The Nutrition for Gut Health Committee advances and communicates the scientific understanding of the impact of diet and dietary constituents on gut and host health.
(This Committee represents the evolution of the Gut Microbiome Committee.)
Strategic Focus Area
- Advance shared definitions and approaches to measurement of gut health and gut microbiome across stakeholders.
- Evaluate and advance the evidence for nutrition support of optimal gut and host health.
- Communicate the evidence that underpins how diets and dietary constituents impact measures of gut health and other systems influenced by gut physiology.
- Through the Live Dietary Microbes Subcommittee, gather, develop, and drive science- and evidence-based decisions on dietary recommendations for live microbes (learn more here). See news story about the promise of research on dietary microbes for health.
Current Work
This committee has various work underway:
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Abbott Nutrition
General Mills
Mondelēz International
National Dairy Council
ACADEMIC ADVISORS
Marla Cunningham, MS, ISAPP
Wendy A. Henderson, PhD, CRNP, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania
Johanna Lampe, PhD, RD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Gary D. Wu, MD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
GOVERNMENT ADVISORS
Cindy Davis, PhD, USDA, ARS
Lauren VieBrock, PhD, US FDA
William Yan, PhD, Health Canada (Retired)
Projects Supported by the Committee:
Publications
A to Z
An Overview of Current Knowledge of the Gut Microbiota and Low-Calorie Sweeteners
Nutrition Today, 2021
Read more about An Overview of Current Knowledge of the Gut Microbiota and Low-Calorie Sweeteners
Diet-Related and Gut-Derived Metabolites and Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review.
Metabolites, 2022
A scoping review to map evidence about the health impact of gut microbiota-derived metabolites is now available. The researchers found a need to conduct more prospective studies, including clinical trials. Researchers identified metabolites and conditions for which systematic reviews are warranted to characterize the direction and magnitude of metabolite-disease associations.
Read more about Diet-Related and Gut-Derived Metabolites and Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review.
Establishing What Constitutes a Healthy Human Gut Microbiome: State of the Science, Regulatory Considerations, and Future Directions
The Journal of Nutrition, 2019
IAFNS previously took on the task of defining a “healthy gut microbiome,” and the outcome of this effort was published by Backhed et al. in 2012. Since that time, the body of work on gut microbiome has grown exponentially. In 2018, >40 invited academic, government, and industry experts gathered to evaluate progress toward this definition and explore the question: Can a Healthy Gut Microbiome be Defined Through Quantifiable Characteristics?
Global Regulatory Frameworks for Fermented Foods: A Review
Frontiers in Nutrition, 2022
The review provides important perspective and context in relation to current global fermented food regulatory practices with possible directions and recommendations for future legislative efforts.
Read more about Global Regulatory Frameworks for Fermented Foods: A Review
Mapping the Available Evidence on the Impact of Ingested Live Microbes on Health: A Scoping Review Protocol
BMJ Open, 2023
Some researchers think that the regular consumption of safe, live microbes confers health-promoting attributes, including the prevention of disease. To address this hypothesis, we propose a scoping review to assess the large amount of scientific literature that is now available on this topic.
Events
American Association of Family Physicians – FMX 2024
September 24, 2024 – September 28, 2024
Phoenix, AZ
IAFNS-supported researchers will make a presentation before family physicians entitled: ‘Live Dietary Microbes: Evidence That Intake Supports Health.’
Read more about American Association of Family Physicians – FMX 2024
Host-Microbiome Interactions in Health and Disease
November 19, 2024
Virtual, Event
Join IAFNS as we learn about the latest research in this area underway at the Weizmann Institute, under the direction of Dr. Eran Elinav.
Read more about Host-Microbiome Interactions in Health and Disease
IAFNS at NUTRITION 2024
June 29, 2024 – July 2, 2024
Chicago, IL
IAFNS will present at the American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting — NUTRITION 2024 — showcasing new work on funded projects.
IAFNS Nutrition for Gut Health Committee Meeting
August 7, 2024
Washington, DC
IAFNS’ Nutrition for Gut Health Committee advances and communicates the scientific understanding of the impact of diet and dietary constituents on gut and host health.
Read more about IAFNS Nutrition for Gut Health Committee Meeting