Diane L. McKay, PhD, FACN

Diane L. McKay, PhD


Brief Biography

Diane L. McKay, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate students. She is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and a member of the American Society for Nutrition.

At the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University Dr. McKay investigates the role of nutrients in health promotion, particularly in older adults, and has studied the effects of multivitamins and antioxidant-rich foods and beverages, including hibiscus tea, walnuts, cranberry juice, eggs, oats, and barley.  She has published her research in the Journal of Nutrition, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, and Nutrition Reviews, and presented her findings before the American Heart Association and Experimental Biology.

In 2002, Dr. McKay received the Best Review Paper Award from the American College of Nutrition.  Her multivitamin study is listed in the National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements 2000 Annual Bibliography of Significant Research.

Dr. McKay is often quoted in the popular press, including The Chicago Tribune, CNN.com, U.S. News and World Report, Scientific American, Prevention, Good Housekeeping, and National Public Radio.  She is also a contributing author to the book, “20 Years Younger,” by Bob Greene.

Dr. McKay obtained a BS in Biological Sciences from Carnegie-Mellon University and, from Tufts University, received MS degrees in Biological Sciences and Nutrition Communications and a PhD in Human Nutrition.

She lives in the greater Boston area.


List of Selected Publications

Research Articles:

McKay DL, Chen C-Y, Yeum K-J, Matthan NR, Lichtenstein AH, Blumberg JB.  Chronic and acute effects of walnuts on antioxidant capacity and nutritional status in humans: a randomized, cross-over pilot study.  Nutr J 2010;9:21.

McKay DL, Saltzman E, Chen C-Y, Blumberg JB.  Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea (tisane) lowers blood pressure in prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults.  J Nutr 2010;140(2):298-303.

McKay DL, Houser RF, Blumberg JB, Goldberg JP.  Nutrition information sources vary with education level in a population of older adults.  J Am Diet Assoc 2006; 106(7):1108-111.

McKay DL, Perrone G, Rasmussen H, Dallal G, Blumberg JB. Multivitamin/mineral supplementation improves plasma B-vitamin status and homocysteine concentration in healthy older adults consuming a folate-fortified diet. J Nutr 2000;130:3090-6.

McKay DL, Perrone G, Rasmussen H, Dallal G, Hartman W, Cao G, Prior RL, Roubenoff R, Blumberg JB. The effects of a multivitamin/mineral supplement on micronutrient status, antioxidant capacity, and cytokine production in healthy older adults consuming a fortified diet. J Am Coll Nutr 2000;19(5):613-21.

Review Articles:

McKay DL, Blumberg JB.  Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and cardiovascular disease risk factors.  Nutr Rev 2007; 65(11):490-502.

McKay DL, Blumberg JB.  A review of the bioactivity of South African herbal teas: Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia). Phytother Res 2007; 21:1-16.

McKay DL, Blumberg JB.  A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of peppermint tea (Mentha piperita L.). Phytother Res 2006; 20(8):619-33.

McKay DL, Blumberg JB.  A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of chamomile tea (Matricaria recutita L.). Phytother Res 2006; 20(7):519-30.

McKay DL, Blumberg JB.  The role of tea in human health: An update. J Am Coll Nutr 2002;21(1):1-13.