Entries by KC

Why researchers need to understand more about the small intestinal microbiome

By Prof. Eamonn M. M. Quigley, MD, The Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell School of Medicine, and Prof. Purna Kashyap, MD, Mayo Clinic The phrase “gut microbiota” properly refers to the microorganisms living throughout the entire digestive tract, including the mouth and the upper digestive tract, through the length of the small intestine as well […]

Episode 11: How to build a satisfying scientific career and make a difference

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. How to build a satisfying […]

Episode 10: How the ISALA project investigates what makes a healthy vaginal microbiome

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. How the ISALA project investigates […]

Are probiotics effective in improving symptoms of constipation?

By Eirini Dimidi, PhD, Lecturer at King’s College London Constipation is a common disorder that affects approximately 8% of the general population and is characterised by symptoms of infrequent or difficult bowel movements (1). People who suffer with constipation often report that it negatively affects their quality of life and the majority use some sort […]

Episode 9: An evolutionary perspective on fermented foods

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. An evolutionary perspective on fermented […]

Can diet shape the effects of probiotics or prebiotics?

By Prof. Maria Marco PhD, University of California – Davis and Prof. Kevin Whelan PhD, King’s College London If you take any probiotic or prebiotic product off the shelf and give it to several different people to consume, you might find that each person experiences a different effect. One person may notice a dramatic reduction […]

Episode 8: The link between digestive symptoms, IBS and the gut microbiota: A gastroenterologist’s perspective

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. The link between digestive symptoms, […]

Episode 7: Evidence for probiotic use in pediatric populations

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. Evidence for probiotic use in […]

Human milk oligosaccharides as prebiotics to be discussed in upcoming ISAPP webinar

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), non-digestible carbohydrates found in breast milk, have beneficial effects on infant health by acting as substrates for immune-modulating bacteria in the intestinal tract. The past several years have brought an increase in our understanding of how HMOs confer health benefits, prompting the inclusion of synthetic HMOs in some infant formula products. […]

Can Probiotics Cause Harm? The example of pregnancy

By Prof. Dan Merenstein MD, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington DC, USA and Dr. Maria Carmen Collado, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology-National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), Valencia, Spain Limiting excessive weight gain and controlling blood pressure during pregnancy are important to prevent pre-eclampsia and other complications of pregnancy. Researchers have examined if there is […]

What is a strain in microbiology and why does it matter?

By Prof. Colin Hill, Microbiology Department and APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Ireland At the recent ISAPP meeting in Sitges we had an excellent debate on the topic of ‘All probiotic effects must be considered strain-specific’. Notwithstanding which side of the debate prevailed, it does raise the question: what exactly is a strain? As […]

Episode 6: Mechanisms of action for probiotics

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. Mechanisms of action for probiotics, […]

Episode 5: Prebiotics for animal health

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. Prebiotics for animal health, with […]

Bifidobacteria in the infant gut use human milk oligosaccharides: how does this lead to health benefits?

By Martin Frederik Laursen, Technical University of Denmark, 2022 co-recipient of Glenn Gibson Early Career Research Prize Breast milk is the ‘gold standard’ of infant nutrition, and recently scientists have zeroed in on human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) as key components of human milk, which through specific interaction with bifidobacteria, may improve infant health. Clarifying mechanisms […]

Episode 4: Weighing evidence for probiotic interventions: Perspectives of a primary care physician

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. Weighing evidence for probiotic interventions: […]

Probiotics vs. prebiotics: Which to choose? And when?

By Dr. Karen Scott, PhD, Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Scotland As consumers we are constantly bombarded with information on what we should eat to improve our health. Yet the information changes so fast that it sometimes seems that what was good for us last week should now be avoided at all costs! Probiotics and […]

Episode 3: The science of fermented foods, part 2

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. The science of fermented foods, […]

Do polyphenols qualify as prebiotics? The latest scientific perspectives

Kristina Campbell, Consulting Communications Director, ISAPP When the ISAPP scientific consensus definition of ‘prebiotic’ was published in 2017, the co-authors on the paper included polyphenols as potential prebiotic substances. At the time, the available data on the effect of polyphenols on the gut microbiota were insufficient to show a true prebiotic effect. An ISAPP webinar […]

Episode 2: Why mechanistic research on probiotics is captivating and important

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. Why mechanistic research on probiotics […]

Episode 1: The science of fermented foods, part 1

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast  This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotic (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields. The science of fermented foods, […]

The gut mycobiome and misinformation about Candida

By Prof. Eamonn Quigley, MD, The Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell School of Medicine, Houston As a gastroenterologist, I frequently meet with patients who are adamant that a Candida infection is the cause of their ailments. Patients experiencing a range of symptoms, including digestive problems, sometimes believe they have an overgrowth of Candida in their […]

Improving the quality of microbiome studies – STORMS

By Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, ISAPP Executive Science Officer In mid-March I attended the Gut Microbiota for Health annual meeting. I was fortunate to participate in a short workshop chaired by Dr. Geoff Preidis MD, PhD, a pediatric gastroenterologist from Baylor College of Medicine and Dr. Brendan Kelly MD, MSCE, an infectious disease physician and […]

ISAPP’s Guiding Principles for the Definitions of ‘Biotics’

By Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, ISAPP Executive Science Officer Articulating a definition for a scientific concept is a significant challenge. Inevitably, scientists have different perspectives on what falls inside and outside the bounds of a term. Prof. Glenn Gibson, ISAPP co-founder and longtime board member, recently published a paper that describes his path to coining […]