You depend on your gut microbiome for good physical health. Those legions of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi living in your digestive tract process food for you, supplying you with energy and nutrients. Now new research suggests those microscopic creatures can have a dramatic impact on your mental health as well.
Stomach pain strikes all of us at some point, with varying degrees of discomfort from mild to extreme. While stomach pain can be caused by relatively benign issues, there are also causes that should be addressed medically.
Microbiome. It’s a word that has seen a great deal of press coverage of late, for good reason. Your microbiome is the collection of bacteria living on and within your body. Hundreds of species, and billions of individual bacterial cells, make it up. Many of them you simply cannot live without. They process food in your gut, transferring nutrients to your bloodstream. Some boost your immune system by acting as a first line of defense against infection.
When you think of migraines you likely think of headaches. But there is a different form of migraine that occurs in the belly – the abdominal migraine. This type of migraine is often triggered by the same things that trigger the more conventional migraine headache.
If you suffer from debilitating migraines, you know the pain is not all in your mind. In fact, the cause may be in your gut. Recent research at the University of California San Diego suggests imbalances in gut bacteria may be to blame for at least some migraines.
An increasingly large body of evidence shows a clear gut-skin connection. Your digestive system and your skin respond in similar ways to body issues. In fact, skin conditions can indicate problems with your digestive tract.
Your digestive tract is full of bacteria that help break down the foods you eat. When bacteria in your intestines work against you rather than for your benefit, this is gut dysbiosis.
Chronic fatigue syndrome, known technically as myalgic encephalomyelitis, appears to be caused by any of several factors: infection, hormonal changes, issues with the immune system, or a combination of these. Intriguing new research points to an additional possibility: damage to mitochondria in living cells.
Acid reflux is on the rise around the world, and obesity appears to be the culprit. But it isn’t something you can beat with a temporary diet change.
Scientists have discovered an increasing body of evidence that shows gut flora can have a direct impact on the health of the brain.
