Hydrogenotrophic microbes which convert hydrogen into other substances may play a key role in the development of diseases like Colon Cancer or Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Research lead by Professor Rex Gaskin & Dr. Eugene Greenberg at the University of Illinois is looking to map Hydrogenotrophic(hydrogen consuming) microbes that while making up a small portion of the microbial ecosystem might play a big part in the development of diseases such as Colon Cancer or Inflammatory Bowel Diseases such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. Continue reading “Hydrogen Eating Microbes Play Important Role In Digestive System” »
Today we’re reviewing Custom Probiotics CP-1 Adult Formula, a multi-strain probiotic containing 50 billion colony forming units.
When I first started looking into getting on a serious probiotic regimen I believed the holy grail of probiotics would be a low CFU(colony forming units) probiotic that you could slowly taper up as you got used to it. CFU is a measurement of the number of colony forming bacteria units inside a probiotic supplement. Supposedly the idea is that the more CFU the higher chances the bacteria will populate the digestive system.
My target at the time was around 1 billion CFU. This is why I reviewed a lot of products like Primadophilus for Children & Align. Part of the reason I was concerned with finding a low CFU probiotic was due to the fact that I often experienced herx reactions(flu like symptoms) & constipation when taking probiotics. My thought was that if I go low & slow, my body will adjust as I taper up. I’ve since learned that any probiotic I take gives me these reactions, so for me, low & slow has failed. I was often not taking probiotics because of the symptoms they produced.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the digestive system has literally zillions of bacteria within it. For someone with a serious bacterial imbalance, a 1 billion CFU probiotic product may cause a negative reaction like herx, but not offer any benefit as the bacteria die off before they can do anything worthwhile. Continue reading “Review: Custom Probiotics CP-1 50 Billion CFU Adult Formula” »
Researchers at Utah State University are working hard to map the digestive tract’s ecosystem.
Utah State University is moving forward with further research into the different types of bacteria that live in our digestive system & how the foods we eat impact them. The study, called “Gut Check”, will be inviting residents of Cache County in Utah to participate. Participants help by answering a health survey, getting basic blood tests, keeping a detailed food diary(including pictures) for 4 days & then finally submitting a stool sample. In return they get free lab work & $20 buckaroos. The bacteria within the stool sample will be genetically analyzed to find out what type it is. Once all the stool samples are analyzed the data will then be reviewed looking for relationships between food eaten & the bacteria present. Continue reading “Utah State University’s Enterotype Research With “Gut Check”” »
Comedian Julian McCullough finds out when your appendix fails it’s not funny business, sorta…
A segment of this weeks This American Life had a rather funny story where comedian Julian McCullough discusses the ordeal he had when his appendix burst, sending him to the emergency room.
The appendix is the only organ in our body that doesn’t have a job to do, but it’s the first one to be like “screw this” {poof}.
Listen to the story on This American Life’s website.
It is important to say that research is showing that the appendix is most likely a hang out spot for beneficial bacteria when there is a problem in the intestinal tract. Basically a safe house while the body tries to flush out invaders. Once the problem is resolved the healthy bacteria can repopulate the intestinal tract. So, the appendix is not entirely useless ;).
“Poo Burger” hoax video reminds us not to believe everything we see on the Internet.
Well it seems that some legit news websites are syndicating a story about a so called Japanese “poo burger”. A video that originated at LiveLeaks(WARNING VIDEO MY BE GROSS TO SOME) has a Japanese scientist named Mitsuyuki Ikeda from a fictitious Okayama Laboratory who has invented a “poo burger” from sewage waste. The concept is that bacteria within sewage waste can be processed & treated to create so called meat steaks. The video has Mr. Ikeda talking nonchalantly about his invention as well as demonstrating it’s virtues & even eating some of it. Continue reading “Japanese Poo Burger Story Leaves A Bad Taste Behind…” »
Research led by Fang Yang at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center has uncovered some interesting information which could lead to new treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.
The researchers focused in on proteins that are secreted by the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG bacteria. This bacteria is commonly found in yogurts. The proteins they isolated were given generic names such as p75 & p40. Researchers narrowed their focus to protein ‘p40’. P40 was found to activate the epidermal growth factor receptor which is responsible for sustaining living cells & growing new ones. Activation of this receptor appears to have helped prevent both cell death & inflammation caused by weakening of the intestinal tracts “tight junctions” which prevent microbes & toxins escaping into the bloodstream. Continue reading “Yogurt Protein Could Be Helpful For Inflammatory Bowel Diseases” »
Researchers[1] have found strong evidence of a link between specific brain behavior & the microbial life forms in the gut. Before we go further into the two experiments that were used, let’s get some terminology out of the way. Continue reading “Swiss Mice, Bacteria & Brain Behavior” »
As our food supply becomes more consolidated, outbreaks of bacterial contamination may become larger. Some of those outbreaks may involve drug resistant bacteria.
A study by the Oxford Journal along with stories by the LA times may give some a cause for concern regarding the safety of our meat supply.
[Researchers] established that 40% of pork samples were contaminated with such bacteria.
Nearly half of the samples — 47% — contained strains of Staphylococcus aureus, the type of bacteria that most commonly causes staph infections. Of those bacteria, 52% were resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics[…]
While most of these bacteria are killed off with proper cooking & the risk of infection is low if proper handling procedures are followed, it still gives one pause to think about all th stuff going into these animals before they are sent to slaughter for consumption.
Research mapping the digestive system’s bacterial flora seems to suggest that most people fall into one of only three different “gut types”.
A recent study published in Nature has found that our gut’s bacterial flora may not be as diverse or unique as once thought. Researchers deciphered the microbial life within each test subject’s fecal samples. What they found was that the test subjects fell into one of three different “enterotypes” (microbe ecosystems). Factors such as age, weight or nationality did not matter as far as who ended up with what enterotype. Essentially what this means is that it appears the life forms living inside of us aren’t as random as we might have thought in the past. Continue reading “Knowing Your “Gut Type” May Soon Be Like Knowing Your Blood Type” »