Biome

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Scientists have identified a mechanism that might explain the link between maternal infections during pregnancy and cognitive problems in children. These findings may impact clinical care, they say.

The development of food allergies in mice can be linked to what their gut bacteria are being fed, reports a new study. Rodents that received a diet with average calories, sugar, and fiber content had more severe peanut allergies than those that received a high-fiber diet. The researchers show that gut bacteria release a specific fatty acid in response to fiber intake, which eventually impacts allergic responses via changes to the immune system.

Our bodies are having a conversation with our microbiome that may be affecting our mental health — for better or worse.

Bacteria in your intestines may play an important role in determining if you will develop blinding wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

A maternal high-fat diet leads to changes in the gut microbiome of offspring and induces behavioral alterations that can be restored via selective reintroduction of a commensal bacterial strain.

Once thought to be sterile, the bladder contains microbes that could influence the development and treatment of cancer.

The microbiome has emerged as a major determinant of the functioning of host organisms, affecting both health and disease. Here, Han et al. use the wo…

Can gut bugs change the world? Join Warren Peters on a journey into understanding your microbiome and the new discoveries changing the way we understand diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, autism, and our everyday health and wellness. If asked, he will tell you that the first part of his medical career was in general surgery, where “if something is wrong with you, I will cut it out." The next was dedicated to lifestyle and natural medicines, where “if something is wrong with you, just try harder." And finally, the last part is dedicated to the molecular and genetic basis of obesity, where "if something is wrong with you, it is the fault of your parents and the changing environment." Within these three perspectives, reside the virtues of common sense and wisdom. He obtained his medical degree from Loma Linda University, his surgical training at the Mason Clinic in Seattle Washington, and, his Master’s degree in biostatistics and epidemiology from Loma Linda University. He is privileged to travel and lecture nationally and internationally on topics of nutrition, wholeness, and wellness. He has practiced surgical care, wholistic care, and, primary care in Washington, Maryland, Virginia, and California. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

The microbiome revolution in medicine is beginning to uncover the underappreciated role our healthy gut bacteria play in nutrition and health. Subscribe to NutritionFacts.org’s free newsletter to receive our B12 infographic that covers the latest research takeaways and Dr. Greger’s updated recommendations: https://nutritionfacts.org/subscribe/ This is the first of a long series of in-depth videos on the microbiome, though I have touched on friendly flora before: • How to Reduce Carcinogenic Bile Acid Production (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-reduce-carcinogenic-bile-acid-production/) • Putrefying Protein and “Toxifying” Enzymes (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/putrefying-protein-and-toxifying-enzymes/) • Why Do Plant-Based Diets Help Rheumatoid Arthritis? (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/why-do-plant-based-diets-help-rheumatoid-arthritis) • Bowel Wars: Hydrogen Sulfide vs. Butyrate (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/bowel-wars-hydrogen-sulfide-vs-butyrate/) • Preventing Ulcerative Colitis with Diet (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/preventing-ulcerative-colitis-with-diet/) • Treating Ulcerative Colitis with Diet (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/treating-ulcerative-colitis-with-diet) How does the body maintain the right balance of bacteria? Wait until the next video—you’ll be amazed (I know I was!): Prebiotics: Tending Our Inner Garden (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/prebiotics-tending-our-inner-garden). Have a question for Dr. Greger about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/video/microbiome-the-inside-story and he'll try to answer it! https://NutritionFacts.org • Subscribe: https://nutritionfacts.org/subscribe • Donate: https://nutritionfacts.org/donate • Podcast : https://nutritionfacts.org/audio • Facebook: www.facebook.com/NutritionFacts.org • Twitter: www.twitter.com/nutrition_facts • Instagram: www.instagram.com/nutrition_facts_org • Books (including the NEW How Not to Diet Cookbook): https://nutritionfacts.org/books • Shop: https://drgreger.org

