UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF FATS

HNR News from the Elsie Widdowson Laboratory

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The £2 million Cambridge Lipidomics Biomarker Research Initiative (CLBRI) was officially launched on 15th July 2009 at HNR. The launch was celebrated with an international symposium that brought together leading scientists from the UK, America and Canada.

The research initiative will:

• Establish a Centre of Excellence forinternational scientists

• Bring together both scientific and clinical expertise

• Be at the forefront of advances in mass spectrometry (identifying chemicals in a mixture by their mass and charge)

• Develop a new lipidomics database and bioinformatics facility for the use of other researchers

• Provide a hub for emerging technologies inbiomarker research

The initiative has been set up by Dr Dietrich Volmer (Head of Bioanalytical Sciences) and Dr Albert Koulman with funding from the Medical Research Council. It has the vision of being a cutting edge lipidomics research laboratory, leading collaborative research projects with scientists from the MRC, University of Cambridge and other national and international groups.

The research of lipidomics will enable scientists to discover the role of lipids (fats) in the body and how they affect our health. Scientists can measure how the lipids change or occur during disease through the detection and measurement of disease-specific biomarkers. The development of mass spectrometry techniques will allow a large number of biomarkers to be measured in a sample within minutes. This will enable CLBRI’s findings to be applied on a population level and therefore used by healthcare professionals.

Dr Dietrich Volmer, who will lead the initiative, said: “People can develop conditions such as diabetes and heart disease because of their genetics, as well as because of poor dietary habits. Our aim is to be able to relate biomarkers such as lipids to genes, and enhance our understanding of the development of disease. In the future, we will be able to monitor these subtle changes in an individual and provide them with personalised health and nutrition advice.”

CLBRI will focus its research on the discovery, validation and application of new and robust biomarkers for both diagnosis and disease prediction. Altered fat metabolism is linked to a number of increasingly common disorders such as type 2 diabetes. Therefore the ability to identify and measure changes in the lipids before the disease develops could help healthcare professionals to advise patients on lifestyle changes that could reduce their health risks and prevent or slow down the development of the disease.

The CLBRI is home to three laboratories, an automated sample processing workstation and seven top-end mass spectrometers, some of which are the first of their kind in the UK. The team of specialists working on the initiative at HNR will be leading studies with more than 10,000 volunteers. This unprecedented approach to nutrition research will open the door to entirely new insights into the relationship between diet and disease.

Lipidomics group

The Population Nutrition Research section forms one of the five research sections within HNR, and investigates diet and health through population based approaches. This includes the assessment and analysis of dietary intake and an examination of the relationships between nutrients, foods, dietary patterns and eating behaviours, as well as to disease risk factors and outcomes.

Dr Alison Lennox leads the group with a developing team of staff including 6 research scientists, a data management team of 5 and a dietary assessment team of 20.

PNR currently has a major role in three large national surveys: the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme, the National Survey of Health and Development and the all new Diet and Nutrition Survey for Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC).

HNR receives thousands of food diaries every year from study participants. The diaries are a vital part of many of the studies and surveys carried out here. It is the team of dietary assessment assistants in the Population Nutrition Research section who process your food diary

and it is their job to turn the written record of your food and drink consumption into an electronic form that can be analysed using our in-house computer software. This unique program tells us the energy and nutrient content of your diet for each day that you recorded and for every food item that you consumed.

The dietary assessment assistants begin by filling in an electronic form for each food or drink item. They choose from a menu that lists approximately 7000 foods, drinks and dietary supplements. With so many new foods coming into the shops every week, it is an ongoing task to keep abreast of all the changes. Having selected a food from the menu the coder has to select a portion size from the list that matches what you have given in the diary. Finally the coder enters the details about how the food was eaten, for example where and who with. You might wonder why we ask these questions but we are interested in seeing whether the social environment of meal times affects the types and quantities of food eaten. Also, by asking you these questions we may jog your memory about what you ate on that occasion.

SPOTLIGHT ON PNR

Ever wondered what happened to your Food Diary?

Coding a diary often throws up problems that are overcome by a combination of imagination and intelligent guesswork. Interpreting the handwriting and spelling of many children and adults is often a challenge. Can you guess what a “qwusan” is? We think it may be a croissant! Some of our studies are multi-ethnic and we may be faced with foods with unfamiliar names for which we have to resort to the internet. The choice of portion sizes can also be a challenge to interpret. Do we believe the man who claims to have eaten 3 kebabs in one evening? Or how to we define a serving for the lady who tells us simply that she has salmon and green beans?

Although food diary coding may bring its challenges, without your time and participation, our investigations could not be a success. The more people who take the time to complete and send in their food diaries, the more accurate and useful our results will be.

Staff at PNR

During 2008, the Food Standards Agency launched plans for a new Diet and Nutrition Survey for Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC), aged 4-18 months. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme surveys the population from age 18 months upwards, but it was recognised that it is also important to have greater knowledge of the current diet of younger age groups. It is believed that healthy eating behaviours are maintained more easily through adulthood if adopted early in life, and there is emerging evidence that obesity may be

dependent on energy intake and growth rate in the early years. It is therefore important to know how infants and young children in the

UK are being fed.

Nutritionists at HNR will work together with colleagues at the National Centre for Social Research, Dr Ken Ong, a Cambridge paediatrician working in the MRC Epidemiology Unit and researchers at the University of Newcastle. One of

the biggest challengers will be in relation to portion sizes consumed. For example, there are lots of different

size jars of baby food so we need to know the exact size of each jar.

