Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging

Last updated

The Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), located in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of six human nutrition research centers in the United States supported by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. The goal of the HNRCA, which is managed by Tufts University, is to explore the relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and healthy and active aging. [1] [2]

Contents

History

In the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977, [3] Congress directed the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a comprehensive human nutrition research program and to study the potential cost and value of regional research centers for nutrition. The Agriculture Appropriations Bill, passed later in 1977, [3] instructed the USDA to establish an "adult" human nutrition research facility at Tufts University in Massachusetts. On August 1, 1979, the Cooperative Agreement between Tufts University and the USDA was signed, and on October 23 of the same year, the National Institute on Aging and the USDA signed a Memorandum of Understanding detailing their mutual interest in the HNRCA at Tufts University. Tufts University donated land from its Boston campus for the HNRCA. It is run by cooperative agreement between the ARS and Tufts University. [4]

Contributions to society

The HNRCA is one of the largest research centers in the world studying nutrition and physical activity in healthy and active aging and the prevention of age-related disease. [5] It has made significant contributions to U.S. and international nutritional and physical activity recommendations, public policy, and clinical healthcare. [6] These contributions include advancements in the knowledge of the role of dietary calcium [7] [8] and vitamin D in promoting nutrition and bone health, [9] the role of nutrients in maintaining the optimal immune response [10] and prevention of infectious diseases, role of diet in prevention of cancer, obesity research, [11] modifications to the Food Guide Pyramid, [12] contribution to USDA nutrient data bank, advancements in the study of sarcopenia, heart disease, [13] vision, brain and cognitive function, [14] front of packaging food labeling initiatives, [15] and research of how genetic factors impact predisposition to weight gain [6] and various health indicators.

Center structure

The HNRCA employs 270 people, including 60 scientific researchers (holding degrees of Ph.D., M.D., M.P.H., D.V.M.) with faculty appointments at different schools at Tufts University, adjunct scientists, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, ARS researchers, graduate students and other trainees, and administrative and scientific support staff. HNRCA scientists are trained in nutrition, biochemistry, genetics, medicine, endocrinology, gastroenterology, physiology, veterinary medicine, epidemiology, physics, and molecular biology. [16] [17]

Current research

Research clusters within the HNRCA address four specific strategic areas: 1) Cancer, 2) Cardiovascular Disease, 3) Inflammation, Immunity, and Infectious Disease and 4) Obesity. [18]

HNRCA scientists collectively average more than one high-impact scientific journal publication each business day of the year and are often cited in the media. [19] [20]

Internal core units

Essential scientific core services provided within the HNRCA are Biostatistics, [21] Comparative Biology Unit, [22] Dietary Assessment Unit, [23] Functional Genomics, [24] Mass Spectrometry, [25] Metabolic Research Unit, [26] and Nutrition Evaluation Laboratory. [27]

Research and publications

The HNRCA scientists collectively average more than one high-impact scientific journal publication each business day of the year and receive a large amount of high-profile media exposure. [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat</span> Esters of fatty acid or triglycerides

In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vitamin</span> Nutrients required by organisms in small amounts

Vitamins are organic molecules that are essential to an organism in small quantities for proper metabolic function. Essential nutrients cannot be synthesized in the organism in sufficient quantities for survival, and therefore must be obtained through the diet. For example, vitamin C can be synthesized by some species but not by others; it is not considered a vitamin in the first instance but is in the second. Most vitamins are not single molecules, but groups of related molecules called vitamers. For example, there are eight vitamers of vitamin E: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.

A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excreted by cells to create non-cellular structures such as hair, scales, feathers, or exoskeletons. Some nutrients can be metabolically converted into smaller molecules in the process of releasing energy such as for carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and fermentation products leading to end-products of water and carbon dioxide. All organisms require water. Essential nutrients for animals are the energy sources, some of the amino acids that are combined to create proteins, a subset of fatty acids, vitamins and certain minerals. Plants require more diverse minerals absorbed through roots, plus carbon dioxide and oxygen absorbed through leaves. Fungi live on dead or living organic matter and meet nutrient needs from their host.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human nutrition</span> Provision of essential nutrients necessary to support human life and health

Human nutrition deals with the provision of essential nutrients in food that are necessary to support human life and good health. Poor nutrition is a chronic problem often linked to poverty, food security, or a poor understanding of nutritional requirements. Malnutrition and its consequences are large contributors to deaths, physical deformities, and disabilities worldwide. Good nutrition is necessary for children to grow physically and mentally, and for normal human biological development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agricultural Research Service</span> Research agency of the US Department of Agriculture

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with extending the nation's scientific knowledge and solving agricultural problems through its four national program areas: nutrition, food safety and quality; animal production and protection; natural resources and sustainable agricultural systems; and crop production and protection. ARS research focuses on solving problems affecting Americans every day. The ARS Headquarters is located in the Jamie L. Whitten Building on Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C., and the headquarters staff is located at the George Washington Carver Center (GWCC) in Beltsville, Maryland. For 2018, its budget was $1.2 billion.

