Amidst the cluster of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), butyrate is a stand-out. Gut bacteria create helpful amounts of this SCFA from soluble fibers such as inulin. This has lead researchers to try to define its benefit in diseases. Dysbiosis in colorectal cancer Changes in the bacterial … [Read more...] about Butyrate in Colorectal Cancer
Microbiome Environment
Probiotics Influence Iron Status
Gut microbes play a big part in iron balance. Quick review: As a component of hemoglobin, myoglobin and various enzymes, iron status is vital to health. Deficiency leads to anemia, and excess can increase oxidative stress and insulin resistance. Gut microbiota interactions with iron Gut … [Read more...] about Probiotics Influence Iron Status
Melatonin and Microbes
Melatonin has long been tapped by tired travelers to adjust to new time zones. As a natural hormone in mammals, melatonin is now being explored for its role in disease, as demonstrated by its strong connection to gut microbiota and inflammation. Pointedly, metabolic disorders and intestinal … [Read more...] about Melatonin and Microbes
Probiotics Protect Bowel in Aspirin Use
A daily dose of aspirin may help your heart. But as with other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), these widely used analgesics and anti-inflammatories may not be as kind to your gut. Mucosal lesions, ulcers, perforations, and hemorrhage may occur but the extent is … [Read more...] about Probiotics Protect Bowel in Aspirin Use
Gut Microbes in Colorectal Cancer
Billions of bacteria live in the colon, most times quite amicably. But when pathogens move in, healthy probiotic organisms fight against bad actors aiming to wreck the neighborhood. These pathogens, as demonstrated in animal studies, interact with the immune system, produce metabolites linked to … [Read more...] about Gut Microbes in Colorectal Cancer
Alzheimer’s Disease May Begin in the Mouth
A healthy salivary microbiota is now recognized as vital not only to teeth and gums but also to remote organ sites including the brain. Not surprisingly, the oral cavity hosts a varied menu of microbes. In prior research, bacteria in the oral cavity had been linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). … [Read more...] about Alzheimer’s Disease May Begin in the Mouth