal service encounter, staff quality, visitors, restaurant decision process and individual circumstances. These categories can easily be related to the 'Five Aspects Meal Model'. The essence of each factor is dependent upon different forms of knowledge, such as science, practical-productive, aesthetical and ethical.