Usually, we don’t pay much attention to our intestinal health until we experience some discomfort that requires a visit to the doctor or a prescription. Since we often focus only on weight and fat loss, we overlook other key factors that are important for our well-being. Several studies have shown that one-third of the world’s… Continue reading How to Take Care of Your Digestive Health
Tag: Microbiome
Swabbing Cesarean-Born Babies with Vaginal Fluids Is Potentially Unsafe and Unnecessary
The increasingly popular practice of “vaginal seeding” — in which cesarean-delivered babies are immediately swabbed with the mother’s vaginal fluids — is declared unjustified and potentially unsafe in a 2018 critical review of scientific literature. Differences between the bacteria and other microorganisms (microbiome) in cesarean- and vaginally born babies are thought to account for the… Continue reading Swabbing Cesarean-Born Babies with Vaginal Fluids Is Potentially Unsafe and Unnecessary
Mediterranean Diet Boosts Beneficial Bacteria
Here’s another reason to eat a heart-healthy Mediterranean-type diet: It’s good for your gut. Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that eating a plant-based diet enhanced the good bacteria living in the gut by up to 7 percent as compared to only 0.5 percent from eating a more meat-centric, Western diet. Using an… Continue reading Mediterranean Diet Boosts Beneficial Bacteria
New Asthma Biomarkers Identified From Lung Bacteria
Until now, research on the microbiome – the system of good and bad bacteria in the body – has been focused on digestive issues. But a new study shows that it may affect respiratory conditions as well. “Because the lungs continuously and automatically draw air, and any number of environmental agents, into the body, the… Continue reading New Asthma Biomarkers Identified From Lung Bacteria
Antibiotics May Not Be Needed for Older Patients with Urinary Tract Infections
Prescribing antibiotics for urinary tract infections may not be necessary for older patients, according to new research. That conclusion was reached by Thomas E. Finucane, MD, of the Johns Hopkins Geriatrics Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The finding was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. According to a news release from… Continue reading Antibiotics May Not Be Needed for Older Patients with Urinary Tract Infections
What You Need to Know About Prebiotics and Probiotics
With summer right around the corner, you may be starting to think about “suiting up,” and shed those few pesky pounds that just won’t go away, but most likely won’t succeed. Clearly, this has become an increasing source of frustration for many Americans. In fact, a recent report emphasizes just this. The incidence of obesity… Continue reading What You Need to Know About Prebiotics and Probiotics
Your Gut Microbes May “Remember” What You Ate, and Make a New Diet Less Effective
Your microbiota may not be on your side as you try improving your diet this New Year. In a study published December 29 2016 in Cell Host & Microbe, Researchers found that certain human gut bacteria need to be lost for a diet plan to be successful. A release from the publishers quotes Jeffrey Gordon,… Continue reading Your Gut Microbes May “Remember” What You Ate, and Make a New Diet Less Effective
How Gut Microbes Help Chemotherapy Drugs
Two bacterial species that inhabit the human gut activate immune cells to boost the effectiveness of a commonly prescribed anticancer drug, French researchers reported in October 2016 in the journal Immunity. The study identifies a new role for Enterococcus hirae and Barnesiella intestinihominis in activating cancer-fighting T cell immune responses, thereby enhancing the effects of… Continue reading How Gut Microbes Help Chemotherapy Drugs