Latest news with #Faecalibacterium
Gulf Insider
4 days ago
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Milk Boosts Gut Diversity, Cheese Lowers Certain Microbes
Milk is a staple in many households. It has long been valued for nutrients like calcium and vitamin D, yet new data hint at another benefit that involves the intricate community of microbes inside the digestive system. Recent findings, led by Dr. Li Jiao from Baylor College of Medicine, shows that milk consumption is connected with an uptick in several helpful bacteria, while cheese may reduce certain microbes important for a balanced intestinal environment. Experts say dairy interacts with the microbiome, which is the mix of microorganisms in the body that help break down nutrients. Milk seems to support a broader range of gut microbes, a sign of a more adaptable gut. Scientists have explored the role of milk in encouraging the growth of bacteria linked to lower inflammation and improved gut barriers. Some researchers suggest this trend could relate to the carbohydrate content in dairy, but details remain under investigation. Several dairy-linked microbes stand out. One is Faecalibacterium, known for producing substances that help maintain gut balance and calm inflammation. Another is Akkermansia, often mentioned for its link to healthy weight and blood sugar control. Investigators say these bacteria can be more abundant in the gut when milk intake rises. Cheese appears to bring different consequences by reducing Bacteroides, which are common gut residents that may influence colon conditions. It also seems to lower Subdoligranulum, a genus thought to play a part in metabolic health. Scientists have noticed that Bifidobacterium, regarded as a probiotic, may increase with certain dairy habits too. This possibility has drawn interest among professionals looking for dietary ways to support digestion. Although yogurt is often praised for its probiotic potential, this study didn't find clear links between yogurt intake and gut microbiota changes. That's likely because participants reported very low yogurt consumption overall, limiting meaningful analysis. Without enough data, researchers couldn't determine whether yogurt had the same effects on key bacteria like Akkermansia or Faecalibacterium. More diverse and higher yogurt intake in future studies may be needed to explore how fermented dairy compares to milk and cheese. A few researchers highlight that milk has more lactose, which might help raise the presence of healthful bacteria. Cheese, produced through fermentation, contains less lactose but includes other elements that might shape the gut in a different way. Dietitians remind people that daily dairy recommendations can differ by age, lifestyle, and health status. Individuals who are sensitive to lactose or prone to certain digestive concerns might need to choose their dairy products carefully. Some nutrition guidelines in the United States advise around three cups of dairy daily, although personal needs vary. Many folks fall short of this amount, which leaves a door open for considering how milk or cheese might add microbial variety. Health experts caution that these findings shouldn't lead to broad assumptions about all dairy products. The study involved a small group of older men, and their average dairy intake was lower than national averages, so the results may not apply to other groups or dietary patterns. Still, the research adds weight to calls for more personalized dietary advice. Instead of focusing only on dairy quantity, future guidelines might need to emphasize the type of dairy product and its effects on gut bacteria balance and overall health. The study included only 34 participants, most of whom were older men. This limited sample size makes it hard to apply the findings to younger people, women, or more diverse populations. Also, the reliance on self-reported food frequency questionnaires introduces some uncertainty. People don't always remember their food habits accurately, which can affect how well their dairy intake matches up with microbiome changes. Studies increasingly point to the idea that food choices affect more than just basic nutrition. Milk consumption, in particular, is now tied to the presence of microbes that could protect against a variety of gut-related issues. 'Dairy consumption may influence host health by modulating the structure and composition of the colonic adherent gut microbiota,' said Dr. Jiao. The broader health connection is an active topic, and future efforts may include trials that examine long-term changes. Researchers plan to learn more about how each type of dairy modifies these microorganisms in people of different ages and backgrounds. They also want to understand the range of nutrients, such as calcium or protein, that might work alongside gut microbes to keep digestion running smoothly. Also read: New COVID Variant NB.1.8.1 Starting To Spread Worldwide: What We Know
Arab Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Arab Times
Milk aids gut health, cheese lowers some microbes: new study
