***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Abstract Background and aims Freeze-dried powdered yacon ( FDY ) can be considered a prebiotic product due to its fructooligosaccharides ( FOS ) content . The effect of 9 weeks of daily intake of FDY containing 7.4 g of FOS on glucose , lipid metabolism and intestinal transit in a group of elderly people was investigated . Methods Seventy-two elderly ( mean age 67.11 ± 6.11 ) men and women were studied for 9 weeks in a double-blind , placebo-controlled experiment . They were r and omly assigned to the supplement group ( which received 7.4 g of FOS as FDY ) or the control group . At the beginning and end of the study , anthropometric measurements , blood sampling , clinical analyses and dietary intake were assessed . Results A daily intake of FDY containing 7.4 g of FOS for 9 weeks was associated with a mean decrease in serum glucose ( p = 0.013 ) , but supplementation did not reduce serum lipids in the study group . The administered dose did not adversely affect intestinal transit . It did not cause bloating , flatulence or intestinal discomfort . Conclusion Freeze-dried powdered yacon is a good source of FOS , and daily consumption can have a favourable effect on serum glucose in the elderly . It is also practical , easy and safe to use and store BACKGROUND Aging is associated with reduced numbers of beneficial colonic bifidobacteria and impaired immunity . Galactooligosaccharides ( GOSs ) stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria in younger adults , but little is known about their effects in the elderly and their immunomodulatory capacity . OBJECTIVE We assessed the effect of a prebiotic GOS mixture ( B-GOS ) on immune function and fecal microflora composition in healthy elderly subjects . DESIGN In a double-blind , placebo-controlled , crossover study , 44 elderly subjects were r and omly assigned to receive either a placebo or the B-GOS treatment ( 5.5 g/d ) . Subjects consumed the treatments for 10 wk , and then went through a 4-wk washout period , before switching to the other treatment for the final 10 wk . Blood and fecal sample s were collected at the beginning , middle ( 5 wk ) , and end of the test period . Predominant bacterial groups were quantified , and phagocytosis , natural killer ( NK ) cell activity , cytokine production , plasma cholesterol , and HDL cholesterol were measured . RESULTS B-GOS significantly increased the numbers of beneficial bacteria , especially bifidobacteria , at the expense of less beneficial groups compared with the baseline and placebo . Significant increases in phagocytosis , NK cell activity , and the production of antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 ( IL-10 ) and significant reduction in the production of proinflammatory cytokines ( IL-6 , IL-1beta , and tumor necrosis factor-alpha ) were also observed . B-GOS exerted no effects on total cholesterol or HDL-cholesterol production , however . CONCLUSIONS B-GOS administration to healthy elderly persons result ed in positive effects on both the microflora composition and the immune response . Therefore , B-GOS may be a useful dietary c and i date for the enhancement of gastrointestinal health and immune function in elderly persons Improvement of insulin resistance and inflammation is a basic strategy in the management of type 2 diabetes . There is limited evidence that prebiotics improve insulin resistance and inflammation . However , the ameliorating effect of resistant dextrin , as a prebiotic , on insulin resistance and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes has not been investigated so far . Therefore , the present study aim ed to examine the effects of resistant dextrin on insulin resistance and inflammation in type 2 diabetic patients . In a r and omised controlled clinical trial , fifty-five women with type 2 diabetes were assigned to two groups : the intervention group ( n 30 ) and the control group ( n 25 ) . The intervention group received a daily supplement of 10 g resistant dextrin and the control group received a similar amount of maltodextrin as placebo for 8 weeks . Fasting plasma glucose ( FPG ) , HbA1c , insulin , high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( hs-CRP ) , IL-6 , TNF-α , malondialdehyde ( MDA ) and serum endotoxin concentrations were measured before and after the intervention . Data were analysed using SPSS ( version 13 ) . Paired and unpaired t tests and ANCOVA were used to compare quantitative variables after the intervention . Patients supplemented with resistant dextrin exhibited a significant decrease in fasting insulin ( 20.1 pmol/l , 22.8 % ) , homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance ( 1.3 , 24.9 % ) , quantitative insulin sensitivity check index ( 0.2 , 7.2 % ) , IL-6 ( 1.4 pg/ml , 28.4 % ) , TNF-α ( 5.4 pg/ml , 18.8 % ) , MDA ( 1.2 nmol/ml , 25.6 % ) and endotoxin ( 6.2 endotoxin units/ml , 17.8 % ) concentrations than those supplemented with maltodextrin ( P < 0.05 ) . Decreases in FPG ( 0.05 mmol/l , 0.6 % ) , HbA1c ( 0.5 % , 9.6 % ) and hs-CRP ( 2.7 ng/ml , 35.1 % ) concentrations in the resistant dextrin group were not significant when compared with the maltodextrin group . In conclusion , resistant dextrin supplementation can modulate inflammation and improve insulin resistance in women with type 2 diabetes BACKGROUND Probiotics have beneficial effect on obesity related disorders in animal models . Despite a large number of animal data , r and omized placebo-controlled trials ( RCT ) concluded that probiotics have a moderate effect on glycemic control-related parameters . However , effect of probiotics on insulin resistance are inconsistent . AIM In a double-blind single center RCT , effect of alive multistrain probiotic vs. placebo on insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes patient were assessed . METHODS A total of 53 patients met the criteria for inclusion . They were r and omly assigned to receive multiprobiotic " Symbiter " ( concentrated biomass of 14 probiotic bacteria genera Bifidobacterium , Lactobacillus , Lactococcus , Propionibacterium ) or placebo for 8-weeks administered as a sachet formulation . The primary main outcome was the change HOMA-IR ( homeostasis model assessment -estimated insulin resistance ) which calculated using Matthews et al. 