Latest news with #gutmicrobiome
CBC
5 days ago
- Health
- CBC
How much does your gut health impact your overall health? A lot, doctors say
Social Sharing You may be hearing a lot about the gut microbiome these days — it's been mentioned everywhere from wellness podcasts to the grocery aisle. Doctors are tapping into it to try and treat some diseases differently. The gut microbiome is the community of all the bacteria and viruses in our intestines, including friendlier microbes that promote health as well as some foes that can cause illness. One evolving procedure is the fecal transplant, where a small sample of stool from the colon of a healthy person is given to a recipient for therapeutic purposes. Despite the ick factor, they have been used to treat potentially fatal, recurring bacterial infections for which antibiotics have been less effective. Now, doctors and researchers are looking to see whether fecal transplants can be used for other hard-to-treat illnesses. Avoiding scorched-earth regimen Health Canada approved fecal transplants for recurrent C. difficile infections in 2015. Impacting the colon, these infections lead to diarrhea and, if recurring, dehydration that can wreak havoc on the body. The goal with the transplant is to have the healthy bacteria outcompete the C. difficile and wipe out the stubborn infection. Overall, for recurrent C. difficile, fecal transplants were significantly more effective, greater than 85 per cent, compared with less than 50 per cent for antibiotics. Dr. Nikhil Pai, a pediatric gastroenterologist and associate clinical professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, said antibiotics can create a terrible cycle. "What ends up surviving after this scorched-earth antibiotic regimen are bacteria that cannot only make things worse, but can affect a lot of other things such as just general nutrition and metabolism," Pai said. In adults, a 2023 review of clinical trials published by the respected Cochrane Library concluded fecal transplants may also help control Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, two forms of inflammatory bowel disease that harm the gut when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks itself. WATCH | Debunking myths of fecal transplants: The power of poop: What fecal transplants can and cannot treat 6 years ago Duration 2:39 Bruce Vallance, a pediatrics professor at the University of British Columbia, said inflammatory bowel disease is essentially chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, possibly triggered by the bacteria living in our intestines. It can happen at any age, he said. "We're trying to figure out whether certain microbes are driving the disease and whether we could target those microbes, deplete them and hopefully remove them from the intestine so there's no longer any trigger for disease." Some researchers are also looking into using fecal transplants for teenage anorexia nervosa, known for its difficulty to treat and high death rate. Research suggests there is a gut-brain connection, and scientists are finding there is an association between anorexia and imbalances in the gut microbiome, which could influence a person's behaviour. Building slimy 'mini guts' Vallance and his team are also studying whether certain microbes that may drive Crohn's and colitis can get through a key mucus layer in the intestines. To that end, he's been working with doctors at BC Children's Hospital to take fecal samples and biopsies that offer a snapshot of what's going on in the human colon. Vallance builds "mini guts" — a 3D model of the intestines in the shape of a ball — to study how the microbes function. He's focusing on growing bacteria in the epithelium, or gut lining, which contains proteins with sugars on them that form a slimy coating. "It doesn't look nice and it doesn't sound nice, but that sticky coating is actually really important in terms of how we interact with our gut microbes," Vallance said. It's what creates the barrier against dangerous bacteria that can cause diseases like Crohn's and colitis. Another trial focuses on short bowel syndrome in children who have had parts of their small intestine surgically removed. It can cause an excessive build-up of bacteria, leading to abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea that's traditionally treated with antibiotics. There have been other unintentional benefits of the fecal transplant. Pai recalled, while at his other position at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, treating an autistic child who had recurrent C. difficile. "After their treatment, there were comments from the family that this child was also just showing some real improvements and changes in their behaviour as well as noted by their teachers in school," Pai said. "I don't think it's any surprise that other aspects of him also got better." Why we are what we eat Bringing back healthier bacteria also benefits the body as a whole, Pai said, which could be why the boy saw improvements in other areas. "The comment or the idea that we are what we eat is very true," Vallance said. What we eat and digest is also individualized, to that extent that everyone's poo is like a fingerprint — or poo print, he said. "Everybody has their own unique blueprint." When people eat a high-fibre diet full of vegetables, for instance, more fibre reaches the colon, where microbes ferment it and release beneficial factors such as butyrate, a short chain fatty acid. Vallance said butyrate can help signal our immune system what to do and when. But people with inflammatory bowel disease tend to have much less butyrate, a helpful regulator to prevent the immune system from overreacting, he said. Carrie Daniel MacDougall, an associate professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center's epidemiology department in Houston, specializes in nutrition and the microbiome, including the role of dietary fibre. Daniel MacDougall and her team showed that adding dietary fibre in the form of canned beans changed the gut microbiome of cancer patients within eight weeks and is thought to encourage beneficial gut bacteria to do their thing. Cancer prevention guidelines already emphasize increasing fibre with whole foods like beans, as well as fruits and vegetables. "A lot of what we're learning about the scientific mechanisms and the gut microbiome also has a huge impact on public health," Daniel MacDougall said. Gut health "has a lot of crossover with other diseases like heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease. "We're all learning from each other's research."
