Nikki Renall

Citation

Thesis Title
New pathways to obesity prevention and metabolic health: the relationship between diet and the gut microbiome

Diet is one of the key drivers of the global obesity epidemic and New Zealand has one of the highest obesity rates in the world. Based on the results from animal studies, the gut microbiota may play a role in this multifaceted disease. Additionally, habitual diet is known to influence the composition of the gut microbiota in humans. Ms Renall explored the association between the habitual diet of Pacific and New Zealand European women with different metabolic disease risk (high and moderate risk of obesity, respectively) and body fat profiles (normal and obese), in relation to the composition of their gut microbiota and metabolic disease risk. Ms Renall’s research provides greater understanding of the association between habitual diet and characteristics of the microbiota further highlighting that habitual diet, microbiota, and metabolic health associations are similar for a population of women with different metabolic disease risk and body fat profiles.

Supervisors
Professor Bernhard Breier
Professor Rozanne Kruger
Professor Gerald Tannock