Category Archives: Bacteria

Honey as an Antibacterial

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Honey is an important food and medicine. Its culinary effects are well known, and relate largely to its sweet taste, something that results from its very high concentration of sugars. The medicinal effects of honey are more complex, and relate … Continue reading →

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Can Green Tea Increase Equol Production

Posted on May 10, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Equol is a degradation product of the isoflavone daidzein. Daidzen is degraded to equol in the gut of humans under the influence of a number of bacteria. Current evidence suggests that equol may have health effects that include protection from … Continue reading →

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Probiotic and Prebiotics. What is the difference?

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Probiotics and prebiotics are terms that have become increasingly part of normal language. Probiotics refers to whole microorganisms that can live within the human gut as part of the normal microbiota. Probiotics can be ingested in the form of foods, … Continue reading →

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Probiotics for Daily Use?

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Robert Barrington

A number of studies have suggested that certain profiles of gut microorganisms may have a beneficial effect on health and that certain detrimental gut microorganisms may be associated with ill health. The association between the gut microbiota profile and the … Continue reading →

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The Antimicrobial Effects of Tea Polyphenols

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Robert Barrington

Black tea with milk has incredible calming properties that make it an ideal drink during periods of stress. Being ill with a microbiological infection is a significant stress on a human body and tea is a drink that is often … Continue reading →

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Chronic Inflammation: The Gut Connection

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Robert Barrington

Chronic low level inflammation is a significant cause of disease. Many diseases that develop as a result of the Western lifestyle and diet develop as a result of inflammation. Inflammation is detrimental because it causes cellular metabolism to change and … Continue reading →

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How Does Honey Act As An Antibiotic?

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Robert Barrington

Honey has been shown to have a number of beneficial health effects. One health effect of honey that is fairly well established is its ability to kill bacteria. One explanation for this is that sugars, of which honey is a … Continue reading →

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Blackberry Anthocyanins and Tooth Health

Posted on September 28, 2022 by Robert Barrington

Blackberries are a rich source of polyphenols. In particular, blackberries contain high amounts of the flavonoid subgroup of polyphenols and of these anthocyanins make up a large majority. Anthocyanins are known to be bioavailable in humans and may confer significant … Continue reading →

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Anthocyanins and the Gut Microbiome

Posted on August 24, 2022 by Robert Barrington

Anthocyanins are a group of flavonoids that are synthesised in plants and responsible for many of the red, blue and purples colours of fruits, particularly berries. Anthocyanins have important health effects in humans. Evidence suggests that certain anthocyanins are bioavailable … Continue reading →

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Polyphenols as Nutrients for Gut Bacteria

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Robert Barrington

The bacteria and other microorganisms present in the gut are referred to as the microbiome. They are composed mainly of around 1000-1500 known bacterial species with most individuals possessing around 160 to 500 species each. This suggests that the microbiome … Continue reading →

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