News
Our research not only influences the scientific community, but the general public as well. We strive to share our discoveries with everyone. Read some of our latest articles on what is happening at the Nutrition Research Institute.
The Folic Acid Dilemma
April 1, 2015 • In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made it mandatory to add folic acid (FA) to grain products used to make cereal, bread, pasta and other foods. The ruling, which was intended to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) – see Sidebar – has been very successful: The incidence of NTDs fell 36% over the following decade.
The FDA’s ruling was unique because the target population (women of child-bearing age) is much smaller than the population affected (anyone eating fortified foods), especially now that so many countries around the world add FA to wheat, corn, and rice. Luckily, studies around the globe prove that FA benefits the general population by lowering the incidence of heart disease, stroke, and even mood disorders…which is why FA is also present in multivitamin supplements.
Pinpointing Individual Susceptibility for Heart Disease
March 31, 2015 • The following has been reprinted from NC Research Campus, transforming-science.com
Eat a healthy and balanced diet. That is the first advice that people who need to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) receive. But what if some nutrients in “healthy” foods interact with an individual’s genetic make-up in a way that actually increases their risk for CVD.
That is the question that Brian Bennett, PhD, is trying to answer. Bennett is an assistant professor of genetics, nutrition and heart disease with the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) at the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis. He is pushing the boundaries of nutrigenomics, which is the study of how genes and diet interact, to reveal new clues about individual susceptibility for atherosclerosis and other forms of CVD.
April 2015
April 22 • April 2015’s edition of SoundBites features: The Folic Acid Dilemma, Appetite for Life Lecture, Liver Cancer Report Reveals New Links, Training Your Doctor in Nutrition, and 2015 ISNN Congress.
2015 ISNN Congress
March 30, 2015 • The International Society of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics (ISNN) will hold its 9th Congress May 17-19 on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill. This event convenes several hundred nutrition researchers, clinicians, dietitians and other healthcare providers who are leaders in the development and practice of advanced nutrition solutions. Keynote speakers are 2007 Nobel laureate Dr. Oliver Smithies (UNC Chapel Hill) and Dr. Bruce Ames (Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and UC Berkeley), who will deliver an Appetite for Life lecture in Kannapolis May 20, 2015.
Local Research Institute Boosts Economy through Critical Nutrition Discoveries
March 17, 2015 • Eleven faculty research scientists at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) in Kannapolis currently have externally funded grants to support their work exploring individualized nutrition. These awards are significant not only for providing the means by which the NRI can advance its scientific discoveries but also for their economic impact in the Charlotte region.
Research campus moving past slow start, looking to define future
March 8, 2015 • The following has been reprinted from The Salisbury Post, an article by Josh Bergeron.
The N.C. Research Campus still lags behind initial employment projections, but, as the nation and state recover from an economic recession, growth is beginning to pick up.
Following billionaire businessman David Murdock’s $15 million annual endowment last year, the research campus aims to expand and the David H. Murdock Research Institution is looking to refocus on its initial intent — becoming a world class research institution. The catchphrase being used to define the future of the facility is “putting the RI back in DHMRI.”
Understanding Nutrigenomics
March 2, 2015 • Why “good” and “bad” are irrelevant when talking about genes and nutrition
From the desk of: Mihai Niculescu, M.D., Ph.D.
…“How to override your bad genes with food.” “Can Exercise Override Bad Genes?” “Good Nutrition Can Overcome Bad Genes”…
woman drawing dnaWe are bombarded by media with these kinds of messages. The main theme, of course, is that many of us may have “bad” genes that would put us at risk of a certain poor health outcome unless we eat less of “this” and more of “that.” Knowing myself as a bearer of several such genetic variations, I almost feel, at times, guilty that I am harboring such “bad” genes, albeit without my consent.
NRI Scientist Achieves New Role
March 2, 2015 • Natalia Surzenko, Ph.D., studies the connections between nutrients and brain and eye development. Her work in this area has been as Research Scientist in the Zeisel lab since joining the NRI in 2013. In recognition of the excellence she brings to her research, Dr. Surzenko has been promoted to Research Assistant Professor.
Series to help laypeople understand science
Saturday, February 14, 2015 • The following has been reprinted from Charlotte Observer, an article by Lisa Thornton. If Dr. Natalia Surzenko told you that choline produces increased hippocampal neurogenesis in Mus musculus, you probably wouldn’t understand. But if she said a nutrient called choline, naturally found in foods such as egg yolks, salmon and cocoa powder has been shown to regenerate brain cells responsible for increased memory in mice, that would be different. At the UNC Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis, where Surzenko, a neurobiologist, has her lab, a new series called “Appetite for Life” is intended to create clearer dialogue between researchers and laypeople about discoveries changing the way experts view nutrition.
Support the NRI
By donating to the Nutrition Research Institute, your money targets the root of most American disease. Our scientists focus on how our genes respond to food so that soon medical practitioners will be able to guide people in their health from childhood through old age. Our critical research depends on the generosity of people like you.
