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Microscopic view of gut mucosa with microorganisms

The Gut Microbiome and Diet: What Do We Actually Know?

The gut microbiome has become one of the fastest-growing areas of nutrition science. We now know that the microorganisms in the gut are not merely passive inhabitants of the digestive system. They break down certain components of food, produce a range of substances, and take part in complex interactions with the human body.

  • GLP-1 at the Center of Modern Medicine

    Until a few years ago, GLP-1 was a term encountered mainly in textbooks on physiology, endocrinology, and diabetes.

  • Protein and Age

    Dietary protein does far more than maintain muscle. The amino acids it provides are involved in the continual synthesis and renewal of proteins throughout the body.

  • Sweeteners

    In recent years, dessert aisles have changed. Protein bars, chocolate, cookies, puddings, and ice cream are increasingly marketed as “no added sugar,” “low in sugar,” or as healthier alternatives to traditional desserts.

  • Insulin Resistance

    Insulin resistance is a state of reduced biological responsiveness to insulin and contributes to the development of several metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes.

  • Does Metabolism Slow with Age?

    In 2021, an international team examined whether metabolism slows with age by analyzing energy expenditure in 6,421 people from 29 countries. The youngest participant was eight days old and the oldest was 95.

  • Ultra-Processed Foods: Why Might They Make Us Eat More?

    In 2019, twenty people spent four weeks at a research center in the United States, where every meal they ate was provided by the scientists.

  • A Probiotic Is More Than a “Good Bacterium”: Why Strain Matters

    The word “probiotic” is often used as though it simply means beneficial bacteria. Labels promise “10 billion,” “20 strains,” “microbiome support,” or “immune support,” making it easy to assume that all probiotics do broadly the same thing.

  • Can a DNA Test Tell Us What to Eat?

    Today, consumer genetic tests can produce reports on how genetic variants are associated with caffeine metabolism, lactose digestion, levels of certain nutrients, body weight, and other traits. Some companies go further, turning genetic results into recommendations on diet, supplements, or weight management.

  • FODMAPs: What Are They and Why Can They Trigger Gut Symptoms?

    Onions, apples, milk, legumes, wheat, garlic, and pears may seem like very different foods. Yet all of them can contain carbohydrates that belong to the FODMAP group.

  • The Gut Microbiome and Diet: What Do We Actually Know?

    The gut microbiome has become one of the fastest-growing areas of nutrition science. We now know that the microorganisms in the gut are not merely passive inhabitants of the digestive system. They break down certain components of food, produce a range of substances, and take part in complex interactions with the human body.

  • Why Two Identical Meals Can Produce Different Responses

    Nutrition advice often sounds as though the same food should affect everyone in the same way. Human physiology is more complex.