Proposal for National Research Center “Nutrition, Food and Health Science Research Center”
The fundamental role of general nutrition in health, human development, and growth is well documented, and the role of malnutrition in deficiency disorders is common knowledge. Accordingly, dietary recommendations were set to prevent such deficiency disorders. However, the recent approaches in food recommendations include the role of nutrition in preventing diseases and maintaining optimal health, expanding the role of nutrition beyond the prevention of malnutrition. This approach is supported by scientific findings that show the mechanisms of the integral role of nutrition and active components in food, such as flavonoids, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic, in preventing disease and promoting optimal health.
The role of nutrition in obtaining optimal and sustainable health can be assured by identifying and utilizing the active components in food and edible plants that possess protective and curative effects. Another equally important factor in obtaining optimal health is minimizing exposure to harmful chemical, biological, and physical agents in the environment (food, drinking, medicine, water, and air). Thus, a research center that studies Nutrition, Food, and Health Science, NFHSRC, is proposed. The center will facilitate the achievement of up-to-date knowledge that generates evidence-based promotion of healthy lifestyles for preventing diseases and obtaining optimal health. The research center will lead to the discovery, identification, and optimal utilization of national resources.
Mission of the NFSHRC
The mission of the NFSHRC is to conduct state-of-the-art multidisciplinary research to:
Vision
The vision of the NFSHRC is to be a leading research center in our region, aiming to eradicate and/or control preventable diseases by creating scientific research-based knowledge, thus, securing optimal and sustainable health for all at the personal, communal, and national levels.
Background
Nutrition plays a fundamental role in human health, development, and growth. Like many countries with a subsistent economy, Eritrea faces a triple burden of malnutrition due to undernutrition, nutrient deficiency, and an unbalanced diet. The latter leads to an increase in non-communicable diseases, which also is a form of malnutrition. Luckily, the triple burden of malnutrition can be prevented by a balanced diet hence, nutrition can play a fundamental role in preventing diseases and achieving optimal health. The health benefits of dietary active components in boosting the immune system and preventing communicable diseases have been known for years, and more data is revealing knowledge in the area. A recent example of the role of nutrition in boosting the immune system was manifested in the role of vitamin C and Zn in the prevention and treatment of Covid 19. Research also shows that up to 80% of non-communicable diseases can be prevented by proper nutrition. Moreover, nutrition plays a vital role in genetic disorders such as inborn errors of metabolism, nutritionally acquired genetic disorders, and nutrigenetic interactions leading to epigenetic and genotoxicity. Hence, the function of nutrition expands beyond preventing malnutrition to achieve optimal health.
Nutrition deals with several disciplines and emerging knowledge in nutrition is expanding the field and leading to new knowledge in food-drug interaction, personalized nutrition, nutraceuticals, and epigenetics. Also, recent findings reveal the role of nutrition in normal bacterial flora, which directly affects pathological conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
Objectives
The overall objective of the center is to achieve optimal health at the personal, community, and national levels contributing to the national policy of self-reliance by decreasing dependency on pharmaceuticals. In addition, the results from the research will help alleviate the skyrocketing healthcare costs, improving life quality and enhancing economic productivity.
Thus, the center aims to research nutrition, food, and health science and focus on the sub-aims:
The center will include scientific disciplines in nutrition, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, nutraceuticals, statistics, clinical laboratory science, and epidemiology. Hence, the center will be a platform for research and development in nutrition and health-related disciplines.
The center will work in collaboration with concerned ministries and colleges and actively work to involve Eritrean intellectuals in Eritrea and the Diaspora who are working within the theme. The center will thus play a vital role in reverse migration/brain gain by creating a platform for Eritrean intellectuals. The center will also serve educational purposes by actively involving postgraduate students in research.
Research conducted
Currently, there is a research team working on various topics that the center aims to achieve, that includes
Research conducted
Currently, there is a research team working on various topics that the center aims to achieve, that includes
Research planned for 2023
(the research topics are limited by the available platform)
The research programs
The Research center Nutrition, Food, and Health Research Center will consist of three sections.
Section A: Identifying Knowledge gaps and collecting baseline data.
The traditional eating habits, traditional knowledge of food technology, and the medicinal value of dietary components and edible plants are poorly documented and at risk of being lost. Thus, gathering and documenting this knowledge will be a pivotal task for the center. The knowledge acquired will support the center in prioritizing research topics within the theme.
Section B: Identification and Quantification
Nutritional content in food items in Eritrea will be analyzed and documented in a National Nutrition Database.
Use biochemical, analytical, biomolecular, microbiological, and pharmacological approaches to investigate, identify, and quantify active components in edible commercial and wild plants.
Use biochemical, analytical, biomolecular, microbiological, and pharmacological approaches to investigate the possible presence of undesired chemicals in food or drinking water to eliminate/minimize their use.
Section C: Clinical Nutrition
Clinical research will be performed through intervention studies in vivo (in humans and animals). Food components and edible plants will be used in human studies, while extracts, concentrates, and identified active components will be used for in vitro and in vivo (animal) experiments. All Human and animal experiments will be conducted with approval from the Ethical Committee.
