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- All Subjects: Health
- Creators: Johnston, Carol
Description
The unpleasant bitter taste found in many nutritious vegetables may deter their consumption. While bitterness suppression by prototypical tastants is well-studied in the chemical and pharmacological fields, mechanisms to reduce the bitterness of foods such as vegetables remain to be elucidated. Here tastants representing the taste primaries of salty and sweet were investigated as potential bitterness suppressors of three types of Brassicaceae vegetables. The secondary aim of these studies was to determine whether the bitter masking agents were differentially effective for bitter-sensitive and bitter-insensitive individuals. In all experiments, participants rated vegetables plain and with the addition of tastants. In Experiments 1-3, sucrose and NNS suppressed the bitterness of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, whereas NaCl did not. Varying concentrations of NaCl and sucrose were introduced in Experiment 4 to assess the dose-dependency of the effects. While sucrose was a robust bitterness suppressor, NaCl suppressed bitterness only for participants who perceived the plain Brussels sprouts as highly bitter. Experiment 5, through the implementation of a rigorous control condition, determined that some but not all of this effect can be accounted for by regression to the mean. Individual variability in taste perception as determined by sampling of aqueous bitter, salty, and sweet solutions did not influence the degree of suppression by NaCl or sucrose. Consumption of vegetables is deterred by their bitter taste. Utilizing tastants to mask bitterness, a technique that preserves endogenous nutrients, can circumvent this issue. Sucrose is a robust bitter suppressor whereas the efficacy of NaCl is dependent upon bitterness perception of the plain vegetables.
ContributorsWilkie, Lynn Melissa (Author) / Capaldi Phillips, Elizabeth D (Thesis advisor) / Cohen, Adam (Committee member) / Johnston, Carol (Committee member) / Sanabria, Federico (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
Background: Obesity is considered one of the most serious public health issues worldwide. Small, feasible lifestyle changes are necessary to obtain and maintain weight loss. Clinical evidence is inconclusive about whether meal preloading is an example of a small change that could potentially increase the likelihood of weight loss and weight maintenance. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine if consuming 23 grams of peanuts, as a meal preload, before a carbohydrate-rich meal will lower post prandial glycemia and insulinemia and increase satiety in the 2 hour period after a carbohydrate-rich meal. Design: 15 healthy, non-diabetic adults without any known peanut or tree nut allergies were recruited from a campus community. A randomized, 3x3 block crossover design was used. The day prior to testing participants refrained from vigorous activity and consumed a standard dinner meal followed by a 10 hour fast. Participants reported to the test site in the fasted state to complete one of three treatment meals: control (CON), peanut (NUT), or grain bar (BAR) followed one hour later by a carbohydrate-rich meal. Satiety, glucose and insulin were measured at different time points throughout the visit. Each participant had a one-week washout period between visits. Results: Glucose curves varied between treatments (p=.023). Blood glucose was significantly higher one hour after ingestion of the grain bar compared to the peanut and control treatments (p<.001). At 30 minutes after the meal, the control glucose was significantly higher than for the peanut or grain bar (p=.048). Insulin did vary significantly between treatments (p<.001). The insulin change one hour after grain bar consumption was significantly higher than after the peanut or control at the same time point (p<.001). The change in insulin one hour after peanut consumption was significantly higher than for the control treatment (p=.002). Overall satiety, expressed as the 180 minute AUC, differed significantly between treatments (p=.001). One hour after preload consumption, peanut and bar consumption was associated with greater satiety than the water control (p<.001). At 30 minutes post-meal, the grain bar was associated with greater satiety versus the water control (p=.049). The bar was also associated with greater satiety versus peanut and control at 60 and 90 minutes post-meal (p=.003 and .034, respectively). At 120 minutes post-meal, the final satiety measurement, the bar was still associated with greater satiety than the peanut preload (p=.023). Total energy intake, including test meal, on treatment days did not differ significantly between treatment (p=.233). Conclusions: Overall satiety, blood glucose and blood insulin levels differed at different time points depending on treatment. Both meal preloads increased overall satiety. However, grain bar ingestion resulted in sustained satiety, greater than the peanut preload. Grain bar ingestion resulted in an immediate glycemic and insulinemic response. However, the response was not sustained after the test meal was ingested. The results of this study suggest that a low-energy, carbohydrate-rich meal preload may have a positive impact on weight maintenance and weight loss by initiating a sustained increase in overall satiety. More research is needed to confirm these findings.
