Beneficial Live Dietary Microbes: Is it Time for Recommended Intakes?

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Recorded September 28, 2023

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.25 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until September 27, 2026

Description:

Evidence from human microbiome research, randomized controlled trials testing interventions containing probiotics on preventive and therapeutic endpoints, and associative studies linking fermented food consumption with improved health, all point to the value of the consumption of live microbes for supporting human health. Various international organizations are interested in moving forward the concept of a dietary recommendation for live microbes. Although many scientists and organizations have independently hypothesized that consuming live microbes may be beneficial to health, understanding this relationship and developing a recommended intake range requires a systematic approach, including evaluation of existing evidence, addressing evidence gaps, and aligning the information with a framework of data needs required to support a recommendation. In this session, the most recent evidence supporting benefits of live dietary microbes and health outcomes, as well as challenges to making these links will be reviewed. Recent work to fill evidence gaps and future directions/needs for developing a dietary recommendation for live microbes will be covered.

Webinar Speakers:

Johanna Dwyer, DSc, RD, Tufts University - moderator

Joanne Slavin, PhD, RD, University of Minnesota

Maria Marco, PhD, University of California, Davis

Desiree Nielsen, BSc RD, Desiree Nielsen Nutrition

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 4.1.2 Interprets and integrates evidence-based research and literature in decision-making.
  • 6.4.2 Demonstrates serious inquiry, examination, and experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of knowledge, or the revision of guidelines, theories, policies or laws.
  • 8.1.1 Interprets and applies evidence-based literature and standards for determining nutritional needs of target audiences.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

What’s In Food? How USDA’s FoodData Central and the Global Branded Food Products Database Supports Nutrition Research

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Recorded August 30, 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 August 29, 2026.

Description:

Nutrition and dietetics professionals in research, policy development, academia, clinical practice, and food development rely on the availability of accurate, real time food data critical to their role in understanding the impact of food on health and disease.

The USDA Global Branded Food Products Database (GBFPD) is a component of USDA’s FoodData Central and the result of a Public-Private Partnership between USDA, IAFNS, GS1 US, 1WorldSync, NielsenIQ Label Insight and the University of Maryland.

The goal of the partnership is to enhance public health and the sharing of open data by complementing USDA Food Composition Databases with nutrient composition of branded foods and private label data provided by the food industry.

Attendees of this session will learn about the Global Branded Foods Product Database, including nutrient and data elements never previously available, and how they can use it to provide specific dietary guidance, more accurately link dietary intakes to disease measures and monitor key nutrients important to public health and policy.

Webinar Speakers:

Kyle McKillop, MS, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA

Alanna Moshfegh MS RD, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA

Trish Zecca, MS, IAFNS – Moderator

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

5.1.1 Demonstrates proficient use of HIT and informatic tools to communicate, disseminate information, collect, track, and retrieve data, and create documents and presentations.

5.1.8 Finds and evaluates online information sources using appropriate search engines and databases.

6.2 Collects and interprets research data to advance knowledge and practice, and to enhance effectiveness of services.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

The Science and Implementation of the Low FODMAP Diet

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Recorded July 12, 2023

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 (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until July 11, 2026.

Description:

The low FODMAP diet is gaining recognition among consumers, and there are opportunities to communicate the scientific basis, specific intention, and appropriate implementation of the diet to ensure it achieves the clinical goal. In this webinar, the etiology, diagnosis (focus on Rome IV criteria), and symptomology related to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) will be covered. In addition, the specific action of lactose, excess fructose, GOS, fructans, and polyols and their contributions to GI symptoms will be reviewed. Participants will also benefit from a review of considerations for future research trials in humans. The webinar will include a review of the specifics of the low FODMAP diet for IBS, including the practicalities of implementation from a dietitian’s perspective. The program will delve into the 3 phases of the diet, helpful hints for success, grocery shopping tips and also particular nutrients that may be of concern with long-term implementation.

Webinar Speakers:

Kristin Roberts, PhD, The Ohio State University
Ijmeet Maan, FODMAP Friendly
Trish Zecca, MS, IAFNS – Moderator

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 4.1.2 Interprets and integrates evidence-based research and literature in decision-making.
  • 6.2.3 Analyses and interprets data to form valid conclusions and to make recommendations.
  • 8.1.1 Interprets and applies evidence-based literature and standards for determining nutritional needs of target audiences.

If a CEU certificate is needed, please complete the survey

Optimizing Cognitive Function with Foods, Nutrients, and Dietary Patterns: The Science and the Translation

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Recorded August 8, 2023

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 (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until August 7, 2026.

Description:

COVID-19 and the associated societal and lifestyle disruptions have highlighted interest in how nutrition can support cognitive health. The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) addressed several questions related to neurocognition, but was faced with “considerable variation in testing methods, inconsistent validity and reliability of cognitive testing methods, and differences between dietary patterns and cognitive outcomes examined,” precluding the ability to develop dietary recommendations. At the same time, several recent studies are providing new insights into nutrients and dietary patterns that may impact cognition. In this session, the complexities of nutrition and cognition research will first be reviewed, to include the various options for, strengths, and limitations of cognitive performance measures. New data capturing how individuals describe the benefits they are seeking from foods and nutrients, and alignment (or misalignment) of these terms with what research can demonstrate will be presented. Second, the Nutrition for Dementia Working Group will review their recent recommendations for advancing our understanding of dietary patterns that can support dementia prevention. Finally, practical guidance for optimizing cognitive health with nutrition will be provided, considering the current evidence and common consumer expectations for benefits, while aligning with the DGA and considering food accessibility and cultural needs.

Webinar Speakers:

Bramaramba Kowtha, MS RDN, NIH/Office of Disease Prevention – Moderator

Hayley Young, PhD, Swansea University

Hussein Yassine, MD, USC

Suzanne Summer, PhD RD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

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.
  • 8.1.1 Interprets and applies evidence-based literature and standards for determining nutritional needs of target audiences.

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

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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

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

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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

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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

IAFNS Beltsville Webinar: Flavonoids

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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

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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

USDA Beltsville Webinar: Complex Carbohydrates and the Complexity of Carbohydrates

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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