Rotimi E. Aluko - Böcker

The gut microbiome plays a very important role in your health. It controls digestion and has a beneficial impact on your immune system and other aspects of health. An Introduction to the Microbiome in Health and Diseases is a prelude to subsequent books on this topic which provides in-depth coverage on the microbiome from basic to clinical microbiology. This introductory volume offers an overview on the microbiome and explores the role of the human microbiome in health and disease outcomes. It examines the compositional structure and molecular approaches to microbiome characterization and identification. Additional coverage also includes an introduction to animal microbiomes, plant microbiomes, epigenetic programming, gut microbiota and the impact of diet and exercise, as well as the relationship between the microbiome and COVID-19.Provides fundamental coverage on the microbiome and its effect on human health and diseases.Describes procedures for sampling small and larger samples of the microbiome.Discusses patents, bioproducts, commercialization, and the social, ethical and economic implications of the microbiome.

"Functional food or medicinal food is any fresh or processed food claimed to have a health-promoting and/or disease-preventing property beyond the basic nutritional function of supplying nutrients, although there is no consensus on an exact definition of the term.This is an emerging field in food science, in which such foods are usually accompanied by health claims for marketing purposes, such as a company's ‘cereal is a significant source of fiber. Studies have shown that an increased amount of fiber in one's diet can decrease the risk of certain types of cancer in individuals.’Functional foods are sometimes called nutraceuticals, a portmanteau of nutrition and pharmaceutical, and can include food that has been genetically modified. The general category includes processed food made from functional food ingredients, or fortified with health-promoting additives, like "vitamin-enriched" products, and also fresh foods (e.g., vegetables) that have specific claims attached. Fermented foods with live cultures are often also considered to be functional foods with probiotic benefits."