Kathy Beerman, PhD

Dr. Kathy Beerman teaches in the School of Biological Sciences at Washington State University. The author of several published articles, she is interested in research that focuses on the efficacy of a novel approach to treating iron deficiency anemia in rural regions of Guatemala and Ecuador. Dr. Beerman teaches an undergraduate nutrition course for health majors, as well as a course that prepares students to participate in a 10-day medical mission to Guatemala. Since joining the faculty at Washington State University in 1990, she has been the recipient of several teaching awards (the Burlington Northern Faculty Meritorious Achievement in Teaching Award, the R.M. Wade Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Instruction). More recently, she received the CAS Outstanding Achievement Award in International Activities (2017) and the President’s Award for Leadership (2018). Other scholarly activities include co-author of two introductory nutrition textbooks (Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food and NUTR).

Do plant-based ultra-processed foods improve the nutritional quality of vegetarian diets?

Vegetarian diets are often characterized as having beneficial health effects due to their higher nutritional quality. However, not all vegetarian

Plant protein vs. animal protein: Which has the greatest impact bone health?

Studies suggest that increased intakes of plant-based foods and decreased consumption of animal-based foods may reduce the risk of chronic

Vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity: Is there a link?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Co-V-2) has caused a global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Infected persons display

Is there a link between temporal dietary patterns and obesity?

Traditional investigation of the diet-health relation tends to focus on singular behaviors such as breakfast skipping or aspects of dietary

Vitamin D Status and Depression: Is there a link?

Low vitamin D status has been associated with depression, but research among minority populations such as Puerto Ricans living in

Can Low-Dose Dietary Fish Oil Supplementation Provide Cardiovascular Health Benefits?

Inconsistent and sometimes contradictory results from nutrition studies can be puzzling. However, the challenge of reproducibility is the foundation of

Updated WIC food packages are associated with improvements in the diets and health of low-income, vulnerable infants and young children

In 2009 the USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which promotes the health and nutrition

Food attributes: Why some foods may be better than others for satisfying hunger