NPR article: Bacteria, Obesity and Diabetes

Can eating healthier change the possibility of developing diabetes? Obesity? Some scientists at Yale seem to think so.

Recently, NPR published a story about the bacteria in our bodies. It revealed that, although the genes our parents gave to us matter, they aren't the only genes that effect our health.

University of Chicago immunologist Alexander Chervonsky, with collaborators from Yale University, recently reported that doses of the right stomach bacteria can stop the development of type 1 diabetes in lab mice. "By changing who is living in our guts, we can prevent type 1 diabetes," he told The Wall Street Journal.

We already knew that probiotics (good bacteria/flora) are good for us. Why wouldn't a good environment in your tummy breed healthy digestion and nutrient absorption? Makes sense, right? But did you know that there are about 500 different types of bacteria in our stomachs and another 500 in our mouths? Good and bad bacteria exist all around us and inside of us, and can seriously effect our health and well being.

Bottom line: the less bacteria in our intestines, the healthier we'll be.

Biologist Jeffrey Gordon of Washington University in St. Louis became quite well known a few years ago for a group of very skinny mice in his lab. The mice were skinny because they had no bacteria in their intestines. Gordon had kept them completely bacteria-free. If a bacteria-free mouse eats, food passes right through the intestine, basically undigested. As soon as the "clean" mice (bacteria free) were exposed to "this big, bad, dirty world," (as Gibson calls it) "the mice suddenly turned their food into more calories and gained weight. So bacteria matter. Apparently, they can digest food far more efficiently."

My opinion? Take in as much healthy, friendly bacteria as possible (i.e. bio-K, probiotics) and see what works in YOUR body. Bacteria can either help us or hurt us. Make it work in your favor!

[caption id="attachment_685" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Large intestine"][/caption]

To get the whole story check it out here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95900616