The Theory of Disappearing Microbiota and the Epidemics of Chronic Diseases.

In the present era, medical scientists have been confounded by the increasing incidence of multiple diseases across the world, beginning first in developed countries, and gradually spreading to other areas as they develop. These include the rises in cases of obesity, asthma, hay fever, food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile (type 1) diabetes and autism, among many others. Are these diseases, which affect different body systems, unrelated or can a unified theory explain the increased incidence of all of these?

I believe that the latter possibility is true, and that the central theory to explain why these diseases have arisen and by what mechanism is based on modern changes in early life events that are related to the human microbiome. According to this theory, the microbiome of humans and of other animals is not accidental, but has been selected over long time periods to optimize host reproductive success through interactions between the microbiota and host physiology. Early life is the crucial period during which the adult microbiome becomes established, and development of the host and of the microbiota occur together in a conjoined manner through a dynamic equilibrium that follows a well-choreographed path. In early life, the context is set for the important developmental decisions that are required for the immune system to distinguish between what is self and what is not self, for metabolic organs to partition how much energy to expend or to save, and for the brain to determine how to respond socially to a person who might be either a friend or a foe.

Read more: The theory of disappearing microbiota and the epidemics of chronic diseases

Figure 1: A model for the interaction of the inherited microbiota with
early life immunological development in past and present children.

Source: NATURE REVIEWS IMMUNOLOGY

Download in PDF

Why Cockroach Milk Is the New Health Obsession

Health freaks will go to extreme lengths in the name of nutrients (and staying one step ahead of the trend), but I'm not afraid to say it: The latest "superfood" is just plain gross.

Taking stomach-churning to a whole new level is cockroach milk, which is comprised of the nutrient-rich milk crystals found inside the Pacific Beetle cockroach. This species uses said protein crystals as food for cockroach infants, but new research suggests that it could be beneficial to humans, too, as it's one of the most nourishing and highly caloric substances on the planet. It boasts four times as much protein as cow's milk, but also contains essential amino acids that promote cell growth, lipids that keep our bodies healthy, and sugars that fuel energy.

Read more: Why Cockroach Milk Is the New Health Obsession

Source: msn.com/en-ca/health/wellness

Watch: Cockroach Milk - The Next Superfood?

Liver Cancer Risk Influenced By Blood Selenium Levels

The risk of developing liver cancer may be significantly higher for people who have low levels of the nutrient selenium in their blood, suggests a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Selenium is a trace mineral present in soil, animal products, and plant-based foods, including seafood, Brazil nuts, organ meats, milk, and eggs.

The selenium content of food varies greatly, as it depends on how much of the element is in the plants animals consume, as well as how much is in the soil in which plants grow.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), selenium is essential for human health, with beneficial roles for reproduction, the immune system, and DNA synthesis.

Studies have also shown that selenium has antioxidant properties, meaning it can protect against oxidative stress - the process by which uncharged molecules called free radicals damage cells.

Read more: Liver Cancer Risk Influenced By Blood Selenium Levels

Low blood selenium levels may put people at greater risk of liver cancer.

Source: medicalnewstoday

MCQ 8. A Pregnant Woman with a Lactase Deficiency

MCQ 8. A pregnant woman who has a lactase deficiency and cannot tolerate milk in her diet is concerned that she will not be able to produce milk of sufficient caloric value to nourish her baby. 

What should she be advised?

a. She must eat pure galactose in order to produce the galactose moiety of lactose.

b. She will not be able to breast feed her baby because she cannot produce lactose.

c. Production of lactose by mammary glands do not require ingestion of milk or milk products.

d. She can produce lactose by degrading alpha-lactalbumin.

e. She must eat pure fructose which will be converted to galactose moiety of lactose.

Answers

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