Tag Archives: Immune system

Humans are creatures of habit - we tend to wake up, feel hungry, and fall asleep at the same time every day. We owe this tendency to our circadian rhythms - 24 hour cycles that are present in the biological processes of most living beings. These cycles are generated by “clock genes,” which influence most of our organs and cells,…

Megan Mouw
Megan Mouw holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from McGill University (Canada). Driven by her experiences at UCSF medical center in San Francisco, Megan is passionate about the role that the gut microbiota plays in maintaining health and wellness. She is currently perusing graduate studies in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz and hopes to share her love of science through writing.

Humans are creatures of habit - we tend to wake up, feel hungry, and fall asleep at the same time every day. We owe this tendency to our circadian rhythms - 24 hour cycles that are present in the biological processes of most living beings. These cycles are generated by “clock genes,” which influence most of our organs and cells,…

Megan Mouw
Megan Mouw holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from McGill University (Canada). Driven by her experiences at UCSF medical center in San Francisco, Megan is passionate about the role that the gut microbiota plays in maintaining health and wellness. She is currently perusing graduate studies in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz and hopes to share her love of science through writing.

How do sports impact our gut microbiota? We know that diet affects our overall health. We also know that exercise does the same: It affects our immune system and gut permeability, also has anti-inflammatory effects. Professor Paul Cotter, an investigator at APC Microbiome Ireland, studies the microbiome of professional athletes to identify the relationship between specific sports and microbiome changes.…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

How do sports impact our gut microbiota? We know that diet affects our overall health. We also know that exercise does the same: It affects our immune system and gut permeability, also has anti-inflammatory effects. Professor Paul Cotter, an investigator at APC Microbiome Ireland, studies the microbiome of professional athletes to identify the relationship between specific sports and microbiome changes.…

GMFH Editing Team
GMFH Editing Team

We all know that probiotics are beneficial bacteria for our health. Moreover, to be considered probiotics, the strains used must have demonstrated their benefit in the host. You may have purchased fermented products containing probiotics sometimes in your life, but did you know that there are many probiotics and that, while they share some common properties, they differ in health…

Manon Oliero
Manon Oliero is starting her PhD about gut microbiota, nutrition and cancer at the CRCHUM of Montreal. Before, she specialized in the gut microbiota and nutrition field by obtaining a master’s degree in Paris in microbiology and a food and health engineer degree in Beauvais. She first meets the scientific communication world in Barcelona after her work on gut microbiota and diet at the VHIR. She is really concern about health of the population and believe that with a better diet and lifestyle we can all make ourselves healthier.

We all know that probiotics are beneficial bacteria for our health. Moreover, to be considered probiotics, the strains used must have demonstrated their benefit in the host. You may have purchased fermented products containing probiotics sometimes in your life, but did you know that there are many probiotics and that, while they share some common properties, they differ in health…

Manon Oliero
Manon Oliero is starting her PhD about gut microbiota, nutrition and cancer at the CRCHUM of Montreal. Before, she specialized in the gut microbiota and nutrition field by obtaining a master’s degree in Paris in microbiology and a food and health engineer degree in Beauvais. She first meets the scientific communication world in Barcelona after her work on gut microbiota and diet at the VHIR. She is really concern about health of the population and believe that with a better diet and lifestyle we can all make ourselves healthier.

Think about this: from the moment you are conceived until you are 1000 days old, your growth is exponential, faster than in any other period of life. For the first 9 months, you go from two cells to a newborn measuring 50cm in length and 3 kg weight. Then, between birth and 3 years of age, your body size doubles…

Cristina Sáez
Cristina Saez is a freelance science journalist. She works for several media, for instance the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, where she coordinates the science section, Big Vang; as well as research centres and scientific societies. She has been awarded for her journalistic work, among others, with the Boehringer Ingelheim Award in Medical Journalism 2015. Follow Cristina on Twitter @saez_cristina

Think about this: from the moment you are conceived until you are 1000 days old, your growth is exponential, faster than in any other period of life. For the first 9 months, you go from two cells to a newborn measuring 50cm in length and 3 kg weight. Then, between birth and 3 years of age, your body size doubles…

Cristina Sáez
Cristina Saez is a freelance science journalist. She works for several media, for instance the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, where she coordinates the science section, Big Vang; as well as research centres and scientific societies. She has been awarded for her journalistic work, among others, with the Boehringer Ingelheim Award in Medical Journalism 2015. Follow Cristina on Twitter @saez_cristina

Autoimmune diseases are on the rise, and findings from scientists like Dr. Charles Mackay point to the gut microbiota as a key player in this rise. Dr. Mackay, immunologist professor at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), describes autoimmune disease as a necessary evil. “On one hand, we need a robust immune system to defend our bodies against pathogens; on the other…

Megan Mouw
Megan Mouw holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from McGill University (Canada). Driven by her experiences at UCSF medical center in San Francisco, Megan is passionate about the role that the gut microbiota plays in maintaining health and wellness. She is currently perusing graduate studies in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz and hopes to share her love of science through writing.

Autoimmune diseases are on the rise, and findings from scientists like Dr. Charles Mackay point to the gut microbiota as a key player in this rise. Dr. Mackay, immunologist professor at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), describes autoimmune disease as a necessary evil. “On one hand, we need a robust immune system to defend our bodies against pathogens; on the other…

Megan Mouw
Megan Mouw holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from McGill University (Canada). Driven by her experiences at UCSF medical center in San Francisco, Megan is passionate about the role that the gut microbiota plays in maintaining health and wellness. She is currently perusing graduate studies in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz and hopes to share her love of science through writing.

