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Systematic Review of the Health Effects Associated with Consumption of Caffeine in Humans

November 3, 2014 in /by

To date, one of the most heavily cited assessments of caffeine safety in the peer-reviewed literature is that issued by Health Canada (Nawrot et al., 2003). Since then, >10,000 papers have been published related to caffeine. An update to this review will serve the public health by providing an updated based on all the literature published over the past 12+ years. A systematic review of data on potential adverse effects of caffeine published from 2001 to June 2015 will be conducted.

Institution: ToxStrategies, Inc.
Principal Investigator: Candace Doepker, PhD
Years Awarded: 2014

Read the systematic review.
Access the Caffeine Systematic Review Resource Page.
View Key Findings and Implications of Caffeine Systematic Review.

Learn more about the IAFNS Caffeine Committee.

Perinatal Choline Status and Cognitive Function

September 12, 2014 in /by

Perinatal nutrition plays a critical role in neurodevelopmental patterns, and specific periods of sensitivity have been identified during which deficiency of even a single nutrient can negatively impact long-term cognitive and behavioral measures. Recent human and rodent studies suggest provision of choline may help to not only support structural neurodevelopment, but also promote cognitive function, but dietary effects in these species can only be assessed after the vast majority of brain growth and development have occurred. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of prenatal and early-postnatal choline deficiency on brain structure and function using the piglet.

Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Principal Investigator: Ryan Dilger, PhD
Year Awarded: 2015

The IAFNS Future Leader Award, given annually to promising nutrition and food scientists, allows new investigators the opportunity to add to an existing project or to conduct exploratory research that might not receive funding from other sources or add to an existing project. Consideration is given to individuals proposing research in the areas of experimental nutrition, nutrition and toxicology, and nutrition and food science. Grants extend for a period of 2 years at a funding level of $15,000 USD per year. Funds may not be used for overhead or to support the investigator’s salary.

View all Future Leader Award Recipients.

Evaluation of Arsenic-Induced Intracytoplasmic Inclusions

August 21, 2014 in /by

Intracytoplasmic inclusions have been observed in various cell types in individuals exposed to high levels of inorganic arsenic in the drinking water or diet and have been classified as micronuclei. However, in our laboratory, we have observed identical types of inclusions in mice exposed to arsenicals and in patients treated with arsenic trioxide for promyelocytic leukemia, and have conclusively demonstrated that these are not micronuclei using electron microscopy and staining with DAPI, a chromosome specific stain. Similar to what has been reported in the literature as micronuclei in the epidemiology studies, the inclusions we observed stain positive with Giemsa, but this is a very non-specific stain. The purpose of this study is to obtain cells from individuals in epidemiology studies that have been exposed to high levels of inorganic arsenic in the drinking water and/or diet and to examine them in detail to determine whether they represent true micronuclei or if they are what we have identified as intracytoplasmic inclusions.

Institution: University of Nebraska Medical Center
Principal Investigator: Samuel Cohen, PhD
Years Awarded: 2014

Learn more about the IAFNS Food and Chemical Safety Committee.

Evidence Mapping of Low-Calorie Sweeteners and Health Outcomes

July 11, 2014 in /by

As concerns regarding the link between added sugars and obesity risk rise, there is increasing interest in low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) as a common replacement of added sugars to help reduce total energy intake and reduce excess body weight. In 2012, a joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association (AHA/ADA) concluded that, at that time, there were insufficient data to determine conclusively whether the use of LCSs to displace caloric sweeteners in beverage and food reduces added sugars or carbohydrate intake, or modifies appetite, energy balance, body weight, or cardiometabolic risk factors. This project aims to identify and prioritize the direction of future research for LCS intakes and health outcomes.

Institution: Tufts University
Principal Investigator: Mei Chung, PhD
Year Awarded: 2014

Read More: Research Priorities For Studies Linking Intake Of Low Calorie Sweeteners And Potentially Related Health Outcomes

Learn more about the IAFNS Low-Calorie Sweeteners Committee.

Development of a Fortification Database

July 9, 2014 in /by

The aim of this project is to develop a database of enriched, fortified, and intrinsic nutrient levels for all foods reported consumed in the 2007-2008, 2009-2010 WWEIA, NHANES, and also the2011-2012 WWEIA, NHANES, which provides the most recent nationally representative food consumption data for the U.S. population at this time. The database can be used to estimate updated intakes of nutrients added for fortification or enrichment purposes. Ultimately, information on nutrient intakes from added sources could be used to better align intakes with nutrient needs.

Institution: Exponent
Principal Investigator: Mary Murphy, MS, RD
Year Awarded: 2014

Read more.

Learn more about the IAFNS Fortification Committee.

