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Evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis is implicated in postmenopausal osteoporosis. In the recent study, 98 women were divided into postmenopausal osteoporosis and non-postmenopausal osteoporosis groups based on their bone mineral density. The researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of the composition and metabolites of the gut microbiota in these women. The results indicated significant changes…

The work environment, particularly jobs with shift and other unconventional work schedules can have a substantial impact on workers’ gut microbiota and potentially lead to gut microbial dysbiosis and related health problems. Several studies have explored the influence of these work conditions on the gut microbiota (1). Unconventional work schedules, such as night and rotating…

The Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania are among the last remaining populations in Africa. A research team led by scientists from Stanford University in California conducted a study comparing the gut microbiomes of 167 Hadza hunter-gatherers, 57 individuals from Nepal practicing different lifestyles (foraging and farming), and 12 individuals from California representing a Western lifestyle (1).…

A new study found that centenarians (age 100 years or more) have a more diverse virome (the collection of viruses present in an individual’s body) in their gut compared to younger adults and older individuals. This increased viral diversity may suggest a more robust immune response and a better ability to protect them from viral infections.

The study published in the Nature Communications journal last year suggested that the gut microbiota may play a key role in depression. In the recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry, the research team identified the link between metabolites in energy and lipid metabolism and major depressive disorder (MDD). The changes in the lipid metabolites observed in depression were…

A new study suggests that changes in the gut microbiota composition could be potentially an early diagnostic indicator of Parkinson’s disease before the typical motor symptoms manifest. The study highlights the significance of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in this disease. https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8046037/gut-microbiome-parkinsons-disease-new-research/

Broad-spectrum antibiotics not only eradicate the target pathogen but are known to have catastrophic effects on the beneficial bacteria, causing lasting damage to the gut microbiome. As a result, patients are more likely to suffer from reinfections as well as subsequent digestive distress. In contrast, narrow-spectrum antibiotics target one, or a small group, of pathogenic…

A new review has looked at the evidence surrounding the consumption of micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) and their effect on human health, and the human gut microbiome. It is believed that, on average, we digest approximately 5g of MNPs per week – equivalent to a credit card. The majority of MNPs have consumed seafood, sea…

It is well understood that the gut microbiome exerts an influence on the human immune system. However, what has been less well understood is how this effect differs amongst healthy individuals and those with gut inflammation such as is seen in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Those with IBD have…

It is well understood that bile acids are fundamental for optimal fat digestion and vitamin absorption. However, two new studies have shown that they also play a key role in regulating intestinal inflammation by altering the activity of immune cells that are associated with inflammatory bowel conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The…

While it is understood that the gut microbiome is altered in individuals with chronic heart disease until now studies have been conducted on people taking medication for their condition. It has therefore not been established whether changes to the gut microbiome are a result of heart disease or the medication. In addition, the development of…

A randomised trial in the Netherlands looked at the effect of broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment on infants in their first week of life. The 147 babies were treated for suspected early-onset neonatal sepsis (sEONS), and randomised 1:1:1 to receive three different intravenous antibiotic combinations that are routinely prescribed for this condition. Each was given for an…

Enteric inflammation reduced through supplementation This study carried out an assessment of the intestinal microbiome composition and the pre-term infant’s response to these colonizing bacteria. Infants born <32 weeks gestational age were fed B. infantis EVC001 8 × 109 CFU in MCT oil up until 34 weeks gestational age. Faecal samples from 77 premature infants were taken throughout…

Nicotine free vapour causes increased gut permeability Mice models of acute and chronic e-cigarette aerosol inhalation, mouse colon transcriptomic, and mouse and human gut-derived organoids in co-culture models, were assessed for the effects of e-cigarette use on the gut barrier. Results showed that e-cigarettes disrupt the integrity of the gut epithelial barrier. Acute exposure to…

