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Sample Collection, Preservation, and Data Analysis in Gut Microbiome Research: Current Methods and Potential Impact on Results

November 15, 2022 in , /by

The development of dietary guidance relies upon the ability to synthesize a body of evidence and arrive at a reasonably well-supported conclusion. Although publications have purported to identify characteristics of a “healthy gut microbiome”, the one certainty at present is that gut microbiome is highly variable across individuals. In addition, the reality is that gut microbiome research still requires method advancement and refinement. Continuing to improve methods, and working toward alignment across laboratories will move all closer to understanding how diet can impact health at the point of the gut microbiome. In a virtual workshop held on October 13, 2022, the current state of knowledge related to sample collection, utility of standards, sequencing, and bioinformatic and biostatistical approaches was reviewed by experts working in the field. Speakers expanded on how selection among the various methodological options can impact study results. This project includes generating a summary of these discussions will be prepared for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

Scientific Editor: Riley Hughes, PhD, Independent Scientist

Year: 2022

Read More: Methods In Nutrition & Gut Microbiome Research: An American Society For Nutrition Satellite Session

This work was supported by the IAFNS Gut Microbiome.

USDA Beltsville Webinar: Complex Carbohydrates and the Complexity of Carbohydrates

November 3, 2022 in /by

Recorded November 3, 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 November 3, 2025.

Description:

Investigations of the biological efficacy and mechanisms of action for dietary fiber (DF) in human health and nutrition are complicated because, unlike many nutritional components which are discrete compounds, DF represents a diverse set of polymeric materials.  Variations in monomeric composition, degree of polymerization, and structural motifs arising from food preparation all impact the digestibility and probiotic effect of different dietary fiber sources. Scientists at the USDA Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BNHRC) seek to address issues related to these challenges by performing interdisciplinary collaborative research. Their preliminary studies are highlighted in this presentation.

Dr. Dave Luthria will describe his work on high-throughput fiber analysis using automated Ankom Technology, including highlighting the challenges associated with commonly used methodologies for fiber analysis. The pros and cons of different methods used for fiber analysis will be reviewed. Dr. Allen Smith will present his work on examining the biological effects of a food ingredient, resistant potato starch, on the gut microbiome and its impact on inflammation in rodent models. Dr. Thomas Wang will describe his work in a diet-induced-obesity rodent model where different resistant starch levels from cooked rice varietals were used to determine the biological efficacy and mechanism of action for resistant starch in a whole food.  Finally, Dr. Michael Bukowski will close by describing the future of complex carbohydrate analysis using a combination analytical chemistry and polymer analysis techniques.

Webinar program:

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

Research Advances and Challenges in Dietary Fiber Analyses
Dave Luthria, PhD

Research Plans to Improve Carbohydrate Analyses
Mike Bukowski, PhD

Effect of Resistant Starch as an Ingredient on Animal Gut Health
Allen Smith, PhD

Food and Nutrition Research: Carbohydrates in Select Foods, Raw and Processed
Pamela Pehrsson

Rice as a Source of Resistant Starch and Diet Induced Obesity and Gut Microbiome
Tom Wang, PhD

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 4.1.2 Interprets and integrates evidence-based research and literature in decision-making.
  • 4.2.6 Integrates relevant information with previous learning, experience, professional knowledge, and current practice models.
  • 6.2.3 Analyzes and interprets data to form valid conclusions and to make recommendations.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

Opportunities and Challenges to Sodium Reduction in Food Service and Strategies to Foster Progress

November 3, 2022 in /by

The objective of this project is to document the outcomes of a dialogue with leaders from the food service sector, government, and academia to understand the challenges and opportunities related to sodium reduction in the food service sector. This work related to the dynamics, initiatives, and challenges in the food service sector will help identify and communicate opportunities to foster progress with sodium reduction, inform public health initiatives around sodium and to track progress over time.

Scientific Editor: Paula Trumbo PhD, Liberty University, Lynchburg VA

Year: 2022

Read more:

Food Service Sector Sodium Dialogue

Perspective: Challenges and Strategies to Reduce the Sodium Content of Foods by the Food Service Industry

This work was supported by the IAFNS Sodium Committee.

USDA Beltsville Webinar: Sources and Intake of Added Sugars in the U.S. Diet

October 24, 2022 in /by

Recorded October 26, 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 October 26, 2025.

