The Gutbliss Weekly Review – February 15th, 2016

1. Scientists sequence the microbiome of jungle, rural, and urban homes and conclude that the microbial make-up and exposure is vastly different, with one of the biggest determining factors being air exchange – open your windows! Scientists believe your living environment affects your disease risk. When asked which is the healthier home, bio scientist Jack Gilbert answers: “Country life and city life lead to different bio geographies, and therefore different health risks…The question should not be, which is healthier, but which aspects of each home could be appropriated to improve health for all.” Ars Technica UK

 

2. The introduction of food is the driving force in determining the composition and diversity of the infant gut microbiome, not genetics or maternal weight – important information, knowing that the gut microbiome is established by the age of 3. United Press International

 

3. Distinct changes in the gut microbiome are associated with arthritis. A review of the literature maps these changes and identifies interventions that alter the microbiome. Rheumatology

 

4. Oral probiotic supplementation during late pregnancy could help to prevent pre-term birth, by preventing a decrease in Bifidobacterium and anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as decreasing pro-inflammatory chemokines. BMC Microbiology

 

5. A robust probiotic in pregnancy and lactation is associated with higher amounts of beneficial bacteria in maternal breast milk. The benefits were not observed in women who delivered via C-section, suggesting that the changes are related to delivery mode. Pharmacological Research

 

6. Wondering how to avoid harmful chemicals, hormone disruption, and microbial imbalance? One of the most important things you can do is choose green self-care products. Shop Follain for safe, microbe-friendly products, and check out Dr. Chutkan’s recommendations Vogue

 

7. Oral capsules containing species of Firmicutes bacteria extracted from healthy donor stool successfully treats 97% of patients with recurrent C. diff. Some scientists believe the capsule therapy may be just as effective, if not more, than fecal microbiota transplant (FMT). Healio

 

8. Fungal dysbiosis identified in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with higher levels of pro-inflammatory fungi and lower levels of anti-inflammatory ones. Researchers hope these findings will lead to effective therapeutic interventions. Gut

 

9. Eat worms, feel better! Scientists believe that without exposure to parasitic worms our immune systems are lacking. Treating disease with helminths isn’t without risk, but some scientists believe the benefit-to-risk ratio is favorable for more serious autoimmune diseases like inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. The Guardian

 

10. Women, ever wonder why you spend more time in the bathroom during your period? Chemicals that induce muscle contractions are released to help the uterus shed its lining, which can also affect the bowels, causing them to contract more often. Check out Gutbliss.com for more info on how your hormones can affect your gut health. Huffington Post

 

By: Leslie Ann Berg, MSPH