A sweeping new review shows how disruptions in the gut microbiome may fuel obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk, while pointing to diet and other microbiome-focused strategies that could help restore metabolic balance. Integrative mechanistic framework linking gut dysbiosis to systemic metabolic dysfunction. Arrows indicate the progression of events from exogenous and host-related factors to … Read more
Erica Periandri and Gabor Egervari, from Washington University in St. Louis, led a study to explore how alcohol exposure in male mice influences gene expression and mechanisms that regulate gene function-or epigenetics. Says Egervari, “We recently uncovered that metabolites [from the body’s breakdown] of alcohol directly regulate genes in the hippocampus following a one-time exposure to alcohol. This is a previously unknown and surprisingly direct way in which alcohol impacts the brain, and it … Read more
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder caused by malfunctioning immune responses that target the brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system (CNS). What makes our body turn against itself? Failure of the immune system to distinguish ‘self’ from ‘non-self’ entities leads to excessive autoimmune responses against self-proteins like myelin, which forms … Read more
In a study involving data from thousands of people, the risk of a new coronary heart disease diagnosis was statistically associated with bloodstream levels of nine specific molecules that are produced by gut microbes. Danxia Yu of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, U.S., and colleagues present these findings on March 17th in the open-access journal PLOS … Read more
Could everyday foods like yogurt and chocolate quietly shape how long we live? A sweeping global analysis reveals which fermented foods may be linked to longer life and lower disease risk. Study: Fermented foods consumption, all-cause, and cause-specific mortality: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Image Credit: sweet marshmallow / Shutterstock In a recent study … Read more
A new mouse study reveals that under certain dietary conditions, gut bacteria can reach the brain without entering the bloodstream, suggesting a possible vagus nerve route and raising new questions about the gut–brain connection. Study: Translocation of bacteria from the gut to the brain in mice. Image Credit: Corona Borealis Studio / Shutterstock In a … Read more
A large prospective study links specific gut microbes and diet-derived metabolites to future cardiometabolic disease risk, highlighting how the microbiome may reflect lifestyle factors shaping long-term heart health. Study: Specific gut microbes are associated with the incidence of cardiometabolic disease in the HELIUS cohort. Image Credit: Anusorn Nakdee / Shutterstock In a recent study published … Read more
Scientists propose that Parkinson’s disease may begin far from the brain, where environmental toxins, microbiome disruption, and intestinal barrier damage interact to ignite the biological cascade leading to neurodegeneration. Environmental insults reduce gut resilience and initiate convergent mechanisms that drive Parkinson’s disease. A lifetime of environmental insults (including Western diets and food additives, nano- and microplastics, … Read more
Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the gums, affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is increasingly linked to systemic disorders beyond the oral cavity. Epidemiological studies have long suggested an association between periodontitis and osteoporosis, particularly in postmenopausal women, yet the biological mechanisms connecting these conditions have remained unclear. Growing evidence indicates that … Read more
Background and objectives Chronic diabetes mellitus is marked by hyperglycemia and metabolic dysfunction, increasing the risk of complications such as nephropathy. This study aimed to evaluate key biochemical parameters among participants with diabetic nephropathy (DNp), diabetes control (DC), nephropathy control (NC), and healthy control groups. Methods A prospective case-control study was conducted with 200 participants … Read more