Gut microbiome tagged posts

Researchers at Oregon State University have found that a few organisms in the gut microbiome play a key role in type 2 diabetes, opening the door to possible probiotic treatments for a serious metabolic disease affecting roughly one in 10 Americans.

“Type 2 diabetes is in fact a global pandemic and the number of diagnoses is expected to keep rising over the next decade,” said study co-leader Andrey Morgun, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the OSU College of Pharmacy. “The so-called ‘western diet’ — high in saturated fats and refined sugars — is one of the primary factors. But gut bacteria have an important role to play in modulating the effects of diet.”

Formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, type 2 diabet...

MRI of a patient with (cerebral cavernous malformation) CCM disease. Credit: Issam Awad, University of Chicago

Bacteria in the gut microbiome drive the formation of cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs), clusters of dilated, thin-walled blood vessels in the brain that can cause stroke and seizures, according to new research published this week in Nature by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Altering the microbiome in CCM patients may be an effective therapy for this cerebrovascular disease. CCM disease, which occurs in about 1 in 100 to 200 people, can present in 2 forms. One is sporadic, accounting for 80% of cases, and is most frequent in older individuals. The remaining 20% are familial, inherited cases...

Parkinson’s disease and Parkinson’s disease medications have distinct signatures of the gut microbiome. Movement Disorders, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/mds.26942

A new study from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows that Parkinson’s disease, and medications to treat Parkinson’s, have distinct effects on the composition of the trillions of bacteria that make up the gut microbiome. At this point, researchers do not know which comes first. Does having Parkinson’s cause changes in an individual’s gut microbiome, or are changes in the microbiome a predictor or early warning sign of Parkinson’s? What is known is that the first signs of Parkinson’s often arise as gastrointestinal symptoms such as inflammation or constipation.

“The human gut hosts tens of trillions of microorganisms...

Image: Carnitine, Choline, Cancer and Cholesterol: The TMAO Connection and how Resveratrol could be anti-atherosclerotic . NB. The concentration of TMAO in blood increases after consuming foods containing carnitine or lecithin if the bacteria that convert those substances to TMAO are present in the gut. High concentrations of carnitine are found in red meat, some energy drinks, and some dietary supplements; lecithin is found in soy, eggs, as an ingredient in processed food and is sold as a dietary supplement.

Resveratrol, found in red wine etc reduces the risk of heart disease by changing the gut microbiome, according to a new study by researchers from China...