The probiotic Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota (LcS) in a fermented milk beverage survives the gastrointestinal tract of generally healthy U.S. Adults.

The probiotic strain Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (previously Lactobacillus casei) strain Shirota (LcS) has demonstrated its survivability in the gastrointestinal tract across populations in different countries. The objective of this study was to validate this survivability in the United States, where evidence is lacking. Faecal samples were collected from 26 healthy individuals (age: 32.0 ± 5.9 years) at baseline, after 7 and 14 days of daily consumption of 80 mL fermented milk containing 108 colony forming units (CFU) LcS/mL, and after a subsequent 14-days of no product consumption. Live LcS counts significantly (p < 0.001) increased after 7 and 14 days of product consumption (6.37 ± 1.18 and 5.24 ± 1.81 log10 CFU/g faeces, respectively) and returned to baseline in 87% of participants. These results indicate LcS survives passage through the gastrointestinal tract of generally healthy U.S. adults, providing support for its uniquely accumulated evidence of universal survival capacity in the gastrointestinal tract.

Moderate intakes of soluble corn fibre or inulin do not cause gastrointestinal discomfort and are well tolerated in healthy children.

We investigated the gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance of soluble corn fibre (SCF) compared with inulin in children 3-9 years old. SCF (3-8 g/d for 10d) was tolerated as well as inulin: no differences were identified in stool frequency and consistency, proportion of subjects with at least one loose stool or reporting symptoms during bowel movement. Compared to inulin, 6 g/d of SCF lowered gas severity in children aged 3-5 years old. No differences were noted for alpha and beta diversity, relative abundance of Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, Ruminococcaceae, or the Firmicutes to Bacteroidota ratio. Relative abundance of some specific strains (i.e. Anaerostipes, Bifidobacterium, Fusicatenibacter, Parabacteroides) varied depending on the fibre type and dose level. Fortification at a level of 6-8 g/d of SCF and/or inulin could help addressing the fibre gap without any GI discomfort.

Wax Ester Rich Oil From The Marine Crustacean, Calanus finmarchicus, is a Bioavailable Source of EPA and DHA for Human Consumption.

Oil from the marine copepod, Calanus finmarchicus, which contains >86 % of fatty acids present as wax esters, is a novel source of n-3 fatty acids for human consumption. In a randomized, two-period crossover study, 18 healthy adults consumed 8 capsules providing 4 g of Calanus(®) Oil supplying a total of 260 mg EPA and 156 mg DHA primarily as wax esters, or 1 capsule of Lovaza(®) providing 465 mg EPA and 375 mg DHA as ethyl esters, each with an EPA- and DHA-free breakfast. Plasma EPA and DHA were measured over a 72 h period (t = 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h). The positive incremental area under the curve over the 72 h test period (iAUC0-72 h) for both EPA and DHA was significantly different from zero (p < 0.0001) in both test conditions, with similar findings for the iAUC0-24 h and iAUC0-48 h, indicating the fatty acids were absorbed. There was no difference in the plasma iAUC0-72 h for EPA + DHA, or DHA individually, in response to Calanus Oil vs the ethyl ester condition; however, the iAUC0-48 h and iAUC0-72 h for plasma EPA in response to Calanus Oil were both significantly increased relative to the ethyl ester condition (iAUC0-48 h: 381 ± 31 vs 259 ± 39 µg*h/mL, p = 0.026; iAUC0-72 h: 514 ± 47 vs 313 ± 49 µg*h/mL, p = 0.009). These data demonstrate a novel wax ester rich marine oil is a suitable alternative source of EPA and DHA for human consumption.

Consumption of a cranberry juice beverage lowered the number of clinical urinary tract infection episodes in women with a recent history of urinary tract infection.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections and are often treated with antibiotics. Concerns about multidrug-resistant uropathogens have pointed to the need for safe and effective UTI-prevention strategies such as cranberry consumption. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the effects of the consumption of a cranberry beverage on episodes of clinical UTIs. DESIGN: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial, women with a history of a recent UTI were assigned to consume one 240-mL serving of cranberry beverage/d (n = 185) or a placebo (n = 188) beverage for 24 wk. The primary outcome was the clinical UTI incidence density, which was defined as the total number of clinical UTI events (including multiple events per subject when applicable) per unit of observation time. RESULTS: The dates of the random assignment of the first subject and the last subject's final visit were February 2013 and March 2015, respectively. The mean age was 40.9 y, and characteristics were similar in both groups. Compliance with study product consumption was 98%, and 86% of subjects completed the treatment period in both groups. There were 39 investigator-diagnosed episodes of clinical UTI in the cranberry group compared with 67 episodes in the placebo group (antibiotic use-adjusted incidence rate ratio: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.91; P = 0.016). Clinical UTI with pyuria was also significantly reduced (incidence rate ratio: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.40, 0.97; P = 0.037). One clinical UTI event was prevented for every 3.2 woman-years (95% CI: 2.0, 13.1 woman-years) of the cranberry intervention. The time to UTI with culture positivity did not differ significantly between groups (HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.56, 1.67; P = 0.914). CONCLUSION: The consumption of a cranberry juice beverage lowered the number of clinical UTI episodes in women with a recent history of UTI. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01776021.