Gut Bacteria And The Brain: Are We Controlled By Microbes?

Although the interaction between our brain and gut has been studied for years, its complexities run deeper than initially thought. It seems that our minds are, in some part, controlled by the bacteria in our bowels.

The gut has defenses against pathogens, but, at the same time, it encourages the survival and growth of "healthy" gut bacteria.

The vast majority of these single-celled visitors are based in the colon, where no less than 1 trillion reside in each gram of intestinal content.

Estimating the number of bacterial guests in our gut is challenging; to date, the best guess is that 40 trillion bacteria call our intestines home - partially dependent on the size of your last bowel movement (poop's major ingredient is bacteria).

Read more: Gut Bacteria And The Brain: Are We Controlled By Microbes?

How much sway can a microbe hold? Bacterial influence over human psychology is slowly coming
into focus.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Male Birth Control Shot Shows Promise

When it comes to birth control methods, women have more options than ever before. However, for men, the choice is limited to condoms, withdrawal, and vasectomy. A new study - published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism - has established that a male birth control shot is effective at preventing pregnancy.

In the last 40 years, studies have demonstrated that reversible hormonal suppression of spermatogenesis - the process of sperm cell development - in men can prevent pregnancies in their female partners, although the commercial development of the product has been stalled.

In previous studies, testosterone management in men demonstrated birth control efficacy comparable with female methods. However, participants had to be given much greater doses than are typically found in the body and the method caused long-term adverse effects in healthy men.

While giving progesterone alongside can reduce the dose of testosterone, there have been few studies that have evaluated the efficacy and safety of such a combination. With 40 percent of all pregnancies worldwide unintended in 2012, better birth control options are required for men.

Read more: Male Birth Control Shot Shows Promise

The male birth control shot may provide more choice for controlling male fertility in the future.

Source: MedicalNewsToday

Cancer: Shutting Down Fat Synthesis In Cancer Cells Stunts Tumor Growth

Tumors have a voracious appetite for fat and rely on hastened fat synthesis in cancer cells to satisfy their need. Now, a new study shows it is possible to use drugs to shut down fat synthesis in cancer cells to stunt tumor growth without harming healthy cells.

A report on the study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

The discovery - by researchers at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA, and collaborators - represents a new frontier in the search for targeted treatments against cancer, a leading cause of disease and premature death worldwide.

Read more: Cancer: Shutting Down Fat Synthesis In Cancer Cells Stunts Tumor Growth

The researchers found cells treated with a placebo produced more fat (red, on left) than cells treated

with the enzyme inhibitor (right). Image credit: Salk Institute

Source: medicalnewstoday

Five Signs Of Hormone Imbalance You Shouldn't Ignore

Be vigilant of these five signs of hormonal imbalance, from poor sleep to chronic acne.

Hormones affect everyone from birth to death, yet the word has a negative connotation. Most people use "raging hormones" to explain teenage angst, or "hormonal" to describe PMS in women, and maybe for good reason: hormonal symptoms have a lot to do with our lifestyle, diet, and environment.

Hormone problems are very common, so feeling like we're experiencing a hormonal balance, or a fluctuation in hormones, is not unusual.

Read more: Five Signs Of Hormone Imbalance You Shouldn't Ignore

Source: MedicalDaily

Watch video: 'Super Growth' Chickens Raised on High Hormone Quantities

Ten Interesting Facts About Body Temperature

Body temperature can be affected by various circumstances

In order to maintain a healthy metabolic process, our enzymes need to be functioning at a certain optimal temperature – 37°C or 98.6°F. Body temperature is the balance between heat loss and heat production.

Fortunately, we are able to maintain a healthy body temperature regardless of external outside temperature. For instance, putting a jacket on if you are cold or taking off your sweater if you feel yourself getting warm.

Read more: Ten Interesting Facts About Body Temperature

Source: TheActiveTimes

Watch Video: Ten Interesting Facts About Body

Breast milk hormones found to impact bacterial development in infants' guts

Intestinal microbiome of children born to obese mothers significantly different from those born to mothers of healthy weight

A new study finds that hormones in breast milk may impact the development of healthy bacteria in infants' guts, potentially protecting them from intestinal inflammation, obesity and other diseases later in life.

The study, published Monday in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examines the role of human milk hormones in the development of infants' microbiome, a bacterial ecosystem in the digestive system that contributes to multiple facets of health.

"This is the first study of its kind to suggest that hormones in human milk may play an important role in shaping a healthy infant microbiome," said Bridget Young, co-first author and assistant professor of pediatric nutrition at CU Anschutz. "We've known for a long time that breast milk contributes to infant intestinal maturation and healthy growth. This study suggests that hormones in milk may be partly responsible for this positive impact through interactions with the infant's developing microbiome."

Researchers found that levels of insulin and leptin in the breast milk were positively associated with greater microbial diversity and families of bacteria in the infants' stool.

Read more: Breast milk hormones found to impact bacterial development in infants' guts

A new study examined the role of human milk hormones in the development of infants' microbiome

Source: ricardoferrando/Fotolia

Lab-grown sperm makes healthy offspring

Sperm have been made in the laboratory and used to father healthy baby mice in a pioneering move that could lead to infertility treatments.

The Chinese research took a stem cell, converted it into primitive sperm and fertilised an egg to produce healthy pups.

The study, in the Journal Cell Stem Cell, showed they were all healthy and grew up to have offspring of their own.

Experts said it was a step towards human therapies.

It could ultimately help boys whose fertility is damaged by cancer treatment, infections such as mumps or those with defects that leave them unable to produce sperm.

Sperm factory

Making sperm in the testes is one of the longest and most complicated processes in the body - taking more than a month from start to finish in most mammals.

Read more: Lab-grown sperm makes healthy offspring

Source: bbc