nutritional sciences

Whole walnuts and their extracted oil improve cardiovascular disease risk

5/8/13

Consumption of whole walnuts or their extracted oil can reduce cardiovascular risk through a mechanism other than simply lowering cholesterol, according to a team of Penn State, Tufts University and University of Pennsylvania researchers.

American Society for Nutrition honors two Penn State researchers

4/10/13

Two Penn State faculty members: A. Catharine Ross and Barbara Rolls; are the recipients of awards from the American Society for Nutrition. The faculty members will receive their awards in a ceremony during the ASN Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2013 on Sunday, April 21, in Boston.

A. Catharine Ross edits new book 'Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease'

4/1/13

A new textbook, titled "Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 11th Edition," was published this month by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. A. Catharine Ross, professor of nutritional sciences and Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair, is the senior editor.

Diet may not impact certain health outcomes in older persons

1/14/13

Eating diets high in sugar and fat may not affect the health outcomes of older adults ages 75 and up, suggesting that placing people of such advanced age on overly restrictive diets to treat their excess weight or other conditions may have little benefit, according to researchers at Penn State and Geisinger Healthcare System.

Rockstar nutritionist combines education and entertainment

10/29/12

Jill Jayne, a 2004 Penn State graduate in nutrition, will give a presentation, titled "Nutrition Education Through Entertainment," on at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, as part of the College of Health and Human Development Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series. The talk, which is sponsored by the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society, will be held in the Bennett Pierce Living Center, 110 Henderson Building. It is free and open to the public.

Interaction of genes and environment influences obesity in children

10/29/12

Neither genes nor the environment alone can predict obesity in children, but when considered together a strong relationship emerges, according to researchers at Penn State, St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The researchers found that children who have a genetic variant that makes them less sensitive to the taste of certain bitter compounds, also called "non-tasters," were significantly more likely to be obese than children who were "tasters" of these compounds -- but only when they lived in an unhealthy food environment.

Probing Question: Are local foods really best?

6/27/12

A visit to the supermarket used to seem pretty straightforward. Need some fish or chicken? Buy some. Out of bananas? Toss a bunch in the cart. Running low on coffee? Grab a canister.

Researchers unveil new assessment for diagnosing malnutrition

5/7/12

A new systematic assessment of malnutrition, created by researchers at Penn State, will aid dietitians and other health care providers in diagnosis and treatment.

Up to 50 percent of patients in hospitals and nursing facilities are estimated to be malnourished, according to Gordon Jensen, professor and head of nutritional sciences, Penn State. Although malnutrition is widespread, confusion exists in the clinical community on how to best make this diagnose. Malnourished patients are frequently not identified as such, and those not affected are sometimes thought to be malnourished.

Binge eating may lead to addiction-like behaviors

4/25/12

A history of binge eating -- consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time -- may make an individual more likely to show other addiction-like behaviors, including substance abuse, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. In the short term, this finding may shed light on the factors that promote substance abuse, addiction, and relapse. In the long term, may help clinicians treat individuals suffering from this devastating disease.

Birch and Kris-Etherton receive American Society for Nutrition awards

4/17/12

Leann Birch, distinguished professor of human development and family studies and professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State, and Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State, have received awards from the American Society for Nutrition.

Ultimate Volumetrics diet book helps people lose weight, manage hunger

3/28/12

A new book by Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences and Helen A. Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Penn State, aims to help people control their hunger while also losing weight. "The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet" will be available in stores and online on April 10. "There is no magic way to get around the fact that to lose weight you must reduce the calories you consume to below the number you burn," Rolls said. "However, cutting calories doesn't have to leave you feeling hungry. You can carefully choose the foods you eat so that you feel full and satisfied on fewer calories."

Hiding vegetables in kids' foods can increase vegetable intake

7/25/11

Preschool children consumed nearly twice as many vegetables and 11 percent fewer calories over the course of a day when researchers from Penn State added pureed vegetables to the children's favorite foods.

"Childhood obesity rates are on the rise, and at the same time children are not eating the recommended amount of vegetables," said Barbara Rolls, professor of nutritional sciences and holder of the Helen A. Guthrie chair in nutritional sciences in Penn State's College of Health and Human Development. "Vegetables have been shown to help lower calorie intake. The problem is getting kids to eat enough vegetables."

Penn State professor helps U.S. News assemble diet rankings

6/7/11

Diets go in and out of style as fast the latest clothing trends, but how can we know which are the best? A panel of health experts, including Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State, helped U.S. News and World Report create a diet ranking. The 22 experts reviewed information about 20 well-known diets, from Atkins to Zone, and rated each diet on specific measures such as effectiveness, safety and cost. Using the experts' ratings, U.S. News created the "Best Diet" rankings and released them today. "Obesity and overweight are serious problems in the United States," said Kris-Etherton. "Because of that many people want to lose weight, but there are a lot of diets out there. Our goal was to analyze the most common diets based on a variety of criteria so as to enable consumers to make informed decisions."

Professor is vice president-elect of American Society for Nutrition

5/18/11

Gordon L. Jensen, professor and head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State, is the vice president-elect of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN). He will assume the post immediately and will transition through the roles of vice president and president before finishing his four-year tenure with the title of past president.

Noll seminar series to continue March 25 with Shannon Kelleher

3/21/11

Shannon Kelleher, assistant professor of nutritional science at Penn State, will present "Moving Zinc through the Mammary Gland: Where does it go, how does it get there, and why do we care?" from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on March 25, in room 127 of the Noll Laboratory on Penn State's University Park campus. The lecture is being presented as part of the Penn State Department of Kinesiology's Noll Seminar Series, and is free and open to the public.

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