While humans have been eating probiotics by way of cheeses and yogurts for tens of thousands of years, use of supplements for beneficial bacteria is only decades old. Most studies concentrate on immediate effects of pills and capsules. No reliable data exists on “longer-term consumption” of probiotics, a period of time only now relevant. Thus a new curiosity in … Read More
Probiotics in Pregnancy May Prevent Baby’s Eczema
Eczema in infants is painful to see and even worse for them. Soaring in numbers, this allergic skin disease is caused by genetic defects and foreign substances, often food. But surprisingly, it’s not only the diet of the baby which figures. Probiotics in the mother’s diet before birth may prevent some cases. A new large meta-analysis conducted at the Imperial … Read More
‘Tis the Season for Asparagus: Indulge!
Asparagus sprouts up early in spring. Ignore the unique scent it imbues to urine; it’s just that digestion releases asparagusic acid which metabolizes into sulfur-containing compounds. Proust rather liked it. Asparagus “…transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume.” Marcel Proust (1871–1922) Take advantage of this delicious and rich prebiotic source to feed your healthy microbes. Asparagus delivers 5% fiber by weight as … Read More
Bowel Prep for Colonoscopies Disrupts Microbes
Colonoscopy is the gold standard for finding and removing polyps which could cause colon cancer. Prepping for the test requires imbibing volumes of laxative solutions to cleanse (via diarrhea) the bowel for better viewing. Not fun, but the doctor needs to see a clear picture. One interesting question which rarely comes up is how do these cleansers—usually sodium phosphate or … Read More
Probiotics Join the Fight Against Flu
Like winter, flu season is etched on our calendars. This year many countries are reporting high flu activity and low success of vaccines against the dominant H3N2 strain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Because viruses mutate over time, the formulated vaccines don’t always prevent the flu. Better solutions are needed. The respiratory illness caused and … Read More
Fiber Gives Microbes Much to Chew On
Lentils, black beans, broccoli, mango, raspberries— slivers of the fibrous firmament—taste better than chips or fries and work for us instead of against. A high-fiber diet helps prevent a litany of diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Scientists have teased out many clues for how it works; only recently however have they targeted the microbial world. In a … Read More
Exercise Improves Microbe Mix in Lean People
Baby, we were born to run. Despite that innate need to move, few of us do enough exercise for optimum health. Even our microbes will vary depending on movement. For example, endurance athletes harbor different microbes than sedentary people. A new study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign tracked changes in the guts of 32 non-exercisers who started a … Read More
Can Probiotics Clear Human Papillomavirus?
Imagine a virus that most people harbor at some point in their lives, usually unaware of it because our fine-tuned immune systems clear them, yet for an unlucky number–usually women—it can be a death sentence. The pathogen is called human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer. A German virologist named Harald zur Hausen won the Nobel prize for … Read More
Probiotics May Be the New Prozac
Evolution carved out a special place for anxiety, an often helpful emotion which triggers cortisol release in fight-or-flight responses. Anxiety can save your life. But these days anxiety from uniquely modern stressors—health screenings, computer meltdowns, traffic jams, noise pollution and hundreds of other adverse events —lingers long after its usefulness. Chronic anxiety can kill you. This steady stream of stress damages … Read More
Travel Changes You, and Your Microbes Too
Travel can be rewarding, financially if it’s for work and emotionally when it’s for play or to visit loved ones. The downsides too are well-known: flight delays, uncomfortable seats, annoying seatmates and jet lag. Another to consider is how our microbes fare when flown across vast time zones to lands where even food and water are foreign to our ecosystems. … Read More