Nutrition Science Research Articles

Vegetarian Diets, Ayurveda, and the Case for an Integrative Nutrition Science.

Two recent studies of the health effects of vegetarian diets reported conflicting results: the EPIC-Oxford study reported a significant increase in strokes among vegetarians compared to meat-eaters among a predominantly Caucasian cohort, while another, performed on Taiwanese Buddhists, reported significantly lower incidence of strokes among vegetarians. This was doubly puzzling given the pronounced decrease in cardiovascular events among the EPIC-Oxford group. In this article, we make a detailed comparison of the actual dietary intake of various food groups by the cohorts in these studies. We then use the nutritional principles of Ayurveda—traditional Indian medicine—to show how these apparently contradictory results may be explained. Systems of traditional medicine such as Ayurveda possess profound knowledge of the effects of food on physiology. Ayurveda takes into account not just the type of food, but also multiple other factors such as taste, temperature, and time of consumption. Traditional cuisines have evolved hand in hand with such systems of medicine to optimize nutrition in the context of local climate and food availability. Harnessing the experiential wisdom of these traditional systems to create an integrative nutrition science would help fight the ongoing epidemic of chronic lifestyle diseases, and improve health and wellness.

Implementing Online Best Practices and Learning Community during the Pandemic in a Nutrition Course for Nutrition and Health Sciences Majors

Implementing Online Best Practices and Learning Community during the Pandemic in a Nutrition Course for Nutrition and Health Sciences Majors

FoodMASTER Small Bites: Creating Videos to Introduce Food and Nutrition Science Lessons

FoodMASTER Small Bites: Creating Videos to Introduce Food and Nutrition Science Lessons

A2 milk: a new way to offer a flat white?

A2 milk: a new way to offer a flat white?

Nutrition Bulletin recognised with Impact Factor™

<i>Nutrition Bulletin</i> recognised with Impact Factor™

Future of food: Innovating towards sustainable healthy diets

Future of food: Innovating towards sustainable healthy diets

Space Radiation Protection Countermeasures in Microgravity and Planetary Exploration.

Background: Space radiation is one of the principal environmental factors limiting the human tolerance for space travel, and therefore a primary risk in need of mitigation strategies to enable crewed exploration of the solar system. Methods: We summarize the current state of knowledge regarding potential means to reduce the biological effects of space radiation. New countermeasure strategies for exploration-class missions are proposed, based on recent advances in nutrition, pharmacologic, and immune science. Results: Radiation protection can be categorized into (1) exposure-limiting: shielding and mission duration; (2) countermeasures: radioprotectors, radiomodulators, radiomitigators, and immune-modulation, and; (3) treatment and supportive care for the effects of radiation. Vehicle and mission design can augment the overall exposure. Testing in terrestrial laboratories and earth-based exposure facilities, as well as on the International Space Station (ISS), has demonstrated that dietary and pharmacologic countermeasures can be safe and effective. Immune system modulators are less robustly tested but show promise. Therapies for radiation prodromal syndrome may include pharmacologic agents; and autologous marrow for acute radiation syndrome (ARS). Conclusions: Current radiation protection technology is not yet optimized, but nevertheless offers substantial protection to crews based on Lunar or Mars design reference missions. With additional research and human testing, the space radiation risk can be further mitigated to allow for long-duration exploration of the solar system.

The Application of Systems Science in Nutrition-Related Behaviors and Outcomes Implementation Research: A Scoping Review.

ABSTRACTUse of systems science can improve the dissemination and implementation (D&I) process. However, little is known about use of systems science in nutrition D&I research. The purpose of this article is to synthesize the ways in which systems science methodology is applied in nutrition D&I research. Scoping review methodology involved searching 6 academic databases for full-text, peer-reviewed, English articles published between 1970 and 2020 that employed systems science within nutrition D&I research. Data extraction included intervention type, population, study aim, methods, theoretical approach, outcomes, and results. Descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis followed. Thirty-four retained articles qualitatively identified benefits (successful planning and organization of complex interventions) and challenges (limited resources, trainings, and lack of knowledge) to utilizing systems science in nutrition D&I research. Future research should work toward building knowledge capacity among nutrition practitioners by increasing available trainings and resources to enhance the utilization of systems science in nutrition D&I research.

