Microbiome and Nutrition

The complex community of bacteria, yeasts and viruses living in our intestines, collectively known as the gut microbiome, is shaped, in part, by what we eat. Genetics, environment, and other factors also influence an individual’s microbial community. Research at the NRI investigates these complex relationships and their impact on disease risk. We use animal models and bioinformatics to study the associations between nutritional metabolites, gut microbiome, and health. What happens in the gut doesn’t stay in the gut. Your microbiome can play a role in cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, and even cancer. Our team envisions a future where analysis of your microbiome can determine disease risk, and medical foods can be prescribed to treat and prevent disease by regulating the microbiome.

Publications

 

Microbiome and Nutrition Publications

2020

Population studies of TMAO and its precursors may help elucidate mechanisms. Meyer K

2019

Association of dietary patterns with the gut microbiota in older, community-dwelling men.  Meyer K

The impact of early-life sub-therapeutic antibiotic treatment (STAT) on excessive weight is robust despite transfer of intestinal microbes.  Sumner S

Protein Intake at Twice the RDA in Older Men Increases Circulatory Concentrations of the Microbiome Metabolite Trimethylamine-N-Oxide (TMAO).  Zeisel S

2018

Meta-analysis of human genome-microbiome association studies: the MiBioGen consortium initiative.  Meyer K

Human microbiota, blood group antigens, and disease.  Sumner S

2017

Dietary Choline and Betaine and Risk of CVD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies.  Meyer K

A Microbiomic Analysis in African Americans with Colonic Lesions Reveals Streptococcus sp.VT162 as a Marker of Neoplastic Transformation.  Sumner S

Metabolic profiling of a chronic kidney disease cohort reveals metabolic phenotype more likely to benefit from a probiotic.  Sumner S

Trimethylamine N-Oxide, the Microbiome, and Heart and Kidney Disease.  Zeisel S

2016

Microbiota-Dependent Metabolite Trimethylamine N-Oxide and Coronary Artery Calcium in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study (CARDIA).  Meyer K

Diet and Gut Microbial Function in Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disease Risk.  Meyer K

Antibiotic-mediated gut microbiome perturbation accelerates development of type 1 diabetes in mice. Sumner S

Related News

The Ironies of Iron During Pregnancy

August 28, 2017 – Iron is listed by the American Pregnancy Association as one of the nutrients essential for healthy fetal development. Why? Because a lack of iron, a mineral naturally found in foods like meat, seafood and vegetables, directly impacts the development of the fetal brain. Iron also prevents anemia, low birth weight and premature delivery. Unfortunately, 22 percent of US women in their childbearing years are iron deficient, says Susan Smith, PhD, deputy director of science at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute on the NC Research Campus.

UNC-CH Nutrition Research Institute Graduate Student Housing Opens Steps Away from NCRC Main Campus

June 27, 2017 • The Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) offers unique learning and work experiences for graduate students in the fields of nutrigenomics and metabolomics. Our research relies, in fact, on the work these students do. But until recently the institute has been short on student housing, creating hardship for those who wished to study and work here. That has changed with the opening of five newly refurbished houses a short walk from the institute and the rest of the North Carolina Research Campus, offering both short- and long-term student housing options.

August 2017

Precision Nutrition Needed For Healthy Military Muscles By Allan Maurer, NCBiotech Writer Eat colorful meals and make sure you get enough choline. That’s the key advice two nutrition experts offered during lunch at the Medical, BioMedical & BioDefense: Support the...

Maternal Vitamin D For Preventing Autism

July 27, 2017 – Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant moms is shown to negatively affect fetal growth and children’s health in the long run. Deficient gestational vitamin D status is surprisingly high both globally and in the US. One of the findings that draws attention is the role of vitamin D during pregnancy in children’s chances of developing Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Vitamin D is acquired through sun exposure or food intake. The circulating form of vitamin D can travel through the fetal-placental barrier, thus, developing babies depend solely on their mothers for getting this beneficial nutrient.

Precision Nutrition Needed for Healthy Military Muscles

July 27, 2017 • “Eat colorful meals and make sure you get enough choline.” That’s the key advice offered by David Nieman, Dr.PH, FACSM, Director of the Appalachian State University Human Performance Laboratory; and Steven Zeisel, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Nutrition Research Institute. during lunch at the Medical, BioMedical & BioDefense: Support the Warfighter symposium in Chapel Hill in June. These were among several surprising findings […]

Cheatham Named to Education Board

July 27, 2017 – Carol L. Cheatham, PhD, has been selected to join the Education Board at the American Health Council. The council, comprising leaders and contributors from all areas of healthcare, is America’s leading organization in health awareness and advancement. Dr. Cheatham will share her knowledge and expertise on the effects of nutrition on brain development and function. […]