The 2nd international scientific seminar of the ERA Chair Welcoming ERA Chair to Centre of Excellence in Nutrigenomics to optimise health and well-being will take place on 30 May at 10:00 am at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research PAS.
The seminar will host Professor Karl-Heinz Herzig, specialist in internal medicine, gastroenterology and physiology, lecturer at the Medical School of Oulu University in Finland. His research interests are cross-organ communication (gut-liver-brain-muscle-fat) in the metabolic syndrome utilizing different model systems, human intervention trials and cohort studies.
During the seminar in Olsztyn, he will give a lecture on Metabolic syndrome and Vitamin D – mechanisms, benefits and limitations. The metabolic syndrome is defined by increased fasting plasma glucose, abdominal obesity, high triglyceride levels, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The incidence of the metabolic syndrome is increasing. Vitamin D is a steroid-structured hormone produced in the skin to UVB-radiation or obtained from certain food products. Besides its well know roles in calcium and phosphate homeostasis (e.g. Rickets disease) it has a variety of other metabolic effects e.g. on inflammation, hypertension. Decreased seasonal sun light, obesity, and old age are associated with decreased Vitamin D levels. Therefore, food products have been fortified with Vitamin D and additional supplementation recommended to aid in the prevention of certain diseases. In the lecture, mechanisms and effects of vitamin D supplementations will be highlighted and their limitations discussed.
