Carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios of urine and faeces as novel nutritional biomarkers of meat and fish intake

• DOI: 10.1007/s00394-012-0328-2
• Publication Date: 2012-03-09T08:17:22Z
• Authors: Gunter G. C. Kuhnle; Annemiek M. C. P....; Catherine J. Kneale; Tamsin C. O’Connell
• Keywords: Adult; Male; 0301 basic medicine; Meat; Medicine (miscellaneous); Feces; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Risk Factors; Animals; Humans; 2. Zero hunger; Carbon Isotopes; Nutrition and Dietetics; Cross-Over Studies; Nitrogen Isotopes; Diet, Vegetarian; Fishes; Original Contribution; Feeding Behavior; 6. Clean water; 3. Good health; Nutrition Assessment; Female; Self Report; Biomarkers

Meat and fish consumption are associated with changes in the risk of chronic diseases. Intake is mainly assessed using self-reporting, as no true quantitative nutritional biomarker available. The measurement plasma fatty acids, often used an alternative, expensive time-consuming. As meat differ their stable isotope ratios, δ(13)C δ(15)N have been proposed biomarkers. However, they never investigated controlled human dietary intervention studies.