NFS 4601
Fall 2021
Review of the Literature Paper
Due Date: 11/21 at 11:59PM
Paper must be turned in using the Turnitin function in Canvas
Instructions
Select a topic to investigate from the list of topics provided below and conduct a review of the literature. You may also select a research topic that is not listed below but you will need to email me to receive approval prior to starting your paper. This review of the literature should be 4 – 7 pages (not including the cover page and bibliography) and should evaluate the efficacy and scientific quality of the research studies that have been done on your research topic/question. Your paper should include a minimum of 4 peer-reviewed scientific articles. You are allowed to use review articles but your “Efficacy/Main Body” section should only include original research articles (randomized controlled trials) as you are discussing the best randomized controlled trials that have assessed the relationship between your chosen dietary intervention/supplement and the health/performance outcome.
Research Topics List
Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease risk
Fish oil and cardiovascular disease risk
Prebiotics or probiotics and GI health
DASH Diet and cardiovascular disease risk
Mediterranean Diet and cardiovascular disease risk
Vegetarian or vegan diet and cardiovascular disease risk
Food insecurity and cardiovascular disease risk
Vitamin D and immunity
Vitamin D and osteoporosis
Ketogenic diet versus traditional diets for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
Low-carbohydrate diets versus traditional diets for Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
Ketogenic diet versus traditional diets for weight loss
Low-carbohydrate diet versus traditional diets for weight loss
Intermittent fasting versus traditional diets for weight loss
Intermittent fasting versus traditional diets for glycemic control
Intermittent fasting versus traditional diets for blood pressure
Dietary nitrate (beetroot juice) and endurance exercise performance
Beta-alanine and endurance exercise performance
Caffeine and endurance exercise performance
Branched-chain amino acids and exercise performance (either resistance or endurance exercise)
Whey protein and muscular hypertrophy
Mediterranean/DASH/Alkaline/Vegan Diet in cancer patients or cancer survivors
TPN versus tube feed for acute pancreatitis
Fluid and sodium restrictions in heart failure patients
Dietary fiber intake and risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes
***Please note these are fairly broad topics. Pick a topic and then be a little more specific when you state your purpose and present your research question. Remember the PICO principle for creating a good research question.
Let’s say you are interested in “Ketogenic diet versus traditional diet for Type 2 Diabetes”. Your research question would be something like this:
“Is a short-term ketogenic diet superior for lowering blood glucose compared to a traditional low-fat diet in patients with type 2 diabetes?”
Patient population Type 2 diabetes
Intervention ketogenic diet
Comparison group traditional low-fat diet
Outcome of interest blood glucose
Here is a good way to structure your review of literature paper:
Introduction (1 – 1 ½ pages)
What is the dietary intervention, macronutrient, or supplement you are investigating? Provide a little background on it. (e.g. fish oil, ketogenic diet)
What is the condition you are trying to improve? e.g. CVD, cancer, diabetes
How does it work? What is the mechanism of action for the proposed improved health outcomes or improved performance? (e.g. How does fish oil improve CVD risk? OR How does dietary nitrate improve exercise performance?)
Rationale for writing paper and gap in the literature your review will address
The final sentence of your introduction is typically your review purpose where you state your research question that you hope the review will answer (e.g. The purpose of this scientific review is to investigate whether whey protein supplementation during resistance training increases muscular strength and size in young health males OR The purpose of this scientific review is to investigate whether a ketogenic diet yields superior improvements in blood glucose levels compared to traditional diets in patients with Type 2 Diabetes).
Dietary intervention/Supplement Efficacy (2 – 4 pages)
Present the findings of the studies (minimum of 4 required) that have investigated your research question (randomized controlled trials preferred)
You can provide a short summary of each study (What they did, how they did it, and what they found)
Limitations and Future Research (½ – 1 page)
In the studies included in the dietary intervention/supplement efficacy section, were there any major limitations? Industry funding? Gender bias? Only done in males? Poor methodology including weak assessment methods or lack of blinding? Small sample sizes? Short duration studies?
Based on these limitations, what future research needs to be done in the future to make the scientific evidence stronger for this research topic and for clinical practice
Clinical Application (½ page)
How do the findings in your review of literature apply to clinical practice? Would you be comfortable recommending this to a patient or not? Is more research needed?
Conclusion (½ page)
A brief summary of the main findings of your review of the literature
Formatting Requirements
4 – 7 pages (not including cover page and bibliography [reference list])
Arial, 12 point font
Double-spaced
1-inch margins all sides
The cover page should include (a) the title of your paper; (b) course and section numbers; (c) semester and year, and (d) date of submission.
You can reference citations within the body of the text using either authors or numbers (meaning you decide what reference style to use from the list below)
Include a reference list at the end of your paper using either APA, MLA, Vancouver (numbered), Journal of Nutrition, Circulation, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
You can use any of these referencing style just be consistent. For example if you use author names in-text you better use APA in the reference list. If you use numbering in-text you should be using Vancouver or another referencing style that uses numbers for your reference list.