What happens to our gut flora when we switch from a more animal-based diet to a more plant-based diet? Subscribe to NutritionFacts.org’s free newsletter to receive our B12 infographic that covers the latest research takeaways and Dr. Greger’s updated recommendations: https://nutritionfacts.org/subscribe/ Here’s the link to the TMAO video I showed: Carnitine, Choline, Cancer, and Cholesterol: The TMAO Connection (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/carnitine-choline-cancer-and-cholesterol-the-tmao-connection/). An update on TMAO in How Our Gut Bacteria Can Use Eggs to Accelerate Cancer (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/How-Our-Gut-Bacteria-Can-Use-Eggs-to-Accelerate-Cancer) and Egg Industry Response to Choline & TMAO (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/egg-industry-response-to-choline-and-tmao/). More on keeping our gut bugs happy here: • Microbiome: The Inside Story (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/microbiome-the-inside-story/) • Prebiotics: Tending our Inner Garden (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/prebiotics-tending-our-inner-garden/) • What’s your Gut Microbiome Enterotype? (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/whats-your-gut-microbiome-enterotype/) • How to Change your Enterotype (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-change-your-enterotype/) • Paleopoo: What We Can Learn from Fossilized Feces (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/paleopoo-what-we-can-learn-from-fossilized-feces/) • Gut Dysbiosis: Starving Our Microbial Self (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/gut-dysbiosis-starving-microbial-self/) • How to Develop a Healthy Gut Ecosystem (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/How-to-Develop-a-Healthy-Gut-Ecosystem) • How to Become a Fecal Transplant Super Donor (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/How-to-Become-a-Fecal-Transplant-Super-Donor) Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/video/microbiome-we-are-what-they-eat and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it. Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at http://nutritionfacts.org/video/microbiome-we-are-what-they-eat. You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics. If you’d rather watch these videos on YouTube, subscribe to my YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=nutritionfactsorg Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution! -Michael Greger, MD FACLM Image Credit: Shannon Coffey / Flickr Icons created by Graham Jefferson, Alexander Skowalsky, Gorkem Oner, Maxim Kulikov, and Artem Kovyazin from the Noun Project. https://NutritionFacts.org • Subscribe: https://nutritionfacts.org/subscribe • Donate: https://nutritionfacts.org/donate • Podcast : https://nutritionfacts.org/audio • Facebook: www.facebook.com/NutritionFacts.org • Twitter: www.twitter.com/nutrition_facts • Instagram: www.instagram.com/nutrition_facts_org • Books (including the NEW How Not to Diet Cookbook): https://nutritionfacts.org/books • Shop: https://drgreger.org

This research effort aimed at isolating and phenotypically characterizing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates from a spontaneous rye sourdough manufactured following traditional protocols, as well as at evaluating their antimicrobial and antifungal properties as key features for future industrial applications. Thirteen LAB strains of potential industrial interest were isolated and identified to species-level via PCR. Most of the sourdough isolates showed versatile carbohydrate metabolisms. The Leuconostoc mesenteroides No. 242 and Lactobacillus brevis No. 173 demonstrated to be gas producers; thus, revealing their heterofermenter or facultative homofermenter features. Viable counts higher than 7.0 log10 (CFU/mL) were observed for Lactobacillus paracasei No. 244, Lactobacillus casei No. 210, L. brevis No. 173, Lactobacillus farraginis No. 206, Pediococcus pentosaceus No. 183, Lactobacillus uvarum No. 245 and Lactobacillus plantarum No. 135 strains, after exposure at pH 2.5 for 2 h. Moreover, L. plantarum No. 122, L. casei No. 210, Lactobacillus curvatus No. 51, L. paracasei No. 244, and L. coryniformins No. 71 showed growth inhibition properties against all the tested fifteen pathogenic strains. Finally, all LAB isolates showed antifungal activities against Aspergillus nidulans, Penicillium funiculosum, and Fusarium poae. These results unveiled the exceptionality of spontaneous sourdough as a source of LAB with effective potential to be considered in the design of novel commercial microbial single/mixed starter cultures, intended for application in a wide range of agri-food industries, where the antimicrobial and antifungal properties are often sought and necessary. In addition, metabolites therefrom may also be considered as important functional and bioactive compounds with high potential to be employed in food and feed, as well as cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.

