Posts in Microbiome
Breathing to Decrease Anxiety

Anxiety in the general population has been increasing for years. Add the fear, social isolation, economic impact, and disruption to our routines that go along with a global pandemic, and we have a real problem on our hands. And then there's the comfort food we're eating. Ultra-processed diet is associated with anxiety and depression. The systemic inflammation is thought to at least partially involve the microbiome.

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A New Theory of Obesity - Scientific American

Obesity is a global epidemic and is far more prevalent in countries that adopt Western patterns of eating. Western patterns of eating include highly processed foods with lots of sugar and fat and the removal of fiber. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines processed food as one that has undergone any change to its natural state

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The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Although many dismiss intermittent fasting as a fad, there is a mounting collection of research that demonstrates a bevy of benefits to this pattern of eating.

Last week, the review article, Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease, appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The review covers the biochemistry of fasting, the impact of IF on stress resistance, IFs effect on health, disease and cognition, as well as clinical applications of time-restricted eating.

The evidence for fasting is becoming so compelling; it is likely intermittent fasting will find its way into doctor's recommendations for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you want to give it a try, most find it i

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Personalized diets may be the future of nutrition, but the science isn't all there yet - Science News

A recent article in Science News, Personalized diets may be the future of nutrition. but the science isn't all there yet, got me thinking about obesity and diabetes. These diseases are often, but not always, linked.

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic affecting about one-quarter of the world's population. Obesity is associated with a wide range of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting 422 million people. In the US, in 2012, the total estimated cost of diabetes in the United States was $245 billion.

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Study: Taking hypertension meds at bedtime cuts health risks significantly

A new study suggests taking hypertension medicines at bedtime results in better blood pressure control as well as a decreased risk of cardiovascular and neurovascular events (heart attack and stroke).

The [study](https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz754/5602478), published in the European Heart Journal, followed almost 19,000 patients over six years. They found that taking once a day blood pressure medications at bedtime was beneficial when compared to those that took their medicine in the morning.

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What are Short-Chain Fatty Acids and how do they impact my health?

A healthy microbiome is a diverse microbiome. One of the substances up-regulated in those with the healthiest microbiomes is short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs influence gut health directly by acting as food for the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract and by tightening the junctions between cells, but SCFAs are also are increasingly associated with a wide range of systemic health benefits. These benefits include improved immunologic function, lower systemic inflammation, and anti-cancer effects. Individuals with the highest level of SCFAs tend to have the healthiest and most diverse gut flora.

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