The Journal of Nutrition
Media Alerts
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The following articles have been published in the April 2019 issue of
The Journal of Nutrition, a publication of the American Society for Nutrition. Summaries of the selected articles appear below; the full text of each article is available by clicking on the links listed. Manuscripts published in
The Journal of Nutrition are embargoed until the article appears online either as in press (
Articles in Press) or as a final version. The embargoes for the following
articles have expired (
Editor's Choice Articles in bold
):
- Liver fat accumulation: alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, or both?
- Healthful plant-based diets favorably change adiposity-related biomarkers
- Can fish oil supplementation during pregnancy improve birth outcomes?
- Lipid metabolism in obese rats is improved by a diet containing an insect meal
- Poor diet quality exists in children with ADHD but does not appear to contribute to symptom development
- Dietary DHA requirements can be halved and still maintain tissue levels when DHA exposures occur cyclically
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Liver fat accumulation: alcohol, sugar-sweetened beverages, or both?
Fatty liver disease, characterized by abnormal accumulation of fat within the liver, covers a broad spectrum of clinical concerns including a buildup of fibrous tissue, liver cirrhosis, and increased risk of end-stage liver disease. Furthermore, it has been linked to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is therefore important to better understand dietary factors that increase fatty deposits in the liver. Alcohol consumption is a well-established risk factor associated with fatty liver disease. However, dietary factors not related to excessive alcohol consumption can cause hepatic fat accumulation as well. Referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, energy-containing nonalcoholic beverages can also lead to the buildup of fat in the liver. Findings from a
recent study conducted by Esther van Eekelen (Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands) and colleagues and published in the April 2019 issue of
The Journal of Nutrition reveal that consumption of both alcoholic and sugar-sweetened beverages contributes to fatty liver disease.
For More Information:
To contact the corresponding author, Esther van Eekelen, please send an e-mail
to
E.van_Eekelen@lumc.nl
.
Healthful plant-based diets favorably change adiposity-related biomarkers
Plant-based diets are associated with reduced risk of weight-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Yet, it is also clear that plant foods can vary in terms of nutritional quality. Whereas some plant foods are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, others are not. Those high in simple sugars, refined starch, and unhealthy fats are considered to be of lower nutritional value, and therefore can be detrimental to health. As such, there is growing interest in plant-based diets and their association with weight-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Yet, questions remain as to what extent healthful plant-based diets are
associated with adiposity-associated biomarkers. To better understand the relation between healthful plant-based diets, a
research team lead by Megu Baden
(Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) and colleagues tested associations between adiposity-associated biomarkers and 3 plant-based diet indexes: an overall plant-based diet index; a healthful plant-based diet index; and an unhealthful plant-based diet index. The study results, published in the April 2019 issue of
The Journal of Nutrition
, reveal that adherence to healthful plant-based diets is associated with favorable long-term changes in adiposity-associated biomarker concentrations in women.
Can fish oil supplementation during pregnancy improve birth outcomes?
Maternal nutritional status profoundly influences birth outcomes, such as duration of pregnancy and fetal growth. These 2 factors are important because both are associated with increased morbidity and impaired development in children. That is why it is particularly important for women to be aware of their nutritional needs during pregnancy. Although research has helped to identify factors that influence pregnancy-related outcomes, there is still much to learn. A
recent study by Hans Bisgaard
(University of Copenhagen, Denmark) and colleagues provides new information pertaining to beneficial effects of fish oil supplementation during pregnancy. The study results, published in the April 2019 issue of
The Journal of Nutrition
, suggest that supplementing pregnant women with omega-3 fatty acids during the third trimester impacts both pregnancy duration and fetal growth.
For More Information:
To contact the corresponding author, Hans Bisgaard, please send an e-mail to
bisgaard@copsac.com
. To contact the corresponding author of the commentaty, Maria Makrides, please send an e-mail to
maria.makrides@sahmri.com
.
Read full summaries
here
.
