Category: 8. Health

A total of 250 one-day-old male broiler chickens were raised for 35 days in five separate groups.

One of the groups was challenged with E.coli and had supplements of 3% fermented chives (FC3) to assess it as an alternative to antibiotics.

This group showed significantly improved growth performance in terms of higher body weight gain, feed intake, survival rate, and production efficiency.

“The FC3 group achieved weight gain and feed intake levels comparable to those of the antibiotic (AB) and negative control (NC) groups, with significantly higher values than the positive control (PC) group.”

Additionally, the researchers observed enhanced immune responses, stronger intestinal barrier, and balanced inflammatory response.

The treatment was found to be very effective at reducing E.coli and Salmonella while increasing beneficial Lactobacillus.

“The observed performance improvements may be linked to bioactive compounds present in chive, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and organosulfur compounds, known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. These compounds potentially inhibit E. coli proliferation in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby enhancing gut health and supporting growth,” said the study.

It concluded that fermented chives could serve as a promising antibiotic alternative in poultry farming.

“Fermented chive represents a promising antibiotic alternative in poultry farming, contributing to intestinal disease control and sustainable livestock production.”

Boosting chive efficacy with probiotics

The researchers fermented chives (Allium schoenoprasum) with Lactobacillus plantarum 1582 to create the additive.

According to the paper, chives are rich in flavonoids such as quercetin and organosulfur compounds.

However, it was necessary to ferment the chives to enhance its bioactivity by increasing the release of polyphenols, free amino acids, and organosulfur compounds while also boosting antioxidant properties.

Fermentation would also encourage the proliferation of beneficial gut bacteria to benefit the overall gut health.

One of the authors from this study previously isolated L. plantarum 1582 from free-range native chicken faeces.

It was found to have “superior probiotic properties” among other strains and capable of E. coli inhibition.

The researchers said selecting the right strain was crucial to “maximising the benefits” of chives.

“Interestingly, fermentation not only preserves active compounds but also generates by-products, such as short-chain fatty acids, which nourish epithelial cells and maintain intestinal mucosal integrity,” they observed.

According to the researchers, FC3 also functions as a synbiotic, combining the prebiotics from chives and probiotics from the L. plantarum fermentation.

“This synbiotic effect promotes the survival of beneficial gut bacteria, increases lactic acid production to lower intestinal pH, and inhibits pathogenic E. coli. Chive also provides nutrients for beneficial bacteria, supporting microbiota balance, improving digestion, and enhancing growth performance.”

Source: Fermentation

Fermented Chive (Allium schoenoprasum) with Lactobacillus plantarum: A Potential Antibiotic Alternative Feed Additive for Broilers Challenged with Escherichia coli

Authors: Phan Vu Hai, Le Xuan Anh, and Nguyen Xuan Hoa

https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation11050277

Weight loss and diabetes drugs on the market often do not achieve long-term weight loss for patients. GLP-1 drugs target brain neurons that control appetite but frequently cause side effects. Nausea and vomiting force 70% of patients to stop treatment within a year. Syracuse University chemistry professor Robert Doyle is leading a multidisciplinary team that has identified a different brain target for treating obesity and diabetes, potentially offering weight loss without gastrointestinal distress.

Neurons are the most well-known and obvious target in research and drug development for brain conditions. GLP-1 drugs, for example, target brain neurons in the hindbrain involved in appetite control. But researchers are looking beyond neurons to study “support” cells such as glia and astrocytes that could aid appetite reduction.

A collaborative research effort has revealed that support cells play a role in reducing feelings of hunger, although this process has not been studied in-depth.

“We wanted to know whether support cells might produce new peptides or new signaling molecules that might be critical in body weight reduction,” says Doyle, a medicinal chemist and the Jack and Laura H. Milton Professor of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University. Doyle is also a professor of pharmacology and medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

How it works

Think of each brain neuron as a light bulb and support cells as the components that allow the light bulb to brighten, including the wiring, switch and filament.

All of those supporting parts beyond the light bulb play a role in making the light shine.”

