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28th National
Nutrient Databank Conference
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Why Attend?
There are
many reasons to attend the National Nutrient Databank
Conference! Here are a couple:
FOOD ANALYSIS JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER
Plowing
through the Data: Harvesting Knowledge from Food
Composition Tables
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FOOD ANALYSIS JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER
Did
you know the cholesterol level of eggs was cut by 22% when
USDA conducted a study of eggs using new cholesterol
methodology? In 1988 the value for cholesterol in one egg yolk was 274 mg,
but in the next database revision it was lowered to 213 mg.
Did
you know that Iowa State University has developed a database
devoted exclusively to isoflavones (those funny-sounding
compounds found in soy beans and other plant foods called
daidzein, genistein and glycitein) that researchers believe
have health-promoting properties? These are some of the
things you learn when you attend the National Nutrient
Databank Conference.
What
do we expect to be new in 2004?
Well, for starters the Iowa State group is working on
another database, on saponins.
Soyasaponins are believed to have anticancer activity.
Another area is obesity, which is one of the greatest
stimuli for new research.
As new theories are advanced such as using more whole
grains, our databases must be updated to better capture whole
grain intake so we can study the effect of consumption on
obesity. This is
just a start at predicting what will be new in 2004.
Atwater
recognized over 100 years ago, that we couldn't make valid
nutrition recommendations unless we had food composition
databases that facilitate accurate intake estimates of the
population. The
National Nutrient Databank Conference has been held annually
for the past 27 years, and the 28th conference will be held
June 24-26, 2004 in Iowa City, Iowa.
Come and join us to learn what is new in food
composition data, and how people are using food composition
data to improve the health of the nation.
Phyllis Stumbo, PhD, RD, LD
Univ. of Iowa GCRC
Bionutritionist
28th National
Nutrient Databank Conference Chair
Plowing
through the Data: Harvesting
Knowledge from Food Composition Tables
How big is a “Skittle”?
How much juice in a
“Fruit Snack” or how much calcium in a “Combo” from
the vending machine? These
and many other questions will be the topic of speculation
(no, make that “inquiry”) at the 28th National
Nutrient Databank Conference (NNDC) in Iowa City, June 23-26,
2004. You’ve never heard of the NNDC?
You find it hard to believe an entire conference could
be devoted to food composition data?
And a full 3 days at that?
Then come to Iowa to discover the science and art
behind our nation’s food composition databases.
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The
History Behind our National Nutrient Databank
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Figure. Calculated
fat values in a standard menu using 11 computerized nutrient
analysis programs, shown in ascending order (1).
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The NNDC has
been held annually for the past 27 years. The very first
conference in 1976 was sponsored by the American Dietetic
Association and the Academy of Pediatrics and brought a wide
range of experts together.
They very openly compared the nutrient values in their
databases to a carefully devised standard menu developed by
Loretta Hoover, one of the conference founders.
The results were published in 1981 and were quite
informative and a bit sobering to those that believed food
composition had the specificity of the periodic table.
The graph shows the content for a highly standardized
menu where portions sizes were specified in grams and foods
described in detail. (1)
The differences led the group to believe there was
work to be done in this area.
And the work continues on many fronts.
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W.O. Atwater
recognized over 100 years ago that we couldn’t make valid
nutrition recommendations unless we had food composition
databases that facilitate accurate intake estimates of the
population. The
work of compiling this data began with his first published
tables (2) and continues today with work by USDA, industry
and academia sharing their efforts in the area of food
composition.
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Why Attend
the NNDC?
The
NNDC offers dietitians, nutritionists, educators, students
and practitioners an opportunity to ask questions of people
creating and using nutrient databases. The conference is an
important venue for those who create our food composition
tools to hear from you, the user, about your critical food
composition data needs.
Continuing education credits are applied for and
optional workshops and tours compliment this educational
opportunity.