Section D: Community Nutrition
Baseline data on current nutritional and health status is another critical factor to investigate. The knowledge acquired in this section will be an asset in identifying nutritional gaps and in planning nutrition interventions and research road maps for Eritrea.
Section E: Statistical Analysis
Statistics is a critical component of science, and statistical methods and analyses will be used to support all research methodologies and conclusions.
Section F:
Knowledge management and IT will be employed to facilitate the documentation and dissemination of acquired knowledge.
Research Facility
The proposed facility is equipped with:
Most of the equipment in the proposed center is outdated and needs to be completed with up-to-date instruments. A list of required instruments is attached (attachment 1)
(this data is from 2019 before the laboratory was closed by the OCMHS)
Researchers and other Personnel
A research committee will be formed from active researchers with expertise in nutrition, chemical and molecular nutrition, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, pharmacology, clinical laboratory science, epidemiology, and statistics.
The research committee should be a dynamic group composed of researchers selected based on the activity of their research history.
The center will be open for research with ethically approved relevant studies. The researcher, if not a Ph.D. should have supervisor (s) with Ph.D. with appropriate expertise.
The daily activities will be maintained by a laboratory assistant, a laboratory technician, and a cleaning personnel. A secretary, economy personnel, and the research committee will deal with financial management issues of the center.
Funding
After the start of the grant from the government, continued grants for sustainability should be based on the activity and productivity of the center, which should be validated through a yearly report.
Collaboration
The center will work in collaboration with concerned ministries and colleges and actively work to involve Eritrean intellectuals in Eritrea and the Diaspora who are working within the theme. The center will thus play a vital role in reverse migration/brain gain by creating a platform for Eritrean intellectuals. The center will also serve educational purposes by actively involving postgraduate students in research.
Objectives
The overall objective of the center is to achieve optimal health at the personal, community, and national levels, hence contributing to the national policy of self-reliance by decreasing dependency on pharmaceuticals, alleviating the skyrocketing healthcare costs, improving life quality, and enhancing economic productivity.
Thus, the center aims to research nutrition, food, and health science and focus on the sub-aims:
The center will include scientific disciplines in nutrition, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, nutraceuticals, statistics, clinical laboratory science, and epidemiology. Hence, the center will be a platform for research and development in nutrition and health-related disciplines.
Research Facility
The proposed facility is currently equipped with:
Most of the equipments in the proposed centre are outdated and need to be completed with up-to-date instruments .A list of required instruments is attached (attachment 1)
The research programs
The Research center Nutrition, Food, and Health Research Center will consist of three sections.
Section A: Identifying Knowledge gaps and collecting baseline data.
The traditional eating habits, traditional knowledge of food technology, and the medicinal value of dietary components and edible plants are poorly documented and at risk of being lost. Thus, gathering and documenting this knowledge will be a pivotal task for the center. The knowledge acquired will support the center in prioritizing research topics within the theme.
Section B: Identification and Quantification
Nutritional content in food items in Eritrea will be analyzed and documented in a National Nutrition Database.
Use biochemical, analytical, biomolecular, microbiological, and pharmacological approaches to investigate, identify, and quantify active components in edible commercial and wild plants.
Use biochemical, analytical, biomolecular, microbiological, and pharmacological approaches to investigate the possible presence of undesired chemicals in food or drinking water to eliminate/minimize their use.
Section C: Clinical Nutrition
Clinical research will be performed through intervention studies in vivo (in humans and animals). Food components and edible plants will be used in human studies, while extracts, concentrates, and identified active components will be used for in vitro and in vivo (animal) experiments. All Human and animal experiments will be conducted with approval from the Ethical Committee.
Section D: Community Nutrition
Baseline data on current nutritional and health status is another critical factor to investigate. The knowledge acquired in this section will be an asset in identifying nutritional gaps and in planning nutrition interventions and research road maps for Eritrea.
Section E: Statistical Analysis
Statistics is a critical component of science, and statistical methods and analyses will be used to support all research methodologies and conclusions.
Section F:
Knowledge management and IT will be employed to facilitate the documentation and dissemination of acquired knowledge.
Section G: Knowledge Management
Knowledge management and IT in order to facilitate the documentation and dissemination of acquired knowledge.
Researchers and other Personnel
A research committee will be formed from active researchers with expertise in Nutrition, chemical and molecular nutrition, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, pharmacology, clinical laboratory science, epidemiology, and statistics.
The research committee should be a dynamic group composed of researchers selected based on the activity of their research history.
The centre will be open for research with ethically approved relevant studies. The researcher, if not a Ph.D. him/herself should have supervisor (s) with Ph.D. with appropriate expertise.
The day-to-day activities of the center will be maintained by a laboratory assistant, a laboratory technician, and cleaning personal. A secretary, economy personnel, and the research committee will deal with financial management issues of the centre.
