These data support recommendations to increase F&V intake to ≥ 6 portions daily, with additional benefit from F&Vs that are rich in flavonoids, particularly in men with an increased risk of CVD.

The beneficial effects of cocoa on vascular function are mediated by the absorption of monomeric flavanols into the circulation from the small intestine. As such, an understanding of the impact of the food matrix on the delivery of flavanols to the circulation is critical in assessing the potential vascular impact of a food. In the present study, we investigated the impact of carbohydrate type on flavanol absorption and metabolism from chocolate. A randomised, double-blind, three-arm cross-over study was conducted, where fifteen volunteers were randomly assigned to either a high-flavanol (266 mg) chocolate containing maltitol, a high-flavanol (251 mg) chocolate with sucrose or a low-flavanol (48 mg) chocolate with sucrose. Test chocolates were matched for micro-and macronutrients, including the alkaloids theobromine and caffeine, and were similar in taste and appearance. Total flavanol absorption was lower after consumption of the maltitolcontaining test chocolate compared with following consumption of its sucrose-containing equivalent (P¼0·002). Although the O-methylation pattern observed for absorbed flavanols was unaffected by sugar type, individual levels of unmethylated (2)-epicatechin metabolites, 3 0 -O-methyl-epicatechin and 4 0 -O-methyl-epicatechin metabolites were lower for the maltitol-containing test chocolate compared with the sucrose-containing equivalent. Despite a reduction in the total plasma pool of flavanols, the maximum time (T max ) was unaffected. The present data indicate that full assessment of intervention treatments is vital in future intervention trials with flavanols and that carbohydrate content is an important determinant for the optimal delivery of flavanols to the circulation.

Assessment of disease control among asthmatic adolescents Background: The clinical assessment of asthma control is fundamental to evaluate the results of treatment. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) is a questionnaire with five scored items, that differentiates between a well controlled or uncontrolled asthma. It has a Spanish version and has been applied in different countries. Aim: To assess asthma control using the ACT and compare it with the clinical assessment of specialists in a group of pediatric patients. Material and methods: The ACT was applied to 220 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, 54% males, with persistent asthma, attended at a respiratory disease unit of a pediatric hospital. The concordance between ACT results and the assessment of specialists was also evaluated. Results: According to ACT and specialists, asthma was controlled in 54% and 63% of patients, respectively. There was a weak concordance between ACT and specialists assessment (Kappa Index: 0.27; 95% confidence intervals: 0.14-0.4). The degree of asthma control decreased along with increasing severity of the disease (χ 2 = 10.128, p =0.001). Conclusions: Half of the evaluated asthmatic adolescents do not have an adequate control of their disease. Severity of the disease is inversely related to the degree of control (

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