Cellular and Physiological Nutrition/Metabolism

Clinical and Translational Nutrition

Prebiotics and Metabolic Health: Mechanisms, Benefits, and Real-World Implications (Sponsored Satellite Program)

Chair(s)

• JS

  Joanne Slavin, PhD, RDN (she/her/hers)

  Professor
  Department of Food Science and Nutrition
  University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, United States

  Disclosure(s): No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Speaker(s)

• 

  Hannah Holscher, PhD, RD, FASN (she/her/hers)

  Professor
  Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  Urbana, Illinois, United States

  Disclosure(s): AG1: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Terminated, April 30, 2025)
  Avocado Nutrition Center: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)
  California Walnut Commission: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Terminated, April 30, 2025)
  Dairy Management, Inc.: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Terminated, February 28, 2026)
  Danone: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Ongoing)
  Haleon: Consultant (Ongoing); Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Ongoing)
  Nestle Nutrition: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Terminated, August 31, 2024)
  Olipop: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Ongoing)
  PepsiCo, Inc.: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Terminated, June 30, 2024)
  WK Kellog: Consultant (Terminated, December 31, 2025)
• 

  Alexandra Larcom, PhD, MPH, RD, LDN (she/her/hers)

  Postdoctoral Research Associate
  Nutrition
  University of Rhode Island
  Medford, Massachusetts, United States

  Disclosure information not submitted.
• 

  Kelly Swanson, PhD (he/him/his)

  Director, Division of Nutritional Sciences
  Department of Animal Sciences
  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  Urbana, Illinois, United States

  Disclosure(s): Bramble, Inc.: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
  Champion Petfoods: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
  Freshpet: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
  Petsmart: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
  Tom & Sawyer: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Terminated, June 1, 2025)

Prebiotics serve as substrates for beneficial bacteria that reside in the gut and are selectively utilized by these microorganisms to produce a health benefit.

Emerging science describes that prebiotics have the potential to support better glycemic control through gut microbiome modulation and nourish microbes to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation. Mechanisms by which prebiotics influence metabolic health include their fermentation by gut microbiota, leading to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These SCFAs play beneficial roles throughout the body including improving insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, as well as enhancing gut barrier integrity.

With this context in mind, the overall theme of this session is to share the latest scientific evidence from animal and human clinical studies that discuss the role prebiotics play in modulating metabolic health. Because prebiotics are often incorporated as functional fibers, they are by default classified as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and this session will also examine how these prebiotics fit within UPFs to support healthy dietary patterns.