2019 CURAC Conference May 23, 2019 University of Guelph · Agri-Foods for Human Health 2019 CURAC Conference May 23, 2019 University of Guelph Alison M. Duncan, Ph.D., R.D. Professor

Agri-Foods for Human Health

2019 CURAC Conference May 23, 2019

University of Guelph

Alison M. Duncan, Ph.D., R.D.Professor

Department of Human Health and Nutritional SciencesUniversity of Guelph

Presentation Outline

• Background Notes

– Agriculture….Food….Nutrition…Health

– Notes on advancing opportunities

• Research in Agriculture, Food, Nutrition and Health

• Human Nutraceutical Research Unit

• Research Examples

• Resources

• Summary Notes

Agriculture: Relevant Notes

• Most basic economic activity in any society

• Grains and oilseeds (field crops)– most often associated with agriculture

– require processing for inclusion in our diet

• Livestock, livestock products (meat, milk, eggs)

– livestock convert products we can’t or don’t want to eat into products we can and want to eat

• Horticulture (fruit, vegetables, nuts)– do not require processing for inclusion in our diet

• Primary agriculture focuses on production issues

• Conventional farming has faced financial stress

– Business risk management dominates agricultural policy

– Could health drive change in agriculture policy?

– Opportunity to better align farm products to

• Food markets….Consumer health….Regulatory activity

• Consumer interest in where our food comes from

– Link between agriculture and food is more mainstream

– Link between food and health is mainstream

– Link between agriculture and health is not obvious

Agriculture: Relevant Notes

Food, Nutrition and HealthRelevant Notes

• Everyone can relate to food

• Relation of food to nutrition and health is mainstream

• Food and health is a driver for many stakeholders

– Food industry

– Research funding agencies

– Health professionals

– Consumers

Food, Nutrition and HealthRelevant Notes

• Relation of nutrients to health has evolved

– Traditionally prevent deficiency disease

– Now includes prevention of chronic disease

– Evolution manifests in numerous policies

• Key example is advance of functional foods

– Extension of how we relate food and food constituents to health

– Major influence on research activity in food, nutrition and health

What are Functional Foods?

Simplest definition: Foods that may provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition

Conventional food form

Specific bioactive constituent

enhanced content in the food

added to the food

Biological rationale to relate to health

Functional Food:Health Canada Definition

A functional food is similar in appearance to, or may be, a conventional food that is consumed as part of a usual diet, and is demonstrated to have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional

functions, i.e. they contain bioactive compound

Health Canada, Policy Paper - Nutraceuticals/Functional Foods and Health Claims On Foods, 2002

Functional Foods and Health: Relevance to Older Adults

• Functional foods have relevance to many areas of human health and this can apply to multiple life-stage and gender groups

• Among these life-stage groups, older adults emerge as a highly relevant beneficiary of FF

Aging is Becoming More Common• Aging of the population will

accelerate over the next 3 decades

• The number of Canadian adults >65 years old is projected to increase from 4.2 to 9.8 million between 2005 and 2036

• The “older adults” share of the population will increase from 13.2 to 24.5%

Statistics Canada , Census of Canada

Human NutraceuticalResearch Unit (HNRU)

• Part of the agri-food-nutrition-health continuum at University of Guelph

• Educational facility specializing in the completion of high-quality human clinical trials to investigate the human health effects of functional foods and NHPs

HNRU Location & Facilities

• Established in 1998 with Fall 2008 expansion and renovation

• On University of Guelph campus in between

– Dept. of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences

– Dept. of Food Science

– Guelph Food Innovation Centre

• Facilities to support

– Product development and testing

– Sensory science

– Human participant interaction and data collection

– Meetings, seminars, teaching space

Reception Test Meal Consumption Area

Participant Lounge

Flexible Team Research Space

HNRU Clinical Trials Suite

HNRU: Human Sampling and Processing

Sampling Bay

Sampling Bays

Laboratory

Metabolic Test Kitchen

Teaching & Seminar RoomSensory Testing Booths

HNRU Facilities

Functional Foods for Healthy AgingRESEARCH Examples

• Bread made from soybeans

• Spearmint tea high in antioxidants

• Lentils combined with rice

• Consumption and understanding of FF

• Recruiting for the Bean Study

RESEARCH EXAMPLE

A Soybean Functional Food to Link Agriculture and Health

Grow soybean varieties with varying isoflavone contentssuitable for Ontario

Process to SPI and soy flours for production of functional breads

Human clinical studies to evaluate

isoflavonebioavailability from

three breads

Explore consumer issues, sensory response and

economic benefits of breads

Phase ONE Phase TWO

Phase THREE Phase FOUR

•Analysis of isoflavone content through the chain•Confirmed distinction between low, medium and high•Soybean seed, soy flour, SPI, soy breads

• Urinary isoflavones increased with distinction between high and low (but not intermediate)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Study Day 1 Study Day 7 Study Day 14 Study Day 21

Uri

nary

To

tal

Isofl

avo

nes

(mg

/24 h

ou

rs)

Low-Iso Bread Intermediate-Iso Bread High-Iso Bread

a a a

b bb

bb b

RESEARCH EXAMPLE

A Soybean Functional Food to Link Agriculture and Health

Functional Food Research Example

Spearmint Tea

for

Arthritis

RESEARCH EXAMPLE

Spearmint Tea for ArthritisSpearmint

high in bioactive

rosmarinicacid (RA)

High-RA spearmint

reduces joint inflammation

in horses

HNRU testing high-RA TEA in

adults with osteoarthritis

•

• •

•

•

•

Funded by OMAFRA Food Research Program

Project Mint Tea

o Double-blind, randomized clinical trial

o University of Guelph developed High-RosmarinicAcid Spearmint Plant (Fletcher et al 2005).

o n=46 adults with knee OA

o 2 cups tea daily for 16 weeks

o Pain, stiffness, and physical disability assessed with a standardized arthritis questionnaire

o Physical function assessed with a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and stair climb task

The high-rosA tea and control tea groups both experienced decreased pain. The decrease was only significant in the

high-rosA tea group.

p=0.0015*

p=0.07

PMT Results: WOMAC Pain Scores

Mean

Age 60.7 years

BMI 32.8 kg/m2

Men/Women n=14/32

# Years OA 7.8 years

Although not significant, the high-rosA tea group walked further at Week 16, while the control tea group walked

the same distance at each time point.

