A 12-week mouse study found that liquid crystal monomers, chemicals used in LCD screens, disrupt gut bacteria and impair memory, and that a probiotic given alongside exposure prevented the damage.
Researchers tested 11 species of Bacteroides and found each one carries genes for enzymes that degrade collagen, elastin, and other extracellular matrix proteins, evidence gathered entirely in lab dishes, not in a living gut.
A 2026 review in Biomolecules maps five years of evidence on why bloating happens, proposing that environmental exposures like microplastics and air pollution may be lowering the gut's threshold for symptoms in ways diet alone cannot explain.
Regular moderate exercise protects the gut lining through five proven molecular mechanisms. A 2026 review explains the J-shaped dose-response curve, the microbiome changes that matter most, and what this means for people with IBD, IBS, and metabolic liver disease.
A new study from Sweden's SCAPIS cohort - the largest shotgun metagenomic analysis of its kind - links higher daily sodium excretion to 75 gut bacterial shifts, including loss of Akkermansia and a rise in oral-associated bacteria previously tied to heart disease.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials found that probiotic supplementation significantly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) by 0.74 mg/L and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients with depression. No significant effects were found for IL-6 or IL-10, and the pooled sample of 486 participants limits confidence in identifying optimal protocols.
A Nature portfolio review maps what fermented protein foods like kefir and yogurt actually do in the body - real gut and metabolic benefits, but unproven direct muscle gains.
A Mayo Clinic review proposes the gut wall - its barrier proteins, enteric nervous system, and immune lining - is both a trigger and a direct target in MS and autoimmune neurological disease.
A new analysis of 14 years of national health survey data finds probiotic supplement use has surged while dietary fiber intake, the actual fuel for gut bacteria, has stayed nearly flat, and still falls short of recommended levels even among probiotic users.
A meta-analysis of 43 studies and 48.7 million people estimates that H. pylori, the bacterium behind most stomach cancer, may also be linked to 22% of colorectal cancer cases worldwide, evidence that is suggestive, not conclusive.
