Manabu T. Nakamura

Most people are familiar with the message that reducing intake of saturated and trans fat can improve health. However, there are some types of fats, called essential fatty acids that must be consumed in the diet. Essential fatty acids and their metabolic products exert a variety of physiologic functions in our body, including controlling blood pressure, blood clotting, inflammation and regulation of energy metabolism. Dr. Nakamura’s laboratory investigates molecular mechanisms by which our body maintains the supply of the essential fatty acids. His laboratory has also created a gene knockout mouse to investigate functions of the essential fatty acids.

The increasing incidence of obesity worldwide is a significant public health concern, which brings an opportunity and responsibility to the nutrition research community. To address this challenge, his laboratory has been investigating how our body can adapt to diets with varying composition of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Understanding biochemical and molecular mechanism of metabolic adaptation will provide a basis for dietary prevention of obesity.

In addition to this basic research, his laboratory has been working on a nutrition education website Essentials for Eaters and Dieters for prevention and treatment of obesity.

Dr. Nakamura’s Laboratory Website

Selected Publications
Koo H.Y., Wallig M.A., Chung B.H. Nara T.Y., Cho B.H.S. and Nakamura M.T. Dietary fructose induces a wide range of genes with distinct shift in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in fed and fasted rat liver. Biochem Biophys Acta

Campbell J.K., Straud C.K., Nakamura M.T. Lila M. and Erdman J.W. Jr. Serum Testosterone is reduced following short-term phytofluene, lycopene, or tomato powder consumption in F344 rats. J. Nutr. 136: 2813-9, 2006.

Adamson A.W., Suchankova G., Rufo c., Nakamura M.T. Teran-Garcia M., Clarke S.D. and Gettys T.W. Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha contributes to carbohydrate-induced transcriptional activation of hepatic fatty acid synthase.Biochem. J. 399:285-95, 2006.

Baum J.I., Layman D.K., Freund G.G., Rahan K.A. Nakamura M.T. and Ydell B.E. A reduced carbohydrate increased protein diet stabilizes glycemic control and minimizes adipose tissue glucose disposal in rats. J.Nutr. 136: 1955-61, 2006.

Courses recently taught:

FSHN 420 - Nutritional Aspects of Disease

FSHN 396 - Undergraduate (Honors) Research

FSHN 511 - Regulation of Metabolism

FSHN 510 - Essential Fatty Acids,Biochemistry of Dietary Effects on Cardiovascular Health

Dr. Nakamura loves teaching because he can contribute to personal growth of students through teaching. He teaches FSHN 420 and FSHN 511 every year as a lead instructor. The recent progress in genetics and molecular biology has brought us many exciting discoveries in nutrition. Dr. Nakamura strives to maintain the quality of teaching by incorporating the latest findings into these courses. He also provides undergraduate students with opportunities to obtain research experience through FSHN 295/396.

Lists of Teachers Ranked as Excellent for FSHN 511 Regulation of Macronutrient Metabolism, 2003, 2007

American Society for Nutrition, E.L.R. Stokstad Award for outstanding fundamental research in nutrition, 2008

Dr. Nakamura received his DVM degree from the University of Tokyo, Japan. Practice in veterinary medicine for several years made him recognize the importance of nutrition in disease prevention, and he started his graduate study in nutrition at the University of California, Davis. After completing his PhD work, he continued his extensive research training in molecular nutrition at University of California at Davis, State University of New York at Stony Brook and University of Texas at Austin. He joined the University of Illinois in 2000.

He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2006. He is currently serving as a chair of American Society for Nutrition, Nutrient-Gene Interaction Section, and also on the editorial board of Nutrition Research.