Entries by KC

A roundup of the ISAPP consensus definitions: probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods

May 11, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, ISAPP Executive Science Officer ISAPP has long recognized the importance of precise definitions of the ‘biotic’ family of terms. As a scientific organization working to advance global knowledge about probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods, we believe carrying out rigorous scientific studies—and comparing one result to another—is more […]

Do new product formats need new clinical trials?

May 7, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Marla Cunningham​, Metagenics Global R&D Innovation Manager and 2021 ISAPP Industry Advisory Committee representative Let’s assume a hypothetical clinical study has been published with positive impacts of a yoghurt containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain XYZ in children with atopic dermatitis. If the strain is now to be incorporated into a fruit drink, at the clinically […]

Behind the publication: Understanding ISAPP’s new scientific consensus definition of postbiotics

May 5, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog /by

A key characteristic of a probiotic is that it remains alive at the time of consumption. Yet scientists have known for decades that some non-living microorganisms can also have benefits for health: various studies (reviewed in Ouwehand & Salminen, 1998) have compared the health effects of viable and non-viable bacteria, and some recent investigations have […]

Children and dogs in a household share gut microbes – and these microbes are modified by a canine probiotic

April 30, 2021 in Consumer Blog, ISAPP Science Blog /by

From longtime family pets to ‘pandemic puppies’, dog ownership is seemingly more popular than ever. In households with children, scientists have found that a pet dog is one of the environmental factors that influences the gut microbiota in early life – but can the microbes that children and dogs share be modified? A new study […]

What’s a Clinician to do When the Probiotic Recommendations from Medical Organizations Do Not Agree?

March 21, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Prof. Hania Szajewska, MD, Department of Paediatrics, The Medical University of Warsaw, Poland The scientific literature on probiotics is growing rapidly, with newly published studies continually adding to the sum of information about the probiotic strains that confer health benefits in specific populations. In research, we make hypotheses. Eventually, they are resolved by collecting […]

ISAPP publishes continuing education course for dietitians

March 11, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog, News /by

For dietitians, it’s often difficult to find practical, up-to-date resources with a scientific perspective on probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and fermented foods. ISAPP is pleased to announce a new resource to fill this need – a Special Continuing Education Supplement in Today’s Dietitian titled, “Evidence-based use of probiotics, prebiotics and fermented foods for digestive health”. This […]

What’s the evidence on ‘biotics’ for health? A summary from five ISAPP board members

March 9, 2021 in Consumer Blog, ISAPP Science Blog /by

Evidence on the health benefits of gut-targeted ‘biotics’ – probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics – has greatly increased over the past two decades, but it can be difficult to sort through the thousands of studies that exist today to learn which of these ingredients are appropriate in which situations. At a recent World of Microbiome […]

In Memoriam: Todd Klaenhammer

March 8, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog, News /by

By Mary Ellen Sanders and Colin Hill We all suffered a devastating loss this past Saturday with the death of Prof. Todd Klaenhammer, aged 69. Todd was a larger-than-life figure in the scientific field of genetics of lactic acid bacteria. Todd’s 38-year career started at the age of 26, when he joined North Carolina State […]

Designing Probiotic Clinical Trials: What Placebo Should I Use?

March 1, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Daniel J. Merenstein, MD, Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Director of Research Programs, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC Specifying a placebo is one of the most important decisions for a clinical trialist. The first trial I led was a study giving Benadryl to kids to see if it helped them sleep. We […]

Five things scientists should know about the future of probiotics and prebiotics

February 16, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Marla Cunningham​, Metagenics Global R&D Innovation Manager and 2021 ISAPP Industry Advisory Committee representative As anyone connected with probiotics and prebiotics knows – there’s a lot happening in this space. After a well-attended discussion group at the 2019 ISAPP Annual Meeting in Antwerp, a collaboration of 16 industry and academic scientists came together to […]

The Microbiome — Can it aid in the diagnosis and therapy of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

February 15, 2021 in Consumer Blog, ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Eamonn M M Quigley, MD FRCP FACP MACG FRCPI MWGO Lynda K and David M Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders, Houston Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston, Texas Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders and seems to be prevalent across the globe1. Although non-fatal, IBS impacts on […]

ISAPP board members look back in time to respond to Benjamin Franklin’s suggestion on how to improve “natural discharges of wind from our bodies”

January 29, 2021 in Consumer Blog, News /by

Benjamin Franklin, born in 1706, was a multi-talented politician and scientist best known for his discoveries related to electricity. Historians say he was scientifically pragmatic—aiming not just to advance theories, but to solve the most vexing problems of the day. In 1780, when Franklin read about the intellectual contests being held by The Royal Academy […]

Video Presentation: Behind the scenes of the consensus panel discussion on the definition of fermented foods

