Category: Blog

Is There a Link Between Fungi in the Gut and ADHD in Kids?

Most microbiome research stops at bacteria, but a Taiwanese team looked at the fungi instead and found a clear difference between children with ADHD and healthy controls. One yeast species showed up in higher numbers in the ADHD group, and what its secretions did to cultured intestinal cells points to a mechanism worth understanding. A separate study found gut bacteria in ADHD patients producing more of a specific neurotransmitter’s building blocks, with brain scans showing an unexpected effect.

How Obesity Can Impact Your Brain Health 

Fat tissue behaves differently depending on how much of it there is, and in lean people it does something most readers would not predict. Researchers feeding fruit flies a high-sugar diet found the brain’s cleanup crew stopped doing its job, which explains more about cognitive decline than weight alone ever could. Not everyone carrying excess weight develops neurodegenerative disease, and the exceptions may tell us as much as the rule.

Are Changes in the Gut Microbiome Associated with the Development of Cancer?

Of the roughly one trillion microbial species on Earth, only eleven are known to cause cancer, and together they account for a striking share of cases worldwide. One bacterium injects a toxin directly into the cells lining the stomach, and what that toxin switches off is the reason it carries the strongest known risk for gastric cancer. Comparing the microbiomes of people with and without cancer cannot tell us which came first, and the piece is direct about what that limitation means.

Eating With Others Might Do More for Your Mental and Physical Health Than You Think

Why living under the same roof as your family may not protect your mood the way you’d expect. The two questions Gallup added to a 150,000-person global survey, and the well-established predictors of wellbeing they went head to head with. What shows up on brain scans of older adults who eat alone, and why better diet quality doesn’t fully account for it.

How to Prevent Muscle Loss as You Age

A woman in her late 60s told her doctor she felt like she was getting scrawnier every year. She walks, does yoga, lifts weights twice a week. She was doing everything she was supposed to do, and the muscle kept slipping away anyway. Sports medicine physician Dr. Jordan Metzl opened a recent column in the Washington Post with her story, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, because I’ve heard some version of that sentence from nearly everyone I know over 60. The condition has a name most people never hear until it applies to them: sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Metzl’s argument is that the decline is real and also far more negotiable than the just-getting-old story we tell about it.

Diet and Fermented Foods in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Management

One diet trial changed what 25 IBD patients ate. Within weeks, their gut bacteria had reorganized around it. A single microbe stood out in the results, and what it produces may be the reason the diet works at all. Blood tests told the other half of the story: inflammatory markers moved in opposite directions depending on what people ate.

Your Brain May Process Imagination More Like Reality Than We Thought

Close your eyes and picture an apple. Researchers just watched that happen, neuron by neuron, inside 16 people’s brains. Nearly half of something surprising showed up in both seeing and imagining. That overlap is the finding. Scientists could guess what people were picturing. The wrong guesses were the most revealing part.

Is Chronic Inflammation Really Behind Heart Disease?

A drug that shut down inflammation exactly as designed, in 6,300 patients, and what it did to their heart attacks and strokes. Why the same theory has now produced both convincing wins and outright failures, sometimes with the same drug in the same kind of patient. What all of this means for the claim that one process quietly drives heart disease, dementia, and colon cancer alike.

Are Bananas Making Your Smoothies Less Gut-Friendly?

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What happens to the flavanols in your berries the moment a banana hits the blender with them. Why keeping the two apart until you drink them still didn’t fully protect the flavanols. The number that decides whether any of this should actually change your smoothie routine.

Does Where You Live Shape Your Gut Microbiome?

What 721 gut microbiome samples had in common with the neighborhoods they came from. Why one of the most studied beneficial gut bacteria was not evenly spread across those neighborhoods. The one factor, out of 64 the researchers measured, that best explains the gap.

Three Ways a Fiber-Rich Diet Can Support Immune Health

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Where most of your immune cells actually sit, and why that changes what “immune support” should mean this season. The weekly number from the American Gut Study that tracks with the most diverse microbiome, and it isn’t grams of fiber. What your bacteria build out of that fiber, and how those molecules reach immune cells well beyond the gut.

