How a healthy gut can reduce the severity of Covid and the flu
A study of Croatian children attending daycare saw half of them given probiotics and the other half a placebo - after three months those taking probiotics had a lower risk of respiratory tract infections and experienced less time unwell when infected.
Swedish researchers also conducted a study on 272 adults and found that the group using probiotics experienced the milder cold and flu symptoms and less time infected with a virus.
It also found cases of the cold and flu among participants those who had taken probiotics averaged 6.2 days compared to the 8.2 days those taking a placebo experienced.
As consultant gastroenterologist and UNSW Professor of Medicine Emad El-Omar explains, the gut microbiome's primary role is to educate our immune system about our environment.
The lion's share of our immune system - around two-thirds of all immune cells – is concentrated in digestive system which is why UNSW’s Microbiome Research Centre is exploring how the gut microbiome’s make-up affects immune responses and changes with various disease progression.
Source: Dispensaries and NSW Health
picture - Supercharged Food
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
How many balls of string does it take to reach the moon?
(Peter from Carterton kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Peter!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
-
39.4% Yes
-
33.3% Maybe?
-
27.3% No
Principal defends $17k overseas trip as research
A Hamilton principal whose $17,000 trip to Hawaii and Alaska was highlighted in an report on questionable school spending says he was doing doctoral work on how streaming affects students.
Fairfield College principal Richard Crawford is defending the trip, saying it was his first sabbatical in his 19-year career as a principal and contributed to learning he’d be applying to both his school, and potentially others, through his research.
Loading…
