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Nourishing the gut microbiota: The potential of prebiotics in microbiota-gut-brain axis research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2019

Boushra Dalile ,
Kristin Verbeke ,
Lukas Van Oudenhove  and
Bram Vervliet Open the ORCID record for Bram Vervliet [Opens in a new window]
Boushra Dalile
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Digestion and Absorption, Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism, and Ageing, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. boushra.dalile@kuleuven.bekristin.verbeke@kuleuven.behttps://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00115135https://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00018368
Kristin Verbeke
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Digestion and Absorption, Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism, and Ageing, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. boushra.dalile@kuleuven.bekristin.verbeke@kuleuven.behttps://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00115135https://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00018368
Lukas Van Oudenhove
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Brain-Gut Axis Studies, Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism, and Ageing, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. lukas.vanoudenhove@kuleuven.behttps://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00027997
Bram Vervliet
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. bram.vervliet@kuleuven.behttps://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00035504
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Abstract

Dietary fiber and prebiotics consistently modulate microbiota composition and function and hence may constitute a powerful tool in microbiota-gut-brain axis research. However, this is largely ignored in Hooks et al.’s analysis, which highlights the limitations of probiotics in establishing microbiome-mediated effects on neurobehavioral functioning and neglects discussing the potential of prebiotics in warranting the microbiota's role in such effects.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 42 , 2019 , e69
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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Footnotes

1.

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The financial support for the PhD of Boushra Dalile is supported by an unrestricted grant from Nestec SA.

2.

Authors Kristin Verbeke, Lukas Van Oudenhove, and Bram Vervliet contributed equally to this work as senior authors.

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