1. Sixty healthy subjects aged 35-44 years (thirty men and thirty women) were randomly selected from electoral registers to participate in a dietary survey using the 7 d weighed-intake method during June-August 1985. 2. Energy intake (MJ/d) was 12.5 for men and 8.4 for women. Fat contributed 36.0 and 39.1% of the total energy intake of men and women respectively. When this was adjusted to exclude energy derived from alcoholic beverages, the corresponding values were 38.8 and 39.7% respectively. The major sources of dietary fat (%) were spreadable fats (28), meat (23), milk (12) and biscuits and cakes (11). 3. The subjects were divided into low- and high-fat groups both on the relative intake of fat (less than 35% or greater than 40% dietary energy from fat) and on the absolute intake of fat (greater than or less than 120 g fat/d). By either criterion, high-fat consumers had lower than average intakes of low-fat, high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, bread, fruit and table sugar, and higher intakes of milk, butter and confectionery products. Meat intake was higher among high-fat eaters only when a high-fat diet was defined as a percentage of energy.

/pdf/the-kilkenny-health-project-food-and-nutrient-intakes-in-21snix9lkv.pdf

The Kilkenny Health Project: food and nutrient intakes in randomly selected healthy adults.

Both jurisdictions of Ireland have high rates of chronic degenerative diseases, particularly of the cardiovascular system, and Irish migrants have worse health profiles, often lasting at least two generations. The influence of socio-demographic variation over the life course, and what role diet plays, has not been well researched in epidemiological terms. There is a long history of an unusual Irish diet. Estimated dietary fat intake (% total energy intake) in 1863 was only 9, but had reached 30 in 1948 and 34 in 1999. Conversely, carbohydrate intake has fallen steadily over 150 years. From 1948 onwards household budget survey data illustrate patterns of increasing urbanisation and socio-economic gradients in food availability. The National Survey of Lifestyles, Attitudes and Nutrition, (n 6539, 62.2% response rate) provides clear evidence of inverse social-class gradients in intake of fruit and vegetables and dairy products and in reported patterns of healthy eating. Median carbohydrate and vitamin C levels are higher among social classes 1-2 and mean saturated fat intake is lower. International comparisons indicate a continuing, if narrowing, north-south gradient across Europe. Data from the Boston-Ireland study suggest a crossover in both dietary intake patterns and risk of heart disease in Ireland and the USA in the 1970s. Contemporary comparative data of middle-aged Irish and American women demonstrate patterns of diet intake and inactivity consistent with the modern epidemic of obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Thus, dietary variations within and between countries and over time are consistent with chronic disease patterns in contemporary Ireland.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/828CCCE4F3D9522BF66A8AC9C271FAD0/S002966510200054Xa.pdf/div-class-title-effect-of-social-variation-on-the-irish-diet-div.pdf

Effect of social variation on the Irish diet.

DATA on expenditure on 125 food items in the Household Budget Survey 1980 was used to estimate nutrient consumption. Daily per capita intakes of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, starch and sugars were respectively 12.0MJ, 90.4g, 114.8g, 390.5g, 23.3g, 224.4g and 158.1g. Average daily consumption of vitamins were: retinol, 1069ug; carotene, 2442ug; vitamin D, 1.87ug; thiamin, 1.85 mg; riboflavin, 2.05mg; nicotinic acid, 19.0mg; vitamin C, 75.9mg; vitamin E, 4.76ug; vitamin B6, 1.9ug; vitamin B12, 7.59ug; free folate, 121ug; total folate, 220ug; pantothenic acid, 5.9ug; biotin, 26.3ug. Mineral consumption per person per day (in mg) were: Na, 4984; K, 4132; Ca, 1133; Mg, 340; P, 1513; Fe, 14; Cu, 2; Zn, 14; S, 751; Cl, 7826. Average daily intakes of the major fatty acids were: C12:0, 2.5g; C14:0, 6.9g; C16:0, 25.8g; C18:0, 12.3g; C16:1, 3.1g; C18:1, 33.0g; C18:2, 6.5g; C18:3, 1.3g. The P/S ratio was 0.16. Intakes of 18 amino acids varied between 1.2–20.2g/capita/d. The intakes of each essential amino acid was more than twice the recommended amounts. 3 staples, flour/bread, milk and potatoes account for more than 40% of dietary energy, protein, fibre, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, vitamins B6 and C, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid and biotin.

