Allie Cailliau: Nutritional values
2016-10-27
Today, Americans are becoming more and more aware of the role good nutrition plays in good health. NASA intern Allison Cailliau, a recent Penn State graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nutritional science, definitely knows this to be true. As she said, “[Nutrition is] one of the most important aspects of any person’s life.”
As NASA continues preparing for the journey to Mars and with astronauts currently living aboard the International Space Station, nutrition is a key issue to consider in human spaceflight. Particularly when living in microgravity for an extended period of time, astronauts must have proper nutrition to live and work at their best, and research is required to ensure crews are receiving optimal nourishment.
Cailliau’s journey to NASA began at Penn State, when she learned of NASA’s Nutritional Biochemistry Lab from guest lecturer Dr. Scott M. Smith. She realized that some of her coursework was applicable to research being conducted within the lab, so she reached out to look for possible summer positions. Cailliau landed a summer 2016 internship at Johnson Space Center in Houston as a result. Her intern project, analyzing the dietary inflammatory index, was part of the overall research at Johnson into the nourishment required for astronauts on long-duration missions.
A dietary inflammatory index helps assess the relationship of food choices with inflammation, or inflammatory response, in humans. While inflammation is part of the body’s effort to maintain health, excessive inflammatory responses have been linked to disease states. By analyzing ground-based spaceflight models—specifically, data from bed-rest studies—and spaceflight dietary-intake data, Cailliau looked at the dietary inflammatory index. Once analyzed, the inflammatory index will be compared to biochemical indices of inflammation measured in blood and urine samples. This information will help to determine whether the inflammatory index is a useful tool for spaceflight, as it is terrestrially, and help guide future food and nutrition planning for exploration missions.
Cailliau, however, recognizes that the role of nutrition in health doesn’t only consist of what a person eats but, in fact, encompasses much more. She says physical fitness and other lifestyle choices influence and intertwine with the study of nutrition. All of these factors continue to be measured throughout NASA missions, ensuring astronauts not only have all the nutrients they need, but also remain physically active by exercising daily.
Smith, who became Cailliau’s mentor at Johnson, said, “Allison’s work here will be an important first step in assessing the role of diet in inflammatory responses during spaceflight. While this research is important for NASA, it also provided a unique opportunity for Allison.”
Having completed her internship, Cailliau is studying at George Washington University, where she intends to obtain a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in nutrition.
Read more student stories at JSC’s new internship website.
Submit your summer 2017 intern needs now! You can currently put in an opportunity to advance your project. Click here for more information.
Leah Cheshier
NASA Johnson Space Center Internship Program
As NASA continues preparing for the journey to Mars and with astronauts currently living aboard the International Space Station, nutrition is a key issue to consider in human spaceflight. Particularly when living in microgravity for an extended period of time, astronauts must have proper nutrition to live and work at their best, and research is required to ensure crews are receiving optimal nourishment.
Cailliau’s journey to NASA began at Penn State, when she learned of NASA’s Nutritional Biochemistry Lab from guest lecturer Dr. Scott M. Smith. She realized that some of her coursework was applicable to research being conducted within the lab, so she reached out to look for possible summer positions. Cailliau landed a summer 2016 internship at Johnson Space Center in Houston as a result. Her intern project, analyzing the dietary inflammatory index, was part of the overall research at Johnson into the nourishment required for astronauts on long-duration missions.
A dietary inflammatory index helps assess the relationship of food choices with inflammation, or inflammatory response, in humans. While inflammation is part of the body’s effort to maintain health, excessive inflammatory responses have been linked to disease states. By analyzing ground-based spaceflight models—specifically, data from bed-rest studies—and spaceflight dietary-intake data, Cailliau looked at the dietary inflammatory index. Once analyzed, the inflammatory index will be compared to biochemical indices of inflammation measured in blood and urine samples. This information will help to determine whether the inflammatory index is a useful tool for spaceflight, as it is terrestrially, and help guide future food and nutrition planning for exploration missions.
Cailliau, however, recognizes that the role of nutrition in health doesn’t only consist of what a person eats but, in fact, encompasses much more. She says physical fitness and other lifestyle choices influence and intertwine with the study of nutrition. All of these factors continue to be measured throughout NASA missions, ensuring astronauts not only have all the nutrients they need, but also remain physically active by exercising daily.
Smith, who became Cailliau’s mentor at Johnson, said, “Allison’s work here will be an important first step in assessing the role of diet in inflammatory responses during spaceflight. While this research is important for NASA, it also provided a unique opportunity for Allison.”
Having completed her internship, Cailliau is studying at George Washington University, where she intends to obtain a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in nutrition.
Read more student stories at JSC’s new internship website.
Submit your summer 2017 intern needs now! You can currently put in an opportunity to advance your project. Click here for more information.
Leah Cheshier
NASA Johnson Space Center Internship Program
Allie Cailliau spent this summer as an intern in NASA’s Nutritional Biochemistry Lab, analyzing the dietary inflammatory index. Image Credit: NASA