Restricting carbohydrates is a perennial favorite among dieters. Going without sugary beverages and desserts is surely a positive move. Then again stringent followers also eliminate most fruits, vegetables and whole grains, foods which are rich in nutrients. How this diet plays out on the gut microbiota is another concern, given the outsize influence our microbes […]
Microbiome Environment
Put Miso in Your 2020 Menus
Adding miso to meals not only adds intense flavor but also the health benefits of fermentation. But for many, miso as an ingredient can be daunting. It doesn’t have to be. Here is a simple primer: Miso is made by fermenting soybeans with salt and koji (the fungus Aspergillus oryzae) and sometimes barley, seaweed and […]
Probiotic Yeast Inhibits Gut Cancer in Mice
Bacteria may get most of the attention in the probiotic space, but yeasts can also be powerful in their benefits. Saccharomyces boulardii and the gut One well-characterized yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) can be beneficial in gut disorders. Several pre-clinical and clinical trials in animal models and humans respectively have demonstrated its efficacy as […]
Probiotics and Diet Fight Dysbiosis in Obesity
As a new year begins, resolutions to shed the added weight from holiday feasting are de rigeur. New avenues of accomplishing those goals are growing. Obesity and Aging For example, much research points to the gut microbiota as a key element in metabolic disorders such as obesity. Statistics on obesity rates are dismal: obesity is […]
Yogurt Streamlines Holiday Sweets
Yogurt is tangy, creamy and delicious. Why then do we think of it for breakfast and maybe a quick snack but rarely for dessert? It’s time to change that narrow read and serve up some healthy probiotic sweets. Yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. Probiotics will […]
Probiotics “Cross-talk” Across the ICU
Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) share more than a room. Researchers say “microbiome cross-talk” boosted bacterial diversity in the ICU, and everyone benefited. In one small community hospital, probiotics protected against diarrhea not only in the patients for whom they are prescribed, but in fellow patients resting nearby. Probiotics aren’t called “friendly bacteria” for […]