gut

An Ode to Yogurt

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 20:55:34 +0000

Many years ago, when I first started teaching about the chemistry of food, yogurt was only granted a few minutes of lecture time. It appeared as one of the first processed foods, albeit accidentally processed, dating back some 7000 years to when bacteria happened to drift into a pot of milk in Mesopotamia, thickening it and giving it a tart taste. I explained that the bacteria were likely of the Lactobacillus genus that produce lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme that converts the milk sugar lactose into lactic acid.

Butyric Acid is an Enemy in the Fridge but a Friend in the Gut

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 07 May 2025 15:22:14 +0000

Smells are caused by volatile compounds that stimulate receptors in our nose. There is a large variety of such compounds with a great diversity of molecular structures. But many of the smells encountered in the fridge are due to volatile fatty acids. For example, when butter goes rancid, it releases butyric acid, a particularly foul smelling compound that is also a component of foot odour, vomit, and curiously, parmesan cheese. It is also the notorious ingredient in stink bombs.

The Dark Matter Inside Your Gut

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 21 May 2021 19:41:42 +0000

There is a kind of dark matter inside our intestinal tract. “Dark matter” is the phrase coined for the matter that is implied to be present in the universe based on physicists’ calculations but that cannot be seen yet. Scientists who study tiny living things are facing their own type of dark matter: invisible microbes that are indirectly detected. They call it “microbial dark matter.”

The Right Chemistry: Probiotics, Gut Health, and Happiness

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 19:47:57 +0000

Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on probiotics, gut health and happiness

Bugs in our Guts

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:28:46 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S.

You Think What You Eat?

Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 21:53:31 +0000

When we think of the human mind we tend to picture the wrinkly pink organ which resides in our skull: it’s intricate cavities responsible for bringing about all the amazing things that we can think and do. But it turns out another organ is also involved in constructing our mental existence, however this one we tend to just associate with a toilet. The gut, or gastrointestinal tract, is the long digestive tube which runs from mouth to anus, and just might be the most underrated body organ.

The Secret World Inside Us

Emily Shore, B.A, Dipl. PR Management — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 23:00:12 +0000

Recently, there’s been an influx of media attention on guts. More specifically, the microbes that live in your gut. Extensive research is being done on these little guys as they seem to be having a real impact on our health. These gut microbes may be minuscule but their function is major. And I learnt all about them at “The Secret World Inside You” exhibit now on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.