January 18, 2021 in ISAPP Science Blog /by

Numerous misunderstandings and questions exist around the concept of fermented foods. For example: If a food does not contain live microorganisms, can it still be a fermented food? Should the live microbes in fermented foods be called probiotics? Do fermentation microbes colonize the human gut? The first step in answering these questions is for scientists […]

ISAPP ha estado trabajando en colaboración con la Sociedad de Enterocolitis Necrotizante

January 18, 2021 in Consumer Blog, News /by

La Asociación Científica Internacional para Probióticos y Prebióticos (ISAPP, por sus siglas en inglés), ha estado trabajando en colaboración con la Sociedad de Enterocolitis Necrotizante (NEC Society) en el desarrollo de una infografía sobre el rol de los probióticos en la prevención de la Enterocolitis Necrotizante (ECN). La ECN es una enfermedad intestinal que puede […]

The future is microbial: A post-pandemic focus on identifying microbes and metabolites that support health

January 6, 2021 in Consumer Blog, ISAPP Science Blog, Uncategorized /by

By Prof. Maria Marco, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California Davis, USA The COVID-19 pandemic has been a sobering reminder of the significance that microorganisms have on human life. Despite the tremendous scientific and medical advances of the twentieth century, our best precautions against the virus have been to practice the oldest […]

Creating a scientific definition of ‘fermented foods’

January 5, 2021 in Consumer Blog, ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Prof. Maria Marco, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California Davis, USA A panel of scientific experts was recently convened by ISAPP to discuss the state of knowledge on fermented foods. While there was much agreement on the underlying microbiological processes and health-related properties of those foods and beverages, our conversation on […]

Ambient yogurts make a global impact

December 18, 2020 in Consumer Blog, ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Prof. Bob Hutkins, PhD, University of Nebraska Lincoln, USA Quick, which country consumes the most yogurt? Must be France? Or the Netherlands? Maybe Turkey? The United States, perhaps? Try none of the above: the answer is China. While many other countries consume way more yogurt than China on a per capita basis, China’s population […]

‘Probiotic’ on food labels in Europe: Spain adopts a pioneering initiative

December 9, 2020 in ISAPP Science Blog, News /by

By Silvia Bañares, PhD in commercial law, attorney Barcelona Bar Association, Spain; and Miguel Gueimonde, Departamento de Microbiología y Bioquímica de Productos Lácteos, IPLA-CSIC, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.  The word ‘probiotic’ has been absent from food products in most countries in Europe for years. Authorities there concluded that the word is an implied health claim, which is […]

ISAPP collaborates with NEC Society to help parents understand the role of probiotics in reducing the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis

December 8, 2020 in Consumer Blog, News /by

By Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, ISAPP Executive Science Officer To date, over 50 clinical trials on probiotics and necrotizing enterocolitis have been published. Medical organizations have considered the trials completed to date and have provided guidance (ESPHGAN) and recommendations (American Gastroenterological Association) for implementing probiotics in clinical practice. As important as the science on this […]

New ISAPP-led paper calls for investigation of evidence for links between live dietary microbes and health

December 4, 2020 in Consumer Blog, ISAPP Science Blog /by

The past two decades have brought a massive increase in knowledge about the human gut microbiota and its links to human health through diet. And although many people perceive that regular consumption of safe, live microbes will benefit their health, the scientific evidence to date has not been sufficiently developed to justify adding a daily […]

Update on harmonized guidelines for probiotics being developed by the Codex Alimentarius

November 18, 2020 in ISAPP Science Blog, News /by

By Prof. Gabriel Vinderola, PhD,  Associate Professor of Microbiology at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering from the National University of Litoral and Principal Researcher from CONICET at Dairy Products Institute (CONICET-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina In December 2017, at the 39th session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) in […]

Locally produced probiotic yogurt for better nutrition and health in Uganda

November 16, 2020 in Consumer Blog, News /by

By Prof. Seppo Salminen, Director of Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Turku, Finland Can locally produced probiotic yogurt be a way to increase the health and wealth of people in resource-poor areas of Uganda? Recently Dr. Nieke Westerik, a researcher from the Netherlands, partnered with a local Ugandan team to explore a yogurt production […]

Probiotics to Prevent Necrotizing Enterocolitis: Moving to Evidence-Based Use

October 21, 2020 in ISAPP Science Blog /by

By Ravi Mangal Patel, MD, Msc, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. rmpatel@nullemory.edu Twitter: @ravimpatelmd Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most lethal neonatal diseases, yet most people have never heard about it. The disease primarily affects preterm infants and is characterized by the development of […]

ISAPP board member Prof. Colin Hill receives Career Achievement Research Award from University College Cork

October 19, 2020 in News /by

This month, ISAPP board member and former president Professor Colin Hill received a prestigious award from University College Cork (Ireland), where he has worked since 1992: The UCC Career Achievement Research Award. The prize honours leading researchers whose influential work has been recognized globally. Hill’s research interests lie in molecular microbiology—specifically, issues around infection. His […]