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.

New method reveals how microbial communities function in our bodies

In the last decade, scientists have made tremendous progress in understanding that groups of bacteria and viruses that naturally coexist throughout the human body play an important role in some vital functions like digestion, metabolism and even fighting off diseases. But understanding just how they do it remains a question.

11 Dec 2019

Researchers show how the ductal system connecting digestive organs is formed

A specialized system of ducts transports bile and enzymes from the liver and pancreas to the intestine. In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have shown how this ductal system is formed. The new knowledge can help understanding how congenital diseases in that part of the body arise.

3 Dec 2019

Research shows how gut microbes affect stomach flu

A new study shows that gut microbes can modulate the severity of norovirus infection (the stomach flu, or the winter vomiting bug), based on the gut location first affected. Published in the journal Nature Microbiology on November 25, 2019, the study indicates new possibilities to treat norovirus infection.

26 Nov 2019

Hops compounds may combat metabolic syndrome by changing the gut microbiome

Compounds from hops may combat metabolic syndrome by changing the gut microbiome and altering the metabolism of acids produced in the liver, new research at Oregon State University suggests.

26 Nov 2019

Gut microbes can tamp down or boost the severity of norovirus infection

The highly contagious norovirus causes diarrhea and vomiting and is notorious for spreading rapidly through densely populated spaces, such as cruise ships, nursing homes, schools and day care centers. Each year, it is responsible for some 200,000 deaths, mostly in the developing world.

25 Nov 2019

Discovery enables strategies to be developed for preventing malaria transmission

The bacteria that form the gut microbiota influence important processes of the human body, such as digestion, nutrient absorption, and defense against pathogens. The same type of relationship is present in most animals, including in the Anhopheles darlingi mosquito, the main vector of malaria in Brazil.

22 Nov 2019

Breakthrough therapy could improve health and survival in people with cystic fibrosis

Researchers at the Children's Hospital Colorado Breathing Institute, one of the largest cystic fibrosis clinical care centers in the U.S., are part of a Therapeutics Development Network that oversaw clinical trials leading to FDA approval of TRIKAFTA, a new, highly-effective CF treatment for people with CF 12 years of age and older.

20 Nov 2019

Cleveland Clinic receives NIH grant to study link between gut microbes, cardiometabolic diseases

The National Institutes of Health has awarded more than $12 million to Cleveland Clinic researchers to study the critical link between gut microbial pathways and the development of cardiometabolic diseases.

19 Nov 2019

Lab Innovations 2019 achieves record breaking numbers

Lab Innovations celebrated its 8th edition on 30 & 31 October 2019, trumping all records for the event. Attracting 3,860 attendees - an impressive 24% increase on the previous year - this makes it the largest Lab Innovations to date.

From Lab Innovations 15 Nov 2019

Machine learning algorithm predicts life expectancy in heart failure patients

When Avi Yagil, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Physics at University of California San Diego flew home from Europe in 2012, he thought he had caught a cold from his travels. When a "collection of pills" did not improve his symptoms, his wife encouraged him to see a doctor.

13 Nov 2019

Exercise causes changes to some of the body's metabolites, research finds

New research finds that exercise causes changes to some of the body's metabolites - small molecules the body produces during metabolism.

7 Nov 2019

Plant-based meals are heart-healthy, popular with students

Vegan school lunches contain triple the amount of heart-healthy fiber found in standard entrées, according to a new case study published in The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management. Fiber is an important nutrient that not only aids heart health, but also boosts digestion, weight loss, and cancer prevention.

4 Nov 2019

Abnormal gut microbiome in premature infants associated with growth faltering

The more abnormal the microbiome in NICU infants, the more likely they are to experience stunted growth even at 4 years of age.

4 Nov 2019

A type of gut bacteria may increase risk of bowel cancer

People with a certain type of bacteria in their guts may be more likely to develop bowel cancer.

4 Nov 2019

Certain gut bacteria can increase the risk of bowel cancer, shows study

People who have a certain type of bacteria in their guts may be at greater risk of developing bowel cancer.

3 Nov 2019

Tumour conversion of glial cells when exposed to bowel cancer secretions

A new study has shown that glial cells of the gut (part of the enteric nervous system) when exposed to secretions from colon cancer cells are convert into tumours themselves. These altered glial cells then convert into promoters of tumours said the study researchers.

31 Oct 2019

Common things you need to know about pancreatitis

The pancreas is an important part of the digestive system that converts the food we eat into fuel for the body's cells. Responsible for two main functions, the pancreas helps digestion and regulates blood sugar. However, the pancreas can become inflamed, which causes pancreatitis to occur.

31 Oct 2019