MRC Human Nutrition Research was the largest

research institute A research institute, research centre, or research organization is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often implies natural ...

in the UK for

human nutrition Human nutrition deals with the provision of essential nutrients in food that are necessary to support human life and good health. Poor nutrition is a chronic problem often linked to poverty, food security, or a poor understanding of nutrition ...

, and was based in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

History

In 1998 MRC Human Nutrition Research (HNR) was formed as a result of the restructuring of the

Dunn Human Nutrition Unit Dunn may refer to: Places in the United States * Dunn, Indiana, a ghost town * Dunn, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Dunn, North Carolina, a city * Dunn County, North Dakota, county * Dunn, Texas, an unincorporated community * Dunn County ...

following the resignation of Professor Roger Whitehead. The Medical Research Council (MRC), founded in 1913, had previously had a Human Nutrition Research Unit at the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

; this was founded and directed by BS Platt, and was interested in serious nutritional deficiencies in children, that would cause significantly premature death. HNR was formed in order to continue to advance the MRC's portfolio of strategic and applied nutrition research. In 2016, following restructuring and refocusing of its research interests HNR was renamed MRC Elsie Widdowson Laboratory (MRC EWL). In December 2018 MRC EWL closed.

Mission

The mission of HNR was to conduct nutrition research and surveillance to improve the health of the population with a focus on

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess Adipose tissue, body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health. People are classifi ...

and metabolic risk,

musculoskeletal The human musculoskeletal system (also known as the human locomotor system, and previously the activity system) is an organ system that gives humans the ability to move using their muscular and skeletal systems. The musculoskeletal system provid ...

health,

intestinal The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascular system. T ...

health and

nutritional Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food and water to support its life. The intake of these substances provides organisms with nutrients (divided into macro- and micro-) which can be metabolized t ...

inequalities.

Objectives

HNR's four objectives were to: *Advance knowledge through discovery science, the development of innovative methodologies and the application of specialist expertise in priority areas *Improve health and economic advantage through the exchange of knowledge and technology to inform nutrition policy and practice *Provide opportunities for training and to build capacity for nutrition research *Foster a dialogue with the public on nutrition science and its implications for health

Structure

HNR wa
based
at Peterhouse Technology Park, in south-east Cambridge, on the

South Cambridgeshire South Cambridgeshire is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district of Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 162,119 at the 2021 census. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Chesterton Rural District and South Cambri ...

-Cambridge boundary, round the corner from

Fulbourn Hospital Fulbourn Hospital is a mental health facility located between the Cambridgeshire village of Fulbourn and the Cambridge city boundary at Cherry Hinton, about south-east of the city centre. It is managed by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS ...

ARM Holdings Arm Holdings plc (formerly an acronym for Advanced RISC Machines and originally Acorn RISC Machine) is a British semiconductor and software design company based in Cambridge, England, whose primary business is the design of central processing ...

have their headquarters on the same site. It was divided into three main research departments and a support department: * Cellular and Molecular Sciences * Nutritional Physiology & Biomarkers * Diet and Population Health * Scientific Operations & Logistics These departments housed research groups concerned with: * Maternal & Child Nutrition * National Nutrition Surveys * Nutrition & Bone Health * Nutritional Interventions * Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders * Nutrition Communications and Translation into Policy & Practice * Nutrition Epidemiology * Biomineral Research * Lipid Profiling and Signalling * Physiological Modelling of Metabolic Risk * Dietary Assessment HNR also had a library which housed an important collection of historically significant research documents.

Function

HNR conducted nutrition research and surveillance to improve the health of the population with a focus on obesity and metabolic risk, musculoskeletal health, intestinal health and nutritional inequalities.

Research

In November 1999 HNR scientists discovered that children in the early 1950s, despite

food rationing Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...

, had healthier diets than children today. They had a greater intake of calcium, from drinking more milk, and of iron, as they ate more red meat than poultry and iron containing dark green vegetables such as

broccoli Broccoli (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''italica'') is an edible green plant in the Brassicaceae, cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus ''Brassica'') whose large Pseudanthium, flowering head, plant stem, stalk and small associated leafy gre ...

and

kale Kale (), also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars primarily grown for their Leaf vegetable, edible leaves; it has also been used as an ornamental plant. Its multiple different cultivars vary quite ...

. In the early 1950s, no children would have eaten pasta, but 50% of children in the 1990s did. However children in the 1950s were faced with more incurable illnesses, prevented today by

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

. In September 2002, HNR scientists proved a link between

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

and being overweight. They found that people who had lost 9 lb in weight had reduced the chances of having diabetes by 58%. In 2007, a study was conducted to research the effect of negative weight stigmas on patients. The conclusion was that in several cases, the belief in the negative weight stigmas led to overeating and bad health habits in patients who were studies. More details can be found in the official report listed under references. HNR participated in the

National Diet and Nutrition Survey National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

and the MRC's National Survey of Health and Development,NSHD
/ref> which showed insights such as approximately five per cent of the UK's population are vegetarian.

References

HNR

External links

HNR

University of Cambridge Research Horizons

News items

Convenience meals in February 2008

Children's obesity in March 2007

Watercress and cancer prevention in February 2007

Heart disease in May 2004

Fast food in October 2003

Whole grain foods in July 2001
{{authority control Biological research institutes in the United Kingdom Food science institutes Government agencies established in 1998 Medical Research Council (United Kingdom) Medical research institutes in the United Kingdom Nutrition in the United Kingdom Nutritional science organizations Organisations based in Cambridge Research institutes established in 1998 Research institutes in Cambridge 1998 establishments in the United Kingdom