Tag: NUTRITION

Glycaemic response and satiety after consumption of gluten-free bread containing buckwheat

Elisabeth CrestaLeave a comment

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Hanna Walsh completed the Summer Studentship at Oxford Brookes University under the supervision of Dr P. Sangeetha Thondre. You can find Hannah on Twitter. 

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Project Title: Glycaemic response and satiety after consumption of gluten-free bread containing buckwheat.

About the project:

My project was about looking at the effects of a gluten-free product with buckwheat on glycaemic response and satiety. Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free and has high levels of fibre, protein and minerals which we are hoping could be used to create healthier product options for coeliacs following gluten-free diets.

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What was the best aspect of your Summer studentship experience?

The best part of my summer studentship was being able to apply all the knowledge I had about not only nutrition, but research methods and statistical analysis. I liked being given responsibility and being able to work on my own project.

What was the most challenging part of your studentship?

Though I liked the independence, it was at times challenging especially in the beginning when everything is new. I study in Finland so coming to England and getting used to the working environment was a big step.

What’s the one thing you learnt that is transferable to future work you might do?

I learnt all about the practicalities of undertaking research: lab skills, recruiting people, recording data. In general, it also made me more confident in my own skills and abilities.

Tips for anyone who is interested in applying for the NS – SS or a similar fellowship:

Try and find a good supervisor who will be there to support you but also give you responsibility because that is how you learn the most. They will also help you shape a strong research project.

Would you be interested to do more research in the future and if so what topic(s) would interest you?

I think I would enjoy doing more research in the future. Currently, I am interested in tackling nutritional problems in developing countries so being able to build a better understanding of that via research would be interesting.

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Estimating the dietary intake of “free sugars” in the teenage population in the United Kingdom

Elisabeth CrestaLeave a comment

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Dove Yu is a final year Food and Human Nutrition student at Newcastle University. Dove completed the Summer Studentship at the MRC-EWL under the supervision of Birdem Amoutzopoulos and also received support from her advisor Professor Chris Seal at Newcastle University. You can find Dove on Twitter or contact her via her email: doveyu30@hotmail.com. 

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Project title: ‘Estimating the dietary intake of “free sugars” in the teenage population in the United Kingdom’.

About the project:

The recent SACN report recommends in line with WHO that free sugars intake should not exceed 5% of daily energy intake. However, UK NDNS reports sugar intake as “total sugar” and “non-milk extrinsic sugar”. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the feasibility of estimating free sugar intake using NDNS year 4 data and identifying suitable sugar definitions which can be used in population-based nutrition studies.

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What was the best aspect of your Summer studentship experience?

This studentship allowed me to have a practical experience of doing my own research from thinking the rationale of the study to reporting the study findings. This is so different from doing coursework, where you may receive instructions or guidelines as you need to be creative and show your initiative while doing research. Through literature search, I understood more about the different definitions of dietary sugars and the scientific evidence pertaining to the benefits of reducing free sugar intake. Through designing my own study protocol, I developed my critical thinking and decision making skills. All of the skills that I gained here are very useful for doing my dissertation.

What was the most challenging part of your experience?

Manipulating a large database can always be challenging. I used to maintain a list of tasks that can be accomplished in a short time block. However, some tasks took me a lot more time than I thought to complete. So the challenge really is how you plan, prioritise and use your time effectively. Originally, we aimed to look at all of the foods consumed by the teenage population in NDNS year 1-4 but then we finally considered using NDNS year 4 only due to the limited time available. In doing research, you need to be adaptive as well because there are always changes happening.

Tips for anyone who is interested in applying for the NS – SS or a similar fellowship:

If you want to engage with any projects related to food composition, you’ve got to be well organised and pay attention-to-details. A good plan is important for any type of research project. Do prioritise things that are important. If you really get stuck with your research, think of any alternative ways to complete your tasks and do seek advice from your supervisor. Best of luck for those of you who would like to participate in this good opportunity!!!! 

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The Summer Studentship Series

Elisabeth CrestaLeave a comment

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The Nutrition Society (NS) offers a unique funding opportunity to a limited number of students to undertake a research project during the summer months. The Summer Studentship Series on Research Girl Today is a collaboration with all students that took part in the 2016 NS Summer Studentship (NS-SS).

The Nutrition Society received a large number of applications and eight projects were selected and funded for the summer of 2016. The variety of topics highlight the diversity in the areas of research related to Nutrition. The projects included:

Elisabeth Cresta – Title of Project: Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Additive Emulsifiers

Johanna Bolinder – Title of Project: A pilot study to determine the effectiveness the Change 4 Life Sugar Smart App (SSA) has on influencing sugar consumption and further investigating the affect the App has on motivating healthier eating habits in healthy adults

Caroline Day – Title of Project: The effect of delivering dietary nitrate via different food matrices on blood pressure in normotensive volunteers

Dove Yu – Title of Project: Estimating the dietary intake of “free sugars” in the teenage population in the United Kingdom

Hanna Walsh – Title of Project: Glycaemic response and satiety after consumption of gluten-free bread containing buckwheat

Cindi Bei – Title of Project: Interactions between TCF7L2 and MC4R gene variants with dietary factors on Type 2 Diabetes-related factors in the British population

Toni Spence – Title of Project: The relationship between the immune response in pregnancy, birth outcome and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)

I decided to ask everyone a couple of questions related to their projects and general experience, in an attempt to give you an idea of the variety of projects we completed and the interesting elements of each project. My hope is to inspire more students to do research and provide useful information and tips for those who may be interested in applying for the NS Summer Studentship or other similar research projects.

I firmly believe research is the way forward in nutrition and I hope the Summer Studentship series will inspire more of you to get involved in research projects.

I will be posting daily for a week and you will have the chance to read all about our experiences and hopefully get inspired to apply to do a research project.

The 2017 Nutrition Society Summer Studentship application is now open and you can find it here or by clicking on the Nutrition Society logo below:

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Please comment and let me know if you have found these series useful!

Many thanks,

Elisabeth

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