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Studies from the Wistar Institute published in April of 2014 suggest that the microbes that make up the microflora of the intestinal tract can suppress DNA repair in the cells lining the intestinal tract and lead to colorectal cancer. It is only recently that most gastroenterologists have begun to appreciate the importance of the microflora in the gut. We...

  A study published in the August issue of the journal, Nature, did a genetic analysis on the number of gut microbes in 292 Danes and found that 25% have up to 40% fewer gut bacteria and reduced bacterial diversity. This was accompanied by low grade inflammation, weakened immunity, an increase in the incidence of obesity! Decreased numbers and...

We already know that children who are exposed to antibiotics at an early age may be associated with obesity in their early years. However, this study is the first to show that offspring of pregnant mothers who take antibiotics during the second or third trimester have an 86% increased risk of becoming obese by age 7 compared to those mothers not taking antibiotics....

According to the October 2014 issue of the journal, Nature, artificial sweeteners such as saccharine, Splenda, and Nutrasweet (aspartame) cause changes in the human microbiome (intestinal microflora) that lead to glucose intolerance (insulin resistance) within one week in more than half of the subjects of a small study. When stool from these people was tranplanted...

Scientists from LSU Medical Center reported at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition on how the flora in the intestinal tract digest chocolate and convert its large, poorly absorbed, polyphenols that protect the heart and brain from inflammation, into smaller, more easily absorbed antioxidants. They recommend building up the gut microbes that accomplish...

  Commensal bacteria in the human intestine produce a neurotransmitter called GABA that may play a role in preventing or treating inflammatory bowel disease. Bifidobacter dentium produces large amounts of GABA that regulates pain and inflammation. GABA may reduce pain and inflammation by stimulating the GABA receptor sites on nerve cells in the brain...

An article published in the journal of the American Society for Microbiology called mBio showed that both inflammation and a certain microbiome contribute to the development of colon cancer in mice.  Researchers transferred a stool sample from mice with colon cancer to germ-free mice and found that the incidence of colon cancer double that when compared...

While it has been suspected that the GI microflora have a profound effect on human physiology, there has not been a lot of data supporting that the changes in physiology determine the resulting composition of the microflora. Now there is a study supporting that the microflora can be altered and this can change insulin sensitivity and decrease the risk for developing...