By Rebecca Williams
The Nutrition
Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting was held in Melbourne from the
29th of
November to 2nd of December. The conference
brought together nutrition scientists from around the world to hear the latest
research on the association between food and health. Some of the highlights
from the conference included:
A Systematic Approach to Estimate the Legume Content
of Australian Foods
GLNC’s University
of Wollongong student Anna Ross gave an oral presentation which showcased some
of the results of her Masters research project. This included the expansion of
the AUSNUT 2011-2013 database to include legume content data from three legume
subgroups: non-oil seed legumes, soy foods and beverages, and peanuts. Cereal
based products and dishes formed the largest proportion (23%) of the database.
This database will provide a tool for use in a range of research and practice
settings.
Role of Nutrition in Immune Homeostasis
Professor Mimi
Tang from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Victoria spoke about the
critical role diet plays in regulating immune homeostasis through shaping the
gut microbiota and promoting the production of short chain fatty acids.
Children are born with a largely sterile gut which rapidly evolves in early
life depending on the mode of delivery (vaginal vs caesarian section), maternal
microbiota, whether the baby is breast fed vs formula fed and the types of
first foods. The greatest shifts in the microbiota is believed to occur in the
‘first 1000 days’, particularly during the transition onto solid foods. Diets
that contain high fibre foods are associated with favourable immune
homeostasis, increased short chain fatty acid production (particularly butyrate
and acetate) and a reduced risk of non-communicable disease.
Food Group and Dietary Fibre Consumption on Paleolithic
and Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) Diets
A four week
randomised intervention of 39 healthy females from Edith Cowan University
showed that those following a Paleo diet had a higher intake of fruit,
vegetables and protein, but a lower intake of grains, legumes and dairy
compared to those following the AGHE diet. While there were no differences in
total fibre, soluble and insoluble fibre intake, consumption of resistant
starch was significantly lower on the Paleo diet. Therefore while the Paleo
group did consume more fruit and vegetables, their reduced intake of grains and
legumes appears to negatively impact resistant starch intake. This may have an
unfavourable effect on gut microbiota and risk of chronic disease.
Fun Facts from Research Presented at NSA
- One third of all food produced for human consumption in the world is lost or wasted.
- Dietary factors are now the leading contributors to the global burden of disease.
- It is estimated that around one third of the most common cancers are preventable through appropriate dietary intake, maintaining a healthy weight and regular physical activity.
- Transmissible diet-induced epigenetic changes can occur in a single generation.
- Australians consumed nearly half of added sugars (as a proportion of daily intake) at non-main meal occasions, most of which came from energy dense nutrient poor foods.
