CECILIA BOLONDI: WINNER ITALIAN ALPRO FOUNDATION AWARD MSC
Cecilia Bolondi (University of Bologna) is the winner of the second Italian Alpro Foundation Award. She received the generous amount of €2500 from the hands of the Noble Prize Winner Professor Luc Montagnier at the First Neutraceutical congress in Milano, February 11th. Her thesis entitled "Sulforaphane in vitro neuroprotection on neurotoxic effects of the β-amyloid fibrils" was selected as the best from the Italian entries.
IVONNE SLUIJS WINNER OF AWARD MSC THE NETHERLANDS
Ivonne Sluijs from University Medical Center Utrecht has won the second Dutch Alpro Foundation Award. She received the generous amount of €2500 during the Third Dutch Nutrition Congress in Ede (February 9th, 2010).
Her thesis entitled "Dietary Intake of Total, Animal, and Vegetable Protein and Risk of Type 2
Diabetes in the EPIC-NL Study" was chosen as the best thesis from the Dutch entries.
Objective: Dietary recommendations are mainly focused on relative dietary fat and carbohydrate content in relation to diabetes risk. Meanwhile, high protein diets may contribute to disturbance of glucose metabolism, but evidence from prospective studies is scarce. We examined the association between dietary total, vegetable, and animal protein intake and diabetes incidence and whether consuming 5 energy% from protein at the expense of 5 energy% from either carbohydrates or fat was
associated with diabetes risk.
Research Design and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among 38,094 participants of the EPIC-NL study. Dietary protein intake was measured with a validated food frequency questionnaire. Incident diabetes was verified against medical records.
Results: During 10 years follow-up, 918 incident diabetes cases were documented. Diabetes risk increased with higher total protein (HR (95%CI) highest vs. lowest quartile: 2.15 (1.77-2.60)) and animal protein (2.18 (1.80-2.63)) intake. Adjustment for confounders did not materially change these results. Further adjustment for adiposity measures attenuated the associations. Vegetable protein was not related to diabetes. Consuming 5 energy% from total or animal protein at the expense of 5 energy% from carbohydrates or fat increased diabetes risk.
Conclusions: Diets high in animal protein are associated with an increased diabetes risk. Our findings also suggest a similar association for total protein itself instead of only animal sources. Consumption of energy from protein at the expense of energy from either carbohydrates or fat may similarly increase diabetes risk. This indicates that accounting for protein content in dietary recommendations for diabetes prevention may be useful.
BELGIUM: ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS AWARD BSC AND MSC
The Belgian winners of the Alpro Foundation award for Bachelor and Master were announced at a press-event in Brussels on February 2nd.
The winners Menard Samuel (BSc) and Damien Michotte (MSc) with Prof. Nathalie Delzenne (chair Alpro Foundation) and board members Dr André Franck and Franky Van Hamme
Read more information in the press release:
Menard Samuel (Institut Haulot) is the winner of the Award for Bachelors with the thesis "Facteurs alimentaires pronostiques de survenue du cancer de la prostate". He received the generous amount of 1250€.
Damien Michotte (UCL) is the winner of the Award for Masters with the thesis entitled "Etude de la stabilité oxydative de l’huile de lin en présence de composés phénoliques naturels". He received the generous amount of 2500€.
MEAGHAN KITCHEN AND TOMATO PROJECT: WINNER UK MSC AWARD
Parents wield more power than teachers in the “5-a-day” campaign for children
The UK winner of the prestigious Alpro Foundation award, who today was presented with a cheque for 2500 Euros, was Meaghan Kitchen, currently a PhD student. Meaghan graduated with her masters in nutrition obesity and health from the University of Leeds this year. This lively bright and outstanding student is currently in her 1st year of PhD study at Leeds University. Her winning thesis, namely “Process evaluation of a cluster randomized controlled trial of a school based fruit and vegetable intervention: Project Tomato” has led on to her most recent work in evaluating school gardening. Meaghan’s research has been chosen by the Alpro foundations scientific committee as the most outstanding research entry from across the UK & Ireland relating to plant-based nutrition and its impact on health.
In 2004 the government launched a major project to provide free fruit and vegetables in UK schools for children up to 6 years old to encourage them to eat their “5-a-day”.
But once fruit and vegetables are no longer free, how can kids be motivated to eat more?
This new study shows that it is extremely difficult to motivate children through different activities at school. Instead, it seems to be the parents that hold the key to successful higher fruit and vegetable intake in our young.
Meaghan Kitchen said: ”Parents are key to improving children’s fruit and vegetable intake. Parents need be supported to take more of an interest in their children’s diet. Activities which involve children trying fruit and vegetables, whether at home or at school are more likely to have an impact on their 5-a-day.”
The study, named Project Tomato, introduced different teaching interventions in UK schools for 7 year olds, including curriculum lessons, tasting sessions, cooking and gardening club - as well as giving children activities to do at home with their parents.
Researchers recorded how many fruit and vegetables children ate before and after the study, as well as getting parents and teachers to fill in questionnaires about the overall success of the activities.
So does ploughing more resources and efforts into the school curriculum result in better dietary choices of kids….or do parents still have to shoulder the responsibility?
The study does not identify a clear winner. The results were disappointing for schools with only one fifth of the curriculum activities provided implemented by teachers. On the other hand, parents who implemented Project Tomato home activities generated a higher fruit and vegetable consumption in their children compared to parents who did not embrace the project.
Meaghan’s supervisor, Charlotte Evans added: “We are delighted that the hard work of our Masters student Meaghan has been recognised in this important area of public health research.”
Meaghan was delighted to be the winner of the prestigious Alpro Foundation Award and she is wished every success in her future career.
Project Tomato was funded by the National Prevention Research Initiative.
Reference: Kitchen MS, Ransley JK, Greenwood DC, et al. Study protocol: a cluster randomised controlled trial of a school based fruit and vegetable intervention - Project Tomato. BMC Health Services Research 2009;9.
