EPIDEMIOLOGICAL Studies
Compares disease rates among population groups and attempts to identify related conditions/behaviors (ex. Diet and exercise)
Examples:
- observation of scurry in sailors’
- observation of low rate of breast cancer in Japanese
Shows correlation (relationships between diet and disease) but not causation (the actual reason for the observation)
ANIMAL STUDIES (Filter to animal)
- Used as a starting point to help explain a hypotheses
- Used because human studies are difficult to conduct and expensive
- Must be followed-up with cell or human studies to verify findings because animals are differently physically and mental than humans
CELL CULTURE STUDIES (Search “Cell culture” or “cell culture techniques”)
- Specific human body cells are isolated and grown in a laboratory
- Study the effects of nutrients on cell processes
- Nutrigenomics
- The science of how genes, diet and disease interact to create health problems
- Certain genes determine susceptibility to disease
- Certain foods turn disease susceptibility genes on or off
- Knowing family genetic tendencies helps determine best diet for the individual
- Part of biochemical individuality