Blood metabolites in late adulthood indicate health status This study analyzed three independent cohorts comprising over 9,000 individuals to find an increasing compositional uniqueness of the gut microbiome, as a component of healthy ageing. Characteristics of which are highlighted by distinct microbial metabolic outputs in the blood. Furthermore, this study highlights the fact that the…

Immunity outlined by the early feeding mechanism 38 neonates born by C-section, 16 of which were exclusively breastfed, 9 combinations fed and 13 formula fed, formed the basis of this study. Blood and stool samples were taken at birth and then at 3 weeks of age. Findings suggest that T cells or Tregs expand within…

Bacteria and their metabolites differ in healthy and food-allergic twins This study collected fecal samples from a unique, well-controlled cohort of 18 twin pairs concordant or discordant for food allergy. An integrated microbial and metabolomic analysis of human fecal samples from allergic and healthy twins was performed and identified differentially abundant bacteria and metabolic compounds…

Plant-based foods show a direct link to bacterial colonization This study performed metagenomic sequencing of 1,203 gut microbiomes from 1,098 individuals enrolled in the Personalised Responses to Dietary Composition Trial (PREDICT 1). It found significant associations between microbes and specific nutrients, foods, and food groups, driven mainly by plant-based foods. Overall, microbiome composition was predictive…

Genetics partially coordinated by gut bacteria This study carried out a systematic genome and metagenome analysis on anxiety-like behavior in 445 mice to identify the effects of host genetics and gut microbiota and their interaction on anxiety. Results identified 264S single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) corresponding to 141 known that are significantly associated with anxiety-like behavior.…

Gut bacteria & their metabolites indicative of depression This study recruited 311 participants in China, with diagnosed Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) making up 156 and control subjects totaling 155 of the total group. Metagenomic analyses of fecal samples were carried out on all subjects, comparing metabolite profiles and bacterial identification. Results found that the bacterial…

Brachyspira found in diarrhea-dominant IBS sufferers 62 irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and 31 control subjects were recruited to investigate bacterial stool analysis in Sweden. Results found a strong association between the Brachyspira genus and IBS. Mucosal Brachyspira colonization was observed in 40% of patients with IBS-D (IBS diarrhea) but not in any healthy individual. A…

Higher levels of vitamin D were found to exist in more diverse gut microbiomes. A cross-sectional study of 567 men in the US measured active vitamin D levels against α-diversity of gut bacteria through stool sample analysis. Results found that active vitamin D metabolites were associated with more favorable gut microbial diversity. Specifically, microbiota that…

Bacterial diversity linked to nutritional status A small cross-sectional study of 60 subjects with liver cirrhosis was split 50:50 into those with muscle wastage and those without. Metagenomic gene sequencing was carried out to analyze gut microbiota. Species diversity was found to be significantly lower in the group with muscle wastage. Specifically, they concluded that…

TMAO plasma levels lower in PD This study investigated levels of a gut microbiota metabolite called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in 85 early-stage Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. 20 healthy control subjects were used to compare findings. Results showed that plasma levels of TMAO were lower in early-stage PD patients than in control subjects. The study concluded…

Probiotics negate the influence of genetic AD factors 396 full-term infants were the subjects of this study. Of these, 132 newborns without a family history of atopic disease (AD) were allocated to group A, and 264 newborns with a family history of AD were randomly divided into groups B and C. Infants in group A…

Long-term impact of anti-biotics This study investigated children who received at least one prescription of antibiotics in their first 2 years of life. Over 14K children were assessed over an 8-year period for type and timing of anti-biotic exposure and general health conditions over this period. Results showed that a correlation existed between early antibiotic…

Metabolites contribute to diabetes progression 1958 subjects from the MetaCardis cohort were reviewed for blood glucose, nutritional and metagenomic analysis. It was found that imidazole propionate levels were increased in subjects with low bacterial gene richness. They concluded that metabolites, such as Imidazole propionate (ImP), may provide a more relevant indicator of an altered microbial…

