Publications by authors named "Diane M OBrien"

Background: The breath carbon isotope ratio (CIR) was recently identified as a noninvasive candidate biomarker of short-term added sugars (AS) intake.

Objectives: This study aimed to better understand the potential of the breath CIR as a dietary biomarker. We evaluated the effects of short-term and long-term intakes of AS, animal protein (AP), and related variables on breath CIR, in the context of typical dietary intake patterns.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective biomarkers of dietary intake are needed to advance nutrition research. The carbon isotope ratio (C/C; CIR) holds promise as an objective biomarker of added sugar (AS) and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. This systematic scoping review presents the current evidence on CIRs from human studies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study evaluated whether traditional food intake and diet quality differed by season in Yup'ik communities and examined the relationship between intake of traditional food groups and diet quality. Data were collected from 38 participants, ages 14-79 years, from two Yup'ik communities in Southwest Alaska from 2008 to 2010. Self-reported intake (24-h recalls) and dietary biomarker (nitrogen stable isotope ratio) data were collected twice in distinct seasons.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recently, we confirmed 24-h urinary sucrose plus fructose (24 uSF) as a predictive biomarker of total sugar intake. However, the collection of 24-h urine samples has limited feasibility in population studies.

Objective: We investigated the utility of the urinary sucrose plus fructose (uSF) biomarker measured in spot urine as a measure of 24 uSF biomarker and total sugar intake.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Obesity leads to insulin resistance, altered lipoprotein metabolism, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. The relationship between long-term intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) and prevention of cardiometabolic disease remains unresolved.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore direct and indirect pathways between adiposity and dyslipidemia, and the degree to which n-3 PUFAs moderate adiposity-induced dyslipidemia in a population with highly variable n-3 PUFA intake from marine foods.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

American Indian and Alaska Native preschool-aged children experience a high prevalence of obesity, yet are under-represented in obesity prevention research. This study examined obesity prevalence and dietary risk factors among Alaska Native preschool-aged children in southwest Alaska. The study used baseline data from "" a culturally centered multilevel intervention focused on Yup'ik Alaska Native children, aged 3-5 years, enrolled in Head Start in 12 communities in southwest Alaska ( = 155).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Previous studies suggest that amino acid carbon stable isotope ratios (CIRs) may serve as biomarkers of added sugar (AS) intake, but this has not been tested in a demographically diverse population. We conducted a 15-day feeding study of U.S.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Molecular stable isotope ratios are a novel type of dietary biomarker with high sensitivity and specificity for certain foods. Among these, fatty acid carbon isotope ratios (CIRs) have strong potential but have not been investigated as dietary biomarkers.

Objectives: We evaluated whether fatty acid CIRs and mass proportions were associated with meat, fish, and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The natural abundance nitrogen stable isotope ratio (NIR) of whole tissue correlates with animal protein intakes, including meat and fish. Amino acid (AA) NIRs (NIRAAs) are more variable than the whole-tissue NIRs and may thus better differentiate among foods.

Objectives: We evaluated whether NIRAAs were associated with intakes of fish and meat and whether these dietary associations were larger than with whole-tissue NIRs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Twenty-four-hour urinary sucrose and fructose (24uSF) has been studied as a biomarker of total sugars intake in two feeding studies conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) and Arizona (AZ). We compare the biomarker performance in these populations, testing whether it meets the criteria for a predictive biomarker.

Methods: The UK and AZ feeding studies included 13 and 98 participants, respectively, aged 18 to 70 years, consuming their usual diet under controlled conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The associations of red and processed meat with chronic disease risk remain to be clarified, in part because of measurement error in self-reported diet.

Objectives: We sought to develop metabolomics-based biomarkers for red and processed meat, and to evaluate associations of biomarker-calibrated meat intake with chronic disease risk among postmenopausal women.

Methods: Study participants were women who were members of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study cohorts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The serum natural abundance carbon isotope ratio (CIR) was recently identified as a candidate biomarker of animal protein intake in postmenopausal women. Such a biomarker would help clarify the relation between dietary protein source (plant or animal) and chronic disease risk.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the performance of the serum CIR as a biomarker of dietary protein source in a controlled feeding study of men and women of diverse age and BMI.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The relationship between dietary n-3 PUFAs and the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, is unresolved. Examination of the association between n-3 PUFAs and chronic low-grade inflammation in a population where many individuals have had an extremely high intake of marine mammals and fish throughout their lifespan may provide important clues regarding the impact of n-3 PUFAs on health.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore associations between concentrations of n-3 PUFAs resulting from habitual intake of natural food sources high in fish and marine mammals with immune biomarkers of metabolic inflammation and parameters of glucose regulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Developing approaches for the objective assessment of sugars intake in population research is crucial for generating reliable disease risk estimates, and evidence-based dietary guidelines. Twenty-four-hour urinary sucrose and fructose (24uSF) was developed as a predictive biomarker of total sugars intake based on 3 UK feeding studies, yet its performance as a biomarker of total sugars among US participants is unknown.

