Nutrition Research Institute Shows Choline is Essential to a Normal Diet

November 1, 2016 • Though it’s present in a variety of foods and an essential part of a person’s diet, many people may not have heard of the nutrient choline.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute, located at the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis, have studied the impact that diets lacking in choline could have on everything from liver and muscle tissue to brain development.

Do Eggs Cause Heart Disease?

Do Eggs Cause Heart Disease?

October 25, 2016 • Several recent studies linked increased levels of a metabolic product of dietary choline with higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Wang et al., 2011; Tang et al., 2013) through a mechanism that involved gut microbiota-produced trimethylamine oxide (TMAO). These studies have sparked considerable scientific (and non-scientific) discussion, with health advice from some groups suggesting avoidance of meat and eggs (significant sources of choline) and from others suggesting that the findings have been vastly overinterpreted.

NRI Researcher Links Choline Deficiency To Impaired Brain Structure

September 21, 2016 • Natalia Surzenko, Ph.D., is part of a team of researchers at the UNC-Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) located on the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis focusing their efforts on brain development. Her current goal is to determine the role of choline as an essential nutrient for development of the cerebral cortex.

Cheatham Lab’s B.E.R.R.Y. Study Preliminary Results

Cheatham Lab’s B.E.R.R.Y. Study Preliminary Results

August 26, 2016 • As we age, we experience gradual cognitive decline as our brains process things slower and our ability to remember things decreases. Blueberries contain anthocyanins, which have been shown to effect the areas of the brain that are related to memory and processing in animal studies. The effect of blueberries on brain function in humans is only now beginning to be tested.

The Sweet Reality of Eating Nutritious Fruits

June 23, 2016 • This time of year, fresh fruits abound. No matter whether the fruit you eat is fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, all of the varieties offer a plethora of flavors, colors and, most importantly, health benefits.