As more of us look to improve our health and wellbeing, antioxidants have piqued the interest of some in the food and drinks industry.

There is plenty of evidence that antioxidants are vital in protecting our cells from harm, but how does that link to our diets?

How does what we eat correlate with the number and type of antioxidants in our bodies?

And what about supplements? What role can they play, if any, in this area?

Dr Christine Bösch, Associate Professor in Nutrition, University of Leeds

Dr Christine Bösch is Associate Professor in Nutrition and Director of Postgraduate Research Studies at the School of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds.

She has a strong interest in nutrition-related research with a focus on the health-promoting effects of dietary antioxidants and their mechanism of action.

This includes: The impact of plant secondary metabolites in the prevention and/or intervention of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

It also takes in the potential of polyphenols to alter cell signalling and gene expression to attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation.

As well as the effects of polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods on glycaemic response, and valorisation of food processing waste for high-value bioactive recovery.

Dr Bösch is part of the following research groups and institutions: Nutrition and Public Health; Obesity, Cancer, and Metabolic Disease; Human Nutrition and Lifestyle Intervention; and Food safety, Food Security, and Global Health.