Researchers at the University College Cork (UCC) Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences are looking for volunteers to conduct research on how to create dietary guidelines to help protect health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“My Planet Diet” is a 12-week nutrition study that gives participants the opportunity to improve their health while eating sustainably.
The study also examines whether these guidelines can provide people with the adequate nutrients they need, compared to a healthy diet that does not consider environmental impacts.
Researchers are seeking healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 64 who eat meat most days to participate in the 12-week study. This includes feedback on your existing diet and personalized nutritional advice from a qualified nutritionist. You’ll also be provided with personalized resources and recipes along the way.
Professor Mairead Kiely, Dean of Food and Nutritional Sciences at UCC and principal investigator of the study, said:
“This research allows us to create diets that are healthier for people and healthier for the planet,” she added.
In order to provide useful information for the study, researchers will collect information on the participants’ dietary intake, analyze nutrient levels in urine and blood, and measure weight, height, blood pressure, etc.
This research is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Oceans. The information collected will be used to inform policy makers and support the development of sustainable dietary guidelines.
The study was a collaboration between University College Cork, University College Dublin and Queen’s University of Belfast, and was funded by the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Food, Marine and DAERA to promote sustainable, healthy part of an island-wide project on healthy eating. Led by Teagasc Ashtown.
For more information, please email researcher Ursula Leonard: myplanetdiet@ucc.ie
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