Emily Leeming's Blog, page 8

The myth of eight glasses of water a day 🧠

A quick book update!

Yesterday my publishing team at Penguin couriered over a copy of my book, Genius Gut!

This is the first time I’ve seen the finished book in the flesh, it stirred up a lot of emotions, and yes - I might have had a little (happy!) cry after!

The countdown has officially started, with only one month to go. Genius Gut is out 25th July and it’s coming up fast.

(UK only, but soon Netherlands, China, Russia, Spain, Greece, and more).

The very first page says ‘This is for you’.

Because...

Psychobiotic 🧠 Bifidobacterium longum 1714

The bacteria strain Bifidobacterium longum 1714 has been shown to have anti-anxiety, anti-depressive, and stress-easing effects in mice.

More recently, scientists have run studies to investigate if there might be the same, or similar, effects in humans.

We have a handful of rigorously designed (though small) studies that show that taking Bifidobacterium longum 1714, or B. longum 1714 for short, improves energy levels and memory, and eases stress - even in young healthy adults.

Though how exactly...

Feeling stressed? 🧠 Feed your microbes

Why is it that we’re so resistant to the thought that what we eat can affect how we feel and think?

In science we’ve compartmentalised the body, exploring the actions of the liver, the heart, the gut, and the brain, as separate entities.

The philosopher Descartes argued that the mind and body are so wholly separate, that it’s impossible to think they might affect each other.

But what you eat can change your mood, help you think better, and - possibly - help to ease stress.

There are a number of pr...

Olives' hidden secret 🧠 They're fermented!

While extra virgin olive oil gets plenty of attention, let’s not forget the ‘source’ - olives themselves.

Olives are rich in polyphenols, healthy fats, and fibre, yet they aren’t well-known for another gut health benefit - they’re fermented too.

Olives fibre content: 3.3.g/100g

Nearly twice as much as lettuce, and one and a half times more than cabbage.

Olives are also one of the top 100 highest polyphenol containing foods.

Olives polyphenol content: black olives 117mg/100g, green olives 161mg/10...

Supplements 🧠 are they worth it?

Nutrition is essential for a healthy body and a healthy brain. In particular, your body needs vitamins and minerals to work properly.

Vitamins: are made by animals or plants. You can make some vitamins yourself, but you need to get many of them from the food you eat.

Examples: Vitamin A, D, E, C and K.

Minerals: can’t be made by animals or plants, and come from the soil and environment. Plants absorb minerals, which are then eaten by animals and humans.

Examples: Calcium, potassium, iron, magnesi...

Moody microbes 🧠 can they affect your mental health?

When we talk about food and mood, we often look to studies of depression.

Depression can be different from person to person, but certain features in some cases of depression seem to be influenced by your gut bacteria, and the food you eat.

Like any condition, disorder, or disease, having a potential new avenue for treatment to complement standard care can only be a good thing; the more tools we have, the better.

Could targeting your gut bacteria be a new avenue to feeling well both physically an...

Gut microbiome tests 🧠 are they worth it?

With all this chat about how important your gut microbiome is in both health and disease, it might have you thinking - can you test how healthy your own gut microbiome is?

So here’s the skinny on commercial gut microbiome tests; what they tell you, are they worth it, and do they live up to expectations?

What is a gut microbiome test?

A gut microbiome test tells you the amounts and types of bacteria you have in your gut.

In an ideal world, you’d take a sample of your gut microbiome from your lower in...

Kefir and its mind-modulating properties

Kefir is a fermented dairy made from fermenting milk with Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts found in kefir grains.

Kefir contains more bacteria than yoghurt, with the potential to supply a new dose of bacteria to your gut microbiome - and to influence your health.

Like other fermented foods, kefir is linked to many health benefits like supporting your immune system to the health and function of your brain.

Photo by Anshu A on Unsplash

Your gut bacteria can influence your HPA axis that’s involved in ...

Can your emotions 🧠 cause stomach problems?

It all began with a simple fishing experiment.

In 1822 a soldier in the US army was shot in the stomach. With care from the army doctor, the tissue around the wound healed - but it didn’t heal over, leaving an inch-wide opening.

The army doctor saw this as a unique opportunity for science, with a window straight into the gut.

Photo by British Library on Unsplash

In exchange for a place to sleep and a small income, the army doctor started performing scientific experiments on the man’s gut.

He would...

🧠 Why do farts smell?

Most farts don’t smell at all - and we don’t even realise we’re doing them.

When you eat, your gut naturally produces gas as it digests your food, like methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen.

There’s one gas though, that makes up just 1% of the gases you produce, that is the real stink bomb.

Hydrogen sulfide is the gas that clears the room with its smelly rotten egg stink.

Photo by Tengyart on UnsplashSmelly farts

If you eat plenty of foods containing sulfur, then your body can make more stinky hydr...