NutraIngredient’s Snack Size Science brings you the week's top science. This week we spill the beans on the potential of coffee to boost levels of beneficial bacteria in our guts.
A pilot study from Russia and the US indicates that supplements of Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus plantarum 8PA3 may improve the health of an alcoholic’s liver.
Modifying our gut bacteria with probiotics and prebiotics may be a new weapon in the fight against obesity. Three experts active in this field discuss the current state of play, and what the future may hold for weight management with probiotics and prebiotics.
UK-based Leatherhead Food International (LFI) is seeking commercial interest for a research project that will explore the potential of probiotics to deliver oral health benefits.
A new business partnership is providing beverage manufacturers with potential to market probiotic drinks without the need for chilling or tight shelf-life restrictions.
A Chinese probiotics specialist is hoping to tap China's burgeoning
middle class by inking a deal that will see its specialist
probiotic strains used in a range of dietary supplements.
A novel mixture of prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides may
selectively boost levels of friendly bacteria in the gut, showing
that manufacture prebiotics can be tailored for higher selectivity,
UK researchers report.
Strains of probiotic bacteria can affect metabolism, says a new
study from Nestle and Imperial College London that could help the
development of new probiotic products tailored for individuals.
Strain stability and further development of new health benefits are
the two main drivers which will push probiotics further into the
food industry, the president of Danisco Cultures has said.
A probiotic formulation aimed at managing intestinal disorders has
been launched by Institut Rosell-Lallemand, a move which reinforces
probiotics' potential in cutting diarrhoea.
Wilke Resources has been appointed as the new exclusive US supplier
Nebraska Cultures' probiotic raw materials for the nutritional
supplement market - news that enable more consultation on how
cultures can be used by the clients.
Danish ingredients firm Danisco has completed the expansion of a
new probiotic facility in Madison to ease supply bottlenecks and
meet ever-increasing demand from dairy.
Two low doses of the prebiotic inulin every day can efficiently
boost levels of beneficial gut bacteria, and reduce levels of an
enzyme linked to colon cancer, says a new study sponsored by
Belgium's Cosucra.
Infant formula is getting increasingly more functional with
Nestlé's announcement this week that it is launching formula with
probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis, BIFIDUS BL, for the
United States.
The ability of the prebiotic fibre inulin to boost the population
of 'friendly' bifidobacteria in the gut works at both low and high
doses without side effects, says new research.
University of Leeds scientists are giving an insight into a
possible future of pro and prebiotics with GM probiotic bacteria
that can stimulate the immune system when 'switched on' by specific
prebiotic sugar.
Leatherhead is proposing a collaborative industry study to assess
microencapsulation systems for preserving probiotic bacteria and
boosting their effectiveness in the gut, a keen area of interest
for companies looking to lead the...
Polyphenols in tea may preferentially suppress the growth of
pathogenic bacteria in the gut, but not the growth of 'friendly'
bacteria, says a new study from Singapore.
US researchers have reported that the herb Echinacea, commonly used
against colds, could stimulate the growth of certain gut bacteria,
some potentially pathogenic.
Chinese researchers have reported that alginate oligosaccharides
(AOS) have significant prebiotic activity in rats and, if the
results can be reproduced in humans, could offer an novel source of
the health promoting ingredients.
A daily supplement of konjac glucomannan to a low-fibre diet
boosted lactic acid bacteria and colonic fermentation, and promoted
defecation frequency, says a new study from Taiwan.
A combination of probiotics and prebiotics for newborns reduced the
incidence of eczema by 34 per cent in high-risk children, says a
new study from Finland.
Danisco is introducing a new addition to its Howru probiotics line,
which it says was seen in the first of a series of
condition-specific studies to help restore the beneficial bacteria
in the human gut after taking antibiotics.
Sensus is expecting a study assessing the prebiotic benefits of
inulin for formula-fed babies to help it in its efforts to target
the infant nutrition market in the coming year.
Consumer watchdog Which? has questioned the efficacy of probiotic
products, claiming that there is no reliable research to prove that
they can help general well-being.
A probiotic strain developed by DSM is more stable at room
temperature than competing products, says the company, although it
has declined to disclose numbers to support the claims.
Sweden's BioGaia says its recent clinical trials are supporting
stronger health claims on products containing its Reuteri bacteria,
which may help it distinguish its probiotics from the competition,
writes Dominique Patton.
Complex sugars found naturally in a New Zealand variety of honey
appear to have prebiotic effects, offering food makers a natural
gut health ingredient.
Not all strains of bacteria used in probiotic products on the UK
market survive through the entire digestive system, conclude study
results published this week by the Food Standards Agency, although
at least one strain in each of...
A daily probiotic supplement reduced the number of sick days caused
by gastrointestinal illnesses or colds by almost 70 per cent,
according to a new study done by Swedish firm BioGaia.
Researchers from Tufts University, Boston, US have concluded from a
review of recent literature that further studies need to be carried
out to substantiate the link between the ingestion of probiotics
and gastrointestinal health.
Researchers from Tufts University, Boston, US have concluded from a
review of recent literature that further studies need to be carried
out to substantiate the link between the ingestion of probiotics
and gastrointestinal health.
Treating cirrhotic patients with synbiotics or fermentable fiber
can alter the flora in the gut, lowering its pH levels as well as
the ammonia levels in the blood and significantly reducing brain
dysfunction, a common symptom of the...
Probiotics could play an important role in helping autistic
children by tackling the neurotoxins and bacteria in the gut which
can cause the condition, according to new research in the UK.
European suppliers of probiotics could see a growing channel for
sales as UK scientists discover a new way to combat food poisoning,
by targeting it in living animals using beneficial bacteria.
Probiotics provide fresh hope for destroying...
A number of probiotic products available in South Africa do not
live up to the claims on their labels, report researchers in the
February issue of the South African Medical Journal (94:
121-124).
Leading ingredients firm Danisco has announced its second licensing
deal for the Howaru probiotic strain with Chile's biggest dairy
processor Soprole. The agreement looks set to generate significant
interest among food makers...
French ingredients firm Rhodia Food has developed technology to
include beneficial probiotics in a nutritional bar, helping
manufacturers to tap into two of the biggest trends in healthy
eating.
Leading Swedish food maker Procordia Food is to launch a series of
health-enhancing foods and has reached a deal with compatriot
BioGaia for use of its probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus
reuteri in products for the Nordic market.
Dutch inulin specialist Sensus is to add a powdered inulin to its
Frutafit portfolio at the upcoming Food Ingredients Europe
exhibition in Frankfurt. The product is aimed at applications
requiring excellent solubility.
The food division of pharma company Rhodia launched two new
probiotic blends under its FloraFit range at Vitafoods last week,
one to 'Balance' the intestinal microflora, the other to 'Boost'
the immune system....
