Department of Food Science

 PhD project: Enhancing calcium absorption from milk sources by matrix effects - ECAMO

University: Aarhus University

Department: Department of Food Science

Supervisor: Hanne Christine S. Bertram, Professor

Co-supervisor: Henrik Jørgen Andersen, Senior Executive R&D Advisor and Adj. Professor, Arla Food Ingredients

Project term: 01/12/2019-30/11/2022

Master’s degree: MSc in Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology

 BACKGROUND

This project targets an important global challenge; the incidence of osteoporosis and its associated fracture risk is anticipated to become a worldwide burden due to the ongoing demographic changes towards ageing populations. It is estimated that approx. 6 % of men and 21 % of women aged 50–84 years have osteoporosis, and that osteoporotic fractures account for 2 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) alone in Europe. The reason that why post-menopause women are easier to suffer osteoporosis may be related with gut-bone axis. Thus, in this project we will investigate if we can enhance calcium absorption through concomitant use of bioactive dairy calcium and promotion of a favorable gut environment through inclusion of prebiotic and/or lactose in the food matrix.

 AIM

The project aims to explore how the combination of a dairy calcium source with prebiotic inulin can create a gut-bone food concept to promote the absorption of calcium and hereby improve bone mineralization.

 RESEARCH OUTLINE

The ECAMO project, basing on rat experiments, will document that calcium absorption and thereby bone mineralization can be modulated by combining dairy calcium with inulin and/or lactose in a food matrix. The project will thereby facilitate the development of a gut-bone food concept where calcium absorption is enhanced through a strategic food design with a combination of a bioactive dairy calcium ingredient and fermentable dietary fiber inclusion. 

 PARTNERS OF COLLABORATION

Arla Food Ingredients

Prof. Axel Kornerup Hansen, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen

Prof. Dennis S. Nielsen, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen