Digestive Health

Unleash the Powerful Health Benefits of Superfruits

In simple terms, a superfruit is a food that contains a condensed serving of vitamins and powerful phyto-nutrients that are beneficial to human health. These foods benefit the immune system in a variety of ways and it has been found that they can even benefit the health of bone marrow. Research is only beginning to uncover some of the significant health benefits of superfruits, which may be why more people are adding these foods to their diets.

What Are Superfruits?

The power of superfruits to boost immunity may help stave off illness and help the body recover faster from injuries by providing the body with antioxidant-rich compounds that are called polyphenols. Polyphenols (flavonoids are just one example) are compounds that are found in many natural plant-based foods, but exist in richer concentrations in superfruits.

These compounds have been found to help the body fight off inflammation, while also acting as antioxidant agents. Research into the functions these compounds serve found that they can increase longevity by 30 percent or more when there’s a consistent high level of polyphenols in the body. To achieve this benefit, researchers recommend a daily intake of polyphenols that’s greater than 500 mg.

What Are the Health Benefits of Superfruits?

In addition to increasing longevity, there are many more benefits of superfruits that you can enjoy by adding these foods to your diet. Here is a short list of some of the health benefits that the polyphenols in these fruits deliver.

Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

While it’s common to experience a spike in your blood sugar levels after eating a meal, adding superfruits to your diet can combat that sudden increase. The polyphenols do this by keeping the body from breaking starch down and transforming it into simple sugars. The polyphenols in superfruits may also help regulate insulin production, so more sugars will be pushed to the cells for use as energy.

Improve Heart Health

The antioxidants that polyphenols contain help to decrease inflammation in the cardiovascular system. Since inflammation is a significant factor in causing heart disease, eating more superfruits may help you maintain a healthier heart. Additionally, researchers have found that polyphenols are effective in regulating healthier blood pressure levels and keeping LDL (bad cholesterol) levels lower. These compounds may also be effective in increasing the body’s HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

Protect Cellular Health

Since the antioxidants in polyphenols are effective in reducing inflammation, they may help protect against unhealthy cell growth. Additional research suggests that a high level of polyphenols in the blood may help prevent cancer cells from developing. Even after cancer cells have developed, test-tube research has suggested that polyphenols may help prohibit unhealthy cell growth.

Boost Digestion

If you have digestive problems, eating superfruits may help resolve those problems. This is because polyphenols also promote healthier gut bacteria, which is essential to proper digestion. A higher level of polyphenols has been linked to more diverse growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, so peptic ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease and similar conditions may be alleviated.

Improve Cognitive Functioning

In a recent study, older adults who had experienced memory loss and difficulties in concentrating on complex tasks were given polyphenol-rich grape juice. By the end of the study, those seniors drinking the grape juice experienced improved memory and better mental focus. There’s also evidence that polyphenols can support oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain in seniors.

What Are Some of the Most Powerful Superfruits?

If you’re unsure about adding superfruits to your meal plan for each day, taking a supplement can help you boost the polyphenols in your blood supply. Resverchron is a high-quality daily supplement that incorporates the nutrients and beneficial compounds found in a broad range of superfruits. Adding this supplement to your daily routine can help you get that healthy boost even on days when you may not eat as healthily as you plan.

Here is a short list of some of the most powerful superfruits:

Plums: These fruits are known to help stave off metabolic disorders and cardiovascular-related health problems.

Cherries: While there are a few different types of cherries, they have all been shown effective in reducing the risks of degenerative diseases in seniors.

Blackberries: Regularly eating these berries can help reduce the risks of degenerative disorders that affect the brain.

Strawberries: The strawberry is one of the most powerful superfruits available, because of all it can do for human health. The polyphenols in this fruit reduce the risks of developing unhealthy cell growth, heart disease, inflammation and metabolic syndrome.

Apples: The polyphenols in this fruit have been credited for extending longevity by as much as 12 percent.

Peaches: This superfruit is effective in reducing the risks of metabolic syndrome, which is common in those suffering from obesity. Peaches may also help reduce risks to your cardiovascular health.

