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 microbiota increases the availability of dietary iron to the host. […]
Microbiome Environment
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 diseases are accumulating relevant results pointing to potential treatment […]
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 unknown. Notably however, the stomach and bowel may need different prevention strategies. […]
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 cancer, and release factors toxic to DNA. Dysbiosis 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). Lipopolysaccharide, a component of P. […]
For Better Sleep, Turn to Microbes
When humans sleep poorly, health suffers. Mental performance declines as risks of diseases including cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s rise. Thus the quest for a good night’s sleep brooks no limits; ergonomic mattresses, white noise machines and powerful drugs are just a few if not always fruitful fixes. Growing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome […]