title: Long-term nitrogen balance in preschool children fed the safe level of protein from a cereal-legume-milk diet and adequate energy.
abstract: A long-term N balance study was carried out in five preschool children 3-4 years of age fed a cereal-legume-milk diet providing 1.75 g protein and 100 kcal (418 kJ) energy/kg body weight. This level of protein was found to be safe for preschool children in an earlier short-term N balance study. Continuous N balance was determined for 70 d in three subjects and 45 d in two subjects. All the subjects were found to be in steady positive N balance throughout the experimental period, the mean daily N retention varying between 54.5 and 87.5 mg/d. All the children increased their body weight steadily over the experimental period. No tendency of N balance to decrease with time was observed. It is concluded that the safe level of protein for preschool children estimated from a short-term N balance study is quite adequate when tested by a long-term feeding trial.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002523:Edible Grain; D002149:Energy Intake; D007887:Fabaceae; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen