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
Perspective: Assessing Tolerance to Nondigestible Carbohydrate Consumption
Advances in Nutrition, 2022
Non-Digestible Carbohydrates provide functional attributes to processed foods, including sugar or fat replacers, thickening agents, and bulking agents. Additionally, NDCs are incorporated into processed foods to increase their fiber content. Although consumption of NDCs can benefit health and contribute functional characteristics to foods, they can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloating. As gastrointestinal symptoms negatively affect consumer well-being and their acceptance of foods containing NDC ingredients, it is crucial to consider tolerance when designing food products and testing their physiological health benefits in clinical trials.
Read more about Perspective: Assessing Tolerance to Nondigestible Carbohydrate Consumption
Gastrointestinal Effects and Tolerance of Nondigestible Carbohydrate Consumption
Advances in Nutrition, 2022
Guidance on tolerable intake levels of different non-digestible carbohydrates is needed because overconsumption can lead to undesirable gastrointestinal side effects, further widening the gap between actual and suggested fiber intake levels. In this review, we synthesize the literature on gastrointestinal effects of NDCs that the FDA accepts as dietary fibers and present tolerable intake dose recommendations for their consumption.
Read more about Gastrointestinal Effects and Tolerance of Nondigestible Carbohydrate Consumption
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.
Finding the Sweet Spot: Measurement, Modification and Application of Sweet Hedonics in Humans
Advances in Nutrition, 2021
Sweetness is a sensation that contributes to the palatability of foods, which is the primary driver of food choice. Thus, understanding how to measure the appeal of sweetness and how to modify it are key to effecting dietary change for health.
Events
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