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Recently, I’ve been increasing the amount of fibrous vegetables I eat, based on the recommendations I’ve seen here. I’ve also started eating oatmeal again. But I seem to notice Candida flare-ups when I eat too much starch. Should I limit my intake of oatmeal and other starchy foods, such as sweet potatoes? Also, I’ve seen […]
I really enjoy having a drink in the evenings, but I’ve seen a lot of new information about alcohol and its detrimental health effects when consumed at any level. How much should I (or shouldn’t I) drink, and if it’s okay to drink in moderation, what form of alcohol should I choose? -Adam Dr. Chutkan: Adam, I […]
If you think your face cleanser should cost big bucks and wear a long list of unidentifiable ingredients to really work, think again! The best cleanser is one that will help balance your skin microbiome – which means one that addsbeneficial bacteria, not one that scrubs away all your microbes (including the good guys). Too-harsh cleansers […]
When a patient walks into my office, I can see what’s going on with their outer appearance – from skin conditions to hair loss – way more quickly than what’s going on in their digestive tract. But make no mistake – there’s an intimate connection between the two: Studies have found that more than half of […]
Scientists have discovered a key factor in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevention: reducing meat consumption. A recent study looked at the daily dietary habits of 3,882 seventy-year old adults and their liver scans. Scans showed that 34% of study subjects had NAFLD, despite many of them being a healthy weight. Those who were overweight and […]
A new study uncovers evidence that a single course of antibiotics may irreversibly damage important beneficial gut bacteria. Using a computer model based on past studies that looked at how antibiotics affect the microbiome, scientists found that even after 1 year of taking a single antibiotic prescription, overall gut bacteria was less diverse with fewer species. […]
High dietary fiber intake lowers non-communicable disease (namely cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes) risk, and the relationship is causal. The study included all past studies (200+ observational studies and randomized control trials) involving dietary fiber and its relationship to human health. A dietary intake of between 25 and 29 grams of fiber showed the […]
Have arthritis or at risk for developing arthritis? A new study found that both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) have specific oral microbial footprints that could be used in screening and early detection of the disease. Scientists analyzed saliva from 110 RA patients and 68 OA patients and compared these to 155 healthy subjects. Scientific Reports […]
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is drastically higher in those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD – Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis). After analyzing 11 studies, including over 1,100 IBD patients and 400 controls, researchers found that IBD patients are 9 times more likely to develop SIBO. Alimentary Pharmacology Therapeutics →Takeaway: Why this incredible risk of developing SIBO in IBD […]
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The question we’re all wondering as we pop our daily probiotic – is probiotic supplementation in healthy adults helpful, or is it all hype? A 2018 review of probiotic supplementation in healthy adult populations analyzed the literature published between 1990 and August 2017. The review included 45 studies. Results showed that probiotic supplementation can lead to […]
Watching television for extended periods of time raises colorectal (CRC) risk in men. A recent study analyzed data from 500,000 men and women and found that men who watched TV 4+ hours per day had a 35% greater CRC risk than those who watched 1 hour per day. Increased time spent watching TV did not elevate […]
Weight gain in young children has detrimental effects on liver health. A recent study found that an increased waist circumference in three year olds was linked to a greater likelihood of increased non-alcoholic fatty liver disease markers (elevated ATL levels – a liver enzyme that acts as a marker for liver disease) at age 8. Those […]
Cancer risk in the distal colon in women is lower in those who avoid eating red meat. In a 17-year study in over 32,000 women, researchers found that those women who did not eat red meat had a reduced risk of distal colon cancer. A red meat-free diet was not protective against cancer elsewhere in the […]
High processed salt intake alters gut bacteria composition and may disrupt the relationship between the microbiome and host homeostasis. While increased salt intake is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), we’re not exactly sure why that is. A recent study gave rats either water or a salt-water solution over a two-week period and analyzed blood […]
Artificial sweeteners promote dysbiosis (imbalanced gut bacteria) in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients and may worsen the disease and its symptoms. In a series of 3 studies, scientists mixed a low dose of Splenda into the drinking water of mice (who originated from a genetic line of mice with CD). They increased the dose slightly for the […]
Initiating an intrauterine device (IUD) with copper over a 180-day period significantly increased the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in a group of women seeking contraception in Zimbabwe, while hormonal contraceptive methods did not affect BV prevalence. In the 234 women using the copper IUD, BV prevalence was assessed at baseline and at 30, 90 […]
Daily calcium supplements are linked to an increased risk of colon polyps. 2,000 participants (aged 45 to 75), all with a history of polyps, were randomly assigned to take a daily calcium supplement, a daily vitamin D supplement, both, or neither for 3 or 5 years. Those who took the calcium supplement, both with and without […]
Nitrate in drinking water, even at safe levels (within 50 mg nitrate/liter of water), increases colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. Scientists assessed drinking water nitrate level exposure in 2.7 million adults and examined 200,000 drinking water analyses from 1978 to 2011 in Denmark. Comparing this data with population-based health registry data, scientists identified 5,944 CRC cases. Analysis […]
A 20-year long study, including 6,235 participants with an average age of 34, uncovers the long-term impact of spray cleaners on lung function in women. The study found that women who regularly clean with cleaning sprays experience worsening of lung function over time when compared to women who don’t clean. To put the findings in more […]
Studies show that overweight mothers are more likely to have overweight children, but why? A recent study, looking at 935 mother-infant pairs, found that infants born vaginally to overweight mothers were 3 times more likely to be overweight by the age of 3 when compared to infants born from normal weight mothers. Those born via C-section […]
A recent study, conducted over 15 years in individuals 90 years of age and older, finds that drinking alcohol on a regular basis is more effective in increasing longevity than exercise. Those who drank 1 to 2 glasses of wine or beer daily were 18 percent less likely to die a premature death, while those who […]
