News
Our research not only influences the scientific community, but the general public as well. We strive to share our discoveries with everyone. Read some of our latest articles on what is happening at the Nutrition Research Institute.
Potato, Spinach and Thyme Soup
January 4, 2016 • Potato, Spinach and Thyme Soup recipe designed by Chef Mark Allison, Dole Food Company.
Mother's Diet Impacts Development of Baby's Brain
January 2, 2016 • Children of mothers whose diet during pregnancy was deficient in the essential nutrient choline have lower performance on cognitive tests. Cognition is rooted in the brain’s cortex, but a direct link between maternal dietary choline levels and cortical development in offspring had not been demonstrated. Experimental evidence of this link, and identification of a physiological mechanism, would greatly enhance our understanding of the importance of proper nutrition during pregnancy.
Effects of Inadequate Hydration on Kidney Disease
December 21, 2015 • While drinking at least eight glasses of water a day may not be necessary under normal conditions, maintaining adequate hydration, especially during physical exertion in warm weather, is essential for optimal health.
Preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
November 24, 2015 • From the desk of: David Horita, Ph.D.
THE STUDY
In a recently published paper1, NRI investigator Phil May and colleagues showed that the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS) is two to three times higher than previously estimated.
Dr. May’s study differs from most FAS prevalence studies in its use of active case ascertainment testing methods to estimate prevalence. This technique includes developmental testing of the child and detailed one-on-one interviews of the mother. The interview questions covered alcohol use during pregnancy, but also asked questions related to secondary factors, such as overall drinking history, marital status; socioeconomic status, and diet/nutrition. This approach is much more labor-intensive than the more common survey approach that relies on self-reported alcohol use information. However, it is also more accurate: self-reported alcohol usage surveys often underestimate FAS because of the stigma of drinking during pregnancy.
Healthy Brain Function Tied to Nutrition
November 24, 2015 • The research in Dr. Carol L. Cheatham’s Nutrition and Cognition lab focuses on effects of nutrition on brain development and function throughout the lifespan. In her work, she is exploring the importance of certain nutrients and foods to the development, maintenance, and lifelong integrity of the hippocampus and frontal brain areas. Nutrition is integral to fetal and infant brain development, which sets the stage for lifelong learning. At the other end of the spectrum, it is beginning to be evident that nutrition is also important in senescence in that certain nutrients coupled with other healthy lifestyle choices can slow the progression of age-related cognitive decline. Dr. Cheatham has active studies in four age groups; some of that work is summarized here.
NRI Researcher Receives Award to Further Work on Obesity and Cancer
December 1, 2015 • University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill professor Stephen Hursting has received a prestigious National Cancer Institute (NCI) Outstanding Investigator Award (OIA), which provides stable funding for cancer research with breakthrough potential. Dr. Hursting, a professor in UNC’s Department of Nutrition, Nutrition Research Institute and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, is one of 43 researchers nationwide to receive an OIA. The grant will provide Hursting with $5.34 million over a seven-year period to further his research on the mechanistic links between obesity and cancer.
Dr. Hursting Awarded Grant from Breast Cancer Research Foundation
October 28, 2015 • The Breast Cancer Research Foundation seeks “to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world’s most promising research.”Since 1993 BCRF-supported investigators have been deeply involved in every major advance in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. In 2015-2016, BCRF is awarding $48.5 million in grants to more than 240 scientists to advance this work. Among those recipients is Stephen Hursting, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor of Nutrition at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute.
Is Life Expectancy a Good Measure of Health?
October 27, 2015 • A recent, global study published in The Lancet (2015; 386, p.743-800) clearly emphasizes the importance of the latter referring to our quality of life. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, worldwide life expectancy at birth rose by 6.2 years between 1990 and 2013. However, these additional years come at a price as healthy life expectancy at birth increased by only 5.4 years over the same 13 year time span.
Arugula, Mozzarella and Black Grapes
October 27, 2015 • Arugula, Mozzarella and Black Grapes recipe designed by Chef Mark Allison, Dole Food Company.
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