The metabolic consequences observed indicate that micobiota disruption during a critical development window can explain later life phenomena, including adult obesity. LDP [low-dose penicillin] may decrease particular early-life-protective bacterial populations, which is consistent with coevolution with microbes having specific interactions promoting metabolic fitness. As “keystone” species, their reduction could lead to broad intestinal ecologic … Read More →
Today’s post will cover a meta-analysis (review) of randomized clinical trials that studied prebiotics and their effects on a host of different metabolic markers in humans. Published in the British Journal of Nutrition, this paper covered the results of twenty-six trials that collectively studied 831 subjects. (1) Studies included in this meta-analysis were restricted … Read More →
Welcome back from your second and last intermission. I trust the wait wasn’t too long. In today’s post, I’ll be concentrating on how cortisol is regulated by the body, and how these regulatory systems are shaped by immune activation. There is a happy medium where hormone concentrations within a defined lower and upper limit … Read More →
Over the past year and a half, I’ve spent much my time on this blog detailing the various dietary practices and other conditions that can impair intestinal-barrier function, and for good reason. While our intestines are located within us, as far as the body is concerned, this environment is actually external to it. And … Read More →
“Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong.” Thomas Jefferson Abbreviations: BCM7: beta-casomorphin-7 C. albicans: Candida albicans FOS: fructooligosaccharide GERD: gastroesophageal reflux disease GI: gastrointestinal H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori, aka Campylobacter pylori IBS: irritable bowel syndrome LES: … Read More →
When it comes to gut flora, the more research I do on this subject, the more clear it becomes that we have just scratched the surface of understanding what this organ does for us. And no, the word “organ” is not a typo. If we define an organ as a body structure that contributes … Read More →
It’s been known for quite a long time that shift workers are at an increased risk for developing a number of diseases. Observational studies have found a strong association between shift work and heart and cerebrovascular diseases. (1) Other studies have noted robust correlations between shift-work and the risk of obesity (2) (3), diabetes … Read More →
Today’s post will cover a recent paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (1) The research group responsible for this paper has been at the forefront in investigating how metabolic endotoxemia impacts numerous health outcomes, including weight regulation and glucose control. This study sought to determine whether a particular … Read More →
What would happen if you fed prebiotics to genetically obese mice or mice fed an obesity-inducing high-fat diet? Would anything change? That’s the subject of today’s post, which covers such an experiment published in 2011. (1) Two different types of mice were used in this study. The ob/ob C57BL/6 mouse and the C57BL/6J mouse. … Read More →
Today I want to briefly review two research papers examining the role of increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and visceral fat accumulation. Visceral fat, otherwise known as central obesity, is a recognized risk factor for the development of fatty liver, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This type of fat is packed in and … Read More →
In this post, I want to write about an interesting Brazilian study that examined the effects of feeding gluten in combination with a high-fat diet to C57BL/6 mice, the most popular strain of mice used in laboratories around the world. (1) Would our furry friends experience any negative effects from consuming the protein found … Read More →
“Although genetic and biological factors play a major role in the development of obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, and diabetes, these common disorders that are part of the metabolic syndrome are probably influenced by other factors. Evidence suggests that these disorders are mediated by a complex interplay between genetics, biology, and the environment. Stress, whether … Read More →
I thought I would reprint this article that appeared in today’s Los Angeles Times. Note the bias in the reporting. Nowhere in the article does it point out that being underweight increases your chances of dying, but I guess I should be grateful they bothered to report this at all: Being moderately overweight might not … Read More →
I want to continue my series on weight dysregulation by examining the role endotoxemia may play. As you may have noticed, nowhere in the title does the word obesity appear. While I will talk about how gram-negative pathogens can promote weight gain, it’s equally clear that lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) derived from these same organisms can … Read More →
Today I want to cover how gut pathogens can negatively impact the ability to digest food and regulate appetite. Here is an illustration of what should be, but oftentimes isn’t, absorbed in the digestive tract: Your ability to absorb nutrition is reliant on a healthy small intestine. If any part of the small … Read More →