The Science of Mitochondria – A New Look at the Role of Energy in Health and Disease

In Western Medicine, we often think about health in terms of symptoms. Do we have pain somewhere in our body or do we suffer from indigestion? Are we sleeping well? Is our digestion working properly? Are we able to think clearly and stay resilient when life becomes stressful? In contrast much of the focus in Traditional Chinese Medicine has to do with the concept of energy or chi, a viewpoint that until recently Western Medicine has completely neglected.

Alcohol and The Gut Microbiome

What heavy drinking does to the barrier separating your gut contents from the rest of your body. Why wine drinkers in one British study showed something beer and liquor drinkers didn’t. The reason researchers still won’t call moderate drinking good for your microbiome.

The Best Sources of Protein

How much protein you actually need after 60, and why the standard guideline was never written for you. The one plant protein that carries all nine essential amino acids on its own. Why calling most plant proteins “incomplete” gets the science wrong.

Are Detoxes Actually A Good Idea?

The popularity of detoxes and cleanses is continuously on the rise, with countless options for juice cleanses, tea detoxes, and fasting protocols. The market is flooded with products promising rapid weight loss, increased energy and general “health resets”. While a cleanse may sound promising after a week of overindulging on vacation or as a quick-fix solution to losing weight, these detoxes may do more harm than good.

Eight Questions That Predict How Long You’ll Live

Answer “yes” to just two of these and average life expectancy is 72 for men and 77 for women; answer yes to five and it jumps to 81 and 86; answer all eight and it climbs into the 90s. Notably, having a primary care doctor isn’t on the list — research shows annual checkups alone don’t reduce mortality. The real value of a primary care relationship, the panel noted, comes from earlier conversations about end-of-life wishes and quality of life, not the checkup itself.

The Hidden Health Hazard in Bottled Water

How many plastic particles a single liter may hold, and why it’s far more than anyone expected. The diseases researchers are now trying to connect to the plastic you can’t see. A few simple swaps that lower your exposure without much effort.

The Impact of Commonly Used Drugs on the Gut Microbiome

There are many factors that impact the composition and health of the gut microbiome: genetics, age, environment, diet, and medications are a few critically important ones. Antibiotics are known to be particularly disruptive to the microbial ecosystem, destroying both pathological and beneficial organisms. Yet, research has shown that commonly prescribed non-antibiotic drugs for a variety of medical conditions also have unique impacts on the microbiome.

GLP-1 Drugs Are Changing Healthcare — But Are They Solving the Real Problem?

Grocery spending among GLP-1 users has dropped, but one category of purchases is quietly surging. One drugmaker built a direct-to-patient platform that’s quietly rerouting how people get prescribed these drugs. Dr. Mayer weighs in on whether these drugs solve the real problem or just add one more pill to the pile.

Unveiling the Anti-Inflammatory Benefits of Exercise

What’s actually happening inside your immune cells when you exercise regularly. A new study traces exercise’s anti-inflammatory effect to a surprising cellular mechanism. Why “exercise reduces inflammation” turns out to be more interesting than it sounds.

It’s Not Only Mom’s Microbiome That Matters for the Baby’s Health 

A new study altered gut bacteria in male mice using nothing more than laxatives and antibiotics, then watched what happened three generations later. The fathers showed no signs of health problems. Their offspring were a different story. There’s one detail in this study that could reshape how we think about preconception health altogether.

Alzheimer’s Disease and the Gut Microbiome

Scientists found a difference in gut bacteria years before any memory symptoms appear. Here’s what that timing might mean for prevention. Two groups ate the same diet, yet their gut microbiomes looked different in a telling way — here’s what set them apart. A small daily habit involving fermented foods may do more for your brain than you’d expect — the research behind it

The Fiber Effect: A New Era in Gut Wellness

Most fiber isn’t actually digested by you — here’s who it’s really feeding, and why that changes how you should think about it. The UK’s official fiber recommendation is nearly 50% higher than what most people eat. The research behind that gap might surprise you. Not all fiber is created equal — why the same apple contains two completely different types, and what that means for your gut.

How Environmental Quality Can Impact the Incidence Of Breast Cancer

Where you live might affect your breast cancer risk more than you think — and it’s not the factor most people assume. A 2023 study found a measurable difference in breast cancer rates between counties — but only one type of environmental factor seemed to matter most. Air and water pollution get most of the attention, but this study points to a different culprit hiding in the ground.

