“Do you have a sweet tooth?” may need to be changed to “do you have a sweet bug?”
You may have gotten your gut bacteria used to so much sugar that now they may be sending you “sweet chemical messages” for you to keep feeding them that diet. Those chemicals are making you crave sugar and making you feel bad if you don’t comply. See the article below.
Hugo Rodier, MD
Microbes that Control Cravings?J. Scientific American March 31 2025 |
“Researchers measured the levels of a particular protein called free fatty acid receptor four (FFAR4) in mice and people with and without diabetes. They found that those with diabetes had low levels of the protein. In mice, the lower FFAR4 levels were tied to a decreased abundance of a gut microbe called Bacteroides vulgatus. Why this matters: The researchers found that, in mice, less FFAR4 correlated with a greater preference for a high-sugar diet. That’s where the gut microbe comes in: B. vulgatus produces a metabolite called pantothenate—better known as vitamin B5—which triggers production of the hormone GLP-1, which regulates appetite. So, less FFAR4 means less B. vulgatus, less pantothenate and less GLP-1. What the experts say: The identification of pantothenate from B. vulgatus as a molecule that stimulates GLP-1 secretion and reduces sugar preference is “a major finding,” says Sergueï O. Fetissov, a physiologist at the University of Rouen Normandy in France. It could open up new treatments for type 2 diabetes.”
Coffee habits help shape gut communities
J. Nature Microbiology 2024;9:3088
“Routine coffee consumption is associated with a gut microbiome signature characterized by elevated levels of Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus. The growth of this bacterium is stimulated by coffee in vitro and its activities may influence the biotransformation of coffee-associated metabolites.”
Comment: “postbiotics” is the term used to designate the products that result from our microbiome processing anything we out in our mouths, that is, foods and chemicals. This is why two people may eat the same food and take the same drug and be affected differently.
Melatonin supplementation and oxidative DNA damage repair capacity among night shift workers
J. Occupational Environmental Medicine January 2025
“Melatonin supplementation improves oxidative DNA damage repair capacity among night shift workers. Future larger-scale trials are needed to evaluate the impact of varying doses of melatonin supplements and examine the impacts of longer-term use of melatonin supplements by night shift workers.”
Comment: melatonin is safe. It is helpful to take when our schedules are disrupted, especially when coping with jet lag.
Living conditions, lifestyle choices may impact human aging more than genetics
“ABC News (2/19/25, Jacobo) reports, “While both environmental exposures and genetics are known to play important roles in shaping human aging, living conditions and lifestyle choices impact human health much more than genetics, according to a new study.” Investigators “used data from nearly 500,000 participants in the U.K. to assess the influence of 164 environmental factors and genetic risk scores for 22 age-related diseases and premature death.” The research “showed that environmental factors accounted for 17% of the variation in risk of death, compared to less than 2% explained by genetic predisposition.” The data indicated that “smoking, socioeconomic status, physical activity and living conditions had the most impact on mortality and biological aging.” The findings were published in Nature Medicine.”
Comment: the science of EPIGENETICS (“EPI” means “above”) has claimed this since its inception years ago. There is more money in genetic research than in telling people to eat their veggies. Also, people would rather blame their genes for diseases, rather than contemplate the painful fact that their toxic lifestyles are driving their health problems.
Daily omega-3 slows biological aging by almost 4 months
Healio Minute, February 13, 2025
“A single gram of omega-3 daily over 3 years slowed biological aging by 2.9 to 3.8 months. The effects on biological aging were even greater when omega-3 was combined with daily vitamin D and exercise.”
Comment: omega oils have a salutary effect on all organs of our body. Eat fish, avocados and nuts on a regular basis. EPA/DHA Omega oils are particularly helpful to the brain. See below.
Microbial metabolites tune amygdala neuronal hyperexcitability and anxiety-linked behaviors
J. EMBO Mol Med 2025;17: 249
“Changes in gut microbiota composition have been linked to anxiety behavior in rodents. However, the underlying neural circuitry linking microbiota and their metabolites to anxiety behavior remains unknown. Using male C57BL/6J germ-free (GF) mice, not exposed to live microbes, increased anxiety-related behavior was observed correlating with a significant increase in the immediate early c-Fos gene in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). This phenomenon coincided with increased intrinsic excitability and spontaneous synaptic activity of BLA pyramidal neurons associated with reduced small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channel currents. Importantly, colonizing GF mice to live microbes or the microbial-derived metabolite indoles reverted SK channel activities in BLA pyramidal neurons and reduced the anxiety behavioral phenotype.”
Comments: the brain-gut connection has been amply demonstrated. This is a special article because it highlights ANXIETY, which affects all of us at some point. Eat more veggies and get rid of sugar will reduce anxiety levels. Adding exercise would be great, too.
Autism could be diagnosed by gut bacteria
Story by Telegraph reporters, July 8, 2024
“Taking into consideration additional factors including diet, medication and other health conditions, they identified that several different components of the microbiome were altered in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD. Dr Elizabeth Lund, an independent consultant in nutrition and gastrointestinal health, who was not involved in the study, said: “The idea that analysis of stool samples may aid in diagnosis is very exciting, as currently there is a massive backlog in children and adults waiting to be assessed. “The current process is very lengthy and there is a shortage of clinicians such as psychologists and psychiatrists trained to carry out a proper diagnosis.” She added: “The researchers quite rightly point out that this data cannot say whether the different microbiome causes ASD or whether differences in the diet, or other environmental factors, associated with children with ASD lead to the observed differences. “However, in my opinion, dietary preferences in people with ASD are so diverse they are unlikely to cause a consistent difference in the gut microbiome.”
“Autism is a lifelong, developmental condition. It affects the way a person communicates, interacts and processes information. According to the National Autistic Society, more than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are about 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. Professor Bhismadev Chakrabarti, research director of the Centre for Autism at the University of Reading, who did not take part in the research, said: “What is exciting about this study is that it opens up the possibility of investigating specific biochemical pathways and their impact on different autistic features. “It could also provide new ways of detecting autism, if microbial markers turn out to strengthen the ability of genetic and behavioural tests to detect autism. “A future platform that can combine genetic, microbial, and simple behavioural assessments could help address the detection gap. With the results of this study, the lens through which we view microbiota within autism has definitely broadened.”
Comments: this illustrates EPIGENETIC factors and the brain-gut connection.
Prenatal acetaminophen and childhood ADHD diagnosis
Healio Minute March 04, 2025
“Acetaminophen exposure detected in second-trimester blood samples was tied to higher childhood ADHD odds. The observed ADHD risk was higher only for girls. Comments: given the prevalence and distressing nature of ADHD, I believe it would be prudent to regard acetaminophen with more suspicion, especially when it is also responsible for half of liver failures in the USA. ADHD is part of the AUTISM spectrum.
Microplastics Are Messing with Photosynthesis in Plants
J. Scientific American, March 10, 2025. By Joanna Thompson edited by Andrea Thompson
“Microplastics can cut a plant’s ability to photosynthesize by up to 12 percent. They are Bottom of Form
a ubiquitous part of our daily physical reality. These minuscule fragments of degrading plastic now suffuse our air, our soil, the food we eat and the water we drink. They’re being detected everywhere researchers look, from Antarctic sea ice to human brains. As scientists develop a better idea of where microplastics are accumulating in the environment, they’re just beginning to understand how these pollutants affect one of the most essential and widespread kingdoms of life on Earth: plants.”
Comments: microplastics are also endocrine disruptors. If you think about the effect of pesticides and other chemicals on bees you may need melatonin to get some sleep.
Translocating gut pathobiont Enterococcus gallinarum induces TH17 and IgG3 anti-RNA–directed autoimmunity in mouse and human
J. Science Translational Medicine 5 Feb 2025;17, Issue 784 (Molly Ogle)
“Enterococcus gallinarum is a translocating gut microbe that can escape the intestine and stimulate systemic autoimmune responses in mice. Here, E. gallinarum induced a TH17 immune response in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells characterized by increased interferon-γ and IL-17 expression in CD4+ T cells and Toll-like receptor 8–mediated activation of monocytes. In addition, E. gallinarum stimulated the production of IgG3 antibodies directed against bacterial RNA in vivo. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and autoimmune hepatitis had a high correlation between plasma concentrations of IgG3 anti–E. gallinarum RNA antibodies and anti-human RNA IgG3 antibodies. Together, these findings provide evidence of a human immune response to a gut pathobiont that may be associated with autoimmune pathology.”
Comments: yet another article pointing to autoimmune problems originating in the microbiome.
