August Blog Summary 2014

Summary:

Fruit and vegetable intake among children is a great indicator of overall nutritional health. Using skin carotenoids tests as a biomarker may be beneficial for this population because it is less likely to have skewed answers. The results of this research study demonstrated that levels of skin and serum carotenoids were highly correlated. This method of assessment could be extremely valuable in our field. Testing carotenoids can give valuable insight to F/V deficiencies and intakes. 

Q1: How can this method of assessing intake be valuable information and evidence for the practice of dietetics? How could we encourage consumption of fruits and vegetables containing carotenoids by implementing this type of assessment?


Arthur brings up a good point that FFQs are confusing, inaccurate, and time consuming. If we could implement this type of assessment, it would improve in all of these areas and make us more effective in our jobs. I also like the aspect that Jeanne brought up about carotenoids relating to certain diseases. This could lead to research relative to our field and provide more information about the benefits of carotenoid consumption. I believe that it is a useful tool to use due to the lack of being able to recall every food item eaten daily. By having this type of assessment we can at least encourage people to make up for deficiencies in carotenoid rich foods because they provide so many health benefits. Any information about F/V intake I believe is valuable and helpful for assessments.

Q2: Do you think this is an accurate method that should be used even though not all fruits and vegetables contain carotenoids? Could they be missing a large percent of other fruits and vegetables being consumed?

Tina concluded with it's a good assessment to check on their consumption of red F/V but definitely not indicative of the other F/V. I think that is a fair statement since not all F/V contain carotenoids. Using this assessment though will provide us with at least the information needed to gage carotenoid intake. We can promote this type of food intake while discussing the importance of all the other F/V. Education about all types of F/V are positive steps to increasing intake in this population’s diet. It is still a reliable test for intake and provides accuracy to diet recalls. If the person is consuming adequate amounts of carotenoids that will rule out one area of their diet where they could improve on.

Q3: What other factors could have altered the study's results? Do you feel there are significant differences in fruit and vegetable consumption among the participants? Think about demographics and access to fruits and vegetables. 

Supplements, allergies, environmental factors, hydration status, and “on”/”off” days are all great factors to look for when analyzing carotenoid results. Susan brought up a great point about time of the year and what region the population is located in. I know that during the summer I typically have a higher intake due to farmer’s markets and cheaper produce being available. Also, another huge factor for children is that their diets depend on what the parents or schools are preparing for meals. This assessment may provide information about how to improve carotenoid intake not only at home but school nutrition.