Robert Doyle, chemistry professor, Syracuse University 

The research team discovered that some support cells in the hindbrain naturally produce a molecule named octadecaneuropeptide (ODN), which suppresses appetite. In lab tests, injecting ODN directly into rats’ brains made them lose weight and improved how they processed glucose.

However, injecting directly into the brain isn’t a practical treatment for people, so researchers created a new version of the molecule named tridecaneuropeptide (TDN). This molecule version could be given to human patients through regular injections akin to today’s Ozempic or Zepbound. When tested in obese mice and musk shrews, TDN helped the animals lose weight and respond better to insulin without causing nausea or vomiting.

Marathon shortcut

One goal of the research team is to produce weight loss without aiming new therapeutic molecules at neurons. The new TDN molecule bypasses neurons, taking a shortcut to directly target neurons’ downstream support cells, which researchers found also produce appetite suppression. TDN cuts short the “marathon” of chemical reactions and negative side-effects caused by GLP-1 drugs.

“Instead of running a marathon from the very beginning like current drugs do, our targeting downstream pathways in support cells is like starting the race halfway through, reducing the unpleasant side effects many people experience,” says Doyle. “If we could hit that downstream process directly, then potentially we wouldn’t have to use GLP-1 drugs with their side effects. Or we could reduce their dose, improving the toleration of these drugs. We could trigger weight loss signals that happen later in the pathway more directly.”

A new company called CoronationBio has been launched to turn this discovery into a real-world treatment. The company has licensed intellectual property related to ODN derivatives for the treatment of obesity and cardio-metabolic disease from Syracuse University and the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on translating candidates into the clinic. They’re now teaming up with other companies to develop this treatment and aim to start human trials in 2026 or 2027.

New research shows that the natural fatty acid composition of breast milk may play a key role in promoting better and longer sleep for infants, highlighting the impact of early nutrition on healthy development.

In a recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers examined associations between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in human milk (HM) and sleep patterns among infants.

Infant sleep is a dynamic developmental process, entwined with body weight, cognition, and metabolism. Various studies underscore the importance of sleep for regulatory, physiological, and metabolic processes. Infants spend about 70% of their time sleeping in the first weeks of life, with evidence indicating lasting effects of sleep patterns on health outcomes.

Exclusive HM feeding is recommended for optimal infant development and growth for the first six months. Fats are a major macronutrient constituent in HM, with PUFAs representing one-fifth of total fats in HM. PUFAs are vital for key developmental processes, including central nervous system (CNS) maturation and retinal and brain function; PUFAs may also affect sleep regulation. Nevertheless, there is limited research on how HM PUFA content relates to sleep outcomes in exclusively HM-fed infants.

About the study

In the present study, researchers assessed associations between PUFAs in HM and sleep patterns in exclusively HM-fed infants. This study was a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessing the efficacy of lactation cookies.

Female parents of exclusively HM-fed infants aged two months in the United States were eligible for inclusion if their infant was healthy and term-born from a healthy pregnancy and uncomplicated birth. Data were collected on sociodemographics, maternal pre-pregnancy height and weight, and infant birth weight and length.

Infant sleep data were obtained using the parent-reported brief infant sleep questionnaire. The study’s primary outcome was an infant’s total sleep time in 24 hours, estimated as the sum of total nocturnal and diurnal sleep time. Secondary outcomes included sleep latency and night wakings. Participants were asked to provide fasting milk samples for analysis.

Fatty acid methyl esters were extracted from samples and analyzed using gas chromatography-flame ionization. Multivariate linear regression models were used with infants’ total 24-hour sleep time as the main outcome and night wakings and sleep latency as exploratory outcomes. Models were adjusted for pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), number of feedings, infant sex, and two-month weight-for-length z-scores.

Findings

The original trial included 176 participants; this sub-study included 131 individuals who provided a milk sample. The average infant age was 2.04 months at milk sample collection. Most participants had obesity or overweight before pregnancy (63.4%), a bachelor’s degree or higher (63%), and identified as White (81.7%). On average, the total 24-hour sleep was 14.6 hours, with infants sleeping for 6.22 hours during the day and 8.44 hours at night.

