Comparing the ability of healthy gut bacteria to utilise fibres to produce beneficial molecules

By Hannah Harris, Douglas Morrison and Christine Edwards We are constantly told that fibre is good for health. However, is all fibre created equal? Fibrous foods are those that the body cannot digest and as a result reach the colon. Within the colon we have millions of different bacteria that can break down these fibres […]

Low Carb Diets – learn more about them!

PhD student Chaitong Churuangsuk presents key points regarding both potential benefits and risks associated with following a low carbohydrate diet. In a previous blog post, we talked about the importance of iodine in plant-based and vegan diets. Today, we will discuss low carb diets – which have grown in popularity over the past 30 years. […]

baby puree food

Scrutinising the baby food market to invoke policy change

By Ada Garcia In 2011 after returning from a year of maternity leave my research motivations were very much baby driven. With this in mind, I became fully engage on a new line of work that has been extremely fruitful and has helped define my area of expertise towards child nutrition. Current recommendations for solid […]

Plant-based and Vegan diets – remembering iodine

Iodine – an important nutrient for plant-based and vegan diets PhD student Martha Redway presents key points to make sure the nutrient is not overlooked. Was your New Year’s resolution to eat more plants? Maybe you even took part in Veganuary, an international campaign to go animal product-free for the month of January? If you’ve decided that you’d prefer a […]

Polyphenolics & fibre – from new foods to intervention studies

An interview with Wardah Talib, intern with the BLEND project In November 2018, I completed master’s in Biotechnology and Management from University of Glasgow and interned for three months in the Human Nutrition section, at the University of Glasgow. It was a multidisciplinary experience, assisting Prof Christine Edwards & Dr Emilie Combet in running the […]

Spotlight on current research – the BLEND study & gut health

Innovating through the study of fibre and polyphenols interaction in foods By Emilie Combet, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition, and Christine Edwards, Professor of Nutritional Physiology    Our research unit has a big interest in polyphenolics and heath. The BLEND project is a 3-year study focusing on the interaction between two important components in our food: […]