Search Results for: Probiotic

In this video, Gail Cresci, PhD, RD, LD, CNSC from the Cleveland Clinic discusses the microbiome and whether synbiotics, synergistic combination of pre- and probiotics, make a difference. She covers the rationale for synbiotic use, synbiotic approaches, supporting evidence for health outcomes. Presented at ASPEN Clinical Nutrition Week 2015. View the Slide Deck

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…

by Kara Fitzgerald, ND Allergy season is in high gear. The trees are budding and pollen is bursting forth in Connecticut. As our winters are warmer, we’re also seeing allergies kick in sooner, perhaps with a higher intensity than in years past. While most of us are cracking our windows open and emerging from the winter cocoon into the welcoming sun, our spring allergy patients step outside or crack their windows and they’re bombarded immediately with an almost invisible (to the non-sufferer)…

Hypertension (HTN) affects more than a third (32.6%) of Americans and is a major risk factor for heart disease and mortality.1 Unfortunately, the exact mechanisms as to development and maintenance of this condition are yet to be understood. It has been suggested that HTN is associated with a fundamental defect in the ability for the kidneys to excrete sodium.2 Salt sensitivity of blood pressure (BP) is a measurable, physiological, trait where an increase in dietary sodium intake leads to an increase in…

Daily consumption of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 helped relieve severity of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), according to a pilot quality improvement study. The study participants (n=29) were recruited from patients who presented to the Cleveland Clinic Center for Gut Rehabilitation and Transplantation outpatient clinic (Cleveland, OH). Participants consumed the probiotic strain Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 in an oral supplement (108 CFU/capsule daily) for 90 days in addition to standard therapy. GI symptoms consistent…

A review published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics showed alcohol consumption adversely altered gut microbiota and could lead to negative impacts on the liver. It is well known that alcohol intake directly and adversely affects the liver, but more recently, it has also been clinically shown to impact the gastrointestinal microbiota. To better elucidate this relationship the authors utilized the PubMed data base, to identify and review data from research articles addressing this topic. The studies that the authors identified showed alcohol…

Introduction Certain probiotics have demonstrated significant benefit for maintaining the health of the microbial community in the gut. Lactobacilli have demonstrated the ability to protect the host from pathogenic bacterial strains like Listeria, Salmonella and E .coli.1 Lactobacilli influence immunological and physiological processes in the body. In a large review of various Lactobacillus species, researchers found Lactobacilli efficacious for the treatment of some cancers, vaginal disorders, hypercholesterolemia, H. pylori, oxaluria, mastitis, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, constipation and ulcerative colitis, diarrhea, and type 2 diabetes.2 While Lactobacilli…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Anxiety comes in a myriad of forms from social anxiety to post traumatic stress disorder with an average onset at 11 years of age. Anxiety is estimated to affect 18% of the US population or 42 million Americans with 4% of the population suffering with severe anxiety.1,2 The more common and easily identifiable symptoms of anxiety include a feeling of dread, edginess or irritation, fear, worry, difficulty with concentration and focus; somatic symptoms may include increased…

In this video presentation, Dale Bredesen, MD presents on advances in Alzheimer’s disease research. He proposes that we are entering the era of treatable Alzheimer’s disease. He also discusses mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), conditions that can be precursors to Alzheimer’s disease. Indeed, the opportunity exists to improve our cognition regardless of if these conditions are present. First, Dr. Bredesen discusses some “shocking truths” about Alzheimer’s disease that have come from his 25+ years of research:…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Most people have heard of, or know somebody who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is not a single condition but rather a group of symptoms associated with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that includes abdominal pain and changes in bowel movements such as constipation or diarrhea.1 IBS affects 10-15% of US adults, with women being twice as likely as men to develop IBS.1 Costs associated with treating IBS symptoms are estimated to  be $1.7 billion and $10…