Papers by Sujatha Rajaram
The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2003
Frequent consumption of nuts may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by favorably altering s... more Frequent consumption of nuts may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by favorably altering serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. We compared the effects of 2 amounts of almond intake with those of a National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet on serum lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and glucose in healthy and mildly hypercholesterolemic adults. In a randomized crossover design, 25 healthy subjects (14 men, 11 women) with a mean (+/- SD) age of 41 +/- 13 y were fed 3 isoenergetic diets for 4 wk each after being fed a 2-wk run-in diet (containing 34% of energy from fat). The experimental diets included a Step I diet, a low-almond diet, and a high-almond diet, in which almonds contributed 0%, 10%, and 20% of total energy, respectively. Inverse relations were observed between the percentage of energy in the diet from almonds and the subject's total cholesterol (P value for trend < 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.001), and apolipoprotein B (P < 0.001)...
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
The impact of long-term (6-month) moderate exercise on the iron status of previously sedentary wo... more The impact of long-term (6-month) moderate exercise on the iron status of previously sedentary women was determined by randomly assigning 62 college-age women into one of the following four groups: 1) 50 mg.d-1 iron supplement, low iron diet (N = 16); 2) Placebo, free choice diet (N = 13); 3) Meat supplement to achieve 15 mg.d-1 iron intake (N = 13); and 4) Control, free choice diet (N = 20). All groups except the Control group exercised 3 d.wk-1 at 60%-75% of their heart rate reserve. VO2max was measured at baseline and week 24. Blood was sampled at baseline and every 4 wk thereafter for 24 wk to measure iron status and to elucidate the causes for alterations in iron status. Subjects had depleted iron stores throughout the study as indicated by their serum ferritin levels (< 15 ng.ml-1). Serum iron, total iron binding capacity and transferrin saturation were not compromised with exercise. Mean hemoglobin level in the Placebo/Ex group was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than th...
The Journal of nutrition, 1992
Total iron losses in feces, urine and sweat in endurance-trained athletes are approximately 1.75 ... more Total iron losses in feces, urine and sweat in endurance-trained athletes are approximately 1.75 mg/d (compared with the reference value of 1 mg/d) in males and approximately 2.3 mg/d (compared with the reference value of 1.4 mg/d) in females because of the additional iron losses with menses. Therefore, it is not surprising that many investigators report that iron deficiency is a common problem in athletes who do not increase their iron intake above that of the general population. Recently, several observations of iron deficiency associated with mild exercise have been reported. Investigation of the extent of iron loss and utilization in individuals exercising for fitness is needed. Because compromised iron status can affect athletic performance as well as general health, including immune functions, cognitive development and ability to thermoregulate, it is advisable to emphasize meeting the recommended dietary allowances for iron during exercise training.
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2014
The lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV) dietary regimen allows eggs, which are a rich source of choline. C... more The lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV) dietary regimen allows eggs, which are a rich source of choline. Consumption of eggs by LOV women may be especially important during pregnancy and lactation when demand for choline is high. The aim of this single blind, randomized, crossover-feeding study was to determine how near-daily egg consumption influenced biomarkers of choline metabolism in healthy LOV women of reproductive age (n=15). Because long-chain n-3 fatty acids could influence choline metabolism, the effect of n-3-enriched vs nonenriched eggs on choline metabolites was also investigated. Three 8-week dietary treatments consisting of six n-3-enriched eggs per week, six nonenriched eggs per week, and an egg-free control phase were separated by 4-week washout periods. Choline metabolites were quantified in fasted plasma collected before and after each treatment and differences in posttreatment choline metabolite concentrations were determined with linear mixed models. The n-3-enriched and nonenriched egg treatments produced different choline metabolite profiles compared with the egg-free control; however, response to the eggs did not differ (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;0.1). Consumption of the n-3-enriched egg treatment yielded higher plasma free choline (P=0.02) and betaine (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01) (vs egg-free control) concentrations, whereas consumption of the nonenriched egg treatment yielded borderline higher (P=0.06) plasma phosphatidylcholine (vs egg-free control) levels. Neither egg treatment increased levels of plasma trimethylamine oxide, a gut-flora-dependent oxidative choline metabolite implicated as a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Overall these data suggest that egg fatty-acid composition modulates the metabolic use of choline.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2014