Nutrition, Food and Health Science Research Center
The goal of the Nutrition, Food and Health Science Research Center (NFHSRC) at the Orotta collage of Medicine and Health Science is to promote optimal health. Optimal health can be achieved i) by promoting intake of components in food and edible plants that have beneficial health effect and ii) by omitting/minimizing exposure to elements in the environment (food, drinking water and air) that pose health risk. Thus, the center aims:
Through clinically determining the protective and curative effects of active components in food and edible plants and minimizing exposure to harmful chemicals in the environment using interdisciplinary research in the area of nutrition, pharmacy, biochemistry, molecular and microbiology.
Hence the center will provide research-based knowledge to promote and sustain health for all at personal, community and national level.
Mission of NFSHRC
The goal for NFSHRC is to promote multidisciplinary research aiming to promote health, food security and safety, identify and characterize active components in food and edible plants i.e. identify functional foods that may play important role in prevention and treatment of adverse health conditions. And prevention of adverse heath through omission/minimizing harmful chemicals.
Vision
The vision of the center is to eliminate and control preventable diseases by creating knowledge through multidisciplinary state of the art research. Thus, lead to optimal and sustain health for all.Back Ground
The fundamental role of general nutrition in human development and growth and in maintenance of good health is well documented. It is common knowledge that mal-nutrition leads to deficiency disorders such as beriberi, scurvy, rickets. Dietary recommendations have so far been set to prevent such deficiency disorder. However, the recent approaches in dietary recommendations include the role of diet in maintaining optimal health. Scientific findings show the mechanisms on the integral role of active components flavonoids, phytochemicals, and antioxidants in food (i.e. components in food and edible plants with medicinal potency) in promoting optimal health at molecular and biochemical level. Such examples are the health benefits of active components of garlic: diallyl sulphides, the anti-diabetic effect of soluble fibers, the role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in prevention of cardiovascular diseases and more. Nutrition also plays vital role in genetic disorders such as inborn errors of metabolism, nutritionally acquired genetic disorders and nutri-genetic interactions leading to epigenetic and geno-toxicity. Recent findings reveal the role of normal bacterial flora, which is directly correlated to the diet, on pathological conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases (diseases collectively known as non-communicable diseases).
In the health sector, endemic increase in non-communicable diseases has become leading killers. Research shows us that up to 80% of non-communicable diseases can be prevented by proper nutrition. Eritrea like many developing countries faces double burden of malnutrition and endemic increase of non-communicable diseases that can be prevented by awareness and research-based knowledge. In addition, identifying and correctly incorporating active components in the diet and in edible plants can boost and accelerate the favorable health promoting effect of balanced diet. Thus, interventions with active dietary components and proper nutrition can alleviate skyrocketing health care costs, improve life quality and in the long run enhance economic productivity. In the area of communicable disease, optimal nutrition aids in prevention of disease and in optimizing the efficacy of drugs. More and more plants are being reviled to possess antibacterial activity including anti drug resistant microbes. In the era where global health is threatened by increased drug resistant microbes research and discovery of new antimicrobial drugs is urgent and crucial. Thus, the center will be involved in studies of antimicrobial potency of active components in food and edible plants.
The role of toxic chemicals in food and environment is well investigated. Thus, the center aims to maintain chemically-safe environment through continuous surveillance and determination of trace pollutants in food, water and aerosols samples. The research will include scientific disciplines in the area of nutrition, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, pharmacology, statistics, clinical laboratory science, epidemiology and medicine. More over research at the center will incorporate and systematically and scientifically validate and document the vast traditional knowledge of medicinal value of dietary components and edible plants.
The center will therefore be a platform for research and development in several nutrition and health related disciplines. The center will also serve for educational purposes through actively involving postgraduate students in research. More over, the center will actively work to involve Eritrean intellectuals in Eritrea and in Diaspora that are working within the theme. Thus, the center will play a vital role in reverse migration/brain gain by creating a platform for Eritrean intellectuals all over the world.
Research program at the food for health research center
The Research of FHRC will consist of three sections:
Section A
Identifying Knowledge gaps and collecting base line data.
The traditional knowledge in medicinal value of dietary components and edible plants is poorly documented and many times at risk of being lost. Thus, documenting this knowledge will be an important task for the center. Moreover, the center will work to indentify knowledge gaps in nutrition. Identifying knowledge gaps will aid the center to priorities research topics within the theme. Base line data will be collected and used for evaluation of the effect of time and/or any intervention on the base line. In this section, public health and epidemiological approaches will be employed. The knowledge acquired in this section will be an asset in planning nutrition research road map in Eritrea.
Section B
Identification and quantification
This section deals with research at molecular level where by active components in the diet and /or edible wild plants as well as toxic components in food and drinking water will be identified, isolated, and quantified. In this section biochemical, analytical, molecular biological, microbiological, and pharmacological approach will be used.
Section C
Interventional studies
With approval from ethical committee intervention studies in vivo (in humans and/or animals) will be performed. Food components and edible plants will be used for human studies while extracts, concentrates and identified active components will be used for in vitro and in vivo (animal) experiments. Nutrition and all the above mentioned disciplines will be employed in this section
Research Facility
The NFSHRC is found in the vicinity of Orotta College of Medicine and Health Sciences. The facility has a relatively well equipped
Researchers and other Personals
Contact Information
Nutrition and Food and Health Science Research Center
P Box 1220
Asmara Eritrea
Tel (291)