Nutrition Commons^™

5-Ht Neurons Integrate Gaba And Dopamine Inputs To Regulate Meal Initiation, Kristine M Conde, Hueyzhong Wong, Shuzheng Fang, Yongxiang Li, Meng Yu, Yue Deng, Qingzhuo Liu, Xing Fang, Mengjie Wang, Yuhan Shi, Olivia Z Ginnard, Yuxue Yang, Longlong Tu, Hesong Liu, Hailan Liu, Na Yin, Jonathan C Bean, Junying Han, Megan E Burt, Sanika V Jossy, Yongjie Yang, Qingchun Tong, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Chunmei Wang, Yang He, Yong Xu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Obesity is a growing global health epidemic with limited effective therapeutics. Serotonin (5-HT) is one major neurotransmitter which remains an excellent target for new weight-loss therapies, but there remains a gap in knowledge on the mechanisms involved in 5-HT produced in the dorsal Raphe nucleus (DRN) and its involvement in meal initiation. Using a closed-loop optogenetic feeding paradigm, we showed that the 5-HTDRN→arcuate nucleus (ARH) circuit plays an important role in regulating meal initiation. Incorporating electrophysiology and ChannelRhodopsin-2-Assisted Circuit Mapping, we demonstrated that 5-HTDRN neurons receive inhibitory input partially from GABAergic neurons in the DRN, and the 5-HT response to …

Research Proposal: The Effects Of Creatine Supplementation On High School Athletes, Rebecca Kerr, Lacaya Evans

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Creatine is commonly used among the adolescent athletic population. The prevalence rates are higher for anaerobic sports, for example, wrestling, football, and hockey. While creatine is a supplement of choice for many young athletes, its effects on performance are not well researched. Though studies point toward it being effective and safe, with few negative side effects documented, further analysis is needed to ensure it will not affect teens’ development. Therefore, this study aims to examine how creatine supplementation by high school athletes affects muscle development and its safety. Distributing creatine supplements to youth raises ethical concerns. Therefore, this study will …

The Effect Of Nutrition Education On Perceived Fatigue Of Collegiate Endurance Athletes, Quinn Murphy

Honors Projects

Background: Based on previous research, athletes have low knowledge when it comes to nutrition. This puts them at a greater risk for poor dietary choices that could ultimately impact their ability to perform optimally, increase fatigue, and increase the risk of injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine if after taking a nutrition education class, the athletes would better fuel their bodies and improve their perceived fatigue levels.

Methods: Initially, five BGSU club runners were recruited to participate. They were asked to track five sequential days of food and drink intake and the level of daily fatigue (consisting …

Cultivating Excellence: A Literature Review On Harnessing The Power Of The Gut Microbiome For Athletic Performance, Maya Katharine Dean

Honors Projects

The interplay between our gut microbiome and health is immense. This literature review analyzes the current research assessing the interplay between gut microbiome and athletic performance. Knowing how to improve gut microbial diversity via nutrition and supplementation can take athletic performance to the next level; namely improvements in immune, mental, and physical health.

Overall And Sex-Specific Associations Of Serum Lipid-Soluble Micronutrients With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Among Adults In The United States, Weiwen Chai, Meng-Hua Tao

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

This study examined overall and sex-specific associations of serum lipid-soluble micronutrients including α- and γ-tocopherols, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D), retinol, and six major carotenoids with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic lever disease (MASLD) using the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This analysis included 3956 adults (1991 men, 1965 women) aged ≥ 20 years. Steatotic liver disease was determined through transient elastography examination. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for MASLD associated with micronutrients were estimated using logistic regressions. Higher serum α-tocopherol (highest vs. lowest quartile: OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.05–2.22, p = 0.03) and γ-tocopherol (highest …

An Estrogen Receptor Α-Derived Peptide Improves Glucose Homeostasis During Obesity, Wanbao Yang, Wen Jiang, Wang Liao, Hui Yan, Weiqi Ai, Quan Pan, Wesley A Brashear, Yong Xu, Ling He, Shaodong Guo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) plays a crucial role in regulating glucose and energy homeostasis during type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here we find a ligand-independent effect of ERα on the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Deficiency of ERα in the liver impairs glucose homeostasis in male, female, and ovariectomized (OVX) female mice. Mechanistic studies reveal that ERα promotes hepatic insulin sensitivity by suppressing ubiquitination-induced IRS1 degradation. The ERα 1-280 domain mediates the ligand-independent effect of ERα on insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, we identify a peptide based on ERα 1-280 domain and find that ERα-derived peptide …

