Guest Information
Prof. Glenn Gibson, PhD
Glenn Gibson is Professor of Food Microbiology at University of Reading. He has been researching bacteria in the gut for over 30 years. Together with his colleague Marcel B. Roberfroid, both researchers coined the term prebiotics in their 1995 paper.
He has published over 450 research papers and 8 books. He currently researches acute and chronic gut disease, with specific projects on probiotics and prebiotics, gas production, gut microbiota development, gastroenteritis, obsesity and colonic homeostasis.
In this episode we discuss:
- Prof. Gibson's role in coining the term "prebiotic"
- Is there any reason a healthy person should take a generic probiotic supplement?
- Probiotic + antibiotic therapy
- Difficult in getting claims of benefit approved in Europe
- Mechanism of effect of probiotic supplementation
- Prebiotics: glucans and fructans
- Evidence for supplementing with isolated forms vs consuming a variety of vegetables, fruits and fibrous foods
- Measurement of bacteria in the faeces: how good of a proxy is that for what is actually in the gut?
Links & Resources
- International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP)
- Gibson & Roberfroid, 1995 - Dietary modulation of the human colonic microbiota: introducing the concept of prebiotics
- Sanders et al., 2019 - Probiotics and prebiotics in intestinal health and disease: from biology to the clinic
- Sigma Statement - Probiotics: Common Indications and Current Evidence
- SNR #105: Prof. John Cryan – How Gut Bacteria Affect the Brain & Behaviour
Fan of the Podcast?
If you regularly enjoy listening to Sigma Nutrition Radio and you'd like to take your support even further, then you can officially support the podcast on Patreon. You can pledge $1 per episode, and cancel at any time. If you'd prefer not to pledge a recurring payment, but instead send a one-time tip/donation, you can do so here.
Thank you for considering!