The average sleep latency was 43.8 minutes. PUFAs constituted 20.9% of total HM fatty acids. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids represented 1.7% and 19.1% of fatty acids, respectively. Linoleic acid (LA) accounted for 17.7% of total HM fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (mean 0.20%), arachidonic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) constituted 0.06%, 0.20%, 0.45%, and 1.37%, respectively.

HM omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were significantly associated with total sleep duration. Among individual PUFAs, LA and ALA were significantly associated with total sleep duration. However, no significant associations were found for nocturnal sleep duration.

Higher proportions of HM PUFAs showed significant associations with diurnal sleep time rather than nocturnal sleep time. Similarly, among individual PUFAs, LA and ALA were positively associated with diurnal sleep.

Conclusions

Taken together, the findings revealed that a higher proportion of HM PUFAs relative to total HM fatty acids was associated with a clinically meaningful increment in infant sleep time.

In particular, each 1% increase in HM omega-3 fatty acids was associated with approximately 60 more minutes of sleep, while a 1% increase in omega-6 fatty acids correlated with about 8 additional minutes. However, the researchers noted that a 1% omega-3 increase represents a larger relative change (about two standard deviations) versus omega-6 (about 0.25 SD), cautioning against direct comparison of these values.

Notably, the increments in sleep related to PUFAs were exclusively observed during diurnal periods. Further, ALA showed significant associations with diurnal and total sleep, suggesting a potential role in sleep regulation via mechanisms discussed in the paper, such as circadian rhythm modulation or melatonin release.

The study’s limitations include its observational design, which precludes causal inference; possible recall bias due to caregiver-reported sleep data; and the lack of adjustment for multiple comparisons, which may increase false-positive risk.

Moreover, the study relied on fatty acid proportions rather than absolute concentrations, which only provide complementary insights. Further research is needed to corroborate these findings, delineate the underlying biological mechanisms, and examine the impact of maternal diet and lactation factors on infant sleep trajectories.

A diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may have you flipping your diet upside down trying to manage symptoms. “Too many people with IBS start by excluding foods,” says Kim Kulp, RDN. “Many try cutting out dairy or gluten, and when that doesn’t help, other foods are also eliminated. This can lead to a diet that’s lacking in a variety of nutrients, and still doesn’t manage symptoms.” So, this may not be the most effective first step toward feeling your best. 

Instead, dietitians say, how you eat when you have IBS may be as important—if not more important—than what you eat. “As a dietitian specializing in IBS, one habit that I am constantly working with clients on is slowing down—especially at mealtimes,” says Kara Hochreiter, M.S., RDN, LD. And her colleagues agree. Whether you have IBS-C, IBS-D or mixed IBS, here’s how slowing down while you eat may help improve your IBS symptoms. 

How Slowing Down at Mealtimes May Help IBS

Can Improve Gut-Brain Communication

When you’re eating in a stressed or rushed state, digestion can take a serious hit, thanks to the strong two-way connection between your gut and your brain. When you’re under stress, your brain shifts energy and blood flow toward vital organs and away from your digestive system. If you eat in this state, your digestion may slow down or become disrupted. Then, your gut sends those stress signals right back to your brain. For those who already struggle with IBS symptoms, the effects of stress can be even worse. 

May Help You Tune into Your Body’s Stress Signals

Research shows that people with IBS may be more likely to rush through meals and chew their food less thoroughly. “When you’re eating in a rushed, distracted state, your body stays in fight-or-flight mode, which suppresses stomach acid, enzyme production and gut motility. This can result in more bloating, cramping, heartburn and unpredictable bowel movements,” says Hochreiter. Taking the time to slow down when you eat may help you better pick up on these signals before they escalate.

That said, this may be more easily said than done, since experiencing pain and discomfort after eating can likely exacerbate stress. “People with IBS are more likely to experience stress and anxiety around food because they know their history of food and gut symptoms, which continues the cycle of visceral hypersensitivity when eating,” says Nicole Ibarra, RD, LD. 

Might Improve Digestion

“Something as simple as limiting distractions, chewing thoroughly and taking a few deep belly breaths before meals can help shift the body into rest-and-digest mode and dramatically reduce symptoms,” says Hochreiter. Planning plenty of time for your meals can also help. While it’s hard to do when you’re busy, dedicating 20 to 30 minutes for each meal may help you feel better after eating. Of course, long-term habits can be hard to break. If you could use more tips to help you slow down, these strategies can help.

