Dietary supplements made from foods, herbs and their constituents are a rapidly growing market sector. Consumers often view food supplements as ‘natural’ and therefore safe; however, supplements are regulated as foods rather than as pharmaceuticals and so are not as closely monitored as may be necessary. With the commercial market in these products growing, this book provides essential research into their safety, efficacy and potential risk of interaction with pharmaceuticals. Following an introductory chapter, part one covers the chemical composition, manufacture and regulation of dietary supplements. Part two looks at the effectiveness of different types of dietary supplement and methods of evaluation. Finally, part three focuses on supplement safety. Reviews the design, production and regulation of dietary supplements. Analyses the potential for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics interactions between dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals. Offers reviews of important clinical studies on the efficacy of dietary supplements for range of conditions.

This book explains the potential value of microbiome and microbiome composition associated with human health and diseases. The opening chapters describe the current state of knowledge regarding the human microbiome structure, function, and diversity. The mechanisms of action and the various putative uses of human microbiome are then examined specific to healthy and disease conditions. Readers will find detailed information on its manipulation of human microbiome studies as well as its applied and translational aspects in the current field. The latest knowledge on probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics is presented, and specific cases to date are discussed. This book features knowledge from leading researchers working on different aspects of the human microbiome and its manipulation for better health. Overall, this book is an excellent source for microbiome researchers and students from all levels seeking the most up-to-date advancements in the field and also to point toward the future directions.

Probiotics for Human Nutrition in Health and Disease provides a comprehensive resource of information on traditional and emerging health concepts and the development and application evolution of probiotics and their role in prevention and treatment of human metabolic disorders and illnesses. Key issues related to the general aspects of probiotics, probiotics in human nutrition, and probiotics in human health promotion and disease treatment are described and discussed. Sections discuss general features of probiotics, such as relationships with prebiotics, probiotics in human nutrition, including pregnancy, lactation, in children, and in the elderly, and the role of probiotics in human health and disease treatment. This book provides the most significant knowledge, mechanistic bases, uses, clinical perceptions, case studies and perspectives about probiotics for humans, considering possibilities and limitations in light of the appropriate available reference materials. Written by highly qualified researchers and edited by a team of experts, each chapter summarizes the latest available information on probiotics in human health and critically interprets the most significant evidence by applying the author’s own practical experience from investigations with probiotics. Present traditional and emerging concepts, developments and the evolution of probiotics Provides key insights that characterize probiotics as promising and innovative options for human nutrition Discusses how probiotics can be used in a perspective of health promotion and prevention and treatment of human metabolic disorders and illnesses

Good Microbes in Medicine, Food Production, Biotechnology, Bioremediation, and Agriculture Discover the positive and helpful contributions made by microorganisms to various areas of human health, food preservation and production, biotechnology, industry, environmental clean-up and sustainable agriculture. In Good Microbes in Medicine, Food Production, Biotechnology, Bioremediation, and Agriculture, a team of distinguished researchers delivers a comprehensive and eye-opening look at the positive side of bacteria and other microbes. The book explores the important and positive roles played by microorganisms. Divided into five sections, Good Microbes examines the use of microorganisms and the microbiome in human health, food production, industrial use, bioremediation, and sustainable agriculture. Coverage spans from food allergies, skin disorders, microbial food preservation and fermentation of various beverages and food products, and from an ethical point of view to the beneficial use of microbes in biotechnology, industry, bioeconomy, environmental remediation such as resource recovery, microbial-based environmental clean-up, plant-microbe interactions in biorestauration, biological control of plant diseases, and biological nitrogen fixation. Provides basic knowledge on bacterial biology, biochemistry, genetics, and genomics of beneficial microbes Includes practical discussions of microbial biotechnology, including the contribution of microbial biotechnology to sustainable development goals Features a comprehensive introduction and extensive index to facilitate the search for key terms. Perfect for scientists, researchers and anyone with an interest in beneficial microbes, Good Microbes in Medicine, Food Production, Biotechnology, Bioremediation, and Agriculture is also an indispensable resource for microbiology graduate students, applied microbiologists and policy makers.

Probiotic foods are fermented foods cultured by live beneficial microorganisms. Those most familiar to us are yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and buttermilk. Many more have been enjoyed for centuries in different parts of the world, but are largely unknown to us. Fermented foods help keep our bodies healthy. They protect us from harmful foodborne pathogens that have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. These two grave and growing problems - foodborne illness and antibiotic resistance - can cause many disorders, from allergy and asthma to yeast infections and heart disease, among others. It's time we get acquainted with probiotic foods as nutritional and therapeutic treasures. Probiotic Foods for Good Health discusses in detail more than forty traditional probiotic foods based on milk, vegetables, beans, and cereal grains. It also provides practical information about reliable sources for commercially available fermented foods, at-home starter cultures, and shopping tips that make it easy to add these delicious, health-promoting foods to your daily diet. Book jacket.

The discovery of new and previously unknown organisms that cause foodborne illness makes it essential for scientists, regulators, and those in the food industry to reconsider their traditional approaches to food preservation. A single source reference that can provide the latest practical information on how to deal with the range of probiotic healt