Metabolic Health

At FHI, researchers from University College Dublin, University College Cork and Teagasc, Moorepark, have teamed up to analyse specific components of metabolic health.   They are looking for milk ingredients that could help to regulate body fat, blood glucose, blood pressure and other risk factors that contribute to increased risk of developing conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

The metabolic health programme, led overall by Professor Mike Gibney (UCD) is subdivided into five distinct, yet overlapping, research areas:

• Obesity  - a key factor in the development and severity of the metabolic syndrome; people who are overweight or obese are more likely to suffer from heart disease and diabetes. Under the direction of Professor Ted Dinan, researchers from UCC and Teagasc MRFC aim to to identify milk components for inclusion in functional foods that could induce satiety or assist in weight reduction;
   
• Glycaemic function - the aim of which is to test milk-derived bioactives for their ability to improve blood sugar control and lower the risk of diabetes and its complications.  Professor Philip Newsholme is leading researchers at UCD in this work;
   
• Macrophage and adipocyte biology and insulin sensitivity - under the direction of Professor Helen Roche, reseachers at UCD are screening for milk bioactives with anti-inflammatory, insulin sensitising effects;
   
• Cardiovascular health - being investigated by the team at UCC. Professor David Kerins' group is exploring the ability of milk bioactives to improve blood flow;
   
• Atherothrombosis - the focus of researchers at UCD, led by Dr Orina Belton.  They are looking for milk ingredients with the ability to protect against athersclerosis, a major cause of heart attack and stroke.