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Environment and Nutrition

Beginning at conception, environmental factors in health can accumulate over a lifetime and be from sources as broad as geographic location and economic status to specific external sources including physical activity, occupation, risky behaviors and diet. But some of these factors, especially in terms of diet are highly modifiable.

Important research is now being conducted on this concept of the “exposome,” as an environmental complement to the human genome. NRI researchers are learning how diet and other environmental exposures interact with disease and affect responses to treatment.

Publications

 

Environment and Nutrition Publications

2020

Randomized Phase IIB Trial of the Lignan Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside in Pre-menopausal Women at Increased Risk for Development of Breast Cancer.  Hursting S

Effects of folic acid withdrawal on transcriptomic profiles in murine triple-negative breast cancer cell lines.  Krupenko S

The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Third Expert Report on Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Cancer: Impact and Future Directions.  Hursting S

Maternal iron nutriture modulates placental development in a rat model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.  Smith S

Quantitative methods for metabolomic analyses evaluated in the Children’s Health Exposure Analysis Resource (CHEAR).  Sumner S

Exposure to inorganic arsenic and its methylated metabolites alters metabolomics profiles in INS-1 832/13 insulinoma cells and isolated pancreatic islets.  Sumner S

Four-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of choline for neurodevelopment in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.  Zeisel S

Precision (Personalized) Nutrition: Understanding Metabolic Heterogeneity.  Zeisel S

Perspective: Dietary Biomarkers of Intake and Exposure-Exploration with Omics Approaches.  Zeisel S

2019

The flaxseed lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside decreases local inflammation, suppresses NFκB signaling, and inhibits mammary tumor growth.  Hursting S

Obesity and Cancer Metabolism: A Perspective on Interacting Tumor-Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors.  Hursting S

Early Exposure to a High Fat/High Sugar Diet Increases the Mammary Stem Cell Compartment and Mammary Tumor Risk in Female Mice.  Hursting S

Metabolic reprogramming underlies metastatic potential in an obesity-responsive murine model of metastatic triple negative breast cancer.  Hursting S

When less may be more: calorie restriction and response to cancer therapy.  Hursting S

Impact of carbohydrate restriction in the context of obesity on prostate tumor growth in the Hi-Myc transgenic mouse model.  Hursting S

Energy balance and obesity: what are the main drivers?  Hursting S

Metabolic Reprogramming by Folate Restriction Leads to a Less Aggressive Cancer Phenotype.  Krupenko S

Acute Ingestion of a Mixed Flavonoid and Caffeine Supplement Increases Energy Expenditure and Fat Oxidation in Adult Women: A Randomized, Crossover Clinical Trial.  Kohlmeier M

Early-Life Predictors of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.  May P

Functional Connectivity and Metabolic Alterations in Medial Prefrontal Cortex in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and in vivo Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study.  Mooney S

Alcohol’s Dysregulation of Maternal-Fetal IL-6 and p-STAT3 Is a Function of Maternal Iron Status.  Smith S

A Metabolomics Approach to Investigate Kukoamine B-A Potent Natural Product With Anti-diabetic Properties.  Sumner S

The impact of early-life sub-therapeutic antibiotic treatment (STAT) on excessive weight is robust despite transfer of intestinal microbes.  Sumner S

Multi-omics studies in cellular models of methylmalonic acidemia and propionic acidemia reveal dysregulation of serine metabolism.  Sumner S

Meprin β metalloproteases associated with differential metabolite profiles in the plasma and urine of mice with type 1 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy.  Sumner S

Dietary choline and betaine intakes and risk of total and lethal prostate cancer in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.  Zeisel S

2018

Omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid intake of children and older adults in the U.S.: dietary intake in comparison to current dietary recommendations and the Healthy Eating Index. Cheatham C

Energy balance and gastrointestinal cancer: risk, interventions, outcomes and mechanisms.  Hursting S

Research Strategies for Nutritional and Physical Activity Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention.  Hursting S

Resveratrol inhibits obesity-associated adipose tissue dysfunction and tumor growth in a mouse model of postmenopausal claudin-low breast cancer.  Hursting S

Dietary Iron Fortification Normalizes Fetal Hematology, Hepcidin, and Iron Distribution in a Rat Model of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure.  Smith S

Maternal iron nutriture as a critical modulator of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder risk in alcohol-exposed pregnancies.  Smith S

Stable Isotope-Resolved Metabolomic Differences between Hormone-Responsive and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines.  Sumner S

Feasibility and Acceptability of Maternal Choline Supplementation in Heavy Drinking Pregnant Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.  Zeisel S

2017

Guide for Current Nutrigenetic, Nutrigenomic, and Nutriepigenetic Approaches for Precision Nutrition Involving the Prevention and Management of Chronic Diseases Associated with Obesity.  Kohlmeier M

Metabolic Reprogramming by Folate Restriction Leads to a Less Aggressive Cancer Phenotype.  Krupenko S

Does unmeasured confounding influence associations between the retail food environment and body mass index over time? The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.  Meyer K

Choline and Working Memory Training Improve Cognitive Deficits Caused by Prenatal Exposure to Ethanol.  Mooney S

Serum Metabolomic Profiles in Neonatal Mice following Oral Brominated Flame Retardant Exposures to Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) Alpha, Gamma, and Commercial Mixture.  Sumner S

Metabolites as biomarkers of adverse reactions following vaccination: A pilot study using nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics.  Sumner S

Contribution of Dietary Supplements to Nutritional Adequacy by Socioeconomic Subgroups in Adults of the United States.  Zeisel S

Contribution of Dietary Supplements to Nutritional Adequacy in Various Adult Age Groups.  Zeisel S

Contribution of Dietary Supplements to Nutritional Adequacy in Race/Ethnic Population Subgroups in the United States.  Zeisel S

Impact of Frequency of Multi-Vitamin/Multi-Mineral Supplement Intake on Nutritional Adequacy and Nutrient Deficiencies in U.S. Adults.  Zeisel S

Choline and its metabolites are differently associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, history of cardiovascular disease, and MRI-documented cerebrovascular disease in older adults.  Zeisel S

2016

Starving cancer from the outside and inside: separate and combined effects of calorie restriction and autophagy inhibition on Ras-driven tumors.  Hursting S

Starving cancer from the outside and inside: separate and combined effects of calorie restriction and autophagy inhibition on Ras-driven tumors.  Hursting S

Reducing the burden of obesity-associated cancers with anti-inflammatory long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Hursting S

CerS6 Is a Novel Transcriptional Target of p53 Protein Activated by Non-genotoxic Stress.  Krupenko N

Breastfeeding and maternal alcohol use: Prevalence and effects on child outcomes and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.  May P

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Alters Fetal Iron Distribution and Elevates Hepatic Hepcidin in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.  Smith S

Abnormal Eating Behaviors Are Common in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  Smith S

Impact of a western diet on the ovarian and serum metabolome.  Sumner S

Metabolomics enables precision medicine: “A White Paper, Community Perspective”.  Sumner S

Vitamin and Mineral Intake Is Inadequate for Most Americans: What Should We Advise Patients About Supplements?  Zeisel S

Maternal dietary intake of choline in mice regulates development of the cerebral cortex in the offspring.  Zeisel S

Related News

Do Eggs Cause Heart Disease?

Do Eggs Cause Heart Disease?

October 25, 2016

October 25, 2016 • Several recent studies linked increased levels of a metabolic product of dietary choline with higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Wang et al., 2011; Tang et al., 2013) through a mechanism that involved gut microbiota-produced trimethylamine oxide (TMAO). These studies have sparked considerable scientific (and non-scientific) discussion, with health advice from some groups suggesting avoidance of meat and eggs (significant sources of choline) and from others suggesting that the findings have been vastly overinterpreted.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Increase Risk for Hyperuricemia

October 25, 2016

October 25, 2016 • According to the CDC, sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugar in the average American’s diet, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend individuals consume no more than ten percent of calories per day from processed or added sugar. From the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), scientists are investigating the connection between these beverages, human genetics, and uric acid metabolism.

October 2016

September 30, 2016

NRI Researcher Links Choline Deficiency to Impaired Brain Structure Natalia Surzenko, Ph.D., is part of a team of researchers at the UNC-Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) located on the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis focusing their...

NRI Researcher Links Choline Deficiency To Impaired Brain Structure

September 21, 2016

September 21, 2016 • Natalia Surzenko, Ph.D., is part of a team of researchers at the UNC-Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) located on the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis focusing their efforts on brain development. Her current goal is to determine the role of choline as an essential nutrient for development of the cerebral cortex.

Hungry for more? Food theme serves a second helping this fall

September 20, 2016

September 20, 2016 • Food For All, Carolina’s pan-University academic theme, didn’t take a summer break, said the co-chairs of the theme’s steering committee. And the theme will serve up even more this fall, including a speaker series, a summit to propose a statewide food policy and a new food studies class.

Corporate Event: December 1, 2016

September 9, 2016

You're invited to eat with the Nutrition Research Institute. Join business colleagues and learn why we explore personalized nutrition and how it impacts brain development and memory, and obesity-related diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.  ...