The Manitoban: Proteins as nutritional tools

Unlocking the potential of peptides to improve human health

High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for heart disease and affects close to one in four Canadian adults. Cancer causes around a quarter of deaths annually. Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia affect over 650,000 Canadians, a number that is expected to almost triple by 2050.

What do these three diseases have in common? For Rotimi Aluko, U of M professor in the faculty of agricultural and food sciences, they are the targets of research aimed at using proteins as nutritional tools to improve health outcomes.

Whether it is found in a hamburger or soybeans, proteins are large biological molecules made up of units called amino acids that are needed for the body to function properly.

To read the article, visit The Manitoban.