Today’s post will cover some of the research concerning the connection between gut dysbiosis and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). ASDs are a group of developmental disabilities that cause a whole host of challenges in afflicted children. Among these are difficulties with social interaction, communication, behavior and movement. Males are approximately four times more likely … Read More →
Sometime around the late winter of 2003, I looked in the mirror and wondered what had happened to my face. I had developed a rash that was most pronounced over my right eye and temple. Like anyone confronted with a new skin problem, advice came flooding in from friends and family about what to … Read More →
There are many things that negatively impact gut flora, including man-made chemicals. Therefore, I’m very skeptical of monocausal explanations for gut dysbiosis. Gut bacteria, like all living organisms, can be impacted by a whole host of factors as I’ve explained over the last several months. There is no one cause of gut bacterial death … Read More →
Today I want to write about a couple of interesting studies linking probiotics to increased longevity in animals. As always, what’s true for another species may not hold true for us, but I found these papers intriguing nonetheless and thought I would share. The suggested connection between probiotics and longevity is nothing new. For … Read More →
I’m sure most of you have heard or read about a recent study linking red meat consumption to heart disease. Entitled, Intestinal Microbiota Metabolism of L-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes atherosclerosis (1), it purports to show a new mechanism explaining how consuming red meat increases cardiovascular risk. First, let me thank my … Read More →
Continuing with my coverage of regulatory tight-junction proteins and gut-barrier function, today I want to examine the role of a particular member of our beneficial gut flora community. A 2008 study examined which of the following gut bacteria contributed the most to gut-barrier function (1): Bifidobacterium breve Bifidobacterium infantis Bifidobacterium longum Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus delbrueckii … Read More →
Fibromyalgia is a disease characterized by chronic wide-spread pain. These painful areas are spread throughout numerous points on the body. Other symptoms of this disorder are joint stiffness, gastrointestinal upset and mental distress: insomnia, fatigue, depression, anxiety and cognitive dysfunction. Estimates for the prevalence of fibromyalgia range from between 1% to 2% of the … Read More →
I want to quickly share an article with you. This article echoes past research on how mode of delivery and the feeding of infants impacts gut flora well into adulthood. Much focus has been recently placed on how changes in our environment affect intestinal flora and what this means for long-term health. The overuse of … Read More →
Continuing from my post on probiotics and respiratory viruses, I want to review some trials that studied how probiotics can augment the effects of a flu shot. When the seasonal flu vaccine closely matches circulating influenza viruses, effectiveness against catching the flu ranges between 70-90% in healthy adults. Unfortunately, unlike wine, these statistics do … Read More →
In the last post I wrote about how beneficial bacteria shapes our immunity. Today I want to review some studies in children examining the association between gut dysbiosis and allergic diseases. As I’ve mentioned, commensal gut flora not only maintain the integrity of the gut wall preventing endotoxins and other antigens from entering systemic circulation, … Read More →
This is part two of my three-part series on insomnia. Today I want to cover how disease and inflammation cause sleep problems. In part one, I discussed some habits that help you get a good night’s sleep. And for a number of you who have occasional sleeplessness, improving your sleep hygiene is all that’s … Read More →
Today I want to talk about depression and the evidence implicating increased intestinal permeability and endotoxins in this psychological disorder. Having discussed how endotoxemia impacts your hormonal system, it’s now time to explore what this can mean for your mental state. Wikipedia describes depression as: “…a state of low mood and aversion to activity … Read More →
Today I want to talk about how we acquire our gut flora. This should be of interest to expectant parents everywhere. A newborn infant was initially thought to be born with a sterile gut, but new research suggests that the acquisition of its unique microbiota begins in the womb. It appears that colonization of … Read More →
This subject is near and dear to my heart because of that good-looking pooch in the picture. My pet Gorky was an exceptionally beautiful Siberian Husky with piercing blue eyes and the personality of a loveable oaf. Unfortunately, at the age of ten he was diagnosed with diabetes. He let us know by peeing … Read More →
This is a very quick post to alert you to a recently published study reported in the journal Gut that found a significant association between strains of the pathogenic oral bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. This is highly relevant to my ongoing series on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth as well … Read More →