Entries by

Dietary Sweetness & Body Weight: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go From Here?

April 24, 2023 in /by

Recorded April 20, 2022

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.0 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until April 20, 2025.

Description:

Numerous governmental and health organizations recommend reduced intake of added sugars due to the health risks associated with excess energy intake, including the risk of weight gain and obesity. Some organizations further recommend avoiding dietary sweetness, regardless of the source, as sweetness is hypothesized to promote a desire for sweet taste, leading to increased energy intake. Recently, a scoping review and evidence map, funded by IAFNS, were published, characterizing the research that investigated associations between dietary sweetness and body weight. The aim of this work was to identify, and map published studies that have investigated total dietary sweetness, sweet food/beverages, sugar, or sweetener intake, and body weight–related outcomes and/or energy intake. Authors found that although there is a breadth of evidence from studies that have investigated associations between intakes of sweet foods and beverages, sugars, and sweeteners and body weight, there is a limited depth of evidence on the association between total dietary sweetness and body weight. Development of taste databases that characterize the sensory attributes of commonly consumed foods and beverages was one of few methods implemented to systematically evaluate dietary sweetness exposure from the entire diet.

This webinar presents the outcomes of the evidence map and scoping review and a high-level overview of the development, methodology and validation of Taste Databases. It includes the results of studies that relate dietary sweetness exposure to body weight in two Dutch populations. Speakers also provide an overview of the methodology of a new study on the long-term effect of low, regular, and high dietary sweetness exposure on sweetness preference and metabolic measures. Finally, evidence gaps, and future research needed to more conclusively answer this important question on the relationship between dietary sweetness and weight are discussed.

Webinar program:

Kelly Higgins, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland

Kees De Graaf, Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 6.2 Collects and interprets research data to advance knowledge and practice, and to enhance effectiveness of services.
  • 6.4 Engages in scholarly activities through critical inquiry, continuous learning, application of evidence to practice, and support of research activities.
  • 8.1 Interprets and applies current food and nutrition science in nutrition and dietetics practice.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

Focus Groups Provide Insight into Food Sector’s Sodium Reduction Efforts

April 19, 2023 in /by

Focus Groups Provide Insight into Food Sector’s Sodium Reduction Efforts

While providing valuable functions like preserving and leavening to the foods that make up the diet, overconsumption of sodium carries some health risks along with it.

Levels of consumption have led to its designation as a nutrient of public health concern. But the limited impact of public health campaigns to reduce sodium overconsumption has led many to conclude that the best strategy is to reduce sodium in the nation's food supply.

A new study supported by IAFNS uses interviews and focus groups with food professionals to explore the food sector’s sodium reduction efforts.

Common reasons sodium reduction strategies may not be implemented include a perception that ingredient labels with technical names may engender consumer distrust, increased costs, the presence of off-flavors, and a loss of preservative and other functions.

As a result, food industry professionals employ a variety of strategies including substitution and use of flavors. Some incorporate potassium chloride (KCI) in some form as a substitute. Flavor modification methods were prevalent, with particular focus on KCI and incorporating “umami” or savory tastes.

This most recent paper is one in a series on sodium reduction that IAFNS has supported, in addition to a key database of scientific articles on reduction strategies.

 

Reconciling Personalized Nutrition and the DGA: Should and Could Dietary Guidelines be Personalized?

April 13, 2023 in /by

Recorded June 22, 2022

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.0 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until June 22, 2025.

Description:

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are intended for the US population, which includes “people who are healthy, people at risk for diet-related chronic conditions and diseases…and some people who are living with one or more of these diet-related chronic illnesses.” Obesity in the U.S. is projected to reach 50%
by 2030 which will be accompanied by diet-related chronic diseases, despite consistent updating and implementation of food labels, MyPlate and the DGA. Food companies also modify products to align with the DGA, investing significantly in R & D - however, these products generally do not sell well. This session will explore the potential of a shift toward personalization, expanding the DGA beyond adaptation to fit individual preferences, and whether this shift is suited to federal policy vs. other purposes.

Webinar program:

Alison Steiber, Chief Science Officer, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics                                                                              Personalized Nutrition from the Perspective of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Eve Stoody, Director, USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion                                                                              Personalized Nutrition and the DGA: Either or Both? Considerations for the Future of Dietary Guidance 

Angela Odoms-Young, Professor, Cornell University
Personalized Nutrition and Health Equity

Bruce Hamaker, Distinguished Professor, Purdue University
Precision Nutrition for Population Benefit: A Prebiotic Fiber Blend
Example

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • na
  • na
video link

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

A Taste for Change: Sodium Reduction Challenges and Opportunities in Food Service

March 30, 2023 in /by

Recorded March 23, 2023

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.5 CPEU for completion of this recorded webinar until March 23, 2025.

