Gut health focus spurs food researchers

Associate professor Nicole Roy says there is a substantial market in Asia for food products with substantiated health benefits.

The project has been allocated $3.6 million by the High-Value Nutrition National Science Challenge.

Roy and other AgResearch colleagues will work with the University of Otago, the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research and Plant & Food Research to research the relationship between nutrition and gut health.

The challenge aims to drive innovation in nutrition research, food science and health, to position New Zealand as a world leader in the rapidly increasing food-for-health market.

"In determining what we were going to do, we started with the consumer – the person buying these food products that will be developed and marketed by the NZ food industry based on the results of our work," says Roy.

"We know there is a link between the food we eat, how our gut functions and our brain. Stress is known to trigger poor gut function and discomfort. We want to provide knowledge the industry will use to develop food products to address this.

"We are focussing on the Asian markets because there's already an established culture that understands the benefits of such foods. A large number of these people lead stressful professional lives and experience gut problems as a result, which affects their productivity and quality of life. Gut health is a rising concern for consumers."

The emerging middle and upper classes in Asia who want to excel as their careers and age advance are an important consumer group. They will buy food and beverage products to feel physically comfortable and fit, to stay mentally sharp and to slow cognitive decline.

"Our focus will also consider the increasing evidence that the two-way communication between the gut and the brain is central to these problems."

Roy says the research is aimed at fast-tracking opportunities helping NZ's food and beverage industry to develop and market foods with validated health benefits, such as improved gut function and comfort.

AgResearch staff will also work in four other teams funded by High-Value Nutrition.