Levels of Awareness among School Teachers Regarding Female Athletes and Nutritional Science

Given the concerns about the adverse physical effects of overtraining and energy intake deficiency in pubescent girls, teachers providing them with sports instructions must have accurate knowledge about and complete understanding of their physical and mental conditions as well as knowledge about nutritional science. In this study, we surveyed 60 registered dietitians (G1), 131 health and physical education teachers (G2), and 116 teachers teaching other subjects (G3) to find differences in the levels of knowledge about the female athlete triad (FAT) and nutritional science among the three groups. The participants were requested to answer 30 questions regarding six factors associated with FAT and nutrition: obesity and thinness, dietary behavior, menstruation, energy, bone, and nutritional science. The total scores for the respective factors were evaluated. There were no differences in the menstruation factor score between G1 and G2. The scores for the other factors in G2 were significantly lower than those in G1. The scores for the following four factors in G3 were significantly lower than those in G1 and G2: obesity and thinness, nutritional science, bone, and menstruation. The scores for the remaining two factors, i.e., dietary behavior and energy, were significantly lower in G3 than those in G1. In conclusion, only G3 had a lower level of awareness about the menstruation factor, whereas G2 and G3 had lower levels of awareness about the other factors.

Gastropolitics: Speaking in Tongues

Gastropolitics: Speaking in Tongues

Penyuluhan dan praktek pembuatan pakan komplit fermentasi kepada peternak sapi dan kerbau di Aceh Jaya (Counseling and training on preparation of fermentation complete feed for cow and buffalo farmers in Aceh Jaya)

This community service activity aimed to introduce the methods for formulating complete feed with fermentation technology to the local farmers. This activity was targeted to farmers’ community in Keude Panga Village, Aceh Jaya Regency, Aceh Province. This community service was attended by 3 lecturers, 25 participants, and a number of representatives from related service officials. The activity was carried out by giving lecture, discussion (for 1 day) and hands-on training on complete fermented feed preparation for 21 days. The processing introduced was in the form of fermentation technology using materials such as elephant grass, lamtoro (Chinese petai) leaves, coconut cake, tofu dregs, coarse bran, urea, molasses, salt, and effective microorganisms (EM-4) which were then formulated into a complete feed. The ingredients used were locally available in Aceh in general and also available at the Laboratory of Nutrition Science and Feed Technology, Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh. As a result, farmers could gain additional knowledge and skills about feed processing with fermentation technology using local feed ingredients. In conclusion, it is suggested that the farmers can take advantage on agricultural and industrial wastes in the vicinity, whose nutritional potential can be maintained and improved by fermentation technology.

CORR Insights®: Which Bone-Modifying Agent is Associated with Better Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic Bone Disease from Lung Cancer? A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

CORR Insights®: Which Bone-Modifying Agent is Associated with Better Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic Bone Disease from Lung Cancer? A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Melding microbiome and nutritional science with early child development.

Programs for treating malnutrition in children should consider how food formulations affect postnatal gut microbiome development.

Short and Long-Term Innovations on Dietary Behavior Assessment and Coaching: Present Efforts and Vision of the Pride and Prejudice Consortium.

Overweight, obesity and cardiometabolic diseases are major global health concerns. Lifestyle factors, including diet, have been acknowledged to play a key role in the solution of these health risks. However, as shown by numerous studies, and in clinical practice, it is extremely challenging to quantify dietary behaviors as well as influencing them via dietary interventions. As shown by the limited success of ‘one-size-fits-all’ nutritional campaigns catered to an entire population or subpopulation, the need for more personalized coaching approaches is evident. New technology-based innovations provide opportunities to further improve the accuracy of dietary assessment and develop approaches to coach individuals towards healthier dietary behaviors. Pride & Prejudice (P&P) is a unique multi-disciplinary consortium consisting of researchers in life, nutrition, ICT, design, behavioral and social sciences from all four Dutch Universities of Technology. P&P focuses on the development and integration of innovative technological techniques such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, conversational agents, behavior change theory and personalized coaching to improve current practices and establish lasting dietary behavior change.

Droplet Microfluidics for Food and Nutrition Applications.

