Obesity has reached epidemic levels, leading to a global crisis characterized by myriad health issues, premature mortality, and significant economic burdens. The historical approach to weight loss has been fraught with challenges. While lifestyle changes, drugs, and surgery are options that can be effective in the short term, many people fail to keep the weight […]
prebiotics
Potential of Prebiotics in Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency affects nearly one in four people worldwide, leading to anemia and the failure to maintain adequate tissue oxygenation, as well as other adverse effects. Research has shown that the gut microbiota plays a significant role in iron absorption and metabolism, and probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics have been studied as potential therapies for iron […]
COVID-19 and the Microbiome: What Have We Learned?
As of early March 2023, the global health impact of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, has been devastating, resulting in a reported 6,866,434 deaths worldwide. Over the past three years, researchers have found strong evidence of the involvement of the gut and lung microbiomes in the development and progression of COVID-19 in […]
Prebiotics in a Nutshell
Throughout human history, beneficial microbes have adapted to thrive on specific substances in the food we eat. Yet only in the past few decades have scientists homed in on which substrates —and underlying mechanisms of action—are used to best nourish them. The concept of “prebiotics” has since expanded into a new category with heightened importance […]
Immune Impacts of Probiotics, Prebiotics and Synbiotics
by Sandra Saville RD, IPA Education and Communications Committee, reviewed by Artur Ouwehand PhD and IPA Scientific Committee With health presently top of mind, many questions surround what we can do to keep healthy and support the immune system. Maintaining a healthy immune system allows the body’s defense system to fight pathogens such as viruses. […]
A New Look at Prebiotic Fibers
Dietary fibers shape the gut microbiota. These prebiotics determine microbial structure and function; we truly are what we eat. Targeted Approach to Health Recently, researchers delved into how specific fibers may define the microbial picture in human guts. This targeted approach has potential therapeutic value as manipulation of microbes may help in management of several […]