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Sherry Tanumihardjo, Ph.D.Sherry A. Tanumihardjo

Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences
B.S. 1983, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
M.S. 1987, Iowa State University
Ph.D. 1993, Iowa State University

Emphasis Group(s):
Human Nutrition; Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition

Research Interests:
Vitamin A status assessment and provitamin A carotenoids as sources of vitamin A.  Vegetables and fruit intake to enhance health.

Research Summary: 
The Vitamin A Assessment Laboratory is a progressive research and outreach team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.  The laboratories have two main research foci.  These include vitamin A assessment methodology and carotenoid bioavailability.  Often the two overlap when investigating provitamin A carotenoids.  The research group works with a number of animal models (i.e., gerbils, rats, pigs and monkeys) to answer various questions on issues related to vitamin A toxicity and deficiency.  Moreover, the team does not stop there, but they take the research outcomes and apply them to the human model.  In that regard, the team has conducted studies in humans in the United States, Indonesia, South Africa, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.  The lab strongly advocates the promotion of vegetables and fruits to enhance overall health and general well-being.  Current research efforts in this regard are the interaction of anthocyanins in cranberries and purple carrots with carotenoid uptake and clearance.  The team has developed educational materials to enhance the intake of locally grown produce in the state of Wisconsin with special emphasis on cranberries.  Some of these materials have been disseminated to other states.

Representative Publications:

Tanumihardjo SA, Valentine AR, Zhang Z, Whigham LD, Lai HJ, Atkinson RL. Strategies to increase vegetable or reduce energy and fat intake induce weight loss in adults. Exp Biol Med. 2009; 234:542-52.

Mills JP, Tumuhimbise G, Jamil KM, Thakkar S, Failla ML, Tanumihardjo SA. Sweet potato b-carotene bioefficacy is enhanced by dietary fat and not reduced by soluble fiber intake in Mongolian gerbils. J Nutr. 2009;139:44-50.

Howe JA, Valentine AR, Hull AK, Tanumihardjo SA. 13C natural abundance in serum retinol acts as a biomarker for increases in dietary provitamin A. Exp Biol Med. 2009;234:140-7.

Montagnac JA, Davis CR, Tanumihardjo SA. Processing techniques to reduce toxicity and antinutrients of cassava for use as a staple food. Comp Rev Food Sci Food Safety. 2009;8:17-27.

Howe JA, Maziya-Dixon B, Tanumihardjo SA. Cassava with enhanced b-carotene maintains adequate vitamin A status in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) despite substantial cis-isomer content. Br J Nutr 2009;Jan 13:1-8. [Epub ahead of print].

Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Willett W, Zasloff M, Hathcock JN, White JH, Tanumihardjo SA, Larson-Meyer DE, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Lamberg-Allardt CJ, Lappe JM, Norman AW, Zittermann A, Whiting SJ, Grant WB, Hollis BW, Giovannucci E. Cod liver oil, vitamin A toxicity, frequent respiratory infections, and the vitamin D deficiency epidemic. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2008;117:864-870.

Mills JP, Simon PW, Tanumihardjo SA. Biofortified carrot intake enhances liver antioxidant capacity and vitamin A status in Mongolian gerbils. J Nutr. 2008;138:1692-8.

Mills JP, Furr HC, Tanumihardjo SA. Retinol to retinol-binding protein (RBP) is low in obese adults due to elevated apo-RBP. Exp Biol Med. 2008;233:1255-61.

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