“Gut health” has become a part of the common lexicon to describe health in a broader sense. In marketing campaigns, gut health is often a catchall phrase that can mean any number of health-promoting outcomes. While gut health lacks a clear definition, the term is increasingly used in human and veterinary medicine, but there are unanswered questions: Is gut health different from digestive health or GI health? What is the overall importance of gut health for individuals who do not have bowel disease? How should gut health be measured? For the latter, a variety of criteria have been proposed, but not yet agreed-upon. In this session, work by experts will be presented to shed light on what constitutes a healthy gut and how that is measured, with implications for scientific, industrial, and regulatory communities. Presented in collaboration with the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP).
Speakers:
Moderator Opening: Conceptualization of Gut Health: Historical Context and Current Thinking – A Physician’s Perspective
Gary Wu, MD, University of Pennsylvania
Current Science of Nutrition and Gut Health
Maria Marco, PhD, University of California, Davis
Measuring Gut Health – From Research to Practice
Cara Frankenfeld, PhD, Epidstrategies LLC
Panel will include time for Q&A