In Western industrial nations, people’s lifestyles – in particular their diets – have a detrimental impact on bacterial diversity in their gut, and hence our health. Writers in several newspapers and news agencies have emphasised these findings this month, referring to the results of research conducted by scientists in several countries. Compared to indigenous people
Category Archives: Body
Crucial bacteria: How the Gut Determines Our Lives Body, Digestion, General, Overweight
“How the gut determines our lives”, is the slogan the German news magazine “Focus” once more relies on to summarise current research and observations on the importance of the gut microbiome. “For a long time, researchers assumed that microbes merely handle digestion”, the advance notice to the edition “Follow your gut feeling” says. Today, however,
Ravenous Hunger and Anxiety: When Your Gut Affects Your Mind Body, General
Our bodies are teeming with trillions of bacteria, in particular in our guts. We know that they are crucial for our health. But science is still a long way from being able to explain the precise interactions between the bacteria and what their individual properties are. SPIEGEL ONLINE has published an interesting interview on this
Antibiotics: The Miracle Cure No Longer Works Body, General
Mankind’s primary weapon against dangerous bacteria has become blunt. Even the smallest cut may be deadly. By Karsten Polke-Majewski, published November 22, 2014, in ZEIT ONLINE And all of a sudden, another antibiotic ceases to work. As a consequence, major medical procedures such as chemotherapy, organ transplantation, and dialysis become deadly dangers since they weaken
Prescription of Antibiotics to Some Extent Questionable and Dangerous Body, General
Proliferating use of antibiotics has been the subject of repeated publications in the media and trade journals. Antibiotics indeed help in the case of dangerous bacterial infections, their advantages are evident. However, many people take antibiotics even in the absence of bacterial infections. This may be dangerous if repeated intake results in bacteria developing resistances.
How Bacteria Impact Our Eating Patterns Body, Digestion
Is it possible that bacteria in the gut flora influence our eating patterns? To put it differently: Could eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia be possibly caused by specific gut bacteria? French scientists have looked into this question. According to a report published in Wissenschaft aktuell they were able to demonstrate that “E. coli
A Healthy Mouth Makes a Happy Person Body, Mouth
A healthy mouth makes a happy person. The reverse, however, is also true: oral and dental diseases may have dangerous consequences for us. This is emphasised by the Swiss Dentist Association (Schweizerische Zahnärzte-Gesellschaft SSO) in their campaign Mundgesundheit (MouthHealthy). “Lack of dental hygiene not only advances tooth decay,” state the medical professionals on their website
The Pleasures and Pains of Eating Body, Digestion
Does food make us happy if we have a sufficient amount of a specific bacterial strain in our gut? This is the question science writer Rainer Kurlemann sets out in his contribution “What the gut flora achieves” for the “Stuttgarter Zeitung”. Without providing a final answer, we can definitely state that food and digestion, pleasures
Bacteria in the Gut: 100 Trillion Friends Body, Digestion
Bacteria in the gut not only help us digest food, but also make an important contribution to the wellbeing of our entire body. This is emphasised in the article “100 Trillion Friends”, published by author Hanno Charisius in the German weekly DIE ZEIT. According to estimates, every person is home to 100 trillion bacteria and
Bacteria against Gut Issues Body, Digestion
Settling in our gut are several hundred different bacterial species (our gut flora). They make sure that our indigestion processes run as smoothly as possible. Should we lack specific bacterial strains, should there be not enough of them, or should others be too numerous, the natural balance is upset, disturbing the gut flora. Evidence of