The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is a system of nutrition recommendations from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) of the National Academies. It was introduced in 1997 in order to broaden the existing guidelines known as Recommended Dietary Allowances. The DRI values differ from those used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada, which uses Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs) and Daily Values (%DV) which were based on outdated RDAs from 1968 but were updated as of 2016.

Calorie restriction is a dietary regimen that reduces the energy intake from foods and beverages without incurring malnutrition. The possible effect of calorie restriction on body weight management, longevity, and aging-associated diseases has been an active area of research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healthy diet</span> Type of diet

A healthy diet is a diet that maintains or improves overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients such as protein, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequate fibre and food energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food policy</span> Area of public policy

Food policy is the area of public policy concerning how food is produced, processed, distributed, purchased, or provided. Food policies are designed to influence the operation of the food and agriculture system balanced with ensuring human health needs. This often includes decision-making around production and processing techniques, marketing, availability, utilization, and consumption of food, in the interest of meeting or furthering social objectives. Food policy can be promulgated on any level, from local to global, and by a government agency, business, or organization. Food policymakers engage in activities such as regulation of food-related industries, establishing eligibility standards for food assistance programs for the poor, ensuring safety of the food supply, food labeling, and even the qualifications of a product to be considered organic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Willett</span> American nutritionist

Walter C. Willett is an American physician and nutrition researcher. He is the Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and was the chair of its department of nutrition from 1991 to 2017. He is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a health science-focused research center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is part of the Louisiana State University System and conducts clinical, basic, and population science research. It is the largest academically-based nutrition research center in the world, with the greatest number of obesity researchers on faculty. The center's over 500 employees occupy several buildings on the 222-acre (0.90 km2) campus. The center was designed by the Baton Rouge architect John Desmond.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) provide nutritional advice for Americans who are healthy or who are at risk for chronic disease but do not currently have chronic disease. The Guidelines are published every five years by the US Department of Agriculture, together with the US Department of Health and Human Services. Notably, the most recent ninth edition for 2020–25 includes dietary guidelines for children from birth to 23 months. In addition to the Dietary Guidelines per se, there are additional tools for assessing diet and nutrition, including the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which can be used to assess the quality of a given selection of foods in the context of the Dietary Guidelines. Also provided are additional explanations regarding customization of the Guidelines to individual eating preferences, application of the Guidelines during pregnancy and infancy, the USDA Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review, information about the Nutrition Communicators Network and the MyPlate initiative, information from the National Academies about redesigning the process by which the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are created, and information about dietary guidelines from other nations.

Nutrition education is a combination of learning experiences designed to teach individuals or groups about the principles of a balanced diet, the importance of various nutrients, how to make healthy food choices, and how both dietary and exercise habits can affect overall well-being. It includes a combination of educational strategies, accompanied by environmental supports, designed to facilitate voluntary adoption of food choices and other nutrition-related behaviors conducive to well-being. Nutrition education is delivered through multiple venues and involves activities at the individual, community, and policy levels. Nutrition Education also critically looks at issues such as food security, food literacy, and food sustainability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MyPlate</span> US federal nutrition guide since 2011

MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the United States Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, and serves as a recommendation based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It replaced the USDA's MyPyramid guide on June 2, 2011, ending 19 years of USDA food pyramid diagrams. MyPlate is displayed on food packaging and used in nutrition education in the United States. The graphic depicts a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups that are recommended parts of a healthy diet. This dietary recommendation combines an organized amount of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. It is designed as a guideline for Americans to base their plate around in order to make educated food choices. ChooseMyPlate.gov shows individuals the variety of these five subgroups based on their activity levels and personal characteristics.

Simin Nikbin Meydani is an Iranian-American nutrition scientist and professor who is the Vice Provost of Research at Tufts University.

