Despite their gross out factor, fecal transplants – essentially, a poop enema – have revolutionized treatment of Clostridium difficile, a violent diarrheal infection commonly acquired in hospitals. Many researchers (myself included) have excitedly speculated about vast number of potential uses for fecal transplants: treating autoimmune disease, gut disorders, and maybe even metabolic syndromes like diabetes. Indeed, fecal transplants are conquering medicine …
Food and disease: Are you what you eat?
Since the early 1900s, Americans have argued about whether “natural agriculture” produces food that is healthier than conventional agriculture. Conventional foods are grown with petroleum based fertilizers, and are typically processed with added preservatives, while “natural foods” are grown with organic inputs and are processed with as few preservatives as possible. In the 1970s, this argument launched into a national movement, …