Nutrition Research Articles of 2019

January 2, 2020by ASN Staff

Effects of red meat, white meat, and nonmeat protein sources on atherogenic lipoprotein measures in the
context of low compared with high saturated fat intake: a randomized controlled trial
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 110, Issue 1, July 2019, Pages 24–
33, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz035
Authors of this study tested whether levels of atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins differed
significantly following consumption of diets with high red meat content compared with diets
with similar amounts of protein derived from white meat or nonmeat sources, and whether these
effects were modified by concomitant intake of high compared with low saturated fatty acids.
This article was mentioned in 134 news outlets and tweeted about over 1,400 times! Here are 2
news articles about the study: Reader’s Digest and ABC News.

The Ketogenic Diet: Evidence for Optimism but High-Quality Research Needed
The Journal of Nutrition, nxz308, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxz308
The author of the article says that “Based on available evidence, a well-formulated ketogenic diet
does not appear to have major safety concerns for the general public and can be considered a
first-line approach for obesity and diabetes. High-quality clinical trials of ketogenic diets will be
needed to assess important questions about their long-term effects and full potential in clinical
medicine”
Just published in December of 2019, this article has already received nearly 1,000 tweets
mentioning it.

Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study
2
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 147, Issue 9, September 2017, Pages 1722–
1728, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.244749
Scientific evidence for the optimal number, timing, and size of meals is lacking. The authors of this study
investigated the relation between meal frequency and timing and changes in body mass index (BMI).
Their results suggest that in relatively healthy adults, eating less frequently, no snacking, consuming
breakfast, and eating the largest meal in the morning may be effective methods for preventing long-term
weight gain. Eating breakfast and lunch 5–6 h apart and making the overnight fast last 18–19 h may be a
useful practical strategy.

This article has been featured by 86 news outlets including Men’s Health and Medium. It’s also been
popular on Twitter with over 1,100 tweets.
The Relative Caloric Prices of Healthy and Unhealthy Foods Differ Systematically across Income Levels
and Continents
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 149, Issue 11, November 2019, Pages 2020–
2033, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxz158
This study compared relative caloric prices (RCPs) for different food categories across 176
countries and ascertained their associations with dietary indicators and nutrition outcomes. The
study concluded that relative food prices vary systematically across countries and partially
explain international differences in the prevalences of undernutrition and overweight adults.
Future research should focus on how to alter relative prices to achieve better dietary and nutrition
outcomes.
This article received a lot of international attention and was mentioned in 27 news outlets. Two
stories reporting on this research are from Medical Xpress and Business Standard.

Long-term coffee consumption, caffeine metabolism genetics, and risk of cardiovascular disease: a
prospective analysis of up to 347,077 individuals and 8368 cases
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 109, Issue 3, March 2019, Pages 509–
516, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy297
The aim of this study was to examine if the CYP1A2 genotype or a genetic score for caffeine
metabolism (caffeine-GS) modifies the association between habitual coffee consumption and the
risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The authors concluded that heavy coffee consumption was
associated with a modest increase in CVD risk, but this association was unaffected by genetic
variants influencing caffeine metabolism.
This article was popular on social media and in the news. 45 news outlets reported on the study,
including Women’s Health and CNN Health.
REFLECTION:
Proper nutrition is important in maintaining a long and healthy life. Food is essential for our bodies
to develop, replace and repair cells and tissues , produce energy to keep warm, move and work; carry
out chemical processes such as the digestion of food; protect against, resist and fight infection and
recover from sickness. Most people are always rushed due to their hectic schedules, and do not take
the time to plan their diets and simply just go through a drive thru. Most people are unaware of the
importance of eating and are unaware if the nutrients their lacking.