Nectarines: Eating more nectarines will help boost your immune system due to the high content of polyphenols that they deliver.

In general, eating more plant-based fruits will expose you to a greater supply of vitamins, nutrients and other beneficial compounds. Eating more natural foods will help you live a healthier life for longer, but adding some of these superfruits to your daily routine may give you an even bigger health boost.

As research continues, we may find that polyphenols provide even more health benefits, but changing your diet now can help reduce your risks of developing many of the common health hazards mentioned here.

Exploring the Beneficial Effects of Melatonin

Jan 24 by Ewcopywriting

Melatonin is a hormone best known for its role in preparing the brain for sleep. Due to its effectiveness in this respect, it’s the primary ingredient in many sleep supplements. Outside of the United States and Canada, melatonin-based formulas are only available with a doctor’s prescription. While some argue that using melatonin for sleep isn’t always effective, people suffering from insomnia find that it can help them sleep better in most cases. We already know that there are many positive effects of melatonin, but new research is still uncovering more benefits provided by this amazing hormone.

What is Melatonin?

To understand melatonin and its effect on the body, it’s important to first understand how and why it’s produced. Our bodies rely on a biological clock to function, known as our circadian rhythm. Among the other bodily functions it regulates, the circadian rhythm helps the brain differentiate between wakefulness and sleep. This is a process that relies on the changes between light and dark. As the sun goes down and the sky gets darker, the brain recognizes that it’s soon nearing time for sleep and releases melatonin to promote drowsiness.

Unfortunately for those who work irregular shifts, melatonin production is inhibited during the day, which is why it’s harder to get to sleep in the mornings and afternoons. People who follow irregular sleep schedules experience insomnia and other sleep disorders more commonly because the production of melatonin has been interrupted. This is also why a sleep formula containing melatonin can be more effective for those who work these types of schedules. Their bodies need that extra boost of melatonin during the day, when their brains won’t naturally produce the hormone in sufficient quantities.

What are the Positive Effects of Melatonin?

There have been multiple studies on the effects that melatonin has on the body, leading to the discovery that it can do more than just help you get a good night’s sleep. One of the surprising effects of melatonin is that it can help alleviate the symptoms of jet lag. A study that started in 2010 and lasted for four years looked at the effects that melatonin had on 142 travelers. In that study, researchers found that subjects who were given melatonin supplements experienced less severe jet lag symptoms than travelers who were given a placebo. Those taking the supplement experienced more restful sleep, reduced instances of daytime tiredness and fewer digestion problems.

Melatonin was also found to help people suffering from delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, or DSWPD. This is a condition in which the individual can’t fall asleep until 2:00 a.m. or later and end up sleeping well into the afternoon. Including a 2016 study of 52 subjects, research has found that taking melatonin supplements at the right time in the evening helped people with DSWPD to fall asleep earlier. They also fell asleep faster, taking an average of 22 minutes to nod off.

A 2015 research project looked at 774 patients and found melatonin was also effective in reducing anxiety prior to surgery. Many people suffer severe bouts of anxiety just before undergoing a surgical procedure, but taking a melatonin supplement seemed to alleviate those emotions. While it wasn’t clear whether or not melatonin was effective in treating post-surgery anxiety, it was found to be just as effective as anti-anxiety medications in treating pre-surgery anxiety.

Research into the positive benefits of melatonin is ongoing. Current and future studies are looking into the hormone’s effect on cancer symptoms, high blood pressure, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and intestinal illnesses.

How Can You Get More Melatonin Naturally?

Take a Supplement

As the previously cited studies show, a melatonin supplement can help you maintain adequate levels of melatonin when you need it most. A high-quality melatonin supplement can be beneficial because a single dose contains a sufficient amount of melatonin to help you get the restful sleep you need. Additionally, certain time-controlled melatonin formulas ensure the melatonin will have the best possible effect on your sleep cycle.

Get More Daylight

Sunlight is beneficial in controlled exposure, because its rays encourage vitamin D production in the body. Additionally, exposing yourself to natural daylight will help regulate your circadian rhythm. The sun’s rays help promote the production of serotonin, which the brain needs to produce more melatonin. In this way, getting more sunlight in the mornings promotes more efficient melatonin production in the evenings.

Turn Off Your Electronic Devices

Most people don’t realize the harm they’re doing when they use their smartphone or tablet just before bed. The blue light that these screens give off disrupts the circadian rhythm, preventing the brain from producing sufficient levels of melatonin. Doctors recommend shutting off all electronic devices at least one hour before your bedtime to give the brain enough time to adjust. This will ensure the hormone will be properly released as you near your bedtime.

Eat Melatonin-Rich Foods

There are certain foods that promote the production of melatonin, so you should consider adding these foods to your diet to ensure you’ll sleep better. Some melatonin-rich foods include asparagus, corn, cucumbers, olives, nuts and seeds. Barley and rolled oats are also helpful in promoting melatonin production.

Sleep on Your Back

This position is a popular yoga pose that’s commonly called the corpse pose, because it helps the body reach a deeper state of relaxation. As you lay on your back and breathe deeply, the brain will begin releasing a higher concentration of melatonin. This is why many people find it easier to fall asleep in this position.

Effects of Probiotics May Differ in Men and Women

Dec 18 by Ewcopywriting

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that comprise the flora of an individual’s digestive tract. However, unlike potentially harmful organisms, these bacteria help promote healthy digestion and overall general health. Specifically, probiotics, or “friendly bacteria,” help the body process foods and curtail or eliminate several digestive problems such as gas, bloating, indigestion and diarrhea. A healthy gut microbiome also contributes to immune system health, among other things. Incorporating probiotic-rich foods in your diet or supplementing with a probiotic formula can help ensure a healthy gut microbiome; however, new research suggests the effects of probiotics may differ in women and men.

The Connection Between Probiotics and the Immune System

Scientists opine that aside from maintaining a healthy digestive system, probiotics also exert a positive impact upon other bodily systems including the skin, the reproductive tract and oral health. That said, researchers also stress that these substances play a most crucial role in maintaining optimal immune-system health.

Relatively recent scientific studies have found that probiotics may be receptive to certain genes that stimulate the body’s immunity. Further investigation has concluded that the administration of probiotics might prove effective in treating or potentially preventing autoimmune disorders like eczema, nasal and systemic allergies and possibly certain viral infections.

Healthy Intestinal Flora Support the Immune System

The vast majority of the bacteria found inside the body, both good and bad, are situated within a section of the large intestine. This region is called the gut microbiome. Scientists say more than 1,000 types of microscopic organisms reside here and many of them execute important systemic functions.

Many issues can impact gut flora such as illnesses, the foods and beverages you consume, the use of medications like antibiotics, lifestyle habits and stress. However, if any one of the preceding issues upsets this balance, the afflicted person could stand at greater risk of developing a host of ailments. Thus, maintaining an optimal balance of healthy gut flora is crucial to one’s general health.

The Effects Of Probiotics on Men and Women

Recent research has discovered that probiotics might impact men and women in different ways. Intending to put this theory to the test, a team of English scientists representing Reading University studied the impact probiotics had on both male and female infant piglets.

In the study, researchers administered pro- and prebiotic products to each subject and then carefully examined immune system components of both genders. They discovered that, at approximately one-month old, discernible differences could be noted between the males and females regarding the composition of immune cells, antibodies and immune system molecules.

Male and female subjects were administered a variety of different substances. In certain instances, each gender experienced far different reactions. Researchers suggest that such occurrences might indicate that each gender’s bodies and immune systems develop differently. Therefore, pro- and prebiotics that produce a certain response in one sex may not in the other.

The Importance of These Findings

The study’s lead researcher opined that gender has a profound impact on how the immune system develops. With this in mind, it becomes evident that probiotics, while healthy and vital to one’s general health, are not necessarily a one-size fits all type of product. Certain probiotic and prebiotic substances are more likely to yield better results based upon how they interact with the body chemistry of the individual ingesting them. Furthermore, the researchers believe that probiotics could play an important role in addressing specific illnesses; however, gender will be a critical factor for those conducting future research studies.