Exercise impacts the endothelial lining of the gut A meta-analysis of 34 studies that looked at urine and plasma biomarkers for gut cell damage and permeability was reviewed. It was concluded that a single bout of exercise triggered gut cell damage and exercise carried out in hot conditions had the most significant impact on gut…

C-section implicated in microbial modulation A study of 700 births, 78% vaginal and 22% c-section were assessed at birth, 1 month, at age 1 year, and 6 years. The cesarean section microbial score was significantly associated with asthma risk – among cesarean section–born children, 20% of those who had a high cesarean section microbial score…

Gut bacteria metabolites linked to quality sleep This study carried out a randomized trial using mice who were bacteria depleted against a control group. Sleep analysis was carried out on all specimens, along with fecal collection and viable bacterial counts. Results showed that the microbiota-depleted mice showed significant changes in neurotransmission-related amino acids and vitamin…

Metabolic disease indicated by gut microbes This study was carried out in South Korea, with 747 overweight or obese adults who were split into 317 metabolically healthy – young with lower BMIs & bodyweight (MH) and 430 metabolically unhealthy – older with higher BMIs and bodyweight (MU). Their results showed that metabolic health was associated…

Oral nitrate levels significantly reduce pathogenic bacteria This study tested the saliva of 21 healthy subjects to measure nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, lactate, pH levels, and bacterial taxonomy through rRNA sequencing. Results showed that nitrate had a significant effect on the bacterial composition of in vitro oral communities and that in the presence of nitrate, oral…

A meta-analysis of sleep health A meta-analysis of 20 trials was carried out to assess the impact of probiotic bacteria on quality of sleep. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used as the basis of self-reported questionnaires. The study found that single strain bacteria in healthy individuals was found to offer the best sleep…

Simple sugars enhance colitis pathogenesis This study looked at the effects of glucose and fructose on colitis pathogenesis in mice. Short-term intake of high glucose or fructose did not trigger inflammatory responses in the healthy gut but markedly altered gut microbiota composition. In particular, the abundance of the mucus-degrading bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides fragilis…

pSS inflammation linked to microbial diversity 38 human subjects were analysed through DNA extraction and gut microbiota sequencing via stool samples. The study group was split 50:50 into diagnosed primary Sjorgren’s syndrome (pSS) and healthy control subjects. Results found that pSS patients displayed a gut composition that was much less diverse and recorded lower volumes…

Establishment of the enteric microbiota in early infancy. This observational study was carried out in two stages. In the first part of the study preterm infants of gestational age <32 weeks received a daily supplement of Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC 4356) and Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis (ATCC 15697) at a 1:1 ratio from birth. The second…

A recent meta-analysis of 38 randomized controlled clinical trials evaluated the effects of probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics supplementation on metabolic outcomes in 2086 individuals with diabetes mellitus. Significant reductions in fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and insulinemia were observed. The supplementation with probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics increased HDL-cholesterol levels. Bock PM et al. The…

This study investigated whether Lactobacillus reuteri-induced AhR ligand production by the gut microbiota could influence gluten immunopathology. Patients with active celiac disease demonstrated reduced AhR ligand production and lower intestinal AhR pathway activation. These results highlight gut microbiota-dependent modulation of the AhR pathway in coeliac disease and suggest a new therapeutic strategy for treating this…

Broad-spectrum amino acids better digested through bacterial supplementation This randomized, double-blind, crossover study recruited healthy men (n = 14) and women (n = 16) between the ages of 18–55 years of age. Participants were assigned to ingest 13 daily 25-g doses of a milk protein concentrate or an identical dose of milk protein concentrate plus a probiotic formulation. Blood plasma samples were…

Protective role of intestinal microbial detoxification 39 Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and 40 controls, all aged 3-8 years were the subjects of this study in Peking. For analysis based on a quasi-paired cohort strategy, a further 65 ASD-control pairs, including 20 ASD subjects and 18 control subjects from the original group. Fecal and…