NEW YORK, June 3: A recent study led by Dr. Li Jiao of Baylor College of Medicine has revealed new insights into how dairy products influence the gut microbiome — the complex community of microbes residing in the digestive system. The research shows that milk consumption is associated with an increase in several beneficial bacteria, enhancing gut biodiversity and potentially contributing to better digestive health. Conversely, cheese consumption appears to reduce certain gut microbes important for maintaining intestinal balance. Milk is known for its nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D, but this study highlights its role in supporting a broader range of gut microbes, which indicates a more adaptable and resilient gut environment. Scientists observed that milk intake promotes bacteria like Faecalibacterium, which helps regulate inflammation and maintain gut balance, and Akkermansia, linked to healthy weight management and blood sugar control. Some researchers suggest that milk's carbohydrate content, particularly lactose, may be responsible for encouraging these beneficial microbes, though further research is ongoing. Unlike milk, cheese — produced through fermentation and containing less lactose — was found to decrease levels of Bacteroides and Subdoligranulum, both of which play roles in colon health and metabolic function. The study also noted a possible increase in Bifidobacterium, a probiotic bacteria, with certain dairy consumption patterns, drawing interest from nutrition experts looking for dietary ways to support digestion. Despite its reputation as a probiotic food, yogurt did not show significant effects on gut microbiota in this study. Researchers attributed this to low yogurt consumption among participants, which limited the ability to analyze its impact on key bacteria such as Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium. Future research with higher yogurt intake levels is needed to better understand how fermented dairy compares to milk and cheese. Experts note that daily dairy recommendations vary depending on age, lifestyle, and health. Individuals with lactose sensitivity or digestive issues should choose dairy products carefully. While the U.S. dietary guidelines suggest about three cups of dairy per day, many people consume less, opening opportunities for considering how milk or cheese might enhance gut microbial diversity. The study involved only 34 mostly older male participants and relied on self-reported dietary data, which can introduce inaccuracies. Consequently, the findings may not generalize to younger populations, women, or those with different eating habits. Dr. Jiao emphasized that 'dairy consumption may influence host health by modulating the structure and composition of the colonic adherent gut microbiota.' Future studies aim to examine long-term effects and explore how different dairy products affect gut microbes across diverse populations. Understanding the interplay between nutrients like calcium and protein and the gut microbiome may lead to more personalized dietary guidelines that focus on the type of dairy consumed, rather than quantity alone, to promote digestive health.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The Gut-Skin-Wellness Connection: How Your Microbiome Affects More Than Just Digestion
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with World Digestive Health Day, SpaceGut, Malaysia's first AI-powered at-home Gut Microbiome Test Kit, empowers individuals to improve skin health and sleep quality through personalised diet plans based on advanced gut analysis. By identifying specific bacterial species related to inflammation, metabolic function, and immune modulation, SpaceGut helps address common skin issues and overall well-being challenges like anxiety and stress that reduce sleep quality. Beyond Digestion: The Gut's Critical Role in Skin Health and Sleep Quality With rising awareness about the importance of gut health, common misconceptions have also emerged, such as the belief that gut issues solely affect digestion and can be easily fixed with a single probiotic. In reality, everyone's gut microbiome is unique and influenced by age, diet, lifestyle and environment. Therefore, a personalised approach is essential. Skin health, for instance, is closely linked to gut imbalances, which can begin as early as childhood due to factors like antibiotic use, poor diet, or birth method. These imbalances often worsen in adulthood due to stress, consumption of processed foods, and sedentary lifestyles, reducing beneficial bacterial strains such as Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, Alistipes Lactobacillus, and Blautia — all of which are vital in reducing inflammation and maintaining healthy skin. The gut is also critical for sleep quality. Often referred to as the "second brain", the gut is responsible for around 90% of the body's serotonin and over 50% of dopamine precursors – key neurotransmitters that influence mood and sleep. A deficiency in beneficial bacteria like Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium, or Lactobacillus can lead to difficulty falling asleep, heightened anxiety, brain fog, and increased stress. General advice like "avoid sugar" only scratches the surface. The core issue lies in overgrowth or deficiency of specific bacterial strains in an individual's gut. This is where personalised microbiome testing has the potential to be transformative. SpaceGut's Science-Backed, AI-Driven Solution SpaceGut leverages next-generation sequencing and AI to provide personalised insights into gut health. It evaluates microbial diversity, abundance, and activity, across more than 30 health-related markers such as macronutrient metabolism, metabolic rate, sleep, and vitamin synthesis. Using a proprietary bioinformatics database of over 50,000 samples, SpaceGut's AI engine analyses an individual's microbiome to generate fully customised dietary plans, in lieu of general suggestions like "eat more fiber" or "take probiotics." Users receive a comprehensive food report that scores over 300 foods and beverages (across 10+ categories) from 0 to 10 based on their compatibility with the user's unique gut health profile. These include vegetables, fruits, legumes, proteins, seafood and