Other Strategies to Manage IBS

In addition to working closely with your physician or a registered dietitian, experts recommend these top IBS management strategies to feel your best. 

• Keep a food-and-symptom journal. Journaling what you eat and any symptoms you feel can help you identify potential triggers to better inform you before you start cutting foods out of your diet. “It’s one of the most powerful tools for taking control of symptoms and feeling better day to day,” says Jessie Winstead, RD, LD.  
• Stay hydrated. Dehydration can slow digestion and make symptoms like constipation and gas worse. And, if you have IBS-D, staying hydrated is essential for replenishing lost fluids. 
• Avoid skipping meals. Going too long between meals can send your nervous and digestive systems into overdrive. “Eating every three to four hours helps balance [the stress hormone] cortisol and your circadian rhythm, while preventing overeating and impulsively eating foods that are gut-irritating,” says Keelin Murphy, M.S., RDN. 
• Add gentle movement. Just a 10- to 15-minute walk after a meal can help stimulate digestion and relieve numerous symptoms of IBS. In one small study, a short walk reduced burping, gas and abdominal pain as much as taking gut motility-stimulating medication. Plus, it relieved feelings of bloating and abdominal fullness at an even higher rate.
• Eat breakfast. “This early meal kick-starts digestion by triggering the gastrocolic reflex, which promotes regular bowel movements and supports smoother gut function all day,” says Katie Schimmelpfenning, RD. “It also provides steady energy and reduces stress on your digestive system, both key for managing IBS.” 
• Practice relaxation techniques. “To calm the gut, we must first calm the whole system by incorporating habits that help to shift the body into parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’ mode,” says Hochreiter. “Breathwork, meditation, gentle movement like yoga or tai chi, and vagus nerve stimulation (like humming or gargling) are all simple yet powerful tools to help support that process.” 

Our Expert Take

If you’re dealing with IBS, what you eat matters. But how you eat might matter even more. Simple changes like slowing down, chewing your food thoroughly and eating in a relaxing environment can go a long way in improving brain-gut communication, reducing stress, supporting better digestion and calming your symptoms. Combine this simple habit with personalized recommendations from a physician or registered dietitian so you can start feeling like yourself again soon.

MANSEHRA: A multi-party conference held in Torghar district on Tuesday demanded cancellation of Rs2 billion development contracts awarded to a contractor recently arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with a Rs50 billion Kohistan corruption scandal.

“We have consistently raised concerns over financial irregularities in development schemes in our district, but no action has been taken. Mohammad Ayub, who was “illegally” awarded Rs2 billion worth of projects in Torghar, has now been arrested in the Kohistan mega corruption scam,” lawyer Syed Ajmal Shah told the conference held in the Darbani Akazai area.

Office-bearers, workers, and representatives of multiple political parties attended the conference and passed resolutions.

Dr Siraj Mohammad of Jamaat-i-Islami, Riaz Yusufzai and Siraj Khan of Awami National Party, Maulana Samiullah of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Dilroz Khan and Said Laiq Shah of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Amir Mohammad and Asad Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz addressed the conference. The conference unanimously demanded that the provincial government cancel all road and development projects awarded to Mohammad Ayub, who was facing corruption charges in a multi-billion-rupee scam.

Through another resolution, the participants urged the government to stop the deputy commissioner of Torghar from “creating conflicts among local tribes through biased administrative decisions.”

“All development schemes inaugurated by the local MPA and his representatives without approved funding should be referred to the anti-corruption establishment for a thorough investigation,” Syed Ajmal said.

Participants also said they would meet the deputy commissioner on August 19 to raise the issues highlighted during the conference.

DENGUE CLAIMS LIFE: A man died of dengue and hundreds of suspected fever cases have been reported in Oghi and its surrounding areas, prompting the health department to launch an indoor spray and fumigation drive in high-risk areas.

“We have established isolation wards at health facilities for dengue patients in Oghi and Mansehra following the influx of patients,” district entomologist Mohammad Qasim Khan told reporters on Tuesday.

