The Carbohydrates Committee addresses outstanding scientific issues through discovery, research tools and translational messaging related to how carbohydrate-rich foods, food components and formulations are associated with consumption behavior, diet quality and health outcomes.
Why is this research important?
Carbohydrates are an important source of energy and nutrients in the food supply. The committee focuses its work on understanding sugar, fiber, and carbohydrate quality as they relate to human health.
Research Focus Areas:
- Advance scientific evidence and research tools to further understanding of how fiber relates to human health outcomes.
- Characterize nutrient intakes and overall diet quality of various carbohydrate restricted or modified diet patterns.
- Clarify and communicate research tools examining causal relationships between energy containing food/ingredients and body composition.
- Promote informed decision-making on food choices - focused on carbohydrate quality.
IAFNS is currently offering graduate student and post-doc stipends for research using the comprehensive database (click here to apply).
Archer Daniels Midland Company
BENEO - Group
Cargill, Incorporated
General Mills, Inc.
The Hershey Company
Ingredion Incorporated
Mondelēz International
Potatoes USA
ACADEMIC ADVISORS
GOVERNMENT ADVISOR
David Baer, PhD, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service
Projects Supported by the Committee:
Publications
Scoping Review and Evidence Map on the Relationship Between Exposure to Dietary Sweetness and Body Weight-Related Outcomes In Adults
Advances in Nutrition, 2022
Restricted Carbohydrate Diets Below 45% Energy are not Associated with Risk of Mortality in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2018
Nutritional Epidemiology, 2024
Dietary strategies, such as restricting carbohydrate intake, are becoming popular strategies for improving health status.
Rare Sugars and their Health Effects in Humans: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of the Evidence from Human Trials
Nutrition Reviews, 2022
Little is known about the unique physiological and cardiometabolic effects of rare sugars in humans. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and synthesis of controlled intervention studies of rare sugars in humans, using PRISMA guidelines.
Quality of Popular Diet Patterns in the United States: Evaluating the Effect of Substitutions for Foods High in Added Sugar, Sodium, Saturated Fat and Refined Grains
Current Developments in Nutrition, 2022
Low diet quality was observed for all popular diet patterns evaluated in this study. Greater efforts are needed to encourage the adoption of dietary patterns that emphasize consumption of a variety of high-quality food groups lower in added sugar, sodium, saturated fat and refined grains.
Physiologic Effects of Isolated or Synthetic Dietary Fiber in Children: A Scoping Review
Current Developments in Nutrition, 2024
Fiber is an integral part of a healthy diet. Studies have shown that the fiber intake in children is below adequate amounts, leading to adverse health outcomes.
Events
12th Vahouny Fiber Symposium
December 14, 2020 – December 15, 2020
Virtual, Symposium
IAFNS organized the 12th Vahouny Fiber Symposium.
Carbohydrate Forum 2020
January 20, 2020
Event, USA
Low glycemic index foods for metabolic health: fact or fiction: Jeyakumar Henry, PhD, Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Singapore