This study aims to determine the relationship between calcium intake and lifestyle factors with bone health status among 56 postmenopausal women in the Evergreen Senior Citizens Club, Petaling Jaya. Purposive sampling technique was used for sample selection. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur proximal and lumbar L2-L4 was measured based on the Dual Energy X-ray Absorptionmetry (DEXA) technique at KVOTC Clinic, Subang Jaya. The interview sessions were conducted using a questionnaire followed by anthropometric measurements. The results revealed that the average age of the respondents was 64.0 years old. The average weight and height of the respondents were 53.68 kg and 1.55 meters, respectively. Overall, the average body mass index (BMI) of the respondents was quite satisfactory (22.4 kg/m²) with only 17.9% of them categorized as overweight (>25 kg/m²). The average total calcium intake was 807.31 mg and about 76.2% was contributed by food intake. About 83.9% of the respondents met the recommended calcium intake according to the Malaysian RDA. The average BMD of the lumbar, neck, wards and trochanter was 9.983 ± 0.178 g/cm², 0.745 ± 0.126 g/cm², 0.604 ± 0.150 g/cm² and 0.674 ± 0.127 g/cm², respectively. About 32.1% of the respondents were categorized as osteoporotic at the femoral wards, while 10.7% respectively was at the lumbar L2-L4 and femoral neck. Half of the respondents had osteopenia at the femoral neck (53.6%) and wards (50.0%) and at the lumbar L2-L4 (53.6%). Pearson correlation test showed significant negative correlations between age and BMD in the neck (r = -0.419, p
Food insecurity exists whenever people are not able to access sufficient food at all times for an active and healthy life. This study used the Radimer/Cornell hunger and food insecurity instrument to assess food insecurity and to determine the risk factors and consequences of food insecurity among low-income households in Kuala Lumpur. One hundred and thirty-seven Malay pre-school children (4-6 years old) from Taman Sang Kancil were measured for their weights and heights. Questionnaires were used to collect food security and socioeconomic information on the households. The findings indicated that 34.3% of the households were food secure, while 65.7% experienced some kind of food insecurity, (27.7% households were food insecure, 10.9% individuals were food insecure and 27.0% fell into the child hunger category). The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting were 44.5%, 36.5% and 30.7% respectively. The prevalence of high weight-for-height (overweight) was 13.1%. Based on multinomial logistic regression, larger household size (OR=1.418; p<0.01) and lower educational level of mothers (OR=0.749; p<0.01) and fathers (OR=0.802; p<0.05) were found to be significant risk factors for food insecurity. The study, however, did not find any significant difference in children's nutritional status according to household food security levels. It is recommended that for the Malaysian population, the Radimer/Cornell hunger and food insecurity instrument should be modified and further validated with various ethnic groups in a variety of settings. The validation should include the appropriateness of the statements to the target grounds and their different risk factors and outcomes of food insecurity.