ContributorsFleming, Katie R (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Wharton, Christopher (Christopher Mack), 1977- (Committee member) / Shepard, Christina (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
According to the CDC, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. and rates are continuing to rise nationally and internationally. Chronically elevated blood glucose levels can lead to type 2 diabetes and other complications. Medications can be used to treat diabetes, but often have side effects. Lifestyle and diet modifications can be just as effective as medications in helping to improve glycemic control, and prevent diabetes or improve the condition in those who have it. Studies have demonstrated that consuming vinegar with carbohydrates can positively impact postprandial glycemia in diabetic and healthy individuals. Continuous vinegar intake with meals may even reduce fasting blood glucose levels. Since vinegar is a primary ingredient in mustard, the purpose of this study was to determine if mustard consumption with a carbohydrate-rich meal (bagel and fruit juice) had an effect on the postprandial blood glucose levels of subjects. The results showed that mustard improved glycemia by 17% when subjects consumed the meal with mustard as opposed to the control. A wide variety of vinegars exists. The defining ingredient in all vinegars is acetic acid, behind the improvement in glycemic response observed with vinegar ingestion. Vinegar-containing foods range from mustard, to vinaigrette dressings, to pickled foods. The benefits of vinegar ingestion with carbohydrates are dose-dependent, meaning that adding even small amounts to meals can help. Making a conscious effort to incorporate these foods into meals, in addition to an overall healthy lifestyle, could provide an additional tool for diabetics and nondiabetics alike to consume carbohydrates in a healthier manner.
ContributorsJimenez, Gabriela (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Lespron, Christy (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The purpose of this cookbook was to provide students that live in the Barrett dorms with easily accessible nutritious meals that prevent total reliance on the dorm's dining hall throughout the year. Limitations of this research included staying within budget, the availability of near-by grocery stores, meal preparation time, and the types of appliances which can be used in dorms. While living in dorms many students may find that dining halls have a large variety of food offerings that are consistently available. Although there are many options, they are not necessarily the healthiest choices. In addition to health these options rarely change. For safety reasons students are limited to dorm room appliance options that include a mini-fridge and a microwave. There is not a lot of cooking you can do with just a microwave, but with the proper knowledge it is surprisingly enough to make a great meal. In addition to appliances students can utilize cutting boards, plates, and plastic utensils, but if students are not educated about cooking diverse meals it is easy to venture toward unhealthy meal choices. Attending college can be costly. Expenses of tuition, books, supplies and living fees can add up quickly. Students are always in need of healthy meal options that are also healthy for their bank accounts. This cookbook contains affordable, healthy, and quick to make recipes. Virtually everyone who has ever been a student usually has a weekly/monthly budgetary amount to spend and cooking their own meals in the dorms will turn out to be much cheaper alternative to having dining hall meals every day. It was interesting to create a week full of meal preps for breakfast, lunch and dinner- including snacks with various alternatives. Not every student has a vehicle in which they can get necessary ingredients for cooking; Therefore, this cookbook has a grocery store map that includes address and store hours to aid students in choosing closer more convenient locations. In college, the journey to a healthy lifestyle is not easy. There are many ways to keep on track and follow the routine which works for both the body and the mind. Following the easy recipes within this cook book will minimize the risk of freshman 15 weight gain and decrease the time spent on both cooking and coming up with healthy meal ideas. These meals are uncomplicated, affordable, and take little to no effort. Barrett CookBook for Dorms main mission was to provide students with a foundation for a nutritional, flexible, and stress-free dining environment without the added stress of constantly thinking about what goes into their bodies.
