The mutualistic (friendly) bacteria in our gut is vital for defences against infections because it works in concert our immune system to kill and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. For sometime it has been proposed stress can alter the populations of friendly bacteria leading to vulnerability to acute or chronic infections and inflammation. People with Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis have significantly different bacteria populations to healthy people , but scientists are still not sure how much the alterations of gut bacteria has to do with the progression of these diseases. This study below… Read more Stress alters our gut microbiome leading to increased colonic inflammation during infections. →
Christmas is over and for some it was time to enjoy the food and drink in plenty! Unfortunately it may have left you with some digestion problems and you may find yourself reaching in your pocket to use your new prescription of PPIs or an over-the-counter brand. The Christmas holidays is a common time to experience reflux , heartburn and indigestion. Many people will choose this class of drug to provide fast relief. However PPIs were never intended to be taken long term or for mild reflux. The OTC drugs were originally… Read more The Pros and cons of PPIs (Anti-acid drugs) →
It may not be commonly known by the general public but radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer is not as effective as we would have hoped. In fact it is now understood that radiotherapy is not consistently eradicating 100% of the prostate cancer and instead leaving behind cancer stem cells . Cancer stem cells are necessary to form new tumours and when these are left circulating in the body it increases the likelihood of the cancer returning. Until now the reasons why stems cells resist radiotherapy have not been understood. A recent… Read more Prostate Cancer stems cells resist radiation and we now might know why →
It’s Movember this month and in many countries men are asked to think about their health, to learn more about prostate cancer and to help each other live a healthy… Read more Research shows exercise improves Quality of life for men who have prostate cancer with bone metastasis →
Source : Citya.m.com Maybe it’s time to take note of this list published by the The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges in London. It might help next time you find yourself or your doctor… Read more UK Doctors list non-beneficial medical treatments →
Melbourne is the Allergy capital of the world. Some Australian health experts say this is because of an obsession with hygiene and food allergies. The FDA recently banned antibacterial soap products and we need to ban them here too. These useless products provide no benefit and cause harm to our microbiome. Unfortunately product marketing has played on a fear of bacteria without providing a scientific context and instead making us believe we need to protect ourselves from bacteria. In reality bacteria is everywhere and only a few percent are harmful. This… Read more Bacteria is everywhere does that make the “five second rule” nonsense? This MD thinks so →
There is evidence that Vitamin D Deficiency is associated with Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease. Vitamin D supplementation is recommended to protect against progression of MS. In a study published in 2013, in JAMA Neurology the researchers found that higher serum 25(OH)D levels in the first 12 months predicted reduced MS activity and a slower rate of MS progression. By the end of the follow-up at 5 years, participants with serum 25(OH)D concentrations of at least 50 nmol/L (20-ng/mL, a moderate level) had significantly fewer new active lesions, a slower increase… Read more How Vitamin D can help manage Multiple Sclerosis by protecting the nervous system. →
It seems the idea that gluten is bad for us has become so mainstream that it is just accepted as a fact when it is not. Celiac disease is the only disease caused by intolerance of gluten and it involves a severe immune reaction to any gluten that reaches the intestines. There are specific tests for this disease and there is a genetic component. Here in Australia celiac affects 1 in 70 people ,which is less than 2% of the population. However it is believed many people remained undiagnosed. For… Read more Gluten Sensitivity is not a disease it is a result of changes in your gut →
