This book discusses the community of microbial species (the microbiota, microbiome), which inhabits the large bowel of humans. Written from the perspective of an academic who has been familiar with the topic for 40 years, it provides a long-term perspective of knowledge about this high profile and fast-moving topic. Building on general ecological principles, the book aims to help the reader to understand how the microbiota is formed, how it works, and what the consequences are to humans. Understanding the Gut Microbiota focuses on conceptual progress made from studies of the human bowel microbiota. Where appropriate, it draws on knowledge obtained from other animal species to provide conceptual enlightenment, but this is essentially a book about humans and their bowel microbes. Particular research approaches are recommended to fill knowledge gaps so that fundamental ecological theory and information about the microbiota can be translated into benefits for human health. The relationship between food for humans and resulting food for bowel bacteria emerges as an important topic for consideration. This concise scholarly treatise of the microbiota of the human bowel will be of great interest and use as a text and reference work for professionals, teachers and students across a wide range of disciplines, including the health sciences, general biology, and food science and technology. The provision of handy ‘explanation of terms’ means that those with a general interest in science can also read the book with enjoyment.

Comprehensive Gut Microbiota provides new insights into gut microbiota as a critical mediator of human health and well-being. Comprehensive chapters, split across three volumes, present trusted and authoritative sources of information for novel human gut microbiome and health research. The book focuses on the fascinating intestinal microbiome and its interaction with food, food bioactive components, nutrition and human health. Chapters address the core science in the microbiota field and draw links between the microbiome, food, nutrition and health interaction. The text reflects the current state of evidence available in the field of microbiota, its regulation at the individual and population level, and the importance of the microbiome to human health. Each section includes introductory chapters presenting the key concepts about the section objective. Later sections focus on the novel findings of the gut microbiome, food and nutrition science. Human studies and systematic literature reviews are also discussed throughout the work. Provides a comprehensive introduction to gut microbiota research and its role and relation to human health Consolidates new research on how gut microbiota affects nutrition and vice versa, offering increased understanding of methodologies and the complexity of microbiome-health science Written by leading experts from various fields and regions to ensure that the knowledge within is easily understood by, and applicable to, a large audience

The Gut-Brain Axis: Dietary, Probiotic, and Prebiotic Interventions on the Microbiota examines the potential for microbial manipulation as a therapeutic avenue in central nervous system disorders in which an altered microbiota has been implicated, and explores the mechanisms, sometimes common, by which the microbiota may contribute to such disorders. - Focuses on specific areas in which the microbiota has been implicated in gut-brain communication - Examines common mechanisms and pathways by which the microbiota may influence brain and behavior - Identifies novel therapeutic strategies targeted toward the microbiota in the management of brain activity and behavior

The 21st century has witnessed a complete revolution in the understanding and description of bacteria in eco- systems and microbial assemblages, and how they are regulated by complex interactions among microbes, hosts, and environments. The human organism is no longer considered a monolithic assembly of tissues, but is instead a true ecosystem composed of human cells, bacteria, fungi, algae, and viruses. As such, humans are not unlike other complex ecosystems containing microbial assemblages observed in the marine and earth environments. They all share a basic functional principle: Chemical communication is the universal language that allows such groups to properly function together. These chemical networks regulate interactions like metabolic exchange, antibiosis and symbiosis, and communication. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Chemical Sciences Roundtable organized a series of four seminars in the autumn of 2016 to explore the current advances, opportunities, and challenges toward unveiling this "chemical dark matter" and its role in the regulation and function of different ecosystems. The first three focused on specific ecosystemsâ€"earth, marine, and humanâ€"and the last on all microbiome systems. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the seminars.

The Food Forum convened a public workshop on February 22-23, 2012, to explore current and emerging knowledge of the human microbiome, its role in human health, its interaction with the diet, and the translation of new research findings into tools and products that improve the nutritional quality of the food supply. The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health: Workshop Summary summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place during the workshop. Over the two day workshop, several themes covered included: The microbiome is integral to human physiology, health, and disease. The microbiome is arguably the most intimate connection that humans have with their external environment, mostly through diet. Given the emerging nature of research on the microbiome, some important methodology issues might still have to be resolved with respect to undersampling and a lack of causal and mechanistic studies. Dietary interventions intended to have an impact on host biology via their impact on the microbiome are being developed, and the market for these products is seeing tremendous success. However, the current regulatory framework poses challenges to industry interest and investment.

