Project 3: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Increasing Phytonutrients in New Mexican Diets: A Kitchen-to-Lab-to-Table Model

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ABSTRACT It is well established that phytonutrient-rich foods are cancer preventive and that diets high in phytochemicals such as carotenoids, tocopherols, and chlorophylls are associated with decreased cancer risk and recurrence. Historically, traditional dietary patterns across multiple cultures have been plant-based and phytonutrient-rich. As dietary patterns have westernized, they have become less plant-based and thus less phytonutrient-rich. In parallel, communities that previously consumed plant-based diets have experienced increased risks of cancer and cardiometabolic disorders. The Hispanic/Latinx community in southern New Mexico has been particularly impacted by cancer health disparities making it imperative to develop effective and sustainable strategies to improve diet quality. This Full Project builds upon an ongoing collaboration between investigators at New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch) to develop and implement a “kitchen-to-lab-to-table” research model. Here, we extend our research by partnering with the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service. We will create new content focused on prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases by increasing fruits and vegetables, improving diet quality, and improving portion control using culturally congruent materials. We will create a Community Action Board comprised of community members served by NMSU Cooperative Extension in southern New Mexico. Specific Aims are: Aim 1: To optimize carotenoid, tocopherol and chlorophyll content and bioavailability by changing cooking methods and ingredients in 15 culturally congruent southern New Mexican recipes. Aim 2: To develop and test the effects of a culturally adapted 6-session curricula delivered through the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service in two Southern New Mexico counties using a randomized, waitlist-controlled, crossover trial design (n=60). The research will build upon our “kitchen-to-lab-to-table” research model of working with communities with low incomes and limited resources with high cancer health disparities to identify culturally appropriate methods to improve diet intake and quality. Study results will be used to continue to develop evidence-based methods to inform culinary practices to disseminate to communities, and to design community-based dietary interventions to improve the health of vulnerable communities. The research will establish a new “kitchen-to-lab-to-table” model to collaborate with Hispanic/Latinx communities in southern New Mexico with high cancer health disparities and to identify culturally appropriate methods to improve diet quality. Study results will be used to continue to develop evidence-based methods to inform culinary practices to disseminate to communities, and to design community-based dietary interventions to improve the health of vulnerable communities.