Choosing The Right Seafood For Optimal Health

The six fish that are both good for your health and good for the planet — and the six popular ones that are neither. How much omega-3 you actually need per day, and which fish get you there fastest? Why locally caught freshwater fish may be one of the most contaminated foods in the American diet.

The Differences Between Sugars – Is There Really One?

The “healthier” sugar swaps filling your pantry — honey, coconut sugar, date sugar — may be doing less than you think once your body gets ahold of them. Coconut sugar has a reputation for being gentler on blood sugar, but there’s a catch hiding in the fine print. The real variable isn’t which sugar you choose — it’s something most people aren’t paying attention to at all.

Why Some People Handle Stress Worse Than Others, Even When They Look Healthy

You don’t need to have a diagnosed illness for chronic stress to affect your health. A recent UCLA study found that healthy adults with high levels of ongoing stress interpreted everyday situations more negatively and showed biological changes involving the nervous system and brain-gut-microbiome axis. Read this article to discover how stress may shape the way you think, feel, and respond to the world around you.

The Effects of Resistance Training on Body and Mind

Most people doing cardio think they’ve got their health covered but what are they missing? 30 minutes a week of this one type of exercise can measurably reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. The mental health case for lifting weights is stronger than most people realize — and it goes beyond just “feeling good”

How to Remove Microplastics from Your Body

The average participant in this study had BPA levels 96 times higher than the European safety limit. One group made a single change — and it wasn’t to their diet. The intervention that moved the needle least was the one most people would try first. The one that worked fastest isn’t what you’d expect.

Vegetables or Carbs: Which One Should I Eat First?

Eating bread last instead of first cut blood sugar spikes by 40% in one study. The vegetable-first eating trick mimics diabetes medication (without the prescription). Why the order you eat your food might matter more than what’s on your plate.

Why Loneliness Might Be Making Us Unhealthy

Why lonely people crave sweets — and what brain scans reveal about social isolation? Your brain processes food differently when you feel socially isolated. Researchers just mapped the neural pathway connecting loneliness to weight gain.

Can We Reset the Biological Age of Human Cells?

Scientists may have discovered how to reverse aging at the cellular level. The first human trial is underway – resetting the biological age of cells in the eye. A $3 billion company backed by Jeff Bezos is racing to make this real – in near-total secrecy

Balanced Diet for Brain Health

A study of 182,000 people found one dietary pattern outperformed vegetarian, high-protein, and low-starch diets for mental health and cognitive function — and it’s simpler than you’d expect.

5 Simple & Free Ways to Reduce Stress

Feeling overwhelmed? Discover five science-backed techniques you can do in minutes—from breathing to posture shifts—to instantly calm your nervous system and lower stress without spending a dime.

Is Fasting Good For You?

Intermittent fasting has become one of the most popular dietary trends of the past decade. Based primarily on preclinical studies, proponents claim it can help people lose weight, sharpen focus, extend lifespan, and even reduce the risk of diseases like cancer and dementia. But when scientists look closely at the evidence, the story becomes less straightforward.

Can A “Dopamine Detox” Reset Your Brain?

Is a “dopamine detox” actually doing anything for your brain? The science might surprise you — and the real mechanism behind why it works has nothing to do with dopamine at all.

Everything You Need to Know About Quercetin

Your gut bacteria are eating your supplements before you do — and with quercetin, that’s actually a good thing. Here’s what the science shows about quercetin and your health.

Flavanols and the Hippocampus

A 3-year study of 3,562 adults reveals one nutrient deficiency that’s silently accelerating memory loss—and it’s missing from most American diets

A Revolutionary New Way To Treat Menopause Symptoms – Targeting The Microbiome

Why do some women sail through menopause while others are blindsided by symptoms? The answer may not be in your ovaries — it’s in your gut. A specialized community of gut bacteria called the “estrobolome” can actually recycle estrogen back into your bloodstream, potentially buffering the hormonal crash of menopause. And unlike your ovaries, your microbiome can be changed — starting with what you eat.

Why So Many Mental Health and Brain-Gut Disorders Overlap

A massive Nature study of 1+ million people shows that depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and even gut-related conditions share common genetic pathways — challenging how we think about diagnosis and treatment.

Overcoming Overwork

Working longer hours might feel productive, but research shows it could quietly be shortening your life – here’s how to recognize the warning signs before burnout becomes permanent.

How To Prevent Injury to Your Hips

Tight hips aren’t just a flexibility issue—they’re linked to injury risk, metabolic health, and age-related muscle loss. These simple mobility habits can help protect your body long term.

Do Prebiotic Sodas Actually Offer Health Benefits?

Marketed as a gut-friendly alternative to traditional soft drinks, prebiotic sodas claim to offer health benefits while satisfying cravings for a sweet and fizzy drink. But do they truly offer any purported benefits, or are the claims mainly a clever marketing tactic designed to take advantage of the gut health craze?

Debunking Common Myths About Exercise

When done right, exercise can be a veritable miracle drug. But follow the wrong advice and you can easily set yourself up for injury. I asked more than a dozen fitness experts to share the myths they hear most often among their clients and patients, and that they wish they could debunk once and for all.

Do Ultra-processed Foods Impact Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the colon and rectum, characterized by periods of flare-ups and remission. The Western diet, which includes a high intake of UPFs, has been previously linked to the onset of inflammatory bowel disease, but its impact on those already living with the disease has been less clear.

Delaying Menopause for Longevity

Scientists pose the question of whether prolonging the functioning of the ovaries could also have the potential to delay the decline of other organ systems.

Should You Do a Dopamine Detox?

The popular “dopamine detox” gets the science wrong – but it reveals something important about why modern habits are so hard to break.

Exercise and the BGM System

Exercise is often recommended to obese individuals who want to lose weight as it has shown to be an effective way to burn calories and improve metabolic health. New exciting new research suggests that physical activity also has the ability to alter the bacteria in the gut microbiome, leading to better mental health outcomes.

Fall Superfoods to Nurture Your Brain–Gut–Microbiome System

As the days grow shorter, your mood doesn’t have to. Discover how fall and winter’s most vibrant foods—from pumpkin and apples to fermented favorites—can nourish your brain–gut–microbiome system, lift your mood, and restore balance through the darker months.

Is Fruit Bad For Your Blood Glucose?

I’ve been seeing health influencers and medical doctors preaching the claim that fructose is dangerous for your health. This is misleading and very disingenuous as they are likely referring to certain forms, such as high-fructose corn syrup, while not distinguishing between it and healthy fructose items such as fruit.

Train Your Brain, Heal Your Gut

Gut pain, bloating, and fatigue – what if the solution isn’t in your medicine cabinet but could be obtained through retraining your mind? Growing research offers compelling evidence that hypnosis could help.

How to Live to 117: Lessons from the World’s Oldest Woman

When Maria Branyas Morera passed away in August 2024, she was 117 years old, the oldest living person on Earth. Unlike many of us imagine old age, she didn’t spend her last years bedridden or cognitively impaired. She read books, gardened, played piano, enjoyed yogurt and olive oil, walked daily, and kept the company of friends and dogs. Her life was quiet, but her healthspan, the years she lived free from major disease, was extraordinary.

Unpopular Nutrition Opinions (Backed by Science)

From seed oils to keto and protein bars, nutrition myths spread faster than facts. Discover what the science actually says about these “unpopular” opinions and why balance, not extremes, wins every time.

Alcohol’s Effects on the Gut Microbiome

With the holiday season fast approaching, many of us will have an uptick in social events which often includes a festive alcoholic drink or two. While drinking in moderation does not seem to negatively affect health, the CDC outlines how more than 2 drinks a day for men or more than 1 drink a day for women can have negative health consequences.

The Lack of Understanding of the ‘Mommy Brain’

The term “mommy brain” is commonly used by pregnant mothers to describe their scattered and foggy mental state during pregnancy. Some would even say it is a rite of passage as an expecting mother. While there is no official diagnosis for this, symptoms of disorientation, memory loss, trouble concentrating and other cognitive challenges can make daily tasks seemingly more difficult.

Can Fiber Control Your Appetite?

Fiber isn’t just for digestion. Discover how it impacts satiety hormones, inflammation, and dopamine to naturally curb cravings and bring appetite back into balance.