Foods contain many chemical components that directly or indirectly impact wellness, and are subject to extensive processing prior to ingestion. Departmental researchers work to understand the impact of food and to develop novel food-based solutions for enhanced health.
There is growing evidence that food and diet play an important role in human health. Unlike drugs, which contain single or a few well-defined bioactive components, foods contain many chemical components that could directly or indirectly impact human health, and are subject to extensive processing prior to ingestion. These differences create unique challenges to developing food-based solutions for enhanced health. There are on-going research activities in the Department focused on (1) characterizing the potential health beneficial effects, and safe levels of intake, of foods and food components; (2) understanding the mechanisms of action responsible for these health effects; (3) identifying the components in foods responsible for the observed health effects and how these components might interact with one another; (4) determining the effect of food processing operations on the potential health effects of foods; and (5) characterizing consumer behaviors and genetic factors that drive the relationship between food choice and health outcomes. Be exploring these topics, Department faculty are positioned to understand the impact of food on health and to develop novel food-based solutions for enhanced health.
Researchers in the Department of Food Science working in the area of Food-Based Solutions for Enhanced Health.
