The University of Nottingham

A six-week study from the University of Nottingham suggests that pairing fermented kefir with a diverse prebiotic fiber mix may deliver a powerful anti-inflammatory boost. This “synbiotic” combination outperformed omega-3 supplements and fiber alone, leading to the broadest drop in inflammation-related proteins in healthy adults. By feeding beneficial microbes and helping them produce compounds like butyrate, the combo appeared to improve overall immune balance and metabolic health.Researchers at the University of Nottingham report that combining specific dietary supplements may provide stronger immune and metabolic support than taking prebiotics or omega 3 alone. Their findings suggest this paired approach could help lower the risk of diseases associated with long term inflammation. The study, published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, compared three popular supplements. The most effective was a synbiotic, defined as a mix of naturally fermented kefir and a broad prebiotic fiber blend. This combination produced the largest drop in inflammatory markers among the options tested. Kefir and Prebiotic Fiber Work Together The kefir and fiber blend used in the trial was supplied by Chuckling Goat Ltd. It contains a mix of naturally occurring probiotic bacteria and yeasts created during the traditional fermentation of goat's milk with live kefir grains. These grains are living cultures that contain dozens of beneficial microbial species. When kefir, which is rich in live microbes, is paired with diverse prebiotic fiber, the result is a synbiotic effect. The fiber serves as fuel for the beneficial bacteria (which feeds them), allowing them to grow and generate helpful compounds such as butyrate. Butyrate is known for its anti inflammatory and immune regulating effects throughout the body. Six Week Trial Shows Whole Body Benefits Over the course of six weeks, healthy adults who took the synbiotic experienced the greatest reduction in inflammation related proteins compared with those who took omega 3 or fiber by itself. The results indicate that combining probiotics and prebiotics may support immune and metabolic health more effectively than single ingredient supplements. Systemic inflammatory markers are substances in the blood that reflect inflammation occurring throughout the body rather than in just one area, such as the gut or at the site of an infection. Participants in the synbiotic group showed lower overall inflammation levels, pointing to improved immune balance and a potentially reduced risk of chronic inflammation related conditions (like heart disease or other metabolic conditions). What Comes Next Future research will examine how these supplements perform in people who already have specific health conditions to better understand their potential benefits. The study was led by Dr. Amrita Vijay in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham. She said: "Our study shows that while all three dietary approaches reduced inflammation, the synbiotic -- combining fermented kefir with a diverse prebiotic fiber mix -- had the most powerful and wide-ranging effects. "This suggests that the interaction between beneficial microbes and dietary fiber may be key to supporting immune balance and metabolic health."

TUESDAY, Feb. 3, 2026 -- For patients with gout who were newly prescribed urate-lowering treatment (ULT), achieving serum urate levels lower than 6 mg/dL is associated with a lower risk for major adverse cardiovascular events, according to a study published online Jan. 26 in JAMA Internal Medicine . Edoardo Cipolletta, Ph.D., from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined the association between achieving a serum urate treatment target lower than 6 mg/dL and cardiovascular events among patients with gout who were newly prescribed ULT. Patients were assigned to the treat-to-target (T2T) ULT arm or the non-T2T ULT arm if they achieved or did not achieve a serum urate level lower than 6 mg/dL, respectively, within 12 months of their first ULT prescription receipt. The researchers found that 27.3 percent of the 109,504 patients were included in the T2T ULT arm. Compared with those in the non-T2T ULT arm, patients in the T2T ULT arm had higher five-year survival (weighted survival difference, 1.0 percent) and a lower risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (weighted hazard ratio, 0.91). Compared with those with moderate risk, there was a greater association for people at high and very high cardiovascular risk. A larger risk reduction was seen for patients who achieved a lower serum urate target of less than 5 mg/dL (weighted survival difference, 2.6 percent; weighted hazard ratio, 0.77). "Previous research from Nottingham showed treat-to-target urate-lowering treatment prevents gout flares," lead author Abhishek Abhishek, Ph.D., also from the University of Nottingham, said in a statement. "This current study provides an added benefit of reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, and death due to these diseases." Several authors disclosed ties to the information technology and biopharmaceutical industries. Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required) Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

TUESDAY, Jan. 27, 2026 — Gout patients could be getting some heart-healthy added benefits from managing their condition effectively, a new study says. Drugs that lower uric acid levels in the blood also appear to reduce a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke, researchers reported Jan. 26 in JAMA Internal Medicine . “People with gout are at an increased risk of illnesses such as heart disease and stroke,” said senior researcher Abhishek Abhishek , a professor of rheumatology at the University of Nottingham in the U.K. “This is the first study to find that medicines such as allopurinol that are used to treat gout reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke if they are taken at the right dose,” Abhishek said in a news release. Gout is a common form of arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the bloodstream. This causes crystals to form in and around a person’s joints, leading to sudden flares of severe joint pain and swelling. Doctors use drugs like allopurinol to get patients’ uric acid levels below 6 mg/dL, a level at which they experience fewer gout flares. However, it’s not known whether that level might also help a gout patient’s overall heart health, researchers said. For the new study, researchers analyzed health data for more than 109,000 adult gout patients gathered between January 2007 and March 2021. About 27% of the patients had their uric acid levels fall below 6 mg/dL within a year of being prescribed gout medication. Researchers compared their heart health to that of gout patients whose uric acid levels didn’t reach that target. Results showed that patients who reached the target treatment level of uric acid had a 9% lower risk of heart attack and stroke overall. Those whose uric acid levels dropped lower, to less than 5 mg/dL, did even better — a 23% lower risk of heart attack and stroke, the study said. Patients also had a higher 5-year survival rate if their uric acid levels reached or fell below the target, researchers said. Finally, people who were at higher risk for heart health problems saw the strongest benefit, the study found. “The findings of our study are very positive and show that patients with gout who were prescribed urate-lowering drugs and achieved serum urate levels of lower than 6 mg/dL within 12 months had a much lower risk of a heart attack or stroke over the next five years,” Abhishek said. “Previous research from Nottingham showed treat-to-target urate-lowering treatment prevents gout flares. This current study provides an added benefit of reduced risk of heart attack, stroke and death due to these diseases,” he concluded. This benefit might be because the drugs are lowering inflammation in the patients’ bodies, according to an accompanying editorial co-written by Dr. Pascal Richette , a professor of rheumatology at the Université Paris Cité in France. “Gout is characterized by a state of low-grade chronic inflammation between flares and by marked systemic elevations of several proinflammatory cytokines,” the editorial pointed out. “In this view, the cardiovascular benefit of the treat-to-target strategy observed in this study would arise indirectly, through the reduction of both chronic low-grade and acute inflammatory responses, rather than from lowering urate per se,” it added. Sources University of Nottingham, news release, Jan. 26, 2026 JAMA Internal Medicine, Jan. 26, 2026