Description:

Excess dietary sodium intake is an important public health issue. Despite decades of dietary guidance to reduce sodium intake, Americans over 13 years of age still consume, on average, nearly 50% more than the recommended limit of 2,300mg of sodium per day.  In October of 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued final Guidance for Industry: Voluntary Sodium Reduction Goals that provide short term (2.5 year) sodium reduction targets for processed, packaged and prepared foods. The guidance is intended to support reducing excess population sodium intake, with the primary objective to reduce the risk for hypertension, which is linked to increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

The FDA sodium reduction guidance specifically addresses all packaged, processed, and prepared food, including those sold in the food service sector. While much is known about sodium reduction efforts in the retail sector, less is known about the sodium reduction efforts across the food service sector, including the sodium contribution of prepared foods from restaurants, and other food service establishments to total sodium intake. This is especially important considering that in 2021, 55 percent of total food expenditures was from Foods Away From Home (FAFH) (ERS-market segments).

This webinar provides an overview of the FDA targets, unique data insights about the food service sector, highlights opportunities and challenges identified at the IAFNS Food Service Sector Dialogue held in October 2022, provides case studies of successful programs focused on sodium reduction in food service and includes a Q & A on strategies to foster progress.

Webinar program:

Trish Zecca MS, IAFNS- Moderator

Robin McKinnon PhD, Senior Advisor Nutrition Policy, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Kasey Heintz MS, Interdisciplinary Nutrition Scientist, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

Jennifer Roberts MS, RDN, Senior Director of Nutrition Communications, Compass Group

Pam Smith RDN, President and Founder Nutritional Consulting Services, Healthy Menus R&D Collaborative

Amy Loew MS, RD Senior Nutrition Scientist, General Mills Inc.

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 12.1.1 Advocates for and promotes food and nutrition programs and resources to address issues of food insecurity, nutritional health and overall health and wellness.
  • 12.3.5 Takes into consideration World Health Organization and public health policies and standards to design programs, initiatives and interventions.
  • 13.2.1 Adheres to and communicates relevant regulations, dietary guidelines, and organizational policies in menu development and implementation.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

The Value of Live Dietary Microbes: Probiotics, Fermented Foods, and Beyond

February 23, 2023 in /by

Recorded January 25, 2023

This webinar is an IAFNS, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and American Society for Nutrition collaboration. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is an accredited CPE provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) and CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.0 CPEU for completion of this recorded webinar until January 25, 2025.

Description:

For many thousands of years, beneficial live microbes have been consumed in various forms, and research has linked consumption to a number of positive health outcomes. But where are “live dietary microbes” currently found in the diet, and at what levels? Where do probiotics and fermented foods fall along this continuum? How much is needed to achieve a “benefit”? To what extent do Americans consume live microbes in their diets?

In this session, Prof. Robert Hutkins will provide the historical context supporting an ongoing interest in live dietary microbes for health benefit. Dietary sources will be reviewed, including a comparison across foods containing probiotics, fermented foods (and their respective definitions), and other foods in the diet less commonly considered to contain beneficial live microbes, and the impact of food preparation. Current hypotheses about live microbe intake levels that might be needed for health benefit will be covered. The concept of a recommended intake for live microbes will be presented briefly, to include an overview of the types of evidence would be needed to generate such a recommendation.

Webinar program:

Panel:

Marie Latulippe, MS MBA RDN, IAFNS
Maria Bernadita Puchulu, PhD, University of Buenos Aires
Robert Hutkins, PhD, University of Nebraska

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 4.1.2 Interprets and integrates evidence-based research and literature in decision-making.
  • 8.1.1 Interprets and applies evidence-based literature and standards for determining nutritional needs to target audiences.
  • 8.1.2 Integrates knowledge of biological, physical, and social sciences with knowledge of food and nutrition to make decisions related to nutrition care.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

Applying Retrospective Harmonization to the Field of Nutrition and Cognitive Health

January 30, 2023 in /by

 

The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) explored neurocognitive health through several systematic reviews and was faced with a literature having “considerable variation in testing methods, inconsistent validity and reliability of cognitive testing methods, and differences between dietary patterns and cognitive outcomes examined,” reducing the ability to draw conclusions (USDA/HHS 2020). The lack of harmonization is a long-standing challenge in the field of nutrition and cognition, recognized over many decades. As the challenge faced by the 2020 DGAC is likely to still be in place for the 2025 DGAC’s review, one potential solution is to develop an approach to this literature.

Retrospective harmonization approaches may be one way to enable better use of more of the prior research to inform current dietary guidance. These approaches involve placing disparate measures on a common scale. In this way, the value of individual studies using these two different measures can be magnified to better inform clinical practice. A similar approach could be taken for measures commonly used in the nutrition and cognition field. This project involves formation of an Expert Group to develop guiding principles for retrospective harmonization in the field of nutrition and cognition, as well as exploration of a pilot exercise using data from large-scale observational studies and focusing on a specific cognitive outcome.

