Ulster University joins £1.7 million UK study examining how plant foods influence heart health

Researchers at Ulster University have joined a £1.7 million UK-wide study investigating how compounds found in plant-based foods influence cardiovascular health.

• Ulster University has joined a £1.7 million UK research project examining how plant-derived flavan-3-ols affect cardiovascular health and how these compounds behave during digestion.
• The study is led by King’s College London and involves researchers from Ulster University and the University of Leeds.
• Scientists will examine how food processing, digestion and the gut microbiome influence the release and absorption of flavan-3-ols.

Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the project is led by King’s College London in collaboration with Ulster University and the University of Leeds.

The research focuses on flavan-3-ols, naturally occurring compounds found in foods such as tea, cocoa, berries, apples, grapes, nuts and legumes. These compounds have previously been associated with improved blood vessel function, reduced blood pressure and lower cardiovascular risk.

However, scientists still have limited understanding of how these compounds behave once consumed, including how they are digested, how intake varies across diets and how food processing may affect their activity in the body.

Researchers at Ulster University will play a central role in the project by leading specialized food-based trials that examine how flavan-3-ols are processed during digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

The trials will be led by Professor Chris Gill, a co-lead on the project. They will involve volunteers with stomas whose digestion bypasses the lower gastrointestinal tract. This approach allows researchers to more precisely observe how food components are processed in the upper digestive system.

Professor Gill said the work could provide important insights into how plant compounds interact with human digestion.

“The importance of flavan-3-ols and other (poly)phenols to human health continues to evolve. Understanding how these compounds are affected by food processing and the human digestive tract is key to developing a mechanistic understanding of their biological efficacy.

“I am delighted to be contributing to this project alongside my team at Ulster University, where we will focus on understanding upper gastrointestinal tract digestion by working with our established cohort of ileostomates in flavan-3-ol food-based trials.”

Alongside the digestion studies, researchers will investigate how factors such as food structure, processing, storage and even chewing affect the release, stability and absorption of flavan-3-ols.

The research team will also design and test a flavan-3-ol-rich diet in a clinical trial to examine its effects on cardiometabolic health and the gut microbiome. The trial will evaluate these effects both at the level of individual participants and across broader population groups.

Another outcome of the project will be the first validated estimates of flavan-3-ol intake in the UK.

Professor Liam Maguire, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at Ulster University (main picture), said the collaboration reflected the institution’s growing research strengths in nutrition and health. “This important collaboration highlights the strength of Ulster University’s research in nutrition, health and biomedical science, and our commitment to working with leading partners to tackle major global health challenges.

“Looking ahead, our ability to undertake ambitious research and innovation studies will be transformed by the forthcoming Centre of Food and Drug Discovery, a £22 million flagship initiative within the Causeway Coast and Glens Growth Deal. The centre will be a one-stop-shop for industry collaboration, accelerating the development, testing and commercialisation of new products to improve public health.”

Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, Professor of Human Nutrition at King’s College London and the project lead, said the research aimed to address key questions in nutritional science.

“This funding will allow us to tackle two critical questions in nutritional science: how food structure and processing influence health, and why people respond so differently to the same foods.

“The findings could help shape future dietary guidance, public health strategies and even how foods are produced, helping to reduce cardiovascular disease and improve long-term health.”

A distinctive feature of the project is the use of newly developed ‘AVATAR’ microbiome models. These laboratory systems recreate an individual’s gut bacteria, allowing researchers to examine how different microbiomes respond to the same foods.

Combined with human dietary intervention studies, the models will allow scientists to build personalized gut microbiome profiles for each participant and study how those profiles influence digestion and nutrient release.

Professor Kieran Tuohy, project co-lead from the University of Leeds, said the approach represented a significant advance in the field.

“For the first time, we can study how a person’s unique gut microbiota affects the release of food components in parallel with that same individual consuming the same meal. This represents a major advance in understanding digestion and individual responses to diet.”

Researchers involved in the project expect the findings to deepen scientific understanding of how plant-based foods contribute to cardiovascular health, potentially informing future dietary guidance and personalized nutrition approaches.