This time of year, it’s fun to look back and ahead. I started consulting in the probiotics field in 1990. In 1990, awareness – by consumers, researchers, and healthcare providers – of probiotics in the United States was minimal. There … Continue reading
Researchers have long recognized the immunomodulatory activity of certain probiotic strains (see review). A fermented milk that could improve immune parameters and reduce post-event symptoms would be a desirable dietary choice for endurance athletes. In a recent human trial, Brazilian … Continue reading
Personalized nutrition, personalized medicine, personalized probiotics. These are all trendy concepts, which now include a microbiome component, with exciting objectives but limited practical applications. Now add responses of your microbiome to your diet to this list of what can be … Continue reading
We often think of probiotics in the context of their benefits to human health. But are they beneficial to your bottom line as well? An insightful investigator, Dr. Irene Lenoir-Wijnkoop from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, has been dedicated much of … Continue reading
Fermented foods are the rage. The fervor for these foods is driven in part by the expanding knowledge about microbes being our unseen partners. There was a time when the term ‘microbe’ called to mind only those few that legitimately … Continue reading
The most common probiotics hail from the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. But today researchers have been identifying new genera of bacteria isolated from the healthy human gut that may become the probiotic of the future. (See here for a previous … Continue reading
I was recently involved with a study that examined labels of probiotic dietary supplement products sold in retail outlets. In short, the label of every probiotic supplement in four retail stores in the Washington DC area was scrutinized. The perspective … Continue reading
Researchers who understand the current state of evidence for probiotics to manage some health conditions are sometimes frustrated with the slow pace of incorporation of probiotic interventions into medical practice. Although evidence for some indications is limited based on quality … Continue reading
Many different types of products display the word ‘probiotic’ on the label. Fermented dairy products, which are the traditional probiotic delivery foods, newer foods to the probiotic category such as snack foods and teas, pet foods, dietary supplements, and even … Continue reading
Interest in postbiotics is growing. Postbiotics are non-viable probiotic organisms or cellular components thereof that exert beneficial effects on health or well-being (Shortt 1999). The key distinction between a postbiotic and a probiotic is that a probiotic must be a … Continue reading