Scores of people, including the elderly, women, and children, have been taken to public and private health facilities amid a growing dengue outbreak in Oghi and nearby localities.

Mohammad Bilal, who was admitted to the government hospital in Oghi after testing positive for dengue, succumbed to the infectious disease, according to officials. According to diagnostic laboratories, many dengue cases are being reported from Shahkot, Tatoly and Khattai.

Residents of Shahkot, currently identified as a hotspot of the outbreak, expressed dissatisfaction with the preventive measures taken by the health department.

“There’s growing fear in Shahkot and nearby areas as the government has yet to take effective steps to control the spread of this mosquito-borne disease,” a resident said.

District entomologist Qasim Khan said at least 40 dengue positive cases had been reported in Oghi and its suburbs.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2025

Fascinating research from Norway reveals that choosing low-fat milk over whole milk could lower your risk of dying from heart disease or any cause, reshaping decades of dietary advice.

Study: Low-fat and Whole Milk Consumption in relation to Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality: A prospective cohort study in three Norwegian counties. Image Credit: Hitra / Shutterstock

In a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers leveraged data from an extensive long-term Norwegian cohort to investigate associations between milk consumption (specifically whole versus low-fat milk) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) or mortality outcomes.

Study findings reveal that high overall milk consumption is associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Whole milk was linked to statistically increased mortality risk compared to low-fat milk, reinforcing current public health recommendations.

Background

One of nutrition science’s most enduring and heated debates is that of dietary fats. In particular, saturated fatty acids (SFA) from dairy products have remained at the center of nutritional discourse. While public health recommendations have favored the consumption of low-fat (or fat-free) dairy for decades, critics cite a persistent lack of evidence in challenging these conventions.

Public health agencies claim that low- or fat-free dairy lowers consumers’ risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This advice is based on the known effect of SFA on raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL; “bad”) cholesterol. However, the evidence directly linking full-fat dairy to adverse health outcomes has been inconsistent, with some studies even suggesting that dairy fat may be less harmful than SFA from other sources.

To robustly describe the effects of different milk types on CVDs, a long-term study of a large cohort of participants is required. Understanding these effects would help resolve this debate and inform future public health policy, especially relevant in today’s growing CVD burden.

About the study

The present study leverages the unique historical context of the Norwegian population. In the 1970s, whole milk consumption dominated in the country, but was replaced by low-fat milk in the 1980s. This context provides a powerful natural experiment to investigate the long-term health consequences of these different milk choices.

Specifically, the study utilized data from the Norwegian Counties Study conducted by the National Health Screening Service. The study encompassed individuals from three counties: Finnmark, Sogn and Fjordane, and Oppland. Data comprised three cardiovascular health screenings conducted between 1974 and 1988, with high attendance rates in each wave.

Additionally, dietary intake data (milk consumption, including frequency and subtype) were assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). This repeated measures approach allowed the researchers to calculate a “cumulative mean intake,” which proved crucial for detecting associations, as baseline-only analyses showed attenuated results.

The study’s primary outcomes of interest included mortality from CVD, ischemic heart disease (IHD), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and all causes. Mortality data were tracked through linkage with the national Cause of Death Registry.

Statistical analyses incorporated Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality, carefully adjusting for a wide range of potential confounders, including participants’ age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, physical activity levels, educational qualifications, and intake of other dietary sources of saturated fat.

Study findings

The final sample cohort comprised 73,860 individuals (mean age = 41.2 years at baseline). Over the median follow-up of 33 years, the study recorded 26,393 deaths, including 8,590 from CVD. Regression models revealed a clear positive association between high milk consumption and mortality.

Individuals in the highest quintile of milk intake had a 22% higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.22; 95% CI 1.16–1.28) and a 12% higher risk of CVD mortality (HR 1.12; 95% CI 1.03–1.21) compared to those in the lowest consumption quintile.

Subgroup analyses of milk consumption by type, however, revealed that the harmful associations were primarily driven by whole milk, which was significantly associated with increased risk of death from all causes (HR 1.15; 95% CI 1.10–1.21), ischemic heart disease (HR 1.13; 95% CI 1.01–1.27), and cardiovascular disease, though the CVD association was borderline significant (HR 1.07; 95% CI 0.99–1.16 for highest consumers). In contrast, compared to non-consumers, low-fat milk consumption was not associated with increased mortality risk.

