Fat vs Sugar: The culture of American Dieting October 29 th , 2014 Introduction Nutrition is currently one of the most popular science topics in mainstream media, as it is intimately tied to lifestyle, health, and personal appearance. However, this popularity has led to a proliferation of inaccurate and sensationalized information. Our aim with this lecture is to provide the audience with the scientific background necessary to understand nutrition beyond the headlines. In the first portion of the talk, Katherine will discuss the three macronutrients fat, sugar, and protein, showing how each nutrient is utilized differently by the body. In the second section, Mary will lead the audience through two case studies to explain how nutritional research is conducted and how to understand the latest studies. In the third section, Abbe will tackle two timely topics in nutrition, gluten intolerance and artificial sweeteners, discussing facts and misconceptions. After the lecture, please join us for a demonstration of how calories in food are calculated using a calorimeter. We’ll also have a game to see if you can visually identify the sugar and fat content in your favorite foods! Speakers Katherine Richeson is a third year PhD candidate in Biological and Biomedical Sciences and the Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine Program at Harvard University. She currently works in Dr. Randall King’s laboratory at Harvard Medical School studying applications of cell cycle inhibitors in cancer treatment. Katherine graduated from Davidson College in 2011 with a BS in Computational Biology. She spent a year on a breast cancer fellowship in Brisbane, Australia designing nano-diagnostic tools at the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology under Matt Trau. Katherine is passionate about health and wellness. In her free-time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking and reading classic literature. Mary Gearing is a third-year PhD candidate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program. Her work in the lab of Sudha Biddinger is focused on identifying mechanisms by which diabetes increases the risk of heart disease. She is very interested in science communication and volunteers regularly in the Hall of Human Life at the Museum of Science. She spends her free time reading and exploring Boston. Abbe Clark is third-year PhD candidate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences and Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine Program. Her research in the laboratory of Dr. Alex Toker is focused on understanding how the rewiring of signaling networks within a cell contributes to breast tumor initiation and progression. She is passionate about science education and in her free time, enjoys cooking, staying fit and traveling.
Transcript
Fat vs Sugar:
The culture of American Dieting October 29th, 2014 Introduction
Nutrition is currently one of the most popular science topics in mainstream media, as it is intimately tied to lifestyle, health, and personal appearance. However, this popularity has led to a proliferation of inaccurate and sensationalized information. Our aim with this lecture is to provide the audience with the scientific background necessary to understand nutrition beyond the headlines. In the first portion of the talk, Katherine will discuss the three macronutrients fat, sugar, and protein, showing how each nutrient is utilized differently by the body. In the second section, Mary will lead the audience through two case studies to explain how nutritional research is conducted and how to understand the latest studies. In the third section, Abbe will tackle two timely topics in nutrition, gluten intolerance and artificial sweeteners, discussing facts and misconceptions. After the lecture, please join us for a demonstration of how calories in food are calculated using a calorimeter. We’ll also have a game to see if you can visually identify the sugar and fat content in your favorite foods!
Speakers Katherine Richeson is a third year PhD candidate in Biological and Biomedical Sciences and the Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine Program at Harvard University. She currently works in Dr. Randall King’s laboratory at Harvard Medical School studying applications of cell cycle inhibitors in cancer treatment. Katherine graduated from Davidson College in 2011 with a BS in Computational Biology. She spent a year on a breast cancer fellowship in Brisbane, Australia designing nano-diagnostic tools at the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology under Matt Trau. Katherine is passionate about health and wellness. In her free-time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking and reading classic literature.
Mary Gearing is a third-year PhD candidate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program. Her work in the lab of Sudha Biddinger is focused on identifying mechanisms by which diabetes increases the risk of heart disease. She is very interested in science communication and volunteers regularly in the Hall of Human Life at the Museum of Science. She spends her free time reading and exploring Boston.
Abbe Clark is third-year PhD candidate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences and Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine Program. Her research in the laboratory of Dr. Alex Toker is focused on understanding how the rewiring of signaling networks within a cell contributes to breast tumor initiation and progression. She is passionate about science education and in her free time, enjoys cooking, staying fit and traveling.
Glossary of Important Terms
Calorie: Unit of energy = amount of energy required to heat 1kg of water 1°C Calorimeter: Object used to measure how many calories are in food Carbohydrates: Made of simple sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose). Includes sugars, starches and dietary fiber. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. Cholesterol: A type of fat that is essential in the body. Fats (aka triglycerides): Made of 3 fatty acids (saturated or unsaturated). Saturated fatty acids (i.e. butter) are associated with heart disease. Unsaturated fatty acids (i.e. olive oil) raise levels of good cholesterol. FDA Diet: suggested 2,000 calorie intake consisting of 320g of carbohydrates, 64g of fat and 55g of protein. HDL: High density lipoprotein (aka good cholesterol) removes fat and cholesterol from bloodstream. High fructose corn syrup: Derived from cornstarch artificially converted to 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Insulin: Hormone that allows glucose to enter cells LDL: Low density lipoprotein (aka bad cholesterol) carries fats and cholesterol into the bloodstream. LDL is sticky and can form plaques (aggregates) in arteries. Lipoprotein: Particle carrying fats and cholesterol in the bloodstream. Macronutrients: Compounds that provides humans with the most amount of energy. The three main macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Metabolism: The breakdown and utilization of macronutrients. Proteins: Made of amino acids. Amino acids can be used as energy when other macronutrients are lacking. Largely amino acids are used to make new proteins (i.e. muscle) in the body. Trans fats: Unsaturated fatty acids are artificially converted through partial hydrogenation into trans fatty acids. Trans fats are associated with heart disease. Correlation: the amount with which two measurements/characteristics seem to vary together Observational study: a study in which the scientists do not directly assign subjects to groups. This type of study produces correlations Artificial sweeteners: zero-calorie sugar replacement up to 20,000 times as sweet as table sugar. Autoimmune disorder: disease in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys healthy tissue. Celiac disease: an autoimmune disorder caused by gluten that produces fatigue, bloating and other gastrointestinal symptoms and malnutrition. Consumption of gluten-containing foods leads to damage to the small intestine as determined by a blood test and/or biopsy. A gluten-free diet alleviates symptoms. Gluten: a protein composite of gliadin and glutenin found in wheat, barley and rye grains. Gluten sensitivity: gastrointestinal symptoms induced by consumption of gluten, but without the allergy component of celiac disease. No diagnostic test is available but a gluten-free diet may alleviate symptoms.
Resources to learn more -Lecture: “The life of a genetically modified organism: from the laboratory to your dinner table” http://bit.ly/1wtj6ye -Signal to Noise Article: “Enough Diet Soda? Respect the Microbiota…” http://bit.ly/1xrF4Rp
Upcoming SITN Events
Nov. 5th Lecture: “Fracking: How cheap energy is reshaping America’s environment” Nov. 12th Lecture: “More than a Messenger: The secret life of RNA”
Nov. 10th Science by the Pint: Dr. Dimitar Sasselov: “Weather Report from an Exoplanet: Clouds and Rain in a place 40 light years away”
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