Food phytochemicals matter for cardiometabolic health

Research Project, 2019 – 2022

FOODPHYT aims at raising awareness and understanding of the enormous potential of food phytochemicals (FPCs) to support the global fight against obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases. The first objective of FOODPHYT is to make consolidated knowledge available on metabolism, cardiometabolic health effects and mechanisms of action of FPCs and plant foods in an open-access database, from critical review of the literature by experts. The second FOODPHYT objective is to validate biomarkers of plant food intake, and to harmonize metabolomic methods for comprehensively phenotyping the true internal exposure to FPC metabolites. The usefulness of the new dietary/exposure assessment methods will be demonstrated in proof-of-principle studies. We will (re)investigate associations observed between plant food intake biomarkers or specific FPC metabolites present in biofluids with body weight and cardiometabolic outcomes in pre-existing intervention and observational studies made available for FOODPHYT. Through better knowledge and assessment methods for phytochemicals, there is a considerable potential for improving the nutritional quality of raw and processed foods as well as dietary advice adapted to personal needs and food preferences. The consortium will make endeavor to foster the capacity building of Early Career Scientists in the interdisciplinary field between nutrition, medicine, metabolomics, bioinformatics and food chemistry.