Molecular and clinical effects on functional foods on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

Supervisor: Karl-Heinz Wagner, Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, Emerging Field “Oxidative Stress and DNA Stability”

Student: Annemarie Grindel

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease affecting around 250 million people worldwide with an increasing tendency. The prominent form is type II diabetes which is often associated with the Metabolic Syndrome and an increased risk for CVD. It has been suggested that increased levels of reactive oxygen species, caused by defective scavenging or increased production, play a central role in the formation of diabetes complications such as cancer, which risk is increased in diabetics.

On the other hand there is epidemiological evidence that a diet rich in vitamins, antioxidants and secondary plant products could be associated with decreased risk of diabetic complications. The aim of intervention study is the assessment of the chemopreventive and cardiprotective potential of functional foods. One food of choice will be apple pomace, which is already known to has a high in vitro potential.

The PhD student will be integrated in a human intervention trial with type 2 diabetics and/or subjects with Metabolic syndrome. The effects of the intervention will be followed by modern biomarkers in the area of oxidative stress, cardioprotection and chemoprevention. A further aim is not only to observe effects but also to understand mechanisms how these natural foods can be used in the prevention and treatment of diabetes as well as its consequent complications.