The Importance of Research
Last week I had the honor of being awarded the Alec Chiu Memorial Award. This award recognizes distinguished research and engaging students in scholarly work.
Since my time as an undergraduate student, I have valued research. I remember my sophomore year in a basic human nutrition course my professor shared that we are still discovering essential vitamins and just starting to understand lots of areas of nutrition.
I was hooked! I wanted to find out as much as I could about nutrition through my own research. Think about it, decades ago we thought coffee was bad for you. Then we learned that coffee, in moderation, can decrease the risk of heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson’s), and certain forms of cancer (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-reasons-why-the-right-amount-of-coffee-is-good-for-you).
Take it a step further, in recent years we have learned that your GENES determine whether coffee is beneficial for you or not. Some individuals have a gene that makes them a fast metabolizer of caffeine, and coffee has many health benefits for them. But other individuals have genes that make them slow metabolizers of caffeine and coffee may have detrimental effects on their health.
As you can see, we are constantly learning more about nutrition as well as health and medicine in general. That is why all members of the healthcare team (doctors, nurses, dietitians, etc) are required to constantly complete continuing education credits to maintain their license, so they can keep up with the ever-changing information.
My current research focuses on diets and supplements that may be able to improve body composition. Meaning can certain diets or supplements help people lose weight and increase muscle mass.
I have recently started two studies, one investigating the impact of intermittent fasting on body composition and other health measures like blood sugars and cholesterol. The other study is investigating the impact of a daily choline supplement on these parameters.
As you can see, what we know about our health is ever evolving. So, the next time you see a study that seems to contradict what we previously thought, don’t get frustrated, just know we are learning more!
What do you know about research? What research would you be interested in learning more about? Comment below!
