Nutritional Metabonomics
Metabonomics is an holistic approach to detecting and quantifying metabolites in body fluids. These metabolites are the end-products of metabolic processes, which are influenced by a number of genetic and lifestyle factors, including food, and the gut microflora.

The pattern of metabolites that is measured is characteristic of an individual, or group of people of similar genetic background, and who share the same lifestyle. Nutritional metabonomics is therefore the molecular route to personalized nutrition.

The patterns of metabolites in body fluids are potential biomarkers for predicting individual responses to different foods and diets.

Nestlé and Imperial College
Nestlé Research Centre and Imperial College London already have a strategic partnership and joint research program in nutritional metabonomics.  In a new agreement, signed in November 2008, this research programme will be expanded to include new studies on the role of the gut microflora in human health.  

In particular, the collaboration will be expanded to study the ways that individual differences in the composition of human gut microflora influence metabolism.  The investigators will also look into how microflora-induced changes in metabolism impact on mechanisms of body weight control.

Consumer benefits
This joint research will lay the groundwork for developing new nutritional approaches for weight management based on different metabolic signatures.

In this way, the expansion of Nestlé’s research alliance with Imperial College will help to pave the way towards personalised nutrition solutions for weight management.

“In the future, we can imagine having new nutritional products that help to optimise the composition of the gut microflora in favour of weight management”.
Sunil Kochhar, Nestlé Research Center

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For media enquiries: Nestlé Research
For more scientific information: Science In Action - Nutritional Metabonomics (pdf, 185 kb)

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