's equation . Secondary outcomes were the changes in glycemic control-related parameters , anthropomorphic variables and cytokines . RESULTS Supplementation with alive multiprobiotic for 8 weeks was associated with significant reduction of HOMA-IR from 6.85 ± 0.76 to 5.13 ± 0.49 ( p = 0.047 ) , but remained static in the placebo group . With respect to our secondary outcomes , HbA1c insignificant decreased by 0.09 % ( p = 0.383 ) and 0.24 % ( p = 0.068 ) respectively in placebo and probiotics groups . However , in probiotic responders ( n = 22 , patient with decrease in HOMA-IR ) after supplementation a significant reduction in HbA1c by 0.39 % ( p = 0.022 ) as compared to non-responders was observed . In addition , from markers of chronic systemic inflammatory state only TNF-α and IL-1β changes significantly after treatment with probiotics . CONCLUSION Probiotic therapies modestly improved insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes Objective : Lower life expectancy  in men is generally attributed to higher likelihood of risky behavior and because men develop chronic conditions earlier . If sex-related differences in survival are independent of preinfection chronic health and health behavior , it would suggest that survival differences may occur because of sex differences in quality of care and biological response to infection , and these differences may contribute to sex differences in life expectancy . We assessed if sex-related survival difference following community-acquired pneumonia ( CAP ) is due to differences in clinical characteristics , quality of care , or immune response . Design , Setting , and Subjects : Prospect i ve observational cohort of 2183 subjects with CAP . Measurements and Main Results : Mean age was 64.9 years . Men were more likely to smoke and had more comorbidity compared with women . At emergency department presentation , men had different biomarker patterns , as evidence d by higher inflammation ( tumor necrosis factor , interleukin [IL]-6 , and IL-10 ) and fibrinolysis ( d-dimer ) , and lower coagulation biomarkers ( antithrombin-III and factor IX ) ( p < 0.05 ) . Small differences in favor of men were seen in care quality , including antibiotic timing and compliance with American Thoracic Society guidelines . Men had lower survival at 30 , 90 , and 365 days . The higher 1-year mortality was not attenuated when adjusted for differences in demographics , smoking , resuscitation , insurance , and vaccination status , comorbidity , hospital characteristics , and illness severity ( unadjusted hazard ratio [ HR ] = 1.35 , p = 0.003 ; and adjusted HR = 1.29 , p = 0.004 ) . HR was no longer statistically significant when additionally adjusted for differences in emergency department concentrations of tumor necrosis factor , IL-6 , IL-10 , d-dimer , antithrombin-III , and factor IX ( adjusted HR = 1.27 , p = 0.17 ) . Patterns of biomarkers observed in men were associated with worse survival for 1 year . Conclusions : Lower survival among men following CAP was not explained by differences in chronic diseases , health behaviors , and quality of care . Patterns of inflammatory , coagulation , and fibrinolysis biomarkers among men may explain reduced short-term and long-term survival Aims : This study was conducted to determine the antioxidant capacity , immunomodulatory and lipid-lowering effects of spirulina in healthy elderly subjects and to document the effectiveness of spirulina as a functional food for the elderly . Methods : A r and omized double-blind , placebo-controlled study was performed . The subjects were 78 individuals aged 60–87 years and were r and omly assigned in a blinded fashion to receive either spirulina or placebo . The elderly were instructed to consume the spirulina or placebo at home , 8 g/day , for 16 consecutive weeks . Results : In male subjects , a significant plasma cholesterol-lowering effect was observed after the spirulina intervention ( p < 0.05 ) . Spirulina supplementation result ed in a significant rise in plasma interleukin (IL)-2 concentration , and a significant reduction in IL-6 concentration . A significant time-by-treatment intervention for total antioxidant status was observed between spirulina and placebo groups ( p < 0.05 ) . In female subjects , significant increases in IL-2 level and superoxide dismutase activity were observed ( p < 0.05 ) after spirulina supplementation . There were significant reductions in total cholesterol in female subjects . Conclusions : The results demonstrate that spirulina has favorable effects on lipid profiles , immune variables , and antioxidant capacity in healthy , elderly male and female subjects and is suitable as a functional food Background and aims : Ulcerative colitis ( UC ) is an acute and chronic inflammatory disease of the large bowel with unknown aetiology . The immune response against normal commensal microorganisms is believed to drive inflammatory processes associated with UC . Therefore , modulation of bacterial communities on the gut mucosa , through the use of probiotics and prebiotics , may be used to modify the disease state . Methods : A synbiotic was developed for use in UC patients combining a probiotic , Bifidobacterium longum , isolated from healthy rectal epithelium , and a prebiotic ( Synergy 1 ) , a preferential inulin-oligofructose growth substrate for the probiotic strain . Treatment was employed in a double blinded r and omised controlled trial using 18 patients with active UC for a period of one month . Clinical status was scored and rectal biopsies were collected before and after treatment , and transcription levels of epithelium related immune markers were measured . Results : Sigmoidoscopy scores ( scale 0–6 ) were reduced in the test group ( start 4.5 ( 1.4 ) , end 3.1 ( 2.5 ) ) compared with placebo ( start 2.6 ( 2.1 ) , end 3.2 ( 2.2 ) ) ( p = 0.06 ) . mRNA levels for human beta defensins 2 , 3 , and 4 , which are strongly upregulated in active UC , were significantly reduced in the test group after treatment ( p = 0.016 , 0.038 , and 0.008 , respectively ) . Tumour necrosis factor α and interleukin 1α , which are inflammatory cytokines that drive inflammation and induce defensin expression , were also significantly reduced after treatment ( p = 0.018 and 0 
    Output:
    
In conclusion , the present meta- analysis of available r and omized controlled studies did not suggest any significant benefit of microbiota-driven therapy in decreasing the inflammatory responses of elderly individuals