Page 19 - Florida Sentinel 4-23-21

Health
UNHEALTHY BALANCE
GUT BACTERIA AND YOUR HEART
Some kinds of gut bacteria may be part of the link cholesterol has to heart disease. When you eat foods like red meat or eggs, those bacteria make a chemical that your liver turns into something called TMAO (trimethylamine-N- oxide). TMAO may help choles- terol build up in your blood vessels. Researchers are studying a natural substance called DMB that’s in olive and grapeseed oil. They think it might keep your bac- teria from making TMAO.
GUT BACTERIA AND YOUR BRAIN
Your brain sends messages all over your body. Researchers be- lieve your gut may talk back. Stud- ies show that the balance of bacteria in the gut microbiome may affect your emotions and the way your brain processes infor- mation from your senses, like sights, sounds, flavors, or textures.
Scientists suspect that changes in that balance may play a role in conditions like autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, and depression, as well as chronic pain.
HELPFUL GERMS
You have many bacteria in your body. In fact, you have more of them than you have cells. Most are good for you. The ones found in your gut not only help you di- gest foods, they work all over your body and can be good for your physical and mental health
GUT MICROBIOME
This is home base for the bac- teria in your digestive tract. Here, they help you break down food and turn nutrients into things your body can use. They stop growing when they run out of food, so you'll only have what you need.
FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT
In the gut microbiome, the “good” bacteria do more than just help with digestion. They help keep your “bad” bacteria in check. They multiply so often that the unhealthy kind don't have space to grow. When you have a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut, it’s called equilibrium.
GUT BACTERIA AND YOUR KIDNEYS
Too much TMAO also may lead to chronic kidney disease. People who have the disease don’t get rid of TMAO like they should. That surplus can lead to heart dis- ease. Researchers think it’s possi- ble that too much TMAO might make you more likely to have chronic kidney disease in the first place.
teria in the gut microbiome.
Studies have found that if you have too much of a certain kind of bad bacte- ria in your gut microbiome, you're more likely to have:
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Researchers are looking into new
treatments for them that target the bac-
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