Objectives: To investigate the performance of 24uSF as a biomarker of sugars intake among US participants, and to characterize its use.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether a 12-week, weight-maintaining, macronutrient-stable dietary intervention that varies only by meat, fish, or soda consumption alters 24-hour energy expenditure (24hrEE) and substrate oxidation.

Methods: Healthy males were recruited to participate in a 12-week inpatient study and were randomized to a weight-maintaining dietary intervention that contained varying combinations of meat (0% or 19%), fish (0% or 6%), or soda (0% or 14%) in a factorial design. Macronutrient composition across dietary intervention groups was as follows: 50% of energy from carbohydrates, 30% of energy from fat, and 20% of energy from protein.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Excess added sugar intake contributes to tooth decay risk in Alaska Native communities. The goal of this exploratory study was to determine if there is seasonal variation in total added sugar intake or in the leading sources of added sugars in a Yup'ik population. Data were collected in spring and winter from 2008-2010 using self-reported intake data measured by 24-hour recall and by hair biomarker (carbon and nitrogen stable isotope).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Characterize vegetable and fruit (VF) intake in a Yup'ik community using self-reported intake and skin carotenoid status (SCS) and evaluate the relationship between SCS and fish intake.

Methods: Self-reported VF intake was measured using the 24-hour recall, SCS was measured by reflection spectroscopy via the Veggie Meter (Longevity Link Corporation), and fish intake was estimated by the nitrogen isotope ratio (NIR) for 80 participants in a remote community in Southwestern Alaska. Bivariate correlations were used to assess the relationship between self-reported VF intake, SCS, and NIR.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The carbon isotope ratios (CIRs) of individual amino acids (AAs) may provide more sensitive and specific biomarkers of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) than total tissue CIR. Because CIRs turn over slowly, long-term controlled-feeding studies are needed in their evaluation.

Objective: We assessed the responses of plasma and RBC CIRAA's to SSB and meat intake in a 12-wk inpatient feeding study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Objective dietary biomarkers are urgently needed for a wider range of foods and nutrients. The breath carbon isotope ratio (CIR; measured as δ13C values) has potential as a noninvasive measure of short-term added sugar (AS) intake but has not been evaluated in a controlled-feeding study.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effect of short-term AS intake on breath CIR in a dose-response, randomized, crossover feeding study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rationale: Dried blood spots (DBSs) are gaining popularity for biomarker analyses in ecological research due to their advantages for use in field-based research and in remote settings; however, many DBS biomarkers remain unvalidated. We validated the application of compound-specific stable nitrogen isotope analyses of amino acids (CSIA-AAs) to field-prepared DBSs for determining trophic positions of wild-caught Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus).

Methods: Whole blood and muscle from Arctic char were collected, and DBSs were created in the field.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The carbon isotope ratio (CIR) is a proposed biomarker for added sugar (AS) intake in the United States; however, because the CIR is also associated with meat intake in most populations the need for specificity remains. The CIR of amino acids (AAs) has the potential to differentiate sugars from meat intakes, because essential AAs must derive from dietary protein whereas certain nonessential AAs can be synthesized from sugars.

Objectives: We tested whether serum CIR-AAs in combination with participant characteristics could meet a prespecified biomarker criterion for AS intake in the Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment Study Feeding Study (NPAAS-FS) of the Women's Health Initiative, a population in which the whole-serum CIR was not associated with AS intake.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Dried blood spots (DBS) offer a simple and low-impact method for collecting blood samples, suitable for research in remote areas.
  • The study developed a DBS approach to measure mercury (Hg) exposure and dietary carbon sources in Arctic char by comparing Hg levels in DBS with other tissues and analyzing carbon isotope ratios in essential amino acids.
  • Results show a strong correlation between Hg concentrations in DBS and various tissues, as well as consistent carbon source patterns, suggesting DBS could serve as a nonlethal sampling technique in environmental toxicology studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF