Local and Systemic Effects of Bioactive Food Ingredients: Is There a Role for Functional Foods to Prime the Gut for Resilience?

Summary

Scientific advancements in understanding the impact of bioactive components in foods on the gut microbiota and wider physiology create opportunities for designing targeted functional foods. The selection of bioactive ingredients with potential local or systemic effects holds promise for influencing overall well-being. An abundance of studies demonstrate that gut microbiota show compositional changes that correlate with age and disease. However, navigating this field, especially for non-experts, remains challenging, given the abundance of bioactive ingredients with varying levels of scientific substantiation. This narrative review addresses the current knowledge on the potential impact of the gut microbiota on host health, emphasising gut microbiota resilience and exploring evidence related to bioactive food components.