Kent State Interns

I recently came across an interesting article about a study done in Germany that researched the fetal response to glucose and the link it has with the mother’s insulin sensitivity. The study indicates that the risk of obesity and diabetes may start in the womb. Research has already shown that diabetes and obesity in the mother can influence the development of the fetus and the baby after birth. Children who have mothers who are obese or diabetic are at a higher risk for obesity and diabetes also. However, this study was the first that looked at the metabolism of pregnant women following a meal and how that influences fetal brain activity. The researchers performed an oral glucose tolerance test on 13 healthy pregnant women, and insulin sensitivity was determined by glucose and insulin measurements at 0, 60, and 120 minutes. The response of the fetus was examined by recording fetal brain responses with a magnetoencephalographic device. The results showed that after 60 minutes, ...

Today society is very fast pace and many American's want a quick fix to losing weight. So many people run to their local gym or fitness center and do not see the results they are looking for quickly. This leads many to turn to fad diets to loose weight quickly. A very popular diet is a Ketogenic diet. This diet is recommended by many personal trainers, fitness centers and some doctors offices. The Ketogenic Diet or High protein diet recommends removing carbohydrates from the diet and consuming a high amount of protein and high fat in place of the carbohydrates. So many people may lose weight from this diet quickly, but many may ask is it safe?  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics released a position statement on this popular fad diet. The K-E diet is often a diet that is given through enteral nutrition or by tube feeding. This type of nutrition is given to most often to sustain life to promote and maintain health. The K-E diet can often be given through enteral feedings to help...

Fat may be the most confusing nutrient in our diet. Some sources recommend eating as little fat as possible while other sources tell us to consume certain types of fat in certain amounts. In the March/April issue of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food & Nutrition magazine, Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD discusses the current findings surrounding dietary fats in her article “From low-fat to pro-fat: Making sense of the latest evidence on dietary fats.” In 2013, the American Heart Association, along with the American College of Cardiology Lifestyle Management, recommended that saturated fat be no more than 5 to 6 percent of daily calories to assist in preventing cardiovascular disease. While limiting saturated fat intake is beneficial, Penny Kris Etherton, PhD, RD, a heart health researcher at Penn State University, said many factors other than saturated fats play a role in heart disease, such as lifestyle and obesity (Zelman, 2014). One fat that has been shown to be a...

A new gene that has been recently identified appears to be strongly linked to obesity. This link does not mean that an individual is guaranteed to be overweight or obese but rather that they are at an increased risk. In this study this gene appears to be related to how the body handles glucose and stores fat. In the future this could lead to new ways to handle some cases of obesity and diabetes. However, more research is needed due to limitations in the study such as rats being the sample that was tested. This research was done by the University of Chicago. A link to the article is attached: http://consumer.healthday.com/health-technology-information-18/genetics-news-334/scientists-spot-new-obesity-gene-685688.html   -AA

Chocolate is one of the most loved foods, and people are always trying to find reasons to justify that it is good for you. I came across an interesting long-term study that will be taking place soon. The researches will be looking at whether certain ingredients in dark chocolate can prevent heart attacks and strokes. It’s obvious that the sugar and high fat content in chocolate isn’t healthy. However, past studies have shown that cocoa flavanols have been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels. The researchers will not be giving out chocolate candy bars to their 18,000 participants. Instead, they will be giving participants dark chocolate pills that contain 750 milligrams of cocoa flavanols, which are naturally present in chocolate. These pills will only contain this bio-active ingredient that’s found in the cocoa bean and will not contain any sugar or fat. The participants will be given two capsules a day of the cocoa flavanols or a placebo for four years. ...

Registered Dietitian Day has been celebrated every March (National Nutrition Month) since 2008, but this is the first year that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has celebrated and sponsored Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day . In honor of this special day, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to detail the differences between a registered dietitian, a registered dietitian nutritionist, and a nutritionist. Registered Dietitian: RDs are food and nutrition experts who have met many academic and professional requirements. They have all earned bachelor's degrees (and around half of all RDs have advanced degrees too!), that include coursework in food and nutrition sciences, foodservice management, business, economics, computer science, sociology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and chemistry. Once obtaining a bachelor's degree, RDs must complete an accredited, supervised practice program at health-care facilities, community agencies, and foodservice corp...

A new study by Columbia University's School of Nursing and the World Health Organization just published some disconcerting information about hand hygiene in U.S. health care facilities. One in five health care facilities in the United States does not make hand sanitizer available everywhere it's needed. Additionally, staff might not be receiving adequate hand-washing training, as only half of the hospitals studied had funds budgeted for such training. The researchers also found that one in ten of the facilities had reported that those at the top of the organization, such as the CEO, medical director or director of nursing, failed to make any sort of clear commitment to improvements in this area. Said study co-leader Laurie Conway, "The tone for compliance with infection control guidelines is set at the highest levels of management, and our study also found that executives aren't always doing what they can to send a clear message that preventing infections is a pri...