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The gut microbiome is a balance of beneficial and harmful organisms, and understanding that distinction is foundational ...
06/24/2026

The gut microbiome is a balance of beneficial and harmful organisms, and understanding that distinction is foundational to GI interpretation. πŸ”¬

βœ… Beneficial microbes like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii support digestion, gut barrier integrity, and immune regulation.

❌ On the other side, harmful microbes like Clostridium difficile, Helicobacter pylori, and Candida overgrowth are associated with inflammation, ulceration, and small intestinal fungal overgrowth.

🌿 GI stool testing gives practitioners a window into this balance, informing targeted clinical decisions.
πŸ’¬ Comment "GI INTERP" below for our Stool & GI Microbiome Interpretation Guide.

A 2026 peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Microbiology (Knecht et al.) investigates whether glyphosate, one o...
06/23/2026

A 2026 peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Microbiology (Knecht et al.) investigates whether glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides globally, may be contributing to the spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria.

🌍 The study was conducted in Argentina, where glyphosate use is extensive, particularly in soybean cultivation. Results are specific to this geographic and clinical context.
πŸ”¬ Researchers tested 103 bacterial strains across three sources: 68 from sediment in a protected wetland in the ParanΓ‘ Delta (where glyphosate has never been directly applied), 19 from hospital infection isolates, and 15 from feedlots and herbicide-impacted agricultural soils.
πŸ’Š All 19 hospital-derived MDR strains showed high resistance to glyphosate. Among those, 74% were resistant to carbapenems, a last-resort antibiotic class (14 of 19 isolates).
🌱 Environmental strains showed a gradient of glyphosate resistance. Enterobacter species, an emerging clinical pathogen, tolerated the highest concentrations. Bacillus species were most susceptible.
🧬 Whole genome sequencing of 46 strains found that efflux pump genes and phn degradative genes were more predictive of glyphosate resistance than mutations in the primary target enzyme (EPSPS). Those same efflux pump genes are associated with multidrug antibiotic resistance, the basis for the cross-resistance hypothesis.

⚠️ One key nuance: across all 103 strains, higher antibiotic resistance did not reliably predict higher glyphosate resistance (Spearman correlation p=0.977). The association between high glyphosate resistance and MDR was specific to the clinical strain group, not a universal pattern across all bacteria tested.

The authors propose a transmission pathway from glyphosate-treated agricultural soils through untreated wastewater into clinical settings, but this route was not directly observed in the study. They call for pesticide regulations to require antibiotic co-selection testing before products reach market.

This is an observational study. It identifies a plausible mechanism and a notable association, not a proven causal relationship.
Source: Knecht CA et al. Front. Microbiol. 2026; 17:1740431. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1740431

Your gut plays a role in regulating estrogen. 🦠The estrobolome is a collection of gut bacteria that produces β-glucuroni...
06/22/2026

Your gut plays a role in regulating estrogen. 🦠

The estrobolome is a collection of gut bacteria that produces Ξ²-glucuronidase, an enzyme that helps regulate the circulation and activity of estrogens in the body.

πŸ”¬ When opportunistic bacteria overgrow, Ξ²-glucuronidase activity rises and estrogen reabsorbs into circulation rather than being excreted, contributing to estrogen dominance.

βš–οΈ When beneficial bacteria are depleted, estrogen may be poorly recycled, producing low estrogen symptoms instead.

The gut and hormonal systems are closely interconnected, and testing markers can offer valuable insights into both, guiding targeted interventions.

πŸ’¬ Comment 'GUT' to watch Dr. Onah's full on-demand webinar on the gut-hormone axis. πŸ‘‡

There are two types of dietary fiber, and they work differently in the body.🌿 Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms...
06/19/2026

There are two types of dietary fiber, and they work differently in the body.

🌿 Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel during digestion, which affects how nutrients are absorbed.
πŸ”¬ Insoluble fiber stays intact as it passes through the digestive tract, adding bulk and supporting transit.

Both are found in plant-based foods, but the sources and mechanisms differ.

πŸ‘† Save this for reference.

Polyphenols are a class of naturally occurring compounds found in plant-based foods 🫐πŸ₯œπŸ΅ and they've become one of the mo...
06/18/2026

Polyphenols are a class of naturally occurring compounds found in plant-based foods 🫐πŸ₯œπŸ΅ and they've become one of the more studied areas in nutritional biochemistry in recent decades.