carbohydrates, offering precise nutritional guidance. "The AI-powered microbiome analysis provides a tailored nutrition strategy targeting specific imbalances in each individual flora. By following this evidence-backed diet guide, users can rebalance their microbiome to improve immune function, mental wellness, skin health, digestive function, and overall health," remarked Datuk Tony Wong, Founder of SpaceGut Based on its published studies and company data, SpaceGut finds that that over 80% of customers who follow their personalised plans experience improved digestion and overall well-being. Discover how SpaceGut can improve your gut health at Stay connected with SpaceGut for more updates on Instagram ( or Facebook ( About SpaceGut SpaceGut is a pioneering healthtech company focused on transforming wellness through gut microbiome intelligence. Its flagship offering the SpaceGut Microbiome Test combines advanced laboratory diagnostics with proprietary, clinically validated AI to deliver personalised insights into digestive health and overall well-being. By decoding the gut microbiome, SpaceGut empowers individuals to make data-driven lifestyle and nutrition decisions that support improved digestion, immunity, mood, and long-term wellness. Backed by science and technology, SpaceGut is on a mission to make gut health accessible, personalised, and actionable. SpaceGut is expanding its ecosystem to include personalised supplement plans, expert-backed wellness guidance, and integrated nutritionist support to optimise health from the inside out. To learn more, visit or follow @space_gut on Instagram. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE SpaceGut Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NZ Herald
20-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
What drinking coffee every morning does to your gut health
A 2023 study published in the journal Nutrients investigated the association between caffeine, coffee consumption and the colonic microbiome. Results showed the richness of the microbiome to be higher with regular coffee drinkers, who had increased numbers of the helpful Alistipes and Faecalibacterium types (thought to have preventive effects against liver fibrosis and cardiovascular illness), and lower levels of the harmful Erysipelatoclostridium, which causes gut problems. This follows an earlier study where coffee consumption was found to be associated with an increase in bifidobacterium, microbes thought to help with the digestion of fibre and prevent infections. Coffee also contains plant compounds called polyphenols, a category of compounds naturally found in plant foods, such as fruit, vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, dark chocolate, and wine. 'Polyphenols act as an anti-inflammatory antioxidant,' says Shubrook. 'They can help reduce the risk of cancer by neutralising harmful free radicals, the chemicals that damage cells.' The specific polyphenol in coffee is known as chlorogenic acid. According to a 2020 study published in Experimental and Clinical Sciences, patients who consumed coffee rich in chlorogenic acid lowered their risk of Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease – they also lost weight. Scientists concluded this was probably related to an increase in intestinal bifidobacteria (one of the 'good' ones). Established studies have also shown caffeine is good for your gut, stimulating the colon and leading to regular bowel movements. One 1990 study showed that people who drank coffee tended to need the loo 30 minutes after drinking a cup. In so many ways, the gut appears to love a cup of joe. But is there a best way to prepare and serve your coffee? Black or with milk? Experts tend to be unanimous that black coffee is better for you than a cappuccino, latte or flat white. 'Milk has been shown to impede the absorption of polyphenols,' says Julia Kopczynska, a microbiologist at the Polish Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics in Warsaw who has developed a 'healthy coffee' tool for the company Omni Calculator. 'Adding tonnes of cream or sugar turns your coffee into a dessert. Sugars will do more harm to your blood sugar levels than coffee can do good.' Which blend should I choose? There are two main types of coffee bean: Arabica and Robusta. 'Each has different qualities at particular roasting stages,' says Kopczynska. 'Though lighter roasts generally have a higher caffeine content, they preserve more antioxidants than darker roasts. Light-roasted Robusta beans have more antioxidants than the blonde roasts of Arabica coffee.' Shubrook says her go-to is Exhale Coffee, which is a dark Arabica grown with the highest level of antioxidants. 'It's the perfect black coffee, not at all messed with.' The length of time the beans have been stored will also influence their polyphenol levels, with a reduction seen in coffee beans stored for 12 months or longer. What about instant coffee? Though studies show that instant coffee may contain even more polyphenols and minerals than ground coffee, it also contains 100% more of a chemical called acrylamide – coffee substitutes can even have 300% more. 'Acrylamide forms in coffee during the roasting process, and if people are exposed to it in higher amounts, they could raise their risk of nerve damage and cancer,' says Kopczynska. There is no cause for alarm, however. 'Coffee consumption, both instant and ground coffee, is not linked to cancer development,' Kopczynska says. 'However, the European Food Safety Authority recommends reducing the amount of acrylamide in our diet. This is why we also recommend classic ground coffee above instant and substitutes.' How many cups should I drink a day? A recent study of the centenarians living in the European 'long life' Blue Zones of Sardinia and Ikaria, Greece, revealed that almost all of them drank two to three cups of black coffee a day. 