Stable Isotope Methods in Nutrition Research

Background

In vivo assessment of nutrient absorption, status and metabolism can benefit a lot from the use of stable isotope methods. These methods can help to better understand biological processes, provide quantitative data on fluxes of nutrients through different compartments in the body, and help to determine nutrient status which links to health and diseases. This course will provide a solid scientific background on the application of stable isotopes in nutrition research. Topics will include Deuterium-based methods like body composition, energy expenditure and breast milk intake (dose to mother technique), as well as cover vitamin/mineral bioavailability and protein digestibility.

The course will provide advanced understanding of the principles and concepts of different stable isotope techniques in nutrition research, and participants will advance their skills in the application of these techniques. There will be time to consult faculty with questions arising from own research and experience. By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• explain the general concepts and underlying assumptions of stable isotope techniques in nutrition research;
• explain the principles of various laboratory techniques to quantify isotope enrichments;
• describe the application of stable isotopes in the assessment of a.o. body composition, energy expenditure, breast milk intake, vitamin/mineral bioavailability and protein digestibility;
• apply the theory of one or two of the techniques discussed in the course to plan its use in the own research setting.