Theses and Dissertations

Since 1975, the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled around the world. In 2016, 39% of adults, or 1.9 billion people, were considered overweight, and 13% of adults, or 650 million people, were considered obese. Furthermore, Cardiovascular disease remains to be the leading cause of death for adults in the United States, with 655,000 people dying from related conditions and consequences each year. Including fiber in one’s dietary regimen has been shown to greatly improve health outcomes in regards to these two areas of health. However, not much literature is available on the effects of corn-based fiber, especially detailing the individual components of the grain itself. The purpose of this preliminary study was to test the differences in influence on both LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides between treatments based on whole-grain corn flour, refined corn flour, and 50% refined corn flour + 50% corn bran derived from whole grain cornmeal (excellent fiber) in healthy overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2) adults (ages 18 - 70) with high LDL cholesterol (LDL ≥ 120mg/dL). 20 participants, ages 18 - 64 (10 males, 10 females) were involved. Data was derived from blood draws taken before and after each of the three treatments as well as before and after each treatment’s wash out periods. A general linear model was used to assess the effect of corn products on circulating concentrations of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. From the model, it was found that the whole-grain corn flour and the 50% refined corn flour + 50% corn bran drive from whole grain cornmeal treatments produced a higher, similar benefit in reductions in LDL-cholesterol. However, the whole grain flour, refined flour, and bran-based fiber treatments did not influence the triglyceride levels of the participants throughout this study. Further research is needed to elucidate the effects of these fiber items on cardiometabolic disease markers in the long-term as well as with a larger sample size.

The various health benefits of vinegar ingestion have been studied extensively in the<br/>literature. Moreover, emerging research suggests vinegar may also have an effect on mental<br/>health. Beneficial effects of certain diets on mood have been reported, however, the mechanisms<br/>are unknown. The current study aimed to determine if vinegar ingestion positively affects mood<br/>state in healthy young adults. This was a randomized, single blinded controlled trial consisting of<br/>25 subjects. Participants were randomly assigned to either the vinegar group (consumed 2<br/>tablespoons of liquid vinegar diluted in one cup water twice daily with meals) or the control<br/>group (consumed one vinegar pill daily with a meal), and the intervention lasted 4 weeks.<br/>Subjects completed mood questionnaires pre- and post-intervention. Results showed a significant<br/>improvement in CES-D and POMS-Depression scores for the vinegar group compared to the<br/>control. This study suggests that vinegar ingestion may improve depressive symptoms in healthy<br/>young adults.

In 2020, approximately 55% of households facing food insecurity participated in one or more of the three largest federal nutrition assistance programs. Food insecurity rates have been relatively unchanged since 2019 but federal nutrition assistance programs have continued to see a decline in participation. Many families meet the income guidelines to participate in both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs, yet almost half of those participants are not utilizing WIC. The WIC program is an essential safety net for low-income families to combat food insecurity and improve diet quality. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in household characteristics among families participating in SNAP only and households participating in both SNAP and WIC. Additionally, we examined potential barriers and facilitators to participating in WIC among WIC-eligible SNAP participants. Hispanics made up 40% of SNAP Only households and about 65% of SNAP and WIC. Households with a larger number of beneficiaries and those with an infant in the household were more likely to participate in both SNAP and WIC. The main barriers identified by respondents previously enrolled in WIC were a lack of knowledge regarding WIC eligibility and issues with appointments. The two most common misconceptions regarding WIC eligibility were being unaware that simultaneous enrollment in both programs was allowable, and being unaware that household members were still eligible for WIC services. For the facilitators toward WIC enrollment, more than half of respondents knew to enroll in WIC when they needed nutrition or breastfeeding assistance. Results from this study suggest the need for targeted outreach campaigns that highlight the possibility and benefits of dual participation in SNAP and WIC. Understanding how SNAP can increase enrollment in WIC demonstrates to policymakers the benefits of streamlining the certification process.