'Presuming a cup of coffee is 8oz/ 220ml, two to three cups is the sweet spot, with five the upper limit,' says Kopczynska. Before grinding your beans or stamping your loyalty card, it's worth bearing in mind the caffeine content of your drink. 'Although coffee is beneficial, not everyone can metabolise it as efficiently,' says Shubrook. Kopczynska agrees. 'The maximum recommended amount of caffeine is 400mg a day. Anything above 600mg has been linked to insomnia and high blood pressure.' Advertise with NZME. According to Kopczynska, a home-brewed cup of coffee contains between 70mg and 140mg of caffeine, depending on the bean and brewing method. Meanwhile, the average high street coffee has 180mg of caffeine. Others can be higher: a medium Costa cappuccino in Britain has 325mg – almost your entire recommended daily allowance in one cup. You may also be surprised to hear that most espressos are lower in caffeine than other types of coffee: the caffeine found in 30ml espressos from three major British coffee chains ranges from 33mg to 75mg. (But a cup of espresso is also a far smaller amount of liquid than a latte or a cappuccino.) How should I prepare my coffee? How you fix your beans preserves different compounds, those which are beneficial, and the ones which are less good for you. Brewed coffee contains cafestol and kahweol, chemicals known as diterpenes. 'Cafestol and kahweol are known for their anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and polyphenol-preserving properties,' says Kopczynska. 'These are 30 times higher in unfiltered coffee.' On the other hand, she says, unfiltered coffee contains oils that have been shown to raise cholesterol levels. 'Filtered coffee not only contains fewer coffee oils but also contains less caffeine compared to unfiltered coffee brewing methods.' If you can get around the fiddliness of using an Aeropress, a 2023 study published in the journal Foods revealed this method to be the best for preserving polyphenols. 'In our study, the lowest total polyphenol content was found in the coffee from the French press (133.9g gallic acid/litre) and the highest was observed in the Aeropress brew (191.29g gallic acid/litre),' wrote the authors. 'Of all the highest antioxidant potential and polyphenol content was observed in the brew made in the Aeropress.' Can I make my coffee healthier? Adding natural spices – as opposed to sugars or syrups – can bring extra health benefits. 'Cardamom is an anti-inflammatory and regulates blood sugar levels,' says Kopczynska. 'Ginger, a natural painkiller, improves digestive health and lowers cholesterol. If you're using milk, turmeric added to a latte is known for its beneficial effects on metabolism and the immune system.'
Scoop
05-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Gut Microbiome Link To ADHD Reinforced In Scientific Review
Press Release – University of the Sunshine Coast The link between a gut imbalance and symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder has been further supported by a University of the Sunshine Coast scientific review. The paper, published in Neuroscience, reviewed more than 280 studies and found mounting evidence that the immune system, neuroinflammation and a disturbed balance of bacteria in the gut played a role in ADHD symptoms. Lead author Naomi Lewis said two types of bacteria were particularly implicated: the Bacteroides species and Faecalibacterium. 'What we found was that there are compositional differences in the types of bacteria in the gut that may contribute to inflammation, brain functioning differences, and symptoms, in ADHD,' Ms Lewis said. In particular, certain Bacteriodes species that may improve the integrity of the intestinal barrier were found in less abundance in people with ADHD. 'Similarly, low levels of Faecalibacterium in the gut, also implicated in ADHD, has been linked with inflammatory conditions. 'Systemic inflammation cuts through the blood-brain barrier and can cause neuroinflammation, potentially from a very young age.' Ms Lewis said although ADHD was highly heritable, there were still environmental links to the severity of symptoms. 'It's important to remember there is a lot of complexity here, so no one thing is causing ADHD,' she said. 'Genetics still play a major role, but this research suggests you may want to look at the best support for minimising inflammation, particularly going into pregnancy.' 'The research in this space is still quite limited, but what we do know is that gut health plays an enormous role in mental health and neurological conditions,' Ms Lewis said. 'Gut bacteria can affect neurological processes in the brain, impacting behaviour and emotional regulation.' Co-author, UniSC Nutrition and Dietetics senior lecturer Dr Anthony Villani, said the review added to the global understanding on the impact of the gut microbiome on mental health. 'Most studies have found children with ADHD have poorer diets, with more added sugars and more processed foods compared to those without. 'But whether that is cause or affect we don't know, but there is certainly a need for more research,' Dr Villani said. Across the hundreds of papers reviewed, the evidence supports adopting lifestyle choices that nurture the gut microbiome. This includes minimising antibiotics, stress, and alcohol, saturated fats and refined sugar, eating more fibrous foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts – or adopting a Mediterranean-type diet as much as possible.