An increase in noncommunicable disease (NCD) in India has been attributed to an epidemiologic tra... more An increase in noncommunicable disease (NCD) in India has been attributed to an epidemiologic transition whereby, due to urbanization, there is an increase in traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity. Accumulated biomarker data on the "Asian Indian phenotype" identify central obesity, which occurs at a lower body mass index (BMI), as a particularly potent risk factor in Asian Indians. A revised WHO case definition for obesity in India [BMI (in kg/m 2 ) .25] has identified an obesity epidemic that exceeds 30% in some cities and rivals that in Western nations. This review summarizes 2 key lines of evidence: 1) the emergence of an obesity epidemic in urban and rural India and its contribution to the NCD burden and 2) the role of a "nutrition transition" in decreasing the whole plant food content of diets in India and increasing risk of obesity and NCDs. We then present new epidemiologic evidence from Asian Indians enrolled in the Adventist Health Study 2 that raises the possibility of how specific whole plant foods (eg, nuts) in a vegetarian dietary pattern could potentially prevent obesity and NCDs in a target population of .1 billion persons.
Nutrients, 2014
This study aimed to develop and validate a de novo food frequency questionnaire for self-defined ... more This study aimed to develop and validate a de novo food frequency questionnaire for self-defined vegans in the United States. Diet histories from pilot samples of vegans and a modified 'Block Method' using seven selected nutrients of concern in vegan diet patterns, were employed to generate the questionnaire food list. Food frequency responses of 100 vegans from 19 different U.S. states were obtained via completed mailed questionnaires and compared to multiple telephone-conducted diet recall interviews. Computerized diet analyses were performed. Correlation coefficients, t-tests, rank, cross-tabulations, and probability tests were used to validate and compare intake estimates and dietary reference intake (DRI) assessment trends between the two methods. A 369-item vegan-specific questionnaire was developed with 252 listed food frequency items. Calorie-adjusted correlation coefficients ranged from r = 0.374 to 0.600 (p < 0.001) for all analyzed nutrients except calcium. Estimates, ranks, trends and higher-level participant percentile placements for Vitamin B 12 were similar with both methods. Questionnaire intakes were higher than recalls for most other nutrients. Both methods demonstrated similar trends in DRI adequacy assessment (e.g., significantly inadequate vitamin D intake among vegans). This vegan-specific questionnaire can be a useful assessment tool for health screening initiatives in U.S. vegan communities.
Background: Frequent consumption of nuts may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by favorabl... more Background: Frequent consumption of nuts may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by favorably altering serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. Objective: We compared the effects of 2 amounts of almond intake with those of a National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet on serum lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and glu- cose in healthy and mildly hypercholesterolemic adults. Design: In a randomized
British Journal of Nutrition, 2004
Epidemiological and metabolic studies have shown that regular nut consumption may protect against... more Epidemiological and metabolic studies have shown that regular nut consumption may protect against risk of heart disease and diabetes. None has investigated the effect of adding nuts to a self-selected habitual diet (containing little or no nuts) on dietary patterns. The present study evaluated the impact of long-term almond supplementation in healthy men (n 43) and women (n 38) aged 25 -70 years on nutrient profile and nutrient displacement. All subjects were followed for 1 year. During the first 6 months, subjects followed their habitual diets; in the second 6 months, subjects added almonds to their diets. Diets were assessed by seven random 24 h telephone diet recalls during each diet period. On average, the almond supplement was 52 g/d (about forty-two nuts) containing 1286 kJ. When subjects changed from their habitual diet to the almond-supplemented diet, the intakes of MUFA, PUFA, fibre, vegetable protein, a-tocopherol, Cu and Mg significantly (P,0·05) increased by 42, 24, 12, 19, 66, 15 and 23 % respectively; the intakes of trans fatty acids, animal protein, Na, cholesterol and sugars significantly (P,0·05) decreased by 14, 9, 21, 17 and 13 % respectively. These spontaneous nutrient changes closely match the dietary recommendations to prevent cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Displacement estimates for total energy, total protein, total fat, SFA, MUFA, PUFA, total fibre, Ca, Fe, Mg, P, K, Zn and a-tocopherol ranged from 16 to 98 %; the estimates for total food weight, carbohydrate, sugars and Se were .245 %. A daily supplement of almonds can induce favourable nutrient modifications for chronic disease prevention to an individual's habitual diet.
Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 2012
We tested the hypothesis that walnut consumption can exert effects on markers of inflammation and... more We tested the hypothesis that walnut consumption can exert effects on markers of inflammation and endothelial activation similar to those produced by fish consumption. In a crossover dietary intervention trial, 25 normal to mildly hyperlipidemic men and women were randomly assigned to one of three isoenergetic diets: a walnut diet incorporating 42.5 g of walnuts per 10.1 mJ 6 times per week (1.8% of energy n-3 fat); a fish diet providing 113 g of fatty fish per 10.1 mJ 2 times per week (0.8% of energy n-3 fat), or a control diet (no nuts or fish, 0.4% of energy n À 3 fat) for 4 weeks on each diet. Both the walnut and fish diets inhibited circulating concentrations of prostaglandin E metabolite (PGEM) and 11-dehydro thromboxane B2, but demonstrated no effect on blood interleukin-1b (IL-1b), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), and C-reactive protein (CRP) or the number of circulating lymphocyte subsets. On the walnut diet the proportion of plasma phospholipid a-linolenic acid (ALA) increased 140% and arachidonic acid (AA) decreased 7% compared to both the control and fish diets. The proportion of plasma phospholipid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increased about 200% and 900% respectively on the fish diet relative to either the control or walnut diet. The walnut diet inhibited E-selectin by 12.7% relative to the fish diet, and the fish diet inhibited secretory intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (s-ICAM-1) by 4.5% relative to the control diet. Both walnuts and fish in commonly consumed amounts may have modest albeit distinct effects on circulating adhesion molecules.
Phytotherapy Research, 2013
Lycopene, a red pigmented carotenoid present in many fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, has ... more Lycopene, a red pigmented carotenoid present in many fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, has been associated with the reduced risk of breast cancer. This study sought to identify proteins modulated by lycopene during cell proliferation of the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 to gain an understanding into its mechanism of action. MCF-7 breast cancer cells and MCF-10 normal breast cells were treated with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mM of lycopene for 72 h. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) tetrazolium reduction assay was used to measure cell proliferation and twodimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis to assess the changes in protein expression, which were identified using MALDI-ToF/ToF (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time-of-flight) and Mascot database search. MTTand cell proliferation assays showed that lycopene selectively inhibited the growth of MCF-7 but not MCF-10 cells. Difference gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that proteins in the MCF-7 cells respond differently to lycopene compared with the MCF-10 cells. Lycopene altered the expression levels of proteins such as Cytokeratin 8/18 (CK8/18), CK19 and their post translational status. We have shown that lycopene inhibits cell proliferation in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells but not in the MCF-10 mammary epithelial cells. Lycopene was shown to modulate cell cycle proteins such as beta tubulin, CK8/18, CK19 and heat shock proteins.
Pediatric Research, 1995
Plasma IGF-I and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) were determined by radioimmunoassay in term infa... more Plasma IGF-I and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) were determined by radioimmunoassay in term infants (n = 51) at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 12 mo and preterm infants (n = 51) at -3 (28.4 wk postconceptional age), -2, -1.5, -1, 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 mo from expected term. The effects of gestational age at birth (term or preterm) and study age were determined by repeated measures analysis of variance and Fisher&#39;s least squares difference. In preterm infants, IGF-I increased between -3 and 2 mo from 0.75 to 10.4 nM, decreased between 2 and 9 mo to 7.3 nM, and increased again between 9 and 12 mo to 10.1 nM (p &lt; 0.0001), whereas IGFBP-3 increased relatively little from -3 to 0 mo (14.2 to 30.2 nM, p &lt; 0.05) and plateaued from 2 to 12 mo (49.8 to 62.3 nM). At 0 mo, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were the same in term and preterm infants, but preterm infants had higher IGF-I from 2 through 12 mo (p &lt; 0.05), higher IGFBP-3 at 2 and 4 mo (p &lt; 0.05), and lower IGFBP-3 at 12 mo (p &lt; 0.05). IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were correlated at most ages. First year IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are influenced by study age and by gestational age, even after adjusting for early birth.
