This study used the 1987-88 USDA Nationwide Food Consumption Survey to investigate the contribution meat products make to intakes of nutrients at risk of inadequate or excessive consumption by women. The study is unique in that meat nutrients were extracted from mixed dishes, providing a more accurate picture of consumption. Cluster analysis was used to classify nonpregnant, nonlactating women 19 years and older based on their consumption patterns of total meat and individual meats (beef, poultry, processed meats, pork and seafoods) as percent of caloric intake. Total fat and SFA intakes exceeded National Research Council (NRC) goals regardless of meat intake level. Results indicate an inverse relationship of total energy intake and calories from all meats. Total fat intakes had a small, positive relationship with meat calories. Saturated fatty acid (SFA) intakes appeared to have a weak, positive relationship. Vitamin B6 intakes were below the RDA in all clusters but were adequate relative to protein intakes. Iron intakes of women under age 51 were less than 70% of RDA. Zinc had a strong, positive association with total meat intake. Individuals that did not consume beef met only 48% to 62% of RDA. An analysis to determine if increases in vitamin 86, iron, and zinc seen with high meat intake were due to increased meat or caloric intake showed that total fat and SFA increased 12% and 8%, respectively, when ≤ 2 ounces of meat and ≤ 6 ounces of meat were consumed. All of the increase was derived from meat. Vitamin B6, iron, and zinc increased 100%, 59%, and 132%, respectively; 77%, 64%, and 90% were due to meat. In summary, women's diets were significantly low in iron and zinc, which are strongly present in meat products, especially beef. Intakes of vitamin B6 appear to meet calculated needs, but some women may be at risk due to the increased requirements found with age and the low bioavailabilty of plant sources. Attempting to reduce total fat and SFA intakes by reducing meat intake, especially red meat, may have a deleterious effect on women's nutrient status.

Derivatives of 3-methyl-1-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone were formed from the oxidation products of three oxidized unsaturated fatty acids. Aeration with oxygen and heat (65C) was used as a means of accelerating deterioration of lipid samples. Formaldehyde was recovered from oxidized pure standards of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid methyl esters , and identified using gas chromatography. Formaldehyde was also recovered from oxidized lipid extracts of mechanic ally deboned turkey meat and turkey cluster fat. Gas chromatography was used to measure concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids during the oxidation of extracted lipids. Linoleic and linolenic fatty acids significantly decreased (p < .005) in oxidized lipid extracts from turkey cluster fat stored frozen for six months. Measurement of the amounts of formaldehyde which accumulates as a result of the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, may be the most reliable method of assessing the extent of oxidative deterioration in foods.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women cancer cases worldwide. Cancer is the result of environmental and genetic factors that contribute to alterations in cellular control, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Vitamin D is emerging as an important nutrient in the prevention and treatment of cancer due to its ability to modulate proliferation and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. To accomplish this, Vitamin D exerts its biological activity by binding to a specific, high-affinity intracellular vitamin D receptor (VDR). VDR expression is identified in mammary cancer cell lines, but levels are reduced compared to non-cancerous cells, which limits vitamin D-induced gene expression. Our study investigated two compounds with histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI) activity, trichostatin A (TSA), and sulforaphane (SFN), and how they influence the expression of vitamin D-induced gene expression. By isolating mRNA to create cDNA, we were able to run RT-PCR to analyze the overall gene expression. The genes investigated were: CYP24A1, CYP27B1, VDR and TRPV6. We found that in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment alone induced the expression of VDR, CYP24A1 and CYP27B1. TRPV6 mRNA expression was not evident. TSA alone increased expression of VDR and CYP24A1, but SFN alone had no effect. Co-treatments of 1,25(OH)2D3 and TSA raised CYP24A1, but not significantly. Co-treatments with SFN seemed to decrease CYP24A1 expression, not significantly. Our findings support further study of the effects of the HDACI TSA in breast cancer, and suggest that this HDACI may be beneficial in augmenting vitamin D cellular responsiveness.

