From “gut health” to “mental well-being” –90-years of probiotic development

In 1930, Dr. Minoru Shirota succeeded in strengthening and culturing a strain of lactic acid bacteria that could survive gastric fluid, bile, and other digestive juices, reach the intestines alive, and produce beneficial effects. This strain is now known as Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota*1 (LcS), and has been incorporated into a fermented milk drink which is enjoyed every day by more than 40 million people in 40 countries and regions worldwide. In this presentation I would like to introduce some basic information about the gut microbiota, which plays such a key role in maintaining our health. Following that I would like to offer an overview of the history of LcS and its evolution as a representative probiotic*2 since its discovery. In particular, I would like to focus on the impacts of LcS on the gut microbiota and the results of recent clinical research into the efficacy of LcS in the maintenance of mental well-being.

• *1: Classified as “Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota” since April 2020.
• *2: Live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host (FAO/WHO definition, 2002).

Introduction to FrieslandCampina Institute & SEANUTS II

In this introduction, we will share about FrieslandCampina Institute, the what, why and how as well as the activities and organizations we work with. Lastly, we would also like to share our latest scientific findings from South East Asia Nutrition Survey II (SEANUTS II), which was conducted in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

What brings AJI-NO-MOTO® to the plate? The history of umami

This seminar will illustrate how the resilience of a professor in organic chemistry and the food culture of Japan inspired the invention of the seasoning AJI-NO-MOTO® and the first scientific acknowledgment of the umami taste. Today, this is one of the most studied ingredients and a relevant tool to potentially promote the consumption of healthier diets.

Development of plant based functional food with health benefits
- Contributi ng to consumer 's health u s ing food by products!

NIPPN develops and provides safe and reliable functional food ingredients which are supported by ev idence for health benefits based on scientific data focusing on plant based component s with health effect s. We produce these functional food ingredients from by products produced in foo d plants and pomace so that we could contribut e to the realization of sustainable healthy society by utilizing unused resources.

The Ins and Outs of the Energy Values of Food

Nuts are a nutrient-rich food that significantly contributes to the intake of several key nutrients. Nuts are also energy-dense, and some consumers have avoided nuts as a strategy to avoid undesirable weight gain. However, nut consumers often have a lower BMI than nonconsumers.
In clinical trials, individuals consuming nuts lose the same or more weight than nonconsumers. One reason for this inconsistency may be related to errors in calculating the calorie content of nuts. The usual approach for determining the metabolizable energy (ME, which is the calorie content used on food labels) value of foods is the sum of the products of the amount of the food’s macronutrient composition and Atwater factors (4, 9, 4 kcal/g for protein, fat and carbohydrate, respectively).
These factors are largely based on studies conducted in the late 1800s. Objective – To measure the ME value of tree nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts and cashews) when they are consumed as part of a diet. Materials and Methods – A pair of similar diets were fed to human volunteers in which one diet had nuts and the other diet did not. Fecal and urine collections were collected for 7-days and the ME content of the nuts was measured. Results - The calculated calorie content of nuts (using Atwater factors) overestimates their ME content by as much as 30%. This large error is associated with the fact that food structure and food processing substantially affect the ME value of tree nuts. Conclusion - Among the plant-based foods, tree nuts are energy-dense foods. However, their ME value is lower than predicted from Atwater factors presumably because of a fundamental plant structure, the cell wall. Disrupting the cell wall either through food processing (for example, making a nut butter) or through mastication can affect ME content.

Nut Consumption and Changes in Gut Microbiota and Their Metabolites: Implications for Health

Data from epidemiological studies demonstrate that the consumption of walnuts and other tree nuts is associated with decreased risk of death and disease, especially death from cancer and heart disease. Data from animal studies demonstrate that when walnuts are incorporated into the diet, there is a beneficial impact on the gastrointestinal microbiota, and gut and metabolic health. How changes in gut microbiota and their metabolites influences health in humans remains unclear. To better understand how walnuts changes the composition of fecal microbiota and metabolites from gut microbiota, we conducted a controlled dietary intervention study with humans to assess the impact of walnut consumption on the human gastrointestinal microbiota, the gut metabolome, and metabolic markers of health. A controlled-feeding, randomized, crossover study was undertaken in healthy adults. Study participants alternatively received isocaloric treatment diets containing 0 grams or 42 grams/day (0 or 1.5 oz/day) of walnut pieces for two 3-week periods with a 1-week break in-between the two diet periods. Fecal and blood samples were collected before the study started and at the end of each treatment period. Compared to the end of the control (no walnut) period, walnut consumption increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium, Clostridium, Dialister, and Roseburia, and reduced the relative abundances of Ruminococcus, Dorea, Oscillospira, and Bifidobacterium. Secondary bile acids (deoxycholic and lithocholic) are produced from bile acids by microbes in the large intestine, and it has been suggested that these compounds may increase risk for colorectal cancer. The concentration of these compounds in the feces was reduced when walnuts were in the diet. Thus, adding walnuts to the diet impacted the composition and function of the human microbiota, increasing Firmicutes in butyrate-producing Clostridium clusters XVIa and IV, including Faecalibacterium and Roseburia, and reducing microbial derived, proinflammatory secondary bile acids. These results suggest the gut microbiota may contribute to the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial health effects of walnut consumption.

Development of plant based functional food with health benefits
- Contributi ng to consumer 's health u s ing food by products!

NIPPN develops and provides safe and reliable functional food ingredients which are supported by ev idence for health benefits based on scientific data focusing on plant based component s with health effect s. We produce these functional food ingredients from by products produced in foo d plants and pomace so that we could contribut e to the realization of sustainable healthy society by utilizing unused resources.

From “gut health” to “mental well-being” –90-years of probiotic development

In 1930, Dr. Minoru Shirota succeeded in strengthening and culturing a strain of lactic acid bacteria that could survive gastric fluid, bile, and other digestive juices, reach the intestines alive, and produce beneficial effects. This strain is now known as Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota*1 (LcS), and has been incorporated into a fermented milk drink which is enjoyed every day by more than 40 million people in 40 countries and regions worldwide. In this presentation I would like to introduce some basic information about the gut microbiota, which plays such a key role in maintaining our health. Following that I would like to offer an overview of the history of LcS and its evolution as a representative probiotic*2 since its discovery. In particular, I would like to focus on the impacts of LcS on the gut microbiota and the results of recent clinical research into the efficacy of LcS in the maintenance of mental well-being.

• *1: Classified as “Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota” since April 2020.
• *2: Live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host (FAO/WHO definition, 2002).

Introduction to FrieslandCampina Institute & SEANUTS II

In this introduction, we will share about FrieslandCampina Institute, the what, why and how as well as the activities and organizations we work with. Lastly, we would also like to share our latest scientific findings from South East Asia Nutrition Survey II (SEANUTS II), which was conducted in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.