Nutrient intakes in Ireland in 1980: Estimates derived from household expenditure on food

Davailable for human consumption have been used to estimate trends in the pattern of food consumption in Ireland and how the food availability (g/head/day) compares to the energy and macronutrient requirements of the population. Overall, the trend in food consumption is towards a diet with a reduced consumption of cereals and an increased consumption of meat, sugar and vegetable fats. Although fruit and vegetable consumption has tended to decrease slightly this has been due mainly to a large decrease in potato consumption. Consumption of dairy products has recently tended to decrease but still remains high, mainly as fresh milk. Energy consumption, at over 3000 Kcal/h/day (12.6MJ) should be more than adequate to meet the energy needs of the population. Energy consumption has increased slightly since 1948. Consumption of the more energy dense foods has increased and conversely consumption of bulk-providing food has decreased. This is also reflected in the decreased consumption of dietary fibre. The proportion of energy consumed as carbohydrate has also decreased and has been replaced by fat energy. Consumption of polyunsaturated fat has increased but saturated fat remains the major fat source in the diet. The proportion of energy consumption as protein has remained relatively constant but the proportion of animal protein consumed has increased. Overall trends in consumption of the macronutrients tend to be at variance with recommendations for improved health and nutrition status.

Trends in the availability of foods for human consumption in Ireland.

The mean daily intakes and dietary sources of fat, individual fatty acids, cholesterol, dietary fibre and crude fibre were estimated. The average per capita daily intakes of the saturated fatty acids were: C12:0, 1.6 g;C14:0, 6.1 g;C16:0, 28.7 g;C18:0,16.4 g. Dairy produce was the main source of these fatty acids. Pigmeat, cereals and margarine contributed 23, 27 and 19% of the total intake of the main polyunsaturated fatty acid, CI8:2. Cholesterol intake was estimated to be 502 mg/head/d and was derived mainly from eggs (42%), dairy produce (31%) and meat (22%). The mean daily intakes of dietary and crude fibre were estimated to be 25.9 g and 4.6 g respectively. These were mainly derived from potatoes, other vegetables and cereals.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/25557947.pdf

II. Intakes and sources of fat, individual fatty acids, cholesterol, dietary fibre and crude fibre

Using data obtained from the Irish Statistical Bulletin (1972) we have calculated changes in the meanper capita daily consumption of the major foodstuffs and nutrients from 1961 to 1971. A comparison of the intake of the major nutrients with the recommended daily intakes of these nutrients indicates that the populationas a whole is (i) changing its preferences with respect to the major foodstuffs, the consumption of bread, flour and potatoes being considerably reduced while pigmeat, beef and margarine consumption is increased; (ii) consuming a mixture of protein from vegetable and animal sources which is “ideal”; (iii) receiving the recommended dietary allowance of the principal nutrients with the exception of vitamin D and the minerals sodium and magnesium, from the 13 principal foodstuffs in the diet and (iv) receiving an increasing amount of its daily caloric intake from animal fat.

Food consumption trends in Ireland.

The incidence of anencephaly and spina bifida in the Irish population is one of the highest in the world. That dietary zinc deficiency may be a factor in the aetiology of neural tube defects (NTD) in humans is supported by epidemiological studiesl, observations on pregnancy outcome in acrodermatitis enteropathica patients2 and clinical studies which indicate lower circulating zinc concentrations in the mothers of congenitally abnormal infants compared with control mothers3. However, observations on cord blood indicate elevated zinc concentrations in anencephalics4. The present study was undertaken to assess the actual concentrations of tissue zinc in NTD infants. Because of the well documented interactions of zinc, copper and iron metabolism, the concentrations of these elements were simultaneously analysed.

Frank M. Cremin

Papers

Food consumption trends in Ireland.

Zinc, Copper and Iron Concentrations in Tissues of Anencephalic and Control Fetuses

Royal Irish academy: National committee for nutritional sciences proceedings