The trial was carried out at a commercial pig farm in Bukit Pelanduk, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of supplemental iron in drinking water and iron in paste form in comparison with the iron dextran injection. A total of 12 litters were used divided into three treatments : iron dextran injection (ID), Fedexx" - iron in paste form (IP) and Opti-iron" - iron in drinking water (IW). Hemoglobin level and growth performance parameters were monitored weekly over a period of 28 days. ID piglets had significantly higher (p < 0.05) body weight and weekly weight gain compared with IW piglets at 21 and 28 days of age whereas no significant different (p > 0.05) results were found between IP and IW piglets. Hemoglobin level from days 0 to 28 showed statistical difference (p > 0.05) between piglets in IP and IW groups. Mild anemia was found in IP piglets but not for ID and IW piglets compared with normal value (> 9 g/dL). Hemoglobin (Hb) levels were positively correlated (p < 0.05, r = .47) with body weight at 28 days of age. In conclusion, pigs supplemented with iron in paste form and drinking water had poorer growth performance than iron dextran injection piglets. Piglets given iron in paste form had mild anemia. It is advisable to give multiple doses of oral iron to piglets in order to prevent iron deficiency anemia. During the first 4 weeks of life, the body weights of the piglets increased by up to 5-fold. The dietary requirement for iron during this period is 7 mg per day but only 1 mg per day can be supplied by the sow's milk (Cunha, 1977; Miller and Ullrey, 1997; Roberts, 1998). The need to provide the piglets with an adequate amount of iron before weaning is therefore imperative because sow's milk alone will not meet the iron requirements of rapid growth and expanding blood volume (Hannan, 1971). Several different methods can be used to offer iron to preweaning piglets. The most common administration method for iron in piglets is through an intramuscular injection of iron dextran complex at 3 days of age. A single dose of 200 mg/ml iron-dextran is effective against iron deficiency anemia. However, the method is very stressful to the piglets. They will suffer more pain if a greater dosage of iron is given intramuscularly. Furthermore, poor iron injection techniques may cause considerable trauma to the muscles, staining of hams or create abscesses and lead to downgrading of the carcasses (Roberts, 1998). Since there are several drawbacks to the iron injection, alternative methods need to be considered in intensive farming i.e. supply iron orally (Miller and Ullrey, 1997). The oral administration of iron has two advantages: cost and the fact that absorption is regulated by the intestinal mucosae. However, oral administration requires multiple doses. This is because a single dose may not be sufficient to protect the piglets from iron deficiency anemia for the first 4 weeks post-partum. The iron bioavailability in oral iron depends greatly on iron status of animals (Amine et al., 1972; Susan and Wright, 1985). In addition, dietary factors such as amino acids and protein sources (Martinez et al., 1981), pectin content, phytate (Morris and Ellis, 1982) and the other minerals (Elvehjem and Hart, 1932; Hedges and Kornegay, 1973; Suttle and Mills, 1966) may also influence the bioavailability of iron. Oral iron can be given as paste or drinking water. Early administration of oral iron within the first few days of life will meet the iron needs of the suckling pig. However, it is critical to administer early before gut closure to large molecules (Harmon et al., 1974; Thoren-Tolling, 1975). This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of iron supplementation in drinking water or paste form in comparison with the injection of iron compounds in suckling pigs.
It is essential to replace fluids lost so as to remain well hydrated during exercise. The intake of fluids is considered a physiological ergogenic aid to enhance exercise performance. There are currently several products in the market that are believed to have ergogenic properties which act as fluid replacement drinks during exercise. One such drink available in the Malaysian market is ‘AgroMas®’ herbal drink whose efficacy is yet to be proven. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the effects of acute ingestion of this herbal drink (H) or a coloured water placebo (P) on cycling performance. Nine healthy and trained young male cyclists (age: 16.2 ± 0.5 years) exercised on a cycle ergometer at 71.9 ± 0.7% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) until exhaustion on two occasions at 1-week intervals. During each exercise bout, subjects received 3ml kg-1 body weight of H or P every 20 min in a double-blind randomised study design. There was no significant difference between H and P trials in the total work time to exhaustion (83.7 ± 4.6 and 81.5 ± 5.0 min respectively). Changes in oxygen consumption, heart rate and perceived rate of exertion were similar for both types of drinks. These results demonstrate that the herbal drink and the placebo elicited similar physiological responses and exercise performance during endurance cycling. It is therefore concluded that AgroMas® herbal drink and water ingestion resulted in a similar ergogenic response on cycling performance in young cyclists.
