Proteins are needed for providing essential amino acids, nitrogen, and fuel for the body\'s needs in all age groups. Proteins are especially required during active growth in pregnancy, lactation, childhood, and tissue growth in general. An adequate protein intake is needed in old adults to avoid premature muscle loss. According to the current dietary surveys, protein intake in the Nordic and Baltic countries varies from 15 to 19% of the total energy intake in adults. Comprehensive data regarding children and older adults are lacking. No good measure for protein status exists, and the estimation of physiological requirements is based on N-balance studies having some weaknesses. Protein quality is assessed by considering the protein digestibility of individual indispensable amino acids and their utilization (bioavailability), which is affected by food antinutrients and processing. The evidence regarding the association of protein intake per se with health outcomes is limited or suggestive. It is difficult to separate from the effect of other nutrients or ingredients in protein-rich foods. Proteins are widespread in foods, deriving from both animal and plant sources. Animal-sourced protein production puts more strain on the environment than plant-sourced proteins and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, thereby enhancing climate change. In Nordic and Baltic countries, consumption of animal-sourced proteins is relatively high. A shift toward more plant-based protein diets would be advisable for promoting a healthy and sustainable diet.

UNASSIGNED: Teff (Eragrostis tef) is an indigenous crop in Ethiopia and exists in white, red, and mixed varieties. Several types of research confirmed that teff is rich in many essential amino acids, slowly digesting carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, fibers, and other components. Since teff has a low glycemic index, is enriched in essential amino acids and fatty acids, and contains nutritionally balanced minerals, vitamins, and their precursors, it could be a promising food for the prevention and management of diabetes. People with diabetes mellitus are recommended to feed on a diet having a low glycemic index and enriched in essential nutrients.
UNASSIGNED: This review aimed to summarize the nutritional composition of teff (Eragrostis tef) and its value in diabetic patients.
UNASSIGNED: We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar for studies on the nutritional composition of teff and its value for diabetic patients published in English since 2010.
UNASSIGNED: According to available data, teff is a nutritionally valuable food type for diabetic patients.

Soybeans are an excellent source of protein in monogastric diets and rations with ∼75% of soybeans produced worldwide used primarily for animal feed. Even though soybeans are protein-rich and have a well-balanced amino acid profile, the nutritive quality of this important crop could be further improved by elevating the concentrations of certain amino acids. The levels of the sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine in soybean seed proteins are inadequate for optimal growth and development of monogastric animals, which necessitates dietary supplementation. Subsequently, concerted efforts have been made to increase the concentrations of cysteine and methionine in soybean seeds by both classical breeding and genetic engineering; however, these efforts have met with only limited success. In this review, we discuss the strengths and weakness of different approaches in elevating the sulfur amino acid content of soybeans. Manipulation of enzymes involved in the sulfur assimilatory pathway appears to be a viable avenue for improving sulfur amino acid content. This approach requires a through biochemical characterization of sulfur assimilatory enzymes in soybean seeds. We highlight recent studies targeting key sulfur assimilatory enzymes and the manipulation of sulfur metabolism in transgenic soybeans to improve the nutritive value of soybean proteins.

In the present study, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the ability of leucine supplementation to increase the muscle protein fraction synthetic rate and to augment lean body mass or leg lean mass in elderly patients. A literature search was conducted on Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE and Google Scholar databases up to 31 December 2013 for clinical trials that investigated the administration of leucine as a nutrient that affects muscle protein metabolism and muscle mass in elderly subjects. The included studies were randomised controlled trials. The primary outcome for the meta-analysis was the protein fractional synthetic rate. Secondary outcomes included lean body mass and leg lean mass. A total of nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that the muscle protein fractional synthetic rate after intervention significantly increased in the leucine group compared with the control group (pooled standardised difference in mean changes 1·08, 95% CI 0·50, 1·67; P< 0·001). No difference was found between the groups in relation to lean body mass (pooled standardised difference in mean changes 0·18, 95% CI - 0·18, 0·54; P= 0·318) or leg lean mass (pooled standardised difference in mean changes 0·006, 95% CI - 0·32, 0·44; P= 0·756). These findings suggest that leucine supplementation is useful to address the age-related decline in muscle mass in elderly individuals, as it increases the muscle protein fractional synthetic rate.

We reviewed specific literature for emissions of ammonia (NH3) and odours from all stages of pig production together with nitrogen (N) leaching from raising pigs outdoors. Emissions of NH3 decrease with decreases in the crude protein (CP) content of pig diets, at all stages of manure management. The CPs of pig diets have been greatly reduced by matching the CP content to the protein required at each stage of the animals\' growth and by using synthetic essential amino acids to minimise total CP intake. The CP contents of the dietary ingredients needed to provide energy for the animals impose further limits to reductions in dietary CP. Housing systems have been designed and evaluated which offer potential for reducing NH3 emissions. However such designs may not be applicable at all stages of the pigs\' development and the careful management needed to ensure their effective working may be costly and difficult to implement on commercial farms. The factors behind odour emissions are less well characterised. Reducing diet CP to 160 g CP kg(-1) has been shown to reduce odour emissions but further CP reductions may increase them. Some reductions in odour emissions from buildings can be achieved by careful management of the ventilation rate but the most effective measures to reduce emissions of NH3 and odours are to cover slurry stores and to inject slurry into soil. Changes in the feeding and management of outdoor pigs mean that N leaching losses may be up to 50% less than previously reported. No studies have been undertaken that compare the N leached from pigs raised outdoors, versus that arising from the application of pig manure from an equal number of housed pigs. As a precursor to any field study, current models could be used to provide a first estimate of any systematic differences.