GI and multisensory processing and adaptive functioning improved with bacterial complex A 6-month double-blind randomized, efficacy-controlled trial, supplementing with a (patented as DSF) 45o billion CFU of 8 probiotic strains.  63 children aged 18-72 months with ASD diagnosis were involved in the trial, carried out in Tuscany, Italy. A significant decline in clinical observations of…

Early gut microbiota This study investigated cattle fetuses at 5, 6, and 7 months for the presence of bacterial communities.  Samples were taken from the amniotic fluid, ruminal fluid, ruminal tissue, caecal fluid, caecal tissue, and meconium. Bacteria were cultured, subcultured, sequenced, and identified and results indicate that initial colonization of the GIT can occur…

A current overview of gut microbiota and inflammation Over 150 studies were reviewed in this publication to correlate gut bacteria and the prevention and treatment of inflammation. They concluded that ‘individuals may possess bacteria associated with pro-inflammatory effects whilst others may harbor those with anti-inflammatory effects.’ Further research to continually improve our understanding of the…

Gut microbiota affected by anti-biotics This study compared piglets who were fed a non-antibiotic and antibiotic-based (sub-therapeutic dosage) diet for 39 days. It found that antibiotic exposure elevated serum triglyceride concentration, and decreased the expression of genes related to triglyceride hydrolysis. Both lean and fat volumes of pigs were increased by the administration of antibiotics.…

Live bacteria used to treat URTIs A randomized controlled trial of males aged 30-49 years were given L. casei in a solution of fermented milk for 12 weeks over the winter period. They had a decreased risk of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and were found to be affected for a shorter duration when they…

The gut is our first line of defense This study investigated brain antigen presence in mice before substantiating the findings in human brain tissue. Results showed that the IgA-producing cells in the meninges were absent when mice had no bacteria in their gut. Human samples taken from brain surgery showed parallel findings of IgA present…

L. reuteri was found to modulate autoimmune disease. This study revealed complex interactions between host genetics and gut microbiota with Lactobacillus reuteri identified as modulating susceptibility to CNS autoimmunity. Theresa L. Montgomery, Axel Künstner, Josephine J. Kennedy, Qian Fang, Lori Asarian, Rachel Culp-Hill, Angelo D’Alessandro, Cory Teuscher, Hauke Busch, Dimitry N. Krementsov. Interactions between host genetics and gut microbiota determine susceptibility to CNS autoimmunity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Oct 2020, 202002817;  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2002817117 Want…

Strategies for modulating the gut microbiota through diet and probiotics An overview of clinical trials found some significant results in the application of probiotic supplementation in a variety of conditions of the gut, physiological systems, and cardiovascular health. They conclude that ‘Given the variation in the gut microbiota between people, the optimal diet of a…

The gut microbiota in obesity Meta-analysis of 25 clinical trials with 1931 obese subjects revealed that probiotic supplementation effectively reduced body weight. The study also demonstrated that a minimum of 8 weeks of multistrain probiotic intervention reduced body weight in obese subjects compared to single-strain intervention. Overall, they concluded that probiotic supplementation improved intestinal permeability,…

The living environment of young children can enhance immune function 75 children between 3-5 years attending 10 daycare centres across Finland were included in this 28-day study. Three daycare centres were standard urban non-green spaces. Four were standard urban non-green spaces that were modified with gravel, shrubs, soil and sand. The remaining three were left…

Microbial strains stabilize over time This study used two published data sets combined with their unique strain-tracking program to analyze the stability of microbial strains in infants after birth. 31 infant fecal samples that included various collection points at <6 months and at 1, 2 and 3 years were analyzed. 14 had anti-biotic therapy within…

BV and Candida more likely to occur This cross-sectional study was performed using three groups, the levonorgestrel intrauterine-releasing system (LNG-IUS) group (1179 subjects), copper intrauterine device (IUD) group (519 subjects), and a control group of women not using contraception (14,616 subjects) were compared. The LNG-IUS and IUD groups were further divided into less and more…

Synbiotic effects of pre-& probiotics analyzed In a double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial of 28 days, children aged 14 to 60 months with Cerebral Palsy (CP), were found to have improved stool characteristics. Chronic constipation was improved in those taking the probiotic strain of L. reuteri DSM 17938. Intestinal motility and lower pH of stool…

Pre-term babies The study showed that the administration of multispecies Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium combination probiotics was associated with a significantly decreased risk of NEC and late-onset sepsis in the NICU at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. This evaluation supports the routine use of multi-species Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium combination probiotics for preventing NEC in very preterm…

Diet for depression Recent studies indicate that patients with depression have gut dysbiosis. This new study recommends that patients with depression or vulnerability to depression should follow a plant-based diet with high levels of grains/fibers and fish. TG Dinan et al. Feeding melancholic microbes: MyNewGut recommendations on diet and mood. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cinu.2018.11.010 Want to know…

Fetal exposure A new study is challenging the understanding that a baby’s gut is sterile until birth, demonstrating that a fetus has its own microbiome or communities of bacteria living in the gut. This study suggests that this fetal microbiome is transmitted from the mother during pregnancy and the findings suggest the potential for interventions…

The gut microbiome The more abnormal the microbiome in NICU infants, the more likely they are to experience stunted growth even at 4 years of age. While the growth stunting of premature infants has been well known, the role of the microbiome has not been investigated. The effects of the gut microbiome on this growth…

Microbes in living environments Microbes are everywhere in the biosphere, and their presence invariably affects the environment in that they are growing. Perhaps unsurprisingly, researchers have found that the bacteria and chemicals in city homes differ greatly from those found in jungle huts. Whilst city homes are rife with industrial chemicals, cleaning agents and fungi, jungle huts were…

Understanding the composition of a healthy gut microbiome. In this study, 4347 publicly available, metagenomic data of gut microbiomes were taken from 34 published studies. 50 microbial species associated with human health were identified from stool samples. From this, the Gut Microbiome Health Index (GMHI) was formed, differentiating between a healthy gut microbiome and a diseased…

Gluten not impactful in IBS This study measured markers of epithelial injury (syndecan-1) including bacterial translocation from 82 IBS sufferers. All participants were administered a low FODMAP diet. One group was administered a gluten‐free diet, during blinded challenges with gluten or a placebo. Results found that colonic epithelial injury is reduced when gluten and low…

Eubacterium Limosum linked to a reduction in clogged arteries and heart disease This study found that Eubacterium limosum had the ability to reduce the toxicity of Trimethylamine (TMA) production in the gut (TMA contributes to clogged arteries and atherosclerosis). It did this specifically by the interaction of the enzyme Mtcb with L-Carnitine via demethylation. An…

COVID-19 The 70 patients evaluated in this study were hospitalized in a sub-intensive care unit for COVID-19 earlier this year. The study concluded that oral bacteriotherapy has shown a statistically significant impact on the clinical conditions of COVID-19 patients. There are some limitations to this study as only a small group (28) was administered bacteriotherapy…

Rheumatoid Arthritis This cross-sectional study was carried out in the UK and Switzerland to isolate the genetic influence on Rheumatoid Arthritis. The results highlight a link between genetic risk for rheumatoid arthritis and the gut microbiota. An increase in abundance of Prevotella_7. Genotype might mediate key taxonomic associations of the gut microbiota with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly Prevotella spp, suggesting…

Bacterial influence on chemotherapy treatment This study dissects a four-way interaction between the amino acid serine (diet), the chemotherapeutic 5′-fluorodeoxyuridine (drug), the bacterium E. coli (microbiota), and the roundworm C. elegans (host). It shows that dietary thymidine and serine enhance 5-fluoro 2′deoxyuridine (FUdR) toxicity in C. elegans through different microbial mechanisms. This offers the enormous potential for developing drugs that can…