Glycemia And Gluconeogenesis With Metformin And Liraglutide: A Randomized Trial In Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes, Katrina B Dietsche, Sheela N Magge, Sydney A Dixon, Faith S Davis, Andrea Krenek, Aruba Chowdhury, Lilian Mabundo, Michael Stagliano, Amber B Courville, Shanna Yang, Sara Turner, Hongyi Cai, Kannan Kasturi, Arthur S Sherman, Joon Ha, Eileen Shouppe, Mary Walter, Peter J Walter, Kong Y Chen, Robert J Brychta, Cody Peer, Yi Zeng, William Figg, Fran Cogen, D Elizabeth Estrada, Shaji Chacko, Stephanie T Chung

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

OBJECTIVE: Elevated rates of gluconeogenesis are an early pathogenic feature of youth-onset type 2 diabetes (Y-T2D), but targeted first-line therapies are suboptimal, especially in African American (AA) youth. We evaluated glucose-lowering mechanisms of metformin and liraglutide by measuring rates of gluconeogenesis and β-cell function after therapy in AA Y-T2D.

METHODS: In this parallel randomized clinical trial, 22 youth with Y-T2D-age 15.3 ± 2.1 years (mean ± SD), 68% female, body mass index (BMI) 40.1 ± 7.9 kg/m2, duration of diagnosis 1.8 ± 1.3 years-were randomized to metformin alone (Met) or metformin + liraglutide (Lira) (Met + Lira) and evaluated before …

Patterns Of Fruit And Vegetable Incentive Use By Consumers With Low-Incomes, Sarah Moore Smith

Student Research Symposium

Situation:

• 9.5% or 316,980 Utahns are food insecure. That’s 1 in every 11 people who are experiencing hunger.¹
• Hunger is often accompanied by poor diet quality as a result of inadequate access or resources to purchase nutrient dense foods² (i.e. fruits and vegetables, F&V).

Public Health Response:

• Utah Double-Up Food Bucks (Double-Up) addresses this situation by providing a monetary incentive to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers to purchase fresh F&V. Double Up matches the amount of SNAP EBT withdrawn (up to $30) to be spent on F&V.
• Double Up has resulted in:
• New farmers market customers
• Increased …

Impact Of Snac On Physical And Mental Health, Halle Larson, Kaylee West

Student Research Symposium

Food insecurity is a common occurrence among college students and may have profound impacts on a student’s physical and mental well-being. It is vital that college campuses create not only access to food, but a culture of food security among students and student service organizations. Many institutions are striving to provide food assistance to their students and create this culture through a variety of methods. Ninety seven percent of institutions involved in programs to fight food insecurity implement a food pantry to combat this issue, but only 54% track the impact of their food pantries. Through this study, the impact …

Social And Economic Impacts Of Snac, Sara Marshall, Carson Johnson

Student Research Symposium

Food security is a common concern among college students.¹ Compared to 10% of U.S. households experiencing food insecurity², many college campuses report food insecurity prevalence about four times the national average.³ Approximately 39% of Utah's higher education student's face food insecurity.⁴ The stability of food for an individual can greatly impact different aspects of life including social and economic factors, such as social relationships.⁵

Leavening Agents Substitution In Chocolate Chip Muffins, Cassie Alder, Ashley Dawes, Savannah Harbison

Student Research Symposium

The primary function of leavening agents in baking is to cause the dough or batter to rise, allowing the baked product to be less dense, have more volume and be more aesthetically pleasing.¹ The three main types of leavening agents are baking powder, yeast, and the production of carbon dioxide steam as the product is baked.² These different types of leavening agents behave very differently and the purpose of this experiment was to discover and record the differences that occur in chocolate chip muffins. This research is important because if baking powder is unavailable the research shows what …

Thickened Carbonated Beverages, Adam Hair, Marissa Cook, Clarissa Richins

Student Research Symposium

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, affects many individuals around the world with an array of underlying medical conditions, and rates of dysphagia are expected to increase as the population ages^1,2. Dysphagia affects the swallowing reflex, which can lead to a greater risk of aspiration and subsequent infections. In order to mitigate this, thin liquids are thickened following IDDSI standards so they can be more easily swallowed by those with dysphagia. Research has shown that carbonation in beverages improves the swallowing reflex over non-carbonated beverages¹. There are different methods and products that can be used to thicken beverages …

Diet Considerations To Promote Bone Health, Prevent Chronic Disease, And Optimize Healing After Orthopedic Surgery, Amanda Albright

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Snac Patrons' Typical Use And Overall Evaluation Of Services, Joy Bruneel, Melody Loutzenhiser

Student Research Symposium

Food insecurity among students in higher education programs is a relatively new area of research with the first study being published only 14 years ago.¹ Over the years, the costs associated with higher education have steadily increased leading to more financial burdens for students than ever before. According to the 2019-20 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, over 4 million students nationwide struggle with food insecurity.²

While the incidence of food insecurity among students is increasing, many students are not taking advantage of community and university resources aimed at targeting this issue on college campuses.³ In a study …

A Gnotobiotic Mouse Model With Divergent Equol-Producing Phenotypes: Potential For Determining Microbial-Driven Health Impacts Of Soy Isoflavone Daidzein, Lindsay M. Leonard, Abigayle M.R. Simpson, Shiyu Li, Lavanya Reddivari, Tzu-Wen L. Cross

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

The implications of soy consumption on human health have been a subject of debate, largely due to the mixed evidence regarding its benefits and potential risks. The variability in responses to soy has been partly attributed to differences in the metabolism of soy isoflavones, compounds with structural similarities to estrogen. Approximately one-third of humans possess gut bacteria capable of converting soy isoflavone daidzein into equol, a metabolite produced exclusively by gut microbiota with significant estrogenic potency. In contrast, lab-raised rodents are efficient equol producers, except for those raised germ-free. This discrepancy raises concerns about the applicability of traditional rodent models …

Ambiguity In Statistical Analysis Methods And Nonconformity With Prespecified Commitment To Data Sharing In A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Yasaman Jamshidi-Naeini, Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo, Deependra K Thapa, Andrew W Brown, Daniel E Kpormegbey, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Food Security, Barriers To Healthy Eating, And Empowerment Among Dietetic Interns And Physician Assistant Interns: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study, Alison Campbell, Maren Stirling, Natalie Keele, Alisse Larkin, Rachel Crandall, Aubree N. Wilcox, Meghan Adair, Cloie Malan, Jaidyn Thomson, Alexis Bennett, Heather Jensen, Hadyn Flygare, Lacie Peterson, Holly Hopkins, Nikki Kendrick, Maria Givler, Rebecca Charlton, Katie N. Kraus

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Students are required to complete supervised practice hours prior to becoming Registered Dietitians and Physician Assistants. Research suggests that environmental and social factors affect dietetic interns’ diets during their internship, although these factors have not been studied among physician assistant interns. This cross-sectional study utilized an online survey to compare dietetic interns’ (n = 81) and physician assistant interns’ (n = 79) fruit and vegetable intake, food security, barriers to healthy eating, and empowerment for making healthy dietary choices during an internship. Differences were assessed via independent t-tests and chi-square distributions. The significance was set at p …

Nhm 728: Advanced Survey Data Analysis, Yunhee Chang

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Nourishtank: An Innovative Program On Solving Hunger, Palak Gupta, Ashley Sullivan, Kristin Hoch, Lea Palmer, Jocelin Gibson, Mateja Savoie-Roskos, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

NourishTank, a Shark Tank-style event, saw students propose food and nutrition insecurity solutions. Twenty-eight students formed 11 teams, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. The winning idea, 'Farm2Fork Gone Mobile,' earned $1,000 toward their proposed project. NourishTank, through partnerships and media, highlights student-driven efforts combating food insecurity and raising awareness.

A Mindful And Sustainable Eating Intervention To Improve Attitudes Related To Mindfulness, Sustainability, And Fruit And Vegetable Consumption In Elementary Schools, Amy Schachtner-Appel, Heejung Song

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Excessive plate waste is generated in elementary school cafeterias. Adapting nutrition promotion strategies to target waste reduction and encouraging mindful and sustainable eating (MSE) are possible strategies to encourage students to reduce waste during school lunch. Farm to Tray, Tray to Farm is a 16-week intervention that aims to encourage elementary school students to develop mindful and sustainable eating behaviors. An educational curriculum was delivered to eight 5th-grade students, who served as peer leaders and disseminated messages throughout the school. Additional strategies included cafeteria reinforcements and opportunities for food recovery. A pilot test of the program was conducted in two …