A cross sectional study on Type 2 diabetes patients seeking treatment in the Primary Health Care outpatient clinic of the University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur was undertaken. Two hundred and thirty-three subjects participated. They were asked questions on biodata and dietary intake using face-to-face interview techniques. Dietary intake was assessed using the 24-hour dietary recall. Anthropometric measurements including weight and height were taken and Body Mass Index (BMI) was computed to establish the extent of obesity. Of the 196 subjects, 66.8% were overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) with 15.8% obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). The mean BMI of males and females were 25.9±4.3 kg/m2 and 27.2±4.7 kg/m2 respectively. The findings from the dietary survey showed that the mean energy intake of the subjects only achieved about 72% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Malaysia while protein intake of all subjects was adequate. The macronutreint contribution to the total calorie was consistent with the recommendation of the Malaysian Diabetic Association for a healthy diet for diabetes patients. The male subjects were found to meet the RDA requirements for all nutrients while the female subjects did not have sufficient intake of calcium, vitamin A and niacin. No consistent pattern in energy and nutrient intake was observed among different age groups. On the other hand, the Malay subjects seemed to have lower energy and all nutrient intake (except vitamin A and vitamin C) compared to the Chinese and Indian subjects. The Indian subjects seemed to have the highest intake of calcium compared to the others. Advice needs to be given to those who did not have adequate nutrient intake as well as those who need to reduce their weight.
Study site: Primary health care clinic, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
This paper describes the nutritional status of pre-school children and analyzes its relationship to various household socio-economic indicators. Padi, rubber and fishing villages from the Functional Groups Study (1992-1996) were selected for having a high prevalence of child undernutrition, and all children between the ages of 12 and 72 months were measured for their weights and heights in April-May 1998. The NCHS reference values were used to calculate z-scores, which were categorised according to WHO (1983) recommendations. Children between minus 2SD and minus 1SD of reference median were classified as mildly malnourished. Prevalence of underweight was higher (30.5%) than stunting (22.3%), while wasting was only 9.7%. Padi villages had the highest prevalence of undernutrition, followed by fishing, and then rubber villages. Mean household incomes were found to be significantly lower for children with worse nutritional status, and undernutrition was higher in households below the poverty line income. The odds ratios for having stunted children were significantly higher for households whose heads were agricultural own-account workers (OR 3.66, 95% CI = 1.37-9.79), agricultural waged workers (OR 2.75, 95% CI = 1.06-7.10), and non-agricultural manual workers (OR 2.49, 95% CI = 1.04-6.00) compared to non-manual workers. Various household socio-economic indicators showed significantly higher odds ratios for underweight, stunting and wasting. After adjusting for confounding effects by logistic regression analysis, however, only mother's education was found to be a significant predictor for stunting, while poverty level and access to piped water supply were significant predictors for both underweight and stunting. Households without livestock were significant predictors for wasting. Thus, this study identified specific socio-economic factors that should be prioritized for policy and research towards the amelioration of childhood malnutrition in rural areas.
This paper presents the socio-economic profile of households in the Family Dynamics Study (FDS) (1997-2001) and makes comparisons with the earlier Functional Groups Study (FGS) (1992-1996). For the current study, FGS villages with a high prevalence of child malnutrition were purposively selected. In each village selected, all households were included, and interviews with a structured questionnaire were conducted in April-May 1998. Incomes were generally low and incidence of poverty was high; 49.6% of the households were under the poverty line income, of which 37.2% were poor and 12.4% were hard core poor. Overall, only 23.2% of heads of households were in agricultural occupations, others being primarily waged workers and petty traders. Livestock rearing was widespread (57.8%), and most households (90.4%) owned at least one motorised vehicle, the most common being the motorcycle. The majority of households had refrigerators (73.6%), washing machines (58.8%), and televisions (91.1%); but telephones (42.2%), mobile phones (6.1%) and computers (2.3%) were less common. Although 99.7% of households had electricity supply and 95.1% had either a flush or pour flush latrine, only 57.4% had piped water supply. In comparison to the FGS, poverty in the current study is lower (49.6% of FDS households are poor compared to 55.2% of FGS households), the proportion of household heads in agricultural occupations is also lower (26.9% compared to 55.3%), while all other socioeconomic indicators were better, except for piped water supply, which remains inadequate for households in the current study.
