The role of the gut microbiome in immune health
The human body is a system of interconnected organs and functions. It is difficult to pinpoint the role of the gut in wider health and wellness, particularly when it comes to its relationship with the body’s natural defence and immune system. To help separate fact from fiction, Clasado Biosciences has teamed up with Food Matters to present a Table Talk podcast showcasing the impressive science powering modern nutrition. It highlights our current understanding of the gut microbiome and makes the complex area of gut health more digestible.
In the podcast ‘The role of the gut microbiome in immune health’ Stefan Gates moderates discussion with a panel of experts on the links between gut health and the effectiveness of the immune system. The discussion covers important foundational knowledge of the gut microbiome and immune system, including how they shift and change throughout the human life span.
The podcast then leans into the lifestyle factors and prebiotic supplements that can change or improve the function of the gut microbiome and how this may support the immune system. The discussion highlights many contemporary examples of research that connect the trillions of bacteria in the gut with immune health, as well as how success is measured and where the future of immune health study may lie.
About our panel
Dr Caroline Childs
Dr Caroline Childs is Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences within Medicine at the University of Southampton. Dr Childs’ research to date has investigated nutrients including dietary fatty acids, probiotics, and prebiotics. Experimental approaches have included assessment tissue composition, immune function, inflammatory status, immunosenescence, and the gut microbiota. Dr Childs is currently a Member of the ILSI Europe Expert Group on Immune Competence and Co-Chair of ILSI Europe’s Nutrition, Immunity and Inflammation Task Force.
Dr Gemma Walton
Dr Gemma Walton is a Lecturer in Metagenomics at the University of Reading. Dr Walton’s primary area of interest is the gut microbial community and how it is influenced by lifestyle and diet, how it supports health and how we can change this community through dietary intervention; such as consumption of prebiotics and probiotics.
Dr Lucien Harthoorn
Dr Lucien Harthoorn is R&D Director at Clasado Biosciences. He has an MSc in Biomedical Sciences with specialisation in Pharmacology from the Free University Amsterdam and holds a PhD in Metabolic Physiology from Utrecht University. Dr Harthoorn has held various R&D positions both in academia and corporate companies in Europe and the USA, leading research programmes in various health and disease areas. Dr Harthoorn is a guest lecturer in Pharmacology, Physiology and Nutrition.
To find out more, visit the Clasado website here