How to Balance Gut Flora

Despite the study’s findings, researchers also opine that the ingestion of pre- and probiotics is still critical to optimal health. Fortunately, probiotic and prebiotic ingestion can be achieved by:

Consuming Certain Foods

Numerous foods contain prebiotic/probiotic substances. Specific foods include:

Yogurt

Yogurt is well-known for containing gut-stabilizing flora. However, not all yogurt contains these substances. It is important to check the labels and purchase only products designated as containing probiotics.

Produce

Several fruits and vegetables are rife with prebiotics. The substances are especially plentiful in onions, garlic, artichokes, leeks, pickles, cabbage, asparagus and bananas.

Cheese

Certain cheeses contain high levels of probiotics. The ones considered most plentiful are gouda, cottage cheese, cheddar and mozzarella.

Soy-Based Products

Spices and other products that contain soy such as miso, tempeh and tofu are all valuable and fruitful sources of probiotics.

Taking a Probiotic Supplement

Fortunately, individuals who do not frequently consume dairy products or produce can still ingest adequate supplies of prebiotics and probiotics through supplementation. Look for a high-quality formula that provides both prebiotic and probiotic ingredients, such as Florachron. Proper usage of this product can help the intestinal tract achieve or maintain an optimal balance of bacteria. That said, supplementation should not be viewed as a means of curing any potential health issue. Prebiotic and probiotic supplements should be used in conjunction with a nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Gut Microbiome and Aging: Can Maintaining Healthy Gut Bacteria Help Turn Back the Clock?

Dec 04 by Ewcopywriting

New research has linked the gut microbiome and aging, suggesting that maintaining a healthier gut can help you feel younger for longer. A study conducted at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University focused on the effects of transferring the more diverse gut microbiota of older mice into the guts of younger mice. Once the transfer was complete, the younger mice were examined and the researchers found that the transplanted microbes helped to stimulate the functioning of neurons in the brains of the mice. Amazingly, the mice also exhibited signs that the aging process was slowed through the transfer of microbes.

Research Links Healthy Gut Microbiome and Aging

Previous studies have shown that the gut microbiome changes as we age. The recent study involved transferring the gut microbiota from 24-week old mice to mice that were only six weeks old. Within eight weeks, the research team noted that there was more advanced neurogenesis and a boost in intestinal growth in the younger mice. These changes were accompanied by an increased growth of butyrate, which is a short-chain fatty acid.

Produced by bacteria in the gut microbiome, butyrate helps the body fight off a number of healthy threats. It’s especially effective in protecting against IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), diabetes, obesity and colorectal cancer. As specific gut microbes are enriched, those types of bacteria ferment the dietary fibers that are ingested by an individual. This process results in a higher production of butyrate in the colon. Once activated, butyrate helps the body produce more of a hormone called FGF21, which is associated with longevity.

In addition to stimulating FGF21, butyrate also boosts the production of the proteins AMPK and SIRT-1. This is important in that these proteins regulate the metabolism. SIRT-1 in particular helps the immune system fight off disease by reducing mTOR signaling. Lower levels of mTOR signaling can be beneficial because it lowers the risks of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

The research team also found that the transplanted microbiota resulted in growth of the large and small intestines. When given butyrate directly, test mice exhibited similar intestinal growth as well as improved neurogenesis.
The results of this research indicate that the answer to treating degenerative diseases, as well as slowing aging in general, may involve altering the gut microbiome. This may help lead to natural treatments for certain age-related conditions, encouraging additional research into this area of study. In the meantime, we already know that maintaining a healthy gut benefits us in a number of other ways.

Why is a Healthy Gut Microbiome Important?

Even before scientists found a connection between the gut microbiome and aging, researchers had discovered that the bacteria and other microbes in the gut are essential to human health. The gut microbiome is host to trillions upon trillions of microbes with each one influencing the health of the individual. Additionally, the gut microbiome is like a fingerprint in that no two are exactly alike. Up to two-thirds of your gut’s microbiota is unique to you, influencing health-related issues, such as how efficiently your digestive system functions and how your body reacts to certain foods.

