Biotics – Pre, Pro, and Post

Sonnenburg, J. L. & Sonnenburg, E. D. (2015). The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-Term Health. Penguin.
Provides an overview of the human microbiome and its influence on digestion, immunity, and systemic health.

Turnbaugh, P. J., Ley, R. E., Hamady, M., et al. (2007). “The human microbiome project: Exploring the microbial part of ourselves.” Nature, 449(7164), 804–810.
Explores the complexity and diversity of the human microbiome, highlighting its critical roles in maintaining metabolic balance, supporting digestive health, and influencing systemic immunity and disease risk.

Nicholson, J. K., Holmes, E., Kinross, J., et al. (2012). “Host-gut microbiota metabolic interactions.” Science, 336(6086), 1262–1267.
Discusses metabolic interactions between the host and gut microbiota, highlighting their critical roles in nutrient processing, immune modulation, and maintaining overall systemic health.

Gibson, G. R., Hutkins, R., Sanders, M. E., et al. (2017). “Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics.” Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 14(8), 491–502.
Defines prebiotics clearly, highlighting their critical role in promoting beneficial gut microbiota and overall digestive and systemic health.

Flint, H. J., Scott, K. P., Duncan, S. H., et al. (2012). “Microbial degradation of complex carbohydrates in the gut.” Gut Microbes, 3(4), 289–306.
Specifically examines fibre fermentation by gut bacteria, highlighting its prebiotic role and systemic effects.

Slavin, J. L. (2013). “Fiber and prebiotics: Mechanisms and health benefits.” Nutrients, 5(4), 1417–1435.
Discusses dietary fibre’s role as a prebiotic, highlighting its importance in supporting beneficial gut microbiota, digestive health, and systemic metabolic regulation.

Conlon, M. A. & Bird, A. R. (2015). “The impact of diet and lifestyle on gut microbiota and human health.” Nutrients. 24;7(1):17-44.
Provides a comprehensive review of how diet and lifestyle shape gut microbiota composition and function, impacting host metabolism and systemic health.

Hill, C., Guarner, F., Reid, G., et al. (2014). “The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic.” Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 11(8), 506–514.
Defines probiotics explicitly as beneficial microorganisms, clarifying their diverse physiological roles in gut health, immunity, and systemic regulation.

Sanders, M. E., Benson, A., Lebeer, S., et al. (2018). “Shared mechanisms among probiotic taxa: Implications for general probiotic claims.” Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 49, 207–216.
Discusses common mechanisms across various probiotic microorganisms, highlighting their beneficial roles in gut health and systemic regulation.

Tsilingiri, K., & Rescigno, M. (2013). “Postbiotics: What else?” Beneficial Microbes, 4(1), 101–107.
Defines postbiotics as beneficial molecules produced by probiotic bacteria during the fermentation of prebiotic fibres, highlighting their significant systemic health benefits.

Rooks, M. G., & Garrett, W. S. (2016). “Gut microbiota, metabolites, and host immunity.” Nature Reviews Immunology, 16(6), 341–352.
Examines microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), highlighting their critical role in immune regulation, inflammation control, and overall systemic health.

Dalile, B., Van Oudenhove, L., Vervliet, B., & Verbeke, K. (2019). “The role of short-chain fatty acids in microbiota–gut–brain communication.” Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 16(8), 461–478.
Explores how short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), produced by microbial fermentation of dietary fibre, influence gut–brain communication, impacting mental health, inflammation, and systemic regulation.

Ley, R. E., Hamady, M., Lozupone, C., et al. (2008). “Evolution of mammals and their gut microbes.” Science, 320(5883), 1647–1651.
Explores the co-evolutionary relationship between mammals (including humans) and their gut microbiota, emphasising dietary influences on microbial composition, diversity, and function.

Mayer, E. A. (2016). The Mind-Gut Connection. Harper Wave.
Explores gut microbiota, diet, and mental health from an evolutionary and clinical perspective, emphasising the role of fibre and plant-based diets in brain function.

Sonnenburg, E. D., & Sonnenburg, J. L. (2014). “Starving our microbial self: The deleterious consequences of a diet deficient in fibre.” Nature Reviews Microbiology, 12(4), 259–269.
Examines how modern fibre-deficient dietary patterns disrupt gut microbial communities, reducing microbiome diversity and impairing systemic health.

O’Keefe, S. J., Li, J. V., Lahti, L., et al. (2015). “Fat, fibre, and cancer risk in African Americans and rural Africans.” Nature Communications, 6, 6342.
Highlights how dietary fibre influences gut microbiota composition, reducing colorectal cancer risk, contrasting high-fibre diets with low-fibre Western dietary patterns.

Rook, G. A. W. (2010). “The hygiene hypothesis and the increasing prevalence of chronic inflammatory disorders.” Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 104(1), 3–10.
Explores how reduced microbial exposure in modern, overly hygienic environments contributes to increased prevalence of autoimmune, allergic, and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Tamang, J. P. et al. (2016). Fermented Foods and Beverages of the World. CRC Press.
Provides a global perspective on the health benefits of fermented foods and their role as probiotics.

Kim, Y., & Chang, H. C. (2014). “Health benefits of kimchi (Korean fermented vegetables) as a probiotic food.” Journal of Medicinal Food, 17(1), 6–20.
Explores the beneficial effects of kimchi on gut microbiota composition, highlighting its ability to enhance microbial diversity and support digestive and systemic health.

Marco, M. L., Heeney, D., Binda, S., et al. (2017). “Health benefits of fermented foods: Microbiota and beyond.” Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 44, 94–102.
Examines the beneficial role of fermented foods in supporting gut microbiota diversity, digestive health, and systemic resilience through probiotic mechanisms.

David, L. A., Maurice, C. F., Carmody, R. N., et al. (2014). “Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome.” Nature, 505(7484), 559–563.
Highlights how plant-based dietary patterns significantly and beneficially alter the human gut microbiome, improving microbial diversity and metabolic health.

Reynolds, A., Mann, J., Cummings, J., et al. (2019). “Carbohydrate quality and human health: A series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.” The Lancet, 393(10170), 434–445.
Demonstrates how fibre-rich, plant-based diets improve gut microbial health and metabolic outcomes, with evidence for reduced risk of several chronic diseases.