Two web-based dietary assessment tools have been developed for use in large-scale studies: the Riksmaten method (4-d food record) and MiniMeal-Q (food-frequency method). The aim of the present study was to examine the ability of these methods to capture energy intake against objectively measured total energy expenditure (TEE) with the doubly labelled water technique (TEE_DLW), and to compare reported energy and macronutrient intake. This study was conducted within the pilot study of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS), which included 1111 randomly selected men and women aged 50–64 years from the Gothenburg general population. Of these, 200 were enrolled in the SCAPIS diet substudy. TEE_DLWwas measured in a subsample (n40). Compared with TEE_DLW, both methods underestimated energy intake: −2·5 (sd 2·9) MJ with the Riksmaten method; −2·3 (sd3·6) MJ with MiniMeal-Q. Mean reporting accuracy was 80 and 82 %, respectively. The correlation between reported energy intake and TEE_DLWwasr0·4 for the Riksmaten method (P < 0·05) andr0·28 (non-significant) for MiniMeal-Q. Women reported similar average intake of energy and macronutrients in both methods whereas men reported higher intakes with the Riksmaten method. Energy-adjusted correlations ranged from 0·14 (polyunsaturated fat) to 0·77 (alcohol). Bland–Altman plots showed acceptable agreement for energy and energy-adjusted protein and carbohydrate intake, whereas the agreement for fat intake was poorer. According to energy intake data, both methods displayed similar precision on energy intake reporting. However, MiniMeal-Q was less successful in ranking individuals than the Riksmaten method. The development of methods to achieve limited under-reporting is a major challenge for future research.

(1) Background: Predictors of dietary treatment response in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remain understudied. We aimed to investigate predictors of symptom improvement during the low FODMAP and the traditional IBS diet for four weeks. (2) Methods: Baseline measures included faecal Dysbiosis Index, food diaries with daily energy and FODMAP intake, non-gastrointestinal (GI) somatic symptoms, GI-specific anxiety, and psychological distress. Outcomes were bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and pain symptom scores treated as continuous variables in linear mixed models. (3) Results: We included 33 and 34 patients on the low FODMAP and traditional IBS diet, respectively. Less severe dysbiosis and higher energy intake predicted better pain response to both diets. Less severe dysbiosis also predicted better constipation response to both diets. More severe psychological distress predicted worse bloating response to both diets. For the different outcomes, several differential predictors were identified, indicating that baseline factors could predict better improvement in one treatment arm, but worse improvement in the other treatment arm. (4) Conclusions: Psychological, nutritional, and microbial factors predict symptom improvement when following the low FODMAP and traditional IBS diet. Findings may help individualize dietary treatment in IBS.

Recently, two web-based dietary assessment tools were developed; a 4-day food record tool (the Riksmaten method), and a food frequency questionnaire (MiniMeal-Q). The aim of this study was to use objective biomarkers to examine the ability of the two methods to capture habitual dietary intake. In total, 200 individuals from the pilot study of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) participated. Plasma concentration of carotenoids were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and used as biomarkers of fruit and vegetable intake. A gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was used to quantify alkylresorcinol homologues, which were used as biomarkers of whole grain wheat and rye intake. The correlations between energy-adjusted fruit and vegetable intakes and plasma carotenoid concentrations (except lycopene) were stronger amongst women than men (r = 0.46 and r = 0.20 for the Riksmaten method, and r = 0.50 and r = 0.31 for MiniMeal-Q, respectively). For whole grains, the correlations of energy-adjusted intakes and alkylresorcinols were higher using the Riksmaten method (r = 0.30 and r = 0.29 for women and men) than the MiniMeal-Q (r = 0.25 and r = 0.20, respectively). In regression analyses between plasma carotenoids (except lycopene) and reported intake of fruits and vegetables, the R2 were 21.6 % and 5.1 % for women and men by the Riksmaten method, and correspondingly, 18.0 % and 6.6 % by the MiniMeal-Q. In the final full models, adjusted for smoking and BMI, all regression models remained statistically significant. The regression analyses of plasma alkylresorcinols and reported intake of whole grains showed an R2 of 9.4 % and 9.7 % for women and men by the Riksmaten method, and correspondingly, 5.3 % and 8.4 % by the MiniMeal-Q. In the final full models, adjusted for smoking and age, all regression models remained statistically significant, except for women in MiniMeal-Q. Both dietary assessment methods were able to capture dietary intake based on food groups with a similar precision. Agreements with objective biomarkers ranged from low to moderate, depending on sex and diet quality indicator. While the ability to capture whole grain intake was weak for both methods and sexes, the assessment of vegetable and fruit intake performed in a satisfactory manner for women in both methods.

A diet low in fermentable carbohydrates, fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) is a promising treatment option for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In order to correctly estimate and study the intake of FODMAPs, information about within- and between-subject variations in intakes is needed, but is currently lacking. The aim was to characterize the variation in FODMAP intake among patients with IBS and to calculate how many days of observations are required to capture absolute intakes as well as to rank individuals. Food intake was recorded during 4 consecutive days, and intakes of energy and FODMAPs were calculated. The coefficient of variation within subjects (CV_w), coefficient of variation between subjects (CV_b), number of days required to estimate an individual's intake, and number of observations required to correctly rank individuals into quartiles of consumption were calculated. Diet records were provided from 151 women and 46 men with IBS. The reported mean energy intake was 2039 ± 502 kcal among women and 2385 ± 573 kcal among men, and the median FODMAP intakes were 18.7 g (range 3.7–73.4) and 22.8 g (range 3.6–165.7), respectively. The ratio of CV_w/CV_b for total FODMAP intake was 0.83 for women and 0.67 for men, and below 1 for all FODMAPs. To capture intake of FODMAPs at the individual level, 19 d of observations are required. Ranking individuals within a group would require 2–6 d of observations. There is more variation between subjects than within subjects regarding FODMAP intake. To correctly estimate an individual's absolute intake of FODMAPs, the number of days of diet records required exceeds what is reasonable for a participant to accomplish. However, ranking individuals into quartiles of FODMAP consumption can be achieved using a 4-d food record. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02107625 and NCT01252550.