Since the gut microbiome is responsible for extracting vitamins from food and helps process them for use by the body, this community of microbes helps support the body’s immune system. Each microbe in the gut microbiome serves a unique function, such as affecting the risks of obesity or type 2 diabetes. For this reason, those with more diverse microbiomes are generally healthier and can face a lower risk of certain diseases.
We also know that the gut microbiome changes as we grow older and expose ourselves to more environmental factors. In addition to the foods we eat, environment, stress and lifestyle habits all affect the diversity of the gut microbiome. Just a few of the conditions affected by the health of the gut microbiome include:

obesity
cancer
emotional health
autism

How Can You Develop a Healthier Gut Microbiome?

While you start forming the basics of your gut microbiome from birth, there are things you can do to promote a more diverse gut even in adulthood. From altering your eating patterns to engaging in healthier activities, these changes can help you introduce a broader range of helpful bacteria into your gut.

Add More Diversity to Your Diet

Especially in the U.S., few people eat a truly broad range of foods, relying primarily on processed foods. Instead, try adding more color to your diet by choosing a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. Each type of plant-based food contains different types of bacteria, so eating a wider range of foods will help diversify your gut microbiome.

Eat More Fermented Foods

Products, such as yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi, help convert sugars into organic acids. This process helps reduce the number of bacteria in the body that promote inflammation. Both adults and children can even help alleviate lactose intolerance by adding more plain yogurt to their diets.

Eat Whole Grains

Whole grain products aren’t as easily digested, allowing them to pass through to the large intestine. Once there, the gut breaks down the grains into helpful types of bacteria. The microbes derived from whole grains, such as Bifidobacteria, Bacteroidetes and lactobacilli, help produce a feeling of hunger, limiting the temptation to overeat. These types of bacteria also reduce inflammation and promote better heart health.

Add a Probiotic Supplement

Finally, taking a daily probiotic/prebiotic supplement can also help improve gut health. Probiotics help by boosting the overall health of the gut microbiome and improving the body’s metabolism. Probiotics also help certain types of bacteria function better, which may be why people suffering from some medical conditions are helped by taking this type of supplement.

Popular Weed-Killer Ingredient Glyphosate Disrupts Gut Bacteria

Nov 20 by Ewcopywriting

Before researchers uncovered the complexities of the gut microbiome, people commonly believed that the gut’s only function was to carry and process food. However, separating nutrients from waste is just the most obvious function of that system and we now know that the gut is host to a complex community of microorganisms. This community has been named the gut microbiome and it houses up to 500 different types of bacteria, although less diverse microbiomes may have as few as 300 types of microorganisms. Glyphosate, a main ingredient in a popular weed killer, has recently come under scrutiny due to its possible effects on the human gut microbiome. New research finds glyphosate disrupts gut bacteria, leading to the belief that certain herbicides aren’t as safe for human health as previously thought.

Why is the Health of the Gut Microbiome So Important?

When we talk of bacteria, most people associate the term with viruses and other substances that harm the human body. While there are harmful bacteria in the gut microbiome, there are also many strains of bacteria that are beneficial to human health. Research in recent years has found that bacteria in the gut microbiome help the brain regulate emotion, boost the functioning of the immune system, protect against obesity and type 2 diabetes and help the body fight cancerous cells. These are just a few of the benefits that maintaining a healthy and diverse gut microbiome provides.

New Studies Find Glyphosate Disrupts Gut Bacteria

While the average person may not have heard of glyphosate, it’s used in the majority of businesses and residences. That’s because it’s the primary ingredient in the herbicide Roundup®, manufactured by Monsanto. While most people believe this product is safe to use on food plants, new research may have found that it has a devastating effect on the gut microbiome when foods sprayed with the weed killer are ingested. The findings indicate that there’s a link between the use of glyphosate and an increase in chronic diseases.

