Month: December 2017

Holscher receives prestigious Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Award for early-career innovation in nutrition

Robert Slater Microbiome, People

Holscher receives prestigious Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Award for early-career innovation in nutrition

URBANA, Ill. – Hannah Holscher, assistant professor of nutrition in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois is a recipient of the second annual New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research award. The annual set of early-career grants to outstanding food and agriculture research faculty members is a program of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a nonprofit established through bipartisan congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill.

Holscher received a FFAR grant of nearly $600,000 to fund a project looking at diet, the human gastrointestinal microbiome, and metabolic health over the next three years. Research in Holscher’s laboratory at U of I, the Nutrition and Human Microbiome Laboratory, integrates the areas of nutrition, gastrointestinal physiology, and the microbiome. Her research focuses on the clinical application of nutritional sciences with an overarching goal of improving human health through dietary modulation of the gastrointestinal microbiome.

“The results of my research will provide information that will help consumers to make healthful food choices,” Holscher explains. “It will also inform dietary guidance given by registered dietitians, health care providers, and extension specialists. The findings will be applicable to food consumption, food and nutrition practice, and human health outcomes.”

“The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is pleased to support Dr. Holscher’s research as part of our work to catalyze innovation and foster a strong scientific workforce for the future,” says Sally Rockey, executive director of FFAR. “I look forward to seeing the impact of the New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research award not only on Dr. Holscher’s career, but also on advancing agriculture.”

The New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research program supports promising scientists who demonstrate not only a commitment to catalyzing innovation in food and agriculture, but also a dedication to mentoring students.

Holscher joins a group of other 2017 New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research award recipients who were selected from across the United States in five categories: nutrition and healthy food choices; plant efficiency; optimizing agricultural water use; spurring food system innovation; and transforming soil health.

The second annual set of New Innovator awards brings the total FFAR investment in the program to more than $4.5 million. Learn more about the 2017 New Innovators and their research directions.

 

Study explores how composition and function of gut microbiota changes during day

Robert Slater Microbiome

Study explores how composition and function of gut microbiota changes during day

By Stephen Daniells in NUTRA ingredients-usa.com

06-Nov-2017

The composition and function of the microbiota in the human gut changes throughout the day, with links to dietary and bathroom habits. The findings may have implications for the design of future probiotic clinical trials.

See the newsletter and our publication  “Time of day and eating behaviors are associated with the composition and function of the human gastrointestinal microbiota” in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition to learn more.

Nourish Your Gut Microbiota

Robert Slater Microbiome

Nourish Your Microbiota

A publication from Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter & the Huffington Post

06/16/2017 03:34 pm ET Updated Jun 18, 2017

Eating a diverse, plant-rich diet helps fuel the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Microbes ― bacteria and other tiny critters not visible to the naked eye but numbering in the trillions ― are busy in your body. Many of these microbes benefit you. Others have the potential to cause harm. This community of microbes is called the microbiota. Their genes are called the microbiome.

Studies of cross-sections of people across the world suggest the more fiber you consume – especially if from a wide range of plant foods – the more diverse your gut microbiota will be. Additionally, intervention studies in people have shown that consuming more fiber and whole grains increases diversity of gut bacteria.

Different microbes are capable of breaking down (fermenting) different fibers. Holscher explains that it takes different enzymes to break down the various fibers found in foods. Some bacteria have many different enzymes, so they can utilize dozens of different fibers. Other bacteria may only be able to break down one or a few different fibers. By eating a variety of plant foods with different types of fibers, you may encourage the growth of a more diverse population of beneficial microbes capable of breaking down those fibers.

See the article in the Huffington Post to learn more.