This Halloween, we’re celebrating some microbes that sound scary but play a vital role in keeping us healthy. Behind their ghostly names lie fascinating stories of cooperation, balance, and invisible teamwork inside our gut.
Another reason to promote breastfeeding: It protects babies against antibiotic resistance
21 Oct 2025by Cristina Sáez
The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in children’s health, but factors such as cesarean birth and early antibiotic exposure can disrupt it. A new study shows that exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first month of life can help restore microbial balance and limit antibiotic resistance genes.
As the global population ages, scientists are increasingly focused on identifying lifestyle factors that not only prevent disease but also actively promote healthy aging. Recent studies are beginning to reveal the potential role of different dietary patterns in shaping the gut microbiome composition and their association with aging and health outcomes.
Differences in the gut microbiota in patients with IBD compared to healthy controls suggest that probiotics may be of help. This article takes an in-depth look into the rationale of using probiotics for IBD and summarizes the evidence from recent clinical guidelines for the use of probiotics in Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and pouchitis.
Exploring the microbiome with Joël Doré: protecting our microbial world
31 May 2023by GMFH Editing Team
Joël Doré's TEDx talk provides a compelling argument for why we need to pay attention to our gut microbiota and take steps to protect it. Discover the importance of the microbiome for human and planetary health through his fascinating presentation.
Our selection of the most popular content of the year is already a classic and a great way to remember the important advances and new developments in our knowledge about the gut microbiota. In the case of 2021, we have been witness to some interesting debates that reinforce the gut microbiome’s impact on overall health.
Thoughts about next-generation probiotics & postbiotics
6 Dec 2021by Mary Ellen Sanders, Patrice D. Cani
This article updates what is known in the field and how next-generation probiotics and postbiotics might impact on clinical practice in the foreseeable future.
Diet plays a key role in early life by modulating gut microbiota, thus affecting overall health
9 Jun 2021by Cristina Sáez
Numerous studies have been published on the impact of factors such as nutrition in early life, mode of delivery and antibiotic intake during this critical period and for future health. With that in mind, scientists have reviewed all the scientific data available on the impact of early life nutrition on the gut microbiota and the long-lasting effects on the brain.
How brain health affects gut microbiota health (and vice versa): What we have learned in 2020
20 Jan 2021by Cristina Sáez
A balanced gut microbiota is crucial for mental health. Learn more about how gut bacteria affect our central nervous system, even in the earliest stages of life, and how some scientists are trying to find ways of targeting the gut microbiome to improve or treat symptoms of neurological diseases.
What is the gut-brain connection? How do the gut and the brain ‘talk’ to each other? What is the role of gut bacteria? This interview with Prof. John Cryan answers these questions.
