Photo: Stephen Andrews for Unsplash
Wanted: 150 babies, aged around six months, to take part in a new study. Must be open to trying new things, especially kūmara, and be available to provide poo samples upon request.
University of Auckland researchers are investigating the benefits of kūmara on babies' microbiomes to see if the vegetable will boost sleep and immune development.
The randomised study will compare the impact of consuming a standard kūmara powder with increased resistant starch (from green banana) on the baby's gut bacteria, and how this supports infant immune health.
Professor Clare Wall, Head of the Department of Nutrition, says the microbiome (the bugs that grow in our gut, particularly in the large bowel) plays an important role in our health.
"We know that if we can keep them healthy, they're really important in terms of keeping us healthy, really important for our immune system, and also for things like our mood and how we sleep. We know there's quite a lot of research in adults, but there's very little research in infants and young children."
Hall says breast milk and breastfeeding helps develop the microbiome up until the first year of life or as long as a baby is breastfed for.
"But what we're really interested in is what happens when you start introducing solids into a baby's diet, because we know that there are certain types of bacteria that proliferate because of breastfeeding, but as soon as you introduce solid foods into the diet, the types of bacteria and the amount and the diversity, changes."
Researchers have already recruited 150 babies and Hall says they're looking for another 150 for the four-month study.
Participating babies should be just at the stage of starting solids - around six months old. Parents or caregivers and babies will be required to provide data and poo samples, and be available to visit the Clinical Research Centre in the University of Auckland's Grafton Campus for three visits every two months. Interested participants can find out more here.