In one recent study, it was found that continually eating foods that have been sprayed with glyphosate products increases the risks of developing obesity, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and other severe medical conditions. The researchers found that this was a cumulative effect that worsens over time, because of the way glyphosate interacts with our gut bacteria. Plants have something called the shikimate pathway, which helps them synthesize amino acids. Glyphosate attacks that pathway and prevents the plant from synthesizing those amino acids. Since people don’t have this biochemical pathway, it was presumed that products containing glyphosate were safe for human consumption. However, the bacteria in our gut microbiome does possess this pathway and, as we eat foods that were exposed to glyphosate, the compound attacks and destroys the helpful bacteria in our guts.

Other research indicates the problem may be especially widespread, pointing to a 1,000 percent increase of glyphosate in the blood supply of humans over the past two years. While the previously mentioned study points to the fact that glyphosate disrupts gut bacteria, additional research has found that other ingredients in herbicides interact with the glyphosate to pose even more health risks. Studies conducted on laboratory rats found a correlation between herbicide exposure and reproductive health problems. The researchers found that the exposed rats developed abnormal genitalia and exhibited lower levels of sex hormones.

Although the manufacturer asserts that their product is safe, there’s also concern that the glyphosate in the products may also be a carcinogen. While the herbicide manufacturer argues that the evidence is tainted by the special interest groups conducting the research, Philip J Landrigan, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York, argues that the evidence merits further research. Future studies may settle the issue of glyphosate’s carcinogenic properties, but, in the meantime, there seems to be more than enough evidence that the compound does adversely affect the gut microbiome.

How Can You Maintain a Healthier Gut Microbiome?

Take a Prebiotic/Probiotic Supplement

A high-quality supplement, such as Florachron, can help you maintain a healthier gut microbiome in two ways. First, the probiotics in the supplement will promote the growth of helpful bacteria. Secondly, prebiotics are excellent sources of living bacteria that are essential to good gut health. Taken together in a single supplement, these compounds will help you maintain a healthier and more diverse gut microbiome.

Eat Food Slowly

When you rush through your meals, the foods you eat aren’t being properly digested. By taking the time to chew your food properly, you’ll give your digestive system a chance to keep up with the influx of food. This will help your body to more efficiently extract the nutrients and beneficial bacteria in those foods.

Drink More Water

There are many benefits to staying hydrated, including the benefit of protecting your gut microbiome. Water helps strengthen the lining of your intestines, which is where the gut microbiome resides. Water also helps protect the bacteria in the gut by providing the nutrients that bacteria needs to exist.

Pay Attention to Your Gut

It may help to keep a journal of your meals and note any strong digestive reactions that you experience. This will help you pinpoint foods that adversely interact with your gastrointestinal system. Once you know which foods are causing bad reactions, you can eliminate them from your diet.

Choose a Healthier Diet

The gut microbiome primarily relies upon the foods we eat for obtaining beneficial bacteria. When your diet mainly consists of high-sugar and high-fat processed foods, you’re depriving your gut of that beneficial bacteria and ingesting a greater quantity of harmful microorganisms. By switching to a Mediterranean diet, or other diets which are heavy on plant-based foods and lean meats, you can work to correct that imbalance and build a stronger gut microbiome.

Drinking More Coffee Boosts Gut Health

Nov 09 by Ewcopywriting

Previous research has found that drinking coffee can provide a growing list of health benefits, from protecting cognitive functioning to strengthening cardiovascular health. While these benefits may seem unrelated, new research has discovered that they may all be attributed to the way in which coffee affects the gut microbiome. A new study finds drinking more coffee boosts gut health, adding another option to the multitude of ways you can strive to naturally maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

New Research Finds Coffee Boosts Gut Health

The human gut microbiome is home to trillions of bacteria, and each person’s microbiome is different. A more diverse gut microbiome provides greater protection against illness, disease and infection. Since the foods and beverages we consume affect the diversity of the gut microbiome, it’s easy to see how a beverage like coffee could possibly affect our susceptibility to certain medical conditions. A study at Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine sought to identify just how coffee affects the gut microbiome in order to learn more about how coffee benefits our health. Specifically, the study wanted to define how the caffeine in coffee interacts with the microorganisms in the gut.

