Development of a disease risk assessment method with dietary habit information by isotope analysis of nails and hair: a nutritional-epidemiological approach.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24296
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0909:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kinjo Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: SHIRAI Yoshiro 金城学院大学, 生活環境学部, 助教 (40844410)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 食習慣推定 / 食事調査 / 安定同位体 / 爪 / 頭髪 / 栄養疫学 / 観察研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to provide a basis for research to develop a simple, non-invasive, and objective method of estimating dietary habits and simultaneously screening for non-communicable diseases using the stable isotopic composition of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in fingernails and head hair.
Cross-sectional and longitudinal sampling and dietary surveys were conducted on healthy young subjects. Samples were collected from inpatients at the collaborator's institution for disease risk assessment.
Dietary data from four seasons showed seasonal variations in the intake of sugar and confectionery, seafood, and meat, which are expected to be related to the stable isotope composition of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Analysis of samples of fingernails suggested that intra-individual inter-finger variation was much smaller than inter-individual variation.

Free Research Field

栄養疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は爪と頭髪による食習慣推定の手法開発の研究基盤となる調査を実施して、爪・髪の安定同位体組成が疫学的指標となる可能性を見出した。非侵襲的な生体指標による客観的な食習慣調査であれば幼児、学童、高齢者に対しても簡便に実施可能であり、それらのライフステージにおける栄養疫学的エビデンスの創出に貢献できる。そして将来的には定期健康診断に導入することで客観的な食事情報に基づく保健・栄養指導が可能となり、広く国民の健康の維持増進に役立つことが期待できる。