The big biome news of the week was a study out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that found a 3-way communication process between gut bacteria, cortisol (our “stress hormone”) and brain metabolites (which can greatly alter brain development).[i] The findings are early stage but may be of particular importance in that, the chemicals … More Big News on the Gut-Brain Connection
In my last post, I mentioned illnesses that are now associated with alterations in the microbiome, and included schizophrenia in that list. Out of curiosity, I’d looked it up a few days prior to writing that post. Sure enough, I found quite a bit, including an article[i] summarizing some interesting research done in 2012. Scientists … More Schizophrenia and the Gut
Researchers at UCLA have shown that gut microbes affect specific brain regions associated with processing sensory information in the body.[i] The study also shows that signals from the brain can inversely affect the composition of the gut microbes, in a two-way biochemical street. Prior to this study, scientists had already established the following: In mice, … More Early Life Trauma, the Biome and the Brain
I just found an article[i] in Scientific American describing a study in which the probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus reuteri (derived from human breast milk), is being used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 40 veterans suffering from PTSD are in a clinical trial in which half are given the probiotic to drink, half are controls and … More A Probiotic Bacteria in PTSD and Autism
As I’ve mentioned before, already having 2 friends with Parkinson’s has made me particularly interested in anything that might help. Recently, research[i] came out showing that people who have had an operation called a truncal vagotomy – in which sections of the vagus nerve are removed – have a 40% less chance of developing Parkinson … More More New Research on the Gut-Brain Connection in Parkinson’s
Well, to sum it all up, my week in Moscow was a remarkable experience in so many different ways. The city is magnificent – one of those places that is so saturated in history, that it permeates everything. You feel it in your bones. I strolled through Red Square, explored the Kremlin, glared at the … More My Trip to Moscow
I found a new article[i] this week, just published, on the influence of diet on the gut microbiome. Pretty interesting stuff: diet can cause temporary shifts within 24 hours of consumption. The article is too complex to describe in detail so just a few highlights: Protein: “…gut bacterial changes may be responsible for the finding … More Diet and the Microbiome
As promised, a little about Alex’s hellishly awful start to life. Looking back – which I really, really try not to do, as it only causes me pain (but I’ve had some emails of readers asking so here goes) – it does seem as though everything that could have gone wrong did. I liken it … More Alex and Autism: His Perfect Storm
There was an interesting article[i] on Live Science last week, about the link between the kinds of bacteria in your mouth and your risk of certain cancers, as presented by a an New York University researcher, Jiyoung Ahn, at a talk she gave on April 2nd to the American Association for Cancer Research. According to … More The Oral Microbiome and…Cancer risk?!
Ok, so…remember how I’ve told you that I was a brooder? And that I didn’t let go of things once I’m angry or upset? And, um, remember that I have been kinda fuming over that post[i] from a few weeks ago by Dr. Mercola?…the one I kinda promised to not talk about any more? Well, … More Yet Another Brood, re: IBD…Or…Another Big Judy Eye Roll