Digestion News and Research

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Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breaking down of food into smaller components, to a form that can be absorbed, for instance, into a blood stream. Digestion is a form of catabolism; a break-down of macro food molecules to smaller ones.

Bayesian neural networks advance understanding of gut microbe metabolism

Gut bacteria are known to be a key factor in many health-related concerns. However, the number and variety of them is vast, as are the ways in which they interact with the body's chemistry and each other.

7 Jul 2025

Study elucidates relationship between Type 2 diabetes and salivary enzyme gene

A new Cornell University study brings additional clarity to the relationship between Type 2 diabetes and genes that express a salivary enzyme that breaks down starch.

4 Jul 2025

Global effort enters an active growth phase to preserve the Earth's microbial heritage

A global effort to create a "microbial Noah's Ark" to preserve the world's diverse collection of healthy microbes before they disappear is now entering an active growth phase.

27 Jun 2025

Use of sleep heart rate patterns to forecast diabetes risk in pregnancy

This study highlights the potential of heart rate variability as an early indicator of gestational diabetes, facilitating proactive healthcare in pregnancy.

23 Jun 2025

Study links sleep heart rate variability to stroke and depression risk

New research, presented today at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025, has uncovered a powerful link between nighttime heart rhythm and future health conditions, even in people with no obvious sleep problems.

20 Jun 2025

Time-restricted feeding restores microbial rhythms and boosts metabolism

The gut microbiome, a vast assortment of bacteria and other microorganisms that inhabit our digestive system, plays a critical role in converting food into energy.

19 Jun 2025

Immune tolerance to gut microbes depends on ancient protein STING

Thousands of bacterial and other microbial species live in the human gut, supporting healthy digestion, immunity, metabolism and other functions.

16 Jun 2025

A revolutionary drug for extreme hunger offers clues to obesity’s complexity

Ali Foley Shenk still remembers the panic when her 10-year-old son, Dean, finished a 20-ounce box of raisins in the seconds the cupboard was left unlocked. They rushed to the emergency room, fearing a dangerous bowel impaction.

16 Jun 2025

Eating more fruits and vegetables associated with better sleep quality

From counting sheep to white noise and weighted blankets, people have tried innumerable ways to get a good night's sleep.

12 Jun 2025

Maternal exposure to metals rewires infants’ gut and resistance genes

Prenatal exposure to trace elements like selenium, copper, and arsenic can significantly alter the infant gut microbiome, metabolism, and antibiotic resistance gene patterns. These changes appear as early as three months and evolve during the first year of life.

5 Jun 2025

Back-to-basics, 'not fad' diets beat heart disease and diabetes

This review examines dietary interventions that can improve cardiometabolic health, highlighting the role of whole foods in reducing heart disease and diabetes.

4 Jun 2025

Fine particulate matter exposure may alter pregnancy outcomes

A new study by Emory University researchers, published Thursday in Environmental Science & Technology, found that exposure to the tiny particles in air pollution during pregnancy can disrupt maternal metabolisms, altering key biological pathways.

3 Jun 2025

Next-generation hydrogel supports regeneration of salivary gland-like tissue

Salivary glands play an essential role in protecting oral health by secreting saliva to aid in digestion, speech, and immunity.

30 May 2025

Scientists boost black cabbage’s health benefits with targeted fermentation

Controlled fermentation of black cabbage using specific bacterial and yeast starters enhanced its antioxidant, polyphenol, and amino acid content, while ensuring food safety and improving sensory qualities. Yeast-fermented pressed cabbage achieved the highest nutritional gains, with both starter cultures and pressing technique playing key roles in maximizing health-promoting benefits.

28 May 2025

Understanding cow’s milk allergy in breastfed infants

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) affects up to 2.2% of infants, with a complex interplay of immunological mechanisms, allergen transfer via breast milk, and variable responses to maternal elimination diets. Current evidence challenges the routine use of maternal dietary restrictions, highlighting the need for precise diagnosis and further research.

27 May 2025

Abdominal fat emerges as independent risk factor for psoriasis in women

Researchers have found that central body fat, especially around the abdomen, is more strongly linked to psoriasis risk than total body fat, particularly in women.

27 May 2025

Eating kombu daily enhances gut health and heart markers in men

A 12-week randomized trial found that daily intake of boiled kombu (Laminaria japonica) powder reduced body fat and raised adiponectin in Japanese men, while improving blood pressure and gut microbiota in both sexes. No significant effects were seen in women for body fat reduction or adiponectin.

20 May 2025

New fruit fly study shows the whole-body impact of Alzheimer’s disease

While Alzheimer's disease is mostly considered a disorder of the brain, emerging evidence suggests that the condition also affects other organs of the body.

16 May 2025

‘Cell line atlas’ can help better understand biliary tract cancer biology

Advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) includes cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder carcinoma, and ampullary carcinoma. BTC is a rare and aggressive group of cancers, carrying one of the worst prognoses in all of oncology.

12 May 2025

Study shows cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RAs in patients following bariatric surgery

Medications like semaglutide and liraglutide may help to reduce the risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) as well as death in adults with obesity and diabetes following bariatric surgery who did not achieve sufficient weight loss and diabetes control, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain.

12 May 2025