CNRC Research

As the first federal nutrition research center to investigate the nutritional needs of pregnant and nursing women, and children from conception through adolescence, the Children's Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) conducts research that helps improve the maternal, infant and child nutrition guidelines used by physicians, parents and others responsible for the care and feeding of children.

Research Programs

• Nutritional Regulation of Cell Growth, Differentiation and Development
• Nutrient-Gene Interactions
• Absorption and Metabolism of Essential Mineral Nutrients
• Childhood Obesity: Regulation of Energy Balance and Body Composition
• Childhood Eating Behaviors: Prevention of Childhood Obesity and Chronic Diseases
• Nutrition During Pregnancy, Lactation, Infancy and Childhood
• Developmental Origins of Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, and other Chronic Diseases of Nutritional Lineage
• Phytonutrient Biochemistry, Physiology, and Transport

Nutritional Regulation of Cell Growth, Differentiation & Development

One of the overarching and interdisciplinary themes of CNRC research is to describe how dietary components help determine organ growth, development and function throughout fetal life, infancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Nutrient - Gene Interactions

This research examines how genes affect the absorption and utilization of nutrients (which in turn affects nutrient requirements). They also examine how nutrients themselves alter the expression of a person's genes, which is a crucial "personal" link to the development of nutrition-related diseases like obesity, cancer and heart disease.

Absorption and Metabolism of Essential Mineral Nutrients

These studies investigate the metabolic, hormonal and dietary factors that affect the body's absorption and utilization of calcium and zinc and other essential mineral nutrients in children. Poor calcium intake in childhood can predispose children, especially females, to fractures and osteoporosis later in life.

Childhood Obesity: Regulation of Energy Balance and Body Composition

This research involves identifying genetic, physiological and environmental factors, including physical activity, that influence the accumulation and net gain of lean tissues (such as muscle mass), body fat, and bone mineral content in children. Understanding the environmental and genetic factors that contribute to the accumulation of excess body fat may allow early screening of individuals at risk for obesity during childhood.

Childhood Eating Behaviors: Prevention of Childhood Obesity and Chronic Diseases

These studies involve identifying factors that influence the development of children's eating habits, and how to best help children and families adopt healthier habits to avoid long-term health problems linked to poor nutrition, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and osteoporosis.

Nutrition During Pregnancy, Lactation, Infancy and Childhood

This research has included studies that define the optimal dietary calorie, protein, and mineral requirements for maternal health during pregnancy and lactation.

Developmental Origins of Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, and other Chronic Diseases of Nutritional Lineage

These CNRC research studies address our understanding of how an inadequate intake of dietary nutrients like folic acid, Vitamin A, protein, and cholesterol during critical periods of development can have permanent effects on a child -- such as preventing adequate brain development -- and on individual's health later in adulthood by possibly increasing their risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis

Phytonutrient Biochemistry, Physiology, and Transport

This research explores how plants regulate the absorption and accumulation of minerals like calcium, iron, and zinc and how to improvement both the essential-mineral content of plants and the bioavailability of these minerals from plant foods consumed by children.