Kinetics and metabolism of nutrients and other food components

Understanding the fate of nutritional components in the body is crucial because processes such as their release from the nutritional matrix, digestion and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion are key determinants of their biological effects. Moreover, insight into these processes can help identify new biomarkers for dietary exposure and aid in detecting and preventing nutritional deficiencies.

The relationship between dietary intake of a nutrient, its concentrations in tissues and blood, and its ultimate health effects is complicated by several factors. These factors stem from the nutritional matrix and the complexity of the human body, which together influence the fate and biological effects of both macro- and micronutrients. Nutrients exist within dynamic networks and can undergo extensive metabolism, as seen with dietary lipids and various micronutrients. Additionally, processes like digestion, absorption, and metabolism are influenced by variables such as genetic differences, medication use, and the presence of disease. Therefore, it is essential to study these processes, collectively referred to as the "kinetics of nutrients," to enhance our understanding of the intricate relationship between diet and health.

Research topics

Nutritional biomarker development & application

In this theme, we develop state-of-the-art bio-analytical research methods (e.g. LC-MS/MS, LC-HRMS) to quantify nutrients, their metabolites and other dietary components in human blood and urine. These methods are used in different settings to improve our understanding of the relation between nutrient intake and health effects, and to identify novel biomarkers of dietary exposure. Our research entails a.o. the metabolism of n-3 fatty acids and biomarkers of exposure to non-nutritive sweeteners. Moreover, new biomarkers of exposure to alternative protein sources are investigated, and we work on the development of personalized dietary advice tools to improve micronutrient intake in clinical practice.

Protein digestion and absorption

This research theme addresses the fate of dietary proteins in the body with a focus on digestion, absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. We focus on assessing protein digestibility using oro-ileal amino acid disappearance measurement in both humans or pigs (as model for humans), post-prandial amino acid appearance or stable isotope-related techniques in humans. These techniques are applied for the evaluation of protein quality of foods or studying physiological changes in individuals, e.g. older adults are suspected to have poor digestion of proteins. Our insights will aid the selection of protein sources for the general population or vulnerable populations (e.g. older adults) that are at risk for protein malnutrition.

Nutrimetabolomics

Nutrimetabolomics is a subfield of metabolomics that focuses on understanding the interplay between nutrition and metabolism at a molecular level. It involves the comprehensive study of metabolites related to dietary intake and their effects on metabolic pathways, providing insights into how nutrients influence health and disease states. We investigate role of the gut microbiome exploring gut microbial metabolites and the modulation of endogenous metabolites. To tackle this research line, we rely on Mass Spectrometry developing targeted and untargeted metabolomics methods to uncover the contributions of diet and microbial activity to intestinal homeostasis and overall heath.

Our projects