A new gut bacterium common in healthy people offers promise for obesity
21 Jul 2021by GMFH Editing Team
We have known for a while that obesity has a microbial component. Now, a team of scientists led by Patrice D. Cani reports a novel bacterium isolated from the human gut that counteracts diet-induced obesity, inflammation and glucose dysregulation in mice.
Could dead microorganisms or their components promote health? Is it time for postbiotics
7 Jul 2021by Andreu Prados
It is known that live microorganisms, when ingested in adequate amounts, may confer health benefits. Now, scientists have established a consensus definition for dead microbial cells and/or their components and clarified how you might benefit from them.
Is it time to include safe live microorganisms as components of a balanced diet?
23 Jun 2021by Mary Ellen Sanders
Scientists agree that having a gut microbiota that is in ‘good shape’ is a crucial component of individual health and well-being. Although exactly how ‘good shape’ is defined is not so clear, many experts recommend consuming more live dietary microbes through including fermented foods that retain live microbial components.
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Increasing awareness of celiac disease – An interview with Dr Elena Verdú
26 May 2021by GMFH Editing Team
According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, celiac disease affects 1 in 100 people worldwide. To mark International Coeliac Day, GMFH interviews Dr Elena Verdú from McMaster University (Canada), who explains some key facts about the condition.
Food, and its food components, nutrients or additives, can affect the composition and function of the gut microbiota. This article provides a summary of the food components that contribute to optimal microbiota health and explains how they can impact it.
Research & Practice news
Targeting fungi for Crohn’s disease? A fungus used in the food industry for surface ripening cheese and meat is involved in impairing colonic healing
15 Sep 2021by Andreu Prados
Scientists have discovered a fungus that delays wound healing in mice and is enriched in inflamed tissue from patients with Crohn’s disease. The findings, coupled with the discovery of an engineered yeast that suppresses inflammation in a mouse model of colitis, highlights the potential of studying fungi-host interactions in IBD.
Does exposing cesarean-delivered newborns to the vaginal microbiome restore microbiome development? More clinical trials are needed before conclusions can be made
16 Aug 2021by GMFH Editing Team
Restoring maternal microbes immediately after birth, in a practice dubbed ‘vaginal seeding’, has been suggested as a means of improving microbiome development in cesarean-born neonates. Two new studies come to contradictory findings, however, highlighting the need for more clinical trials before the practice is generalized.
Modulating gut microbes with fiber, microbiota-accessible carbohydrates and prebiotics: an update of definitions and health benefits
2 Aug 2021by Andreu Prados
While we have known for a while that a diet consisting of fiber-rich foods reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases and lowers people’s mortality rate, scientists have only recently started elucidating why fiber is beneficial for human health. This article clarifies the definition and health implications of the closely related terms fiber, MACs and prebiotics.
