(Beyond Pesticides, August 25, 2022) A study published in World Journal of Pediatrics finds an association between antibiotic and neonicotinoid (neonic) exposure and onset of pediatric (childhood) type 1 diabetes (T1D) through effects on the gut microbiome. Individuals with type 1 diabetes are at higher risk of other autoimmune disorders, including thyroid and celiac disease. Ample evidence demonstrates environmental contaminants like pesticides and antibiotics negatively affect human mouth and gut microbes. Through the gut biome, pesticide exposure can enhance or exacerbate the adverse effects of additional environmental toxicants on the body. Moreover, studies find low levels of pesticide exposure during pregnancy or childhood cause adverse health effects from metabolic/immune disorders to mental and physical disabilities. Children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of pesticide exposure as their developing bodies cannot adequately combat exposure effects. Although studies show how chemical exposures affect overall human health, more research is now questioning how these toxic chemicals influence gut health and subsequent occurrence of diseases. In children, gut microbiome disruption, or gut dysbiosis, has significant associations with type 1 diabetes development, and disruption of gut microbiota plays a role in type 2 diabetes development. Over 11 percent (>37 million) of individuals in the U.S. have diabetes, and cases are growing by millions annually. With increasing rates of type 1 and […]

Previously, the only way to reduce levels of Pfas was by bloodletting or a drug with unpleasant side effects

A study on mice investigating therapeutic food for malnourished children uncovers diverse functions of a newly identified gut bacterial enzyme. To combat childhood malnutrition, which affects 200 mill...

Previous studies have identified significant individuality within the gut microbiome of common marmosets. The reasons for this inter-subject variability and how it relates to health in captivity are p...

(Beyond Pesticides, May 12, 2022) A report published in Environmental Health finds that exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of pesticides can alter gut microbial communities, as demonstrated through fecal samples. Over 300 environmental contaminants and their byproducts, including pesticides, are chemicals commonly present in human blood and urine samples. Ample evidence demonstrates that environmental contaminants, including pesticides, negatively affect the human mouth and gut microbes. However, fecal samples provide an accurate representation of the microbial community existing in the gut. These toxicants can alter hormone metabolism, which adversely affects health outcomes. Adverse health effects of environmental contaminants include reproductive and developmental defects, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, obesity, thyroid disorders, and improper immune operation. Although studies show how chemical exposures affect human health, more research is now questioning how these toxic chemicals influence gut health. Therefore, studies like these highlight the importance of evaluating how chemical contaminants deregulate normal bodily function through microbiome changes. The report notes, “Our results highlight the need for future dietary intervention studies to understand effects of pesticide exposure on the gut microbiome and possible health consequences.” Researchers examined dietary exposure to 186 common pesticide residues in the fecal excrement to determine impacts on the microbiome among 65 twins in the United Kingdom. […]

An analysis of six studies suggests that if you eat red meat you may run a higher risk of heart problems. Are gut microbes responsible?

Phloroglucinol is a key byproduct of gut microbial metabolism that has been widely used as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. Here, we demonstrate that phloroglucinol tempers macrophage resp...

The etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear, treatment options unsatisfactory and disease development difficult to predict for individual patients. Dysbiosis of the gastrointes...

Uniting life’s seen and unseen realms guides a conceptual advance in research

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Despite the ecological and economic interest of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), its gut microbiota remains largely understudied. The current study aimed at investigating the gut bacterial mi...

The particles are in our blood, brains and guts – and scientists are only beginning to learn what they do

Understanding niche dimensions and interspecific niche overlap is fundamental for evaluating resource partitioning and competitive interactions among sympatric