2020 is by far the worst year for healthcare across the world. While the global pandemic did spread healthcare resources thin, our lifestyle conditions caused a reasonable amount of fear and a sense of helplessness. With obesity in adults peaking at 42.4% in the US and body mass indices above 40kg/m2 identified as risk factors for COVID-19, the outlook is grim. However, an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 isn’t the only outcome of obesity. Diabetes, Hypertension, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, all stem from obesity, which in turn stems from poor eating habits. Although a major concern, obesity is not the only gut-related issue in the US. Gastrointestinal issues from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) to acid reflux, to Liver and...
Most women are wary of “that certain age” when their estrogen levels begin to drop. The hormone estrogen is of utmost importance in the human body. It regulates glucose and lipid metabolism, fat deposition, adipocyte (fat cell) differentiation, female reproductive functions, bone turnover, cardiovascular health, and cell replication. Low levels of estrogen in post-menopausal women can have an adverse effect on a large number of physiological processes, which has clinical implications downstream: gynecological issues may manifest; in addition, brain cognition and gut health may be affected. Research has begun to unravel the connection between the gut microbiome and the levels of estrogen circulating in the body, also referred to as the estrogen-gut microbiome axis. The gut microbiome plays a major...
