Probiotic News and Research

Latest Probiotic News and Research

Few organisms in the gut microbiome found to play a key role in type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Oregon State University have found that a few organisms in the gut microbiome play a key role in type 2 diabetes, opening the door to possible probiotic treatments for a serious metabolic disease affecting roughly one in 10 Americans.

4 Jan 2021

Researchers examine effectiveness of treating acute infectious diarrhea with probiotics

There is no evidence that probiotics are effective in treating acute infectious diarrhoea, state the authors of this Cochrane review update. Previous editions of the review had suggested they were; but a review update of the evidence, which included new trials, has overturned the review's previous findings.

9 Dec 2020

Study finds link between children's gut microbiomes and household chemicals

A team of researchers for the first time has found a correlation between the levels of bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract of children and the amount of common chemicals found in their home environment.

12 Nov 2020

Researchers study link between gut microbiome and the brain in humans, rodents

Despite extensive support for relationships between the gut microbiome and the brain (the "microbiota-gut-brain axis") in humans and rodents, little is known about these relationships in other animals, leaving questions about this system's generality.

5 Nov 2020

Study proves how nitrate reduces blood pressure and improves oral health

The research team has patented one prebiotic compound and several probiotics with the identified molecules and bacteria.

3 Nov 2020

Study elucidates mechanisms behind protective farm effect on childhood asthma

Asthma impacts millions of children already at a young age. Children growing up on a farm have a lower risk of developing asthma than children not living on a farm.

2 Nov 2020

Specific genes of infant gut bacterium determine its symbiotic function in the infant's gut

While an infant's genes distinguish her from other newborns, a new peer-reviewed study reports that specific genes of a particular infant gut bacterium determine its symbiotic function in the infant's gut.

28 Oct 2020

Intestinal microbiota offers new prospects for treating celiac disease

Celiac disease is an immune disease of the intestine that affects more than 1% of the population. It is characterised by gluten intolerance that causes inflammation of the gut, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and can lead to weight loss and deficiencies among patients.

23 Oct 2020

Gut bacteria may play a role in prostate cancer therapies

A new study from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University illustrates how the gut microbiome interacts with an oral medication in prostate cancer patients, suggesting bacteria in the gut play a role in treatment outcomes.

30 Sep 2020

Study highlights need for scientific, pharmaceutical standards for developing live biotherapeutic products

The Pharmabiotic Research Institute (PRI), Europe's only regulatory expertise centre for the development of microbiome-based drug products, has announced the publication of a review titled "Live biotherapeutic products: the importance of a defined regulatory framework".

18 Sep 2020

Probiotics may help manage obesity in younger population

Probiotics may help children and adolescents with obesity lose weight when taken alongside a calorie-controlled diet, according to a study being presented at e-ECE 2020.

7 Sep 2020

Innovative technique tracks human milk nutrients in infant gut microbiome

A new study in mice helps explain why gut microbiomes of breastfed infants can differ greatly from those of formula-fed infants.

1 Sep 2020

Health experts provide guidelines on scientific investigation of synbiotics

Chances are you've heard of or even taken probiotics: supplements delivering "good microbes" to the gut, providing a wide range of health benefits. If you're really up on your gut health, you may also be aware of prebiotics: supplements designed to fuel the good microbes already living in our guts.

25 Aug 2020

Leading international scientists advance a new definition of synbiotics

The word 'synbiotic' appears on a growing number of food and supplement products, with synbiotic ingredients showing promise for modulating the community of microbes living in the human gut, while providing a health benefit.

21 Aug 2020

Scientists investigate the role of contractility and microbiota in chronic constipation

Chronic constipation (CC) remains a serious medical and social problem because the complexity of diagnosis, the lack of a single approach to treatment, and unsatisfactory treatment results.

20 Aug 2020

Developing new fluorescent metal sensors to peer into the gastrointestinal tract

A University of Houston researcher is developing a new set of metal sensors that will be able to function in the gastrointestinal tract, a low oxygen environment, to examine how gut bacteria respond when trace metal nutrients, like iron and zinc, are thrown out of balance either through diet or disease.

19 Aug 2020

Microbial diversity can improve treatment for cancer patients

Physicians at City of Hope, working in collaboration with scientists at Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), have found that greater gut microbial diversity in patients with metastatic kidney cancer is associated with better treatment outcomes on Food and Drug Administration-approved immunotherapy regimens.

19 Aug 2020

Ecological framework predicts key factors that determine the efficacy of FMT

We may not think about it often, but our gut is home to a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that play a critical role in how we function.

31 Jul 2020

Four simple criteria for a bacterial strain to be called probiotic

Today, the word probiotic is used to describe all kinds of "good" microorganisms in foods and supplements: those found in yogurt or fermented sauerkraut, or even those found naturally in the human digestive tract.

27 Jul 2020

Study shows how gut microbiota may contribute to type 2 diabetes

The individual mix of microorganisms in the human gastrointestinal tract provides vital clues as to how any future incidence of type 2 diabetes can be predicted, prevented and treated. This is demonstrated in a population study led from the University of Gothenburg.

13 Jul 2020