Research fields and range of services

Nutrition and health interact in various ways. Many diseases require dietary adjustments, and the quality of nutritional advice can have a significant impact on recovery.

Our team researches which nutritional interventions are particularly effective and how nutritionists can support those affected in implementing them in everyday life. This can then be used as a basis to demonstrate quality and cost-effectiveness.

Our goal is to strengthen the nutrition system of the future and to contribute to optimal healthcare within planetary boundaries with solid solutions for research and practice. Our projects are aimed at the promotion of health, prevention and nutritional therapy.

Our research focus

Nutritional therapy for malnutrition and deficiency

Nutritionists often encounter the diagnosis of malnutrition and sarcopenia in everyday clinical practice. Malnutrition and sarcopenia have a significant impact on the course of recovery in affected patients. It is therefore crucial to detect malnutrition early on and initiate individually tailored interventions. In our work on malnutrition and sarcopenia, we focus on prevention, detection through screening and assessment, and management. We work in various settings (home care, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics) and with different target groups (the elderly, children, health professionals).

Food allergies and intolerances and functional bowel diseases

In Switzerland, an estimated 20 per cent of people suffer from food allergies and intolerances and functional bowel diseases. Nutritional interventions can help alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce health costs. Our research aims to create a solid base of evidence for nutritional interventions and to demonstrate their efficacy and cost-effectiveness using validated measurement instruments. To this end, we develop and validate practice guidelines, core outcome sets and measurement instruments, applying them in studies on the effectiveness of various nutritional interventions. We work in a participatory manner with the various target groups (patients, relatives and representatives of the health professions).

Nutrition for vulnerable groups

A balanced diet is associated with numerous challenges, especially for children, adolescents, the elderly, migrants and other vulnerable groups. We use different research methods to reach these groups and support them in their everyday nutritional routine as best as possible. In addition to quantitative surveys, we use participatory approaches to learn more about the needs of the target groups, promote nutrition-related skills and derive nutritional recommendations specific to each group. We want to ensure a high-quality, efficient basis in the area of nutrition and well-being with digital applications, communication tools and interventions.

Our projects for the elderly are carried out in close cooperation with the Institute on Ageing.

Plant-based diets

The current global nutrition system causes roughly a third of greenhouse gas emissions around the world and contributes significantly to the transgression of planetary boundaries. Controversy surrounds public and professional discourse on how a plant-based diet can be designed to also have a positive effect on individual health. We examine the connections between plant-based diets and their health effects, using methods from epidemiology and validating nutritional survey methods with nutritional protocols and biomarkers. We also evaluate the acceptance of instruments among nutritionists and develop tools to promote a healthy, plant-based diet in the population. This allows us to make a contribution to creating a sustainable nutrition system that enables the constantly growing population to have a healthy, plant-based diet within planetary boundaries.