Public Health emphasizes the plurality of the determinants of health of individuals, families and communities. Nutrition, as a major determinant of health, is itself influenced by a multitude of determinants that are under the purview of several agencies. Thus, inter-sectoral collaboration among the relevant agencies is imperative for promoting optimal health and nutrition such a partnership is manifested in the development and implementation of the National Plan of Nutrition (NPAN) of Malaysia pursuant to the International Conference on Nutrition (ICN) held in 1992. While the overall coordination of NPAN is at the Family Development Division in the Ministry of Health, the body that sees to the coordination is again a multi-agency group in the form of the National Coordinating Committee for Food and Nutrition (NCCFN). The NCCFN has representation for the nine thrust areas of NPAN that cut across various sectors including health, agriculture, education, community development and economic planning. Capacity building is a central strategy in the NPAN through the creation of positions and special budgetary allocations, and the implementation of activities including research, training, development of dietary guidelines and the National Nutrition Policy. This policy will be a major driving force for strengthening and building of capacity for nutrition-related activities, and more importantly it will facilitate a coordinated and coherent approach to capacity building, including sharing of resources.
Elderly people are known to be at a greater risk of malnutrition, particularly those having diseases or illnesses. A prospective study was undertaken on 92 hospitalised geriatric patients (45.6% males), aged 60 to 89 years old, admitted to surgical and medical wards at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM). The study aimed to assess malnutrition at admission, day 3 and day 7 of hospitalisation, and its relation with length of stay in the wards. Malnutrition was assessed using anthropometrics and biochemical indicators. Although the majority of subjects had a normal Body Mass Index (BMI), 10.9% had Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) and 38% were overweight. A total of 10% subjects had muscle wasting as assessed by Mid-upper Arm Circumference (MUAC). Biochemical tests indicated that women subjects were more likely to have hypoalbuminaemia (p <0.05) whilst, men were at risk of anaemia (p < 0.05). Throughout hospitalisation, there was a significant reduction in body weight, biceps skinfold thickness, calf circumference, MUAC, percentage of body fat and body mass index (BMI) in both males and females (p < 0.05 for all parameters). Biochemical tests on a sub sample of subjects indicated that 71.4% had hypoalbuminaemia and 39.6% were anaemic. Subjects diagnosed with cancer, had loss of appetite or had poor nutritional status as assessed by BMI or MUAC on admission were more likely to be hospitalised longer than or equal to 7 days (p < 0.05 for all parameters). Serum albumin levels at admission correlated positively with MUAC values both on admission (r = 0.608, p <0.01) and at clay seven of hospitalisation (r = 0.906, p < 0.05). There is a need to screen elderly patients at high risk of malnutrition at admission in order to reduce the length of stay and increase their health and nutritional status.
University students may encounter personal, family, social, and financial stresses while trying to cope with their academic challenges. Such constraints could affect their eating behavior and health status which, in turn may have negative effects on their studies. In light of little information in Malaysia on this subject, this study was undertaken on a sample of 180 students pursuing different academic programs in a Malaysian university. The study objectives were to determine the students' eating behavior including body weight control and the extent of fear of being fat, their social self concept that reflects the five selves namely, the psychological self, the social self, the sexual self, the family self and the physical self. Eating behavior and social self concept were determined based on various methods previously validated in studies on young adults in Asia and Australia. This article focuses on gender comparisons for these determinants. The results showed that psychological and emotional factors have a significant bearing on the eating behavior of university students. Uninhibited eating behavior of both the males and females showed significant and negative correlations with feelings pertaining to personal worth, the physical self, and their relationships with peers and families. Gender differences were manifested for some determinants. The females showed more restrained eating behavior than the males; the females have a significantly higher score for family relationship, which appears to be a significant factor on male students' eating behavior. Future studies on a larger sample size may help to unravel the extent to which psychological factors influence eating behavior of students, and the underlying psychosocial basis for some of the gender differences reported in this study.
This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant activity (total antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities) of seaweeds commercially available in the Malaysian supermarket. Four types of seaweeds namely Nori (Porphyra sp.), Kumbu (Laminaria sp.), Wakame (Undaria sp.) and Hijiki (Hijikia sp.) were used in the study. The extracts were prepared with water and ethanol, respectively. The b-carotene bleaching and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays were used to determine antioxidant properties of seaweeds by measuring the decrease in absorbance at 470 and 517 nm. In water extract, Kumbu showed the highest total antioxidant activity of 63% compared with other samples. Kumbu, Nori and Hijiki exhibited higher radical scavenging activity than Wakame when extracted with water. Wakame exhibited the highest antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities in ethanolic extract with 58% and EC50 = 0.42 mg/ml respectively. The results of ANOVA analysis show significant differences (p<0.05) in the means of total antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of the seaweeds. The results showed that processed commercial seaweeds exhibited varying degrees of antioxidant properties.
The effects of dietary fat during pregnancy and lactation on growth performance of pups, milk composition and very low density lipoprotein composition in rats were studied. A total of 33 dams were used in this study and each litter was adjusted to 8 pups per dam. The dams were fed on high fat (150 g fat/kg diet, HF), medium fat (75 g fat/kg of diet, MF) and low fat (2.5 g fat/kg diet, LF) diets. The body weights of dams increased during pregnancy and decreased after pregnancy. The HF pups had a higher body weight and higher weight gain than those of LF pups. The amount of feed intake of HF dams was significantly higher than LF and MF dams. The HF dams had significantly higher milk fat and water concentrations than LF dams. The milk protein was not significantly different among the treatment groups. All dams showed hypertriacylglycerolaemia in their very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) in late pregnancy. The VLDL-protein concentrations increased during the first week after parturition. The HF dams showed a greater response to the dietary fat than that of LF and MF dams. The findings suggest that addition of fat in the diet during pregnancy and lactation may improve the milk quality through modifying the composition of VLDL contents, leading to better growth of pups.
Tocotrienols and tocopherols are isoforms of vitamin E. Vitamin E may exhibit antioxidant, prooxidant and non-antioxidant activities depending upon circumstances. In this study, the effect of tocotrienols and a-tocopherol on the activities of HMG CoA reductase and cholesterol 7 a-hydroxylase was investigated. Pure tocotrienols were isolated from palm fatty acid distillate and pure a-tocopherol was obtained commercially. Guinea pigs were treated with different dosages of tocotrienols and a-tocopherol. After the treatment period, animals were sacrificed and liver microsomes were prepared. HMG CoA reductase and cholesterol 7a-hydroxylase were assayed using tracer techniques. Our results showed that the effects of tocotrienols and a-tocopherol on the activities of both the enzymes were dose-dependent. At low dosages, both tocotrienols and a-tocopherol exhibited an inhibitory effect on both the enzymes. Moreover, tocotrienols were a much stronger inhibitors than a-tocopherol. At high dosages, on the other hand, tocotrienols and a-tocopherol showed opposite effects on the enzymes. While tocotrienols continued to exhibit an inhibitory effect, a-tocopherol actually exhibited a stimulatory effect on both the enzymes. A possible explanation for this observation is suggested.
This study was conducted to determine the effects of increased edible palm oil consumption on community health status in the aboriginal communities in Tual Post (treatment group) and Sinderut Post (control group), Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Nutritional status, blood pressure, lipid profiles, fasting blood glucose (FBG), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) levels and lipid peroxidation product (malonaldehyde) levels were taken as indicators of health status. This is a pre-and post-controlled community trial in which similar variables were measured in each group. Every family of 2-6 household members was given 2-5 kg cooking palm oil per month for a period of 18 months. All subjects were measured for height (cm), weight (kg) and waist-hip ratio (WHR). For calorie intake measurement, house-to-house interviews were conducted using 24-hour dietary recall method. Blood pressure, percent body fat, lipid profiles, namely total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were also measured. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) levels and lipid peroxidation products (MDA) were also determined. There was a significant increase (p<0.05) in percent body fat (28.1%) and calorie intake (17.2%) following palm oil consumption. The proportion of fat intake as an energy source also increased from 4.6% to 33.9%. There was a reduction in the systolic blood pressure following consumption (p<0.05). However, diastolic blood pressure did not change. A significant decrease (p<0.05) was observed in total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and triglyceride. No particular pattern in fasting blood glucose levels was observed among the indigenous inhabitants following palm oil consumption. There was a significant increase in alpha-tocopherol levels (p<0.0001) and a decrease in MDA levels (p<0.0001) following consumption. In conclusion, high consumption of edible palm oil for 18 months was found to be not harmful to health. For the Malaysian aborigines, it serves as a good source of fat and energy.
The effects of dietary fat during pregnancy and lactation on growth performance of pups, milk composition and very low density lipoprotein composition in rats were studied. A total of 33 dams were used in this study and each litter was adjusted to 8 pups per dam. The dams were fed on high fat (150 g fat/kg diet, HF), medium fat (75 g fat/kg of diet, MF) and low fat (2.5 g fat/kg diet, LF) diets. The body weights of dams increased during pregnancy and decreased after pregnancy. The HF pups had a higher body weight and higher weight gain than those of LF pups. The amount of feed intake of HF dams was significantly higher than LF and MF dams. The HF dams had significantly higher milk fat and water concentrations than LF dams. The milk protein was not significantly different among the treatment groups. All dams showed hypertriacylglycerolaemia in their very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) in late pregnancy. The VLDL-protein concentrations increased during the first week after parturition. The HF dams showed a greater response to the dietary fat than that of LF and MF dams. The findings suggest that addition of fat in the diet during pregnancy and lactation may improve the milk quality through modifying the composition of VLDL contents, leading to better growth of pups.
This study was conducted to determine the effects of increased edible palm oil consumption on community health status in the aboriginal communities in Tual Post (treatment group) and Sinderut Post (control group), Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Nutritional status, blood pressure, lipid profiles, fasting blood glucose (FBG), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) levels and lipid peroxidation product (malonaldehyde) levels were taken as indicators of health status. This is a pre-and post-controlled community trial in which similar variables were measured in each group. Every family of 2–6 household members was given 2–5 kg cooking palm oil per month for a period of 18 months. All subjects were measured for height (cm), weight (kg) and waist-hip ratio (WHR). For calorie intake measurement, house-to-house interviews were conducted using 24-hour dietary recall method. Blood pressure, percent body fat, lipid profiles, namely total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were also measured. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) levels and lipid peroxidation products (MDA) were also determined. There was a significant increase (p
This paper sheds light on infectious diseases and the status of malnutrition in Nepal, a Himalayan country located in South Asia. In spite of efforts by both Government and non-government sectors, infectious diseases are rampant in the countries constituting a major cause of morbidity and mortality, which in turn, impose a socio-economic and public health burden for the country. Intestinal parasitic infection has been implicated in the causation of malnutrition. Malnutrition associated with child mortality is more common among children aged less than five years. Nepalese women suffer from chronic malnutrition. People in rural areas are more affected by malnutrition than those in urban areas. This has been attributed to poverty, lack of education, and rampant infectious diseases.