Evaluating the Association between Dietary Exposure to Inorganic Arsenic on Health Outcomes for the US Population

July 7, 2014 in /by

Chronic adverse health effects have been observed with exposure to high levels of inorganic arsenic. The health effects related to lower levels inorganic arsenic exposure have not been established. The aim of this study is to evaluate longitudinal cohort studies for their utility in estimating dietary
inorganic arsenic exposure and quantifying statistically reliable associations with health outcomes.

Institution: Exponent
Principal Investigator: Joyce Tsuji, PhD, DABT
Year Awarded: 2014

Read more.

Learn more about the IAFNS Food and Chemical Safety Committee.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils: Dose Response Evaluation

June 10, 2014 in /by

There is evidence of a significant dose-dependent linear relationship between industrial trans fatty acids (iTFA) intake from partially hydrogenated oils and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), a validated surrogate marker of coronary heart disease risk. The aim of this study is to conduct a meta-regression of controlled clinical trial data to investigate quantitatively the relationship between dietary intake of iTFAs and increased LDL-C, and to systematically consider the data relating to the mode of action for the effects of iTFAs on plasma LDL-C levels.

Institution: Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment
Principal Investigator: Lynne Haber, PhD
Year Awarded: 2015

Read more:
Mode-of-action evaluation for the effect of trans fatty acids on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
Meta-regression analysis of the effect of trans fatty acids on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

View Part 1 of this project: Trans Fatty Acids and Cholesterol Levels: An Evidence Map of the Available Science

Learn more about the IAFNS Partially Hydrogenated Oils Committee.

An Approach to Standardize the Concepts of Low Dose and Nonmonotonic Dose Response in Toxicological Research and Regulatory Science

June 1, 2014 in , /by

The IAFNS Food and Chemical Safety Committee invests in the training and education of future scientists and leaders in the fields of food and chemical safety and food toxicology by supporting a Summer Fellowship Program for doctoral students. This project focused on An Approach to Standardize the Concepts of Low Dose and Nonmonotonic Dose Response in Toxicological Research and Regulatory Science.

Institution: New York University
Summer Fellow: Joshua Vaughan, PhD
Amount Awarded: Summer fellows receive a stipend intended to cover living expenses and transportation to/from Washington, DC.
Year Awarded: 2014

Learn more about the IAFNS Food and Chemical Safety Committee.

Quantitative Modeling for Biomarker Assessment of Carbohydrate Metabolism

May 19, 2014 in /by

It is now appreciated that the many pathways leading to oncogenesis result in changes in cellular metabolism and the ability of the tumors environmental nutritional state to directly couple to its capacity for growth. One of the first molecularly defined differences between normal tissue and cancerous growth was the observations that the tumor tissue exhibited dramatically enhanced abilities to uptake and process glucose — the predominant macronutrient for growing cells. Our understanding of metabolism is challenged by the enormous complexity of the interaction between metabolic pathways and the genetic aberrations that alter these pathways. This project will utilize the application of computational methods rooted in systems biology in conjunction with the use of mass spectrometry—based metabolomics to understand mechanisms surrounding altered metabolism in cancer cells and primary tumors.

Institution: Cornell University
Principal Investigator: Jason Locasale, PhD
Year Awarded: 2014

The IAFNS Future Leader Award, given annually to promising nutrition and food scientists, allows new investigators the opportunity to add to an existing project or to conduct exploratory research that might not receive funding from other sources or add to an existing project. Consideration is given to individuals proposing research in the areas of experimental nutrition, nutrition and toxicology, and nutrition and food science. Grants extend for a period of 2 years at a funding level of $15,000 USD per year. Funds may not be used for overhead or to support the investigator’s salary.

View all Future Leader Award Recipients.

Identifying Genomic and Microbiome Influence on Response to Dietary Interventions for Improved Lipid Parameters

May 9, 2014 in /by

Metabolic syndrome, whose clinical manifestations include central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and elevated glucose levels, results in greatly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Changes in diet and physical activity can prevent and even reverse manifestations of metabolic syndrome, but current dietary recommendations fail to account for important factors, such as the individual’s genome and their intestinal bacteria community, which could determine how they respond to changes in diet. The microbiome in particular is shaped by both host genes and diet and has a central role in the regulation of digestion and metabolism. The goal of this study is to determine whether changes in the richness, diversity, or structure of the intestinal microbial community can be used as a predictor for response to alterations in diet.

Institution: Colorado State University
Principal Investigator: Tiffany Weir, PhD
Year Awarded: 2014

The IAFNS Future Leader Award, given annually to promising nutrition and food scientists, allows new investigators the opportunity to add to an existing project or to conduct exploratory research that might not receive funding from other sources or add to an existing project. Consideration is given to individuals proposing research in the areas of experimental nutrition, nutrition and toxicology, and nutrition and food science. Grants extend for a period of 2 years at a funding level of $15,000 USD per year. Funds may not be used for overhead or to support the investigator’s salary.

View all Future Leader Award Recipients.