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A collaboration between researchers has shown the classic Mediterranean diet with added dairy has the potential to change the composition of gut bacteria for the better, triggering a variety of health benefits. The study assessed how the classic Mediterranean diet, supplemented with milk, cheese and yogurt, can affect gut microbiome. Adult trial participants at risk of heart disease who followed the diet for an eight-week period showed a sizeable increase in beneficial microbes associated with positive effects on overall gut health, alongside a simultaneous decrease in bad bacteria linked to heart disease risk. Dr. Karen Murphy says that gut microbiota...

New research has found a link between the important micronutrient zinc and a sensor protein in the gut in the prevention and management of a range of bowel conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Professor Christer Hogstrand investigated the role of zinc and a sensor named the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) that helps the body react to nutrients, drugs and toxic substances in the bowel. Mice fed a diet containing zinc and a chemical from cruciferous vegetables—such as broccoli—that stimulates the AHR were almost completely alleviated of IBD. In contrast, mice fed a zinc-deficient diet received no benefit from...

A study shows that a diet containing suitable amounts of inulin can influence even the length and other macroscopic characteristics of the intestines. This beneficial action is possible only in the presence of bacteria that digest the fiber, however. Positive alterations in immunity are among the healthy interactions. "In mice that ingested a 10% inulin diet, the gut was larger than in mice that consumed only insoluble fiber [cellulose]. When we analyzed their intestinal tissue, we found more epithelial stem cell proliferation in the animals fed an inulin-rich diet. The epithelium is the layer that separates gut contents from other...

Around 60,000-100,000 Danes suffer from a form of chronic diarrhea called bile acid malabsorption or bile acid diarrhea. It is a chronic condition characterized by frequent and sudden diarrhea more than 10 times a day. "A lot of people with chronic diarrhea don't realize that they suffer from bile acid diarrhea and what has caused it. This is a result of lack of knowledge among healthcare workers and the relatively complex and expensive—and for the patient difficult—process of diagnosing the disease," says Filip Krag Knop. The new method means that doctors should be able to determine whether the patient has...

Could a dose of hookworms provide a medication-free alternative to people with inflammatory bowel disease? The Malaghan Institute's team thinks it's possible. The feasibility study found hookworms were a safe and long-lasting treatment for participants with ulcerative colitis. In this randomized controlled trial, patients currently in remission from ulcerative colitis were infected with a controlled dose of hookworm larvae or given placebo, and followed up over twelve months. "We believe that the effect of hookworms may not be strong enough to push someone from an active disease state into disease remission. However, once someone is in remission hookworm could keep...

For patients with refractory immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced colitis, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective treatment, according to a study. Taylor M. Halsey and colleagues, reported a case series of 12 patients with refractory immune-mediated colitis (IMC) who underwent FMT from healthy donors as salvage therapy. All patients had grade 3 or 4 ICI-related diarrhea or colitis that did not respond to standard first- and second-line immunosuppression (corticosteroids and infliximab or vedolizumab). The researchers found that 10 of the 12 patients achieved symptom improvement and three patients required repeat FMT; two of these had no subsequent response. Ninety-two percent...

Scientific evidence, not popular ideas, should drive probiotic and prebiotic recommendations in clinical settings. Globally, evidence is continually emerging on how probiotics and prebiotics can be effectively used in patient care but health care professionals often struggle to find out where the evidence stands for a particular condition. The World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) recently published an updated guideline document, aimed at helping gastroenterologists and other physicians understand appropriate clinical applications for probiotics or prebiotics. The guideline was created with contributions from experts in gastroenterology, probiotics, and prebiotics, with the efforts co-led by experts from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics...

A study has found that compared with standard antibiotic treatment, stool transplantation can increase the number of people recovering from Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection, a condition that causes potentially life-threatening diarrhea. Within the study, 77% of people who received a stool transplant did not experience reinfection within eight weeks, compared to 40% of those who received antibiotics alone. Transplanting healthy donor stool into a gut with dysbiosis is intended to balance the gut microbes and reestablish a healthy microbiome, thus significantly reducing the risk of C. diff recurring. The US FDA has recently approved a stool transplant product for...

A randomized trial assessing whether the oral transfer of gut microbiota from mother to baby can safely restore normal microbiota after cesarean section (C-section) has found that over 42% of healthy mothers tested positive for potentially harmful pathogens and were unable to proceed with the transplant. The new research underscores the importance of screening fecal, perineal and vaginal samples to ensure safety of the transplant process. Birth by C-section is associated with an increased risk of many immune-related diseases, suggesting that the lack of maternal microbes in early life may have long-term health consequences for children. Vaginally born infants receive...

Bacteria have thousands of genes and functions that we, the human host, do not have. For instance, bacteria can help us digest fiber, provide support to our immune systems, and absorb important nutrients. But reaping the benefits of "good bacteria" is easier said than done. Andrea Azcarate-Peril, Ph.D., is trying to understand how to better prescribe probiotics based on our individual microbiomes—or the collection of genomes from all microbes that naturally live inside of us. Azcarate-Peril says that if you want to start boosting your microbiome more effectively and reliably, rotate your probiotics and consume a variety of fermented foods...

