Topic: good bacteria

Today’s Awesome Health News: Red Wine Is Good For Your Gut

Today's Awesome Health News: Red Wine Is Good For Your Gut

Now here’s a study we can really get behind: Red wine is good for your gut. Apparently it can help promote the growth of healthy bacteria in our stomachs and digestive system, which can have all sorts of health benefits. We’re just delighted to learn that boozing it up, once again, can actually be good for us. Because, really, is there anything more lovely than a glass of wine at the end of the day? More »

Research Says We All Have “Enterotypes;” We Hear “Probiotic Diet Fad”

Research Says We All Have "Enterotypes;" We Hear "Probiotic Diet Fad"

Humans love to classify things (at least I learned something from those college course readers on Derrida and Descartes), and the world of health and dieting is no exception: A recent study suggesting that there are three “enterotypes” is a prime example of our need to categorize and name things in order to understand ourselves and, of course, to diet. If you’re not familiar with enterotypes, don’t worry: I think you’ll be well-acquainted quite soon. Just like the blood type, body type, and even GenoType diets in the past, soon we could be choosing our food based on the type of bacteria we have our gut. But unlike most weight loss marketing ploys, this one might not be total B.S. More »

Sponsored Post: Okay, So I’m Taking the Activia 14-Day Challenge

Sponsored Post: Okay, So I'm Taking the Activia 14-Day Challenge

Like you, I’ve seen those Activia yogurt commercials featuring Jamie Lee Curtis about a million times. And every time, while I’m singing along to the jingle, I wonder: Could eating that stuff (with Bifidus Regularis!) for two weeks actually help my inner-workings behave better, or is this whole thing just a genius marketing scam?

See, I’ve always prided myself on having a fairly high-functioning digestive system: For the most part, everybody down there seems to know what floor they need to be on at any given point, and when they need to take the elevator a few floors south, and finally, when they need to pack up and exit the building. (TMI Alert: I do take an herbal digestive stimulator every night, and have for years.) So, in general, I feel pretty good in the down-under digestion department. But then again, maybe I just think I do. Is it possible that I could feel even better? Does my digestive system really need to be regulated by Bifidus? More »