They function primarily as antioxidants 🌿 and research has examined their potential associations with cardiovascular health, blood sugar regulation, digestive function, weight regulation, and neurological health. πŸ«€πŸ§ 

What makes them more nuanced than a typical nutrient: a food's polyphenol content doesn't directly predict how much actually gets absorbed and used.
πŸ”¬ Activity depends on metabolism, intestinal absorption, and bioavailability, which means whole food sources tend to outperform isolated supplements where the surrounding food matrix that supports absorption is absent. πŸ₯—

The graphic above covers key food sources and polyphenol concentrations sourced from recent literature. πŸ“Š

Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is found in a significant number of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription acne products, and un...
06/17/2026

Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is found in a significant number of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription acne products, and under heat or prolonged storage, it can degrade into benzene, a chemical classified as a known human carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). πŸ§ͺ

⚠️Benzene is not added intentionally.
It forms as a byproduct of BPO breakdown, a process that accelerates with heat exposure, even in unopened products stored above room temperature. 🌑️

Benzene contamination in personal care products is not a new issue. In recent years, voluntary recalls have been issued for sunscreens, hand sanitizers, and antiperspirants found to contain elevated benzene levels, establishing a pattern of concern across product categories.
🧴 In March 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested 95 BPO-containing acne products specifically. Six were found to have elevated benzene levels, and seven voluntary recalls followed, affecting products from brands including La Roche-Posay, Proactiv, Walgreens, and SLMD. πŸ“‹

More recently, a class action lawsuit was filed against L'OrΓ©al USA (Grossenbacher v. L'OrΓ©al USA, 2024), alleging that CeraVe BPO products contained benzene levels above the FDA's 2 parts per million (ppm) threshold and that consumers were not informed of this. βš–οΈ

πŸ”¬ It is worth noting that the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) states that regular use of BPO acne products has not been linked to increased benzene levels in the blood or an increased risk of developing cancer. Research is ongoing.

🌑️ The AAD advises to store products at room temperature or cooler and replace them every 10 to 12 weeks.

Mast cell activation syndrome can present across nearly every organ system.πŸ‘‰ GI, cardiovascular, neurological, musculosk...
06/16/2026

Mast cell activation syndrome can present across nearly every organ system.
πŸ‘‰ GI, cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, pelvic, and beyond.

For patients with multi-system symptoms that don't fit a single diagnosis, MCAS is often hiding in plain sight. πŸ”¬

πŸ’‘ The symptom picture pulled from Dr. Lawrence Afrin's work in Never Bet Against Occam shows just how broad the presentation can be, and why so many of these patients are missed.

Dr. Neil Nathan, MD covers MCAS as part of a larger clinical framework alongside limbic dysfunction and vagal nerve imbalance in his on-demand webinar: Treating Sensitive Mold-Sick Patients.
πŸ’¬ Comment "WEBINAR" below for the link.

🌿 Arabinose and arabinitol appear side by side on an organic acids test profile, and they're easy to conflate. ❌ But the...
06/15/2026

🌿 Arabinose and arabinitol appear side by side on an organic acids test profile, and they're easy to conflate.
❌ But they are not the same thing, and the difference between them carries important clinical meaning.

Both markers can point toward gut and fungal dysbiosis and toward altered sugar handling. The relationship between arabinose and arabinitol is what sharpens the interpretation. πŸ”¬

The full blog covers what each marker is, how they relate to one another, and why seeing both on a single organic acids profile gives practitioners more specific insight into Candida and fungal activity than either marker alone.

πŸ’¬ Comment "OAT" below for the full article.

An allergy and a sensitivity are not the same reaction. πŸ”¬ ⚠️ Allergies are IgE-mediated and can escalate quickly, inclu...
06/12/2026

An allergy and a sensitivity are not the same reaction. πŸ”¬

⚠️ Allergies are IgE-mediated and can escalate quickly, including to anaphylaxis, requiring strict avoidance and emergency preparedness.

πŸŒ€ Sensitivities and intolerances are typically not IgE-mediated. Symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or nausea that appear hours later and are often difficult to connect to a specific food.

Management looks different too: allergies mean strict avoidance, while intolerances are often addressed through elimination and reintroduction of suspected trigger foods.

⚑ Understanding the difference matters.

Tick season is off to one of its worst starts in years, and the data is already reflecting it. πŸ•·οΈER visits for tick bite...
06/11/2026

Tick season is off to one of its worst starts in years, and the data is already reflecting it. πŸ•·οΈ

ER visits for tick bites are up more than 25% compared to the same time last year πŸ“ˆ and the CDC took the unusual step of issuing an early public advisory urging action now.

Two compounding factors help explain why.
πŸ”₯ A warmer-than-average winter allowed more ticks to survive and lay eggs into spring
🌑️ An acorn abundance cycle two years ago led to a surge in the deer, mice, and squirrel populations that ticks depend on as hosts.

Now with fewer wildlife hosts available, people and pets are increasingly the next best option. 🌿

Lyme disease gets most of the attention, but ticks can also transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus, and alpha-gal syndrome, some of which can be severe if not caught early. ⚠️

Swipe through for a full breakdownπŸ‘‰

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