About

Martha Belury is the Department Chair and a Professor at The Ohio State University in the Department of Food Science and Technology. Her contact email is belury.1@osu.edu and her office is located at 110 Parker Food Science and Technology Building. The page does not provide specific details about her research focus, background, or key contributions.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Biochemistry
• Endocrinology
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Medicine
• Organic chemistry

Selected publications

• Foods Fortified with Soybean or Palm Oil Show No Effect on Inflammation or Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein in Adults with Overweight or Obesity: a Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial

  Current Developments in Nutrition · 2026-01-07

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background: Popular and social media outlets have recent posts claiming that vegetable and seed oils high in linoleic acid (LA) cause inflammation and oxidative stress. However, substantial evidence in the scientific literature shows LA biomarkers are associated with lower risks for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and systemic inflammation. Objectives: The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of dietary fortification with soybean oil (high in LA) compared with palm oil on markers of systemic inflammation and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) in healthy overweight adult participants. Methods: This double-masked crossover clinical trial consisted of 2 diet periods where adults with overweight or obesity were randomly assigned to receive 3 study foods delivering 30 g oil/d of either soybean or palm oil for 4-wk periods. During a 2-wk wash-out period, participants refrained from consuming study foods. Erythrocyte and plasma fatty acid composition, blood biomarkers of systemic inflammation and oxLDL, desaturase indices, and body weights were measured at each study visit. Results: 6 fatty acid metabolism through δ-6 and δ-5 desaturases. There were no lingering treatment effects during the 2-week washout period between diet periods 1 and 2. Conclusions: Incorporating study foods containing 30 g oil/d of soybean or palm oil had no significant impact on inflammatory markers, suggesting that higher LA intake is not proinflammatory as is stated in popular media outlets. In addition, a two week washout period may be sufficient for dietary oil interventions in crossover study designs.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04975763.

  PublisherDOI

• Sowing Seed Oil Science: Rationale for Dose Testing for Essential Nutrients

  Journal of Nutrition · 2026-02-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Lipidomic Factors Predict Cardiotoxic Injury Following Anthracycline Chemotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer: A Feasibility Study

  Current Developments in Nutrition · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Effects of Walnuts on Postprandial Cognitive Function in Adults With Subjective Cognitive Impairment: Protocol for a Randomized Crossover Trial (Preprint)

  2025-08-08

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), the earliest sign of cognitive decline, affects 1 in 9 Americans aged older than 45 years. It negatively affects quality of life and is a risk factor for dementia. Healthy eating is a primary preventative strategy to impede cognitive decline. In the short term, cognitive function may be impacted by the consumption of a single meal, suggesting that the meal components, and not solely the metabolic dysregulation resulting from the condition of obesity, can impact cognition. The effect of meals on postprandial cognitive function is influenced by their macronutrient composition. A meal with a low-quality fat composition can acutely impair postprandial cognitive function. Walnuts are a source of high-quality fat as well as polyphenols. Some randomized control trials have shown that walnuts may benefit cognitive function. However, it is not clear whether a single meal high in walnuts can improve cognition in adults with SCI. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> The primary objective of the Essential Fats for Enhancing Cognitive Thinking study is to determine the impact of walnuts on postprandial cognitive function in adults with SCI. Secondary objectives include assessing the impact of daily walnut consumption for 1 week on cognitive function and erythrocyte fatty acids. Exploratory objectives include understanding the effect of walnut consumption on microbiota and intestinal inflammation. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> In this 7-week single-blind randomized crossover design study, 78 adults with SCI consumed 1 study snack per day, consisting of walnuts or a chocolate-style snack for 1 week, with a 4-week washout period between. Before consuming each study snack, participants underwent a meal challenge that included this study’s snack. Before randomization, participants completed a 1-week run-in period to become acclimated to consuming 1 study snack per day. A registered dietitian nutritionist counseled participants on incorporating this study’s snack into their diet while maintaining their body weight. Participants were blinded to which snack was the treatment and which was the control. Dietary intake and physical activity were measured with 24-hour recalls. Cognitive function was measured using the National Institutes of Health Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function Cognitive Battery, both pre- and postprandially, as well as after 1 week of study snack consumption. Stool samples were collected weekly, except during the washout period, to measure microbiota α-diversity, β-diversity, and butyrate. Additionally, fasting blood samples, weight, and waist circumference were obtained at each study visit. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> Recruitment began in February of 2024 and was completed by May 31, 2025. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Improving cognition through the consumption of walnuts may ultimately prove to be an effective way to mitigate SCI. </sec> <sec> <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06223672; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06223672 </sec> <sec> <title>INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT</title> DERR1-10.2196/82032 </sec>

