Our immune system is made up of multiple smart defenses built into our bodies – but if those defenses go haywire, it can lead to diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Scientists may have found a new way to control potentially dangerous autoimmune responses.
A team from Harvard Medical School at Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US developed a special probiotic that was able to regulate the activity of dendritic cells. These cells play a crucial role in managing immune cell responses.
When the probiotics were placed into the guts of mice with induced conditions similar to MS, autoimmunity was suppressed in key regions in the brain. If the treatment works in humans, it could help with some of the most damaging diseases that currently exist.
The Holidays are here, and so are delicious meals. Let's give our gut some extra love and support for processing these delicous foods for us and keeping our digestive system optimal and healthy 💛
Cordyceps and k12 probiotics have been helpful for my ME/CFS to at least some extent. Something I notice is that I wake up feeling a bit less gross most mornings (today was an exception). Waking up feeling absolutely disgusting and awful is one of the worst parts of this disease. So if you can access it I say it's probably worth a try
What's the deal with fermented food? Well, the new thing all over the Internet is the importance of gut health. Your microbiome diversity. Fermented foods can give your body a dose of healthful probiotics — live microorganisms crucial to good digestion. So this is my first attempt at sauerkraut.
Easy peasy. Cabbage and salt. Yhinly slice the cabbage, add salt. Knead it all together til it goes soft and juicy.
Put it in a sealable jar.
Push it down as tightly packed as you can.
Leave it in a cupboard for a few weeks. Job done. I've never had it, so (slightly stained) fingers crossed!
(via M E L A N I E 🌻 on Instagram: "Hello ! Voici 6 petits conseils pour booster ton immunité pendant ce changement de saison : 1) faire du sport (du yoga par exemp… nel 2023 || Curated with love by yogadaily)
These yellow spheres are Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on the surface of a human immune cell (blue). They are found in, and on, about a third of the human population and are generally harmless except, that is, for when they’re not. S. aureus can cause severe and potentially fatal infections of the skin, soft tissues, bone and blood, and especially dangerous are the drug-resistant strains – so called, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The bacteria were thought to mainly inhabit the skin and nose, but recent research shows they are most abundant in the gut. This discovery led researchers to test whether probiotics – oral doses of friendly bacteria – could suppress S. aureus colonisation. And they could – by around ninety-five percent. Probiotics work more slowly than traditional antibiotics for tackling infections, but they can be taken for much longer without harm, and will likely be able to tackle MRSA strains when regular drugs cannot.
Written by Ruth Williams
Image from the NIH, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda MD, USA
Research by Pipat Piewngam & Sunisa Khongthong, et al, NIAID and Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, Thailand
Image in the Public Domain
Research published in Lancet Microbe, January 2023
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Understanding the powerful connection between gut health and metabolism
Did you know that your gut health plays a crucial role in your metabolism and overall well-being? A healthy gut is home to trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi that help digest food, regulate metabolism, and even support your immune system. They also play a role in regulating your nervous system, removing toxins and affecting how drugs work. Gut microbiome has been implicated in a number of conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic liver disease, cardiometabolic disease and even dementia. When your gut is happy, your metabolism functions optimally, helping you maintain a healthy weight and feel energised throughout the day. To support your gut health and boost your metabolism and microbiome we recommend you maintain a diet that consists of a diverse range of whole foods rich in fibre such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. This should include limiting processed high-energy food. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day is also recommended. If you can, try incorporating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi into your diet. Finally adding regular exercise to your weekly regime will help to keep your metabolism optimised and your gut happy. Recent advancements in technology now allow for the testing of factors that influence the gut microbiome. Blood Genius may advise on the need for such tests.