PhD Defence Julia N. DeBenedictis

Keywords: Phytochemicals, Disease prevention, Nutrigenetics, Nutrigenomics
 

"Dietary Phytochemicals for Personalized Prevention: Navigating Complexities"

This doctoral thesis delves into the powerful role of dietary phytochemicals from whole fruits and vegetables in reducing chronic disease risk. It examines how different food processing methods and storage conditions affect the extractability and absorption of these vital compounds. A key component of the research is the MiBLEND study, a human intervention trial investigating how different combinations of fruits and vegetables, rich in diverse phytochemicals, influence chronic disease markers and gene expression. 

The research also explores the impact of genetic variability, identifying how individual genetic profiles can modify the body’s response to specific fruit and vegetable combinations. Additionally, advanced analytical techniques were applied to the PHYTOME study, uncovering new insights into how genetic factors influence the genotoxic response to processed red meat and red meat with added plant extracts. Using bioinformatics techniques, the thesis further reveals potential mechanisms by which plant extracts may aid in the prevention of colorectal cancer, based on gene expression data from colon tissue.

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