Gut bacteria can deactivate Cholera progression This study identified one bacterium in the human microbiome, Blautia obeum, that can deactivate Cholera bacterium’s disease-causing mechanisms. Bile salt hydrolase was seen to be degraded, reducing the expression of virulence genes. A focus of future studies will be focused on how to increase its presence in the gut. Salma Alavi,…

Probiotic supplementation with a variety of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains showed the improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms during exercise training and competition in athletes. The most beneficial effects to reduce the frequency and severity of gut symptoms and improve gut barrier function were demonstrated with multi-strain probiotic consortia. The efficacy increased with the duration of probiotic…

Probiotic administration enhances the expression of tight junction proteins 5 Lactobacillus and 5 Enterococcus strains isolated from infant gut microbiome were administered in this study to ageing mice. Bacterial genomic DNA was isolated from collected faeces and analysed alongside metabolites of gut bacteria. This study comprehensively demonstrates how a probiotic therapy modulates gut microbiota to…

Gut bacteria reduce bodyweight In this study, 220 subjects of healthy overweight or obese individuals were administered supplementation with Lab4P probiotics for 6 months. Significant reductions in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio compared to the placebo group were found. Michael, D.R., Jack, A.A., Masetti, G. et al. A randomized controlled study shows…

A recent meta-analysis of 34 placebo-controlled clinical trials evaluated the effects of probiotics and prebiotics on depression and anxiety. The supplementation with probiotics showed small but significant effects on depression (23 trials, P<0.01) and anxiety (22 trials, P=0.03). The duration of probiotic intervention ranged from 8 days to 45 weeks. A significant effect was observed…

Two recent reviews showed the beneficial effects of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in the reduction of upper respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms in endurance athletes. These benefits may play a role in performance and exercise recovery. The effects are dependent on the probiotic strain, dose, supplementation period, and form of administration (capsules, sachets, functional foods). Link: View…

Good bacteria to ease depression Some promising results show that mental health may be significantly improved with combined Pre & Probiotic treatment. A twofold result was found by treating depression directly and by improving comorbidities. Further research is necessary into finding the significance of Pre-& Probiotic application in anxiety, however. Sanjay Noonan, Meena Zaveri, Elaine…

Dr. Tom Davies and Dr. Giulia Masetti, research scientists from Cultech Limited, present the findings of an exciting new study at the MicrobiotaMI 2018 scientific conference in Milan. Working in collaboration with academics from Cardiff University, they have found that the ProVen Lab4b consortium improved cognitive performance showing greater recognition in the probiotic-treated population. Dr.…

The antibiotic use with Infants and children who received probiotics to reduce the risk of acute respiratory tract infections, acute lower digestive tract infections, or acute otitis media have a 29% lower relative risk of being prescribed antibiotics (RR=0.71, 95%CI 0.54-0.94, P=0.02, 3953 participants, 12 randomized control trials). The probiotic interventions included Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium…

This review assessed the efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics in the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A total of 1309 patients with NAFLD from 25 studies (11 probiotics, 9 prebiotic, and 7 synbiotic) were included in the meta-analysis. All three treatments combined significantly reduced BMI (-0.37 kg/m2), hepatic alanine aminotransferase (−6.9 U/L), aspartate…

Probiotics significantly reduced the risk of atopic sensitization by 29% when administered prenatally to the pregnant mother and postnatally to infant (RR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.89) and the risk of food sensitization (RR 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.98)1. The meta-analysis of 17 studies with 4755 children showed that probiotic supplementation during pregnancy…

Probiotics showed improvement in the clinical symptoms and quality of life in allergic rhinitis patients. The results from the studies investigating the potential of probiotic supplementation in the treatment of patients with asthma are promising. Probiotics can modulate the nasal epithelial barrier via the expression and regulation of tight junctions and adherence junctions resulting in…

