Worldwide, 11 million deaths annually are attributable to poor nutrition. The phenomenon of ‘malnutrition as well as obesity’ is increasing worldwide due to the rising cost of healthy eating. Major culprits for obesity and heart failure are ultra-processed foods. These products are most often rich in fat and sugar, but lack essential vitamins and minerals. Heart failure, in which the heart struggles to pump enough blood, affects nearly 38,000 Dutch people every year. Despite drugs that relieve symptoms, the prognosis remains poor. Low selenium levels in heart failure are associated with reduced quality of life. With his research, Nils Bömer aims to understand the harmful effects of selenium deficiency. He also wants to explore how to develop good strategies for prevention. In his study, he starts by investigating cells and ‘fabricated’ heart tissue. He wants to apply the results of this later, via an animal study, in a first study in humans.
