Newest Posts
THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS AND ITS ROLE IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE
It is increasingly clear that communication between the gut and the brain occurs in a wide variety of situations. This communication is called the “gut-brain axis” and is a rapidly accelerating field of research.
APPENDIX: WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
Curious to know what the purpose is of your appendix? Your appendix isn’t just a waste of space. It works with your immune system to keep you healthy and your gut happy
HELLO MICROBE MY OLD FRIEND: HOW A DIVERSE MICROBIOME TRAINS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AGAINST ALLERGIES
Why does the immune system sometimes go haywire and cause allergies? Scientists now think that a healthy immune system needs training early in life by unlikely allies: microbes. How can microbes be our friends in the face of allergies, and why are these disorders getting more common recently?
A GUT FEELING
Did you know that our bodies are mostly bacteria? For every human cell in our body, there are ten tiny microbes living on our skin, in our mouth, or throughout our digestive tract. Humans and bacteria have evolved together for thousands of years. We have a symbiotic relationship with our bacteria: they rely on us for a safe environment and a regular food supply, and in turn, they help us digest our food and produce chemicals that increase our evolutionary fitness as a species. The bacterial population in our gut alone weighs 2-3 pounds, which is about the same weight as the brain! In fact, our gut bacteria may actually have a bigger effect on our brains than we realize.