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.

Sweet potato-fortified bread may help fight vitamin A deficiency in Africa

You won't find sweet potatoes growing in South Dakota fields, but sweet potato-fortified bread developed at South Dakota State University might help fight vitamin A deficiency in Africa.

27 Apr 2018

Western diets promote bacterial growth in the small intestine, increase fat digestion and absorption

A researcher at Midwestern University led a new study showing that Western diets, high in fat and simple sugar, promote the growth of bacteria in the small intestine that increase fat digestion and absorption.

27 Apr 2018

UA researchers aim to predict and prevent fatal disease in premature babies

A new $1.9 million grant at the University of Arizona Steele Children's Research Center will help researchers discover ways to prevent a deadly disease that affects thousands of premature infants annually.

25 Apr 2018

Low-cost deworming drug improves female farmers' physical fitness

Impoverished female farm workers infected with intestinal parasites known as hookworms saw significant improvements in physical fitness when they were treated with a low-cost deworming drug.

19 Apr 2018

Pancreatitis risk in minorities linked to alcohol, gallstones and high triglycerides

Pancreatitis in ethnic minorities is linked to very high levels of triglycerides and the risk is further increased by alcohol abuse and gallstones, according to a study published in the journal Endocrine Practice.

16 Apr 2018

Farm waste may be contributing to spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Each year, farmers in the U.S. purchase tens of millions of pounds of antibiotics that are approved for use in cows, pigs, fowl and other livestock.

12 Apr 2018

Dietary fats play varied roles in disease

This month's issue of the Journal of Lipid Research features studies examining how fats in the diet affect health, including whether the ketogenic diet is a reasonable cancer therapy; how the type of unsaturated fats in a mouse's chow affects inflammation; and how cells respond to nutrient signals.

12 Apr 2018

Specific small-bowel microbes regulate digestion and absorption of fats, study shows

Although the vast majority of research on the gut microbiome has focused on bacteria in the large intestine, a new study - one of a few to concentrate on microbes in the upper gastrointestinal tract - shows how the typical calorie-dense western diet can induce expansion of microbes that promote the digestion and absorption of high-fat foods.

11 Apr 2018

Using the Microbiome to Predict the Risk of Cirrhosis-Associated Hospitalization

The microbiome is the collection of microorganisms that colonize the human body. Dr. Jasmohan Bajaj discusses the relationship between the microorganisms in the gut and cirrhosis, and how microbiome analysis can be used to predict the risk of cirrhosis-associated hospitalizations.

7 Apr 2018

Acid-suppressing medicines and antibiotics in infancy linked to later allergic disease risk

The use of acid-suppressing medications or antibiotics in the first 6 months of infancy was associated with an increased risk for the subsequent development of allergic diseases in childhood.

2 Apr 2018

Vagus nerve stimulation accelerates motor skill recovery after stroke

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have demonstrated a method to accelerate motor skill recovery after a stroke by helping the brain reorganize itself more quickly.

28 Mar 2018

Researchers develop wearable system to monitor electrical activity in the stomach over 24 hours

A team of researchers has developed a wearable, non-invasive system to monitor electrical activity in the stomach over 24 hours--essentially an electrocardiogram but for the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract.

22 Mar 2018

New blood test promises to eliminate guesswork in heart attack diagnosis

A new blood test developed by a University of Alberta physician promises to eliminate the guesswork clinicians face with an apparent heart attack.

15 Mar 2018

Streamlined workflow could pave way for simple blood test to study cancer heterogeneity in liquid biopsy

Scientists reported the development of a robust and streamlined procedure for whole-genome copy number profiling of circulating tumor cells from a simple blood test.

13 Mar 2018

Wine polyphenols may be good for oral health

Sipping wine is good for your colon and heart, possibly because of the beverage's abundant and structurally diverse polyphenols. Now researchers report in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that wine polyphenols might also be good for your oral health.

21 Feb 2018