Dietary (co)-exposure to mycotoxins is associated with human and animal health concerns as well as economic losses. This study aims to give a data-based insight from the scientific literature on the (co-)occurrence of mycotoxins (i.e., parent and modified forms) in European core cereals, and to estimate potential patterns of co-exposure in humans and animals. Mycotoxins were mainly reported in wheat and maize showing the highest concentrations of fumonisins (FBs), deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxins (AFs), and zearalenone (ZEN). The maximum concentrations of FB1+FB2 were reported in maize both in feed and food and were above legal maximum levels (MLs). Similar results were observed in DON-food, whose max concentrations in wheat, barley, maize, and oat exceeded the MLs. Co-occurrence was reported in 54.9% of total records, meaning that they were co-contaminated with at least two mycotoxins. In the context of parental mycotoxins, co-occurrence of DON was frequently observed with FBs in maize and ZEN in wheat; DON + NIV and DON + T2/HT2 were frequently reported in barley and oat, respectively. Apart from the occurrence of ZEN and its phase I and phase II modified forms, only a limited number of quantified data were available for other modified forms; i.e., mainly the acetyl derivatives of DON. Data gaps are highlighted together with the need for monitoring studies on multiple mycotoxins to identify co-occurrence patterns for parent mycotoxins, metabolites, and their modified forms.

Vaginal infections are the most prevalent women’s health problem. Incompetent diagnosis, inappropriate treatments, and antibiotic resistance are the main causes of the unsatisfactory results of conventional, antimicrobic treatment for these infections. Research has thus been conducted to identify new treatments for these genital diseases. The significant enhancement in our knowledge of vaginal microbiota has permitted the development of new, nonpharmacological strategies for the treatment of vaginal infections that seek to restore the balance of vaginal microflora, as opposed to modifying its components. Among these approaches, bioactive compounds, such as probiotics and nutraceutical proteins (such as lactoferrin), deserve particular attention. The aim of this review is to examine the role of probiotics (mainly Lactobacillus spp.) and lactoferrin as new strategies for counteracting bacterial and fungal vaginal infections.

Vaginal infections are the most prevalent women’s health problem. Incompetent diagnosis, inappropriate treatments, and antibiotic resistance are the main causes of the unsatisfactory results of conventional, antimicrobic treatment for these infections. Research has thus been conducted to identify new treatments for these genital diseases. The significant enhancement in our knowledge of vaginal microbiota has permitted the development of new, nonpharmacological strategies for the treatment of vaginal infections that seek to restore the balance of vaginal microflora, as opposed to modifying its components. Among these approaches, bioactive compounds, such as probiotics and nutraceutical proteins (such as lactoferrin), deserve particular attention. The aim of this review is to examine the role of probiotics (mainly Lactobacillus spp.) and lactoferrin as new strategies for counteracting bacterial and fungal vaginal infections.

Background Numerous empirical studies suggest that hosts and microbes exert reciprocal selective effects on their ecological partners. Nonetheless, we still lack an explicit framework to model the dynamics of both hosts and microbes under selection. In a previous study, we developed an agent-based forward-time computational framework to simulate the neutral evolution of host-associated microbial communities in a constant-sized, unstructured population of hosts. These neutral models allowed offspring to sample microbes randomly from parents and/or from the environment. Additionally, the environmental pool of available microbes was constituted by fixed and persistent microbial OTUs and by contributions from host individuals in the preceding generation. Methods In this paper, we extend our neutral models to allow selection to operate on both hosts and microbes. We do this by constructing a phenome for each microbial OTU consisting of a sample of traits that influence host and microbial fitnesses independently. Microbial traits can influence the fitness of hosts (“host selection”) and the fitness of microbes (“trait-mediated microbial selection”). Additionally, the fitness effects of traits on microbes can be modified by their hosts (“host-mediated microbial selection”). We simulate the effects of these three types of selection, individually or in combination, on microbiome diversities and the fitnesses of hosts and microbes over several thousand generations of hosts. Results We show that microbiome diversity is strongly influenced by selection acting on microbes. Selection acting on hosts only influences microbiome diversity when there is near-complete direct or indirect parental contribution to the microbiomes of offspring. Unsurprisingly, microbial fitness increases under microbial selection. Interestingly, when host selection operates, host fitness only increases under two conditions: (1) when there is a strong parental contribution to microbial communities or (2) in the absence of a strong parental contribution, when host-mediated selection acts on microbes concomitantly. Conclusions We present a computational framework that integrates different selective processes acting on the evolution of microbiomes. Our framework demonstrates that selection acting on microbes can have a strong effect on microbial diversities and fitnesses, whereas selection on hosts can have weaker outcomes.