  PublisherDOI

• “I’m Ready This Time”: Investigating physiological and emotional habituation to repetitive social stress

  Annals of Behavioral Medicine · 2025-01-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Repetitive stress is at the nexus of acute and chronic stress, and there is limited knowledge about how physiological and emotional responses change with repeated exposure. PURPOSE: We examined stress-related biomarkers and emotional responses to repeated social stressors, and we tested behavioral moderators. METHODS: In Study 1, 42 adults completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) twice, 4 months apart. Serum inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]), blood pressure, pulse, salivary cortisol, and state-level anxiety were measured surrounding the stressor. In Study 2, 84 married individuals completed two 20-minute discussions of contentious topics in the marriage, 1 month apart. Serum IL-6, TNF-α, blood pressure, pulse, salivary cortisol, and state affect were collected surrounding the conflict. Trained experimenters rated positive and negative behavior during the conflict. RESULTS: In the repetitive Trier paradigm, participants reported less anxiety (Ps = .048) and had higher anticipatory IL-6 responses (P = .014) at Visit 2, compared to Visit 1. In the repetitive marital conflict paradigm, participants had lower positive affect (P = .0004), as well as systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P = .009), diastolic blood pressure (P = .0003), and pulse (P = .027) habituation at the second visit. Objectively rated negative conflict behavior interacted with visit to predict TNF-α (P = .025) and SBP (P = .037) responses. Positive conflict behavior did not moderate outcomes (Ps > .06). CONCLUSIONS: Stress-sensitive systems can habituate or sensitize to even nontraumatic, repetitive social stressors. Patterns of habituation or sensitization may vary by time between repetition, type of social stressor, stress-sensitive system, and participant behavior.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Effects of Linoleic Acid-Rich Safflower Oil on Muscle Function, Strength and Mass in Adults With Sarcopenia: Study Protocol for a Randomized Control Trial

  Current Developments in Nutrition · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Objectives: Monitoring dietary intakes is critical for assessing population diet-related health and nutritional status, providing essential data to inform public health nutrition interventions.A significant challenge in this process is the accurate estimation of food portion sizes, which often leads to gaps in dietary assessments.This study addresses this issue by evaluating the potential of integrating computer vision technology into dietary assessments to enhance accuracy of portion estimates, and ease of use for the general population.One of the research aims is: How accurately can food volumes be estimated from images by trained humans and machine learning/digital tools?This study focuses on portion size estimation for foods and beverages commonly consumed in Central Asia.Methods: The experimental design involved 30 commonly consumed food items and 10 beverages from Central Asia.Participants were divided into three groups: 1. Trained individuals using visual references (e.g., portion size photographs or utensil sizes), 2. Untrained individuals without visual aids, and 3. Users of a digital tool Each participant was randomly assigned digital photographs of food and beverages and asked to estimate the portion sizes of meals.These estimations were recorded and compared with the actual weighed portions.Participants also indicated their confidence levels and note any difficulties encountered.Results: The Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for small and average portions revealed significant discrepancies between actual and estimated values, with the most significant discrepancies observed for smaller portions, underscoring the need to refine estimation methods, particularly for smaller portions.Correlation coefficients will further assess the accuracy of human raters and digital tool estimations.Conclusions: This study aims to provide valuable insights into effective dietary assessment tools and methods, contributing to public health nutrition advancements in Central Asia.Incorporating digital tools into national dietary surveys could enhance the accuracy of food consumption data, enabling the development of targeted nutrition interventions tailored to the region.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Feasibility Study of Soybean Oil-Fortified Foods to Alter Blood Content of Linoleic Acid and Body Weight: A Randomized Double-Masked Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial

