Meal Timing Impacts Daily Rhythms of Salivary Microbiota
The digestive system begins in the mouth, which is home to 700+ unique species of bacteria. Recent research has shown that oral and gut microbiota have diurnal rhythms. Whether these daily patterns result from circadian biology and/or eating behaviors is unknown. Meal timing, in particular consuming one’s main meal later in the day, has been linked to insulin resistance and obesity. A recent publication reports on the first human intervention to investigate the impact of meal timing on digestive tract microbiota, specifically examining whether eating late impacts daily rhythms of salivary microbiota and postulating implications for metabolic alterations.
Probiotics Animation:
Gut Health and Beyond

The human gut is home to over 100 trillion diverse bacterial cells. Comprised of mostly “good” bacteria, the gut microbiota serve many essential roles, including helping to protect the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract, process the foods we consume, and produce vitamins and short-chain fatty acids that help our bodies to function. This animation explores gut bacteria, their metabolites, causes of dysbiosis, and ways to help cultivate more “good” bacteria in the gut, including pre- and probiotics.
Herbal Therapies vs. Antibiotics for SIBO Relief
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a common digestive health problem. While most accepted treatment regimens for SIBO include antibiotics, the response is variable. A study from Johns Hopkins Hospital compared the effects of daily rifaximin (1200 mg) to concentrated herbal therapy for 4 weeks in patients with newly diagnosed SIBO. The herbal therapy intervention included concentrated berberine and aromatic essential oil formulas. Herbal therapies proved equally effective to antibiotic regimen for SIBO resolution and produced significantly fewer, milder side effects than the antibiotics.
Erik Lundquist, MD
Thursday, June 21, 2018
11-11:25 AM PT
This week’s Metagenics Advanced Practitioner Services (MAPS) talk is “GERD, Heartburn, and Functional Dyspepsia: Low-Hanging Fruit with a Functional Medicine Approach” with Dr. Erik Lundquist, family physician and Medical Director at Temecula Center for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Lundquist will discuss a widely prescribed class of drugs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), examining their efficacy and side effects. Dr. Lundquist will help clinicians understand how to recognize and resolve the underlying etiologies of gastroesophageal conditions utilizing a Functional Medicine approach.
Metagenics Institute is a trusted, peer-to-peer, evidence-based educational resource for nutrition and personalized medicine. This center of excellence translates credible research with scientific integrity into innovative clinical decision-making. Metagenics Institute supports a diverse practitioner base to optimize patient outcomes by shifting existing paradigms in healthcare
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