Nutrition

News Watch

Carbohydrates take many forms—but lately, certain ones are getting more attention: the kinds of carbs that resist digestion in the upper portion of the gastrointestinal tract and continue on to meet the gut microorganisms in the colon. Dr. Laure Bindels, Professor at Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), is wondering whether the health benefits of these complex carbohydrates, including resistant starch…

Kristina Campbell
Science writer Kristina Campbell (M.Sc.), from British Columbia (Canada), specializes in communicating about the gut microbiota, digestive health, and nutrition. Author of the best selling Well-Fed Microbiome Cookbook, her freelance work has appeared in publications around the world. Kristina joined the Gut Microbiota for Health publishing team in 2014.  Find her on: Google • Twitter

Carbohydrates take many forms—but lately, certain ones are getting more attention: the kinds of carbs that resist digestion in the upper portion of the gastrointestinal tract and continue on to meet the gut microorganisms in the colon. Dr. Laure Bindels, Professor at Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), is wondering whether the health benefits of these complex carbohydrates, including resistant starch…

Kristina Campbell
Science writer Kristina Campbell (M.Sc.), from British Columbia (Canada), specializes in communicating about the gut microbiota, digestive health, and nutrition. Author of the best selling Well-Fed Microbiome Cookbook, her freelance work has appeared in publications around the world. Kristina joined the Gut Microbiota for Health publishing team in 2014.  Find her on: Google • Twitter

Understanding the interaction between brain, gut and microbiome is the goal of John Cryan's work as Principal Investigator at the APC Microbiome Institute in Cork, Ireland. In the talk he gave at TEDxHa'pennyBridge, held in Dublin in June 2017, Prof. Cryan looked into this connection and its influence over psychiatric and immune-related disorders. 

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Understanding the interaction between brain, gut and microbiome is the goal of John Cryan's work as Principal Investigator at the APC Microbiome Institute in Cork, Ireland. In the talk he gave at TEDxHa'pennyBridge, held in Dublin in June 2017, Prof. Cryan looked into this connection and its influence over psychiatric and immune-related disorders. 

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Most of us would probably still remember when in childhood we were sick with a stomach bug, and grandma kept telling us to eat yogurt to quickly recover. That old remedy did work, science says. Fermented foods, like yogurt, traditionally present for centuries in our diets, help us stay healthy. How? Taking care of our gut microbiota that, in return,…

Cristina Sáez
Cristina Saez is a freelance science journalist. She works for several media, for instance the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, where she coordinates the science section, Big Vang; as well as research centres and scientific societies. She has been awarded for her journalistic work, among others, with the Boehringer Ingelheim Award in Medical Journalism 2015. Follow Cristina on Twitter @saez_cristina

Most of us would probably still remember when in childhood we were sick with a stomach bug, and grandma kept telling us to eat yogurt to quickly recover. That old remedy did work, science says. Fermented foods, like yogurt, traditionally present for centuries in our diets, help us stay healthy. How? Taking care of our gut microbiota that, in return,…

Cristina Sáez
Cristina Saez is a freelance science journalist. She works for several media, for instance the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, where she coordinates the science section, Big Vang; as well as research centres and scientific societies. She has been awarded for her journalistic work, among others, with the Boehringer Ingelheim Award in Medical Journalism 2015. Follow Cristina on Twitter @saez_cristina

With their distinctive perspective on design, color and storytelling, Kurzgesagt (German for “in a nutshell“) shows the different functions of gut bacteria and their role in our overall health. From helping digest food to protecting our immune system, our gut microbes not only keep our guts healthy, but could also possibly influence what kinds of foods we crave. 

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

With their distinctive perspective on design, color and storytelling, Kurzgesagt (German for “in a nutshell“) shows the different functions of gut bacteria and their role in our overall health. From helping digest food to protecting our immune system, our gut microbes not only keep our guts healthy, but could also possibly influence what kinds of foods we crave. 

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

When your stomach is upset, you often think back to what you ate. With more and more people suffering from digestive issues, it’s no wonder they are turning to food-based solutions to help manage their symptoms. A new set of practice guidelines on diet and the gut set out by the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) are aimed at collating the…

Andrea Hardy
Registered Dietitian, Andrea Hardy from Calgary, Canada specializes in gastrointestinal disorders and the gut microbiome. She is recognized as Canada’s gut health dietitian – educating health care professionals and the public on the pivotal role nutrition plays in gut health. You can find her at Ignite Nutrition, or on Twitter (@AndreaHardyRD).