Genetic variations in taste receptor genes play a notable role in human taste perception and food preferences and intake, which may affect nutritional and health status. Understanding how genetic variations in taste receptor genes influence food perception, preferences, and intake can play an important role in designing effective interventions to improve the quality of peoples' nutrition and minimize the risk of diet-related diseases such as obesity. The objective of this study was to investigate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of umami taste receptor gene TAS1R1 and GRM4 and sweet taste receptor gene TAS1R3 and percentage of body fat mass (BF%) among young adults. 833 young adults aged 18-31 years old were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Umami and sweet taste receptor genotypes were determined and analyzed. A strong association was observed between the allele frequencies of sweet taste receptor gene TAS1R3 for SNPs rs307355 and rs35744813 and BMI, and between the same SNPs rs307355 and rs35744813 and BF%. In addition, the allele frequencies of SNP rs2499729 were significantly related to the likelihood of having obesity based on BMI classification. However, there was no association between the allele frequencies of the SNPs of the umami taste receptor genes; TAS1R1 for rs34160967 and BMI or BF%. The results of this study also indicated association in total energy intake and the percentage of energy from carbohydrates, protein, and fat intake between the alleles of the sweet receptor gene TAS1R3 for rs307355 and 35744813. Furthermore, a notable association was also detected in the percentage of energy from fat intake among the alleles of the umami receptors gene TAS1R1 rs34160967, and a significant relation in the percentage of energy from carbohydrates and protein intake between the different genotype polymorphisms of the umami receptor GRM4 gene for rs2499729.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the number of registered dietitians in Tennessee who perceive they are practicing at advanced levels versus those making recommendations only. Job satisfaction according to order writing privileges was also assessed. A five question survey was sent to hospitals meeting selection criteria. Thirty-three surveys (89%) were returned. Eighty-nine percent of dietitians with order writing privileges considered themselves to be advanced level practitioners compared to 60% in the group of dietitians who did not have order writing privileges. Dietitians with order writing privileges indicated greater job satisfaction compared to dietitians that did not have that privilege. Greater job satisfaction was reported with advanced level skills which included order writing privileges. This study may show the need for dietitians to pursue advanced level skills in order to be challenged by their work, which may improve job satisfaction, and advancement in the field of nutritional care.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether providing residents of the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center Community Living Center with a choice of nourishment options between meals would improve their satisfaction with the nourishment administration process. As opposed to being given the same nourishment item each day, residents were offered choices from a nourishment cart based upon their diet order. Sixteen residents completed the pre-survey, participated in the revised nourishment cart system for a 3-week period, and completed the postsurvey. Level of satisfaction was determined by analyzing the responses given by the residents on the pre- and post-surveys. There were increases in the overall level of satisfaction the residents felt with the incorporation of the new nourishment cart system.

Background: A significant portion of lactating women in less developed countries have vitamin A (VA) deficiency. Lactation has substantial effects on a mother’s metabolism and VA is known to be needed in multiple biological processes, including growth, vision, immunity, and reproduction. Objective: The objective of this pilot study was to utilize metabolomics profiling to conduct a broad, exploratory assessment of differences in plasma metabolites associated with low VA status versus adequacy in lactating women. Methods: Plasma samples from lactating women who participated in a survey in Samar, Philippines, were selected from a cross-sectional study based on plasma retinol concentrations indicating low (VA-; n=5) or adequate (VA+; n=5) VA status (plasma retinol <0.7 or >1.05 µmol/L). The plasma results collected from six metabolomics assays (oxylipins, endocannabinoids, bile acids, primary metabolomics, aminomics, and lipidomics) were compared by group, using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results: Twenty-eight metabolites were significantly different in the VA- versus VA+ status, with 24 being lipid mediators (p<0.05). The lipid mediators demonstrated lower concentrations of the arachidonic acid- and eicosapentaenoic acid-derived oxylipins, as well as lysophospholipids and sphingolipids, in the VA- group (p<0.05). Chemical similarity enrichment analysis identified HETEs, HEPEs, and DiHETEs as significantly different oxylipin clusters (p<0.0001, false discovery rate (FDR) p<0.0001), as well as sphingomyelins, saturated lysophosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylcholines, and phosphatidylethanolamines (p<0.001, FDR p<0.01). Conclusions: The multi-assay nutritional metabolomics profiling of low VA status compared with adequacy in lactating women demonstrated reduced lipid mediator concentrations. Future studies with stronger study designs and a large and more diverse population are needed to validate these preliminary results.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), also known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate, is a polyphenol that is most abundant in tea. It has been shown from many studies that consumption of EGCG can contribute to weight loss, however, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. To determine how EGCG acts to reduce fat, an organism model Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is introduced, which is a useful animal system in exploring crucial biological mechanisms that are readily applicable to humans. In this study, different strains were raised for two days on a diet with or without 100µM and 200µM EGCG treatment: N2 (i.e., wild type) and mutants (i.e., knockdown of fat metabolism related genes). EGCG’s effect on fat reduction was characterized by triglyceride content, food consumption and physiological behaviors. Our results showed that 100 and 200 µM EGCG significantly reduced the triglyceride content of wild type worms by 10% and 20%, respectively, without affecting its food intake and physiological behaviors. Additionally, EGCG could effectively reduce fat accumulation in C. elegans dependent on acs-2 and atgl-1.

<p>Obesity is a major health concern. Strategies to reduce obesity including weight loss by energy restriction have disease risk reduction benefits, however, energy restriction alone often leads to the loss of muscle mass. Muscle is a very important tissues in the body particularly from a metabolic standpoint, thus, efforts to maintain it by promoting weight loss with the greatest ratio of fat:lean mass loss should be implemented. Also, bone health may be negatively affected by weight loss if hypoenergetic diets are suboptimal in calcium. Hence, the objective of this thesis was to determine how hypoenergetic diets varying in protein (amount and type) with exercise impacted the composition of weight lost and bone health in premenopausal, overweight and obese women. Ninety women were randomized to three groups (n=30/group): HiDairyPro, DairyPro and Control, differing in the quantity of total protein consumed (30%, 15% or 15% of energy, respectively) and the amount from dairy foods (high, moderate or low, respectively). Body composition was measured by DXA and fourier-transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) at 0, 8 and 16 weeks, and visceral adipose tissue by MRI (<em>n</em>=39) at 0 and 16 weeks. Blood and urine samples were taken at 0 and 16 weeks. All groups lost similar body weight, but HiDairyPro lost significantly more total and visceral fat, and gained significantly more lean mass than Control (Chapter 2). HiDairyPro significantly improved bone health and vitamin D status compared to Control (Chapter 3). DXA and FT-NIR measured fat mass correlated and agreed well with each other (Chapter 4). Therefore, diet- and exercise-induced weight loss with higher protein and dairy promoted more favourable body composition changes and improved bone health versus diets with lower protein and no dairy. These data have strong implications for the design of weight loss programs to combat obesity.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Overweight and obesity are risk factors for various chronic diseases. Sleep has been associated with overweight and obesity. One potential mechanism by which sleep may lead to overweight and obesity is through positive energy balance (i.e. energy intake exceeding expenditure). There are few studies examining the impact of sleep timing (onset and wake time) on diet and exercise. In a cross sectional study, we examined associations between sleep timing and diet quality, and in separate models, between sleep timing and meeting the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans among the participants of the UMass Vitamin D Status Study. A total of 140 young women (aged 18 to 30 years) were grouped into four sleep timing categories based on the median of participants’ sleep onset and wake time (Early sleep-Early wake, Early sleep-Late wake, Late sleep-Early wake, Late sleep-Late wake). Multivariable linear regression and multivariable logistic regression were used to model the associations between the sleep timing categories and diet quality, and sleep timing and meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines, respectively. Participants in the Early sleep-Early wake group had the highest diet quality scores and were more likely to meet the National Physical Activity Guidelines compared to the other sleep timing categories. To our knowledge, this was the first study in the U.S. examining sleep timing and diet quality and physical activity among young women. In conclusion, the old adage early to bed, early to rise appears to be related to higher diet quality and meeting physical activity guidelines.