Rob Knight, PhD is a pioneer in the study of microbiomes, in humans, animals, and the environment. He says “the three pounds of microbes that you carry around with you might be more important than every single gene you carry around in your genome.” Dr. Knight is the author of a popular TED book, Follow Your Gut: The Enormous Impact of Tiny Microbes, which explores how microbes impact your health, mood, and more. In this TED Talk, Dr. Knight discusses…

The microbial community in each of our bodies influences our physiology, metabolism and immune function, playing roles in both health and disease. This community of bacteria helps its human host digest food, synthesize certain vitamins, and protect against pathogenic bacteria. Recognizing the benefits of “good” microbes begs the question, what does the microbial population look like in a healthy person? And how does the population differ in a person with metabolic or digestive disease? This monograph reviews the role of…

by Bianca Garilli, ND A member of the Lamiaceae flowering plant family, peppermint (Mentha piperita) is one of the most widely herbs used in today’s society.  The peppermint plant is a mix of Mentha spicata (spearmint) and Mentha aquatica (watermint). This fragrant herb originates form the Mediterranean region and now grows wildly in many areas of the world.  Peppermint is well known for its spicy taste and the characteristic “coolness” which comes from its menthol containing volatile oil.1 Peppermint use throughout…

Probiotics Video Animation This animation is designed for the educational use of clinicians and patients. The human gut is home to over 100 trillion bacterial cells, known as the gut microbiota. The bacteria are diverse and contain mostly “good” bacteria that help process the foods we consume and produce vitamins and short-chain fatty acids that help our bodies to function. The gut bacteria also produce metabolites that communicate with the brain and the rest of the body. They may influence…

by Romilly Hodges, MS, CNS Sometimes a simple low FODMAPs diet, or a course of prescription or botanical antimicrobials, is enough to shift a case of SIBO. But if your experience is anything like ours, some cases are much harder to address and can be much more prone to recurrence. If you’re presented with a difficult SIBO case (or if you yourself feel like a difficult case!), read on to find out what else you should be thinking about. What is…

by Lewis Chang, PhD This multi-part series will help you understand what prebiotics are, what they do, and how they may improve the health of your patients. Based on published scientific literature, this series will also clarify common misconceptions surrounding prebiotics and summarize clinical evidence of specific ingredients with prebiotic properties Series Part 3: Regarding Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) Uniquely human It was more than 100 years ago when researchers first noticed that breast-fed infants had higher survival rate and…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Series Part 2: An Overview on Prebiotics This multi-part series will help you understand what prebiotics are, what they do, and how they may improve the health of your patients. Based on published scientific literature, this series will also clarify common misconceptions surrounding prebiotics and summarize clinical evidence of specific ingredients with prebiotic properties.  Series Part 2: (A) Regarding Fiber vs. Prebiotics  (B) Regarding IMOs What are fibers? Fibers, starches and sugars are actually all carbohydrates. What…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Series Part 1: An Overview on Prebiotics This multi-part series will help you understand what prebiotics are, what they do, and how they may improve the health of your patients. Based on published scientific literature, this series will also clarify common misconceptions surrounding prebiotics and summarize clinical evidence of specific ingredients with prebiotic properties.  Introduction: I think I know what prebiotics are, but... Many health-conscious consumers have become familiar with the term “prebiotics.”  Yet, conflicting information…

Human Milk Oligosaccharides – Part 2 Presented by Lars Bode, PhD Lars Bode, PhD presents and overview of Human Milk Oligo Saccharides, what they are, their metabolism and how HMOs serve as prebiotics. HMOs are the third most abundant component in human milk and their composition follows a basic blueprint. There are more than 150 different HMOs identified. This video presentation includes a very informative Q&A session following the overview.

Human Milk Oligosaccharides – Part 1, Presented by Lars Bode, PhD Lars Bode, PhD presents an overview of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), what they are, their metabolism, and how they serve as prebiotics. HMOs are the third most abundant component in human milk, and their composition follows a basic blueprint. There are more than 150 different HMOs identified.