Tocotrienols and tocopherols are isoforms of vitamin E. Vitamin E may exhibit antioxidant, prooxidant and non-antioxidant activities depending upon circumstances. In this study, the effect of tocotrienols and α-tocopherol on the activities of HMG CoA reductase and cholesterol 7 α-hydroxylase was investigated. Pure tocotrienols were isolated from palm fatty acid distillate and pure α-tocopherol was obtained commercially. Guinea pigs were treated with different dosages of tocotrienols and α-tocopherol. After the treatment period, animals were sacrificed and liver microsomes were prepared. HMG CoA reductase and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase were assayed using tracer techniques. Our results showed that the effects of tocotrienols and α-tocopherol on the activities of both the enzymes were dose-dependent. At low dosages, both tocotrienols and α-tocopherol exhibited an inhibitory effect on both the enzymes. Moreover, tocotrienols were a much stronger inhibitors than α-tocopherol. At high dosages, on the other hand, tocotrienols and α-tocopherol showed opposite effects on the enzymes. While tocotrienols continued to exhibit an inhibitory effect, α-tocopherol actually exhibited a stimulatory effect on both the enzymes. A possible explanation for this observation is suggested.
Major sporting events in Malaysia are commonly staged in hot environments where the average daytime temperature is generally in the range of 29 to 31°C with the average relative humidity ranging from 80 to 95%. Exercise capacity and exercise performance are reduced when the ambient temperature is high and it has major implications for competitors as well as for spectators and officials. Prolonged exercise leads to progressive water and electrolyte loss from the body as sweat is secreted to promote heat loss. The rate of sweating depends on many factors and increases in proportion to work rate and environmental temperature and humidity. Sweat rates are highly variable and can exceed 2L.h-1 for prolonged periods in high heat. Since dehydration will impair exercise capacity and can pose a risk to health, the intake of fluid during exercise to offset sweat losses is important. Carbohydrate-electrolyte fluid ingestion during exercise has the dual role of providing a source of carbohydrate fuel to supplement the body's limited stores and of supplying water and electrolytes to replace the losses incurred by sweating. The composition of the drinks to be taken will be influenced by the relative importance of the need to supply fuel and water which, in turn depends on the intensity and duration of exercise activity, the ambient temperature, and humidity. Carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions appear to be more effective in improving performance than plain water. There is no advantage to fluid intake during exercise of less than 30-minute duration. Complete restoration of fluid balance after exercise is an important part of the recovery process and becomes even more important in hot, humid conditions. If a second bout of exercise has to be performed after a relatively short interval, the speed of rehydration becomes of crucial importance. Rehydration after exercise requires not only replacement of volume losses, but also replacement of some electrolytes, primarily sodium. Studies show that rehydration after exercise can be achieved only if sweat electrolyte losses as well as water are replaced. Drinks with low sodium content are ineffective at rehydration and they will only reduce the stimulus to drink. Addition of smalls amounts of carbohydrate to the rehydrating drinks may improve the rate of intestinal uptake of sodium and water and will improve palatability. The volume of the rehydration beverage consumed should be greater than the volume of sweat lost to provide the ongoing obligatory urine losses. Palatability of the beverage is a major issue when a large volume of fluid has to be consumed.
The antioxidant activity of two edible medicinal plants commonly used in Malaysian traditional medicine i.e. Piper sarmentosum (kadok) and Morinda elliptica (mengkudu) were tested for antioxidant activity. The methanolic leave extracts of kadok and mengkudu, at 250ug/ml, were tested using the Xanthine/Xanthine Oxidase (X/XOD) Superoxide Scavenging assay. Both extracts showed high superoxide scavenging assay, 88% and 80% respectively compared to superoxide dismutase (SOD) standard. The crude extracts were further fractionated using column chromatography and tested for superoxide scavenging activity, to obtain antioxidant active fractions. Two active fractions were obtained from kadok, PsFr6-71.3%, PsFr7-71.3%, and one active fraction from mengkudu, MeFr3-86.6%. These active fractions were compared against 14 phenolic compound standards. After a series of HPLC analysis of samples and standards, a natural antioxidant compound was identified in kadok and mengkudu i.e. Naringenin (4',5,7-Trihydroxyflavanone) with 75.7% superoxide scavenging activity. Naringenin is a highly potent natural antioxidant that has been reported in the raw materials of larch and grapefruit extracts. Thus, kadok and mengkudu which contain Naringenin, could be used as antioxidant dietary supplements.