Miriam E. Nelson is an American health and nutrition scholar, policy advisor, and author. She is the former president and CEO of Newman's Own Foundation, an independent, private foundation formed in 2005 by actor and race car driver Paul Newman to sustain the legacy of his philanthropic work. She had a controversial tenure as president of Hampshire College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice H. Lichtenstein</span> American nutrition scientist

Alice Hinda Lichtenstein is an American professor and researcher in nutrition and heart disease. She is an expert on cardiovascular health, and has been recognized for her research on dietary fat. Designated a distinguished university professor, she directs a cardiovascular nutrition laboratory at a USDA center on aging and holds the Stanley N. Gershoff chair in nutrition science and policy at the Friedman School of Nutrition, Tufts University in downtown Boston.

Dariush Mozaffarian is a cardiologist, Jean Mayer Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Professor of Medicine at Tufts School of Medicine, and an attending physician at Tufts Medical Center. His work aims to create the science and translation for a food system that is nutritious, equitable, and sustainable. Dr. Mozaffarian has authored more than 500 scientific publications on dietary priorities for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, and on evidence-based policy approaches and innovations to reduce diet-related diseases and improve health equity in the US and globally. Some of his areas of interest include healthy diet patterns, nutritional biomarkers, Food is Medicine interventions in healthcare, nutrition innovation and entrepreneurship, and food policy. He is one of the top cited researchers in medicine globally, he has served in numerous advisory roles, and his work has been featured in an array of media outlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Bodnar</span> American nutritional and perinatal epidemiologist

Lisa Bodnar is an American nutritional and perinatal epidemiologist. She is the Vice-Chair for Research and a tenured professor at University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on the contributions of pregnancy weight gain, dietary patterns, maternal obesity, and maternal vitamin D deficiency to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johanna T. Dwyer</span> American nutrition scientist and dietician

Johanna T. Dwyer is an American nutrition scientist and dietitian. She is a senior scientist at the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements and director of the Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center. Dwyer is a professor of nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

References

  1. ↑ "Partnering with Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging". Archived from the original on 2013-05-10. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  2. ↑ "Evidence- based research on healthy active aging through nutrition".
  3. 1 2 Rosenberg, Irwin H. (1 January 2009). "History of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University". The Journal of Nutrition. 139 (1): 192–193. doi: 10.3945/jn.108.096776 . PMID   19056814.
  4. ↑ Rosenberg, Irwin (2009). "History of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University". The Journal of Nutrition. 139 (1): 192–3. doi: 10.3945/jn.108.096776 . PMID   19056814.
  5. ↑ "Center Studying Diet's Links To Aging". The New York Times. December 28, 1983.
  6. 1 2 "USDA Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging , Boston, Massachusetts".
  7. ↑ "Study Finds Calcium Helpful to Older Women". The New York Times. September 27, 1990.
  8. ↑ "EFFECT OF DIETARY PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS ON CALCIUM EXCRETION IN HEALTHY OLDER MEN AND WOMEN".
  9. ↑ "EPIDEMIOLOGY, NUTRITION AND PROBLEMS OF AGING - JEAN MAYER USDA, HNRCA AT TUFTS UNIV". www.reeis.usda.gov.
  10. ↑ "Effect of Age on Susceptibility to Salmonella typhimurium Infection in C57BL/6 Mice: Role of the Immune System".
  11. ↑ "ARS National Research Program on Obesity" (PDF). Agricultural Research. March 2006.
  12. ↑ "Tufts MyPlate for Older Adults".[ dead link ]
  13. ↑ "Berry Season" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  14. ↑ "Neuroscience and Aging Lab - Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging". 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013.
  15. ↑ "Partners : USDA ARS".
  16. ↑ "Tufts University Abridged Fact Book 2007-2008" (PDF). Office of Institutional Research & Evaluation. 2009.
  17. ↑ "Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging : USDA ARS".
  18. ↑ "Research Teams".
  19. ↑ "Journal publications".
  20. ↑ "HNRCA in the media". Archived from the original on 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  21. ↑ "Biostatistics and Data Management Unit - Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging".
  22. ↑ "Comparative Biology Unit - Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging".
  23. ↑ "Dietary Assessment Unit - Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging".
  24. ↑ "Functional Genomics Core - Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging". 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013.
  25. ↑ "Mass Spectrometry Unit - Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging".
  26. ↑ "Metabolic Research Unit - Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging".
  27. ↑ "Nutrition Evaluation Laboratory - Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging".
  28. ↑ "Google Scholar". scholar.google.com.

Labs

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.