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder that affects the large intestine. It is characterized by symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. According to a team of Korean researchers, individuals with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) have a decreased diversity of bacteria in their intestines compared to healthy individuals. This is the first study to establish a clear connection between IBS and a reduction in gut microbiota diversity. The findings were published in the American Society for Microbiology’s journal Microbiology Spectrum. Normally, “More than 10,000 species of microorganism live in the human intestine,” said corresponding author...

The prevalence of zinc deficiency is about 50 percent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is higher in patients with Crohn disease (CD) than those with ulcerative colitis (UC), according to a study. Roberta Zupo and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the prevalence of zinc deficiency in IBD. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria, which included 17 prevalence entries for CD and UC (nine and eight, respectively). The researchers found that across selected studies, the prevalence of zinc deficiency showed higher values in CD than in UC. In pooled analyses, the overall mean zinc deficiency prevalence...

Intestine Crohn’s Disease A mystery surrounding Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, may have been solved by a new study. This image depicts an intestine affected by Crohn’s disease. ========================================================= New research may have solved a mystery surrounding Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease where immune defenses meant to attack invading microbes mistakenly target the body’s own digestive tract instead. Norovirus is a common infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is also one of several viruses and bacteria thought to trigger disease onset in people with Crohn’s disease, but the field does not know why....

The dietary supplement chlorophyllin alleviates inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, according to researchers. In addition, chlorophyllin significantly reduces mortality related to IBD, weight loss, diarrhea and hidden blood in the stool, intestinal epithelial damage and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Chronic gastrointestinal disorders such as IBD affect tens of millions of people living in the U.S. IBD has created a global health burden because of the rising cost of treating the condition. While the exact cause of IBD isn't fully understood, some contributing factors include stress and environmental, lifestyle, and dietary choices, such as high consumption...

Does eating more red and processed meat raise the risk of cardiovascular disease? Despite intense study, the impact of animal source foods on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is vigorously debated, and effects remain unclear. A study quantifies the risk of ASCVD associated with meat intake and identifies underlying biologic pathways that may help explain this risk. The study shows higher meat consumption is linked to higher risk of ASCVD—22 percent higher risk for about every 1.1 serving per day—and that about 10 percent of this elevated risk is explained by increased levels of three metabolites produced by gut bacteria from...

A rigorous examination of the gut microbes of study participants who were fed three different kinds of supplements in different sequences concludes that people who had been eating the least amount of fiber before the study showed the greatest benefit from supplements, regardless of which ones they consumed. "The people who responded the best had been eating the least fiber to start with," said Lawrence David. The benefit of dietary fiber isn't just the easier pooping that advertisers tout. Fermentable fiber—dietary carbohydrates that the human gut cannot process on its own but some bacteria can digest—is also an essential source...

Research in people with heart disease risk factors has shown that consuming green tea extract for four weeks can reduce blood sugar levels and improve gut health by lowering inflammation and decreasing "leaky gut." Researchers said this is the first study assessing whether the health risks linked to the condition known as metabolic syndrome, which affects about one-third of Americans, may be diminished by green tea's anti-inflammatory benefits in the gut. In the new study, green tea extract also lowered blood sugar, or glucose, and decreased gut inflammation and permeability in healthy people—an unexpected finding. "What this tells us is...

Two new treatments for Crohn's disease showed roughly equal performance in a clinical trial. This allows clinicians and patients to make treatment choices based on tolerance, according to Stephen Hanauer, MD. Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory bowel disease, causing abdominal pain, weight loss and fatigue. Treatment for CD has typically focused on alleviating symptoms to achieve clinical remission using corticosteroids or immunomodulators, but a need for more effective treatment remains. "While there are numerous therapies and mechanisms of action for drugs approved for moderate-severe Crohn's disease there has been a therapeutic ceiling as far as outcomes are...

Intermittent fasting changes the gut bacteria activity of mice and increases their ability to recover from nerve damage. The researchers observed how fasting led to the gut bacteria increasing production of a metabolite known as 3-Indolepropionic acid (IPA), which is required for regenerating nerve fibers called axons—thread-like structures at ends of nerve cells that send out electro-chemical signals to other cells in the body. The team state that the bacteria that produces IPA, Clostridium sporogenesis, is found naturally in the guts of humans as well as mice and IPA is present in human's bloodstreams too. "There is currently no treatment...

A team of researchers has found that a metabolite produced by bacteria in the gut promotes neural cell death resulting in cognitive decline in mice. In their paper, the group describes their study of the metabolite isoamylamine (IAA) and its impact on cognitive decline. Prior research has suggested a strong link between gut bacteria and brain health. The researchers looked into the possible impact on the brain of just one metabolite produced by one family of bacteria in the gut, Ruminococcaceae. They found first that IAA becomes more prevalent in the gut as people age due to the presence of...