Our gut interior is a vital and rich ecosystem containing billions of microorganisms which are in competition with one another for resources such as nutrients and space. In a healthy person, a delicate balance is maintained, with abundant good bacteria out-competing the disease-causing bad bacteria. When the bad bacteria start to take over however, this balance can become disrupted, leading…

Megan Mouw
Megan Mouw holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from McGill University (Canada). Driven by her experiences at UCSF medical center in San Francisco, Megan is passionate about the role that the gut microbiota plays in maintaining health and wellness. She is currently perusing graduate studies in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz and hopes to share her love of science through writing.

Our gut interior is a vital and rich ecosystem containing billions of microorganisms which are in competition with one another for resources such as nutrients and space. In a healthy person, a delicate balance is maintained, with abundant good bacteria out-competing the disease-causing bad bacteria. When the bad bacteria start to take over however, this balance can become disrupted, leading…

Megan Mouw
Megan Mouw holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from McGill University (Canada). Driven by her experiences at UCSF medical center in San Francisco, Megan is passionate about the role that the gut microbiota plays in maintaining health and wellness. She is currently perusing graduate studies in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz and hopes to share her love of science through writing.

Having a food sensitivity is life-altering. Avoiding a particular food or food component can be challenging and avoidance is currently our primary treatment option for this kind of condition. Given that one fifth of the population will be affected by food sensitivity in their lifetime, discovering alternatives to help manage them is critical. Food sensitivities have been increasing at a…

Andrea Hardy
Registered Dietitian, Andrea Hardy from Calgary, Canada specializes in gastrointestinal disorders and the gut microbiome. She is recognized as Canada’s gut health dietitian – educating health care professionals and the public on the pivotal role nutrition plays in gut health. You can find her at Ignite Nutrition, or on Twitter (@AndreaHardyRD).

Having a food sensitivity is life-altering. Avoiding a particular food or food component can be challenging and avoidance is currently our primary treatment option for this kind of condition. Given that one fifth of the population will be affected by food sensitivity in their lifetime, discovering alternatives to help manage them is critical. Food sensitivities have been increasing at a…

Andrea Hardy
Registered Dietitian, Andrea Hardy from Calgary, Canada specializes in gastrointestinal disorders and the gut microbiome. She is recognized as Canada’s gut health dietitian – educating health care professionals and the public on the pivotal role nutrition plays in gut health. You can find her at Ignite Nutrition, or on Twitter (@AndreaHardyRD).

The ability to distinguish between “self” and “non-self” is the hallmark of a healthy immune system. Immune cells must be able to recognize pathogenic “non-self” antigens (i.e. microbial pathogens) and mount an appropriate immune response while remaining quiescent towards “self” agents (i.e. commensal microbes) that are harmless to our health. Nowhere else in the human body is this process more…

Megan Mouw
Megan Mouw holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from McGill University (Canada). Driven by her experiences at UCSF medical center in San Francisco, Megan is passionate about the role that the gut microbiota plays in maintaining health and wellness. She is currently perusing graduate studies in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz and hopes to share her love of science through writing.

The ability to distinguish between “self” and “non-self” is the hallmark of a healthy immune system. Immune cells must be able to recognize pathogenic “non-self” antigens (i.e. microbial pathogens) and mount an appropriate immune response while remaining quiescent towards “self” agents (i.e. commensal microbes) that are harmless to our health. Nowhere else in the human body is this process more…

Megan Mouw
Megan Mouw holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from McGill University (Canada). Driven by her experiences at UCSF medical center in San Francisco, Megan is passionate about the role that the gut microbiota plays in maintaining health and wellness. She is currently perusing graduate studies in Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology at the University of California Santa Cruz and hopes to share her love of science through writing.

Our immune system fights pathogens, repairs wounded tissue and eliminates dead cells. It also acts to ensure we tolerate our own cells, food intake, and other environmental components, as well as the indigenous microbiota. In the presence of pathogenic invaders and other noxious insults, a resilient immune response is crucial to effectively eliminate the source of stimulation in a way…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados

Our immune system fights pathogens, repairs wounded tissue and eliminates dead cells. It also acts to ensure we tolerate our own cells, food intake, and other environmental components, as well as the indigenous microbiota. In the presence of pathogenic invaders and other noxious insults, a resilient immune response is crucial to effectively eliminate the source of stimulation in a way…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados

Other than gut microbiota's well-known functions, which include nutrient metabolism and absorption, xenobiotic and drug metabolism, and immune development, its role in protecting against pathogens has been poorly characterized. Previous research has identified some microbiota-mediated colonization resistance mechanisms, while little is known about whether microbial metabolites may also limit pathogen colonization. A new study, led by Dr. Denise Monack from…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados

Other than gut microbiota's well-known functions, which include nutrient metabolism and absorption, xenobiotic and drug metabolism, and immune development, its role in protecting against pathogens has been poorly characterized. Previous research has identified some microbiota-mediated colonization resistance mechanisms, while little is known about whether microbial metabolites may also limit pathogen colonization. A new study, led by Dr. Denise Monack from…

Andreu Prados
Andreu Prados holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy & Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Science writer specialised in gut microbiota and probiotics, working also as lecturer and consultant in nutrition and healthcare. Follow Andreu on Twitter @andreuprados