The pig production sector faces many challenges, including the need to improve feed efficiency to reduce emissions from manure, finding alternative methods to prevent the onset of diseases affecting swine, as well as ensuring that the welfare of pigs is consistent with consumer and regulatory agencies' expectations. Understanding gut microbiomes as targets for improving gut health offers a comprehensive coverage on the wealth of research on the porcine gastrointestinal tract, its key role in pig health and nutrition, as well as its implications for improving feed efficiency and growth. This collection details how optimising the gut microbiome can contribute to an overall improvement in pig health. Edited by Professor Mick Bailey and Emeritus Professor Chris Stokes, University of Bristol, UK, Understanding gut microbiomes as targets for improving gut health will be a standard reference text for pig/swine scientists in universities and research centres, pig feed manufacturers, and government and private sector agencies advising pig farmers on health and nutrition.

Gut Microbiota: Interactive Effects on Nutrition and Health focuses on the fascinating intestinal microbiome as it relates to nutrition. The book covers the core science in the microbiome field and draws links between the microbiome and nutrition in medicine. Reflecting the most current state of evidence available in the field, the early chapters introduce key concepts about the microbiome, and the latter focus on the application of the gut microbiome and nutrition science. Both human studies and animal studies (where appropriate) are discussed throughout the work. Addressing topics such as gut microbiota throughout the lifespan, gut microbiota in health and disease, and genetic and environmental influences on gut microbiota, this book will provide scientists and clinicians who have an interest in the microbiome with an understanding of the future potential and limitations of this tool as they strive to make use of evidence-based diet information for the maintenance of good health. - Explores how diet influences gut microbiota - Consolidates new research on how gut microbiota affects nutrition - Identifies how the research applies to food science - Provides practical diet suggestions for improving health

This book provides a comprehensive overview of metabonomics and gut microbiota research from molecular analysis to population-based global health considerations. The topics include the discussion of the applications in relation to metabonomics and gut microbiota in nutritional research, in health and disease and a review of future therapeutical, nutraceutical and clinical applications. It also examines the translatability of systems biology approaches into applied clinical research and to patient health and nutrition. The rise in multifactorial disorders, the lack of understanding of the molecular processes at play and the needs for disease prediction in asymptomatic conditions are some of the many questions that system biology approaches are well suited to address. Achieving this goal lies in our ability to model and understand the complex web of interactions between genetics, metabolism, environmental factors and gut microbiota. Being the most densely populated microbial ecosystem on earth, gut microbiota co-evolved as a key component of human biology, essentially extending the physiological definition of humans. Major advances in microbiome research have shown that the contribution of the intestinal microbiota to the overall health status of the host has been so far underestimated. Human host gut microbial interaction is one of the most significant human health considerations of the present day with relevance for both prevention of disease via microbiota-oriented environmental protection as well as strategies for new therapeutic approaches using microbiota as targets and/or biomarkers. In many aspects, humans are not a complete and fully healthy organism without their appropriate microbiological components. Increasingly, scientific evidence identifies gut microbiota as a key biological interface between human genetics and environmental conditions encompassing nutrition. Microbiota dysbiosis or variation in metabolic activity has been associated with metabolic deregulation (e.g. obesity, inflammatory bowel disease), disease risk factor (e.g. coronary heart disease) and even the aetiology of various pathologies (e.g. autism, cancer), although causal role into impaired metabolism still needs to be established. Metabonomics and Gut Microbiota in Nutrition and Disease serves as a handbook for postgraduate students, researchers in life sciences or health sciences, scientists in academic and industrial environments working in application areas as diverse as health, disease, nutrition, microbial research and human clinical medicine.

The Microbiota in Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology: Implications for Human Health, Prebiotics, Probiotics and Dysbiosis is a one-stop reference on the state-of-the-art research on gut microbial ecology in relation to human disease. This important resource starts with an overview of the normal microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, Ileum, and colon. The book then identifies what a healthy vs. unhealthy microbial community looks like, including methods of identification. Also included is insight into which features and contributions the microbiota make that are essential and useful to host physiology, as is information on how to promote appropriate mutualisms and prevent undesirable dysbioses. Through the power of synthesizing what is known by experienced researchers in the field, current gaps are closed, raising understanding of the role of the microbiome and allowing for further research. - Explains how to modify the gut microbiota and how the current strategies used to do this produce their effects - Explores the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target - Provides the synthesis of existing data from both mainstream and non-mainstream sources through experienced researchers in the field - Serves as a 'one-stop' shop for a topic that's currently spread across a number of various journals

Given the at times confusing new information concerning the human microbiome released over the last few years, this book seeks to put the research field into perspective for non-specialists. Addressing a timely topic, it breaks down recent research developments in a way that everyone with a scientific background can understand. The book discusses why microorganisms are vital to our lives and how our nutrition influences the interaction with our own gut bacteria. In turn, it goes into more detail on how microbial communities are organised and why they are able to survive in the unique environment of our intestines. Readers will also learn about how their personal microbial profile is as unique as their fingerprint, and how it can be affected by a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle. Thanks to the open and easy-to-follow language used, the book offers an overview for all readers with a basic understanding of biology, and sheds new light on this fascinating and important part of our bodies.