Theses and Dissertations
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Nutrition
- Creators: Whisner, Corrie
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.
The Association Between Time to Eat and Students Fruit & Vegetable Consumption, Selection, and Waste
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.
One Particular nutrient that is commonly lacking in the vegetarian diet is vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is found mainly in animal-derived food sources such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs. Although some vegetarians, called lacto-ovo vegetarians, consume dairy and eggs, vegans do not consume any animal products at all. Vitamin B12 deficiency can have devastating consequences on the human body due to its role as a methylation cofactor. Metabolism, DNA replication, and cancer formation all involve methylation processes.
This cross-sectional, differential study aimed to further understand the relationship between vegetarianism, vitamin B12 status, and methylation capacity in healthy adults. A group of 34 healthy adults (18 vegetarians and 16 omnivores) was recruited to analyze serum B12, homocysteine, methylmalonic acid, serum total folate, and transcobalamin II status. It was hypothesized that (1) vegetarians would have a lower vitamin B12 status, and thus, a lower methylation capacity than omnivores and that (2) low vitamin B12 status would be correlated with low methylation capacity.
The data show that vegetarians did not have significantly lower vitamin B12 methylation capacity status than omnivores. Nor was vitamin B12 status correlated with methylation capacity. However, the data revealed that diet quality had a positive influence on folate status. There was also a statistical trend (p=0.08) for homocysteine reduction in participants consuming high-quality diets. The data herein suggest that methylation capacity may be impacted by the quality of diet rather than the type of diet.