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Improving our health with anti-inflammatory nutrient supplement

Professor Helen Roche has been awarded €308,000 in funding from the National Children’s Research Centre for a study that will be carried out in collaboration with Dr Fiona Lithander from the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin.

The study aims to establish whether novel anti-inflammatory nutrients can attenuate the impact of obesity on diabetes risk in young adults from 15-18 years old. 

The ‘Growing Up in Ireland’ survey shows that one third of Irish 9 year olds are overweight or obese. The high fat diet of these children is leading to an increase in circulating levels of inflammatory hormones and lipids. As a consequence, their diet is placing them at an increased risk of developing diabetes and heart disease in later life.

Commenting on the award, Professor Roche said, “Certain nutrients found in fruit, vegetables and fish have a protective function and reduce the risk of developing diabetes later in life. Through this study, we hope to find out if we can improve the metabolic profile of a group of overweight and obese 15-18 year olds by providing them with a key anti-inflammatory nutrient as a supplement for 12 weeks.”

Two doctoral students based between University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, St James’ Hospital and the Adelaide & Meath incorporating the National Children’s Hospital in Tallaght will work on the project. UCD Conway facilities will be used to carry out molecular characterisation of ex vivo translational studies.

Growing Up in Ireland
This national longitudinal study involving 8,500 children, their families and teachers follows their development over a 7 year period to ‘examine the factors which contribute to or undermine the wellbeing of children in contemporary Irish families, and, through this, contribute to the setting of effective and responsive policies relating to children and to the design of services for children and their families’.

National Children's Research Centre
The National Children's Research Centre supports paediatric research through funding from the Children’s Medical Research Foundation in order to investigate the cause, treatment, care and prevention of children’s diseases and ailments in a national and cross-institutional manner.