The Health Impact of Active Cultures: Probiotics
September 29, 2006
Washington, DC
There is a long history of probiotics being used around the world for health promotion and for preventive and therapeutic purposes. During the past decade a quickly growing body of evidence suggests that certain probiotics can be used in the diet to prevent illness and/or to improve certain body functions. Several studies demonstrate that these bacteria have beneficial effects on mucosal barrier dysfunctions, immune function and enhancing colonization resistance capacity of the commensal flora.
Even though the majority of published data involve the use of probiotics to prevent and treat gastrointestinal infections, the potential functions of these microorganisms may extend far beyond what was originally conceptualized, including demonstrated impact on development of allergy and in helping to manage irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Upon completion of this course, attendees will have acquired critical background information and practical knowledge on the state of the science of probiotics and an understanding of clinical applications for current preventive practices, treatments and health promoting approaches for patients of all ages.
No webcast recordings of this event are available.
Moderator
W. Allan Walker, MD
Director, Division of Nutrition, Harvard Medical School;
Director of Mucosal Immunology Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital;
Conrad Taff Professor of Nutrition, Harvard Medical School
Welcome and Introduction
Daniel Merenstein, MD
Georgetown University Medical Center
Probiotics: What, Why and When?
Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD
President of International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP)
Applications of Probiotics in Pediatrics
W. Allan Walker, MD
Division of Nutrition,
Harvard Medical School
Could Probiotics Help the Elderly?
Simin Meydani, DVM, PhD
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging,
Tufts University
Irritable Bowel Syndrome: What’s the Role of Probiotics?
Yehuda Ringel, MD
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Recommendations for Probiotic Use
Martin Floch, MD
Yale University School of Medicine
General Discussion and Closing Remarks