Expert Group:

Lyn Steffen, PhD, MPH, University of Minnesota – Co-Chair

Rafael de la Torre Fornell, PharmD, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute – Co-Chair

Amaia Ayala-García, PhD, MPH, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain

Courtney K Blackwell, PhD, Northwestern University

Christina Khoo, PhD, Ocean Spray Cranberries

Maxwell Armand Mansolf, PhD, Northwestern University

Emilio Ros, MD, PhD, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain

Natalia Soldevila-Domenech, PhD, MPH, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain

Linda Snetselaar, PhD, RD, University of Iowa

Tina Wey, PhD, Maelstrom Research, McGill University Health Centre

So Yun Yi, MPH, University of Minnesota

Year: 2023

Read more: Diet Patterns Associated with Cognitive Decline: Methods to Harmonize Data from European and US Cohort Studies

View this project on the Center for Open Science's Open Science Framework.

This work was supported by the IAFNS Cognitive Health Committee.

Logical Fallacies in the Food and Nutrition Conversation: How to Spot Them & Defuse Them

January 18, 2023 in /by

Recorded January 18, 2023

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.5 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until January, 2026.

Description: Talking about food can get complicated. Discussions on nutrition can be even more complex. The way we think about food may be influenced by what we hear from family and friends, health care providers, and on the news and social media. With so many different sources to take in, it can be overwhelming and confusing to know what is fact and what is fiction. Thinking critically about food and nutrition is important. And recognizing logical fallacies related to food helps with identifying misinformation.

This webinar will feature Leah McGrath, RD, LDN (Buildup Dietitians) and Melanie Trecek-King (Thinking Is Power and Massasoit Community College).

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 2.1.5 Evaluates the effectiveness of communication methods used to ensure understanding of presented information.
  • 2.2.3 Delivers accurate and credible messaging.
  • 4.2.5 Analyzes and synthesizes information and identifies new information, patterns and findings.
video link

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

IAFNS Beltsville Webinar: Flavonoids

December 2, 2022 in /by

Recorded December 1, 2022

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.5 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until December 1, 2025.

Description:

USDA Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center has an active program to improve understanding of the role of flavonoid-rich foods in promoting health, addressing the issue from multiple angles. In this session, research will be presented on how flavonoid-rich berries affect bioenergetics in humans, as well as how a fruit and vegetable supplemented diet rich in flavonoids impacts host health by modulating gut microbiome composition and transcriptome response in a translational animal model. We will also describe our recently released flavonoid data products designed for use with national dietary data and how these resources can be used to inform dietary guidance for flavonoids and advance knowledge about flavonoid-health relationships. Finally, to further support the links between diet and health, as well as cross-talk between USDA’s FoodData Central and other databases, our databases have been expanded to include common, unique identifiers, which will expand the utility of data on food content of flavonoids and other compounds.

Webinar program:

Overview of the USDA Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Naomi K. Fukagawa

Flavonoid Values for USDA Survey Foods and Beverages 2017-2018: A New Data Tool to
Promote Research on Flavonoid-health Relationships
Rhonda Sebastian

How Eating the RDA for Fruits and Vegetables effects Microbiome, Gut health, Gut
immunology: Fruit/Vegetable Research with Pigs
Gloria Solano-Aguilar, PhD

Berry/Flavonoid Research Focusing on Human Health Outcomes and Cellular Bioenergetics
Janet Novotny, PhD

FoodData Central Work Allowing Links to Databases such as Flavonoids
Kyle McKillop

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 6.2.3 Analyzes and interprets data to form valid conclusions and to make recommendations.
  • 6.8.1 Masters and maintains current and evidence-based knowledge within subject areas.
  • 8.1.3 Evaluates the chemical nature and composition of food on food quality, acceptability, and compatibility to inform product development, menu planning and food preparation techniques.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

IAFNS USDA Beltsville: Botanicals and the Impact of Growing Conditions and Food Preparation on Food Composition

November 16, 2022 in /by

Recorded November 15, 2022

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.5 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until November 15, 2025.

Description:

Plant foods are important part of the human diet. They contain various nutrients and large groups of secondary metabolites as bioactive compounds. Food compositions in plant foods are affected by many factors such as genetics, environment, management, and preparation/processing. In this section, the changes of different nutrients/secondary metabolites from strawberries, lettuces, broccoli, sweet corn, and coffee will be presented in response to the different growing conditions, pre/post-harvest management, and food preparation and processing methods. In addition, a botanical database based on mass spectrometric data will be introduced and it will be a very important resource used by common users and professionals in human nutrition research.

Webinar program:

Overview of the USDA Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Naomi K. Fukagawa

Botanical Databases
Pei Chen, PhD

Capturing the Secondary Metabolites Variability in Fruits and Vegetables with Different Growing Conditions
Jianghao Sun, PhD

Effects of Food Processing on the Carotenoids in Sweet Corn
Xianli Wu, PhD

Coffee Chemistry: Complexity of Coffee Compounds and Impact of Roasting Condition
Jae Park, PhD

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 4.2.5 Analyzes and synthesizes information and identifies new information, patterns and findings.
  • 6.2.3 Analyzes and interprets data to form valid conclusions and to make recommedentions.
  • 6.8.1 Demonstrates knowledge of nutrient requirements throughout the lifespan, and their role in health promotion and disease prevention.
  • 8.1.3 Evaluates the chemical nature and composition of food on food quality, acceptability, and compatibility to inform development, menu planning and food preparation techniques.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey