Progress is not always pretty. Polluted air, water and soil are part of the price tag on fast cars, potent drugs and cheap beef. Health can suffer. Faced with environmental toxins, our bodies secrete cytokines which induce multiple responses played out in the lungs, airways and immune system. This specific type of allergy named asthma is […]
microbes
Autism and Microbiome Links
Caused by a little understood blend of genetic and environmental factors, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are increasingly being linked to the microbiome. For one, some children with ASD have different gut microbes than healthy controls. And research has found that the gut microbiome and its metabolic by-products play a major role in normal brain and […]
Preventing Eczema by Changing Your Microbes
There may not be an “x” in eczema, but extreme itching and inflammation spell out this painful disease most common in infants and children. Quick review: Eczema is an allergic response to foreign substances, often food; it falls under the medical umbrella of atopic dermatitis, along with asthma. Prevalence of allergic responses is rising globally. […]
Microbes Impact Brain Development in Infants
If you’re already plotting your baby’s admission into Harvard, don’t neglect her microbes. Gut microbiota may be your child’s best teacher. A little background: 100 trillion microbes share your body. Their move-in date is now thought to have begun when you were under construction in the womb. During and after birth and with those first […]
Walnuts Change Gut Bacteria, Adding to a Stellar Resume
When it comes to playing favorites, nutritionists are not shy about their love for walnuts. All tree nuts– including cashews, pecans, pistachios and others—are packed with healthful benefits yet walnuts boast the most impressive stats. Walnuts contain: L-arginine, a heart healthy amino acid Copious amounts of omega-3 fats which are anti-inflammatory Liberal amounts of copper, manganese, […]
Melatonin Unlocks a Microbial Key in Obesity
A natural hormone in the body, melatonin has long been supplemented by frequent flyers to ease circadian rhythms into new time zones. A newer and potentially more valuable finding is its role in weight gain and metabolism. Indeed, melatonin reduces body weight, liver steatosis, and low-grade inflammation and improves insulin resistance in high fat diet (HFD)-fed […]