Are gut microbes really a panacea, or just overhyped? | Mo Costandi

We are beginning to unravel lines of communication between gut and brain. But don ’t hold your breath for the probiotic that will lift your moodHistorically, microbes have been associated with deadly diseases such as bubonic plague, smallpox and malaria. But they have had a bad press: only a tiny minority are pathogenic (capable of causing disease), and in fact many of the microbes that live on and in our bodies – especially the trillions of bacteria residing in our gut – may be beneficial, or indeed essential, for human health.Related:Organisms created with synthetic DNA pave way for entirely new life formsContinue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Microbiology Science Society Source Type: news