The researchers, led by Dr. Dr. Li Jiao, recruited 34 participants for the research project and evaluated the health of their colons via endoscopy and colonoscopy exams. The subjects were also asked to complete a survey, which inquired about their diets and their coffee intake. From there, the researchers separated the subjects into two groups based on their coffee consumption. Those who drank coffee with the equivalent of 82.9 mg of caffeine or more per day were assigned to the high-coffee-consumption group, while those consuming up to 82.9 mg daily were determined to be low-consumption subjects.

Once the results were examined, the researchers found that those who drank larger quantities of coffee had a greater amount of the beneficial bacteria Faecalibacterium and Roseburia in their guts. The research team also found a higher presence of other beneficial bacteria. Additionally, the presence of a harmful bacteria, Erysipelatoclostridium, was found to be much lower. These results were found to be consistent regardless of age and the quality of the individual’s diet. Previously, Erysipelatoclostridium has been linked to metabolic syndrome. It boosts the levels of glucose and fat transporters in the small intestines, which increases the risk of obesity in individuals who eat poor diets.

The researchers concluded that drinking more coffee can help maintain a healthier and more diverse gut microbiome, while limiting the presence of harmful bacteria. This may explain why people who drink more coffee are better able to maintain healthier weights and achieve greater benefits when pursuing healthier lifestyles.

Coffee Provides Other Health Benefits

Prior to finding that coffee boosts gut health, it was discovered that drinking coffee helps people maintain healthier weight. The goal of the study on caffeine and fat targeted how caffeine affects the white fat (fat stored by the body) and brown fat (fat usually converted into usable energy) in the body. The researchers found that brown fat was stimulated by coffee consumption, although it remained unaffected by water consumption. While it couldn’t be determined whether the effects were due to the caffeine or another ingredient, the researchers are confident that the consumption of coffee does help burn fat. They hope to pinpoint the component responsible for the thermogenesis of brown fat with additional research.

In another study, scientists were looking for ways to use coffee bean husks to benefit human health, since the husks constitute a significant amount of waste in the coffee bean production process. The University of Illinois study found that the husks are not toxic to humans and, more astonishingly, they possess great antioxidant properties. They hope this will lead to treatments for obesity, because those antioxidants can attack the low-grade inflammation that occurs alongside obesity. Together with an increased concentration of fat in the body, that inflammation causes the body to become more insulin resistant, raising the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found that the protocatechuic acid and gallic acid, which were found in the coffee bean husks, helped to block fat accumulation in the cells. Additionally, these antioxidants reduced the release of inflammatory agents and lowered the level of oxidative stress in the cells. Although the research is new, the team hopes to continue to evaluate the possibility of using coffee byproducts to improve health. If future research confirms these findings, using coffee byproducts may provide more eco-friendly ways of improving human health.

Another study showed that drinking three or more cups of coffee a day could improve arterial health. Unfortunately, these health benefits were restricted to people who had never smoked cigarettes. For those non-smokers, arterial health was improved by 63 percent as a result of increasing coffee consumption. This is important, because poor arterial health raises the risks of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.

How Can You Naturally Improve Your Gut Microbiome?

Your gut microbiome relies heavily on the foods you eat to maintain a diverse community of bacteria, which is why eating plant-based foods is so important. However, there are other lifestyle factors that can affect the diversity of your microbiome. Here are just a few ways you can improve the health of your gut.

Take a Probiotic Supplement

You can boost your gut health by adding a daily probiotic supplement to your routine. In addition to benefiting your gut microbiome, these supplements can also protect your intestinal health.

Eliminate Stress

Living a stressful lifestyle has a range of adverse effects on your health. This includes disrupting the healthy functioning of the microorganisms in your gut. If you feel stressed, take time to meditate, read a book, or go for a walk.

Get More Exercise

Those who engage in more physical activity have healthier gut microbiomes, especially when their physical activity is accompanied by a healthier diet. While you should get a minimum 30 minutes of moderate- to high-intensity exercise daily, getting more will benefit your gut and overall health.

Sleep Better

Getting enough quality sleep is also important for a healthy gut. If you’re not sleeping soundly through the night, reduce evening caffeine intake, buy more comfortable bedding and try to reduce late-night distractions.