Pre survey studies are already underway, and the main fieldwork will begin in the summer of 2010 for one year. As in NDNS, the dietary assessment method will be an estimated diary, where the parent/carer will write down everything the infant eats for four consecutive days. Those completing the diary will then be asked to attend a clinic where body composition and breast milk intake, if appropriate, will be assessed and a small blood sample will be taken to test for a number of key nutritional indicators, such as iron and folic acid, where low levels are quite common in young children. Results for both the dietary intake and the blood analysis will be sent to all participants who would like to receive them. It is hoped that this survey will provide much needed information to assist government policy makers in programmes to ensure the health of the youngest members of our population.

THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION: The Diet and Nutrition Survey for Infants and Young Children

Two new members of staff have joined HNR to work specifically on the survey.

Jill Sommerville – Study Co-ordinatorJill has just finished her PhD investigating factors that affect energy intake in people with impared glucose tolerance or diabetes. Jill is the DNSIYC survey study co-ordinator managing all of HNR’s responsibilities and liasing with external advisors and stakeholders.

Diane Bamber – Research ScientistDiane oversees the coordination of a number of surveys including DNSIYC. Diane has previously worked with adults, children and teenagers exploring how lifestyle influences health. Previous research investigated predictors of adolescent mental health including the ROOTS project based at Cambridge University. Working on the surveys will provide Diane with an opportunity to find out more about how other children eat – particularly interesting as she is a mum herself.

Introduction to the DNSIYC Team

MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Fulbourn Road, Cambridge CB1 9NLTel: 01223 426356 Web: http://www.mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk. Produced by Visual Aids, MRC

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‘Must Know ’ Facts

With the summer holidays drawing to a close and a new term beginning, HNR decided to give the teachers a helping hand this autumn with a visit from the Artsbus. Staff from 2 MRC Units in Cambridge – HNR and the Epidemiology Unit – were on board to interest the pupils and help them to learn about the food that they eat, their body and their health.

Students were invited to take part in a programme of events designed around the 8 healthy behaviours recommended by change4life. Change4life is a nationwide movement that aims to help us all, especially

our children, to eat well, move more and live longer. Modern life makes it hard to eat healthy food and get enough exercise, so HNR are helping to promote these messages through ‘Nutrition on the move.’

Holly Margerison takes an active role in delivering HNR’s outreach programme and organised the Artsbus, owned by Stagecoach, to take ‘Nutrition on the move’ to four local primary schools. All pupils in key stage 2 (aged 7-11 years) in those schools had the opportunity to come on board and take part in activities including fruit tasting, keeping a food diary, and measuring heart rate before and after exercise.

The feedback from pupils was fantastic. Ella, age 8, said: “I liked the exercise on the step and the food tasting. I didn’t like the melon but I tried it and managed to eat it!”

For more information on change4life and what you can do to get involved check out the website at www.nhs.uk/change4life

Saturday 7th – Sunday 15th November 2009 – Chemistry Week 2009 at the Royal Society of ChemistryFood is the theme of this year’s National Chemistry Week, and HNR will be participating on Wednesday 11th November with a presentation of ‘Sizzling Science’. The HNR Communications team will carry out a cookery demonstration event where a top chef will be creating a delicious, low Gi, low fat 3-course meal, with our nutrition scientists close at hand to describe why we cry when slicing onions and why eating chillies causes pleasure and pain. We hope to help the public to use science to create new dishes with delicious complementary flavours, and encourage families into the kitchen to cook and eat together

Monday 8th – Sunday 21st March 2010 – Cambridge Science Festival 2010On Saturday 13th March 2010 people from all walks of life will come together to take part in the annual Science Festival, and what better way to celebrate this diversity than the theme of ‘Diverse Science.’ Come along to meet our scientists and seize the opportunity to get your diverse nutrition questions answered with everything from osteoporosis to obesity, and metabolomics to mealtimes on the menu – so you could say from [vitamin] A to Z(inc)!

On Saturday 18th July HNR helped the University to celebrate its 800th Anniversary by attending the Summer Garden Party, held in the University Botanic Garden. The Garden Party was the largest gathering of University and College staff and their families ever seen in Cambridge, with approximately 9,000 people in attendance.

HNR were there as ‘The Diet Detectives’ - looking into nutrition, exercise and bone health. Staff from HNR were on hand to dispel the myths and help guests from the University to understand more about how the food that we eat impacts on our future health and how the state of our bones changes through the lifecycle.

The event was a huge success with glorious sunshine and a fantastic atmosphere. Celebrity guests included Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller.

For more information on this and other upcoming public engagement events please see the HNR website at http://www.mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk/health-society/public-engagement.html

• Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and teeth.

• Vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium.

• Your skin makes vitamin D when exposed to the sun, but in the UK the sun is only strong enough to make this happen from April to September.

• Low levels of Vitamin D in the body can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. As well as being linked with bowel cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer.

• Very few foods contain Vitamin D, but the richest sources of Vitamin D in the diet are found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines.

• Your body makes less vitamin D when wearing sun cream, but just 15 – 20 mins exposure to the sun before applying sun cream between 10am and 3pm, 3 – 4 times a week is enough to maintain adequate levels.

• You only need to expose bare skin such as hands, face, arms and legs. You don’t need to sunbathe.

• Vitamin D supplements are available. The FSA advise that pregnant and breastfeeding women take 10 microgrammes of vitamin D per day from food or supplements and children under 5 years of age need 7 microgrammes. The elderly, individuals who cover the majority of their skin when outside, and those who rarely go out may also consider taking a 10 microgrammes supplement.

Nutrition on the Move

HNR join in Cambridge University’s 800th Anniversary Garden Party

Future Public Events