Marjukka Kolehmainen

My research concerns about the health effects of foods and their components that I have been studying in acute, short and long term clinical dietary interventions for more than 20 years. Regarding foods, main scientific interest has been in the impact of whole grain cereals and berries and more recently also in other plant based foods and their bioactive components from the molecular level to whole body physiology. The recent research focus has been in the effects mediated by the gut microbiota and related gut barrier function. Thus, we have been setting up in vitro model for studying gut microbiota activity and will continue developing it further with modular gut barrier interaction modelling. Gut related activities are of great interest since its strong interaction with high fibre and protein foods and contribution to the development of inflammation, but also its contribution to both physical and mental health and wellbeing. In addition, I am interested in gut-liver axis and gut barrier permeability in this context, if we can find diet related factors to support healthy gut barrier and to prevent liver disease.