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The 2004 Conference Program
This
year’s conference theme is “From Farm to Fork:
Practical Applications of Food
Composition Data.” The
keynote speaker is Dr. Catherine Woteki, Dean, College of
Agriculture, Iowa State University and Chair, Food and
Nutrition Board, National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
Cathie has broad experience in the field of food
composition, having co-authored “Eat for Life” (3), the
NAS book that interpreted the massive NAS publication called
“Diet and Health”, a monumental document that summarized
what we knew in 1989 about the effect of nutrition on chronic
disease. Cathie
has continued to work in the center of nutrition and food
composition, and is one of the few women Deans of a College
of Agriculture in the nation’s farming belt.
The
information-packed conference will discuss data use in
agriculture, food industry, clinical studies, nutrition
research, medical practice, and public health with nationally
known speakers selected from a call for abstracts.
Topics will include phytochemical content of food,
trans fat labeling, glycemic index and glycemic load of
foods, nationwide fluoride content of food and beverages,
assessing dietary supplement intake, importance of serving
size determination, impact of upsizing on nutrient intake,
selecting and managing nutrient databases, new data on
nutrient composition of individual foods including tea,
citrus and other fruits and vegetables, assessing whole grain
consumption, and many more!
Two
pre-conference workshops will provide a wealth of information
about the current status of food survey and food composition
resources. They
are especially recommended for first-time conference
attendees. These workshops will give participants a chance to learn how
our surveys are conducted and how food composition data is
developed. Are
you familiar with how foods are selected from the marketplace
for analysis? Does
the spinach value in the food composition book represent
spinach from California, or is it grown in the hills of North
Dakota? And what
about potatoes, are they from Idaho or the Texas plains?
Who decides how to group the foods from our surveys?
Is corn a vegetable or a grain?
These workshops are conducted by leading scientists in
the area of food composition, database development and survey
methodology, so come armed with all those questions you have
always wanted to ask!
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Visiting
Iowa
On the
lighter side, you won’t want to miss opportunities to
explore America’s heartland by taking advantage of our
carefully-selected and reasonably-priced optional tours.
Plan to arrive early on Wednesday, June 23 to enjoy a
tour of the quaint villages of the Amana Colonies, one of
Iowa’s largest farms, or stay for the day on Saturday and
experience the history and culture of Kalona, one of the
largest Mennonite Amish communities west of the Mississippi.
Other cultural opportunities include a side trip to tour a
vacation home designed inside and out by Frank Lloyd Wright,
a visit to the Herbert Hoover Library-Museum, and the
Shakespeare Theatre performance in the park of Measure by
Measure. Your
spouse and family would enjoy spending a few relaxing summer
days in Iowa City where parks, playgrounds, museums,
libraries, and shopping are all within walking distance of
the conference site.
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Fruits of the farm served in a traditional
setting planned for Saturday's tour.
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Family-style dining at the
Amanas.
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You
won’t want to miss this exciting conference!
It’s a chance to network with food composition
experts, learn about the latest advances in nutrient
composition data, and explore the heartland of America.
Register online at www.medicine.uiowa.edu/gcrc/nndc/.
An early-bird registration fee is available until May
30. We hope to
see many of you in Iowa this summer!
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References:
- Hoover
LW.
Computerized
nutrient data bases:
I. Comparison of nutrient analysis systems. J
Am Diet Assoc May; 82(5):501-5, 1983.
- Atwater,
W.O. and Woods, C.D.
Investigations Upon the Chemistry and Economy of
Foods.
Report Connecticut (Storrs) Agric. Expt. Sta. for
1891.
- CE
Woteki and PR Thomas.
Eat for Life: the Food and Nutrition Board's guide to reducing your
risk of chronic disease, Washington: National Academy of
Sciences, 1992.
Submitted
by: Phyllis J.
Stumbo, PhD, RD, LD; Catherine A. Chenard, MS, RD, LD; Donna
L. Hemingway, MS, RD, LD. University of Iowa General Clinical Research Center.
Iowa City IA.
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