Droplet microfluidics revolutionizes the way experiments and analyses are conducted in many fields of science, based on decades of basic research. Applied sciences are also impacted, opening new perspectives on how we look at complex matter. In particular, food and nutritional sciences still have many research questions unsolved, and conventional laboratory methods are not always suitable to answer them. In this review, we present how microfluidics have been used in these fields to produce and investigate various droplet-based systems, namely simple and double emulsions, microgels, microparticles, and microcapsules with food-grade compositions. We show that droplet microfluidic devices enable unprecedented control over their production and properties, and can be integrated in lab-on-chip platforms for in situ and time-resolved analyses. This approach is illustrated for on-chip measurements of droplet interfacial properties, droplet–droplet coalescence, phase behavior of biopolymer mixtures, and reaction kinetics related to food digestion and nutrient absorption. As a perspective, we present promising developments in the adjacent fields of biochemistry and microbiology, as well as advanced microfluidics–analytical instrument coupling, all of which could be applied to solve research questions at the interface of food and nutritional sciences.

Effect of low carbohydrate diets on insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome.

Purpose of reviewThis review outlines recent research in the application of low carbohydrate diets (LCD) for insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MetS).Recent findingsStudies included in this review explore how a LCD can be used in the management of patients with IR and MetS. LCDs have been shown to result in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) remission, improve lipid profiles and dramatically reduce intrahepatic fat.SummaryThe field of nutritional science is notoriously complex. The LCD has a simple narrative, which can easily and safely be applied in clinical practice. Current guidelines recognise and encourage the use of LCD as a valid option for patients with T2DM and obesity. Structured, evidence-based education should be available for all clinicians to increase confidence and ensure consistency and quality control. Further real-world evidence into the application and scalability of a LCD are required. The use of digital health solutions and improved health technology should see significant advances in this field, with dietary habit being driven by patient-derived health data in response to food, and not population-based food guidelines. The narrative around MetS and IR needs to change from progression to remission, with a LCD being a valid option for this.

The Importance of Reporting Energy Values of Human Milk as Metabolizable Energy.

Nutrition science has a convention to report metabolizable energy instead of gross energy. Metabolizable energy at 4 kilocalories per gram for protein and carbohydrate, 9 kcal per gram for fat (kilojoules: 17 and 37, respectively) represents the food energy available for metabolism. However, this convention to use metabolizable energy has not been uniformly applied to human milk. Human milk is often reported as gross energy, which is about 5–10% higher than metabolizable energy. To obtain accurate human milk energy estimates, milk samples need to contain the same proportion of high fat hind milk that an infant obtains.

Sustainable and green trends in using plant extracts for the synthesis of biogenic metal nanoparticles toward environmental and pharmaceutical advances: A review

Conventionally utilized physical and chemical routes for constructing nanoparticles are not eco-friendly. They are associated with many shortcomings like the requirement of specially designed equipment, templates, extremely high temperature, and pressure. Biosynthesis seems to be drawn unequivocal attention owing to its upsurge of applications in different fields like; energy, nutrition, pharmaceutical, and medicinal sciences. To harness the biological sources, the present review describes an environment-friendly route to generate biogenic nanoparticles from the natural plant extracts and the followed mechanisms for their synthesis, growth, and stabilization. The present review summarizes the recent trends involved in the photosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles and their effective use in controlling malaria, hepatitis, cancer, like various endemic diseases. Also, various characterization approaches, such as UV–visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, are discussed here examine the properties of as-fabricated nanoparticles. Various plant parts like leaves, stems, barks, fruit, and flowers are rich in flavonoids, phenols, steroids, terpenoids, enzymes, and alkaloids, thereby playing an essential role in reducing metal ions that generate metallic nanoparticles. Herein, the uniqueness of phytofabricated nanoparticles along with their distinctive antibacterial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and drug delivery properties are featured. Lastly, this work highlights the various challenges and future perspectives to further synthesize biogenic metal nanoparticles toward environmental and pharmaceutical advances in the coming years.

Traditional and Indigenous Fruits and Vegetables for Food System Transformation.

ABSTRACTFruit and vegetable consumption is recommended in numerous food-based dietary guidelines and forms a key recommendation in many international statements related to healthy diets. There are thousands of fruit and vegetable species from which to choose, but despite this abundance from nature, populations in most countries neither produce nor consume the recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables. There is enormous potential to better incorporate the wealth of diverse fruit and vegetable species and varieties into food systems. Known and preserved by indigenous communities, these hidden food treasures can foster collaborative research and learning. This perspective from the Task Force on Traditional and Indigenous Food Systems and Nutrition of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) highlights 5 key actions that can be taken by individuals, communities, and nations to reshape dialogue about traditional and indigenous fruits and vegetables to benefit people and planetary ecosystems.

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.