Nutrition Journal, 2014
Background: Plant and marine n-3 fatty acids (FA) may favorably modify select markers of cardiova... more Background: Plant and marine n-3 fatty acids (FA) may favorably modify select markers of cardiovascular disease risk. Whether supplementing the habitual diet of lacto-ovo-vegetarians (LOV) with walnuts (containing α-linolenic acid, ALA) and n-3 FA enriched eggs (containing primarily docosahexaenoic acid, DHA and ALA) would have equivalent effects on CVD risk factors is explored in this study.
Nutrition, 2000
Compared with non-vegetarians, Western vegetarians have a lower mean BMI (by about 1 kg/m2), a lo... more Compared with non-vegetarians, Western vegetarians have a lower mean BMI (by about 1 kg/m2), a lower mean plasma total cholesterol concentration (by about 0.5 mmol/l), and a lower mortality from IHD (by about 25%). They may also have a lower risk for some other diseases such as constipation, diverticular disease, gallstones and appendicitis. No differences in mortality from common cancers have been established. There is no evidence of adverse effects on mortality. Much more information is needed, particularly on other causes of death, other morbidity including osteoporosis, and long-term health in vegans. The evidence available suggests that widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet could prevent approximately 40,000 deaths from IHD in Britain each year.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1995
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2004
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2004
LEARNING OUTCOME: Dietitians and health professionals will understand the relevance of normal oxi... more LEARNING OUTCOME: Dietitians and health professionals will understand the relevance of normal oxidative stress brought upon by exercise and that with the consumption of an almond-raisin beverage prior to endurance exercise, individuals are protected against exercise-induced oxidative stress beyond that of a traditional commercial sports beverage.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005
The objective of this study was to assess the doseresponse effect of almond intake on plasma and ... more The objective of this study was to assess the doseresponse effect of almond intake on plasma and red blood cell tocopherol concentrations in healthy adults enrolled in a randomized, crossover feeding trial. Participants were 16 healthy men and women, aged 41Ϯ13 years. After a 2-week run-in period, participants were fed three diets for 4 weeks each: a control diet, a low-almond diet, and a high-almond diet, in which almonds contributed 0%, 10%, and 20% of total energy, respectively. Changes in blood tocopherol levels were assayed by high pressure liquid chromatography. Incorporating almonds into the diet helped meet the revised Recommended Dietary Allowance of 15 mg/day ␣-tocopherol and increased lipidadjusted plasma and red blood cell ␣-tocopherol concentrations. A significant dose-response effect was observed between percent energy in the diet from almonds and plasma ratio of ␣-tocopherol to total cholesterol. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:449-454.
The Journal of Pediatrics, 1995
To determine whether prolonged feeding of preterm infant formula to preterm infants can accelerat... more To determine whether prolonged feeding of preterm infant formula to preterm infants can accelerate recovery to normal plasma zinc levels without affecting plasma mineral homeostasis. Part of concurrent prospective feeding trials in a university hospital-based population. Preterm infants (n = 33; birth weight, 1037 +/- 157 gm) were fed a preterm infant formula with higher concentrations of zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, and potassium until 2 months past expected term, then a term infant formula. Term infants (n = 38; birth weight, 3318 +/- 401 gm) fed this term infant formula from birth were a reference group for comparison with study infants and with published values. Plasma mineral levels were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Preterm infants fed a preterm infant formula after discharge from the hospital appeared to achieve normal plasma zinc concentrations by at least 2 months past term without adverse effects on mineral homeostasis.
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Papers by Sujatha Rajaram