Unveiling the concealed chemical cosmos in our meals: Exploring the enigmatic 'nutritional dark matter'
In the realm of nutrition, a significant shift is underway as researchers delve into the unknown territories of food molecules, often referred to as "nutritional dark matter." This exploration, spearheaded by the Foodome Project, aims to catalog over 130,000 food-related molecules and understand their interactions with human proteins, gut microbes, and disease processes.
The Foodome Project, a groundbreaking initiative, seeks to build an atlas of how diet interacts with the body. By pinpointing which molecules are crucial for health, it promises to revolutionize our understanding of nutrition and its impact on our wellbeing.
One such molecule, ellagic acid, found in various fruits and nuts, is converted by gut bacteria into urolithins, a group of natural compounds. These urolithins have been found to help keep mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, healthy.
The field of foodomics, a burgeoning area of study, aims to reveal how diet interacts with the body in ways far beyond calories and vitamins. It sheds light on the intricate dance between diet, gut bacteria, and our health, offering insights into why certain diets work for some people but not others.
Despite decades of advice about cutting fat, salt, or sugar, obesity and diet-related illness have continued to rise. Understanding nutritional dark matter could answer questions that have long puzzled nutrition science and potentially help combat these health issues.
It's important to note that the Foodome Project does not provide new information about the risk of disease in children born to mothers who endured famine during the Second World War, the link between poor diet and disease, or the effects of an anti-ageing drug on life extension.
In Europe, poor diet accounts for nearly half of all cardiovascular deaths. Globally, poor diet is linked to around one in five deaths among adults aged 25 years or older. As such, the potential implications of the Foodome Project are far-reaching, with the potential to transform the way we approach diet and health.
In conclusion, the Foodome Project represents a significant step forward in our understanding of nutrition and its impact on our health. By unraveling the mysteries of nutritional dark matter, we may be one step closer to a healthier future.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. The author, David Benton, is a professor emeritus in human & health sciences, medicine health and life science at Swansea University in the United Kingdom.
