Precise reason for health benefits of dark chocolate: Thank hungry gut microbes

 Precise reason for health benefits of dark chocolate: Thank hungry gut microbes

 

So we have all heard that dark chocolate is good for you, well that is in moderation. But do you know why it is good for you? Well it seems that researchers have found out why it is good for us. Well there are certain bacteria in our stomach eat the chocolate and ferment it into anti-inflammatory compounds that are good for our hearts. I never knew dark chocolate was good for our hearts, I was always told that chocolate was bad until I was 20 and they said dark chocolate is better for us. There are good and bad microbes in our guts the good ones like Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria, which eats the chocolate in the stomach. They created a great experiment that is worth a read if I were to write it down I could write three pages. But they found that those microbes that ferment the chocolate create this anit Inflammatory substance and when absorbed into the blood it removes cholesterol in the heart values which can help you live longer just like they say a glass of red wine when your older at least once a day while help you live longer. So it seems when I get older ill be able to have my red wine and my dark chocolate that will help me live longer and have a better heart.

Carbon loss from soil accelerating climate change

            It seems like there is another development in the increase of climate change in the world. Two Northern Arizona University researchers discovered that the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes soil microbes to produce more carbon dioxide accelerating climate change. The researchers conducted an experiment from 53 different areas around the world e.g. forests, grasslands and agricultural fields. This experiment measured how the extra carbon in the atmosphere affected the plant growth, the microbial production of carbon and the total amount of soil carbon at the end of this experiment. The past accepted belief was that carbon is stored in wood and soil for a long time slowing the climate change. But this new belief suggests that extra carbon provides fuel to microorganisms in the soil whose byproducts, like carbon, are released into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.  

            It is crazy to think that the soil microbes are contributing to more carbon into the atmosphere creating a faster climate change. It makes one think that the nature areas around cities are actually doubling the cities impact of carbon into the atmosphere. So not only is the cities inhabitants are causing the climate to change rapidly so is nature, that is so intense. However if we cut down on our carbon output then maybe nature will be able to cut down its carbon output.   

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424140907.htm

Commonly used pain relievers have added benefit of fighting bacterial infection

 

It seems that some NSAID’s, which are common drugs, used for aches, pains, fever, and inflammation in joints seem to have the ability to kill bacteria from drug resistant infections as well as superbugs. This discovery is extremely important, this means that NSAID’s can be used to attack and kill superbugs that have become resistant to many or most of the antibiotics on the market. DR. Oakley said that these bacteria killing anti-inflammatory drugs can be developed to create a whole new line of antibiotics against these superbugs. The researchers on this case analyzed three different NSAID’s; bromofenac, carpofen, and vedaprogen the more common NSAID’s such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen were not tested. They discovered that these drugs bind and inhibit a protein in bacteria called the DNA clamp. The DNA clamp is part of an enzyme that allows the bacterial species to multiply, by stopping this it kills the bacteria and not allowing it to grow.

            This is wonderful news for the world of medicine as well as for those who have drug resistant infections or have superbugs. To think that those with these infections will finally have a way to kill these bugs and go back to being a healthy happy individual. I, for one, am super excited for when they develop these NSAID’s into a new line of antibiotics. It means that we are finding more cures for illness’s that are in basic medicine that has been around for a while. It makes me wonder if other commonly used medication can be studied to see if they are helpful in the treatment of other illnesses.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140313123127.htm

Gut Microbes Spur Development of Bowel Cancer

   

 Gut Microbes Spur Development of Bowel Cancer

     It seems that not only is dowel cancer is genetic, and if you are related to someone who has bowel cancer you are not predisposed to it. It seems that there are microbes living in the gut that help in the development of intestinal tumors. Bowel cancer also known as colorectal cancer results in a sequence of genetic mutations that change healthy cells to cancerous cells: by first creating tumors also known as polyps that can become malignant. This new research has shown that polyps are the bacteria that are important for early tumor development. Using mice discovered all this new information in the discovery of these microbes in the gut.

     It seems like to me that more and more cancers are being found to be created or improved by the microbes in the body; also showing that anyone can get cancer and that it isn’t always inherited by genetics. However it could be safe to say that if you are related to someone who has cancer and that anyone can get this kind of cancer if these microbes live in you that you can possibly get cancer. In this case it would be bowel cancer, however it is suggested that this can be avoided if certain gut bacteria is removed; more research is needed to see if this is possible and a true fact that can be implemented in the future. If it is found to be true so many people can be saved and treated before they even get sick.  

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140303135902.htm

Understanding Plant-Soil Interaction Could Lead to New Ways to Combat Weeds

Rachael Pine

Understanding Plant-Soil Interaction Could Lead to New Ways to Combat Weeds

 

I bet you among many other people are worried about the pesticides used in controlling weeds in crops. As well as being worried about GMO’s, genetically modified organisms, and the possible effects that can happen to humans in the future by the consumption of GMO’s. Microbial ecologist Tony Yannarell and colleagues from the University of Illinois have identified soil microbes that affect ragweed’s negatively. This has provided a new understanding of the relationships between plants and microorganisms happening beneath the soil. Tony Yannarell said that adding microbes to the soil has never been successful in the past, and the best approach is to introduce plants that attract microbe that are bad for ragweed’s.

This idea is fantastic it allows farmers to use this technique to help keep weeds away and this same plan can be used to attract microbes that can fight against pests and insects from harming the crops. It will help stop the use of GMO’s and harmful pesticides and human consumptions of these chemicals and GMO’s; along with the future problems they can create. This can give people more organic food as well as the possibility of becoming cheaper and more affordable allowing our country to become healthier.

            To be honest I never knew that some plants could attract microorganisms to prevent or attack weeds, pests, or insects from attacking the crops being grown. I thought the only way to remove them would to be constant attention to pull or remove them as well as using chemicals to prevent the crops from being harmed.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140325133548.htm

Scientists find new strategy to combt bacterial infections

Well it seems that scientists are finding an increasing number of bacteria that is becoming antibiotic resistance. This gives scientists a challenge in trying to create an antibiotic that can kill or disrupt bacteria from growing. But they have found a new drug to treat bacterial infections particularly uti’s (urinary tract infections). However this drug does not destroy pathogenic bacteria but disarms them. This helps the useful bacteria to become unharmed and a lower risk of development and spread of resistance of the bacteria.

Hopefully this will be utilized in other areas of bacterial infections and help keep other antibiotic’s from hurting other parts of the body. Such as penicillin; penicillin causes yeast infections in most people. If this new strategy works it will prevent those patients from getting yeast infections and will cause them to get better faster. 

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140129075808.htm

Antibiotic ‘smart bomb’ can target specific strains of bacteria

Rachael Pine

Antibiotic ‘smart bomb’ can target specific strains of bacteria

            This article mentions how they have developed an antibiotic that can identify certain strains of bacteria and dissolve their DNA abolishing the infection. This system approach helps treat infections with a multi-drug resistant bacterium. Typically conventional antibiotic treatments tend to kill both good and bad bacteria that can harm the patient causing even more illness, causing the patient to go back to the doctor to get more antibiotics that will cause other illnesses. According to this new approach takes advantage of a part of the immune system present in many bacteria called CRISPR-Cas system. This protects bacteria from invaders like viruses and making small strands of RNA called CRISPR RNA’s.

            This advancement will help many people from getting ill and causing patients to not get yeast infections or other possible illnesses that can harm the patient(s). Hopefully this will help future patients, and who knows maybe this technique will be utilized and tuned to kill other bacteria strains.

  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140130110953.htm