It has been widely reported that auto-immune diseases, including Type-1 Diabetes, are on the rise world-wide. In an auto-immune disease, the immune system goes awry and launches an attack against the person’s own cells, misidentifying them as a threat to attack. So why is it that in our developed world, where we have better access […]
What is a Baby’s Microbiome and Why Should Expectant Mothers Care?
My mother’s generation, who gave birth during the 1950’s and 1960’s, had a less-stressful, less-worrisome time of it than those of us giving birth in the 21st century. A parenting book in the 1950’s actually advises expectant mothers to limit themselves to only two highball cocktails a night! Whereas we are given strict prohibitions on […]
How Bacteria Cause, Prevent and Cure Vaginal Infections
As a woman, knowing that there is a multitude of bacteria inhabiting my vagina used to make me feel squeamish. However, upon learning that the majority of the bacteria typically found “down there” are health-promoting rather than disease causing, I have learned to appreciate them. Good vaginal bacteria help to keep us disease free. Bad […]
Allergies: A First World Problem with a Bacterial Solution?
The rates and severities of allergies have risen very quickly over the last twenty years and are much more prevalent in the industrialized world than they are elsewhere. Some estimates have stated as many as one in five Americans has some sort of allergic condition. The current prevailing scientific theory is that changes to the […]
6 Ways We Can Upset Bacterial Balance in Our Guts
There’s mounting evidence that maintaining a healthy ecosystem of gut bacteria in our microbiome can have a wide range of health benefits. And there are many things we can do (and eat) to help create and maintain a favorable composition of gut bacteria. But, how do our microbiomes get out of whack in the first […]
C-section babies missing crucial gut bacteria, study finds
Published: February 11, 2013 Author: Paul Taylor Source: The Globe and Mail Experts Cited: Dr. Anita Kozyrskyj, Dr. Meghan Azad Bacterium Named: Bacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella, Clostridium difficile Condition: asthma, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, food allergies, obesity Our Take:This article is an overview of the research published by Dr. Kozyrskyj and Dr. Azad who studied the […]