Popular media recently toasted a novel probiotic beer concocted by scientists at the National University of Singapore. Yeah, beer is healthier now. But if imbibers are looking for a probiotic beverage with a bit of alcohol, they need look no further than kombucha, a fermented drink made by mixing tea and sugar with bacteria and […]
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, […]
Frozen Yogurt Scoops Ice Cream in Nutrition Contest
You may scream for ice cream, but a smarter shout-out goes to frozen yogurt. While ice cream must contain at least 10 percent milkfat—usually cream– to be labelled as such, yogurt has no fat requirement. Instead it must be churned with cultured milk. Alas, while the bacteria may survive needed freezing temperatures, heat in the […]
The Microbiome in Breast Cancer
Incidence of breast cancer is growing like cancer itself, unabated and mostly unpredictably (though diet, age and genetic predisposition are established risk factors.) As cancer of this type fells more women globally, solutions are urgent. With the recent advances in analysis, the microbiome is under the microscope for its links to cancer. To be sure, […]
Fermented Milk Prevents some Common Infections in Young Children
Young children catch everything those first few years in a day care or preschool setting. Not surprisingly, their immune systems are immature, just like them. The fallout can be considerable: besides making a child miserable, school and parents’ work days are lost and cost is incurred to the medical system. Can probiotics help in prevention? […]
Bill Gates Tackles the Microbiome
The founder of Microsoft knows a thing or two about computers. And while showering his billions on fighting malaria and tuberculosis in the developing world, Bill Gates learned about pathogens. Now in a philanthropic pivot, he has turned his largess onto the good microbes. The Gates Foundation is contributing an astounding $100 million to the […]