Marie Latulippe, MS, MBA, RDN

By bringing together scientists from industry, academia, and government, the IAFNS model ensures that nutrition science questions of importance to all sectors are addressed. For example, academic scientists exchange with industry to learn about practical implementation of findings, and government scientists point to the data required to ensure sound policy. Together, these individuals identify research gaps that, when addressed, have the potential to affect the health of the public from bench to consumer product.

Discoveries related to gut microbiota have exploded over the past 10 years. Although the field holds great promise for understanding more about human physiology, this excitement must be tempered by the fact that there do not yet exist best practices for gut microbiome research and methodologies vary from lab to lab. We are at the stage of detecting changes without being able to definitively state the cause or consequence, and in turn, the degree to which any findings can be linked to a measurable health effect.

Two facts are indisputable: intake of added sugars is excessive, and humans have an innate liking for sweet. For some individuals, cutting back on sugars will suffice; for others, such as people with diabetes, careful attention to intake of sugars is imperative. Low-calorie sweeteners are the only tool currently available that provide a sweet taste without added sugars. As a result, it is important to continue to build scientific clarity around the health effects of low-calorie sweetener intake with a critical eye to the quality of the science conducted.

The field of sodium and health is extremely polarizing. It is important to identify solutions through cross-stakeholder dialogue. This means bringing together public health experts, food industry scientists, and government representatives, all who have an interest in optimizing sodium intake of the public. IAFNS provides a neutral space for perspective-sharing around the latest scientific developments related to sodium intake and health.