Rate My Professor Andrea Hutchins

Andrea Hutchins, PhD, RD, FAND, is an Associate Professor of Human Physiology and Nutrition in the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She teaches clinical and functional nutrition and contributes to the Master of Sciences in Nutrition and Dietetics program. Her research specializations include functional nutrition and the effects of functional foods such as legumes (pinto beans, black beans, chickpeas), soy, walnuts, flaxseed, and others on glycemic control, lipid metabolism, body composition, inflammation, stress, sleep, and chronic disease risk factors including prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Hutchins has produced a substantial body of peer-reviewed publications demonstrating the benefits of these foods. Key papers include 'Phaseolus beans: impact on glycaemic response and chronic disease risk in human subjects' (British Journal of Nutrition, 2012), a review of trials showing reduced glycemic load and improved health markers; 'Glycemic Response to Black Beans and Chickpeas as Part of a Rice Meal in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes' (Nutrients, 2017); 'Pinto Beans and Green Beans Result in Comparable Glycemic Control in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Pilot Trial' (Current Developments in Nutrition, 2020); 'The Impact of Virgin Coconut Oil and High-Oleic Safflower Oil on Body Composition, Lipids, and Inflammatory Markers in Postmenopausal Women' (Journal of Medicinal Food, 2017); and 'The Perceived Impact of Ashwagandha on Stress, Sleep Quality, and Food Cravings in College Students' (Journal of Medicinal Food, 2022). She co-authored the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position paper 'Dietary Fatty Acids for Healthy Adults' (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2014). Prior to UCCS, where she has served since at least 2011, she was at Arizona State University. Hutchins participated in the University of Colorado Excellence in Leadership Program (2014-2015) and serves on the Faculty Council Educational Policy and University Standards Committee. Her findings support using low glycemic index functional foods to manage metabolic conditions, impacting nutrition guidelines.