An estimated 500 to 1,000 bacterial species reside in each person's gut, perhaps numbering 100,000 trillion microorganisms. Researchers used mouse models to explore how diet and feeding patterns affect these intestinal microbes—and the health of the hosts, particularly with obesity and type 2 diabetes. "It's important to realize that the gut microbiome is constantly changing, not only based on what we're eating, but also based on the time of day," said Amir Zarrinpar, MD, Ph.D. "And what we've learned is that cyclical changes in the gut microbiome are quite important for health since they help with the circadian clock, and...
