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
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
Trimethylamine N-Oxide, the Microbiome, and Heart and Kidney Disease. Zeisel S
2016
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
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When Brendon Coats graduated high school, he did not have a clear plan for what came next. Today, he is an undergraduate biology student at UNC Charlotte, a Research Technician in the Smith Lab at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI), and a recipient of the First-Generation Student Research Award—an honor recognizing both academic achievement and research excellence. His path into science did not begin in a classroom. It began during a gap year, when a connection led him to an internship at the NRI’s Clinical Research Center.
Effects of Flavonoids Foods on Carbonyl Stress
Study Purpose:
This study looks at how your body processes different amounts of flavonoids (nutrients found in certain foods) over time. You will follow both a high-flavonoid diet and a low-flavonoid diet so we can compare the effects.
Recruitment Requirements:
• Age between 40 and 70 years with BMI between 18 and 30 kg/m²
• Not taking medications, supplements, or antibiotics
• No allergy to milk, soy milk, green tea, blueberries, apples, or pineapples
Falling Off Track with Health Goals? Science Points to a Better Way
NGx brings together forward-thinking minds at the intersection of nutrition, genetics, and health to explore where science is going next—and how it’s already shaping the way we understand and apply precision nutrition. This is more than a conference; it is a chance to engage directly with the research, the people behind it, and the ideas that are redefining the field.
AGILE Study
AGILE is a 12-week research study that tests a healthy eating and exercise program brought to you by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It is designed to help young adults aged 18-39 years old adopt healthier eating and activity habits and learn effective ways to manage their weight. There are no fees to participate.
Charting the Course for a Healthier America at NIEHS
Don’t Miss Your Seat at NGx
NGx brings together forward-thinking minds at the intersection of nutrition, genetics, and health to explore where science is going next—and how it’s already shaping the way we understand and apply precision nutrition. This is more than a conference; it is a chance to engage directly with the research, the people behind it, and the ideas that are redefining the field.