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 study provides evidence that bacteria in gut may be linked to children with autism

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have significantly different concentrations of certain bacterial-produced chemicals, called metabolites, in their feces compared to children without ASD.

20 May 2014

Study reveals surprising relationships between diet and release of hormones that suppress eating

By comparing how gut microbes from human vegetarians and grass-grazing baboons digest different diets, researchers have shown that ancestral human diets, so called "paleo" diets, did not necessarily result in better appetite suppression.

20 May 2014

New research focuses on using wheat fiber to lower cholesterol and prevent development of heart disease

The saying, "we are what we eat," has never been more true. Nutritionists increasingly emphasize that the nutrients in the foods we consume can potentially create health and reduce disease.

7 May 2014

Synergy reports positive top-line results from plecanatide phase 2b study in patients with IBS-C

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced positive top-line results from a phase 2b dose-ranging study assessing plecanatide's safety and efficacy in 424 patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

30 Apr 2014

Blend of soy-dairy proteins may prolong muscle building after resistance exercise, says study

A new study published online in the Journal of Applied Physiology shows additional benefits of consuming a blend of soy and dairy proteins after resistance exercise for building muscle mass.

26 Apr 2014

Alcresta signs agreement with CFFT to support nutritional status of people with cystic fibrosis

Alcresta, a leading medical nutrition company developing innovative enzyme-based products for individuals with unique nutritional needs battling acute conditions or chronic diseases, today announced the company has signed an agreement with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics (CFFT) to accelerate the development of Alcresta's enzyme-based point-of-care products to support the nutritional status of people with cystic fibrosis (CF).

17 Apr 2014

Researchers show Elafin protein plays key role against inflammatory reaction typical of celiac disease

Scientists from INRA and INSERM (France) in collaboration with scientists from McMaster University (Canada) and the Ecole polytechnique fédérale of Zurich (Switzerland) have shown that Elafin, a human protein, plays a key role against the inflammatory reaction typical of celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

8 Apr 2014

Wistar findings suggest link between colon microbiome and genome stability

Colorectal cancer develops in what is probably the most complex environment in the human body, a place where human cells cohabitate with a colony of approximately 10 trillion bacteria, most of which are unknown.

7 Apr 2014

High levels of GDNF protein could help body resist weight gain despite high-fat diet

More than one-third of people in the US are obese. Obesity and its related health problems-including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, insulin resistance, and belly fat-affect so many, yet effective treatments are very few.

2 Apr 2014

Discovery could lead to new therapies for people with celiac disease

Researchers at McMaster University have discovered a key molecule that could lead to new therapies for people with celiac disease, an often painful and currently untreatable autoimmune disorder.

1 Apr 2014

New research shows obesity is linked to our ability to digest carbohydrates

New research indicates that obesity in the general population may be genetically linked to how our bodies digest carbohydrates.

1 Apr 2014

Carb breakdown gene linked to obesity, researchers find

Researchers at King's College London and Imperial College London have discovered that people with fewer copies of a gene coding for a carb-digesting enzyme may be at higher risk of obesity. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest that dietary advice may need to be more tailored to an individual's digestive system, based on whether they have the genetic predisposition and necessary enzymes to digest different foods.

31 Mar 2014

New strain of rice may help combat obesity and other diseases

In recent years, Okinawa has recorded the dubious distinction of having the highest obesity rate in Japan. Preventing obesity-related diseases is an urgent issue.

27 Mar 2014

New pilot study shows little difference in digestibility between raw milk and pasteurized milk

Some sour news for lactose-intolerant people who hoped that raw milk might prove easier to stomach than pasteurized milk: A pilot study from the Stanford University School of Medicine shows little difference in digestibility between the two.

11 Mar 2014

Researchers validate new method for calculating physical activity, sedentary behavior in obese people

Researchers at the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health have validated a new method for calculating physical activity, sedentary behavior, and the food energy requirements of Americans. The results suggest that as a nation, we spend more than 15 hours per day sleeping and sitting, and that obese men and women spend less than one minute per day in vigorous activity.

13 Feb 2014

$Sage Science releases new SageELF technology for DNA and protein fractionation$

Sage Science releases new SageELF technology for DNA and protein fractionation

Sage Science, a developer of products for improving sample preparation processes in life science applications, today announced the release of its new SageELF technology for DNA and protein fractionation. This sample prep instrument will be especially useful for preserving precious samples and has applications in next-generation sequencing as well as bottom-up or top-down proteomics experiments.

12 Feb 2014

Researchers share findings on relations between gut flora and obesity

Cutting-edge European research presented at the 2014 AAAS meeting in Chicago. Three leading European researchers on the gut microbiome will be present at the 2014 AAAS meeting, on Saturday 15 February, to share their recent findings on the relations between gut flora and obesity, diabetes, and cardio-metabolic diseases in general.

11 Feb 2014

Covaris introduces truXTRAC High Throughput FFPE DNA Extraction & Purification Kit at 2014 AGBT

Covaris, Inc. introduced the truXTRAC™ High Throughput FFPE DNA Extraction & Purification Kit at the 2014 Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) meeting held in Marco Island, Florida.

11 Feb 2014

New insight into how gut bacteria digest fibre

New insight into how gut bacteria digest fibre could lead to advances in areas as diverse as health and environmentally-friendly biofuels.

31 Jan 2014

Researchers gain better understanding of HIV infection through electron microscopy

The human intestinal tract, or gut, is best known for its role in digestion. But this collection of organs also plays a prominent role in the immune system. In fact, it is one of the first parts of the body that is attacked in the early stages of an HIV infection. Knowing how the virus infects cells and accumulates in this area is critical to developing new therapies for the over 33 million people worldwide living with HIV. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology are the first to have utilized high-resolution electron microscopy to look at HIV infection within the actual tissue of an infected organism, providing perhaps the most detailed characterization yet of HIV infection in the gut.

30 Jan 2014