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Steve Myers, senior editor, is a graduate of the English program at Arizona State University. He first entered the natural products industry and Virgo Publishing in 1997, right out of college, and he has managed to escape the searing Arizona heat by relocating to the Washington D.C. metro area. His focus has been on the financial, regulatory and quality control issues in the industry, in addition to writing stories on all aspects of the industry, from research results to manufacturing topics.

Today’s Research: Tomorrow’s Health

April 15, 2011 Comments

Posted in Blog, Research, Grape Seed Extract, Carotenoids, Vitamin D, Calcium, Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), Soy, Heart Health, Obesity, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Cognitive Performance, Bone/Joint Health, Bone/Joint Health, Eye Health

Today’s Research: Tomorrow’s Health. That’s the motto for Experimental Biology (EB), an annual conference for the scientific research community, held this year in Washington D.C. from April 9 to 13. There are posters and presentations for a wide range of research, including anatomy, biochemistry, nutrition, pathology, pharmacology and physiology. There are also numerous exhibits, which I found were primarily lab services and equipment, as well as publications and other areas of research support.

The number of research posters far outnumbered any event I’ve ever attended, and one or two of the researchers were present at their posters for a designated period of time, available to answer questions about their research from attendees and other researchers.

The section on nutrition research was huge, and there were a few trends. Carotenoids featured prominently, as did other antioxidants such as grape and wine polyphenols, soy essential fatty acids (both fish and flax). The issue of adequate vitamin and mineral intakes was a popular focus, including vitamin d, calcium and folic acid, and there seemed to be a great number of studies investigating ways to improve nutrition and nutrient intake in younger populations, including school nutrition.

Likewise, obesity, bone health, diabetes, cardiovascular, eye health and cognitive function were common health condition endpoints in the nutrition section, and I saw an interesting display on perceptions of dietary supplements in the college student population.

Another feature of EB 2011 I found valuable was the small but pointed educational program. Several scientific societies/journals sponsored and planned educational sessions and symposia in their fields of concentration; the American Society of Nutrition (ASN) came up with a nice selection of offerings including topics such as improving the food environment through policy; ethical issues in nutrition research; aligning nutrition education programs and research; micronutrient deficiency in certain populations; diet and cancer; food insecurity research; vitamin D in diabetes and metabolic syndrome; and training nutrition educators for health profession. While I couldn’t attend all the sessions, I particularly enjoyed: Is “Processed” Food a Four-Letter Word? and Nutrient-Gene Interactions.

Next year’s conference is in San Diego, April 21 to 25.