probiotics – BioQuakes

I Can’t Sleep Because of… My Gut?

On November 10, 2018

The Issue at Hand:

Unfortunately, the following scenario is all too common for some of us: We lie in bed, eyes closed, pacing our breath, all in a failed attempt to fall asleep. We periodically check our alarm clock, only to see the time get later and later. 2:30 a.m.? How could it be?! Well fellow reader, as Kate Leaver points out in her article ‘Could it be your gut keeping you awake at night?,’ there is a potential (and perhaps surprising) explanation to such restlessness… microbes.

So What Exactly Are Microbes?

In essence, microbes are microorganisms, such as bacteria. There are trillions in the small intestine alone. Despite their microscopic size, they have the ability to impact mood, digestion, and, as previously mentioned, sleep.

Above is an image of gut microbes. (Credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories)

Ongoing Studies:

As Matt Walker, the director of the Center of Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, points out: “…we don’t fully understand yet…the role of the microbiome in sleep.” However, various studies are currently exploring this phenomenon. Among these include a study conducted by scientists at the University of Colorado, which links microbes and quality of sleep by utilizing both probiotics (i.e. live bacteria) and prebiotics (i.e. carbohydrates such as fiber). Essentially, probiotics and prebiotics supplement the ‘good’ bacteria/microbes in our guts. In fact, after taking supplements for five days, insomniac Dr. Michael Mosley calculated that his time awake in bed decreased drastically from 21% to a mere 8%. Other sleep experts, such as clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Breus, attest to the link between sleep and microbes. Dr. Beus believes that, “…the microbial ecosystem may affect sleep and sleep-related physiological functions in a number of different ways: shifting circadian rhythms, altering the body’s sleep-wake cycle, affecting hormones that regulate sleep and wakefulness.” Finally, Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, points out how people with depression and people with poor sleeping schedules often have, “…abnormal microbes in the gut.”

What to Do Going Forward?

Given that the aforementioned studies are ongoing, and thus lack solidity, it can be difficult to determine how to improve one’s sleeping schedule. However, Mr. Spector adamantly believes that a healthy diet is the key to eliminating sleep disturbances. More specifically, he proposes the consumption of ‘gut-friendly’ foods, which are unprocessed and high in fiber. These include, but are not limited to, berries, green tea, dark chocolate, nuts, and seeds. Hopefully, with these tips, along with future discoveries, you will find yourself fast asleep in no time!

Can Probiotics Cure Alzheimer’s?

By martochondria

On January 16, 2017

In Student Post

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PiB_PET_Images_AD.jpg

Research on how gut microbiota affects Alzheimer’s Disease, also called AD, has been done, and promising data collected. The only problem is that all of this data comes solely from research done on mice. There has been minimal research up to the present that was tested on actual people.

The closest thing to real-life research in this field, however, would be the research done by Dr. Mahmoud Salami, as reviewed by Gut Microbiota Research and Practice. Dr. Salami has collected data from a trial he is conducting in Iran. This trial consists of 60 people between the age 60 and 95. Now since we know that there has been minimal research on how gut microbiota effects Alzheimer’s, this work done by Dr. Salami is impressive.

Dr. Salami has found that a daily dose of probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria taken over 12 weeks may improve cognitive function in elderly Alzheimer’s patients. Although more research must be done to have more definitive answers, Dr. Salami’s research opens up even more of a reason to human testing to be done.

Countless research has been done on how where one lives can affect there health, so wouldn’t it be interesting to see if data, similar to Dr. Salami’s, collected in varying locations throughout the world may provide varying results due to the location the participant calls their home?

Could drinking milk reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s?

By charwintheory

On November 28, 2016

In Student Post

While it may seem like a stretch, researchers have recently discovered a link between probiotics, or good bacteria, in our intestinal tracts and neurological function. A study done at Kashan University of Medical Sciences and Azad University in Iran has revealed that probiotics can improve cognition in those suffering with Alzheimer’s.

Many studies done in the past have shown that probiotics in mice have resulted in improved memory and learning as well as reduced depression, anxiety and OCD- related behaviors. These surprising findings have led scientists to be curious about weather or not humans would benefit in the same ways. Prior to this most recent study however, no research has been done on the effects of probiotics in human brains.

52 men and women between 60 and 95 years old with Alzheimer’s participated in this groundbreaking study. Half of the participants were randomly chosen to receive 200 ml of milk enriched with probiotic bacteria, while the other half were given untreated milk daily for 12 weeks. Prior to beginning the study, participants and were given a questionnaire testing cognitive function, which included tasks like repeating a phrase, giving the current date and naming objects. While these may seem like simple tasks to us, patients suffering with Alzheimer’s have great difficulty completing such actions.

Over the course of the 12-week study, the participants were repeatedly given the same questionnaire. The scores of the group who received the enriched milk increase significantly, averaging from an initial 8.7 increasing to 10.6 out of 30, while the scores of the group that received the un-enriched milk mostly remained the same or decreased.

While this area of research is still in its primary stages, the findings of this study helped us discover an important connection between the gastrointestinal tract and neurological function, as well as how probiotics have a direct effect on cognition. Researchers have hope that further study can reveal more about the affects of probiotic on Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions.

Probiotics: The Real Brain Food

By simeiosis

On November 28, 2016

In Student Post

While it is nearly common knowledge that probiotics give partial protection against certain colds, allergies, infectious diarrheas, and other health issues, scientists were not able to prove until recently that probiotics can potentially improve cognition. This is possible since there is communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain via the nervous system, the immune system, and hormones.

Scientists have seen that in mice, probiotics have caused an improvement in learning and memory. Researchers from Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, and Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, completed a double-blind experiment where 52 men and women with Alzheimers (between 60 and 95 years old) either received milk enriched with four probiotic bacteria, or untreated milk. As predicted by several researchers, by the end of the 12 week period, those who received the milk with Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. fermentum, and Bifidobacterium Bifidum displayed an improvement in cognition. To determine these results of the study, the scientists asked the participants of the study to complete tasks such as giving the current date, repeating a phrase, and counting backwards from 100 by sevens. Those who received the probiotics earned a “score” on these tasks ranging from 8.7 to 10.6 on the scale out of 30, whereas the participants who did not receive the probiotics scored slightly lower ranging from 8.5 to 8.0. Despite the seemingly minute difference, these results provide scientists with an insight as to the fact that probiotics can improve human cognition.

In the near future, scientists hope to test these results based on longevity of their intake to test whether or not the effects of probiotics grows throughout prolonged treatment. The patients who received the probiotics also demonstrated lower levels of triglyceride, Very Loy Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), high sensitivity C-Reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the blood of the Alzheimer patients, and a reduction in two common measures of insulin resistance and the activity of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. These results also signify that this change in metabolic adjustments might be a way that the probiotics impacts other cognitive and neurological disorders.

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: probiotics

I Can’t Sleep Because of… My Gut?

Can Probiotics Cure Alzheimer’s?

Could drinking milk reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s?

Probiotics: The Real Brain Food

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