When your stomach is upset, you often think back to what you ate. With more and more people suffering from digestive issues, it’s no wonder they are turning to food-based solutions to help manage their symptoms. A new set of practice guidelines on diet and the gut set out by the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) are aimed at collating the…

Andrea Hardy
Registered Dietitian, Andrea Hardy from Calgary, Canada specializes in gastrointestinal disorders and the gut microbiome. She is recognized as Canada’s gut health dietitian – educating health care professionals and the public on the pivotal role nutrition plays in gut health. You can find her at Ignite Nutrition, or on Twitter (@AndreaHardyRD).

Research & Practice

The intestinal epithelial barrier is not just a static physical barrier but rather interacts continuously with the gut microbiome and immune cells. An intact intestinal barrier protects the host against invasion of microorganisms and toxins whereas at the same time it allows absorption of essential fluids and nutrients. The pathophysiology of cirrhosis is associated with a dysfunctional intestinal barrier, which…

Oriol Juanola & Rubén Francés
Oriol Juanola is a PhD. student of the Hepatic and Intestinal Immunobiology Group at Miguel Hernández University (Alicante, Spain). The group is interested in molecular and cellular aspects around the immune system that are responsible for the surveillance, response and regulation of homeostasis with our gut microbiota in the so-called "gut-liver axis", a central element in different metabolic pathologies within the scope of the gastroenterology and hepatology. The translation of these aspects, addressed from different methodological perspectives, to the clinical field is also relevant for the Group in order to improve the diagnosis, treatment and/or prognosis of these diseases. Rubén Francés is professor of Immunology and Head of the Hepatic and Intestinal Immunobiology Group at Miguel Hernández University and the Biomedical Research Networking Center in Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD).

The intestinal epithelial barrier is not just a static physical barrier but rather interacts continuously with the gut microbiome and immune cells. An intact intestinal barrier protects the host against invasion of microorganisms and toxins whereas at the same time it allows absorption of essential fluids and nutrients. The pathophysiology of cirrhosis is associated with a dysfunctional intestinal barrier, which…

Oriol Juanola & Rubén Francés
Oriol Juanola is a PhD. student of the Hepatic and Intestinal Immunobiology Group at Miguel Hernández University (Alicante, Spain). The group is interested in molecular and cellular aspects around the immune system that are responsible for the surveillance, response and regulation of homeostasis with our gut microbiota in the so-called "gut-liver axis", a central element in different metabolic pathologies within the scope of the gastroenterology and hepatology. The translation of these aspects, addressed from different methodological perspectives, to the clinical field is also relevant for the Group in order to improve the diagnosis, treatment and/or prognosis of these diseases. Rubén Francés is professor of Immunology and Head of the Hepatic and Intestinal Immunobiology Group at Miguel Hernández University and the Biomedical Research Networking Center in Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD).

Considering that diet is—together with medication—one of the major influencing factors with regards to gut microbiota composition, research is now focusing on how dietary nutrients may affect gut microbial communities. Specifically, an association was previously found between essential omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and gut microbiome diversity in healthy elderly people. However, evidence from randomized trials assessing the effect…

Stéphane Schneider
Professor Stéphane Schneider heads the Nutritional Support Unit in the Gastroenterology and Nutrition Department Archet University Hospital in Nice (France). He is also head of the Nice University Hospital’s food-nutrition liaison committee. Dr. Schneider is vice-president of the French-Speaking Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (SFNEP), and chairs the Educational and Clinical Practice Committee of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN). Three years after receiving his M.D. in Gastroenterology from the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, he became an assistant Professor and later a full Professor of Nutrition. He is also certified by the European Board of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He obtained a Master of Science from the University of Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in nutrition from the University Paul Cezanne, as well as a CME Diploma from Harvard Medical School. His main research interests are intestinal failure and the effects of aging and chronic diseases on nutritional status. He has published 188 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, with an h index of 37. His goal is to help understand better the role of the intestinal ecosystem, as well as the effects of different forms of bacteriotherapy, in digestive and non-digestive disorders featuring dysbiosis.

Considering that diet is—together with medication—one of the major influencing factors with regards to gut microbiota composition, research is now focusing on how dietary nutrients may affect gut microbial communities. Specifically, an association was previously found between essential omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and gut microbiome diversity in healthy elderly people. However, evidence from randomized trials assessing the effect…

Stéphane Schneider
Professor Stéphane Schneider heads the Nutritional Support Unit in the Gastroenterology and Nutrition Department Archet University Hospital in Nice (France). He is also head of the Nice University Hospital’s food-nutrition liaison committee. Dr. Schneider is vice-president of the French-Speaking Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (SFNEP), and chairs the Educational and Clinical Practice Committee of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN). Three years after receiving his M.D. in Gastroenterology from the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, he became an assistant Professor and later a full Professor of Nutrition. He is also certified by the European Board of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He obtained a Master of Science from the University of Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in nutrition from the University Paul Cezanne, as well as a CME Diploma from Harvard Medical School. His main research interests are intestinal failure and the effects of aging and chronic diseases on nutritional status. He has published 188 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, with an h index of 37. His goal is to help understand better the role of the intestinal ecosystem, as well as the effects of different forms of bacteriotherapy, in digestive and non-digestive disorders featuring dysbiosis.

