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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 […]
We’ve had a lot of requests for Dr. Chutkan’s homemade facial scrub, which can be found in her bestselling book, Gutbliss (Penguin 2013). Well folks, here it is, versions for oily and dry skin. Enjoy these microbe-friendly scrubs once a week and make a larger batch for the entire body! Oily Skin Facial Scrub Ingredients 2 tablespoons […]
High intake of dietary fiber is linked to lowering the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – a form of liver cancer that often develops in those with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. The study included over 125,000 participants with an average follow-up of 24 years and found that of those participants, 141 patients were diagnosed […]
As little as 1 drink a day could lead to high blood pressure, a new study claims. The study looked at 17,000 U.S. adults and found that those who had moderate alcohol consumption (7 to 13 drinks weekly) were over twice as likely to experience stage 2 hypertension (systolic pressure of 140mm Hg or higher or […]
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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 […]
While most of us already know that processed foods increase cancer risk, a recent study quantifies the risk. Findings show that for every 10% increase (based on a 2,000 calorie diet this is equivalent to 200 calories) in highly processed foods in the diet there is a 12% increase in cancer risk, with the greatest association […]
Children aged 12 to 18 who have access to green spaces are significantly less likely to suffer from depression than those without access. The study followed 9,000 adolescents over a number of years and found that those with access were 11% less likely to suffer from high depressive symptoms. The study also looked at access to […]
SERVES 8 Ingredients: 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 2 cups raw spinach, washed ½ cup pine nuts ¼ cup olive oil, plus a dab for the pine nuts ½ cup golden raisins 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cumin Freshly […]