In this study from Washington University, people with pre-clinical Alzheimer’s were found to have higher populations of certain bacteria involved in breaking down the amino acids arginine and ornithine, and lower levels of those involved in protecting neurons. These changes in gut bacteria were present years before people developed cognitive issues like memory loss and confusion and reinforce previous studies that demonstrated a link between the composition of gut bacteria and the amount of amyloid – a marker for Alzheimer’s – in the brain. The lead author of the study speculates that certain ..read more

It’s all about what you’re feeding your gut microbes! Processed foods that are low in fiber and typical of a Western diet (think packaged chips, cereals, and sugary snacks) are rapidly absorbed in your upper GI tract – providing maximal calories for you, and minimal for your gut bacteria. Less processed high-fiber foods like lentils, oats, fruits, and vegetables contain indigestible fiber that isn’t fully absorbed in your upper GI tract and ends up providing lots of food for the bacteria lower down in your GI tract. These “microbiome enhancing” foods are fermented by gut microbes in your colon ..read more

40% of postmenopausal women in the U.S. take HRT. While previous studies have explored the association between HRT and reproductive cancers, this is the first study to look at long term HRT and the likelihood of developing GI cancer. The study analyzed medical records of over 11 million women who took HRT for at least two decades. Even after controlling for risk factors like smoking, alcohol use, obesity, and diabetes, they found an independent increased risk of pancreatic and stomach cancers in long-term HRT users. While the decision for or against HRT is highly personal and needs to take sym ..read more

The most common side-effects of the weight-loss drug Ozempic are gut related. Here’s what you need to know. Ozempic, also known as Semaglutide, is a synthetic form of a human hormone called glucagon-like peptide one (GLP-1), that’s secreted in our gut and helps our body know when we’re full. The drug causes the stomach to empty more slowly, decreases appetite, and also lowers blood sugar by increasing insulin release. Given the effects of GLP-1 on the GI tract, it’s not surprising that the most common adverse reactions of Ozempic are gut related: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and ..read more

How do you know if you’re constipated? Is it just based on how many times a week you have a bowel movement? There are lots of different criteria for diagnosing constipation. Most are based on the number of stools you’re having—fewer than three per week being the standard textbook definition. But the fact is you can have a bowel movement every single day and still be constipated. I see patients who move their bowels regularly but still feel full and uncomfortable afterwards, and when I examine them I can feel distended loops of bowel that are filled with stool—a clear sign that they’re having i ..read more

Regular laxative use may be a risk factor for dementia, according to a research study published in the journal Neurology. The study involved over half a million people and compared regular laxative users to those who used laxatives infrequently or not at all. Regular laxative users were 51 percent more likely to develop dementia than non-regular users, and the type and number of laxatives used mattered: osmotic laxatives which work by pulling water into the colon, were much more strongly associated with dementia, and regular use of two or more laxatives had a 90 percent higher risk. The theory ..read more

These results seem odd; why men and not women? Let’s take a closer look at this study. Researchers from Tufts University assessed the influence of ultra-processed foods (including sugar-sweetened beverages, ready-to-eat meat-containing meals, baked goods, etc.) on cancer risk in three groups of men and women. Food consumption was measured using a dietary intake form filled out by participants. Results of the study showed that the overall consumption of ultra-processed foods significantly increased the risk of colorectal cancer in men, while in women, no clear association was found. The increas ..read more

Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), plus anti-inflammatory diet leads to remission in ulcerative colitis (UC). In a randomized trial, researchers split ulcerative colitis patients into two groups: an FMT group who was also eating an anti-inflammatory diet, and a standard medical therapy group with no dietary recommendations. 66% of patients in the FMT group showed a positive clinical response at 8 weeks compared to only 36% in the medical therapy group. In the FMT group 60% reached remission and 36% achieved deep remission, while in the medical therapy group, 32% reached remission and only 9% a ..read more

Eating within an early 8-hour window is more effective than a 12-hour fast. Eating within a 12-hour window (for example, eating breakfast at 8am and ending your last meal at 8pm) is typical for most of us. To test whether or not timing matters when practicing restrictive eating, researchers split people into two groups – a control group and an early, time-restricted eating group. The time-restricted eating group received one-on-one counseling from a dietitian, exercised between 75 and 150 minutes per week, and consumed 500 calories less than their resting energy expenditure within a restricted ..read more

Half of all cancer deaths are preventable. Yes, you read that correctly! A new study found that close to half of all cancer deaths worldwide are associated with preventable risk factors. The behaviors that contribute to the majority of preventable cancer deaths include: • Smoking • Alcohol consumption • Elevated body mass index (BMI) Other notable risk factors included unprotected sex, poor diet, air pollution, occupational risks, and drug use. The metabolic consequences of an elevated BMI accounted for the greatest increase in cancer deaths over the last decade, while smoking continues to be ..read more