PMT Results: 6-Minute Walk Test

Current Research Projects

For the Love of Lentils

The Love of Lentils Study• Lentils are a type of PULSE

• Pulses include lentils as well as beans, peas, and chickpeas

• Superior nutritional attributes:

– Low in fat

– Low glycemic index

– High in dietary fibre

– High in protein

– High in vitamins and minerals

• Part of national dietary recommendations

The Love of Lentils Study

HypothesisThe combination of lentils with white rice will reduce blood glucose compared to

white rice alone.

PurposeDetermine the effect of

acute consumption of lentils on postprandial blood glucose.

Study Treatments

• White rice with and without lentils • Standardized to 50 g of available carbohydrates • Prepared in the HNRU metabolic kitchen

When Lentils are combined with rice, they reduce the overall blood glucose response

When Lentils are combined with rice, they reduce the PEAK blood glucose reached

Functional Food Research Example

Older Adults’ Understanding

of Functional Foods

Top most frequently consumed functional food products (n=200)

Results:

Awareness and Consumptionof Functional Foods

Results: Functional Food Matrices and Bioactives

Food Matrices Bioactives

Results: Health Areas as they Relate to Functional Foods

Health areas addressed through the consumption of Antioxidants

in functional foods

Health areas addressed through the consumption of Dietary Fibre

in functional foods

The Bean Study• Multi-centre,

randomized, crossover study in 60 adults with high-cholesterol

• Three 4-week treatment periods of canned beans (1 cup, ½ cup); white rice control

• Study measures: cholesterol profile, glucose, insulin, gut microbiota, bile acids, short chain fatty acids

Functional Food Resources

• Section 1:

o Understanding FF

• Section 2:

o Relevance of Functional Foods for Healthy Aging

• Section 3:

o Research Summary and Results

• Appendices:

o Resource & Educational Materials

Section 1: FF Product Examples

• Functional food guidance highlighted

• Dietetic practice points

• Product example sheets:

• Cereal (oats)

• Juice (plant sterols)

• Margarine (omega-3)

• Milk (omega-3)

• Yogurt (probiotics)

• Views: top, front, back, side 1, side 2

Functional Food

Postcards

• Showcase functional food bioactives

• What they are

• How they contribute to healthy aging

• Where you can find them in functional foods

Functional Food

Postcards

• Showcase functional food bioactives

• What they are

• How they contribute to healthy aging

• Where you can find them in functional foods

Functional Food

Postcards

• Showcase functional food bioactives

• What they are

• How they contribute to healthy aging

• Where you can find them in functional foods

Recipe Resource for Healthy Aging

• Developed to showcase the links between agriculture, food and healthy aging while providing older adults with a tool they would enjoy using

• Filled with 52 recipes which make mention of farm facts, nutrition facts, cooking tips, and testimonials.

Recipe Call-Outs: Nutrition and Healthy Aging Notes

Beef contains heme iron, which is easily absorbed and an important

component of a nutrient-dense diet, which is key for the aging adult.

Eggs with omega-3 fatty acids are available at the grocery store. Omega-3 fatty acids are being

studied for their role in brain and heart health.

Asparagus contains rutin, a naturally occurring plant compound that is being

studied for its potential to reduce the risk of cancer.

Blueberries contain anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants

help protect cells from damage that naturally occurs with age.

Recipe Examples

Fruit Honey SmoothieGoat Cheese and

Red Pepper Turkey Frittata

Recipe ExamplesLow-fat High-fibre

Blueberry Muffins

Strawberry Granola Parfait

Bean Toolkit for Older Adult• Resource for older adults

developed by MSc thesis student Emily Farrell

• Detailed menu plans to include beans in your daily diet

• Rich with information and recipes

• https://the-ria.ca/resources/the-simple-bean/

Bean Toolkit for Older Adult

Bean Toolkit for Older Adult• 2 menu plans with grocery lists

Week 1: Learning to Love Beans

(how to gradually include beans)

Week 2: Beans at Every Meal

(how to include different varieties)

Bean Toolkit for Older Adult• A step-by-step recipe for each meal outlined

in the menu plans

Recipes from reputable sources like USA Pulses and Pulse Canada

Recipes created by toolkit developer: Emily Farrell

Summary Notes

• The coordination of agriculture, food and nutrition can contribute to healthy aging

• This potential is EXCITING and DEMANDS continued focus, creativity, research, results and knowledge translation of those results

• There are multiple research examples of functional foods being examined for their potential to advance optimal aging

• There is opportunity for resource development to translate knowledge about functional foods

Acknowledgements• Agri-food for Healthy Aging (A-HA)

• Research Institute for Aging (RIA)

• Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research (CFDR)

• Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance

• Human Nutraceutical Research Unit

• Pulse Canada, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

• Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

• Research Participants

• University of Guelph Students