Fiber, Gut Microbes, and Inflammation
When you consider that the human colon houses many trillions of bacteria, you have to wonder at the immune system's complexity. The intestinal lining houses the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT),…
Antibiotic Use in Children Alters Gut Balance and is Linked to IBD Development
Childhood inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has doubled over the last ten years. That statistic alone clues us in to the fact that environmental factor(s), at least in part, lead to…
Antibiotics, PPIs, and Low-Fiber Diet Set the Stage for C. difficile infection
Four weeks ago I began a blog series on the effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on the development of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, a bacterial infection that has become more…
Finally! The Appendix Gets Recognition
Notable News - I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that we don’t need our appendix and that it has no function. Now don’t get me wrong, I…