Most importantly, when directly comparing the two among consumers while adjusting for total milk quantity, consuming low-fat milk was associated with a 7–11% lower mortality risk than consuming whole milk. Low-fat milk drinkers had an 11% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.87–0.92) and a 7% lower risk of CVD mortality (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.88–0.98) compared to whole milk drinkers. These associations were stronger in women and normal-weight individuals.

Conclusions

The present study presents robust, long-term (33 years) and extensive cohort (n = 73,860) evidence addressing the decades-long debate on the health associations between milk consumption and CVD or mortality outcomes.

While restricted to a Norwegian sample cohort and hence not globally generalizable without further investigation, and relying on self-reported dietary data, it highlights that whole milk is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in a population with high milk consumption, while low-fat milk is not. The findings remained consistent even after excluding early deaths or participants with pre-existing conditions.

A new study meticulously sampled different lung regions in people with cystic fibrosis to understand why infection persist after new treatments

The research report was published Aug. 5 in Cell Host & Microbe, a Cell Press scientific journal.  

Cystic fibrosis causes the buildup of sticky mucus that traps bacteria. Over time, infections damage the lungs.

Despite receiving new drugs called modulators that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis, most people with this genetic condition remain infected with the bacteria they had before treatment.  

“Modulators are amazing new treatments that have really improved people’s quality of life,” said Samantha Durfey, a former postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the project’s lead researcher. “However, infections manage to stick around, even with the best modulator, and we need to understand why.”  

Doctors’ understanding of diseases is often limited by the samples they can get. For example, lung or kidney infections involve studying phlegm or urine. But what if they could go inside human organs to measure disease in different areas and see how they respond to treatment?   

Researchers at the UW School of Medicine and the University of Iowa did just that.  

Before the study participants were started on modulators, the researchers went into patients’ lungs with thin cameras called bronchoscopes. They sampled regions that differed in the amount of damage, infection and inflammation. They then revisited the same lung areas a year after treatment to see where infection remained and what lung characteristics were linked to persistent infection.  

“A leading idea in the field is that patients remain infected because highly damaged lung regions can’t clear the infection, similar to how damaged tissues in wounds get infected,” said UW Medicine pulmonologist Dr. Sid Kapnadak, who led lung sampling for the study. “If a similar process is responsible for persistent CF lung infections, research can focus on these areas.” 

“What we found was a surprise, and there was good and not so good news,” said Durfey. “The good news was that, when infections cleared, lung inflammation almost completely resolved. Thus, future lung damage could be lessened in people who clear.”   

Durfey continued: “However, people who remained infected had infection and inflammation everywhere we looked, including lung areas with very little damage.” 

These findings suggest damage might not be the main cause of infection persistence and raise concern that lung function in people with bacterial infection could continue to deteriorate.  

“Now we have to understand how infection can persist in all areas of the lungs,” said Dr. Pradeep Singh, a UW Medicine critical care pulmonary physician who is also a professor of medicine and of microbiology at the UW School of Medicine. He is the senior researcher on the team. “The bacteria may adapt in new ways to resist clearance even when the least damaged lung regions are treated with the best drugs we have.”  

The researchers are also exploring other possibilities.  

“The previous idea about highly damaged lung regions being the culprit may be partially correct,” said Alison Feder, assistant professor of genome sciences at the UW School of Medicine and a researcher on the team. “Bacteria could disseminate from these areas and spread to undamaged areas.” 

“We’ve made progress by looking inside infected lungs,” said Durfey, “but there is still a lot we don’t understand.” 

This study was funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (grants SINGH19KO, SINGH24RO, ESTHER22Y2-SVC, ESTHER24RO), National Institutes of Health (RO1HL160710, P30DK089507) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (P30DK065988). 

 

Research shows that up to 20 percent of Americans deal with chronic constipation. If you’re part of that no-sign-up-required club, you’ve probably tried some of the buzzier remedies—drinking coffee, eating prunes, taking a probiotic supplement—in the pursuit of regularity. But if you’re still chasing that perfect “ghost poop,” don’t give up just yet: There are plenty of other doctor-backed tools to try.

