Healthy Diet
Professor John Draper

My research has centred on developing molecular diagnostics to accurately measure what people eat and to show how metabolites derived from distinctive chemicals found in specific foods can be identified in urine the day after consumption.

It has pioneered the development and commercialisation of postable urine sampling kits suitable for use in home, community and clinical settings anywhere in the world.

This approach is far more reliable than the traditional assessment of dietary intake by self-reporting using questionnaires or diet diaries, which is fraught with problems due to misreporting and the complexity of processed foods available in supermarkets.

Biomarkers of food intake (BFIs) can provide objective information on habitual diet, which is important in order to link exposure to discrete foods with specific health outcomes and thus advise public health policies. BFIs can also provide scope for developing an evidence base for the future design of ‘Functional Foods’ that can help alleviate problems associated with many chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease.