Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic debilitating disorder that occurs at any age and in populations around the world. Its pathogenesis is believed to involve a combination of genetic susceptibility, immune and external environmental factors, including the gut microbiota. Changing factors such as diet and the human gut microbiota may thus be a viable alternative to suppressing the innate and adaptive immune responses. The book at hand starts with a summary of the current understanding of the epidemiology and biologic underpinnings that manifest as IBD. Next, the gut microbiota, its function, and how it may interact with nutritional status in perpetuating IBD are looked at, followed by discussions on the potential for manipulation of the gut microbiota through the use of prebiotics, probiotics, antibiotics, and fecal transplantation. Chapters on the current role of and future prospects for nutritional interventions in the management of IBD complete the topics presented.
Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics: Bioactive Foods in Health Promotion reviews and presents new hypotheses and conclusions on the effects of different bioactive components of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics to prevent disease and improve the health of various populations. Experts define and support the actions of bacteria; bacteria modified bioflavonoids and prebiotic fibrous materials and vegetable compounds. A major emphasis is placed on the health-promoting activities and bioactive components of probiotic bacteria. - Offers a novel focus on synbiotics, carefully designed prebiotics probiotics combinations to help design functional food and nutraceutical products - Discusses how prebiotics and probiotics are complementary and can be incorporated into food products and used as alternative medicines - Defines the variety of applications of probiotics in health and disease resistance and provides key insights into how gut flora are modified by specific food materials - Includes valuable information on how prebiotics are important sources of micro-and macronutrients that modify body functions
This is the first book specifically devoted to butyrate and its biological functions in the health of humans and animals. It is the result of the collective efforts of a group of international experts working on different aspects of butyrate. It has been recognised for a long time that the consumption of dietary fibres has positive metabolic health effects. These effects are directly associated with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly butyrate, formed by the microbial degradation of dietary fibres in the digestive tract. Butyrate-induced biological effects provide examples of epigenomic regulation induced by nutrient elements and provide a basis for understanding the full range of the biological roles and molecular mechanisms that butyrate may play in cell growth, proliferation and energy metabolism. This book is a comprehensive collection of highly innovative research ideas, strategies, and crucial points related to butyrate and its biological functions. With a detailed introduction of recent advances in different but intriguing research fields, this book is a great reference for biochemists, molecular biologists, biomedical scientists and clinical researchers. This book is also a great reference for graduate students working in the related fields of biomedical sciences.
This is the first comprehensive volume to look at the importance of short-chain fatty acids in digestion, the function of the large intestine and their role in human health. Short-chain fatty acids are the major product of bacterial fermentation of dietary carbohydrates in the human and animal large intestine. They represent the major end products of digestive processes occurring in the caecum and large intestine. As such, they form an important dietary component and it is increasingly recognised that they may have a significant role in protecting against large bowel cancer and in metabolism. Prepared by an international team of contributors who are at the forefront of this area of research, this volume will be an essential source of reference for gastroenterologists, nutritionists and others active in this area.
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
Examining the enormous potential of microbiome manipulation to improve health Associations between the composition of the intestinal microbiome and many human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer, have been elegantly described in the past decade. Now, whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics, and precision gene-editing techniques are being combined with centuries-old therapies, such as fecal microbiota transplantation, to translate current research into new diagnostics and therapeutics to treat complex diseases. Bugs as Drugs provides a much-needed overview of microbes in therapies and will serve as an excellent resource for scientists and clinicians as they carry out research and clinical studies on investigating the roles the microbiota plays in health and disease. In Bugs as Drugs, editors Robert A. Britton and Patrice D. Cani have assembled a fascinating collection of reviews that chart the history, current efforts, and future prospects of using microorganisms to fight disease and improve health. Sections cover traditional uses of probiotics, next-generation microbial therapeutics, controlling infectious diseases, and indirect strategies for manipulating the host microbiome. Topics presented include: How well-established probiotics support and improve host health by improving the composition of the intestinal microbiota of the host and by modulating the host immune response. The use of gene editing and recombinant DNA techniques to create tailored probiotics and to characterize next-generation beneficial microbes. For example, engineering that improves the anti-inflammatory profile of probiotics can reduce the number of colonic polyps formed, and lactobacilli can be transformed into targeted delivery systems carrying therapeutic proteins or bioengineered bacteriophage. The association of specific microbiota composition with colorectal cancer, liver diseases, osteoporosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The gut microbiota has been proposed to serve as an organ involved in regulation of inflammation, immune function, and energy homeostasis. Fecal microbiota transplantation as a promising treatment for numerous diseases beyond C. difficile infection. Practical considerations for using fecal microbiota transplantation are provided, while it is acknowledged that more high-quality evidence is needed to ascertain the importance of strain specificity in positive treatment outcomes. Because systems biology approaches and synthetic engineering of microbes are now high-throughput and cost-effective, a much wider range of therapeutic possibilities can be explored and vetted. If you are looking for online access to the latest clinical microbiology content, please visit www.wiley.com/learn/clinmicronow.
As the number of patients with colitis-associated cancer (CAC) is on the increase, the purpose of this book is to review the latest topics concerning management of the disease. In recent years, the diagnostic power of endoscopy and molecular pathology has also grown tremendously, as a result of which they now have a far greater influence on the treatment of CAC. At the moment, appropriate monitoring programs for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease remain uncertain. At the same time, the latest findings on DNA methylation and microRNAs hold the promise of making revolutionary changes in these areas. Moreover, recent drug advances in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases have changed surgical indications. On the other hand, the indication of mucosectomy on colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis and prophylactic abdominoperineal resection for Crohn’s disease remain controversial. This book provides the latest information on the remaining issues of CAC from the point of view of expert surgeons.
As aging trends in the United States and Europe in particular are strongly suggestive of increasingly older society, it would be prudent for health care providers to better prepare for such changes. By including physiology, disease, nutrition, pharmacology, pathology, radiology and other relevant associated topics, Geriatric Gastroenterology fills the void in the literature for a volume devoted specifically to gastrointestinal illness in the elderly. This unique volume includes provision of training for current and future generations of physicians to deal with the health problems of older adults. It will also serve as a comprehensive guide to practicing physicians for ease of reference. Relevant to the geriatric age group, the volume covers epidemiology, physiology of aging, gastrointestinal physiology, pharmacology, radiology, pathology, motility disorders, luminal disorders, hepato-biliary disease, systemic manifestations, neoplastic disorders, gastrointestinal bleeding, cancer and medication related interactions and adverse events, all extremely common in older adults; these are often hard to evaluate and judge, especially considering the complex aging physiology. All have become important components of modern medicine. Special emphasis is be given to nutrition and related disorders. Capsule endoscopy and its utility in the geriatric population is also covered. Presented in simple, easy to read style, the volume includes numerous tables, figures and key points enabling ease of understanding. Chapters on imaging and pathology are profusely illustrated. All chapters are written by specialists and include up to date scientific information. Geriatric Gastroenterology is of great utility to residents in internal medicine, fellows in gastroenterology and geriatric medicine as well as gastroenterologists, geriatricians and practicing physicians including primary care physicians caring for older adults.
This volume answers the question: Why do we believe what we believe? It examines current research on the concept of beliefs, and the development in our understanding of the process of believing. It takes into account empirical findings in the field of neuroscience regarding the processes that underlie beliefs, and discusses the notion that beyond the interactive exploratory analysis of sensory information from the complex outside world, humans engage in an evaluative analysis by which they attribute personal meaning and relevance to the probabilistic representations of objects and events. Beliefs exert a strong influence on behaviour, decision-making, and identifying and solving problems. Despite their importance, beliefs have until recently not been at the centre of scientific interest. In fact, “belief” is an ill-defined phenomenon. From a transdisciplinary perspective the actual approaches to understanding belief seem incompatible as they attempt to highlight such different topics as “belief – religion”, “belief – spirituality”, “belief – faith”, “belief – knowledge”, “belief – attitude”, “belief – disbelief”, “belief – illusion”, and “believing – brain function”. This situation contradicts the idea that belief is close to pathological phenomena and that it should be eliminated from scientific discussions. Rather, believing is fundamental for understanding the many problems of every-day life. In fact, the book shows that beliefs are relevant for politics, international affairs, economy, law, or religions also in modern societies. This book presents the increasing scientific interest in beliefs and believing, and reflects the change in focus from the content aspect of belief towards the fluid nature of believing.
Nutrition of young women and its effect on offspring is an almost neglected topic in developed and developing countries alike. Under- as well as overnutrition of the mother can negatively program the child's health: Maternal undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are related to both low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation. Moreover, they also result in negative epigenetic programming both during conception and in the newborn. Obese mothers, on the other hand, may produce offspring with a lower life expectancy, a fact which could be related to the higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome in adult life. This book provides insights into the influence of maternal health and nutrition on both fetal and postnatal growth and health of the offspring. Contributions focus on future mothers from their adolescence to pregnancy, thus providing valuable information for the clinician involved in the care of adolescents and young women.
