Are there health benefits of raisins? Well, if you look at their nutrition info, there's not much to get excited about. Aside from a decent dose of potassium(300mg), not much else sticks out. Maybe the high sugar content, which isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. However, if you dig in a little deeper, there do seem … Continue reading Health benefits of raisins may improve the microbiome
What are the healthiest fermented foods for your gut health? Well, a lot of things fit that criteria, so it depends on what you're trying to do. But why even care about fermented foods? A recently published paper found that fermented foods lowered inflammation and increased diversity of the microbiome. We covered that study and … Continue reading Healthiest fermented foods for gut health
Animal protein vs plant protein, which is better for your gut? Research seems to show that replacing animal protein with plant protein has a beneficial effect on general health. This relationship is especially strong for cardiometabolic health(type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease). However, these studies are often epidemiological, so they have their limitations. Furthermore, it … Continue reading Animal protein vs plant protein: Which is best for the gut?
You've likely heard of your microbiome, but have you heard of your virome? Your virome is the suite of viruses living in your body. And just like bacteria and fungi, they play a role in your health. A small number of them come from the viruses that infected you throughout your life. But most of … Continue reading The virome: How viruses shape your gut health
Many people take to low-oxalate diets to improve mysterious health issues without considering if oxalates are bad for you. They read on the internet that they are, so why dig into it any further? The problem is, the answer isn't exactly straightforward. Calcium and oxalate form stones in the kidneys, and are the most common … Continue reading Are oxalates bad for you: A look at the data
Oral health plays an important role in shaping our gut microbiome. After all, the mouth is effectively the gateway microbes use to access our gut. Unfortunately, people really aren't aware of how the health of their mouth regulates the gut microbiome. Poor oral hygiene leads to biofilm factories that continually expose our mouth and entire … Continue reading How oral health shapes the gut microbiome
The gut-brain axis is a bi-directional link between the brain and digestive tract. It links the 2 intimately, defining how emotions and digestion share a reciprocal relationship. On the one hand, our emotions can impact how we digest our food. A classic example of this is in the relationship between stress and irritable bowel syndrome(IBS). … Continue reading Gut-brain axis 101: Understanding how the brain and gut chat
Gut bacteria live in communities throughout your digestive tract. They do many things for you while they hang out there. They help digest your food, synthesize vitamins and metabolites that make you healthy, and help train your immune system. But since the science is so new, there's a lot to digest(Pun intended). As a result, … Continue reading Getting healthy gut bacteria to thrive in your gut
A low FODMAP diet is a common approach to managing irritable bowel syndrome. FODMAPs are rapidly Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, And Polyls. The problem with FODMAPs is that they ferment rapidly and are poorly absorbed. So they stick around and feed bacteria that cause gas and bloating. Most people have no issue with FODMAPs, though … Continue reading How a low FODMAP diet improves digestion in IBS
Are you looking for the benefits of fermented food to see if you want to add them to your diet? Would it be better to increase fiber intake instead? Well, you're in luck, a paper published last year looked at this very topic. Unfortunately, you often won't get the full picture of a study from … Continue reading Benefits of fermented food vs high fiber: The FeFiFo study