Smoking alters gut bacteria, aids ulcerative colitis
Smoking may help ulcerative colitis by altering gut bacteria.
Why it matters
- Explains why smoking helps ulcerative colitis but not Crohn's disease.
- Could lead to new treatments that mimic smoking's benefits without its risks.
By the numbers
- Study used human clinical data and mouse experiments.
- Found mouth bacteria like Streptococcus in the gut of smokers with ulcerative colitis.
- Tested 10 strains of oral bacteria, Streptococcus mitis had similar effect as smoking.
The big picture
- Findings suggest potential for prebiotic or probiotic treatments for ulcerative colitis.
What they're saying
- Some comments are skeptical or humorous, others find the study interesting and relevant.
Caveats
- Study done in mice, effects in humans not yet confirmed.
- Smoking has many negative health effects.
What’s next
- Potential treatments could include prebiotics like hydroquinone or probiotics with Streptococcus mitis.