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The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Struggling to sleep? Your gut bacteria could be to blame
Your gut health can impact everything from your mood to your immune system, but it could also be the cause of your poor sleep, a study has found. Specific types of gut bacteria have been linked to insomnia risk by researchers, while insomnia itself has also been linked to an abundance of certain 'bugs' in the gut. Insomnia, which means a person has difficulty falling and staying asleep, affects about a third of adults in the UK. It can be caused by anxiety, noise, alcohol, caffeine or shift work, according to the NHS. Several studies have explored the effects of the gut microbiome on various sleep characteristics, but it's not yet clear how different groups of gut bacteria might affect the risk of insomnia. The study, published in the journal General Psychiatry, used data on 386,533 people with insomnia from a previously study, gut microbiome data for 18,340 people from the MiBioGen alliance and for 8,208 people from the Dutch Microbiome Project with 71 groups of bacteria in common. Their analysis revealed associations between specific gut microbes and insomnia. Overall, a total of 14 groups of bacteria were positively associated with insomnia and eight groups showed a negative association. Insomnia itself was associated with a reduction of between 43 per cent and 79 per cent in the abundance of seven groups of bacteria and a 65 per cent to a more than fourfold increase in the abundance of 12 other groups. Researchers found the Odoribacter class of bacteria, in particular, was significantly associated with the risk of insomnia. This type of bacteria plays a role in producing short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which in the right levels can help maintain a healthy gut. However, there are some limitations to the study. All the study participants were of European descent, so the results may not be more widely applicable as the make-up of the microbiome varies among different ethnicities and geographies, researchers point out. Diet and lifestyle – which affect the microbiome – were also not accounted for. Although bacteria are linked to insomnia, those same bacteria may be shaped by a person's eating habits, stress levels, and environment. 'Overall, the intertwined effects of insomnia on gut microbiota, and vice versa, represent a complex bidirectional relationship involving immune regulation, inflammatory response, release of neurotransmitters, and other molecular and cellular pathways,' study authors said. The authors conclude: 'Our study offers preliminary evidence supporting a causal effect between insomnia and gut microbiota, providing valuable insights for the future development of microbiome-inspired treatment plans for insomnia.' These treatment plans might include the use of probiotics, prebiotics, or faecal microbiota transplantation, they suggest.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Holidaymakers urged to make a vital check with their GP before jetting off
British travellers are being warned to double-check their vaccinations are in order at least six weeks before jetting off on holiday. According to the NHS, holidaymakers are advised to make an appointment with their GP or at a private travel clinic at least six to eight weeks before their departure date. Forward planning is especially important as certain jabs must be administered well in advance to allow the body to build immunity against viruses and disease abroad. Health experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also urge travellers to research their destination and check whether preventative measures, such as vaccines, are required. They can also use the TravelHealthPro website, supported by UKHSA, which offers country-specific advice, including active health risks, vaccine recommendations and information on maintaining peak health abroad. The UKHSA says: 'Ideally travellers should consult their GP, practice nurse, pharmacist, or travel clinic at least four to six weeks before their trip for individual advice, travel vaccines and malaria prevention tablets, if relevant for their destination.' In addition, both adults and children are advised to be up to date with their routine NHS vaccinations - including MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), polio, meningitis, hepatitis and tetanus - as these infections can be more prevalent in some countries. For holidaymakers travelling to a malaria risk area, they're encouraged to consult with their GP about appropriate malaria prevention measures, including antimalarial tablets. Depending on the destination and activities planned, travellers may also need additional vaccines for typhoid, hepatitis A, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, or yellow fever. A report published by the UKHSA indicates a rise in travel-associated enteric fever cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in recent years. A total of 702 instances of cases - including typhoid and paratyphoid infections - were reported in 2024, an per cent increase from 645 cases in 2023. Both typhoid and paratyphoid infections are preventable illnesses transmitted through contaminated food or water, and the majority of cases caught during travel to regions with poor sanitation. Brits heading abroad can A free free typhoid vaccination is available at local GP surgeries for British travellers heading abroad, but there are no existing jabs paratyphoid. It comes as a health alert has been issued for British tourists travelling to a popular European destination this summer as two potentially fatal diseases have been detected. In Italy, health authorities have reported the first locally acquired cases of both dengue and chikungunya, mosquito-borne viruses that are typically found in tropical regions like South America and India. Both were previously considered primarily imported diseases, found in individuals who had contracted them abroad. However, the two new cases indicate that the viruses were caught within the country, according to the Foreign Office-backed Travel Health Pro. Dengue fever cases have seen a significant rise globally, reaching a record high in 2024 with over 14 million reported cases, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In June of this year, Australian holidaymakers were issued a warning after the Cook Islands, a nation in the South Pacific, declared the most recent outbreak of the disease after 19 cases, including two active cases, were recorded. Case counts have also been increasing in Samoa, Tonga, French Polynesia, Fiji and Kiribati.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Second person dies after eating sausage and broccoli sandwich during botulism outbreak
Two people are now confirmed dead after eating broccoli and sausage sandwiches from an Italian food truck. 45-year-old Tamara D'Acunto is confirmed to have died after undergoing treatment in intensive care for botulism from lunch. Musician Luigi Di Sarno, 52, also died after buying the sandwich from a kiosk in Diamante, Calabria, in southern Italy. More than 17 people are in hospital, prompting the Public Prosecutor's Office to seize the jars of broccoli from the business. Cases of the rare and life-threatening disease were found in other Italian regions. What is botulism? Botulism is a rare and sometimes life-threatening disease caused by toxins produced by the clostridium botulinum bacteria. Historically contracted due to improperly canned food, the toxins attack the nervous system, leading to muscle paralysis. More recently in the UK, patients were diagnosed with botulism linked to unlicensed anti-wrinkle injections. Symptoms include blurred vision, fatigue and difficulties breathing. Around 5 to 10 per cent of cases are fatal, according to the NHS. Because a majority of doctors have never encountered it, initial misdiagnosis is not uncommon. It came as Roberta Pitzalis, 38, died from complications after eating a guacamole from a stand at a gastronomic festival in Cagliari, Sardinia. According to La Repubblica, her condition had appeared to stabilise before she suddenly deteriorated. An 11-year-old boy who also attended the Monserrato Latina festival and had eaten a taco with guacamole, was transferred by helicopter to Rome's Gemelli hospital. He remains in a stable condition but has yet to make a recovery. Authorities in Cagliari have launched an investigation into the outbreak. Experts are advising people to exercise caution when buying risky foods and avoid eating products from cans or jars where the safety button has popped up, indicating the container has not been properly sealed. check our news page.
