The presentation will focus on how diet affects the human gut microbiome and health. Briefly, the presentation content will include a discussion of the complexity of foods and how food science and nutritional characteristics of foods are connected to microbial and health outcomes. The bioavailability of nutrients determines the nutritional attributes of foods. Factors such as temperature, pH, and processing affect the nutritional content of foods and their availability for human metabolism. Intestinal microorganisms can metabolize nutrients that escape digestion by human enzymes. Dietary fiber is a nutrient that escapes digestion and can be metabolized by intestinal microorganisms. Microbial fermentation of fibers results in short-chain fatty acid production. Interestingly, the fat content of foods can also affect the gut microbiota both directly and indirectly through bile acid secretion and the microbial conversion of primary bile acids to secondary bile acids. Microbial-derived metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids, are connected to various health outcomes, including gut health, adiposity, and cognition. Research conducted in my laboratory has shown that nuts and avocados, foods rich in fiber and unsaturated fatty acids, affect the human gut microbiota and health.

Chronic constipation is a common condition affecting approximately 1 in every 10 individuals worldwide. While specific criteria exist for making the diagnosis, there are multiple different forms of constipation. In most instances, individuals will cycle through at least 3 over-the-counter medications before seeking medical care. Further care, in many instances, includes using individual prescriptions or combination therapies. Despite the availability of many medications to treat constipation, a significant percentage will fail to respond. In this presentation we will discuss the different types of constipation, diagnostic tests and treatments available for patients with medically diagnosed refractory constipation. We will address when these tests should be performed and why standard laxative therapy fails. We will also discuss the use of newer non-pharmacologically based treatments for chronic constipation.
Presented by Dr Darren Brenner, MD, FACG, AGAF, RFF.