Probiotics Can be Bad for You

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Probiotics are the bacteria found in our intestines used to break down and separate foods in order to get the nutrients to our body. This type of bacteria is beneficial and essential for our bodies. We all naturally obtain probiotics before and after birth. We also get probiotics from yogurt and special supplements. Many people think probiotic supplements are healthy if taken moderately; however, recent studies have shown they can actually be bad for you.

Using a new technology called organ-on-a-chip, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have found that probiotics can be detrimental to a person’s body if they have inflammation in their intestines (gut inflammation). Organ-on-a-chip is a microchip lined with cell tissue. It is able to perform the same functions as the organ it is modeling but in a controlled environment. In this case, the organ is the intestine. The engineers who made the chip found that probiotics had a harmful effect when the gut barrier was compromised. They found that the probiotics that have a positive effect in the intestine have a negative effect when they reach other parts of the body. This was the first organ-on-a-chip model that showed how a disease develops in an organ. Researchers plan to make other customized organ-on-a-chip models that show the development of other intestinal diseases such as colorectal cancer.

Sources:

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20181025/Probiotics-can-cause-more-harm-than-good-when-gut-barrier-is-damaged.aspx

Walking More can Lower Chances of Stroke

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Surprisingly enough, walking or even jogging regularly can reduce the severity of a stroke if a person ever got one. A study was conducted by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. In this study, a large group of over 700 elderly patients admitted to the university hospital who have a mild stroke had the severity recorded. The severity was measured using a standard system that included observing the arms, legs, behavior and posture of the individual. After that, they were asked if they were physically active or not. About 52.5% of them said they were inactive. It was found that the individuals who said they were moderately active had lower severities of stroke. The purpose of this study was t0 find a link between physical activity and stroke severity in order to reduce the occurence of strokes in Sweden.

Source:

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20181012/Individuals-who-walk-regularly-have-reduced-risk-of-severe-stroke.aspx

Image from strokeconnection.strokeassociation.org