We asked gastroenterologists about the habits they recommend for better BMs, and they delivered. Browse easy switches for a happier, healthier gut below.

Our top picks

1. Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, $40
2. Squatty Potty Simple Bathroom Toilet Stool, $23
3. Tushy Classic 3.0 Bidet, $129 $99
4. Hatch Restore 3 Sunrise Alarm Clock, $170
5. WalkingPad C2 Mini Foldable Walking Treadmill, $499 $449
6. Lululemon The Mat, $94

1. A trusty water bottle

Start by drinking more water (it really is that good for you). “Sound digestion relies heavily on fluid intake,” Carlton Thomas, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist and host of the Butt Honestly podcast, tells SELF. Staying hydrated helps your mouth make enough saliva—and your body needs saliva to break down the food you eat for better digestion, he says.

“Adequate hydration is also important for stimulating peristaltic waves, which are the muscle contractions that move food along the digestive tract,” Shawn Khodadadian, MD,, a gastroenterologist with Manhattan Gastroenterology in New York, tells SELF. Plus, water helps dissolve nutrients that are essential to digestion, like fiber. Turns out, if you’re not drinking enough fluids, fiber can’t do its job—which means you’re more likely to feel constipated and bloated, he says.

Keeping a water bottle close by can make it easier to stay hydrated all day long, says Dr. Thomas. This Owala one has a wide-mouth opening for taking big swigs and a straw spout for sipping—and almost the entire SELF team can vouch for it. .

We’re also fans of this bottle’s insulation, which can keep H2O at your perfect temperature for hours. Pro tip: Warm and room-temperature water is usually best for encouraging bowel movements because it relaxes your digestive muscles, while cold water can cause them to contract, according to Dr. Thomas. (But the best water is the kind you’ll actually drink.)

2. A simple (but smart) stool

If you have to strain every time you sit, Dr. Khodadadian suggests this iconic stool. Designed to prop up your feet while you poop, the Squatty Potty puts you into alignment for a smoother BM. “The squat position straightens the angle of the anal canal, which creates a more direct pathway for stool to pass through and reduces straining,” he says.

The Simple Squatty Potty, which rings up at around $20, will get the job done. But if you’re not into white plastic, check out the brand’s (slightly pricier) foldable bamboo option.

3. A handy bidet

Put the wipes down. “Butt wipes disrupt the local bacterial flora in your butt—a.k.a. the butt microbiome—and create inflammation,” Dr. Thomas says. Over time, that combo can make it more difficult to go.

To the rescue? A good bidet, which uses a stream of water for a gentle (but thorough) clean. That means less wiping with toilet paper, which can be a game changer—especially if you’re dealing with hemorrhoids or sensitivity down there, he says.

The Tushy Classic 3.0 is favorite among SELF staffers for its price point, easy-to-install design, and deep cleansing effect. (It even won a SELF Healthy Home Award last year.) Also nice is its intuitive dial control, which allows you to tweak the water pressure as needed.

4. A soothing—not scary—alarm clock

“Maintaining consistent waking and sleeping times support your gut clocks, which will improve overall gut function, reduce digestive symptoms, and harmonize your digestive patterns,” says David Clarke, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist and internal medicine specialist who’s also the president of the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic Symptoms (ATNS), a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to ending chronic pain. TL;DR: Adjusting your sleep schedule can train your body to poop more predictably.

Waking up at the same time every day and getting some sunlight first thing in the A.M. is ideal because it supports your circadian rhythms, but that’s not always realistic, says Dr. Clarke. An alarm clock—especially one placed across the room from your bed, so you can’t hit snooze—can help you stick to a routine, he says.

More than two years after ending pandemic emergency procedures, China has revived some Covid-era health controls in the southern Guangdong province to prevent the spread of a painful mosquito-borne viral disease.

Recording the identities of people buying commonly used medicines, reinstating mass testing, requiring travel history reports and undertaking community-level disinfection are among measures put in place to check chikungunya, after a city in the industrial hub reported a rare but massive outbreak of the virus this summer.