Microbiome

Gut-Brain Connection: The Key to Better Mental and Physical Health

August 22, 2024By Kenneth Mittelstadt There’s a reason why we use phrases like “trust your gut” and “I had a gut feeling.” These expressions hint at a deeper, intuitive connection between your gut and brain that science is just beginning to unravel. Recent research has sparked widespread interest in what we’re calling “the gut-brain axis,”
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Microbes in your food can help or hinder your body’s defenses against cancer – how diet influences the conflict between cell ‘cooperators’ and ‘cheaters’

Published: January 31, 2023 8.16am EST Gut microbes can influence your cancer risk by changing how your cells behave. Many cancer-protective microbes support normal, cooperative behavior of cells. Meanwhile, cancer-inducing microbes undermine cellular cooperation and increase your risk of cancer in the process. We are evolutionary biologists who study how cooperation and conflict occur inside the human body,
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Fermented foods: the latest trend

Fermented foods and beverages are becoming increasingly popular. You can now find kombucha on tap in bars, sourdough bread in cafes and more varieties of yoghurt, sauerkraut and kimchi in your local supermarket. But what are the heart health benefits and should you be including them in your diet?  Fermented foods have been part of
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The Science of Good Chocolate

Meet the sensory scientist who is decoding the terroir of chocolate—and working to safeguard the cacao plant that gives us the sweet dark treat. Smithsonian Magazine Simran Sethi The flavor of chocolate depends on numerous factors, from the soil the cacao plant was grown in, to the length of time the cocoa beans are fermented.
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What’s the Difference Between Soluble and Insoluble Fiber?

Soluble vs. insoluble fiber Dietary fiber is the part of plant-based food that mostly passes through your digestive system without breaking down or being digested. There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, and includes plant pectin and gums. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water. It includes plant
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How Bacteria Are Changing Your Mood

With a growing body of research, microbial medicine is entering the mental health conversation. Advertisement Illustrations by Katie Horwich. If anything makes us human it’s our minds, thoughts and emotions. And yet a controversial new concept is emerging that claims gut bacteria are an invisible hand altering our brains. Science is piecing together how the
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The 19 Best Prebiotic Foods You Should Eat

Prebiotics are a form of dietary fiber that feed the “friendly” bacteria in your gut. This allows your gut bacteria to produce nutrients for your colon cells, which leads to a healthier digestive system. Some of these nutrients include short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, acetate, and propionate. These fatty acids can be absorbed into your
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The Diet That Might Cure Depression

Several studies show that healthy eating is connected with better mood. The Atlantic Olga Khazan Read when you’ve got time to spare. Photo by Beawiharta Beawiharta / Reuters At the turn of the 20th century, prominent physicians who were trying to understand where mental illness comes from seized on a new theory: autointoxication. Intestinal microbes,
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