ContributorsCherkaskykh, Alisa A. (Author) / Grgich, Traci (Thesis director) / Johnston, Carol (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This paper begins by exploring the prior research that has shown how eating a plant-based diet can affect the human body. Some of these effects include: improved mood, energy levels, gut health, alkalized urine pH, as well as, lowering the risk of hormonal imbalance, kidney stones, diabetes, cancer, and coronary artery disease. The worries that generally accompany eating a fully vegan diet, which include, malnutrition and protein deficiency, are also addressed in the background research. In attempt to build upon previous research, a weeklong experiment was conducted testing 3 different factors, which include: gut health, improved mood, and urine pH. Mood states were measured quantifiably using a POMS (profile of mood states) test. Gut health was measured using several factors, including consistency and frequency of bowel movements, as well as, GI discomfort. Two 24-hour urine samples were collected from each of the subjects to compare the pH of their urine before and after the study. The sample size of this study included 15 healthy, non-smoking, subjects, between 18-30 years of age. The subjects were split up into 3 stratified random samples, including, an omnivore control group, vegan control group, and experimental vegan group. The experimental vegans had eaten meat/eggs/dairy regularly for their whole lives before the start of the study, and had consented to eating a vegan diet for the entirety of one week. While the data from the control groups remained mostly constant as predicted, the results from the experimental group were shown to have a significantly better mood (P<0.05) after one week, as well as, a significantly higher urine pH (P < 0.025) than they did before the study. However, the experimental group did not show a significant change in stool frequency, consistency, or GI discomfort within one week. The vegan control group, which included subjects who had eaten a plant-based diet for 1-3 years, had much better gut health scores. This leads us to believe that the vegan gut microbiome takes much longer to transform into than just one week unlike urine pH and mood, which can take as little as one week. These findings warrant further investigation.
ContributorsMacias, Lindsey Kaori (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Katsanos, Christos (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
There are limited studies exploring the direct relationship between coconut oil and cholesterol concentrations. Research in animals and a few intervention trials suggest that coconut oil increases the good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein, HDL) and thus reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Preliminary research at Arizona State University (ASU) has found similar results using coconut oil as a placebo, positive changes in HDL cholesterol concentrations were observed.
The goal of this randomized, double blind, parallel two arm study, was to further examine the beneficial effects of a 2g supplement of coconut oil taken each day for 8 weeks on cholesterol concentrations, specifically the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio, compared to placebo.
Forty-two healthy adults between 18-40 years of age, exercising less than 150 minutes each week, non smoking, BMI between 22-35 and not taking any medications that could effect blood lipids were recruited from the ListServs at ASU. Participants were randomized to receive either a placebo capsule of flour or a coconut oil capsule (Puritan’s Pride brand, coconut oil softgels, 2g each) and instructed to take the capsules for 8 weeks.
Results indicated no significant change in total cholesterol to HDL ratio between baseline and 8 weeks in the coconut oil and placebo groups (p=0.369), no significant change in HDL (p=0.648), no change in LDL (p=0.247), no change in total cholesterol (p=0.216), and no change in triglycerides (p=0.369).
Blood lipid concentrations were not significantly altered by a 2g/day dosage of coconut oil over the course of 8 weeks in healthy adults, and specifically the total cholesterol to HDL ratio did not change or improve.
The goal of this randomized, double blind, parallel two arm study, was to further examine the beneficial effects of a 2g supplement of coconut oil taken each day for 8 weeks on cholesterol concentrations, specifically the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio, compared to placebo.
Forty-two healthy adults between 18-40 years of age, exercising less than 150 minutes each week, non smoking, BMI between 22-35 and not taking any medications that could effect blood lipids were recruited from the ListServs at ASU. Participants were randomized to receive either a placebo capsule of flour or a coconut oil capsule (Puritan’s Pride brand, coconut oil softgels, 2g each) and instructed to take the capsules for 8 weeks.
Results indicated no significant change in total cholesterol to HDL ratio between baseline and 8 weeks in the coconut oil and placebo groups (p=0.369), no significant change in HDL (p=0.648), no change in LDL (p=0.247), no change in total cholesterol (p=0.216), and no change in triglycerides (p=0.369).
Blood lipid concentrations were not significantly altered by a 2g/day dosage of coconut oil over the course of 8 weeks in healthy adults, and specifically the total cholesterol to HDL ratio did not change or improve.
ContributorsShedden, Rachel (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Lespron, Christy (Committee member) / Shepard, Christina (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
Background: The American Heart Association has created an Official 2012 Hands-Only CPR Instructional Video that is approximately one minute in length and has been viewed over 600,000 times on YouTube. Objective: To evaluate the video's effectiveness in teaching adolescents aged 12-17 hands-only CPR. Methodology: The study took place in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Study participants were recruited from high schools, junior high schools and the Tempe Boys & Girls Club. The 100 study participants took a short, four question survey and watched video on either a laptop computer or video projector. Participants were then subjected to a cardiac arrest mock scenario in which they were tested on calling 911, compression rate, compression depth, and hand placement using a Lifeform CPArlene Recording Manikin. In analysis of the data, subjects were separated into four groups: 12-14 year olds (middle school aged) who had previous CPR training (MSG-T), 12-14 year olds with no previous training (MSG-U), 15-17 year olds (high school aged) who had previous training (HSG-T) and 15-17 year olds with no previous training (HSG-U). Results: Every study participant performed hands-only CPR during the mock scenario. Between the two middle school-aged groups, the MSG-U was more likely to call 911 during the mock scenario (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in compression rate and depth between the MSG-U and MSG-T. Between the two high school-aged groups, the HSG-T was more likely to call 911 during the mock scenario (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in compression rate between the HSG-T and HSG-U groups. The HSG-T compressed the chest significantly deeper than the HSG-U group (P<0.05). The HSG-T was the only group to statistically be on par with the AHA recommended 100 compressions/minute (P<0.05). All other groups were significantly below the 100 compressions/minute standard. No groups were statistically on par with the AHA recommended compression depth of two inches. Conclusion: The Official 2012 Hands-Only Instructional Video should not be used as a definitive training tool to teach school-aged adolescents hands-only CPR. This video, as well as other similar training videos, would be useful as introductory tools for children 12-14 years of age or as a refresher for older children who have received previous training.
ContributorsChoppi, Joseph Anthony (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Hall, Rick (Committee member) / Gross, Toni (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
There are two goals for this honors student project: (1) to determine (using an online survey) what college students do and do not know about cooking and preparing foods and (2) to video record short demonstrations of several cooking skills that college students lack the most based on survey responses. Ultimately, this project hopes to help students develop skills they can use in the kitchen to encourage more cooking at home and less eating out, dietary changes that should lead to more healthful meals and a healthier population. Links to cooking videos: https://youtu.be/ufsVYnfoCQM https://youtu.be/aZCIH33ebZ0
ContributorsKarr, Alexandra Rose (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Mark (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
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.
ContributorsWilliams, Susanna (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Whisner, Corrie (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Background: Research has found that nearly a quarter of the American population follows a gluten-free diet in some capacity, while only about 1% of the population is diagnosed with celiac disease. Although the amount of research-based evidence supporting any health benefits of a gluten-free diet in an individual without a gluten- related disorder is limited, the number of people claiming to follow a gluten-free diet continues to rise. Also, despite an increasing belief that gluten is harmful for health, the potentially undesirable effects of gluten substitutions used in gluten-free foods are largely unknown. Due to the protein network encapsulating starch granules, gluten is thought to lengthen the amount of time needed during starch digestion, thereby reducing postprandial glycemia. Therefore, it is predicted that breads containing gluten will produce a lower glycemic response compared to gluten-free breads. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the glycemic response of gluten-free bread made with different types of flour compared to bread made with gluten-containing wheat flour. Methods: This study involved a 3-week, randomized, single blind crossover study in which 17 healthy individuals were asked to consume a different type of bread each week, 2 of which were gluten-free. Blood glucose was taken by finger prick at fasting as a baseline measurement, then for 2 hours after bread consumption in 30-minute increments. Results: Across the three groups, there was no significant difference in iAUC values after 120 minutes (p=0.192 ). The greatest mean was seen in the gluten-containing bread (145.3 ± 82.6), then the gluten-free bread made with rice flour (125.5 ± 62.8), and lastly the gluten-free bread made with potato and fava bean flour (112.4 ± 64.5). Conclusion: The inconsistent results of this study compared to previous, similar studies suggests that the postprandial glycemic response of gluten-free products can not be generalized as a whole, but instead is dependent on the type of product and the ingredients used to replace the gluten. Although the results did not show a significant difference, it does argue against the belief that gluten-free products are invariably better for health in the general, non-gluten sensitive population.
ContributorsWaznik, Lauren LaRue (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Mayol-Kreiser, Sandra (Committee member) / Dixon, Kathleen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019