The current marketplace is flush with multi-strain probiotic formulations. At first glance, the rationale for these types of products is compelling: more strains may hit more targets and maybe even add up to more than the sum of the single-strain parts. But is there any evidence that this notion is valid? In 2018, Dr. Arthur […]
Microbiome Environment
Health Professionals’ Knowledge on Probiotics
Patients often rely on health professionals to guide them on probiotics. Questions abound: which conditions may benefit, which probiotic, what dosage and a multitude of others. Sorting through all the data and information available may cause confusion — not only in patients but also for the very people trusted to give advice. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, […]
Asked and Answered, AGAIN! Probiotics are safe!
written by Margaret Haldeman, Ph.D., Education & Communication Co-chair Probiotics are defined as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host” 1. To be considered a true probiotic, a microorganism must confer a health benefit when consumed in appropriate amounts. In order to provide a health benefit, this consumption must […]
Probiotics: old fellows to prevent modern diseases
by Gianfranco Grompone, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, BioGaia Microbiome science has reshaped some relevant biological concepts related to host-microbes interactions, establishing new insights on the functional mutualistic relationships between plants, vertebrates and its microbial communities. In this context, humans can be considered as “holobionts” defined as entities comprised of the host and all its symbiotic […]
Diversity Matters in Microbiota
Diversity enriches our global ecosystems. It appears to be no different for many sites of the human body hosting microbial populations — albeit with at least one striking exception. For example, vaginal microbiota is distinct in that greater bacterial diversity is seen in women with bacterial vaginosis, which goes against the assumption that higher diversity […]
Probiota 2021 Summit, An Excerpt
As promised, Probiota 2021 Summit in February offered expert speakers and vigorous panels who engaged on key issues affecting the business of the microbiome: IPA has been dipping back into the webinar. First up was a presentation from Ruairi Robertson PhD at Queen Mary University in London on what the future may hold for microbiome […]