If you remember, my last post was a quick update on what we currently know about the microbiome-depression link, and I mention leaky gut with a promise to write more about it this week. Toward that end, on Friday evening, I read an article from the journal Microorganisms entitled, “Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain?,”[i] and was … More Leaky Gut and Leaky Brains…and Disease
This past Thursday I promised you the 2nd big story of last week: We’ve known for a while that Parkinson’s seems to start with an “infection” in the gut. I’ve talked about this several times on this blog. Well, it looks like there is a very close association between Parkinson’s and Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori), the … More More On the Parkinson’s/Gut Bug Connection
Two papers just came out, each showing – in different ways – how the gut is directly connected to the brain. My gut feeling is that this is going to be critically important research in the future. We already knew that the gut lining contained over 100 million nerve cells, and that the gut talks … More When Your Gut Talks, Your Brain Listens or…The REAL Sixth Sense
I spent several hours over the last couple of days surfing the internet, looking for interesting things to write about. Nothing rocked my boat though until I came across an article about the microbiome of honey bees.[i] Yeah, I know it doesn’t sound all that exciting at first but bear with me for a moment. … More Age (and Eat) Like a Queen Bee
Last month I wrote about bacteriophages (phages, for short) and Parkinson’s Disease. If you remember, a phage is a virus that kills bacteria. Those researchers found an abnormally high number of phages had killed off good Lactobaccillus in PD patients: ““The depletion of Lactococcus due to high numbers of strictly lytic phages in PD patients … More Phages and Autoimmune Diseases
Many of you may not yet be familiar with the term bacteriophage. These are viruses that infect bacteria: literally the word means “bacteria eater.” I’ve been reading about their use in treating bacterial infection, as an alternative to antibiotics, especially in this age of growing antibiotic resistance.[i] Just last month, a clinical study was published … More Is a Virus the Ultimate Cause of Parkinson’s?
I really liked this summary article on Medical Net about the bacterial microbiome through the aging process.[i] It is certainly worth a post, as all of us are getting older every day! 🙂 Highlights: Multiple factors can lead to dysbiosis as we age: Poor nutrient intake because of poor dental health. Those with fewer teeth, … More Healthy Aging and the Microbiome
On an ordinary day, one of my posts on Facebook may reach 200 people. A couple of weeks ago though, I noticed that one reached well over 1000. It was regarding recent research out of Harvard, published in the journal, Nature, about the role of gut bacteria in multiple sclerosis.[i] My original post was of … More Gut Bacteria and Neurological Disorders: Uncovering the Exact Mechanism
Yet more research[i] has just been published showing the bacterial microbiome’s connection to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. A variety of bacteria (including ones found in the mouth) produce amyloid proteins (known as bacterial amyloids) similar to the ones produced naturally by our neurons. (Remember, as I’ve described in a previous post, that amyloid … More New Information on the Microbiome and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Well, it’s time yet again for the big New Year’s countdown of my favorite biome research stories of the year!!! January: The Specific Carbohydrate Diet study at Seattle Children’s Hospital on 10 pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease. After only 12 weeks, 8 of the 10 children were in remission. A mind-blowing result, in such a … More Some Research High Points of 2017