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JN Editor's Choice Articles
Lipid metabolism in obese rats is improved by a diet containing an insect meal
World population growth is putting strains on existing agricultural capacities to provide the nutrients needed to meet human demands. Importantly, in some areas of the world, protein levels are already inadequate to meet the requirements for growth, development, and function. There is a growing literature base supporting the possibility of using insect-protein sources for direct human consumption or for use in animal feeds. Yet, little is known concerning the digestibility of protein from insect sources, and importantly, whether there are potential metabolic impacts from consuming insect meals as they contain a variety of nutrients that could influence metabolism.
Gessner and colleagues report the results of a study exploring the impact of insect meal on lipid metabolism using lean and obese Zucker rats in the April issue of
The Journal of Nutrition. They discovered meaningful changes in the expression of genes involved in lipid and cholesterol synthesis, which corresponded to reductions in the activity of some enzymes responsible for fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis. There were also reductions in triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations in plasma and liver samples in obese rats consuming the insect meal‒containing diets. The authors concluded that insect meal had beneficial effects on lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemic rats. In a commentary on this paper, Salter that suggests the changes in lipid metabolism could be due to various differences in the nutrients found in the diets, such as the elevated fiber from chitin in the insect meal diets. Salter recommends that further work is needed to explore the potential of insect meals to meet the growing protein demands around the world.
Poor diet quality exists in children with ADHD but does not appear to contribute to symptom development
Multiple studies have attempted to determine modifiable contributors to the development of ADHD. Some have explored the impact of specific nutrients on development or mediation of ADHD symptoms, but few strong associations have been identified. Little work has been done to determine if overall diet quality can contribute to development of ADHD. Mian and colleagues report the results of a study that explored the temporal relation between diet quality and ADHD symptoms in the April issue of
The Journal of Nutrition. Subjects were children enrolled in the Generation R Study in the Netherlands. ADHD symptoms were measured at 6 and 10 years of age, and diet quality was determined at 8 years of age. Diet quality at 8 years had no affect on ADHD symptoms at 10 years of age, but having ADHD symptoms at 6 years of age was associated with poorer diet quality. The authors concluded that children with ADHD are at risk of having poorer quality diets, but that diet quality was not associated with development of ADHD.
Dietary DHA requirements can be halved and still maintain tissue levels when DHA exposures occur cyclically
In the April issue of
The Journal of Nutrition,
Metherel and colleagues report the results of a study that determined whether it was possible to achieve tissue levels of DHA using cyclical exposures to dietary DHA that were similar to those obtained with daily consumption. Blood and tissues levels of DHA were similar in rats consuming DHA daily or in a cyclical manner, and they were elevated above those found in rats consuming only ALA. Importantly, liver expression of elongation enzymes was increased in rats consuming DHA in the cyclical pattern, which led the authors to conclude that is was possible to increase endogenous DHA synthesis from ALA. This was supported by the ratio of naturally occurring carbon isotopes present in tissue DHA. Finally, their data led to them to conclude that it would be possible to reduce dietary exposures by half without affecting tissue levels through cyclical intake of preformed DHA. In a commentary on this paper,
Brenna presents an evolutionary explanation for differential abilities to synthesize DHA based on regular exposure to the preformed fatty acid in some cultures. Brenna suggests the need to repeat this study in humans to determine if it is feasible to achieve meaningful tissue DHA levels using a cyclical dietary exposure pattern.
For More Information:
To contact the corresponding author, Adam H. Metherel, please send an email to
adam.metherel@utoronto.ca. To contact the corresponding author of the commentary, J. Thomas Brenna, please send an email to
tbrenna@utexas.edu.
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ASN is the authoritative voice on nutrition and publisher of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The Journal of Nutrition, Advances in Nutrition, and Current Developments in Nutrition. Established in 1928, ASN's 6,500 members in 100 countries work in academia, practice, government and industry. ASN advances excellence in nutrition research and practice through its publications, education, public affairs and membership programs.
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