(Bethesda, MD) In this presentation, Cindy D. Davis, Ph.D., director of grants and extramural activities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements, defines the human microbiome and describes the evidence that diet and dietary supplements can modulate the gastrointestinal microbial community structure. She also describes the evidence that the gastrointestinal microbiome can influence the response to dietary components and the relationship between dietary components and the microbiome and chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

This presentation is part of the 2018 Mary Frances Picciano Dietary Supplement Research Practicum sponsored by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). This 2.5-day annual event for faculty, students, and health practitioners provides a thorough overview of issues, concepts, unknowns, and controversies about dietary supplements and supplement ingredients. It also emphasizes the importance of scientific investigations to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and value of these products for health promotion and disease prevention as well as how to carry out this type of research. For more information: https://ods.od.nih.gov/Research/dsrp.aspx