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Dierkes J, Dietrich S, Abraham K, Monien BH, McCann A, Borgå K, Weikert C. Stable isotope ratios of nitrogen and carbon as biomarkers of a vegan diet. Eur J Nutr 2023; 62:433-441. [PMID: 36087137 PMCID: PMC9899720 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-022-02992-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Dietary biomarkers can potentially overcome the limitations of self-reported dietary data. While in ecology and archaeology, stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen are widely used as biomarkers, this is not the case in nutrition research. Since the abundance of the 13C and the 15N isotope differ in food sources from plant and animal origin, stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N) may differ in human biological material. Here, we investigated the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen and carbon in serum and urine from vegans and omnivores. METHOD Measurement of δ15N and δ13C in serum and 24 h urine was performed by Elemental Analyzer-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer in the cross-sectional study "Risks and Benefits of a Vegan Diet". The study included 36 vegans and 36 omnivores with a median age of 37.5 years (matched for age and sex), who adhered to their diet for at least 1 year. RESULTS Both δ15N and δ13C were significantly lower in both the serum and 24 h urine of vegans compared to omnivores. δ15N either in serum or urine had 100% specificity and sensitivity to discriminate between vegans and omnivores. Specificity of δ13C was also > 90%, while sensitivity was 93% in serum and 77% in urine. CONCLUSION δ15N both in serum and urine was able to accurately identify vegans and thus appears to be a promising marker for dietary habits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutta Dierkes
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Nutrition, Mohn Nutrition Research Laboratory, University of Bergen, Haukelandsbakken 15, 5021 Bergen, Norway ,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Stefan Dietrich
- Department of Food Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Abraham
- Department of Food Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernhard H. Monien
- Department of Food Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cornelia Weikert
- Department of Food Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 10589 Berlin, Germany
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Unlocking the potential of forensic traces: Analytical approaches to generate investigative leads. Sci Justice 2022; 62:310-326. [PMID: 35598924 DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Forensic investigation involves gathering the information necessary to understand the criminal events as well as linking objects or individuals to an item, location or other individual(s) for investigative purposes. For years techniques such as presumptive chemical tests, DNA profiling or fingermark analysis have been of great value to this process. However, these techniques have their limitations, whether it is a lack of confidence in the results obtained due to cross-reactivity, subjectivity and low sensitivity; or because they are dependent on holding reference samples in a pre-existing database. There is currently a need to devise new ways to gather as much information as possible from a single trace, particularly from biological traces commonly encountered in forensic casework. This review outlines the most recent advancements in the forensic analysis of biological fluids, fingermarks and hair. Special emphasis is placed on analytical methods that can expand the information obtained from the trace beyond what is achieved in the usual practices. Special attention is paid to those methods that accurately determine the nature of the sample, as well as how long it has been at the crime scene, along with individualising information regarding the donor source of the trace.
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Ellegård L, Alstad T, Rütting T, Hammarström Johansson P, Lindqvist HM, Winkvist A. Distinguishing vegan-, vegetarian-, and omnivorous diets by hair isotopic analysis. Clin Nutr 2021; 40:5335. [PMID: 34543888 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lars Ellegård
- Institute of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Clinical Nutrition Unit, Department of Gastroenterology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Torgny Alstad
- Department of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tobias Rütting
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Helen M Lindqvist
- Institute of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Winkvist
- Institute of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden
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O'Connell TC. Comment on Ellegård et al. Clinical Nutrition 2019 "Distinguishing vegan-, vegetarian-, and omnivorous diets by hair isotopic analysis". Clin Nutr 2021; 40:4912-4913. [PMID: 34358836 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2021.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamsin C O'Connell
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, CB2 3DZ, UK.
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Bird MI, Crabtree SA, Haig J, Ulm S, Wurster CM. A global carbon and nitrogen isotope perspective on modern and ancient human diet. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2024642118. [PMID: 33941703 PMCID: PMC8126777 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2024642118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses are widely used to infer diet and mobility in ancient and modern human populations, potentially providing a means to situate humans in global food webs. We collated 13,666 globally distributed analyses of ancient and modern human collagen and keratin samples. We converted all data to a common "Modern Diet Equivalent" reference frame to enable direct comparison among modern human diets, human diets prior to the advent of industrial agriculture, and the natural environment. This approach reveals a broad diet prior to industrialized agriculture and continued in modern subsistence populations, consistent with the human ability to consume opportunistically as extreme omnivores within complex natural food webs and across multiple trophic levels in every terrestrial and many marine ecosystems on the planet. In stark contrast, isotope dietary breadth across modern nonsubsistence populations has compressed by two-thirds as a result of the rise of industrialized agriculture and animal husbandry practices and the globalization of food distribution networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael I Bird
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia;
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
| | - Stefani A Crabtree
- Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501
| | - Jordahna Haig
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
| | - Sean Ulm
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
- College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
| | - Christopher M Wurster
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia
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Lacombe RJS, Bazinet RP. Natural abundance carbon isotope ratio analysis and its application in the study of diet and metabolism. Nutr Rev 2020; 79:869-888. [PMID: 33141222 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to differences in carbon assimilation pathways between plants, there are subtle but distinct variations in the carbon isotope ratios of foods and animal products throughout the food supply. Although it is well understood that the carbon isotope ratio composition of the diet influences that of the consumers' tissues, the application of natural abundance carbon isotope ratio analysis in nutrition has long been underappreciated. Over the past decade, however, several studies have investigated the utility of carbon isotope ratio analysis for evaluation of nutritional biomarker status, primarily focusing on its application as an objective indicator of sugar and animal protein intake. More recently, research investigating the application of natural abundance measurements has been extended to study fatty acid metabolism and has yielded encouraging results. Collectively, data from large-scale observational studies and experimental animal studies highlight the potential for carbon isotope ratio analysis as an additional and effective tool to study diet and metabolism. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of natural abundance carbon isotope ratio analysis, its application to studying nutrition, and an update of the research in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Scott Lacombe
- Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard P Bazinet
- Dell Pediatric Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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Ehleringer JR, Covarrubias Avalos S, Tipple BJ, Valenzuela LO, Cerling TE. Stable isotopes in hair reveal dietary protein sources with links to socioeconomic status and health. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20044-20051. [PMID: 32747534 PMCID: PMC7443935 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914087117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in hair sampled from 65 communities across the central and intermountain regions of the United States and more intensively throughout 29 ZIP codes in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah, revealed a dietary divergence related to socioeconomic status as measured by cost of living, household income, and adjusted gross income. Corn-fed, animal-derived proteins were more common in the diets of lower socioeconomic status populations than were plant-derived proteins, with individual estimates of animal-derived protein diets as high as 75%; United States towns and cities averaged 57%. Similar patterns were seen across the socioeconomic status spectrum in the Salt Lake Valley. It is likely that corn-fed animal proteins were associated with concentrated animal-feeding operations, a common practice for industrial animal production in the United States today. Given recent studies highlighting the negative impacts of animal-derived proteins in our diets, hair carbon isotope ratios could provide an approach for scaling assessments of animal-sourced foods and health risks in communities across the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Ehleringer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112;
- Global Change and Sustainability Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | | | - Brett J Tipple
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
- Global Change and Sustainability Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Luciano O Valenzuela
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva Humana, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, CP 7631 Quequén, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Thure E Cerling
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
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Matos MPV, Jackson GP. Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis of Human Hair: Predicting Behaviors and Biometrics beyond Dietary Factors. Anal Chem 2020; 92:3014-3022. [PMID: 31955563 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b04085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mayara P. V. Matos
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
| | - Glen P. Jackson
- Department of Forensic and Investigative Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
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