Description:

Numerous governmental and public health organizations recommend reduced intake of added sugars [defined as sugars that are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such (e.g., a bag of sugar)] due to the adverse health effects associated with excess intake, including risk of obesity, dental caries, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends a dietary pattern that contains <10% of energy from added sugars. Reducing the intake of added sugars in the diet is easier said than done because sweet taste is inherently liked.

This webinar will showcase the research conducted by the USDA-ARS investigating sweet taste perception, measuring sources of sugars in the U.S. food supply, and capturing intake of added sugars among the U.S. population. The event will start with an overview of the sweet taste receptor and how it is conserved across species. Next, the process used by USDA-ARS to measure sugars and added sugars in the food supply will be discussed. Findings from a recent cross-sectional analysis using data collected from What We Eat in America, the dietary intake component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) will be presented. This analysis focuses on sources of added sugars and dietary patterns among adults that meet or exceed recommended levels of added sugars

Webinar program:

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

Comparative Genomics of Sweet Taste Perception
Harry Dawson

Tracking Food and Beverage Intake using WWEIA
Donna Rhodes

Sources of Added Sugars in the Diet
Kelly Higgins

Overview of Sugars and Added Sugars in FoodData Central
Kyle McKillop

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 8.1.2 Integrates knowledge of biological, physical, and social sciences with knowledge of food and nutrition to make decisions related to nutrition care.
  • 8.1.4 Integrates knowledge of macro- and micronutrients for digestion, absorption and metabolism throughout the lifespan in practice.
  • 8.1.5 Demonstrates knowledge of nutrient requirements throughout the lifespan, and their role in health promotion and disease prevention.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

Reconciliation of Differences between Observational Studies and Randomized Controlled Trials: A Case Study on Low Calorie Sweeteners

September 15, 2022 in /by

Scientific evidence is commonly categorized into levels based on quality of evidence, commonly referred to as the hierarchy of evidence. The complexity of evaluating study quality based on study design becomes problematic for dietary exposures and health outcomes with conflicting evidence observed in observational studies and RCTs. Such conflicting evidence is well documented for low calorie sweeteners (LCS), in which observational trials tend to identify adverse associations between LCS use and adiposity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer while RCTs highlight benefits or no effect of LCS on body weight, energy intake, markers of T2D, and markers of CVD (6). One possible explanation for this is that observational trials and RCT are simply addressing different research questions, evaluating different exposures, comparators, and outcomes.

The objective of the proposed project is to educate stakeholders on how to interpret contrasting evidence from observational studies and RCTs based on methodological differences between study designs, using LCS as a case-study. A rapid review of systematic reviews and metaanalyses on LCS and various health outcomes will be conducted to highlight how different intervention/exposures, comparators, outcomes, and study designs produce varying conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of LCS. The deliverables of this project will be a peer-reviewed publication and presentation of findings at a conference for nutrition and dietetics practitioners

Institution: USDA Agricultural Research Service

Principal Investigator: Kelly Higgins, MPH PhD; David Baer, PhD

Year: 2022

This work was supported by the IAFNS Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners Committee.

Understanding Authoritative Decisions Around Selection and Validation of Cognitive Performance Measures – with a Focus on Nutrition-Related Research

August 29, 2022 in /by

The objective of this project is to document the outcomes of an expert roundtable with the goal to understand decisions and approaches that underlie cognitive assessment tool selection by authoritative groups. This effort aims to enable the advancement of evidence evaluation and evidence development to support future dietary guidance, and to document learnings and how they can be used to support future DGAC evidence reviews related to diet/nutrition and cognitive health.

Principal Investigator: Amy R. Romijn, PhD, Swansea University

Year: 2022

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

View this project on the PROSPERO website here.

Read more: Advancing Dietary Guidance for Cognitive Health-Focus On Solutions to Harmonize Test Selection, Implementation, and Evaluation

This work was supported by the IAFNS Cognitive Health Committee.

Framework for Defining Suitable Recycled Resin Based on Intended End-Use and Characterizing Potential Chemicals of Concern

August 19, 2022 in /by

Changes in consumer behavior and growth in convenience foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products complicates the use of recycled materials by requiring sophisticated and complex multilayer packaging solutions and increasing the amount of packaging waste. Many packaging materials, such as multilayer flexible and rigid plastics, are primarily sent to landfills. This project will develop a common standard that defines grades of PCR plastics with necessary performance properties and regulatory compliance for various uses including food contact applications. This proposal will increase the value of food and non-food grade plastics through identifying standards and grades of recycled plastics by end use. It will also provide a much-needed understanding of performance properties and regulatory compliance of post-consumer plastic markets

Institution: Iowa State University

Principal Investigator: Greg Curtzwiler

Year: 2022

This work was supported by the IAFNS Food Packaging Safety & Sustainability Committee.

Development of a Human Whole-Stool Reference Material – NIST Collaboration

August 18, 2022 in /by

Over the past 10+ years, it has become evident that the human gut microbiome plays a critical role in a vast and disparate set of health and disease states; including diabetes, obesity, cancer and depression. To identify new biomarkers that may serve as disease indicators and to understand biologically‐relevant properties of the human gut microbiome, validated measurements that accurately describe various properties of the microbial community, both quantitatively and qualitatively, are needed. The aim of this project is to develop a set of Human Whole Stool Reference Materials that are certified by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) for clinically-relevant metabolites. The set will be derived from a small cohort of donors who are selected based on their health or disease state (e.g. obesity vs. healthy, diet controlled, etc.). IAFNS is collaborating with NIST to develop a list of metabolites with likely relevance for health, that would be useful to include/measure in the material.

Institutions: The National Institute for Standards and Technology, BioIVT

Principal Investigator: The National Institute for Standards and Technology

Year: 2022

Read more: Workshop Report: Toward The Development Of A Human Whole Stool Reference Material For Metabolomic And Metagenomic Gut Microbiome Measurements

This work was supported by the IAFNS Gut Microbiome Committee.

Moving Forward After Over 40 Years Of Guidance: Innovation And Partnerships To Reduce Sodium Intake

August 9, 2022 in /by

Recorded August 9, 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 Unit (CPEU) for completion of this recorded webinar until August 8, 2025.

Description: Sodium is ubiquitous in the food supply and plays multiple important functional roles in food beyond taste, including preservation, safety, shelf life, dough performance, texture and flavor enhancer. The specific combination of roles and levels needed to achieve e.g., safety differ for various foods. Sodium reduction is therefore not a one-size-fits-all-foods approach; new tools, along with technical innovation and food science expertise, will be required to help the food industry achieve the targets for sodium reduction issued in October 2021 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while producing products that are satisfactory to consumers. Success will require dedication and partnership across suppliers, the food industry, and regulatory and public health agencies. In this session, an update on FDA efforts to support sodium reduction in foods will be provided. An overview of why and how sodium is used in foods, tools for its reduction, and possible ways to maximize the value of sodium-contributing foods will be covered. Finally, the need for cross-sector partnerships and innovation to achieve new goals will be discussed.

Webinar program:

Naomi Fukagawa, MD PhD, USDA ARS – Moderator
Robin Mckinnon, PhD, MPA, US Food and Drug Administration
Mavra Ahmed, PhD, University of Toronto
Christine Nowakowski, PhD, General Mills

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 4.1.2 Interprets and integrates evidence-based research and literature in decision-making
  • 6.2.3. Analyzes and interprets data to form valid conclusions and to make recommendations
  • 8.2.1 Engages in educational activities to maintain knowledge and to obtain new knowledge of diseases and clinical conditions

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

Translation of Consumer-Articulated Cognitive Benefits to Validated Research Tools

July 27, 2022 in /by

The degree to which the outcomes measured by cognitive performance tests are aligned with outcomes of interest to consumers has not been documented. Consumer needs are expressed through specific terms that are meaningful to them. For example, terms commonly used by consumers in the cognitive health space are mood, focus, sharpness, and mental clarity, among others. However, some individuals may view “focus” as spending 20 straight minutes on a task, while others may view “focus” as entering a state of deeper thinking on a problem. Validated cognitive performance research tools may or may not actually be documenting cognitive benefits as understood by consumers, and/or there may be different cognitive tests that evaluate various types of focus. Understanding what research tools are able to demonstrate, and alignment with consumer understanding is critical to the development of products and dietary recommendations that support realizable cognitive benefits.

Institutions: National Opinion Research Center (NORC), at the University of Chicago, Swansea University

Principal Investigators: Alyssa Ghirardelli, MPH, RD, and Laura Wagstaff, MPH, NORC; Hayley Young, PhD, Swansea University

Year: 2022

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

This work was supported by the IAFNS Cognitive Health Committee. And members of the Expert Group:

David Benton, Swansea University
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Rutgers University
Richard Gershon, Northwestern University
Andrew Scholey, Monash University
Hayley Young, Swansea University