Kent State Interns

Blog Post #2 Nutrigenomics is a growing trend in the field of nutrition and dietetics. It is the study of the genetic response to diet and how this interaction plays a role in the predisposition of disease. It also goes deeper to look at how nutrients alter the DNA transcription and translation process to ultimately affect health outcomes. The idea is that nutrigenomics will allow dietitians to personalize diet prescriptions for individuals based upon their genetic makeup and response to certain foods. According to Today’s Dietitian, genes may affect appetite, calorie intake, macronutrient preferences, insulin signaling, inflammation, and the formation of fat cells.                I think the growing trend of nutrigenomics is a great thing. I believe that genetics plays such a large role in a person’s overall health and nutrigenomics could be exactly what we have needed to help determine what diet is going to result in th...

Post #4 Research companies have been experimenting with the idea of cultured meat, or in vitro meat as it is also called. Cultured meat relies on living cells taken from animal stem cells or biopsied cells, avoiding the killing of animals. These cells are allowed to multiply in a nutrient-rich medium. The In theory, one of these animals cells could be cultured to feed the entire world for one year "without any genetic modification or animal slaughter.  There are multiple reasonings why companies have started looking into cultured meats. Memphis Meats started because of their love of meat, but their awareness that the current agricultural methods are not conducive to sustainability. Land and water could be more sustainably used to grow crops for the rapidly growing world population since more land and water resources are needed for one steak than are needed for one pound of grain. SuperMeat emphasizes more of the vegan/vegetarian side of cultured meat. They recognize the im...

     Medical foods are nutrient dense foods that are incorporated to aid in inborn errors of metabolism. Medical foods have been used for clients with malabsorption in the GI and inherited diseases of amino acids. These inherited diseases include, but are not limited to: ulcerative colitis, GERD, Crohn's, ADHD, and PKU. Medical foods fall into three main categories: products with a full complement of vital nutrients, modular products, and low protein foods (Webb, 2017).      Products with full compliment nutrients that limit the use of complicated nutrients such as phenylalanine or tyrosine. Modular products include ready to drink beverages, tables, and amino acid mixtures. Low protein foods include baked goods, pasta, rice, meat substitutes, and cheese substitutes. Medical foods are typically supervised by physicians and are FDA approved. These medicinal foods help aid with malabsorption, inherited diseases, and significant nutrient deficiencies. Large ma...

     Yoga is a complementary and alternative therapy used for various reasons such as anxiety, physiological pain, exercise, and stress management. Yoga has been researched to be coupled with holistic health in use with counseling based fields to help aid in overall optimal health and wellness. Yoga utilizes different muscles and techniques to target certain affects to the body. Certain breathing exercises and yoga poses are affective for relaxing the nervous system and relaxing the muscles from compounded stress on the muscles. In respects to yoga in dietetic practice, there have been researched  benefits found in the coupling of these two alternative medicines.      "Benefits include the following: increased mindfulness of food consumption, reduction in overeating and stress eating, decreased food cravings, improved mood and emotional stability, and increased self-esteem and self acceptance"(Van Pelt, 2017). This article points out multiple clients ...

     It seems that the past five years have shown a higher prevalence of wheat senstitives than there has been in the past 20 years. Wheat is a complex carbohydrate that contains carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Wheat provides fiber as it improves glucose levels and bowel movements. When an individual with a wheat sensitivity consumes wheat, there is an adverse reaction of gut inflammation and a potential allergic reaction depending on the severity of the sensitivity. Wheat allergy is one of the top eight allergens that is found in 2% of the population (Scarlata, 2017).      Two components that may affective the digestive adverse affects are: fructans and amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATIs). Fructans are a component of wheat that are known for IBS triggers. Individuals with nonceliac wheat sensitivity shows IBS present symptoms. Due to this, many dietitians use diets specific to GI complications such as FODMAPS. FODMAP diets help improve IBS symptoms such ...

     Nutraceuticals included in the diet are the new emerging research targeted as alternative medicine to treat mental illness. The World Health Organization (WHO), is predicting that in 2020 that depression will be one of top ten most diagnosed burdened disease worldwide. Serotonin is produced in the intestines and in the brain. With serotonin production in the intestines, this deals with multiple factors regarding chemical imbalances in neurotransmitters that work together in mood regulation and brain metabolism. Diet and nutrient intake is one of the main influences on inflammation. Using integrative medicine, there is a magnification on specific nutrients and their clinical connection to mood disorders. Nutrients such as, but not limited to: omega-3s, N-acetyl cysteine, vitamin D, Zinc, and Creatinine (Swift, 2017).      Omega 3s are linked to aiding in the prevention of major depressive disorder and bipolar depression. N-acetyl cysteine is an anti-i...

Post #3 A new study has come out stating that many consumers view "non-GMO" and "organic" as synonymous. The two labels are not identical. The "Non-GMO verified project" label actually does allow up to 0.9% of genetically modified ingredients. The "organic" label does not allow any amount of genetically modified ingredients. In June 2016, Congress passed a law that required companies to label their genetically modified ingredients and products by June 2018. Over 1,000 people were surveyed to see how much more consumers are willing to spend if a product is labeled with either of the two mentioned above. Purchasing of apples and granola bars were chosen as topics to include in the survey. Granola bars represent a manufactured food that is "commonly differentiated by the absence of genetic material." Apples represent a fresh fruit that would require companies to disclose if their crop contains genetic material. Regarding boxes of gra...

Post #2 With the rise in curiosity for plant-based diets, there is a higher chance that a registered dietitian will be encountering vegan clients. Vegan is a subcategory of vegetarian, where someone abstains from one or more animal products. In a vegan diet, all animal products and by-prodcuts are avoided. This generally involves diet, but can also extend to clothing, beauty products, etc. depending on the various motivations behind the lifestyle shift. These are the ten most helpful tips when counseling vegan clients. 1. Know the type of vegetarian or vegan you are counseling. Some may consume fish, but no other meat. Some may avoid all flesh, but still consume dairy and eggs. Some avoid eggs, some avoid dairy. And vegans avoid all animal products. 2. Understand the vegetarian's motivations. A vegetarian/vegan may include one or more of these reasonings as motivators for their diet: health, animal rights, animal conditions, and sustainability are the most common motivations....

The variety and overabundance of vitamins, minerals, and supplements in the store makes it easy to wonder if we should be taking them or if our food intake alone is adequate.   For the most part, we typically consume enough nutrients from the food we eat if we are eating a variety of healthy foods.   It is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to obtain nutrients from food sources first before resorting to supplements.   However, sometimes supplements are needed at certain times or for certain people. As stated earlier, if the five food groups are being consumed in adequate amounts according to MyPlate, there should not be any deficiencies.   Some people; however, are deficient in some nutrients no matter how well they eat so they may require a supplement.   Older adults, pregnant woman, and people who are food insecure may benefit from the additional nutrients. Food allergies or certain diets may also pose an issue with nutrient int...