AFL Program Summaries September 2017-May 2018
Appetite For Life – September 27, 2017, with Folami Ideraabdullah, PhD: “Vitamin D and Human Health: 10 Things Your Mother Never Told You”. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin linked to human health and diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart...June 2018
NRI Included in UNC Creativity Hubs Inaugural Award to Study Obesity May 30, 2018 – Five NRI faculty members are among a team of UNC researchers receiving an award to study one of the world’s most pressing issues: the obesity epidemic. The cross-disciplinary...
New Grant to Study Nutrition and Chemotherapeutic Response
May 30, 2018 – Delisha Stewart, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nutrition at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, has been awarded a two year grant to study the impact of diet on chemotherapeutic treatment resistance in obesity-driven, aggressive breast cancer. This award builds from the research Dr. Stewart has conducted over the last ten years.
May 2018
The Connection Between Diet, Obesity and Cancer April 30, 2018 –Obesity prevalence in the US has tripled over the last 50 years. In 2016, a report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer highlighted that excess body fatness increases the risk for 13 types...
NRI Expert Discusses Genetics and Weight Loss in Prevention Magazine
April 26, 2018 – Joanne Laird had struggled with obesity for her entire life. She’d tried every diet under the sun, but it wasn’t until last June, when she received the results of an at-home DNA test, that she was finally able to shed the extra pounds.
Nutrition Notes from AFL@JWU – April 18
April 18, 2018 – The science on food and nutrients and their relationship to health is complex. Individuals are unique and there are various factors that influence health outcomes. Researchers at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) are working to understand the intricacies of diet, nutrients, and their relationship to disease prevention and progression with the goal that general dietary guidance will one day be replaced with customized nutrition recommendations. Current research suggests following an overall healthful diet, rich in plants, that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and unsaturated fats, and staying physically active may best support good health. In this program we consider the health benefits of chicken.
Gut Microbiome, Diet and Health
March 28, 2018 – At the NRI, we are conducting pioneering research on the interplay of diet and the gut microbiome in human health. The gut microbiome is a complex community of microorganisms living in our lower intestine; although we have long known of its existence, recent technological advances have allowed us to begin to define the composition and function of this dynamic community. This growing body of research demonstrates vast biologic activity within the gut microbiota, which may have the potential to affect our physiology and help guide health recommendations and interventions.