Western diets high in fats and sugars, modern lifestyles with stress and sedentarism and the indiscriminate use of antibiotics together with other frequently prescribed drugs -such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and proton pump inhibitors- are major drivers of changes in microbiota composition and gut barrier disruption. (Dr. Maria Rescigno) The GMFH publishing team is pleased to share a new summary…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Western diets high in fats and sugars, modern lifestyles with stress and sedentarism and the indiscriminate use of antibiotics together with other frequently prescribed drugs -such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and proton pump inhibitors- are major drivers of changes in microbiota composition and gut barrier disruption. (Dr. Maria Rescigno) The GMFH publishing team is pleased to share a new summary…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

Consuming whole foods rich in natural fibers confers an array of health benefits. Unlike the insoluble fibers that pass through the digestive system unchanged, soluble fibers such as inulin and pectin are fermented by the bacteria found within the gut. Fermentation generates essential nutrients for the survival and growth of these gut bacteria; moreover, the production of gut metabolites (such…

Researchers from the Univ. of Toledo-Microbiome Consortium
Dr. Vishal Singh (left), Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Fellow, and Dr. Matam Vijay-Kumar (right), Associate Professor at the Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Toledo, OH, USA. The current and future research goals of this group is directed toward preclinical studies that can be used translationally to develop dietary fiber-based therapies for liver diseases and intestinal inflammation. Drs. Singh and Vijay-Kumar envision that not all fibers are created equally, nor will they be fermented uniformly by the gut bacteria. Dr. Singh has published more than 40 research papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and serves as a reviewer for many international journals. Dr. Vijay-Kumar has published more than 70 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He is Director of the University of Toledo-Microbiome Consortium (UT-MiCo) and serving as editor and reviewer for many international journals and grant agencies.

Consuming whole foods rich in natural fibers confers an array of health benefits. Unlike the insoluble fibers that pass through the digestive system unchanged, soluble fibers such as inulin and pectin are fermented by the bacteria found within the gut. Fermentation generates essential nutrients for the survival and growth of these gut bacteria; moreover, the production of gut metabolites (such…

Researchers from the Univ. of Toledo-Microbiome Consortium
Dr. Vishal Singh (left), Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Fellow, and Dr. Matam Vijay-Kumar (right), Associate Professor at the Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Toledo, OH, USA. The current and future research goals of this group is directed toward preclinical studies that can be used translationally to develop dietary fiber-based therapies for liver diseases and intestinal inflammation. Drs. Singh and Vijay-Kumar envision that not all fibers are created equally, nor will they be fermented uniformly by the gut bacteria. Dr. Singh has published more than 40 research papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and serves as a reviewer for many international journals. Dr. Vijay-Kumar has published more than 70 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He is Director of the University of Toledo-Microbiome Consortium (UT-MiCo) and serving as editor and reviewer for many international journals and grant agencies.

This post has been written by Guillermo Mena-Sanchez and co-authored by Nancy Babio and Jordi Salas-Salvadó, from published article Mena-Sánchez G, Babio N, Martínez-González MÁ, et al. Fermented dairy products, diet quality, and cardio-metabolic profile of a Mediterranean cohort at high cardiovascular risk. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2018; 28(10):1002-11. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2018.05.006. Fermented foods have been used for thousands of years and they come…

Researchers from the Human Nutrition Unit (URV)
Researchers from the Human Nutrition Unit (URV). Human Nutrition Unit, University Hospital of Sant Joan de Reus, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research, Rovira i Virgili University, Reus, Spain: http://www.nutricio.urv.cat/

This post has been written by Guillermo Mena-Sanchez and co-authored by Nancy Babio and Jordi Salas-Salvadó, from published article Mena-Sánchez G, Babio N, Martínez-González MÁ, et al. Fermented dairy products, diet quality, and cardio-metabolic profile of a Mediterranean cohort at high cardiovascular risk. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2018; 28(10):1002-11. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2018.05.006. Fermented foods have been used for thousands of years and they come…

Researchers from the Human Nutrition Unit (URV)
Researchers from the Human Nutrition Unit (URV). Human Nutrition Unit, University Hospital of Sant Joan de Reus, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research, Rovira i Virgili University, Reus, Spain: http://www.nutricio.urv.cat/