An expert panel was convened in September 2019 by The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) to develop a definition for fermented foods and to describe their role in the human diet. Although these foods have been consumed for thousands of years, they are receiving increased attention among biologists, nutritionists, technologists, clinicians and consumers. Despite this interest, inconsistencies related to the use of the term ‘fermented’ led the panel to define fermented foods and beverages as “foods made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions of food components”. This definition, encompassing the many varieties of fermented foods, is intended to clarify what is (and is not) a fermented food. The distinction between fermented foods and probiotics is further clarified. The panel also addressed the current state of knowledge on the safety, risks and health benefits, including an assessment of the nutritional attributes and a mechanistic rationale for how fermented foods could improve gastrointestinal and general health. The latest advancements in our understanding of the microbial ecology and systems biology of these foods were discussed. Finally, the panel reviewed how fermented foods are regulated and discussed efforts to include them as a separate category in national dietary guidelines.

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We found no significant difference in median LOS among freestanding children's hospitals and nonchildren's hospitals, but freestanding children's hospitals had higher total charges per admission, even after adjusting for differences in population characteristics. Additional studies are needed to elucidate whether these increased costs result in better health outcomes or are simply attributable to other characteristics of children's hospitals, in which not all patients may benefit.

Background Despite the major benefits of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) on HIV-related survival, there is an ongoing need to help alleviate medication side effects related to ART use. Initial studies suggest marijuana use may reduce HIV-related symptoms, but medical marijuana use among HIV-infected individuals has not been well described. Methods We evaluated trends in marijuana use and reported motivations for use among 2,776 HIV-infected women in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) between October 1994 and March 2010. Predictors of any and daily marijuana use were explored in multivariate logistic regression models clustered by person using GEE. In 2009 participants were asked if their marijuana use was medical, “meaning prescribed by a doctor”, or recreational, or both. Results Over the sixteen years of this study the prevalence of current marijuana use decreased significantly from 21% to 14%. In contrast, daily marijuana use almost doubled from 3.3% to 6.1% of all women, and from 18% to 51% of current marijuana users. Relaxation, appetite improvement, reduction of HIV-related symptoms, and social use were reported as common reasons for marijuana use. In 2009, most marijuana users reported either purely medicinal use (26%) or both medicinal and recreational usage (29%). Daily marijuana use was associated with higher CD4 cell count, quality of life, and older age. Demographic characteristics and risk behaviors were associated with current marijuana use overall, but were not predictors of daily use. Conclusion This study suggests that both recreational and medicinal marijuana use are relatively common among HIV-infected women in this U.S.