Respiratory allergies caused by house dust mites are one of the most common triggers of allergic rhinitis and asthma. This review summarises the current evidence for the use of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of respiratory allergic conditions. Probiotics appear to improve the symptom scores and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis…

The age-related changes in the human gut microbiota, potential implications on immune and inflammatory health, and targeted therapies for healthy aging are presented in this review. Link: View the Study Nagpal R et al. Gut microbiome and aging: Physiological and mechanistic insights. Nutrition and Healthy Aging 2018; 4: 267-285. Want to know more? Pro-Ven Probiotics aim…

Human gut microbiota plays a key role in disease, nutrition, and health. Antibiotics, medications, and specific food ingredients influence the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota. Targeting the gut microbiome with probiotics, prebiotics or dietary fiber is beneficial for human health. The analysis of 22 systematic reviews (313 trials, 46 826 participants) showed that…

Upper tract respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, sore throat, and runny and blocked nose are common among athletes during heavy training and competition. This review focuses on the aetiology of upper respiratory symptoms, mucosal immunity, the role of the gut and airway microbiomes and the use of probiotics and prebiotics to maintain athlete health.…

Recently, the MiBioGen (microbiome genome) consortium initiative was announced with the aim to gain a better understanding of the gut microbiome’s role as a mediator between genetic predisposition and health or disease in humans. The meta-analysis of human genome-microbiome association studies includes 18 population-level cohorts from countries in Europe, North America, and Asia and 18,965…

A review of five randomized controlled trials from 2005 to 2017 with 544 healthy infants (one day to 12 months of age) showed that D-lactic acid-producing probiotic bacteria and fermented infant formulas did not cause D-lactic acidosis in healthy children. The only reported cases of pediatric D-lactic acidosis were in children with short bowel syndrome…

The associations of metabolic products derived from gut microbes with age, obesity, host genetics, and gut microbiome composition were investigated in the fecal samples of 786 predominantly female twins from the TwinsUK cohort (a national twin registry). The fecal metabolome was largely associated with gut microbial composition (67.7%) and only modestly influenced by host genetics…

Various factors influence the gut microbiome development in neonates during prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods, including maternal diet and lifestyle, mode of birth, feeding, antibiotic use, and length of gestation. The reciprocal relationship between gut microbiota and gastrointestinal tract development from in-utero to postnatal life is discussed in more detail. Link: View the Study Reference: Chong…

The effect of probiotics and metabolic health in pregnancy on glucose and lipid metabolism in healthy and obese pregnant women and women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was evaluated in the meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials. Significant correlations were found between probiotic supplementation and lower fasting serum insulin in healthy pregnant women (5 studies,…

This study investigated the role of gut microbiota in atherosclerosis, a major cause of heart attack and stroke. 316 patients attending vascular prevention clinics in Canada were divided into three distinct phenotypes; (i) 98 patients with much less carotid plaque than predicted by traditional risk factors (Protected), (ii) 138 patients with plaque levels as predicted…

The aim of this recent study was to find out whether probiotic supplementation alongside antibiotic treatment will reduce the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection in adults and children. Individual data of 6851 participants from 18 published randomized controlled trials were included in the statistical analysis. 72.2% of the studies were conducted with adult hospitalized participants.…

Bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the brain plays a key role in maintaining brain health. This review focused on the mechanism of this interaction and the modulatory role of the gut microbiota in brain-related pathological conditions, such as anxiety, depression, stress, and cognition. In vitro, in vivo, and human studies providing evidence of…

Gut microbes influence hormone activity This literature review summarises the links between the endocrine system and gut microbiota. Interactions are categorized by the different functions of hormones. They conclude that hormones regulated by the microbiota span all functional classes and exert broad influences on host behavior, metabolism and appetite, growth, reproduction, and immunity. Microbial endocrinology:…