Microbiome

Psychiatry and the Gut: The Role of Microbiota in Mood Disorders

by Samoon Ahmad • May 27, 2015

The community of bacteria and their genetic material also known as the human microbiome has been estimated to 100 trillion in the human gut alone. Gut microbiota contribute to a normal, healthy state of homeostasis in the human organism. The human body provides habitat and nutrition for the microbiota which in return provide beneficial effects […]


Food for thought: How gut microbes change your mind

by Samoon Ahmad • May 26, 2015

A lifelong symbiotic relationship exists between bacteria and the human body. Varied bacterial composition early in life is essential for normal brain development. Consequently, biotic imbalance acts as a predisposing factor for a number of brain disorders. The basic microbiome composition is acquired during birth via the birth canal. If a child is born through […]


Early antibiotics linked to later overweight

by Samoon Ahmad • May 19, 2015

The use of antibiotics during infancy is a significant risk factor for becoming overweight in later years. Since antibiotics requite a physician’s prescription, they are considered a physician-modifiable risk factor. Due to their wide spectrum action, not only do they kill the harmful bacteria but they also alter the composition of the child’s developing gut […]