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Objectives We aimed to characterise the microbial changes associated with histological stages of gastric tumourigenesis. Design We performed 16S rRNA gene analysis of gastric mucosal samples from 81 cases including superficial gastritis (SG), atrophic gastritis (AG), intestinal metaplasia (IM) and gastric cancer (GC) from Xi’an, China, to determine mucosal microbiome dysbiosis across stages of GC. We validated the results in mucosal samples of 126 cases from Inner Mongolia, China. Results We observed significant mucosa microbial dysbiosis in IM and GC subjects, with significant enrichment of 21 and depletion of 10 bacterial taxa in GC compared with SG (q

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease, the etiology of which involves both genetic and environmental factors. The exact nature of the environmental factors responsible for predisposition to MS remains elusive; however, it’s hypothesized that gastrointestinal microbiota might play an important role in pathogenesis of MS. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate whether gut microbiota are altered in MS by comparing the fecal microbiota in relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) (n = 31) patients to that of age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n = 36). Phylotype profiles of the gut microbial populations were generated using hypervariable tag sequencing of the V3–V5 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Detailed fecal microbiome analyses revealed that MS patients had distinct microbial community profile compared to healthy controls. We observed an increased abundance of Psuedomonas, Mycoplana, Haemophilus, Blautia, and Dorea genera in MS patients, whereas control group showed increased abundance of Parabacteroides, Adlercreutzia and Prevotella genera. Thus our study is consistent with the hypothesis that MS patients have gut microbial dysbiosis and further study is needed to better understand their role in the etiopathogenesis of MS.

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https://drpeterosborne.com/ Natural Gut Health - Loose bowels, constipation, indigestion, heart burn, bad breath, gas, bloating, and many other digestive problems can be solved with these natural strategies. In this video, Dr. Osborne discusses what you need to understand about gut function, starting in the mouth and ending in the large intestines. He also breaks down the importance of the liver gall bladder and pancreas in this comprehensive video on natural gut health tips. Make sure you subscribe and follow me on all channels. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoctorPeterO... Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/docosborne/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drosborne Twitter: https://twitter.com/glutenology *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This video is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Additionally, this information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician. Dr. Osborne is not a medical doctor. He does not treat disease. He offers nutritional support to people seeking an alternative from traditional medicine. Dr. Osborne is licensed with the Pastoral Medical Association.

A compound abundant in red meat and added as a supplement to popular energy drinks has been found to promote atherosclerosis -- or the hardening or clogging of the arteries.

Current efforts are directed to reducing the gut dysbiosis and inflammation produced by obesity. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether consuming nopal, a vegetable rich in dietary fibre, vitamin C, and polyphenols can reduce the metabolic ...

Obesity and associated metabolic complications, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), are in constant increase around the world. While most obese patients show several metabolic and biometric abnormalities and comorbidities, a subgroup of patients representing 3% to 57% of obese adults, depending on the diagnosis criteria, remains metabolically healthy. Among many other factors, the gut microbiota is now identified as a determining factor in the pathogenesis of metabolically unhealthy obese (MUHO) individuals and in obesity-related diseases such as endotoxemia, intestinal and systemic inflammation, as well as insulin resistance. Interestingly, recent studies suggest that an optimal healthy-like gut microbiota structure may contribute to the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype. Here, we describe how dietary medium chain triglycerides (MCT), previously found to promote lipid catabolism, energy expenditure and weight loss, can ameliorate metabolic health via their capacity to improve both intestinal ecosystem and permeability. MCT-enriched diets could therefore be used to manage metabolic diseases through modification of gut microbiota.