  Journal of Nutrition · 2025-12-27

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Linoleic acid biomarkers are associated with positive health outcomes including lower risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The effect of consuming linoleate-fortified foods (compared with palm oil-fortified foods) in a randomized controlled, double-masked crossover study to change linoleic acid biomarkers without changing bodyweight is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of delivering soybean and palm oils through foods on the linoleic acid content of blood fractions and body weight in adults. METHODS: , were randomly assigned to consume: 30 g of soybean and palm oil delivered in 3 study foods/d for 4 wk separated by a 2-wk washout period. Bodyweight, fatty acid profile of plasma, erythrocytes, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and dried blood spots, and PBMC cardiolipin were measured before and after each intervention period. Dietary intake was assessed using 24-h recalls. The outcomes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. RESULTS: After 4 wk of consuming 3 foods/d, plasma linoleic acid decreased during the palm oil intervention (-1.60, P = 0.04), whereas it tended to increase in plasma (2.35, P = 0.07) and erythrocytes (1.09, P = 0.05) during the soybean oil intervention. The percentage of PBMC tetralinoleoyl cardiolipin marginally increased during the soybean oil intervention (2.31, P = 0.05) but did not change during the palm oil intervention. There was no difference in energy intake between the 2 interventions (P = 0.65) and no change in bodyweight during either intervention (P > 0.40). CONCLUSIONS: Foods can be used to deliver 30 g/d of dietary oil for 4 wk to impact linoleic acid biomarkers without incurring body weight changes. These foods are useful for future randomized controlled double-masked clinical trials assessing the impact of dietary oils on energy metabolism. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04975763 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04975763).

  PublisherDOI

• The Relationship Between Blood Lipidomics and Cardiotoxic Injury Following Acute Exposure to Anthracycline Chemotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer: A Feasibility Study

  Current Developments in Nutrition · 2025-09-04

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background: Anthracycline chemotherapy (AC) leads to cardiotoxicity in many patients with breast cancer by inducing inner mitochondrial damage and disrupting the electron transport chain. It is unclear why some, but not all, women who undergo AC develop chronic cardiac dysfunction. Objectives: The aim of this prospective feasibility study was to determine accrual rate and estimate the effect size of 1 cycle of AC on myocardial injury and blood lipidome changes in women with breast cancer. Methods: Fourteen women with breast cancer planning to undergo AC enrolled and underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and blood sampling across 2 visits, before and after any 1 cycle of AC in the treatment regimen. Fatty acid composition of red blood cells (RBCs) and cardiolipin (CL) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured. Exploratory analyses were conducted. Results: CL correlated positively with myocardial fibrosis, and OA content in RBCs correlated positively with myocardial edema. Conclusions: CL against AC.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03961685.

  PublisherDOI

• Using Linoleic Acid to Target Insulin Resistance and Prevent Muscle Atrophy in a Mouse Model of Cancer Cachexia

  Current Developments in Nutrition · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen access

  Objectives: Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, often treated with intensive chemotherapy and antibiotic protocols that disrupt gut microbiota diversity and function.These disruptions can persist for years after treatment, leading to long-term health complications, including reduced microbial diversity, metabolic imbalances, and decreased physical fitness.This study investigated the impact of physical exercise and probiotic supplementation on gut microbiota, physical fitness, and overall health in pediatric patients with ALL in remission.Methods: This crossover study included 22 pediatric patients with ALL in remission (3-5 years post-treatment).Thirteen participants began as the experimental group and nine as the control group.The intervention consisted of an 8-week strength training program (3 sessions/week), followed by an 8-week intervention with daily consumption of probiotic dairy product containing Lactobacillus casei CNCMI-1518.Physical fitness and anthropometric measures were assessed alongside gut microbiota analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing.Results: Logistic regression analysis identified several variables significantly associated with probiotic intervention outcomes, identifying key predictors of gut microbiota improvements.The probiotic intervention increased gut microbiota diversity (Chao1 index, p0.065) and beneficial taxa, including butyrate producers Blautia caecimuris (p0.007) and Blautia schinkii (p0.024), as well as Lacticaseibacillus casei (p0.011) and Veillonellaceae (p0.054).Physical exercise showed a modest effect on the shift in gut microbiome; however, weight (p0.008) and BMI percentile (p0.023)improved in the experimental group, while no significant changes were observed in handgrip strength or jump performance.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that probiotic supplementation significantly improved gut microbiota diversity and increased beneficial taxa.Physical exercise did not influence gut microbiota composition but led to significant improvements in weight and BMI percentile in pediatric patients with ALL.These findings suggest that probiotics can effectively restore gut health, while exercise supports anthropometric recovery in this population.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effects of Walnuts on Postprandial Cognitive Function in Adults With Subjective Cognitive Impairment: Protocol for a Randomized Crossover Trial

