By acting directly on the central nervous system, morphine blocks the worst kinds of pain. Its cousins in the opioid family include heroin and OxyContin which have spawned an epidemic of addiction, overdoses and deaths in the United States in the last several decades. … [Read more...] about Probiotics May Reduce Tolerance to Morphine
Microbiome Environment
Microbes Target Mid-life Brain Crisis
Middle age is hard to nail down. It really demands a psychic ability to predict how long one may live. A better gauge may be when a new spouse or a sports car appears. For scientists, naturally, there is a definition: “Male middle age is a transitional period where many physiological and … [Read more...] about Microbes Target Mid-life Brain Crisis
Food Additive Titanium Dioxide Impacts Gut
If yogurt contains titanium dioxide, should we care? As a whitening agent, titanium dioxide (TiO2) is added to more than 900 common foods. Considered mostly safe (if highly unregulated), “…the vast majority of an oral dose of TiO2 is eliminated unchanged in the feces,” according to a panel tasked by … [Read more...] about Food Additive Titanium Dioxide Impacts Gut
Synbiotics Improve Biomarkers in Prediabetes
Type 2 diabetes doesn’t start overnight. Over time measured in months or years, blood sugars creep higher as resistance to insulin swells. Gut microbes may be involved in this scenario—for better or worse-- as insulin resistance progresses to full-blown Type 2 diabetes. Animal studies already … [Read more...] about Synbiotics Improve Biomarkers in Prediabetes
In Fighting Obesity, Ginger Impacts Microbiota
Sushi generally comes with a healthy portion of pickled ginger. Technically known as Zingiber officinale Roscoe, the name and the condiment can be a mouthful. Still it is worthwhile putting more of this spice into your diet. Ginger has been shown to exert beneficial effects against obesity and … [Read more...] about In Fighting Obesity, Ginger Impacts Microbiota
Alcohol Use Disorder and the Microbiome
Alcohol—legal and ubiquitous—enlivens parties and brightens mood. It also destroys millions of lives every year, making it one of society’s biggest public health problems. Harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and injuries. More than 3 million people died from alcohol- … [Read more...] about Alcohol Use Disorder and the Microbiome