by Children’s Hospital Boston This schematic illustrates the growth or “fitness” of various Bacteroides species exposed to different sugars, alone and with the bacterial metabolite butyrate. The strains in green on the right are the most fit and best able to tolerate butyrate, while those shown in red die off. The fitness profiles vary from...
by Laura Red Eagle, University of Wisconsin-Madison Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Our gut microbiome helps us out every day by processing the fiber we can’t digest. The bacteria ferment the fiber into key chemicals known as short-chain fatty acids, or SCFAs, that are essential for human health. SCFAs fight inflammation, help kill dangerous bacteria, protect...
by Chloe Yap, Andrew Whitehouse, Jake Gratten, The Conversation Credit: Shutterstock There has been much speculation that the community of bacteria living in the gut—known as the microbiome—may be different among people on the autism spectrum than the wider population. This has led some researchers and clinicians to speculate that gut bacteria could cause autism. But...
by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne V. cholerae’s growth and competition on natural surfaces (left). The framed area is zoomed-in on the right and shows the killing of a bacterium (indicated by the red arrow) by the two V. cholerae cells. Credit: M. Blokesch & G. Knott (EPFL) Cholera is still an enormous public health problem....
A study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe reported that the increased presence of certain bacteria in a gut biome indicates a greater likelihood that colon polyps will become cancerous. In his research, William DePaolo, associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, tracked 40 patients who had undergone routine colonoscopies and had biopsies taken near the polyps to identify bacteria...
by American Heart Association Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Flavonoid-rich foods, including berries, apples, pears and wine, appear to have a positive effect on blood pressure levels, an association that is partially explained by characteristics of the gut microbiome, according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. “Our gut microbiome plays a key...
by John Cryan, The Conversation Elie Metchnikoff was ahead of his time in recognizing the role of the gut microbiome on health and longevity. Credit: Gallica Digital Library/Wikimedia Commons In 1895, on turning 50, Elie Metchnikoff became increasingly anxious about aging. As a result, the Russian Nobel prize-winning scientist, and one of the founders of immunology, turned his...
by University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry Credit: CC0 Public Domain A University of Alberta-led research study followed more than 400 infants from the CHILD Cohort Study (CHILD) at its Edmonton site. Boys at one year of age with a gut bacterial composition that was high in the bacteria Bacteroidetes were found to have more advanced...
By Rich Haridy June 16, 2021 Research has found a metabolite produced by certain gut bacteria can amplify the severity of a strokeVectorMine/Depositphotos A striking new gut-brain link has been discovered by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic. The findings show how a metabolite produced by gut bacteria can amplify the severity of a stroke and...
By Rich Haridy May 26, 2021 New research has found some species of gut bacteria can help minimize the negative effects of chemotherapy on the microbiome. A compelling new proof of concept study from researchers at Northwestern University has demonstrated how certain types of protective gut bacteria can help negate the damaging side effects of...
