Cruse of Diamond Light Source on a new breakthrough in food HOW do we have the strength to keep our bodies thriving over days, months and decades? Food.

Food is the fuel for life. It gives us the energy and strength to survive. And yet, our relationship with what we eat is not always so simple. Many of us struggle to get the right sort of nutrition from our food, and almost 300 million in the world do not have enough to eat – that is about one in nine people.

But scientists are at work trying to help address hunger and malnutrition, both internationally and closer to home. Malnutrition might not be a problem that we immediately associate with this green and pleasant land, but time and again studies have pointed to rising problems with nutrition in the UK.

Approximately three million people suffer from malnutrition in this country, and it is an issue that is closely related to poverty, ill-health and lifestyle. But what can science do to help?

Using Oxfordshire science facilities, researchers are studying the way in which nutrients are stored in different foods to try and develop more efficient ways of providing people with the nutrition they need.

Wholegrain foods are well-known for being a good source of nutrition, but research in Oxfordshire has recently found that they could be even more essential than we previously realised.

Using advanced techniques, scientists have been able to pinpoint where and how different nutrients – like zinc, magnesium, iron and ferulic acid – are stored in wholegrain.

Their research has provided new evidence to show that wholegrain plays a vital role in the prevention of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease.

The findings suggest that adequate wholegrain consumption could be even more important to long-term health than getting five fruit and veg portions a day. This work tells us more about how best we can improve the country’s nutrition and improve diets for the estimated 80 per cent of people in the UK who do not get enough wholegrain.

But even for those of us who do get enough grains in our diet, this may not be enough. Wheat is one of the most popular foods in the world; more than half a billion tons are consumed each year. And those little grains pack a whole host of nutrients – great news, right? Well, yes, but there is an issue.

Wheat varieties commonly in use today produce high amounts of a substance called phytate – it is harmless, but it can cause the nutrients within wheat to become indigestible to humans. That means we can eat all the wheat we want, and yet not reap the full nutritional benefits.

And so Oxfordshire facilities are helping scientists to explore how this ‘locking away’ process works. Over centuries of plant breeding, we have created super-strong wheat, but a by-product of that has been wheat with high-levels of phytate.

But if scientists can work out more about the chemistry within our wheat, then their findings could inform future plant breeding programmes, restoring some of that lost nutritional content and allowing us to enjoy wheat in all its nutritious glory.

But it does not stop there. Research in Oxfordshire is also looking into how to protect crops from disease, how to maintain the health of animal livestock, and even how to prevent the impact of food-related bacteria growth on our teeth.

Food is one of the most vital resources we have, and scientists play a vital role in helping us all to get the nutrition and sustenance we need. So next time you take a bite out of a nice big sandwich, spare a thought for the humble scientist: for their tireless efforts help to make each bite that little bit better.