  JMIR Research Protocols · 2025-10-17

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), the earliest sign of cognitive decline, affects 1 in 9 Americans aged older than 45 years. It negatively affects quality of life and is a risk factor for dementia. Healthy eating is a primary preventative strategy to impede cognitive decline. In the short term, cognitive function may be impacted by the consumption of a single meal, suggesting that the meal components, and not solely the metabolic dysregulation resulting from the condition of obesity, can impact cognition. The effect of meals on postprandial cognitive function is influenced by their macronutrient composition. A meal with a low-quality fat composition can acutely impair postprandial cognitive function. Walnuts are a source of high-quality fat as well as polyphenols. Some randomized control trials have shown that walnuts may benefit cognitive function. However, it is not clear whether a single meal high in walnuts can improve cognition in adults with SCI. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the Essential Fats for Enhancing Cognitive Thinking study is to determine the impact of walnuts on postprandial cognitive function in adults with SCI. Secondary objectives include assessing the impact of daily walnut consumption for 1 week on cognitive function and erythrocyte fatty acids. Exploratory objectives include understanding the effect of walnut consumption on microbiota and intestinal inflammation. METHODS: In this 7-week single-blind randomized crossover design study, 78 adults with SCI consumed 1 study snack per day, consisting of walnuts or a chocolate-style snack for 1 week, with a 4-week washout period between. Before consuming each study snack, participants underwent a meal challenge that included this study's snack. Before randomization, participants completed a 1-week run-in period to become acclimated to consuming 1 study snack per day. A registered dietitian nutritionist counseled participants on incorporating this study's snack into their diet while maintaining their body weight. Participants were blinded to which snack was the treatment and which was the control. Dietary intake and physical activity were measured with 24-hour recalls. Cognitive function was measured using the National Institutes of Health Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function Cognitive Battery, both pre- and postprandially, as well as after 1 week of study snack consumption. Stool samples were collected weekly, except during the washout period, to measure microbiota α-diversity, β-diversity, and butyrate. Additionally, fasting blood samples, weight, and waist circumference were obtained at each study visit. RESULTS: Recruitment began in February of 2024 and was completed by May 31, 2025. CONCLUSIONS: Improving cognition through the consumption of walnuts may ultimately prove to be an effective way to mitigate SCI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06223672; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06223672. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/82032.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant M01RR000034

  NIH · $2.7M · 2008

• NIH Grant R21AT003520

  NIH · $645k · 2012

• NIH Grant R21CA185140

  NIH · $462k · 2017

• NIH Grant R03CA162551

  NIH · $147k · 2015

Frequent coauthors

• Tonya Orchard

  72 shared

• Rachel M. Cole

  72 shared

• Theodore M. Brasky

  The Ohio State University

  65 shared

• Rebecca J. Rodabough

  64 shared

• JoAnn E. Manson

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  64 shared

• Lauren A. Wise

  Boston University

  64 shared

• Marian L. Neuhouser

  Fred Hutch Cancer Center

  64 shared

• Jingmin Liu

  Tsinghua University

  64 shared

Labs

• Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State UniversityPI

Education

• Ph.D., Food Science and Technology

  The Ohio State University

  1990

• M.S., Food Science and Technology

  The Ohio State University

  1986

• B.S., Food Science and Technology

  The Ohio State University

  1983

Awards & honors

• President of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) (2022-…
• Ralph T. Holman Lifetime Achievement Award, American Oil Che…
• Robert H. Herman Memorial Award for Outstanding Research, Am…
• Most Cited Paper in 70-year history of Nutrition Reviews jou…
• Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of…