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“You are what you eat” is a frequently heard phrase, but is this really true? Researchers, Dr Alan Mackie and Lukas Harnisch explore the truths and myths surrounding the topic of nutrition; do probiotics work, is there such a thing as a superfood and can diet from birth matter in the longer term? There will be the opportunity to get your own questions answered, so be sure to bring along your own confusions about all things food, or post them on the facebook page!
Processed vs natural foods: The pros and cons
Dr Alan Mackie
(Research Leader, Institute of Food Research )
The modern food industry has been very successful at selling us the food we want to eat but has it been to the detriment of our health? Are we better off eating “natural, unprocessed” foods? This pint of science will look at some of the myths associated with food processing and “healthy diets” ranging from raw verses cooked, including microwave irradiation, to whether juicers are healthy or not.
Probiotics: Small Bottles with Large Effects?
Lukas Harnisch
(Researcher, UEA)
The human body is riddled with microbes, and, in fact, bacterial cells are thought to outnumber our own by a factor of 10:1! These microbes are collectively known as the “human microbiome” and it increasingly thought that many members of this microscopic community can provide many health benefits. However, whether we carry a good or bad collection of microbes can be significantly influenced by an array of factors that occur throughout our lifetimes, including the way in which we are delivered at birth, to the foods that we consume throughout childhood and into adulthood.
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