World Water Day is celebrated on March 22nd every year around the world, with a mission to raise awareness about the importance of freshwater and accelerate change by advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources, that 771 million individuals, across schools, businesses and healthcare centres, to farms and factories, just simply don’t have access to. However, water is a necessity for everyone, which is why it’s important for everyone to get involved and be part of an incredible change that will benefit so many and continues to work towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2023!
It’s that time of year again, if you are a student you may have exams now or coming up. Here are a few things to help keep you on track.
What is a Dietary Reference Value?
The European Food Safety Authority defines a Dietary Reference Value (DRV) as “an umbrella term for a set of nutrient reference values”. In the UK the reference values that make up DRVs are:
- Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNIs)
- Estimated Average Requirements (EARs)
- Lower Reference Nutrient Intakes (LRNIs)
- Safe Intake (SI)
Every second Tuesday in October women from across the globe come together to celebrate Ada Lovelace Day. A day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths – subjects that males have historically dominated. The main aim of Ada Lovelace Day is to create and raise the profiles of female role models within the STEM sectors to encourage more females into these subjects and careers, something we at Dietary Assessment are very passionate about.
Today, more and more fruit and vegetables from further afield are becoming readily available in our supermarkets, so we can enjoy fresh and exotic fruits and vegetables all year round. But this enjoyment comes at a cost to the planet due to the long distances these foods need to be transported across, in addition to appropriate storage facilities and packages to ensure freshness throughout transportation.
Conducting research into what we eat can be complex, challenging and laborious for many. It takes a lot of skill to conduct, analyse and interpret nutrition research efficiently and effectively including or writing up a research paper - which can be a great way to deepen your understanding of your chosen field. But for students, postgrads and early career researchers, this can seem like a daunting task. That’s why we’ve asked our Founder, Professor Janet Cade head of the Nutritional Epidemiology Group at The University of Leeds to provide us with some of her top research tips. So if you’re a final year student about to write a dissertation or a PhD student looking for some motivation, read Prof Cade’s top tips below.
What is food sustainability?
Over the years we’ve become more aware of the ways in which our daily lives impact the planet. This includes the food we eat.
There are many methods that can be used to assess dietary intake - for example, using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), food diary or a 24-hour recall. Deciding what is the most appropriate dietary assessment tool can be difficult, as each have their own strengths and weaknesses, which can then have implications on research studies themselves. Previously, we wrote an article to help you decide which dietary assessment method to use. You can also download a free cheat sheet on Dietary Assessment Methods covering all you need to know about food diaries, FFQs and 24hr recalls.
In this article, we will explain what a 24-hour recall is, where they can be useful, and what are the strengths and limitations in practice.
When conducting dietary assessment, whether for population nutrition research or clinical support, it’s important that nutrient estimates are as accurate as possible. Accuracy is especially vital when supporting vulnerable patients in clinic (such as diabetic and renal patients), where small differences in nutrient values could make big differences to their health.
When it comes to accuracy, the choice of dietary assessment tool, and the nutrient composition tables which sit behind it, have an important role to play. This article takes a deep dive into food and nutrient databases and their influence on the accuracy of dietary estimates.
There are many methods that can be used to assess dietary intake - for example, using a 24hr recall or a food diary. (In a previous article we discussed the strengths and limitations of a food diary). Choosing the correct dietary assessment method can be difficult. That’s why, we’ve created a series of articles, that discuss different dietary assessment methods that will hopefully help you choose the right dietary analysis tool for you. In this article, we explain what food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are and their strengths and limitations in practice.
You can also download a free cheat sheet on Dietary Assessment Methods covering all you need to know about food diaries, FFQs and 24hr recalls.