The Guardian
17-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Country diary: A day in the life of a man going feral
I'm woken early by starlings frantically ferrying food to their squawking chicks in my bedroom wall. To live in an ancient cottage is to be close to the wild, with the weather permeating the daub plaster and creatures coming and going. This morning I have more in common with the starlings than just my home, as I must also head out to forage. I am midway through the wild biome project, a research initiative studying the effects of consuming a wild diet for three months, with a focus on the gut microbiome. I'd like to describe the exercise as a gentle rewilding, but in reality it's more jarring than that, like turning feral. My body and mind are reverting to an ancestral blueprint, while modern life continues about me with its bemusing artifice. Happily, hunger trumps such philosophical thoughts. The day begins with a broth of braised venison, three-cornered leek, watercress and St George's mushrooms, jewelled with glistening discs of fat. The first month was a challenge, but my body, tastes and, more importantly, my gut bacteria have altered, transforming my perception of breakfast from a greasy bowl to a satisfying meal. To further my appreciation, I remember that I'm not eating roadkill fox or polecat today, two profoundly musty meats that I have no intention of revisiting. Topped up with soup, I follow the starlings into the verdant landscape that has become my ever-evolving larder. The lane verges are tall with vegetation now, and where I once searched for hogweed shoots, I now pick their bulging flower buds while lamenting the passing of lady's smock, which lent a welcome kick to my simple food. As the available ingredients alter, so does my gut biome, affecting me physically, mentally and emotionally. Changed though I am, this project is still a challenge. Survival is not a problem, but to thrive there must occasionally be sumptuous variety, so tonight I feast. I sit down to a plate of sweet-fleshed signal crayfish from the stream, crispy acorn fritters and roasted hogweed buds seasoned with wild garlic salt. For once I am sated, and, thinking of my early alarm call, retire to bed noisily in a mild act of neighbourly retribution. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
WebMD
12-05-2025
- Health
- WebMD
How Your Gut Health Affects Your Weight
You already know that what you eat, how much you move, and the genes you happen to inherit all play a big role in your weight. But another surprising factor may be at work, too: your gut. The gut microbiome -- the trillions of organisms like bacteria and fungi that reside in your digestive system -- affects your health in many ways, including your immune system, mood, disease risk, and weight. Scientists have identified specific gut microbes that are more likely to promote weight gain, possibly by affecting how much energy you burn and how much you store as fat. On the flipside, other microbes are linked to leanness. In fact, researchers have been able to transplant these microbes into the colons of mice and influence whether the mice stay lean or develop obesity. In humans, studies show that people with obesity have more obesity-promoting microbes compared to their leaner counterparts. But when they lose weight, their microbiomes shift: They have fewer of those organisms and more of the lean-promoting kind. People with obesity also tend to have lower microbial diversity in their gut, which may raise the risk for problems like inflammation and diabetes. So could gut microbes be the magic bullet for preventing or treating obesity? Not yet. Most of the research has been done in animals and hasn't translated to any treatments for people, says Robert Dubin, MD, an obesity medicine doctor and an associate professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 'This is a huge area, and hopefully we'll see a breakthrough,' he says. The good news: While you can't change your genes, you can change your microbiome. It's not a fixed system, and your lifestyle choices can shift it for better or worse. 'Diet is critical,' says Dubin. A gut-friendly pattern of eating can promote more 'good' bacteria that may protect against obesity. That includes: Plenty of fruits and vegetables, which contain compounds that nourish healthy gut microbes Fiber-rich foods like oats, beans, and whole wheat pasta Fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, and tempeh Fewer ultra-processed foods, which are linked to a less healthy microbiome Other habits that support a healthier gut include:
