Bioactives Archives

Standing Committee on Bioactive Recommendations

February 4, 2022/in Bioactives, Cognitive Health /by sgibb

Growing evidence suggests that lutein for vision and flavan-3-ols for cardiovascular disease could be candidates for quantified recommended intakes. In 2014, Elwood et al. pointed out the challenges and suggested that a framework be developed to recommend bioactive intakes not currently covered by approaches used to establish nutrient intakes to prevent deficiencies. A standing committee of experts subsequently developed a 4-part framework for evaluating human evidence and where appropriate quantifying an intake range for health promoting dietary components that do not fit in established nutrient frameworks based on evidence of deficiency. The framework was endorsed by the American Society of Nutrition.

This work was supported by IAFNS Bioactives Committee. Visit our Cognitive Health Committee to see IAFNS’s ongoing work on foods, diets and bioactives for health promotion.

Recommending a quantified intake of flavan-3-ols promote heart health

February 2, 2022/in Bioactives /by Fiona McCann

Dietary bioactives are food substances that promote health but lack quantified intake recommendations because they are not characterized as essential to prevent well defined deficiency conditions.

This project translates evidence from a comprehensive systematic evidence review by Raman et al. using the AND guideline development process and applying a recently released (ASN endorsed) framework for developing recommended intakes of bioactive substances.

This project funds an expert review to determine whether evidence was of sufficient quality to develop a quantified recommended intake of flavan-3-ols to promote cardiovascular health and if so, issue the recommendation in the form of a quantified amount of flavan-3-ols. The project is the culmination of grants provided by IANFS to support the evidence review, framework development, and finally the independent AND guideline development process and publication.

Institution: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Principal Investigator: Evidence Analysis Center (EAC) at AND
Year Awarded: 2019

This project is supported by the IAFNS Bioactives Committee.

Updating USDA Food Composition Databases with Common Data Elements on Flavonoids

November 17, 2021/in Bioactives /by sgibb

Public health is determined not only by essential nutrients present in foods, but also dietary bioactives and their metabolites. Observational studies on diet and health outcomes rely on quality food composition databases, most of which are nearly devoid of non-essential health promoting bioactive components such as flavonoids. Lack of standard terms adds complexity, making it difficult to assign chemical identifiers to bioactives reported in the literature. New tools are needed to afford nutrition researchers the ability to establish relationships between dietary bioactives and health.

Institution: North Carolina State University
Principal Investigator: Colin Kay, PhD
Year Awarded: 2021

This work is supported by IAFNS Bioactives Committee

IAFNS Research Design Challenge

September 8, 2021/in Bioactives /by Fiona McCann

Finalists Announced for the NUTRITION 2018 Dietary Bioactives Research Design Challenge

Non-essential bioactive dietary components hold promise for helping maintain optimal health and reducing risk of chronic disease, yet most efficacy studies are not sufficiently designed or powered to measure their safety. In the IAFNS Research Design Challenge at NUTRITION 2018, interdisciplinary teams pitched novel research designs that integrate safety measures and primary efficacy measures into a single study. Data obtained from such studies will improve the confidence of regulatory bodies with product oversight and health professionals providing advice to the general public.

Research Design Challenge Objective: Demonstrate proof of principle for novel research designs to integrate more safety measures in research with the primary purpose of testing efficacy of dietary bioactives.

Congratulations to the finalists of the IAFNS NUTRITION 2018 Research Design Challenge:

First Place:

Team Rutgers, led by Alexandra Kreitman, Department of Nutritional Sciences
“Measuring Safety and Efficacy of a Health Promoting Dietary Component: Monitoring GI Side Effects of a Putative α-Glucosidase Inhibitor.”

Second Place:

Team University of Alabama, Birmingham, led by Yuanyuan Rose Li, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
“An Effective Method to Balance Efficacy and Safety Test for Bioactive Soybean Isoflavone-Enhanced Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients.”

Watch the Pitch Videos

Acknowledgements:

This challenge session was supported by the IAFNS Bioactive Committee.

Design challenge judges were Paul Coates, Office of Dietary Supplements; James Coughlin, Coughlin & Associates; and Christina Khoo, Ocean Spray Cranberries. Research teams were mentored by Jiang Hu, Herbalife; and Tia Rains, Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc.

Perspective: Framework for Developing Recommended Intakes of Bioactive Dietary Substances

May 12, 2021/in Bioactives Bioactives /by sgibb

The Association Between Macular Pigment Optical Density and Visual Function Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

September 4, 2020/in Bioactives Bioactives /by sgibb

Flavan-3-ols and Cardiovascular Disease Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

February 11, 2016/in Bioactives /by blarrick

Dietary flavonoids integrate a diverse range of polyphenolic compounds that occur naturally in plant foods. To date, the sub-class flavan-3-ols has received the most research attention, with the majority of nutrition studies focused on two dietary sources: tea and chocolate. It is not clear if the metabolic and cardiovascular health benefits may be attributed flavan-3-ols or to other bioactive constituents in these foods. The aim of this project is to quantify the level of flavan-3-ols associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease outcomes grade the strength of evidence.

This project will be conducted in two phases: In Phase 1, an evidence map of flavan-3-ol intakes from all food sources as they relate to cardiovascular outcomes will be developed to determine whether or not evidence is sufficient to complete a quality systematic evidence review. Pending sufficient evidence, in Phase 2 a systematic evidence review of flavan-3-ols and cardiovascular health outcomes will be conducted and a quantified level of bioactive assessed.

Institution: Tufts Medical Center and University of East Anglia
Principal Investigator: Gowri Raman, MBBS, MS; Aedin Cassidy, PhD
Year Awarded: 2016

Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Eye Health Visual Function Evidence Map and Systematic Review

December 10, 2015/in Bioactives /by blarrick

Lutein/zeaxanthin, found in egg yolks and a variety of fruits and vegetables, is associated with healthy ocular tissue, but an amount recommended per day has not been established. The goal of this study is to determine the strength of evidence linking a specific quantity of lutein/zeaxanthin with normal healthy eye structure (including macular pigment density) and visual function among populations relevant to general population in North America. In Phase I, an evidence map will be developed to summarize the extent and distribution of evidence to provide investigators with information about the type and amount of research available, the characteristics of that research, and the topics where a sufficient amount of evidence has accumulated for synthesis. In Phase II, specific defined outcome(s) from the evidence map will be selected for systematic evidence review.

Institution: Jean Mayer USDA HNRCA at Tufts University
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Johnson, PhD
Year Awarded: 2015

Learn more about the IAFNS Bioactives Committee.